The King's Gambit

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ACT 2, MISSION 4

Fighter squadron: 64th Raptors

Description: The GTVA 3rd Fleet and 11th Vasudan Battle Group blockade the Gamma Draconis jump node, destroying any NTF warship that enters.

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Background

Admiral Bosch sends his forces on a charge to the Knossos subspace portal. The 3rd Terran fleet and 11th Vasudan Battle Group attempt to hold him off with the help of Alpha, Beta and Gamma wings from the 64th, as well as the combined firepower of four Mjolnir remote beam cannons (RBCs).

Walkthrough

This is a bombing run mission. Your objective is to destroy at least half of all hostile ships that jump in. The GTB Artemis, armed with the GTW Prometheus S and three banks of GTM Cyclops is ideal for this mission, as the Artemis is the most maneuverable GTVA bomber you can use. A Vasudan GVD Typhon-class destroyer and several Mjolnir RBCs will assist you with their firepower.

Alternatively, you can choose a fighter from another wing and let your wingmen do the bombing runs. With good instructions, the RBCs, the Typhon and your wingmen can destroy the NTF ships without much difficulty. Hunt down fighters if you choose this path, and be sure to loadout with a bank of Harpoons.

The first NTF ship that arrives on the scene is the Orion-class destroyer NTD Uhuru. You have to fire a few Cyclops at it to ensure its destruction. The Uhuru jumps in with a complement of Hercules fighters will head after the Mjolnir sentry guns. Your fighter assistance can handle them most of the time, but you should engage the NTF fighters after you have delivered a few bombs at the Uhuru. Losing the Mjolnir cannons or the Vasudan destroyer can mean as serious loss of firepower as you won't have the firepower to neutralize other enemy warships that jump in. If the Hedetet is destroyed, it will be replaced by other warships with inferior firepower.

Order your bomber wings to attack the next series of warships that jump in. The messaging system in FreeSpace 2 is a little rudimentary, so you will need to order them to destroy a warship every time one jumps in.

Damaging the engines of the warships immediately gains you more time before they jump out. If you manage to disable one of the warships, it will not be able to escape at all. Acquiring quick lock on a moving target with Cyclops requires time. If you practice more, and understand the targeting engine of FreeSpace, you will have the advantage.

Tips

• It is noted that when the Uhuru jumps in, it does so at a speed of over 150m/s, reaching its waypoint faster than the other ships. One way to take down this destroyer is to target its engines as soon as it jumps in, launch a salvo of Cyclops torpedoes and follow it. Alternatively, you can order your wingmen to destroy it for you.
• If you completed SOC Loop 1, you will also be given a choice to fly the GTB Artemis D.H. in this mission, on top of the other ships available for choice by default.

Notes

• This mission has the following glitches caused by using a pilot, created in FS2_Open 3.6.7 or older, in this mission on FS2_Open 3.6.9. You will need to downgrade your copy of FS2_Open, create a new pilot on FS2_Open 3.6.9, or make do with whatever you have, in order to rectify these problems. Keep in mind that creating a new pilot will cause you to lose all your progress.
  • At times, the weapon selection screen may not offer bombs of any type, although missiles are still available;
  • Odd readouts for secondary weapons;
  • No simulated voice in the tech room.
• If any of the NTF ships escape, they will not make any further appearances in the campaign.
• In the event that the Hedetet is destroyed, more GTVA warships arrive to replace the destroyer, starting with the Unut, then the York and Warwick if the Unut is destroyed. Oddly enough, Command doesn't get upset if the Hedetet and its replacements get destroyed.

Notable ships present

• GTC Warwick
• GTCv York
• NTC Liberty
• NTC Undaunted
• NTCv Pax
• NTCv Perseverance
• NTD Uhuru
• NTT Inspiration
• GVC Unut
• GVD Hedetet

New equipment

• GTB Artemis
• GTB Artemis D.H. if you complete SOC Loop 1
• GTW Prometheus S