A Game of TAG

Previous Mission	Campaign Walkthrough	Next Mission

ACT 2, MISSION 2

Fighter squadron: 134th Barracudas

Description: The 134th evaluates the combat usefulness of the prototype TAG missile.

---

Background

After a successful rendezvous with the GTCv Warspite in the nebula beyond Gamma Draconis, the 134th Barracudas now evaluates the usefulness of the Target Acquisition and Guidance (TAG) missile, which the GTVA hopes will give them an advantage against the Shivans. The Lucidity will provide AWACS coverage and the Warspite will provide beam cover while Alpha 1 and 2 TAG Shivans with prototype TAG-A missiles.

Walkthrough

This mission is easier than it looks. Your loadout for this mission cannot be changed, and you will be flying a GTF Ulysses armed with one GTW Subach HL-7 and one GTW Prometheus R. You also have a new kind of missile in your secondary bank. It is the GTM TAG-A missile, which is used to paint hostile fighters so a nearby warship can open fire at it from a longer distance, and with higher accuracy. Coupled with the ULTRA Anti-Fighter Beams on the Deimos-class Warspite, this mission can be quite easy.

The first squadron of fighters you encounter are Basilisk heavy fighters. They are easy to hit, but a squadron of Mara fighters come next. These fighters are far more maneuverable and much smaller than the Basilisks and present a greater challenge. TAG them all the way. Try to get as close to them as possible to greatly increase your chance of hitting. There's no easy way to do this, either TAG them all, or take them down yourself. It's much easier to just TAG them though. Make sure you stay within 3000 meters of the Warspite, otherwise your TAGs will be useless.

Next, the Warspite is attacked by Shivan bombers and fighters. You're not properly armed to face those fighters, but Command orders you to engage anyway. As always target bombs and bombers first. Simply TAG the bombers and fighters and hunt down the bombs. Note that unless you're fantastically accurate with the TAGs, you'll probably need to re-arm midway.

Keep an eye on the GTA Lucidity as well. The AWACS goes down pretty fast, especially under hails of Hornet fire.

Sometime after, Kappa 3 will jump in (remember him?, screaming for Command to pull the fleet from the nebula and to shut down the Knossos. Shortly after he finishes screaming, he gets shot down by Shivan fighters. Finish off all the Shivan fighters to complete the mission.

Objectives

• Primary Objectives:
  • Destroy all Shivan fighters
  • Protect the Warspite
  • Protect the Lucidity

Tips

• Since using two TAG-A missiles on a single target yields no advantages over using just one, switching to single-fire mode in this mission will help you conserve the amount of TAG-As you fire, potentially eliminating the need for you to re-arm for the entire mission.

Notes

• The Lucidity has a waypoint patrol, but never actually carries them out. A FREDding oversight.

Notable ships present

• GTCv Warspite
• GTA Lucidity
• Kappa 3 from Mystery of the Trinity

New equipment

• GTM TAG-A

Technical information

A Game of TAG
File name:	SM2-02.fs2
File size:	55.2 KB
Author:	James Agay
Total number of objects:	31 (+3 waypoints)
Total number of wings:	7
Number of mission events:	31
Number of messages:	26
Event music:	5: Deuteronomy
Briefing music:	Brief2