Since the introduction of the seek and destroy update on June 19, 2024, the aim120 has been the dominant missile in matches, patch in and patch out, and almost a year later it remains the most dominant missile in the game.
Currently the aim 120 A and B perform as if they were the aim120 C, I’ve heard reports from some players that the aim120 is supposedly overperforming by 30%, based on some reports from Israeli F15 pilots, of course this number is speculation, but the fact that the missile is overperforming is a fact, we just don’t know how much (quantitative value).
While missiles like pl12, aam-4, and mica are completely artificially nerfed, poor derby/R darter… I don’t even know what to say about this missile, I just know that his situation in the game is completely sad.
The r77s were very complicated, now with the addition of the r77-1 its range is good but the missile’s drag is still gigantic, the missile looks like an open umbrella flying with so much drag, and the aim120 still unbeatable…
How long are we going to stay in this drama?
Will aim120’s dominance celebrate its anniversary? Or will they do something about it to balance the game?
Then being dominant is less of an issue because everyone except Russia, France or China has them in some way. It’s not like they don’t have downsides either, since they are relatively poor at closer combat when compared to others.
I’d even argue that with a couple fixes/additions that top tier could actually be balanced throughout all the nations if you ignore compression.
They’ll be dominant until they add pl15’s and the like. Or maybe not, they’re already buffing them and nerfing other missiles to keep them on top so maybe the aim120d’s will be better than meteors and pl15’s.
Tbh the playing field is a bit more level now.
R-77-1 is pretty equal to the AIM-120, both have their drawbacks.
MICA is much, much better close range however lacks long range capability, its fine.
AAM-4 is pretty much a very marginally worse and better AIM-120, its fine.
PL-12 is again, pretty equal to the AIM-120, having slightly worse range but far improved close range effectiveness.
The MICA’s close range performance more than makes up for it in my opinion. It absolutely clowns on anyone if they get within 10km of you. I’ve made many 20km shots with MICA’s, so they have at most 50% more range than you.
(And no, I don’t resent France, the Rafale is by far my most favored top tier jet.)
Oh, I’m sure it’s great to be limited only to close range engagements with a missile that was designed for short range and medium range. The close range efficacy gap has been closed by 77-1. I’ve used both, targets do not move enough to warrant MICA’s greater agility compared to this new addition. 77-1 justifies MICA’s range being improved.
The R-77-1 is also on the second worst 14.0 airframe, the Rafale being the second best in the game.
The MICA getting an extended range would be a bit too much IMO, Rafale and M2K are already really good.
The AIM120 only looks dominant because… It is the most used missile.
Like the other one said, MICAs are amazing missiles, and, people who know how to dodge AIM120s are just going to have a breeze, and for some reason I feel these days that the AIM120 is actually lackluster in comparison to before, can’t hit any target if they are low enough, getting more kills with the 9M. lol
77-1 does better than MICA in range, even giving it a poor launch and MICA a solid launch. Under a good launch for Su 30 SM? It makes the range of MICA laughable as does the AMRAAM on better platforms. In the short range, 77-1 performs just as good because very few things pull enough to warrant MICA’s agility unless you’re at point blank. At which point MICA spins out.
That’s very well and good outside of the fact that you’re already defending from far longer range armament. But I’m sure point blank performance is all well and good against folk who can engage at 3 times the distance you can.
Sure, until you account for the fact that MICA bleeds itself of energy far before it reaches anything close to 50% the effective range of an AMRAAM. But go off.
Not every single top tier aircraft has to be a BVR machine. The Rafale and M2K are fine as is. They trade their long range capability for being the best close range aircraft in the game.
In most matches , ARHs are fired at short ranges. The only people who die to AMRAAMs at 10km+ are new or unlucky.
Why bother with a long range launch that will kill only when the target doesnt defend when you can keep your missiles for better launch conditions.
Whining about one missile having better range will not matter when someone throws ANY of the ARH missiles at 3km in a Head-on, you are dead either way unless you multipath.