Dude, fly the thing in an air RB match and let me know if you still think it can keep up with 10.7/11.3/11.7. Its possible that I’m treating it like the SMT or F5e where full elevator is fine… but on the J35 the insane AoA is a drag shute. But… that does appear to be its one advantage, that is getting nose on first.
lol yup
I only have the tech tree one, but given it’s the same as the premium…
The Japanese F-4EJ has been and is in much more of a rough spot nowadays. 11.0 for some reason despite a barely working radar and rear-aspect-only missiles on a hardbody phantom chassis l o l
In my opinion it should be moved to 10.3
Alright. So I’ve played the J35XS a bit more in air RB and as promised I’ve returned with a better review.
The Good:
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The missile counts had me taking shots and getting lucky when I otherwise wouldn’t with fewer stores. Mind you these are 3rd party kills in furball fights where the opponents failed to flare.
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Its extreme AoA makes for one really tight turn to get nose-on or cause an overshoot. I would often survive dive bomb attacks from superior planes in this manner.
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Related to the last point, the nose is very responsive in all speed regimes making head’ons and strafing gunshots easier to aim.
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IR tracking with a lock was somewhat helpful for off-bore missile shots provided, again, I catch the opponent not using flares.
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The J35XS’ large caliber flares are actually really good at fending off any non-IRCCM IR missile.
The Bad:
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Most matches are at 11.3 or 11.7 as expected. It can’t turn fight against F4’s as its energy bleed is too extreme. It can’t beat Mirage-F1’s for similar reasons. It has no chance against the AIM-7F and R-24R spam. Because of the low flare/chaff count, surviving at 11.3 is extremely difficult. The fact that it can face Mirage-2000’s and F-14’s is hilarious. I have the Mirage-2000 and when I play it, J35XS’ are free kills. It cant detect my SARH missiles coming and it’s flight model makes it easy prey for magic 2’s (large caliber flares lol).
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When its top tier (10.7) its completely mid. I won one dog fight against an F5e who was on lower energy at the outset. I lost all the rest. The F5c and F5e essentially do everything the J35XS wishes it could do. Its a worse plane than the F5c period.
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The IR scanning is comically not useful. You will see the enemy plane with your eyes before it gets picked up on IR.
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The radar is equally useless with a very course readout even in square radar display.
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The fuel really is an issue. Because of the J35XS’s energy bleed, you are very slow after any significant maneuvering. This requires afterburner more than usual just to get the jet back to an offensive/defensive state. Meaning… the 20 minute fuel supply is actually not very good. Many instances I was on fumes if I managed to survive the match (which I mostly didn’t). I noticed many players forgoing weapons to add drop tanks. I didn’t want to do this because I viewed the 6-missile count (which SMT gets at 10.3 BTW) as one of the J35XS’s only advantages.
Anyhow, I’m just bitter because I remember dogfighting this thing pre-nerf and it was always a fun opponent for the SMT, F8e, or F5e. Its also a truly historically cool aircraft with its unique double delta. Its sad that its now lost at its current BR.
And yes yes IM sure in some test-tube environment it can rate with an F5… But in my matches I got into exactly… wait for it… zero rate fights. I mean come on, its IR missile dogfighting all-aspects. 2-circle fights are never really an option.
And before I get the “skill issue” replies… Ive been playing air RB since F86F and 15bis were top. Im really not that bad at the game.
There is something kind of hilariously cool about it essentially being a pay-2-lose premium. Challenge accepted I guess.
End Rant
6 Likes
I’d say that uptiers to 11.3/11.7 are especially problematic considering that it doesn’t even have RWR.
Enemy could be locking you and even firing Sparrow or R-24R and you would never know until its too late.
Even when I did manage to notice SARH missiles incoming, the energy bleed required to notch made me a sitting duck for any follow-up attack.
Hi, I’ve never posted before. I’ve just done the same thing, dropped some coin on a J35XS to get my air capabilities up.
I agree with the OP on all these points. It’s up-tier every game, the J35XS has no advantages against any aircraft it comes against. 8 out of 10 air battles, I’m hit with a missile from 10-15 km out. No warning, just radar lock missiles that knock you out of the sky from many many km’s away.
How is it that I need to be within 2km on the rear for my missiles to hit, can be flared off, while i am up against planes that can missile from the stratosphere.
I literally need to stay 25km from the actual fight, circle around, catch someone off guard and maybe get them before they can flare or dodge.
HOW is this thing anywhere near the BR of these other aircraft I seem to come up against.
This thing either needs a lower BR, or to never be up-tiered.
I thought it was generally agreed that 99% of prems aren’t p2w? Obviously, there are exceptions, but overall WT is pretty good at not being P2W.
11.0 and 11.3 are black holes right now. This is due to the ongoing sale and resulting spam of premium aircraft.
You can either hug the ground or avoid the carrier aircraft. You dont need an RWR to survive.
You can defeat any missile. AIM-9Ps are pretty average at 10.7, and you get a good load of 6 of them. You should be firing at unaware, slow or occupied targets.
Compare it to an F-5A. Italian F-104G? The Draken is just a straight up better jet for the state of the gamemode.
No, you are just a bad pilot. Draken is fine at 10.7 as it is. Uptiers are always going to be a thing.
Thanks for showing how completely unaware you are. It’s funny you go straight to “i am a bad pilot”
I am aware you’re likely a troll and are farming salt. Given your name, and the response you have given.
For those others in this forum who aren’t complete idiots.
The loss of energy with this aircraft in evasive action mean you literally can avoid 1 missile, but the follow up you’re dead. Equally, you can’t avoid missiles you don’t even see or know coming.
For that matter, every Draken i see in my game mode, is constantly shot out of the sky without a kill due to the nature of the up tiers.
I can’t remember the last time i saw an F-5A or a F-104G in a battle. The aircraft that I would be equal to, or fight against normally i never see. The list of aircraft i see 95% of the time is: F4 Phantom II, F14A, Mirage F100. I get shot out of the air by these guys all the time.
I literally avoid the battle almost altogether and try to mop up at the end. 8/10 times I get hit from a guy 10-15 km away.
1 Like
Thanks for acknowledging your lack of interest to learn.
No, i am not. The username is meaningless. The response is highlighting how the draken is average, not trash, and how YOU has a player can improve your strategy.
This is your first time on the forum, and i have no idea what you are getting at.
Position yourself to avoid being constantly defensive. The furball is not a great place for delta-wing aircraft.
And here, why i am saying you are a bad pilot. Using your freecam key is a HUGE important skill. And this is going without bothering to look at your statcard.
Matchmaker in your BR range is flooded with 11.3 premiums, creating a black hole. It is why 10.7 is uptiered often right now, and 12.0 is downtiered often now.
Dude, why do you assume I don’t use these things? I’m new to WarThunder flight, I’m not new to flying.
I’m nowhere near the “furball”, I have to J hook around the entire field to get in to a position.
You promptly ignore all of my statements, talk about BR black-holes to avoid the issue, jump to a conclusion and assume I’m the problem, and therefore need to be ‘educated’ while saying I am not willing to learn? I see no way for you to constructively criticise - you don’t see how I fly.
The OP, who has flown several of these aircraft has also said that the Draken is non-competitive.
Uptiers are a crime against the Community.
It’s really not. The F-5a and the F-104G are both better planes than the J35XS. The F-5A will out dogfight the Draken in any fight that last more than 1 turn. The F-104G has a massive tactical advantage of being able to take the initiative and or escape the fight when needed. The Draken’s missile count is really irrelevant.
The J35XS’s only advantage is from quickly putting its nose on other jets in a furball and 3rd partying unaware players with its easily flarable IR missiles. Its a luck based plane completely dependent on your teammates distracting enemies. It simply will not win in a dogfight against a similarly skilled pilot in any jet 10.3 and up.
I recently switched back to playing the F-5e and the two planes are not even close (the F-5e has a far superior flight model due to energy retention, and A2A lead computer, more countermeasures, and a RWR). Now that plane deserves its 10.7 BR. Not the Draken.
Since I bought both the Draken and F-104 and used them, I can confirm that your comment matches my experience so far with said vehicles.
Can i have some of what you are smoking? F-5A is overtiered. Worse FP than a stock F-5E, without radar, or lead indicator. Still 10.7. Italy’s F-104G has a whopping two AIM-9Js, compared to your six. J35XS has much more impact on a game.
Completely wrong. Please go learn how to play missile thunder and talk to me again.
Which is what makes it good. Your FM is good for air RB, not dueling.
Why are you dueling in the middle of an air RB game? lmao
F-104S =/= F-104G. S has triple the missile count, more bomb payload, a better engine. Thus, your opinion is irrelevant.
1 Like
Do us all a favor and uninstall and take your toxicity elsewhere. Or better yet fly the Draken so we can mop the floor with you.
Hmm, so disagreeing with your opinions, countering them with relevant facts is “toxicity” to you? I won’t be spending $70 USD on a pixel plane, anyway.