Missiles
- IR (heat-seeking): best from behind. Flare on solid lock / when the warning indicator turns white. Turn through the flare.
- Radar: flare or notch (turn perpendicular). Some jets have better decoys.
- Manual / Beam-riding: you guide it. Keep the target in the window. High skill, high reward at range.
- Hunter: mid-range harassment. Retargetable on some jets. Good for opening the fight, not pure knife-fight.
Do not flare on soft lock or the instant you hear the launch sound. Time it. Most deaths come from late or early flares.
Veteran notes
- Altitude passives: some jets extend range or speed at height. Drop and the passive dies.
- Assist tax: do not stack too much aim-assist reduction on precision guns.
- Rearm rings: do not chase with an empty pod. Turn back to the ring.
- Attack from behind when possible. Head-on trades are risky, especially against radar missiles.
- Pull full lead on IR shots when you can.
Flare timing (from community & wiki guidance)
Solid lock or the warning turning white = flare. Early flares get wasted because the missile can re-acquire. Practice the timing in early matches and custom games.