The exceptions to this are the SASM which will explode near it’s target regardless of direction, and when a plane is flying slow enough the missile can compensate for the plane’s continuous change in direction. Some will circle back around, but many will run out of fuel first. Most missiles will miss when fired perpendicularly to their target. It is this performance that makes the majority of missiles only effective when approaching a target from specific directions: These are the fundamental keys to evading missiles. When they lose speed, they pretty much will not regain it. Missiles do not typically have the same mobility as an aircraft. In order for missile evasion to make sense, one must understand how missiles themselves work, first. If you have any questions about this guide, are looking for someone (or a group) to play with, or want more personal training, please contact me or leave a comment!Īny constructive feedback on the guide is also welcome! If you have the high ground, a dive will give you an energy advantage over someone climbing to meet you, which means you can perform more evasion and more attacks. You should also be mindful of altitude, as altitude is, in many ways, stored energy. Doing so will also make you missile, EML, gun, and everything else bait. Unless you want to stall or perform a post-stall maneuver, you never want to run out of energy. Make sure to build and save energy whenever you are not spending it, and when you run low on energy, it may be best to switch to gaining energy instead of continuing to attack. Therefore, in order to attack or evade the most effectively, you will need the most energy possible. You always want to be inhaling (accelerating) or exhaling (decelerating).Įnergy is also like a currency you spend it when you perform an attack or take evasive action. One way you could think of it is like breathing. If you stay at a constant medium speed, you are bait for missiles, guns, EML, and basically everything else. You should almost always be accelerating or decelerating, and you should be doing that first and foremost with thrusting, braking, and turning. You should practically never be on middle acceleration.