My love of the bomber

Ok, so, my favorite vehicle in the game would have to be a bomber. However, I can never find people in a pub who now how to correctly use each position. So, here I go...

First, everyone has to have the right loadout:

Piolt / Bomber:
- Pretty much any weapons
- Medium armor preferred
- REPAIR PACK REQUIRED

Tailgunner:
- HEAVY ARMOR
- CG/Missile/Blaster/Mortar/Any other weapon
- FLARE GRENADES
- AMMO PACK

Ok, so, once you have a bomber crew set up, you gotta fly it right. First of all, DO NOT USE THE AFTERBURNER. There is no need, IMO. The TG is there to stop missiles with his flares, and shoot down shrikes with his chaingun. The shrike is faster than you anyways, so don't try to outrun/outmaneuver it. Secondly, when you are approaching the target, do not speed up/slow down/change altitude! This is very important. If you do, then the bomber has no chance of hitting his target.

Secondly, you need a bomber who knows what he is doing. I personally think that the bomber's plasma gun is useless, because it fires such slow rounds. Its impossible to hit anything unless a shrike is hovering right under you, in which case he deserves to die. The targeting laser is very helpful, though. It should be shot at where you want to bomb. The Piolt should then fly through the little circle at the top of the laser pointer thingy. A bomber should always start firing about 20 meters before the reticle gets to its target, and stop 20 meters afterwards. This helps hit targets that are not level to your reticle, and maybe take out some players in the process. Above all, I can't stress enough to NOT RANDOMLY SHOOT STUFF, especially when you are flying off the vpad... that'll just flip the bomber and blow you all to little space dust.

Finally, there's the TG. He should usually just be using his CG to ward off shrikes, and occastionally taking out turrets iwth his missile launcher, and also mortar spamming when the bomber is passing over the target. Also note that since the CG fires faster than the shrike, and requires no energy, a TG can easily take out a shrike and only take minimal damage to the shields. Another thing TGs need to remember is that they only need to throw ONE flare per missile. I see TGs throw five at a time, which is a waste. Remember the bomber can take a few hits before it even depletes its shield.

If all this is done correctly, and the piolt doesn't run into the side of a mountain, a bomber can stay up all game. The TG can carry 18 flares and 300 rounds of chaingun bullets. Just go back to base to refule each time. If the bomber gets damaged, then just find a spot OOB to set down, and the bomber and piolt jump out and repair it in a jiffy.

So, that's what I think. Gimme some feedback. I'd really like to work with the bomber more, but in pubs there are never people who know how to use it. Today, I was trying to, and some piolt got in and flew us straight into the flag tower. That was good... Then the other day, we had a TG who jumped in jsut trying to get a ride into enemy territory. He didn't even stay to drop flares.

Maybe if you guys are in a pub with me sometime, you'll bomb with me? My fav. position is TailGunner...

Thanks,

 

Yeah, I actually saw the dive bombing technique used sucessfully for the first time today. I'll have to try the SJ pack as a TG... thanks.

 

Maybe it would be helpful to compile a set of overheads for all maps with vehicles, and then desgin bombing runs for them? Even create a script for each map that places waypoints for the piolt to follow? that would be the most ideal way...

 

/me goes and cries in a corner because no one will bomb with him.

I was playing yesterday, and we were bombing, and our bomber guy RANDOMLY JUMPED OUT. We were doing SOOOO good!! He was like just getting a ride over there... NO! DO NOT DO THAT.

Or you will face the wrath of the raven