I think F-14 are became way much overpowered on current meta after multipathing

[Stockholm_Blend]

Yes. According to the characteristics of the missile, Phoenix itself might be considered a skill-check missile.

It is an annoying missile. It was the one and only ARH before the seek-n-destroy update, but it also can be defeated more easily than the rest of the more advanced ARHs.

But, if Phoenix goes combined with the 4th-gen fuselage of Tomcat, opponents they faced, and the awful compression which we had before thanks to Gaijin’s laziness.
The situation became complicated.

Every 30% of the team was vaporized by Phoenix(well, they will get killed by AIM-7F even if there was no Phoenix at all. They might buy more time before getting shot down with no effort), which caused an awful outnumbered situation.

IMO, Even though Phoenix itself can be considered as a skill-check missile, I think no plane which has a worse RWR than F-4J shouldn’t face F-14 at all.
Feels slightly similar to AIM-9L from A-10A fragging F-86 situation.

And, Tomcat itself also ‘was’ powerful even if we consider them without AIM-54.
It is 4th gen fighter which has good dogfighting ability.
It might not be the best dogfighter in this game, but it’s still enough to punish Starfighters or Phantoms.

Also, AIM-7F is one of the best ‘western’ SARH. Of course, it is worse than the infamous friggin R-27ER. Still, it can dominate against the rest of SARH, which they will face in the down-tiered match.

In summary, I am claiming that F-14A can’t go back to 12.3.
It was one frigging exploiter of compression, and it shouldn’t abuse that advantage again.

“But what about 2000C?”

• Yes. It is also a compression problem. It also should move up.

“Do you really think F-14A need to face AMRAAM from F-15C/J??”

• No. Current 13.7 planes like F-15C, Gripen, and Su-27SM also should move up and shouldn’t face F-14A USN. Just in the same way that F-104S got liberated from F-14A.

[quartas121]

@Stockholm_Blend

Tomcat itself also ‘was’ powerful even if we consider them without AIM-54.
It is 4th gen fighter which has good dogfighting ability.

A tomcat without phoenixes is flat out unacceptable

[Stockholm_Blend]

Oh no no no
I didn’t mean to geld the Tomcat by removing AIM-54 once and for all.

It is one of the most charming points of F-14 itself
(On the balancing side, it created quite a painful headache due to its unique characteristics though)
Phoenix itself is one big and beautiful missile. Isn’t it?

It would be a shame if she lost her best charm.

I just wanted to point out that,

• even if we think of it as 4th-Gen F-4J, it ‘was’ still powerful back in those days.

Sorry for bad writing.

TMI: When I was kid, I was raptured by an F-14 on Ace combat, Flying over Dubai and Spamming Phoenix to enemies…
I kinda loved Tomcats just before starting WT :/

[quartas121]

Yeah, it was pretty insane on launch, but now with more aircraft that can fight it consistently at 12.3 or even 12.0, I think the base F14A should go back to 12.3 due to it’s bad RWR, 12.3 armament tbh, and weak early 4th gen flight performance, the IRIAF is fine where it is, and if the B is 13.0 it should have 9Ms. Even an F-4E can fight back against a tomcat.

[Stockholm_Blend]

Well, I prefer proper decompressing further than sending F-14A USN back to 12.3 though
As long as there still are some dumb planes like F-104S or MiG-27 at 11.3

I understand that F-14A USN nowadays is having a hard time.

• Better opponents on lower BR like M2KC
• Superior IRIAF with Fakour in the same BR
• unresistible F-15C in uptier just like when F-14A was on release…

From ‘Public Enemy No.1’ to ‘unplayable compared to counterparts’
What a big size of drop-off. :'(

[VF21_Freelancers]

I rather prefer to give AIM-9L for USN F-14A Early and puts same BR with Iranian model because AIM-54A/C could still get some buffs, it could get a bit insane if implemented at lower BR.

The Iranian F-14 should be just side grade to the TT model as it is still an event aircraft after all.

[Stockholm_Blend]

@NestleKitkat

AIM-54A/C could still get some buffs, it could get a bit insane if implemented at lower BR.

Yes. I think reverting F-14A USN to 12.3 will cause problems. Especially if AIM-54 gets buff.

@NestleKitkat

The Iranian F-14 should be just side grade to the TT model as it is still an event aircraft after all.

On the current status and the current difference between ‘F-14A USN and F-14A IRIAF’ seems way bigger than just ‘sidegrade’
Thanks to Silly Fakour-90 which flies at lighting speed (Thanks! Thruster from MIM-23 xd )

Reminds me F-4J(UK) and F-4J/S problem :/
(no HMS, no AIM-7F, slightly worse RWR, but same BR on all modes thanks to Gaijin’s laziness)

[MikeyPlayzonYT]

@Stockholm_Blend

I think reverting F-14A USN to 12.3 will cause problems. Especially if AIM-54 gets buff.

Instead of rallying for the F-14s (especially the B) to be raised in BR for no good reason, you should rally for them to get buffed so they can go to higher BRs where they belong. That’s what most people have been doing for a while now.

[Stockholm_Blend]

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

Instead of rallying for the F-14s (especially the B) to be raised in BR for no good reason

No good reason? really?

Nah, reverting Nerf will cause nothing but stupid problems.

of course, reverting nerfs also makes F-14A happy.
But, Not in the way of ‘let her go proper position’.
Instead, of ‘letting her abuse the compression shitstorms all over again’.

F-14A USN and F-14B will be FINE if the compression problem gets solved better and better
when every decompression comes up.
if we decompress the BR properly. then BR gaps will become wider.

IMO, F-14A USN is a 12.5-ish kind of plane.
can’t go down to 12.3 thanks to some of its unique characteristics
but can’t stay at the current 12.7 BR ‘IF’ F-14A IRIAF stays on the same BR with F-14A USN.

Then there is only one option.
Creating position between current 12.3 and 12.7 with decompression.

@Stockholm_Blend

In summary, I am claiming that F-14A can’t go back to 12.3.
It was one frigging exploiter of compression, and it shouldn’t abuse that advantage again.

“But what about 2000C?”

• Yes. It is also a compression problem. It also should move up.

“Do you really think F-14A need to face AMRAAM from F-15C/J??”

• No. Current 13.7 planes like F-15C, Gripen, and Su-27SM also should move up and shouldn’t face F-14A USN. Just in the same way that F-104S got liberated from F-14A.

Buffing the Phoenix for historically correct than now, or giving a countermeasure pod can be followed as extra care. if F-14A USN and F-14B perform awful even if they get treatment and don’t see F-15C anymore.

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

I’ll explain this to you like you’re 5 years old

While you just got annoyed because I didn’t agree with your idea and you ended up with personal insulting. Tsk.

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

When the F-14As gets down-tiered into 11.7, it’s the only plane with phoenixes.

Yes. on the 11.7-12.7 match, F-14A are the only planes which carry missiles with ARH seekers.

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

They’re easily counterable.

Maybe. But not when F-14A were harassing matchmakers from 10.3-11.3 to 11.3-12.3
They were extremely underrated when it was released

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

But when the phoenix runs out, the Tomcat is basically a slightly better F-4S.

Maybe. but F-4S also are an underrated plane compared to counterparts like F-4J(UK)/K/M from British or Mirage F1C. thanks to AIM-7F which is one of the best western SARH in this game.
If we need to make the gap between F-14A and F-4S narrow, let F-4S go 12.3 suits better.
Of course, current 12.3BR jets like Mirage 2000C or F-4EJ kai also need to move up to 12.7 if F-4S goes 12.3.

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

When the F-14As get uptiered to 13.7, they’re already 3 BR steps into modern ARH missiles. Besides BVR, they have no pros in this BR. Their missiles are still counterable and the enemies’s missiles are not.

it is also the same compression problem.
Just like when F-14A was on 11.3 and saw Mirage IIIC.
F-14A USN shouldn’t see F-15C.

[VF21_Freelancers]

@Stockholm_Blend

Buffing the Phoenix for historically correct than now, or giving a countermeasure pod can be followed as extra care. if F-14A USN and F-14B perform awful even if they get treatment and don’t see F-15C anymore.

Unfortunately, F-14A Early can’t get any upgrades, except for AIM-9L and AIM-54A historical fixes.

F-14A received TARPS stuffs, BOL launcher, AIM-9M-8, AIM-54C, AIM-7MH/P ,AN/ALR-67 RWR, etc. before it was retired in 2004, but what we have currently in the game is based on the 1977 SAC, so we can’t receive them.

Even the AIM-9L was not listed in the 1977 SAC, and at best was only tested to kill QF-86F Sabre target drone at China Lake that same year.

[Stockholm_Blend]

How about removing that silly (Early) tag on it?
I always thought that it was ridiculous.

Limiting F-14A just for adding at the same time with Top Gun Maverick. :/

when any nation except the US was not ready to face that beast…

I thought that they would add F-14A (Late) later than “Danger Zone” but sadly it never happens.
It seems Gaijin cherry-picked F-14A on 1977 SAC on purpose.

Just like Copy-Pasted Sea Harrier FRS.1 with only the difference of AIM-9L rail.
(I heard that the introduction of dual AIM-9L rail on SHAR was after the Falkland war. Forgot the source though)

[quartas121]

@Stockholm_Blend

Limiting F-14A just for adding at the same time with Top Gun Maverick. :/

cant deny, was good marketing idea, and i mean the tomcat shoudlve been first 4th gen ingame anyways so people would be complaining regardless

[VF21_Freelancers]

@Stockholm_Blend

How about removing that silly (Early) tag on it?
I always thought that it was ridiculous.

I would rather see it in the game in a different vehicle as “F-14A late” because F-14A in late 1990s to early 2000s are basically F-14B with TF-30. I assume it would comes as premium or whatever.

However, I would not that against to change from 1977 SAC to 1984 NATOPS loadouts because 1984 F-14A is actual tomcat from Top Gun movie and it can gets TCS, AIM-9Ls, AIM-7Ms.

[Stockholm_Blend]

@NestleKitkat

However, I would not that against to change from 1977 SAC to 1984 NATOPS loadouts because 1984 F-14A is actual tomcat from Top Gun movie and it can gets TCS, AIM-9Ls, AIM-7Ms.

That would be better.

[VF21_Freelancers]

Probably I will post F-14A(1984) suggestion in forum later :p

Oh BTW

Grumman F-14A Tomcat Late: Anytime Baby!

poll Grumman F-14A Tomcat Late [VF-211-Checkmates-061] This suggestion is essentially a “late” version of the F-14A, just prior to its retirement from U.S. Navy service. Compared to the F-14A Early we currently have in the game, it has better A2A, A2G loadout and avionics, allowing it to fight on equal terms with more advanced jets. Also, compared to the F-14B, it has a worse engine but lighter airframe, which will give it bit better advantage on 1v1 duels. [VF-154-Black-Knights-034] F-14A…

[VF21_Freelancers]

Welp, changing to a mid 80’s F-14A would also require some camouflage rework, but it wouldn’t be that big of a deal because it is not that differents from late 1970s to early 80s.

VF-1 Wolfpack from 1988

VF-2 Bounty Hunters from 1986-1988

VF-33 Starfighters from 1984 (literally same as we current have one except tail section)

[MikeyPlayzonYT]

@NestleKitkat

F-14A Early can’t get any upgrades

I really hope you know that “Early” is not a real designation at all. It’s an arbitrary term Gaijin has made so they have the cop-out of making you grind the same aircraft twice. It’s inconsistent with the dates or block numbers of aircraft.

@Stockholm_Blend

How about removing that silly (Early) tag on it?
I always thought that it was ridiculous.

I agree.

@NestleKitkat

changing to a mid 80’s F-14A would also require some camouflage rework

It’s also the perfect time to finally add an in-game Jolly Rodgers skin.

[VF21_Freelancers]

@ItzMikeyzWRLD

I really hope you know that “Early” is not a real designation at all. It’s an arbitrary term Gaijin has made so they have the cop-out of making you grind the same aircraft twice. It’s inconsistent with the dates or block numbers of aircraft.

I know that. (and thats why I mentioned about 1984 NATOPS)

In the real life, the Tomcat had so many patchwork modifications that there were hardly any aircraft with exactly the same specifications so, Gaijin modeled the 1977 F-14A as an “Early” model.

This is also problem in DCS World, even though the 3D model is a mid-1980s F-14A, the armament and avionics are the same as those of the late 1990s and early 2000s, as it received an ALR-67 RWR, AIM-9M, and AIM-7MH.

[AlvisWisla]

@Ion_Protogen
EJ Kai, F-14A, F-14A IRIAF:
Radar: EJ Kai.
IR missile: EJ Kai.
Radar missile: F-14A/EJ Kai.
ARH missile: F-14A IRIAF. [This is what makes the F-14A IRIAF superior to the F-14A and arguably EJ Kai.]
Countermeasures: EJ Kai.
RWR: EJ Kai.
Speed: 3 way tie.
Engines: EJ Kai.
Airframe: F-14A/F-14A IRIAF. ~7% difference between them and EJ Kai.

[Stockholm_Blend]

Erm… Sir?
I think I can’t understand your current reply on full condition
because you shortened your comment too short this time (unlike you usually do)
and you wrote this as a normal reply on the topic but not about a specific post.