ec [Tutorial] Heli EC: How To, Survival Tactics, and Tips & Tricks to Improve Your Overall Performance

[RogueStarflyer 1,242]

Greetings, WarThunder Community!

 

 

I've come back to the game briefly for the holidays, and took the opportunity to finally get to grinding some helis.  Naturally, that meant taking a crack at enduring confrontation for helicopters, and it wasn't long (one battle to be precise) before I realized that the task wasn't exactly going to be a walk in the park.  The mode is, without a doubt, incredibly difficult for most players who, like myself, don't have premium benefits.  Over the course of the past few weeks of solo playing, I've seen many a player rage quit from the game mode for various reasons, and I can't say that I haven't had similar thoughts during certain matches.  At the end of the day, though, I'm here to deliver to you all a message of hope and encouragement (fitting for this time of year): success can be achieved without having to resort to opening your wallet.  This post is going to document a number of tips and tricks that I've learned regarding the game mode which have increased my overall performance as well as RP/SL gains.  Lets dive in, shall we?

 

 

 

Contents:

 

1. Introduction

A. Thread Ground Rules

B. EC Basics

2. Assessing the Threats

3. Adapting Your Playstyle in 5 Easy Steps

A. Step 1: Choose Your Match Wisely

B. Step 2: Know Where and How to Spawn

C. Step 3: Know How to Fly Correctly

D. Step 4: Take out Ground A.I. Quickly and Effectively

E. Step 5: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

4. Heli Combat

A. Defense

B. Attack

5. FAQ/Conclusion

 

 

 

1. Introduction:

 

If you're reading this post, chances are you've already had a crack at the craziness that is Heli EC (you may have even had your fill of it).  I'm willing to bet that if you're reading this post, you fall into one of two categories:  a) you're a player that's been very slowly grinding through your respective helicopter tech tree using the regular vehicles and you seem to be stuck at a certain point in your progression or b) you've managed to grind most of your way through the heli tech tree, either on your own or using premium vehicles, and are just here for some extra tips.  Just as a heads up, this tutorial is going to be mainly geared towards the former group of players, but the tips I'm going to be sharing can help improve your performance regardless.  Don't give up on EC just yet.

 

A. Thread Ground Rules

 

Now, let me make one thing clear at the onset: I do not like the current setup and gameplay of Heli EC.  I believe it's incredibly imbalanced and unfair for new players who have to grind through early-Vietnam era choppers whilst having to face modern helis which are still in active service.  And if you're wondering, yes, I do have several ideas as to better game modes/ways the current configuration of Heli EC could be better balanced.  However, this is not the place to post those ideas, or other pointless inflammatory criticisms.  There are other sub forums for that.  With that in mind, I'd like to lay out just a few ground rules:

 

1. PLEASE no ranting about the current state of Heli EC.  We all know that the mode has issues which need to be addressed, so restating them here isn't really conducive to the topic at hand
2. Please limit discussion pertaining to the overperformance of certain helicopters.  Again, we all know the issues at hand.
3. If I've made any mistakes anywhere, or my information is inaccurate, please tag me.  Keep your reply constructive.
4. If you're a new player and/or you have a specific question regarding helicopters, please refer to the other threads on this sub forum before posting it here.  Chances are, your question might already have been asked and answered.

 

TL;DR: Adhere to the forum rules and make sure that your replies could potentially assist new players.  It's that simple.

 

B. EC Basics

 

In order to improve your gameplay performance, you first need to have a fundamental understanding as to how this game mode works, and what your general objective should be.  The number one mistake I see is a general lack of a plan as to how to approach EC - which leads to most players simply just moseying around the battlefield until they get blasted out of the sky.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  With that said, what should our objective be?

 

To win by being the first team to deplete your opponents' tickets.

 

This might seem incredibly trivial to actually spell out, but I do so for a reason:  unlike most other game modes, heli EC isn't a mode which will be won by killing every player on the enemy team, as is the case in most RB and some AB modes.  You're never going to win this mode solely by killing enemy choppers.  Sure, it will make things easier, but it won't get the job done at the end of the day.  Even though killing enemy choppers is going to yield a higher amount of RP or SL in the short run, it's not going to amount to as much as you could potentially be getting by playing the objectives and actually winning the game.  You could end up killing dozens of enemy choppers - more than any other player - and still have a lower total reward than your opponents because your team lost the match.  So, here's my first tip: make killing the enemy choppers a secondary objective.  We'll talk more about this a bit later.

 

So, what should be the primary objective, then?  Well, I've got two for you:

1. Seizing Air Superiority and Supporting Sectoral Invasions/Defense
2. Destroying Enemy Bases

 

Lets break each one down, shall we?

 

1. Seizing Air Superiority and Supporting Sectoral Invasions/Defense (Most Important)

 

If you've played Heli EC in the past (or any other version of EC, for that matter), then you should already be relatively familiar with the information which I'm about to disclose.  That being said, I'm still going to spell it out, because in Heli EC, knowledge of the game mode is critical.  Refer to the "Vietnam" map below as a reference.

 

Roughly every ~10 minutes, a sector along the front lines (the blue/red line) will come under contest.  The location will be random, but it will always be adjacent to the line.  Personally, I like to categorize these caps down by row, as it helps me to rank my objectives.  Typically, that goes as follows:

1. Caps behind friendly lines (bounded by the green lines).  These caps are on the row where your forefront bases lie (in this case, row C).  You need to hold control of these zones, as if you don't, there's a chance the enemy could capture a sector containing one of your airbases, which will render that base unusable - and if that base is unusable, it will significantly your team's ability to respond to other locations on that region of the map.  Fortunately, they are also the easiest zones to cap, given that they are generally closest to your air bases.
2. Caps in no man's land (bounded by the yellow lines).  These caps are on the row in the middle of the map (in this case, row D), and are of utmost importance. If the enemy caps these zones, they have the opportunity to push the front lines closer to your airbases, or worse, the opportunity to cap a sector containing one of your airbases - which is not good news for the reasons mentioned above.  Typically, these zones are tossups, hence why it's critical to cap them.
3. Caps behind enemy lines (bounded by the orange lines).  These caps are on the row where the enemy's forefront bases lie (in this case, row E).  Typically, it's not as important to capture these zones (unless your team really needs to bleed the enemy's tickets), and they'll be substantially more difficult to cap, since the enemy team will have spawns much closer to it.

 

To cap a sector, players will fly their helicopter into the contested airspace.  The team with the majority of helicopters will be the one that starts capping it.  In order to cap, you have to be at least 5 meters above the ground (this will come in handy later).  If a team can hold the cap for long enough, they will successfully capture air superiority, at which point the ground assault phase will begin.  As a side note, there will never be more than one cap at a given time.

 

Anywhere between 15 seconds and roughly 5 minutes after a sector is capped, the team which capped the zone will start a ground assault into their opponents territory, i.e. if your team capped the sector, then your team will start a ground assault into enemy territory, while if the enemy capped the zone, they will start an offensive into your team's territory.  If the capped sector was in the capping team's territory, then they will launch an offensive from that sector.  If the capped sector was in the defending team's territory, then the capping team will launch an offensive into that sector.  These ground assaults take the form of a rush of AI units (typically howitzers and tanks vs howitzers and light pillboxes), typically no more than 20 in number.  The objective now is to assist your AI ground forces by being the first team to destroy all the enemy's ground forces.  If the invading team successfully destroys the defense team's AI units, then the front lines will be pushed forward towards the enemy, and the sector will come under the control of the attacking team.  If, however, the defending team is able to destroy the attacking units, then the sector will remain under the defending team's control.  At this point, there are two VERY important things to note:

 

1. The attacking ground forces will ALWAYS push into the sector immediately in front of the contested cap point, unless that sector is already controlled by the invading team (this is typically represented by a north to south or south to north attack on the mini map).  If the latter is the case, then the ground forces will push into the sector to the side (represented by an east to west or west to east attack on the mini map [see example 3]).
2. Both the invading and defending AI ground forces will ALWAYS spawn in a region of the sector where the terrain is relatively flat and non-mountainous.  Furthermore, the AI ground units will almost always spawn in the same general region of a sector, regardless of which team is invading or defending.

 

These two pieces of information are ESSENTIAL because they allow to you to pinpoint exactly where the ground assault will take place BEFORE IT EVEN BEGINS.  This will give you a leg up on the enemy players because you'll know in advance where to be to destroy the enemy's ground units, effectively giving your team a head start.  On the Vietnam map above, I've marked off (in black boxes), some examples of where I know that AI units will spawn if that specific region becomes contested.  It will take some time, but if you learn where the enemy ground targets will spawn, this will greatly help you with the playstyle that I'm about to describe. Use this knowledge to your advantage.

 

 

Lets look at a few examples of how this can play out - taken directly from a match I played a few days ago.

 

Example 1:

Spoiler

In this example, sector D5 in no-man's land comes under assault.  Phase 1 begins with an aerial superiority fight over the region.

In this specific case, my team was unable to get a majority of our choppers to the zone before the enemy did, which resulted in the enemy team winning air superiority.  This allowed them to go on the offensive.  Since the sector was initially under our control, the enemy offensive was launched into that sector, as shown in the image below:

However, my team was able to destroy the enemy's invading ground units before they destroyed all of our defending units:

As a result, our team was able to hold the sector:

 

Example 2:

Spoiler

In this example, sector D2, another sector in no-man's land, comes under contest:

Our team manages to win aerial superiority in the zone, allowing us to go on the offensive from that sector into the sector immediately in front of it, E2, which lies behind enemy lines.  We manage to destroy the enemy's defending forces, as shown below:

As a result, sector E2 falls under our control:

 

 

Example 3:

Spoiler

In this example, sector D2 is contested again - only this time, our team now controls sector E2.

Once again, our team manages to capture the sector.  However, since E2 is already under our control, we cannot launch an offensive into that sector.  Thus, we launch an offensive from D2 into the adjacent enemy sector, D1, as shown below:

Our team manages to destroy the defending AI units in that sector, resulting in it falling under our control:

 

 

2. Destroying Enemy Bases

 

This one's pretty straightforward.  Just like any other air game mode, your objective is to hunt down and destroy the enemy's bases - only with helicopters and using rockets.  Enemy bases will always be behind enemy lines (go figure) and spawn at various locations at random times throughout the match.  When base hunting, it's important to keep three things in mind:

 

1. There will only ever be 2 enemy bases at any given time.
2. Just like with the AI ground forces, bases will spawn in set locations.  If you learn those locations, you'll be even better off at base hunting.
3. There is a set number of rockets required to destroy each base.  For Mighty Mouse rockets, I know that the number is 20.  For the other in-game weapons systems, I don't know the values off hand, but if you do, include them in your reply below and I'll include them here.

 

One final thing before we move onto the next section:  Here are some numbers to back up my claim that these two objectives (sector assault and base destruction) are the two most important objectives one can accomplish in this game mode.  Below is a list of how many tickets each objective is worth:

 

1. Destroying all your opponents A.I. ground units: ~700 tickets
2. Winning aerial superiority in a contested zone: 500 tickets
3. Destroying an enemy base: ~400 tickets
4. Destroying an enemy helicopter: ~10 - 20 tickets

 

So as you can see, even though you might be given more SL or RP in the moment for killing an enemy chopper, you'll be closer to winning the match if you make the primary objectives your priority - and as we all know, in heli EC, the difference between the total amounts of RP and SL you gain for a win versus a loss is quite substantial.  Thus, I contend that it is better to take the lower reward in the short run and get the big payoff at the end.

 

 

 

2. Assessing the Threats

 

Right - so before I get into describing optimal playstyles for this game mode, we have to address the elephant in the room, a ferocious predator which has driven many a player away from the game mode.  Everybody give it up for everyone's favorite helicopter, the bane of Heli EC:

Spoiler

 

So I realize that many of you have mixed feelings about the Black Shark.  Those of you that own it probably have a love-hate relationship with the chopper, while others of you despise it with all your being.  Nevertheless, it remains a fact that this helicopter has dominated the skies since its introduction a few updates back, and that there are few counters to it.  What I want to do now is talk a bit about the Ka-50 and some of the other deadly predators that you'll run into on a frequent basis in this game mode, for informational and tactical purposes.

 

Below, I'm going to rank some of the most dangerous helicopters you'll run into during this game mode, and discuss why they are so deadly.

 

1. Kamov Ka-50/Ka-52 Black Shark

 

At the top of the list we have this duo of deadly choppers which have dominated the skies of EC for months now.  Although the Ka-52 is at a higher BR and technically the more lethal chopper, the Ka-50 is going to be the one that you're most likely going to face due to its status as a premium vehicle.  Both choppers are already lethal due to their speed, armor, modern radar/tracking, flares, and missile approach warning systems (MAW), which collectively allow them to hold their own in most combat situations.

 

However, the true power of the Ka-50/52 combo lies in its many weaponry configurations - particularly those which sport the 12x 9K127 Vikhr AGM loadout.  The tandem-warhead heat charge contained within these missiles allow for effective penetration of almost anything in the game, and a total speed of over 600 m/s over a range of 10 km (which allows it to outrange most SPAA), the missile is a truly potent threat to any ground target.  The missile is also incredibly deadly against air targets thanks to its proximity fuse which will detonate if the missile gets within five meters of an enemy aircraft or helicopter.  Since the missile is a beam-riding, laser guided AGM (and not an AAM), conventional evasive tactics, such as deploying flares, will not counter the missile.

 

The results speak for themselves in the skies of Heli EC.  You'll typically find these choppers at the top of any leaderboard simply for their ability to take out so many helicopters with these AGMs at such far ranges.  In most cases, the pilot won't even be able to tell a missile is approaching unless they make visual contact with it.  They're also the reason why this chopper is so despised by many members of the community.

 

Below is some example footage of this chopper decimating the skies of EC:

Spoiler

 

 

2. Eurocopter EC-665 Tiger UHT

 

The UHT is the top tier German variant of the famous Eurocopter Tiger.  Although not as potent per se as the Ka-50, the UHT is still quite a deadly beast in and of itself, and will also be frequently on top of a given team's scoreboard.  Like the two helicopters above, the UHT possesses advanced fire control and and MAW mechanics which allows it to be a potent threat in any aerial skirmish - in close quarters, it even outperforms the Ka-50/52 due to its maneuverability.  But just like the Ka-50, the UHT's true power comes in its loadouts - in particular, the 8x PARS 3 LR AGM armament.

 

The PARS 3 LR is outperformed by most other heli-launched AGMs in the game - it has a shorter maximum range (7 km) and is slower (290 m/s) then the Vikhr.  Additionally, the PARS 3 doesn't have a proximity fuse, meaning that it requires a direct hit to achieve a kill.  However, what the PARS 3 does have going for it is the fact that it is IR guided and not SACLOS guided - meaning it's a fire and forget missile.  As a result, you can effectively use the PARS 3 as an AAM and break line of sight with the target.

 

Below is some more example footage:

Spoiler

 

 

3. Boeing AH-64 Apache

 

The Apache is another heil that you'll commonly see on the battlefield.  In terms of pure helicopter combat, it performs similar to most other top tier helicopters (barring the Black Shark and the Tiger).  The only reason that I'm singling it out here is because of the fact that several in-game nations have variants of the Apache, and because of the AH-64A Peten - the U.S. premium variant - which is another fan favorite amongst helicopter pilots in WarThunder.

 

Similar to the Black Shark and the Tiger, the Apache is equipped with modern systems such as MAW, RWR, LWR, and advanced tracking systems.  Unlike those two choppers, however, the Apache's AGMs (the Hellfire) are not designed for air to air combat - they are geared more towards taking out ground targets (at the time of writing this post, the Apache's AGM-114L fire and forget Hellfire missiles have not been added to the game - it is presumed that they will be as effective as the PARS 3 LR when they do inevitably get added).  Thus, the Apache will usually be relying on its 4x Aim-92 Stinger AAMs for aerial combat - a threat which I'll be detailing more down below.

 

4. Other Threats

 

I could go on listing more of the helicopters you'll meet in the skies of EC, but I'm going to stop here because a) after the Black Shark and the Tiger, most of the other in-game helicopters have "similar" combat characteristics and b) I don't want this section to run on longer than it needs to.  At this point, the remaining threats can be broken down into two groups: helis that have AAMs and helis that don't. 

 

Air to air missiles (AAMs) are typically IR-guided missiles that home in on targets that emit a disparate signature when compared to the environment.  They are a significant threat in particular to choppers due to the fact that they're almost impossible to dodge if you don't have adequate countermeasures such as flares or an installed infrared counter measure (IRCM).  Granted, not all missiles are equivalent in their effectiveness, but when dealing with slow moving helicopters, I think it's relatively safe to say that any AAM in heli EC has an incredibly high chance of destroying it's intended target.  As such, it's important to recognize which helicopters carry these lethal missiles.

 

I've compiled a list below of helicopters who have such ordinance installed (accurate as of update 2.3.062), and the maximum number of said missiles they can mount:

• A-129CBT (4x Aim-92 Stingers or 4x Mistrals)
• AH-1Z Viper (2x Aim-9L Sidewinders)
• AH-64 Apache - all variants (4x Aim-92 Stingers or 2x Aim-9L Sidewinders or 4x Starstreaks)
• EC-665 Tiger - all variants (4x Aim-92 Stingers or 4x Mistrals)
• G-Lynx (4x Aim-92 Stingers)
• Lynx AH.Mk.1 (4x Aim-92 Stingers)
• Mi-24V Hind (4x R-60 or 4x R-60M)
• Mi-24P Hind - all variants (4x R-60 or 4x R-60M)
• Mi-28N Havoc (8x 9M39 Iglas)
• Mi-35M Hind (8x 9M39 Iglas)
• Ka-50 Black Shark (2x 9M39 Iglas)
• Ka-52 Black Shark (4x 9M39 Iglas)
• SA.341F Gazelle (2x Mistrals)
• SA.342M Gazelle (4x Mistrals)

 

If you see one of these choppers, assume that they have AAMs mounted.

 

It's also worth mentioning the close-quarters threats.  While most choppers in the game come with at least one cannon or minigun loadout, there are several choppers that are especially lethal at close quarters:

• AH-1F Cobra
• AH-1G Cobra
• AH-1Z Viper
• Mi-24 - all variants when equipped with 4x 23 mm cannons

 

These vehicles are especially lethal due to their fast firing cannons which have the ability to put tons of lead downrange in a split second.  They are not exactly the kinds of choppers you want to be with a kilometer of.

 

Finally, there's one more piece of information you need to know, particularly with respect to the missile armed choppers: how to recognize and distinguish between incoming missiles.  Fortunately, the game makes the first part easy for you:  All missiles in EC will be indicated by a small red diamond marker with an accompanying text designation (see image below).

Spoiler

(Side note: If you're ever in this situation, you're probably already dead)

Additionally, if your helicopter is sophisticated to come equipped with an MAW or a LWR, they'll give you a heads up if a missile is approaching.

 

However, the important thing here is to be able to recognize what kind of missile is approaching.  AAMs are distinguishable by a white contrail trailing behind the missile while AGMs do not leave such a contrail.  Knowing what type of missile is coming at you could be the difference between life and death, so it's worth noting.

 

 

 

3. Adapting Your Playstyle in 5 Easy Steps

 

Alright - so now that we've covered both the basic game mode mechanics and the probable threats you'll face, let's talk about how you can adapt your playstyle to improve your performance in this mode.  As a side note, I want to stress something: the playstyle that I'm going to detail will NOT put you at the top of your team's leaderboard (most likely), nor is it absolutely guaranteed to save your vehicle in every given situation.  The former is the case because the reward system in this game mode favors killing enemy choppers, and thus divvies a higher score to the choppers who kill the most enemy players.  The latter is the case because, in the current configuration of EC, it just isn't possible to completely avoid the crosshairs of the more modern choppers.

 

All that being said, I have found in my own experience that playing as I'm about to describe has not only increased my own survivability and improved my game performance, but has also improved my K/D ratio, improved my overall skill as a chopper pilot, helped me score higher on the team scoreboard, made the gameplay so much more engaging, and in many cases, allowed me to single-handedly carry my team to victory - all whilst solely using Vietnam-era choppers mounting only dumb rockets.  Don't believe me?  Here are some of my results:

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking when you scroll through those screenshots - "he's probably just posting some of his best games - after all, just look at the opposing teams each match."  To that end, I want to assure you that these seven battles were played consecutively - and the reason why the opposing teams look so comparatively weak is because many of their top players ended up leaving the match early on once they saw how my team was faring. (players tend to do that in this mode - remember that).

 

So what's the secret?

 

It's as simple as this - make sectoral assaults and base destruction your 100% priority.  You may have gathered that just looking at the scoreboards and from my information in part 1.

 

Alright, so how does one go about this?  Well, here you go, my 5 step plan to success in heli EC.

 

 

A. Step 1:  Chose your match wisely.

 

Since this is enduring confrontation, a critical thing to remember is that you can chose which battle you can fight in - and there are two questions to ask yourself before you even click the "take part" button.

 

1. Is the map suited to my lineup?
2. Has this match just begun (i.e. do I have enough time to make a substantial impact on the outcome), or has the battle already progressed for a while?

 

Let's look at an example.

Spoiler

Suppose I'm trying to decide between fighting a match on the Vietnam map or one on Zhengzhou.  The room scenario is as follows:

or

My helicopters can only mount dumb rockets (my AH-64A isn't spaded), and I can join either match since neither room is full.  How do I pick the best map?

I assess three things: the number of players in the room, the map, and the elapsed time.  With regards to the number of players, the Zhengzhou map has the least players - and since there are less players, that generally means that I'll run into less enemies on the battlefield (it also means I'll have less teammates, but that's okay).  With regards to the map, I'd prefer the Zhengzhou map, since it has more ground clutter to fool IR-missiles, plus more canyons I can travel through/hide in.  Finally, The Vietnam battle has already been going on for nearly an hour, while the Zhengzhou battle started only five minutes ago.

 

In this case, then, the Zhengzhou map seems like the better option.

 

Map selection is incredibly important, as, based on my non-modern lineup, I'd much rather fight on the "City" map in close quarters then I would on a map like "Afghanistan" where there are large mountains which my choppers might have difficulty climbing over.  As a general rule of thumb, I try to go for my favorite types of maps - the hierarchy of which is as follows (from best to worst, as of the current iteration of the game):

1. City
2. Zhengzhou
3. Vietnam
4. Tunisia
5. Afghanistan

 

Your map hierarchy might be different based on the types of choppers in your lineup (if was playing with a Ka-50, for example, this list would probably be reversed), but it's worth noting.

 

Once you actually choose a session, it's a good idea to check the lineups of your team and the opposing team before you even spawn in initially.  If the teams look relatively even, then this is your fight.  If you're on a team with only Hueys and Cobras and are facing an army of Black Sharks and Tigers, it might not be a good idea to fight that battle, unless you have no other options available.  Once again, pick your fights wisely.

 

 

B. Step 2: Know Where and How to Spawn

 

At the beginning of a match, it's usually not that important to choose a specific helipad to spawn on - chances are, no sectoral offenses have begun as of yet, and thus, you really don't have anywhere to be.  In the early stages of the game, it is good to stick with your team - that way, if you're not equipped to deal with an enemy, there's a greater chance that one of your teammates might be able to.

 

Once the sectoral battles begin, however, you'll need to constantly be choosing to respawn at the helipad that's closest to the aerial cap or enemy A.I. ground targets - these two objectives are your priority, and hence, it makes sense to spawn as close to them as possible to cut down on your travel time.

 

There are two things to note regarding this.  Firstly, NEVER, I repeat, NEVER land your helicopter at one of the allied helipads and the J-out for ANY reason whatsoever!!  I'd even argue against landing at an allied helipad at all at any point during the match.  The reason for this is that if you do this, then your chopper will be locked to spawning on that helipad for the rest of the match - regardless how much you try to change the spawn point (I don't know if this is a bug or a game mechanic, but it is a fact).  It's honestly better to just crash your helicopter.  You can take the small SL penalty, and your team is just much better off for it.

 

Secondly, you need to know how to most efficiently move between objectives once you finish one.  Referring to the Vietnam map above, suppose you just finished up destroying a bunch of A.I. targets in C6, and an aerial cap has just spawned on D2.  You know that your team could really use your assistance in capping that point - but you're five sectors away, and flying there would take an eternity; the cap would most likely be capped before you got there.  In this situation, the best move would be to J-out and spawn in at the helipad on C1, which would put you only a short flight away from the cap point and the possible locations of an A.I. skirmish.  There is, however, a trick which you can use to your advantage in this situation:  if you land your helicopter on the ground (not in the water or on a helipad) and J-out without damaging it, it won't be counted as a death, and the total cost of spawning in at another helipad will be much less than if you were to J-out in the air or slam your helicopter into something (both of which are counted as crashes and come with an SL penalty).  Thus, you greatly increase your battlefield mobility.

 

 

C. Step 3: Know How to Fly Correctly

 

I can't stress this one enough:  If you don't have modern weaponry and software installed on your chopper, then you need to know how to fly your helicopter wisely.  As we'll see in the next section, your knowledge of this step can and will severely handicap any enemy that's trying to kill you from several kilometers away with a missile.  So, how does one fly their chopper correctly in this mode?  Well, by putting two things into practice.

 

Firstly, you MUST, I repeat, MUST fly your helicopter at incredibly low altitudes - I'm talking no higher than 20 meters on forest/mountainous maps, and no higher than 10 meters on barren maps.  On some maps, this means flying below the tops of the highest trees and constantly dodging obstacles such as buildings, trees and shrubbery.  In most cases, I like to fly right at 2 meters above the ground  (see the video below).  Granted, such flying is risky and requires a steep learning curve, but once you get it down, you'll be that much better at avoiding detection.

 

And secondly, you need to learn how to use the terrain to your advantage.  To this end, I want to draw your attention in particular to three common map features that will help you in many situations: canyons, roads, and mountains.

 

Canyons are your best friend in these types of situations.  They are defilades/depressions in a map which usually contain channels of water - in most cases you'll find canyons where rivers are marked on the map (refer to the Vietnam map above).  Flying low to the ground within these canyons will typically keep your helicopter hidden, and most enemies won't expect you to be flying in one (or at least, they won't bother looking in my experience).  Canyons are also important because, in many situations, you'll find structures such as bridges within them which offer the perfect hiding/ambush places, particularly for capping zones, as we'll see here in a minute.  Case in point from one of my recent matches:

Spoiler

 

(For the record, that missile you see in the picture isn't going for me - the enemy chopper had no clue I was here, as you'll see in a later video)

 

Roads are important particularly on forest maps where it's difficult to navigate at low altitudes due to said forestry.  They offer obstacle-free paths through most wooded areas, allowing you both a relatively safe and, in many cases, direct routes to your objectives.  Here's a video example from one of my recent matches:

Spoiler

 

 

 

Mountains/steep hills are a bit of a double-edged sword, as on some maps, it might be difficult to get your chopper over them.  At the same time, though, they offer excellent shielding from potential enemy threats.  Make use of them where/when you can.

 

 

Below is another video example of me using the terrain to fly behind enemy lines and take out two enemy bases.  You'll see me using canyons and low altitude flying to get to my destination; while my route isn't the most direct one, it's significantly safer than the alternative.

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Another thing to cover here before we move on is the best approach to an aerial cap.  Assuming that you don't have the firepower to deal with enemy cappers (or you'd prefer just cap), there is a right and wrong way to going about capping a point.  The wrong way to go about it is just hovering or flying around in the open hoping that you won't get killed.  No, to cap correctly, you need to find a geological formation to hide behind (such as a mountain/large hill) or in (such as a canyon) while you cap.  Once you get situated in such a situation, drop your altitude to between 5-10 meters above the ground - remember, you're helicopter will cap as long as you are at least 5 meters above the ground.  Here's an example of what I mean:

Spoiler

 

 

 

D. Step 4: Take out Ground A.I. Quickly and Effectively

 

The title of this one says it all; you need to learn now to take out entire pushes of enemy ground units single handedly as fast as possible.  Most if not all of the early helicopters in the game have loadouts containing enough dumb rockets (or minigun/cannon equivalent) to destroy twenty A.I. ground units, the maximum number of enemy units you'll ever face in one given push.  The X-factor here is your ability to use said rockets effectively.  To that end, I'd suggest that you practice with your chopper in the test drive map until your aim is accurate enough that it doesn't require more than 3-4 rockets to destroy any given ground target (this, of course, is entirely dependent on how many rockets your chopper carries - you might have to use even few per target, or you might be at liberty to use more).  Each rocket has its own ballistics, and each chopper has its own flight characteristics; you need to learn both in order to do this effectively.  It might take a while to get it down, but the reward speaks for itself.

 

Once you do get it down, then it just becomes a matter of strategy as to how to best approach and destroy enemy pushes.  As a general rule, I like start at one end  of a line of enemy ground targets and then make long passes the entire length of the attacking/defending forces, picking off ground units one at a time.  Don't get caught up on one or two ground units; if you can't kill them in under five seconds, move onto another and revisit them in your next pass.  You're going to want to keep up your speed so that you can get to and take out as many as possible before the enemy catches on.  Once you get good with it, you'll find yourself able to take out entire lines of enemy vehicles in under a minute.  Here's another video example of me doing just that:  I start by taking a careful approach to toward the enemy units by means of canyons and roads, and then proceed to take out the entire line singlehandedly.  A Ka-50 does manage to kill me in the end, but at that point, it's too late; all his allied ground units are gone, and his team has lost the sector:

Spoiler

 

(I don't know why the A.I. didn't render in the video, but they were there.  Look at the killfeed)

 

Your ability to complete this step effectively will largely determine your usefulness to your team and your hand in the outcome of a match, so be sure to get this part down.  This is the reason why I had so many ground kills on the team scoreboards I shared above: because I was able to quickly and effectively take out entire lines of enemy A.I. units before the more modern enemy choppers were able to catch on to what was happening.

 

 

E. Step 5: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

 

So you've managed to score yourself a minor victory: you helped cap a sector for your team, and then secure it by taking out all the enemy's defending A.I. - all whilst staying alive due to staying low and using the terrain to your advantage.  Congratulations!  You've just dealt the enemy team a fairly substantial blow.  Now what?  Reset and repeat!

 

Once you've managed to complete an objective or two as such, you need to immediately move onto the next aerial cap or line of ground units.  If there aren't any, go after an enemy base.  The whole point of this strategy is to be absolutely relentless in bleeding your opponent's tickets until the match is won.  The important thing to remember here is to not get discouraged and quit because you failed a few times.  Maybe your team failed to cap a zone - no worries, just be ready for the inevitable ground assault. Maybe you weren't able to take out all the enemy's A.I. units before your own were taken out - no worries, just be ready for the next aerial cap.  Maybe you've been trying to get to a line of enemy ground units, but you can't because an enemy chopper is spawn camping your base and picking you off within twenty seconds of spawning - again no worries; choose another spawn base, adapt your approach route, and keep on trying until all the enemy units are dead.  Will you die a lot?  Yes.  It's just an unfortunate part of the game mode in its current configuration.  The important thing is to not get discouraged - sure, there comes a point when it's time to quit and go after another objective or even switch matches - but as a general rule of thumb, assume that you can do it, and play as such.  It's the persistent players who win the matches - not the mellow ones or even the players who have the best vehicles.  As a certain annoying game voice will tell you from time to time, "Let's keep the pressure on!  Victory is close!"  (okay, I'll show myself out).

 

 

 

4. Heli Combat:

 

As a general rule of thumb (in continuing to describe the playstyle I outlined above), I'd like to make something VERY clear, especially if your chopper is relatively underpowered: Don't EVER engage another enemy helicopter unless a) you know that said enemy helicopter is actively moving to kill you and b) said enemy helicopter is about to destroy all your allied ground units, and thus is about to win a sectoral conflict.  Since your role is mostly ground assault based, it makes no sense to try to fight battles which you're chopper isn't suited to fight.  You'd be surprised at how often you can stay hidden from enemy choppers just by keeping a low profile (see the second video from step 3 above for proof).

 

Now, that being said, you'll often find yourself in a situation where you have no choice but to actively engage an enemy helicopter if you want to survive - and for those situations, I'd like to offer you the following pieces of advice for both defensive flying and offensive attack.

 

 

A. Defense

 

In the sections above, I outlined certain playstyle tips which might not have made sense at the time - such as the need to fly at low altitudes and hide behind obstacles when you get the chance.  After all, if you're reading his, you've probably been killed by enemy choppers at all altitudes - high, medium and low.  And to that point, I'd like to just state that you can be killed at any altitude, no matter how careful you try to be.  But, to justify my earlier statements, I'd like to explain why I gave that advice earlier - hopefully, it will make more sense in light of the info I'm about to present.  Disclaimer: these tactics won't keep you safe a hundred percent of the time from enemy missiles; they'll help you dodge a few here and there, but don't expect them to keep you a hundred percent safe.

 

In section 2 of this post, I talked briefly about the types of missiles that you'll be facing in this mode, and what made them so powerful and effective.  What I did not touch on - which I saved for now - is their drawbacks.  Yes, you heard right: missiles like the Vikhr and the PARS 3 do have drawbacks which you can exploit to your benefit.

 

For any AGM - regardless of how potent it is - an enemy player will need to have a direct line of sight in order to successfully achieve an aerial kill (I'm grouping the PARS 3 with AAMs for the moment because its characteristics fit the description better).  If a player doesn't have line of sight, they won't be able to kill you.  In other words, in order to kill you, an enemy has to see you first.  This is why hiding behind obstacles such as mountains or under bridges is so important: you're taking away an enemy's line of sight.

 

What about low altitude flying?  Well, as it turns out, there's a reason for that too: you're taking advantage of ground clutter.  To oversimply, ground clutter is the radar interference due to obstacles on the ground such as trees, buildings, and other structures.  Any IR-guided missile (i.e. almost all AAMs you'll face plus the PARS 3 AGM) will have difficulty locking onto a target low to the ground due to ground clutter.  The presence of ground clutter is represented in the game by an invisible "haze" at lower altitudes, and all aircraft that fly at this haze level are relatively safe from a missile lock.  Ground clutter also has an effect on AGMs which have proximity fuses, like the Vikhr: the proximity fuse on the Vikhr will not detonate whilst the missile is traveling at this altitude, and thus the enemy player will need to achieve a direct hit in order to achieve a kill.  For more info on ground clutter, read the wiki page here.

 

Let's suppose an all-too familiar scenario you'll run into when executing this playstyle: you're cruising along at low altitudes, when all of a sudden, a Vikhr wizzes overhead: an enemy Ka-50 has locked onto you, and is now firing his Vikhr's at you in an attempt to kill you from several kilometers away.

 

In this situation, there unfortunately isn't much you'll be able to do; your primary line of defense is making sure your enemy doesn't see you, and now that he has, your chances of survival have just dropped substantially.  There are, however, two things you can do in this situation.

 

Firstly, change your helicopter's trajectory from a straight line into "S-turns" - essentially curving your route so that your helicopter is always changing is location on the XY-plane (as opposed to just the Y-plane).  If you're lucky, you'll be able to throw off your enemy's aim long enough to make it to a hiding place, such as a ravine.  Then, if the Ka-50 still wants to kill you, he'll have to do it in close quarters, where the playing field is more even.  For an example of this, see the spoiler down below.

 

A second tactic you can use is to turn your helicopter directly towards the incoming missile and attempt to fire your rockets at it.  If you're a good shot, you might be able to either hit the missile or trigger it's proximity fuse beforehand, destroying the missile before it hits.  Unfortunately, I don't have any example footage of this tactic to show (mostly because I've been personally unsuccessful whenever I've tried this defense), but I know it can be done.  See @jandaro's threat here for more info:

 

 

B. Attack

 

In some scenarios, you'll have the opportunity to engage an enemy at close quarters.  If you have the ability to do so without the enemy realizing it, then by all means, go in for the kill!  However, in most cases, it will be a 1v1 gun or rocket fight.  In these scenarios, there's little advice I have to give - it's best to just let your natural instincts take over.  However, I do have two little tidbits which might help you.

 

Firstly, constantly change your helicopter's attitude whilst engaging in a gunfight.  This way, you throw off the enemy's aim, and reduce the chance of you getting hit.  It also means that you'll have to adjust your own aim accordingly - again this requires practice.

 

Secondly, finish the kill every single time.  Don't be satisfied with the indicator "Target destroyed;" keep shooting until the enemy has to bail out.  In helicopter combat (more so than any other game mode), an enemy player will still be able to fight undeterred for several seconds after he is "killed" - and in that time, he'll have the opportunity to critically damage, or worse, kill you.  Don't give them that opportunity; finish the kill.

 

In the spoiler below is a video example of me successfully engaging and destroying an enemy Ka-50 that attempted to kill me from several kilometers away with Vikhrs, using the same offensive and defensive tactics I just described.

Spoiler

What essentially happened here was I was hiding under a bridge in a cap zone, trying to cap.  Unfortunately, the sector was overrun with Ka-50s, and most of my team were killed off by Vikhrs.  However, I managed to survive, since no one was able to spot me.  Eventually, one Ka-50 did spot me (only when he was right overtop of my hiding place), and tried to kill me at range with his missiles.  However, since he didn't have line of sight on me (since I was hiding under a bridge), he wasn't able to get an accurate missile launch on me - his Vikhr hit the water harmlessly.  At this point, since he was under a kilometer away, I left my hiding place and opened fire, downing him with a rocket barrage, and then escaping the premises.

I had another video of me actively dodging Vikhr missiles by making S-turns (and then turning to finish off the Ka-50 after he ran out of Vikhrs), but since I couldn't find it, I'll post a backup example for now.  Granted, this footage is of an AH-1Z in a tank RB match, but the principle stands.

As you can see, dodging the Ka-50's Vikhrs is possible IF you stay at low altitudes and change your helicopter's attitude frequently.

 

Again, I want to stress that these tactics will not save your life one hundred percent of the time - in fact, you can follow all these tactics and still be lucky to survive - but they will make you a better pilot, and in some cases, allow you to survive longer.

 

 

 

5. FAQ/Conclusion

 

Let's take a few questions, shall we?  Below, I've posted some of the ones I'm most frequently asked; if you have others, post them in your reply and I'll include them in the OP.

 

1. I've followed all these steps, taken every precaution, and I'm still not performing well.  Why?

 

Chances are, you're being too aggressive.  In some cases, it's best just to take a step back, survey the situation, and then adapt your strategy accordingly.  Also, do a bit of an analysis: is the problem that you're just not hitting your targets?  Then practice a bit on your own.  Can't get to the destination due to being sniped?  Try a different, less direct route to the target.  There's always something you can do - and in some cases, it's just best to find a different match.  The key is not to give up.

 

2. How can you justify playing a mode this broken?

 

Granted, it is hard for me to write a post like this detailing the best ways to play what is, in my opinion, a bugged and imbalanced game mode.  That being said, Heli EC is still your best shot at grinding RP and SL with helicopters, so I've found it's worth just making the best of the situation at hand.  You don't have to like it - I certainly don't - but the solution isn't to complain; rather, we should find constructive ways and tactics to go about the game mode, which is what I've tried to do with this post.

 

3. When will EC be fixed/balanced?

 

No clue.  Hopefully sooner than later.  If you have ideas about how to better the game mode, make a suggestion about it in the appropriate sub forum.  The best we can do as players is be constructive, file bug reports where they're needed, and spark civil discussions.  Anything outside of that is not going to help make a positive difference.

 

 

In conclusion, I'd like to thank you all for reading this post, and commend you for your persistence in grinding.  Heli EC isn't a mode for the faint of heart, and it's certainly a more difficult game mode than most if you don't have the right chopper.  That being said, though, I firmly believe that if you approach the mode with an objective mindset and you play it correctly, you'll be able to achieve a greater measure of success than you achieved previously.  I hope this tutorial helped!  I wish you all the best of luck; see you in the skies!

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by RogueStarflyer

[GomesPT 309]

Very good tutorial on Helli EC. The community thanks you.
Yesterday I remembered going to make a game of Helli EC, with Premium Mangusta and I went to the city map. Just to say that I loved it, the map is small, which makes the action run faster and more engaging. I died many times, but I also killed many times and there the Kamov superiority is not so noticeable, because it is a small map, with a lot of coverage and we can get close to them easily, I already imagine an AH-1F / S on that map to dominate .
It is a pity that there are no more servers with the city map and similar maps, because it is almost always full.

[jandaro 42]

my guide has been finnaly put to use

[pancake_addict 196]

On 04/01/2021 at 05:27, RogueStarflyer said:

You're never going to win this mode solely by killing enemy choppers.

I think this guide got the part about tickets wrong. I am not sure about exact mechanic in this case, but massive losses among players can and will lead to ticket bleed. One of the most efficient ways to ensure your team wins is to let a chinese abuser kill his friend on opposing team 50 or more times, you will notice a huge ticket leap as this happens.

So you should never feed enemies by trying to capture objective at all costs, I've seen a lot of games where entire team goes to A, gets slaughtered by Ka's and while the zone was capped, team tickets disappear. Some people think it is a random ticket loss and that they were "gaijin'd", but I think it's an undocumented and little known feature of this mode.

[pancake_addict 196]

Alright I'm coming back with some field data. @RogueStarflyer I hope you will take a look at this and update guide accordingly.

Each vehicle destroyed by enemy will make your team lose tickets. Values are roughly as follows:

• AAA/howitzer - 1 ticket
• Medium tank - 5 tickets
• Helicopter player - 25 tickets

By comparison, here are some objectives:

• Zone captured by enemy - 600 tickets
• Base destroyed by enemy - 300 tickets

Yes, killing 24 players is essentially the same as capturing zone. Killing 12 players is same as destroying a base or killing 300 howitzers. Game is rigged to let Ka-50s win  It's not worth to try capping point without support of your own Ka-50/Ka-52s as you will lose more than you gain. Same can be said about assaults with ground vehicles, don't fight if enemy is too strong.

But here are also good news. J-out and crashing doesn't lead to ticket loss! So if you think that Ka-50 noticed you the first thing you should do is to flip upside down and crash immediately with no survivors, this way your team will be able to live a little longer.

One other thing I must mention. As there are unfair players who kill each other at helipads, considering kills lead to ticket loss you should always be vigilant for this happening. Just spawning at problematic helipad and killing enemy copter who does abusing will delay and possibly prevent an inevitable loss from ticket bleed.