Ironman Career, what will you do?

[AcesDarthBubu]

Just trying to get the general consensus what will most players do under such circumstances. My default is engage with my flight, many a times resulting early demise and heavy losses for that mission, needing to start another ironman career as a different persona, couldn't bring myself to stand out of the fight. How about you guys?

[PanzerAce]

"good luck"

[Flashy]

Never engage unless you have a tactical and numerical advantage. The AI in this game are masters at getting themselves killed, so basically doing the exact opposite of what your flight members are doing is usually the right tactic. 

[Catch]

Run away, always.

[Dora]

Depends on the aircraft I fly. If I fly anything made by the Soviets pre-1943 (or Flying Circus), I'm out of there at the slightest whiff of danger.

But any other country: If it's 4 to 2, I attack. Anything larger, and I do one pass from above before bolting it out of there.

[Avimimus]

Historically, I think it depends a lot on energy advantage and situational awareness. If you have altitude advantage and are unobserved, than making a single pass seems to be common. Otherwise, the pilots that lived long enough to become aces are usually ones that would disengage.

I'd argue that, based on actual accounts of combat:

- Pilots had worse situational awareness and often weren't aware of their attackers.

- Pilots were much more prone to disengaging (especially if separated or outnumbered - but also if disoriented or stressed).

This would apply to your enemy as well.

[GiftGruen]

For sure there are situations ( having the faster plane and/or some energy advantage ) where I race through and try to kill one in the first pass, trying to keep my speed or height advantage. 

Of course also depends on the planeset. E.G. flying a 109F and attacking LAGGs - it's always easily possible to keep an energy advantage.

But in general, I'd rather run and fight another day / mission.

[Trooper117]

It doesn't matter what you choose to do, because no plan survives contact with the enemy... 

[Kubert]

It depends on the mission and the aircraft. I always fly as a squadron leader. If it was a free hunt on a Yak-1 and I saw the enemy superiority, I would order my fligh to follow and avoid the germans. If it was a bomber escort, there would be no other option but to fight...soviet commissar would shoot me for desertion anyway, so it wouldn't matter.  As a BF pilot, it would be different, I would be able to outclimb or outrun the superiority of I-16s, LaGGs or Yak-1s and keep the initiative.

Edited November 27, 2025 by Kubert

[AcesDarthBubu]

Seems like in this game, hit and run while one has advantage and has situtation awareness is the best way to survive. Need to sharpen a full throttle flyby kill.

[JG4_Moltke1871]

On 11/27/2025 at 2:08 AM, AcesDarthBubu said:

Just trying to get the general consensus what will most players do under such circumstances. My default is engage with my flight, many a times resulting early demise and heavy losses for that mission, needing to start another ironman career as a different persona, couldn't bring myself to stand out of the fight. How about you guys?

As a flight lead first of all I bring my Bombers into defence formation, column has the best results, when just stay in V formation too often the enemy is going through and will attack the flight lead. Continue or break off the mission is up to the distance to the target. Ongoing attacks will deplete the ammunition of my rear gunners until it’s empty and we are cleared to shoot down.

Always pray the Gods of War are on our side 🫡

[Cardolan]

If engaging with the enemies was in the scope of my mission, I would engage with my mates at first (that's the rationale I applied in my answer). However, I probably would not stay for long engaged, unless things were notoriously improving in terms of odds.