A Lion at the Door
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ACT 1, MISSION 4
Fighter squadron: 107th Ravens
Description: The 107th is ordered to sanitize the area surrounding a massive object in the Gamma Draconis system so that the GTD Carthage and GVCv Dashor can jump in and hold down the fort.
Background
The GTC Vigilant, assigned to gaurd the Capella-Gamma Draconis jump node, was destroyed by the Shivans, using new ships that the GTVA has never seen before. While the GTD Carthage and GVCv Dashor were deployed and neutralized the attackers, Command has ordered a state of enhanced vigilance and deployed scout wings to reconnoiter the Gamma Draconis system. The scouts reported that the Shivans are emerging from a massive ring-shaped object that appeared to be projecting some kind of subspace portal. The Shivans, on their end, are sending in transports and freighters from the portal, loaded with cargo, and have made a small depot near the portal. These ships are dumping their load in the area around the ring before re-entering the portal. Alpha and Beta wings from the 107th are deployed to destroy all hostile ships in that area and hold off any new arrivals from the portal until the Carthage and Dashor arrive with relief fighter wings.
Walkthrough
You are only allowed to fly the GTF Hercules Mark II in this mission. A recommended loadout is a bank of Harpoon aspect-seeking missiles and a bank of Tempest dumbfire missiles.
The mission begins with you and your wing emerging a few thousand meters away from the subspace portal. There are Shivan Mara-class fighters patrolling the area, with the Behemoth, a Rakshasa-class cruiser parked nearby. Behind the Shivan cruiser, you can acquire sensor lock on some freighters, a Shivan Azrael transport and many cargo containers.
The Mara fighters will break formation and attack you first. For beginners, keep a short distance away and fire a salvo of Harpoons at them. Once all the Shivans fighters are destroyed, attack the Behemoth. The Rakshasa has only one anti-fighter beam. Destroy that, as well as its weapons subsystem, so that the cruiser will pose much less of a dire threat to you and your squadmates.
Once the Behemoth is destroyed, Command orders you to hold your position as they deploy the Carthage and Dashor. However, as you wait for the two warships to arrive, the Shivans start to send in more fighters. Alpha 2 automatically designates them as Astaroth fighters. These new fighters will break formation and attack. Expect most of your wingmen to fall, as the Shivans outmaneuver your slower heavy fighters with their interceptors. On higher difficulty levels, you will need to rely on a bit of luck in order to survive being attacked. Defend yourself until the Carthage and Dashor arrive. When they do, destroy your pursuers and fly back towards the Orion-class destroyer. Get what is left of your wingmen to defend both ships. Shortly after the two Allied warships arrive, the Goliath, a Cain-class cruiser jumps in from the portal with another wing of Astaroth fighters and a wing of Seraphim bombers. The Carthage and Dashor will encounter few problems with the Goliath, but the Shivan bombers will go after the Carthage first. If you want to get a medal, you will need to defend both vessels from the Astaroths and, in particular, the Seraphims.
Tips
- One way to have your wingmen survive the first engagement with the Astaroths is to simply tell them to form on your wing and then fly away from the portal as soon as the Behemoth is destroyed. As there is a short time delay before the Allied warships arrive, you will have no problem ordering your wingmen to guard the Carthage or the Dashor before the Shivans enter firing range.
- There is a trick to getting the kills for the freighters. The moment they lose their cargo by having it blown off, they jump out. Your wingmen tend to hit the cargo quite often while going for the freighters, and it's not all that easy for you to avoid doing so either. However, if you keep your wingmen away and aim carefully, it is possible to kill all the freighters before they escape.
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