Multiplayer Progression — Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Guide

Your final mission in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve! Learn how to tackle the Reprisal (21B) mission, defeat the Varcolac Squadron, and secure San Francisco.

Alright, ace, you've made it to the final mission: Reprisal (21B). This is it, the big one to wrap up the campaign in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve. It's unlocked after finishing the cooperative missions 19 and 20, Wrecking Ball, but don't worry, you can replay it in Free Mission later. The 21A version is also available, but this 21B is the true campaign finale. ### Briefing Burford's got the intel: enemy forces, including cruisers, Aegis, and B-2 bombers escorted by MiG-29s, are pushing towards San Francisco. The Golden Axe Plan is willing to risk the city for their own gain. Your job is to push them back. But that's not all – while you're busy in the skies, ground forces are going for the Olivieri Life data center. Taking that down is key to exposing the Golden Axe Plan's full scope, so don't just focus on the aerial battle. ### Objectives #### Initial When you launch, you'll see several cruisers, Aegis, and B-2s heading for San Francisco, marked by red circles on your map. Your first priority is to take out the closest cruisers and B-2s quickly. Keep an eye on those Aegis; they'll be launching missiles, so flying low can help you dodge them. More cruisers will pop up as you sink the initial ones, and another B-2 with MiG-1.44s will appear once the first B-2s are down. Unlike the 21A mission, you'll also face enemy tanks and SAMs appearing from the Oakland Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, plus more at the southeastern waterfront. These tank groups will keep respawning up to three times, so be ready to deal with them. You'll also encounter the Varcolac Squadron as regular enemies, but they'll retreat after a bit and can't be shot down. #### Mission Update 1 This part is all about the Varcolac Squadron, just like in the 21A mission. Sulejmani's plane is basically invincible at this stage, and it's equipped with an anti-missile system that'll wreck your incoming missiles and even damage you if you get too close. So, focus on taking down Oruma, Kiriakov, and Gaviria first. Once they're down, Sulejmani will start circling you, lamenting his past. His invincibility will drop when the music changes. Now's your chance! Use your gun to bypass his missile defense. When the AWACS confirms his missile defense is down, he'll become invincible again briefly. He'll start dodging your attacks, so stick with your machine gun to finish him off after his final speech. #### Mission Update 2 This final phase is also the same as the 21A mission. Your ground team, led by Dog Bear, needs help clearing a path to the Olivieri Life Insurance headquarters. You'll need to destroy its entrance, marked as TGT, which is defended by three AH-64s flying near the skyscrapers. After you destroy the entrance (and you can optionally take out Olivieri himself right next to it), fly through the opening to complete the mission. ### S Rank To snag that S Rank, San Francisco needs to be completely undamaged. Make sure your Mission Performance Gauge (MPG) stays at 100% during the initial phase. ### Named Aces Keep an eye out for Hovercraft Garnet. They'll spawn in the middle of the map, near Alcatraz Island, after you've destroyed all the enemy tank groups. ### Debriefing Burford will congratulate you on stopping the attack on San Francisco and securing the data center. The intel you've gathered should be enough to expose and dismantle the entire Golden Axe Plan, bringing peace worldwide. He's proud of how you've handled yourself throughout this ordeal. Great job, Antares Squadron!