Description: You fly solo against top ace Gunboats.

Intent: In this mission you learn how to avoid missiles, keep from getting rammed by "kamikazes" and/or Gunboat debris, and you learn how to keep track of multiple shielded targets.

Enemy Craft:

1. Stationary - one, disabled
2. Attacker - one wave of one, top ace
3. Attacker - one wave of two, top ace
4. Attacker - one wave of three, top ace
5. Attacker - one wave of four, top ace
6. Attacker - one wave of five, top ace
7. Attacker - one wave of six, top ace
8. Attacker - one wave of seven, top ace

Goal: Wave of seven must enter.

Time Limit: 30 minutes.

Setup: Each subsequent wave will enter on, or shortly thereafter, the destruction of the preceding wave.

As you enter, the first Gunboat will be stationary. Count your shots on this one. You'll find that a stationary Gunboat will take a few more hits to kill than a moving one. This is because a stationary, but not disabled, Gunboat will have its shields and laser on full recharge, and will be cycling its laser energy to it's shields. The number is a good reference for the future, though.

Since all the moving Gunboats are Top Ace they will fire two missiles at you on their approach. If you're in an X-Wing or an A-Wing you should get your speed to 70, or 75, and do vertical loops. A B-Wing should be able to handle all of the missiles easily, as long as you're careful. If you're in the Y-Wing you'll want to boost your speed up a little - set your shields to "increased to engines" and max your lasers, this should give you a speed of 75, which won't be quite enough (80 will be better), but it'll help.

You'll need to experiment with the timing, if you're not real used to doing this, but you should be able to learn it quickly enough.

Track the missiles on their approach. When they get within about .25 kilometers away from you, turn into them. They should both miss you by about a hair's breadth. Try to get the missiles - hopefully they stayed next to each other when they passed you - in your front view screen. Preferably moving "upwards" relative to you. Then just keep chasing them so they stay there. In about 30 seconds, or so, they'll destruct, and you can engage the Gunboats.

Always disable the first Gunboat in a wave if you have ion capability. This will allow you to kill all the others and still have time to get your shields back up regardless of when they're supposed to come in.

If you don't have ions, then the best thing to do is to max your shield energy to your engines, and leave your laser recharge max-ed. You'll be able to supplement your shields with energy from your lasers - try setting your lasers only to increased if you need extra speed - and fly directly away from the incoming Gunboats. The idea, here, is to engage them far enough away from their entry point so as to allow yourself time to recharge your shields before the wave following this one. Assuming you make it to the next one. When you've created some distance between you and the incoming Gunboats, try to get your shields up as quickly as possible. Then turn and use "Missile Slip" maneuver described above.

As soon as the Gunboats are all cleared, prepare to engage the next wave. All of the craft are capable of clearing the seventh group within the time allotted. You may even have time to clear the last wave completely.

If you have any questions, please see Castor's "X-Wing Hints" page, "General Tactics and Strategies" chapter, "Missiles" and "Gunboats" sections.

Good luck!