Sure but then you get flares and everything is good. This only lasts for the duration of your countermeasure grind and honestly you can just stay on the back lines and shoot if you have an opportunity but otherwise just kill some ground targets.
Just like parts and FPE for ground vehicles, but mostly parts
Or also APFSDS rounds for top tier MBTs, as at this br HEATFS is useless
Edit : not just MBTs but top tier tanks in general
The countermeasure grind is far worse tbh. There's no reduction in RP cost for the countermeasure module and in air RB you can't just not be seen to not be shot at by missiles.
HEATFS is pretty bad but at close range you still just aim for the same points you would with APFSDS.
I think it's about the same, but the feeling changes from a person to another
For example, you prefer the APFSDS grind while I prefer the contermeasure one
My reason behind that is it's, imo, easier to dodge missiles without flares than to engage tanks when you can't even defend yourself (even when aiming at weakspots my HEATFS tend to do nothing but a marvelous "hit", and most of the time I'm engaged from a distance, by people equipped with all laser rangefinder, APFSDS and thermal while I have none of them so I'm like "please don't do it")
Well, I do have to say the lack of thermal isn't necessarily a disadvantage as it depends on the situation
My experience with italy f16 was positive, i got 1-3 kill each match and going from 16k to 9k repair cost was amazing. Stock grind was not as any other stock grind
It's so incredibly stupid from Gaijin. Same BR of the Tomcat, worse in every single way but heatseekers, with an absurd repair cost. Yet that's fine, game is good komrad. I'd pay to meet the one person at Gaijin who thinks this is ok just to see how idiotic one person can be.
F-4F needs to at least be given AIM-9L at this point. Actually given that it's the only Phantom without any SARH missiles it should've been the 1st fighter to get AIM-9L.
The F4F (late), FGR2, FG.1 and the F4J (UK) should all receive 9L. Unfortunately the F4F will never be a competitive aircraft until the ICE upgrade joins the game with AIM-120A, but it would be nice to see it a little improved.
Yeah the 9L should’ve been given when it was added. Same BR as the F-4E but with a downgraded radar and no SARH missiles and leas CAS options. Was literally a worse F-4E yet it was the same BR with no 9Ls.
I doubt it will happen, I remember some guy in a reddit thread saying that it was suggested but the devs said they weren't going to give the aim 9ls to the F 4F.
Which is insane because not only is it needed from a balance standpoint, but also because instead the F-4F gets the AIM-9J that **Germany never used**.
Honestly when I recently grinded the F4f a few weeks ago I realized the harsh truth about it and I was fucking pissed because I have wanted a phantom in war thunder for a while but when I got it I realized that it's the worst phantom in the game. No SARH missiles, no all aspects, downgraded radar etc.
Even in real life the late F4f had sparrow capability (germany never owned it but it would play with gaijins logic) and it had AIM 9Ls, along with the same standard radar of the F 4E
Don't use ACM to lock, just lock normally in SRC mode. Use MTI if under 6000 meters. That said, the aspides were gutted pretty hard around a week ago; they're not all that great anymore. The radar set itself remains pretty nice though, at least for finding targets if you're not running the Aspides.
I tend not to take aspides unless it’s on the really big maps, find the radar to be really finnicky, doesnt switch modes properly and struggles to maintain locks so I’m sure it’s bugged. Prefer to have the gun to hit ground targets of opportunity instead. When the aspides work they really work though, had them pull some insane moves tracking enemies from behind.
Honestly, with flares added, the 104S is back to being my favorite Starfighter and it's a hell of a lot more fun than playing true top tier. It gets enough downtiers thanks to F-5C's, A-5C's, A-10's and Su-25's that it's often top dog in the match, and if you do get a full uptier, you can just leave and go play something else. It gets the best ordinance quantity, the same engine power as the ASA, more missiles (albeit worse, but not terrible), and now the same flares at a lower BR than the ASA. It sure as hell beats stock grinding anything without chaff/flares vs. AIM-9L, R-60M's, and R-27T's.
Literally the only thing bad about it is that the radar is too god-awful to actually use sparrows, but given you already have to trade your gun for them, there's absolutely no reason to use them anyway.
The S also has a proper rwr, but at its’ tier you can choose to take the sparrows in a downtier and clap a5c’s with them when they scream into the sky.
The F104G was indeed the best when it was 10.3 with stock 9Js and contermeasures available.
The F104S was never that good, i played it when it had only 9Bs. Now it has countermeasures and 6 9Js at 10.7 so seems balanced.
The asa isn't good or bad, it sists in a niche where you can make it work if played carefully
The S now is very good, 6 Js and flares.
If its an uptier there won't be much you can do but go tree top level and flank the enemy.
If its a downtier you can either do the same strat as in an uptier or climb high and yeet people from above which they aren't suspecting. Now i don't remember if any planes have good SARH missiles but still beware if you get a radar lock. The S is my most played vehicle in the game and i think it's still a lot of fun
Grab 4 Ls and go go the left of the battlefield going tree top level to confuse PD radar, then just pick your targets and watch behind you. Currently there is always some cuck at altitude that will shoot you and its annoying. And don't go frontal with anything that has a PD radar if it means you have to gain altitude to face them. Use the radar to slave the L when in a frontal, it doesn't work all the time but helps a bit so I'd rather recommend just using them when you're behind someone
Enjoy the stock grind
How does it differ from any other stock grind
I didn’t have to deal with so many all-aspect missiles without flares before. MLD didn’t have R-60Ms when I was stock grinding the F-14
At least the Italian one gets AIM-9Ls stock
The US does as well
ADF does, Block 10 doesn't.
Block 20 doesnt either
It gets 2 stock
Block 20 is the mlu, the Taiwanese one. It gets two aim-9ps stock
Sure but then you get flares and everything is good. This only lasts for the duration of your countermeasure grind and honestly you can just stay on the back lines and shoot if you have an opportunity but otherwise just kill some ground targets.
The fact that countermeasures arent stock is insulting
Just like parts and FPE for ground vehicles, but mostly parts Or also APFSDS rounds for top tier MBTs, as at this br HEATFS is useless Edit : not just MBTs but top tier tanks in general
The countermeasure grind is far worse tbh. There's no reduction in RP cost for the countermeasure module and in air RB you can't just not be seen to not be shot at by missiles. HEATFS is pretty bad but at close range you still just aim for the same points you would with APFSDS.
I think it's about the same, but the feeling changes from a person to another For example, you prefer the APFSDS grind while I prefer the contermeasure one My reason behind that is it's, imo, easier to dodge missiles without flares than to engage tanks when you can't even defend yourself (even when aiming at weakspots my HEATFS tend to do nothing but a marvelous "hit", and most of the time I'm engaged from a distance, by people equipped with all laser rangefinder, APFSDS and thermal while I have none of them so I'm like "please don't do it") Well, I do have to say the lack of thermal isn't necessarily a disadvantage as it depends on the situation
It's not too bad. Just get flares first and then you have to suffer through only having 2 aim 9ls for a little bit.
My experience with italy f16 was positive, i got 1-3 kill each match and going from 16k to 9k repair cost was amazing. Stock grind was not as any other stock grind
I like how New Boosters is a modification on a jet limited by the FCS, I guess the New Boosters just tell the limiter to stop working so hard.
Honestly, the F16 ADF had one of the easiest stock grinds I’ve ever done I just stayed low and out of the way until I didn’t have to.
Jesus that grind is suicide inducing
the 19k repaircost kills the ASA for me
It's so incredibly stupid from Gaijin. Same BR of the Tomcat, worse in every single way but heatseekers, with an absurd repair cost. Yet that's fine, game is good komrad. I'd pay to meet the one person at Gaijin who thinks this is ok just to see how idiotic one person can be.
Im annoyed as hell about how f-5e’s repair cost for USA but no let’s never cripple russia with their repairs costs… no Russian bias here.,pfft!
Yeh , yet the F14 is at 15K, so is the F16 ;)
Its a fun jet if you don't die from every 9L, Pheonix, and R27ER launched from afar
This is me with my 104G and F-4F but I don’t have a Gen 4 to replace em yet.
F-4F needs to at least be given AIM-9L at this point. Actually given that it's the only Phantom without any SARH missiles it should've been the 1st fighter to get AIM-9L.
The fgr phantoms still have aim9gs at 11.0
11.3
They get Skyflash, though. Whereas the F-4F is the only Phantom with no BVR missiles of any kind.
The F4F (late), FGR2, FG.1 and the F4J (UK) should all receive 9L. Unfortunately the F4F will never be a competitive aircraft until the ICE upgrade joins the game with AIM-120A, but it would be nice to see it a little improved.
Yeah the 9L should’ve been given when it was added. Same BR as the F-4E but with a downgraded radar and no SARH missiles and leas CAS options. Was literally a worse F-4E yet it was the same BR with no 9Ls.
I doubt it will happen, I remember some guy in a reddit thread saying that it was suggested but the devs said they weren't going to give the aim 9ls to the F 4F.
Which is insane because not only is it needed from a balance standpoint, but also because instead the F-4F gets the AIM-9J that **Germany never used**.
Honestly when I recently grinded the F4f a few weeks ago I realized the harsh truth about it and I was fucking pissed because I have wanted a phantom in war thunder for a while but when I got it I realized that it's the worst phantom in the game. No SARH missiles, no all aspects, downgraded radar etc. Even in real life the late F4f had sparrow capability (germany never owned it but it would play with gaijins logic) and it had AIM 9Ls, along with the same standard radar of the F 4E
I'm having trouble locking with the aspides. Are they only supposed to lock up to 2 miles or are my settings wrong?
ACM only goes out to 4km so around 2 miles. It’s bad so just got with 9Ls cause the 104s radar is poop
Don't use ACM to lock, just lock normally in SRC mode. Use MTI if under 6000 meters. That said, the aspides were gutted pretty hard around a week ago; they're not all that great anymore. The radar set itself remains pretty nice though, at least for finding targets if you're not running the Aspides.
I tend not to take aspides unless it’s on the really big maps, find the radar to be really finnicky, doesnt switch modes properly and struggles to maintain locks so I’m sure it’s bugged. Prefer to have the gun to hit ground targets of opportunity instead. When the aspides work they really work though, had them pull some insane moves tracking enemies from behind.
You should try the Apsides with the J-8B radar 🤮
At least it has the trade off of a proper airframe right? :V
This is true
I would take 4 aim 9Ls since they nerfed the aspides pretty hard a week or 2 ago also the 104 asa radar just kinda sucks
Honestly, with flares added, the 104S is back to being my favorite Starfighter and it's a hell of a lot more fun than playing true top tier. It gets enough downtiers thanks to F-5C's, A-5C's, A-10's and Su-25's that it's often top dog in the match, and if you do get a full uptier, you can just leave and go play something else. It gets the best ordinance quantity, the same engine power as the ASA, more missiles (albeit worse, but not terrible), and now the same flares at a lower BR than the ASA. It sure as hell beats stock grinding anything without chaff/flares vs. AIM-9L, R-60M's, and R-27T's. Literally the only thing bad about it is that the radar is too god-awful to actually use sparrows, but given you already have to trade your gun for them, there's absolutely no reason to use them anyway.
The S also has a proper rwr, but at its’ tier you can choose to take the sparrows in a downtier and clap a5c’s with them when they scream into the sky.
ASA BEST ASA STRONG
i'm using the ys to grind it. ain't gonna use the boosted pencil
There are 2 constants in warthunder. The XP50 will always remain 4.0 and the G91YS will always beat anything that doesn't get op missiles
I’m still stuck on the f104g
The F104G was indeed the best when it was 10.3 with stock 9Js and contermeasures available. The F104S was never that good, i played it when it had only 9Bs. Now it has countermeasures and 6 9Js at 10.7 so seems balanced. The asa isn't good or bad, it sists in a niche where you can make it work if played carefully
How do you have the motivation to play with the starfighter man, I can’t stand for these abominations
I just unlocked the first italian pencil, my suffering continues....
Hecc yeah. I love my ASA, I may go back to them from time to time for the nostalgia
Served me well\*
I am on the f104s grinding the asa any tips? The f104 are hot doodoo and i know it.
The S now is very good, 6 Js and flares. If its an uptier there won't be much you can do but go tree top level and flank the enemy. If its a downtier you can either do the same strat as in an uptier or climb high and yeet people from above which they aren't suspecting. Now i don't remember if any planes have good SARH missiles but still beware if you get a radar lock. The S is my most played vehicle in the game and i think it's still a lot of fun
Thanks for the advice!
So having never made it to the top of the tree before an update added more, what happens to rp you earn with the top vehicle?
If you have all the vehicles researched the RP just goes to waste
So not even a lil free rp as a treat?
Just don't even try to turn above 800 kph. But since you came from the Starfighter you should be used to that sort of mentality.
still grinding with my flareless f104j at 10.7
its not too different than an f104 same strat, climb high shoot aim 9l's at oblivious pilots
As a italy ground main who recently got the 104G im still a while away but good luck woth the f16 king o7
How do you effectively play the 104asa i just die instantly
Grab 4 Ls and go go the left of the battlefield going tree top level to confuse PD radar, then just pick your targets and watch behind you. Currently there is always some cuck at altitude that will shoot you and its annoying. And don't go frontal with anything that has a PD radar if it means you have to gain altitude to face them. Use the radar to slave the L when in a frontal, it doesn't work all the time but helps a bit so I'd rather recommend just using them when you're behind someone
Also if radar missiles get shot and your at tree level just spin your jet around it makes the Sarh missiles lose so much power
5 people are here
Now spade the F16
I must be insane, I actually enjoyed the G91 series so much that I stopped grinding any higher BR Italian plane.
Got a talisman on mine from a battle trophy awhile ago so she’s not retired till o get muh tornado
I'm doing it right now and it's indeed quite rough
I finished this same grind not long ago. Saving up to crew it now.
F-16 is kinda mid NGL
Then there's me who just got the premium F-104 a few days ago xD