Aristeia
| The following information has not been confirmed by Volition and is therefore not canon for the FreeSpace universe. |
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MISSION 10
ACT 2, MISSION 03
Fighter squadron: Not given.
Description: TF Wargods meets its first challenge as it attempts to escort the captured GTL Agincourt through a GTVA blockade.
Background
TF Wargods took the GTL Agincourt successfully, but not without complications. During the fight, the subspace drive on the Agincourt was destroyed, requiring the Wargods to tow it, incommunicado, to the nearest intrasystem jump gate, six days away by sublight drive. The Wargods use the time off from defending from GTVA attack to repair, resupply, and rest. The Wargods pilots, in what seems like a miracle, get two days of mandatory rest, sparking feelings of guilt.
Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in the Agincourt. Over the next few days, an outbreak of a strain of influenza on the logistics ship grounds half of the Wargods' pilots, and sabotage by press-ganged GTVA engineers has reduced the Wargods' fighter complement to five Kents, a pair of Uriels, and whatever GTVA fighters they can scrape together.
Just as the Wargods are nearing their destination, the Tevs have found them. The GTD Hood is blockading the intrasystem gate, along with the corvette pack known as Serkr Team. Knowing they've been detected, the Wargods call for reinforcements; meanwhile, they are left to defend themselves against a ferocious attack to destroy the Indus and Yangtze and recapture the Agincourt.
Walkthrough
When selecting your fighter, prepare for extended combat. You will want something that does an adequate job of bomber interception and dog fighting. Pick your poison from the heavy GTF Nyx, and the lighter UEF Kentauroi, very fast and not particularly well armed or armored Draco and the space-superiority Atalanta are available.
A recommended ship is the GTF Nyx, as it has high armor, a good primary recharge rate, and a high missile capacity. Loaded with a Prometheus S, UD-8 Kayser, with Tornadoes and Stilettos, this mission won't be as frustrating as you think. Another recommended ship is the UEF Kentauroi fitted with a six-Rapier configuration, with one bank of Paveway missiles and the rest fitted with dogfighting missiles of your choice.
Upon entering the mission you will find yourself facing the Serkr group of corvettes and two wings of GTF Nyx, designated Taurus and Aries (of the 60th Bloodletters). You can safely ignore Serkr the entire mission. Order Beta wing (of Kentauroi interceptors) to guard the UEFg Indus, and Gamma (of Uriel gunships) to guard the UEFg Yangtze. Do not try to engage the Bloodletters immediately, at the very least let them get close. Between your wingmen and the two frigates' point defenses, the Bloodletters should go down fairly quickly. If you have trouble with the Bloodletters, stay close to Gamma wing and the Yangtze.
Once the Bloodletters are down, you should still have most of your missiles and nearly all of your wingmen. The Serkr corvettes get within beam range, and spectacularly miss when the Anjaneya (an Oculus-class AWACS ship) jumps in. Tell Beta wing to escort the Anjaneya immediately.
Sagittarius wing of Erinyes and a Aquarius of Ares (both of the 75th Vigilantes) will jump in shortly thereafter. Sagittarius will attempt to destroy your fighters and Aquarius will launch a long range Trebuchet strike against them. Evade the Treb stike, and try to wipe out the Vigilantes as quickly as possible; you have 45 seconds until the next threat. If you have trouble with them try using the frigates as cover; the Vigilantes are more of a threat to fighters than they are to the warships.
Pisces and Cancer Artemis bombers (of the 77th Tactical Stike) will jump in and attack the Anjaneya. Even if the Vigilantes are not wiped out, immediately give them priority, and defend the Anjaneya. They'll be coming at long range from two directions. Ordering Beta to attack one wing while you go for the other is a possibility. Put power to your engines and use your afterburner, and try to take them down before they can get off any bombs. There are two waves of Tactical Strike, and you have about a minute to take them down before the next threat.
Gemini and Scorpio wings of Herc IIs (899th Undine) will jump in next. They're armed with Maxims; Gemini will target the Indus and Scorpio will target the Yangtze. Order Beta wing to attack Gemini and go after Scorpio yourself along with Gamma. There will be two waves of them. The cruisers Dea Bricta and Auxerre (Second Torpedo Strike Division, Jovian Rim Fleet), Delta wing of Uhlans and the Oculus-class Guerrere will probably arrive before Undine is mopped up. Use Delta to help destroy Undine if you have to.
During this interception, Leo and Capricorn wings of Kulas (9th Fighting Tarsiers) will be getting in range, their primary target is Gamma wing, and then other fighters. You do not have time to destroy them all, so you may well lose Gamma wing.
Within seconds, the Guerrere will be attacked by Aquila wing of Herc IIs (75th Vigilantes) and there's not a lot you can do about it. After Undine is destroyed, order Gamma to cover the Dea Bricta, Beta to cover the Indus, and Delta to cover the Yangtze. Gamma may or may not have been destroyed by the Fighting Tarsiers, but the mission is still winnable. Rearm if you are able, and prepare to take out some turrets.
The Diomedes-class Medea will jump in close to the Dea Bricta. Medea Alpha of Perseus fighters (42nd Striders) will launch after ten seconds.
For players on HARD: Medea Beta of Herc IIs (also 42nd Stiders) will launch from the Medea after fifteen seconds and will defend the Medea. Use the Dea Bricta for cover and try to destroy them.
For Players on INSANE: Medea Gamma of Artemis bombers (also 42nd Striders) will launch from the Medea after you login and can call for reinforcements and attack the Agincourt.
If you are a brave soul with Stilettos or even better, Paveways you can save the Second Torpedo Strike Division. It's two starboard beam cannons are up-armored, so you will need some good hits. Fly in front of the Medea and fire your torpedoes so that they will fly into the sides of the turrets. The upgraded armor means that you will probably be unable to do anything to the turrets with your primaries, so you will want to get it “right” the first time.
The anti-fighter defenses of the UEF warships should be well equipped to deal with the remainder of the Striders, so take the survivors of your squad to disarm the Hood. Tell them to destroy the two frontal beam cannons.
While you and your squadron are in transit, after considerable amounts of dialogue, you become able to call in reinforcements against the Medea. Do this quickly, especially if you did not destroy the Medea’s beam turrets. I prefer to call in a wing of strike bombers, they will make comparatively quick work of the Medea. Once your bombers arrive, order them to attack the Medea, and keep on moving with your squadron to disarm the Hood.
The Toutatis will arrive as soon as the Medea is destroyed. Immediately order your squadron to take down the J.E. Hoover, the Charybdis-class AWACS ship "above" the destroyer. The Toutatis will not use its powerful Apocalypse torpedoes until the Hoover has either departed or has been destroyed. Be wary of the Hood’s anti-fighter defenses on your approach.
You get no specific award for destroying the Hoover outright, but be sure to disable it if you desire its destruction. Once it is gone, the mission plays itself. The Toutatis will fire a massive volley of torpedoes and the Hood, completely outmatched, will depart within a minute or two. There will be a long string of dialogue and then the Agincourt will depart through the portal via cutscene.
Notes
- Your primary objectives are to escort the Agincourt, the Indus, and the Yangtze. These are all completed at the time the Hood departs.
- Your secondary objective "Inflict Casualties" is completed when the Medea is destroyed.
- There are two bonus objectives: "Save Torpedo Two" which requires both the Dea Bricta and the Auxerre to survive and "Save the Auxerre," which requires only the Auxerre to survive.
- If you're lucky enough to send Beta and Gamma Wings to disarm the forward beam cannons on the Hood (so you can fulfill saving Torpedo Two) and they survive, do not tell them to engage the J.E. Hoover until the Toutatis arrives, because the AWACS is invulnerable (at a 91% threshold like the Hood).
- If you decide to fly a GTVA fighter, you may have two support ships in the area at the same time (both the Hygeia and Aranyaka can be in the area).
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