This is the biggest case of American cope syndrome I’ve EVER seen. Yes let’s give a 12.7 9M or python 3 (it never carried either). Lets also bump a perfectly fine 12.7 placed jet DOWN a BR just because a SLIGHTLY different version gets added.
Complain some more bro. Just makes the america jet players look worse than they already do.
The MLU 2 is going to be incredibly funny though. imo the only 18C worth grinding for air RB.
I told myself that I would not grind the Swedish air tree for yeas to come, but that MLU 2 funny almost made me change my mind.
i think so.
Maintaining My Original Position (copied below), with Additional Points:
I still hold my original view (pasted underneath). To elaborate:
Long-term, the F/A-18C Early won’t be the last US Rank VIII premium. Future packs could include an F-16 or early F-14A (currently BR 12.7 in Sim/Realistic). Japan’s F-2A (ADTW) premium sets a precedent. I believe the F-20A will settle into a role similar to the old F-5C, while the F/A-18C Early aligns with the A-10A or AV-8B (NA)—prioritizing ground attack with some air capability. The next US premium should focus on air superiority, like the F-4S.
Current Solutions:
(See my historical context below for details, though some parts were condensed in AI translation.)
Conclusion: The FA-18C Early requires integration of BOL countermeasure dispensers. Its future niche aligns with existing premium packs like the A-10A Thunderbolt II and AV-8B (NA) Harrier – offering limited tech-tree progression (with diminishing efficiency over time) while serving as a ground-attack platform in Ground Realistic Battles (GRB). Consequently, enhanced survivability is essential.
Key Reasoning:
The Case for BOL:
Given its deliberate placement in the A-10/AV-8B GRB-attack niche, the F/A-18C Early requires improved defensive capabilities. Adding BOL dispensers is critical to:
Recommendation:
Ideal: Full BOL integration (optimal player satisfaction).
(Translated & logically structured by AI for clarity)
Supplementary Clarification:
(Regarding previously omitted points in AI translation)
BOL Implementation Scope:
“Install the full BOL complement for all F-18CL variants across nations, while granting at least one or two BOL pods to every nation’s F-18C Early premium vehicles.”
Strategic Value of BOL:
“I believe BOL should become a new balancing tool.”
The owners of the MiG-23ML send you their greetings.
In ASB, the Blue team already has air superiority. 95% win rate as of 12.7. The Reds just don’t even log in anymore and prefer to play at other BRs.
So, you want to buff F/A-18C to maintain superiority and be undertiered?
Hell no.
Buffing F/A-18C will eventually lead to buffing F-20A and F-16A
And buffing F-16/20A will eventually lead to buffing F-4S and so on.
Laugh in British accent
Personally I want to buff the US C to be on par with the Swiss premium C. Afaik everything on the Swiss C was used by US hornets
I think that is the maximum level of buff which F/A-18C Early can get without damaging the balance much.
Buffing BR down or AIM-9X sounds went too far.
Giving BOL is debatable, but maybe fine if it is limited to a number like Harrier T.10 did.
Full potential might lead to increasing BR to 13.0, I guess.
Yeah that’s pretty crazy
The C late could get BOL but yeah it could be too much on the early
Buffing the F/A-18 is just going to make the whole BR more unstable again. just leave it as it is. I mean, they could add the AIM-9M and push it to 12.7 or 13.0, but then it would become completely useless.
You cant be serious…
When the Spanish EF-18M with IRIS-T is introduced in the game, will you also request that missile for the C Early? How about Meteors or Fakours as well?
The C Early already has a ridiculous BR compared to other aircraft
I think someone answer is ridiculous. The original post compares the F18C Early and the F18C Swiss, which are the same model, so how is it relevant to the EF-18M or the MiG-23ML? If you pay attention, you’ll notice that no premium aircraft is exactly the same model as another, yet they have different characteristics while being in the same BR. If you use logic, you’ll know what’s right and what’s wrong.
I think American players don’t want to gain an unfair advantage but rather seek differentiation. As a primarily Russian player, I agree that what Gaijin is doing seems quite ridiculous.
The reason they are brought up is to show that there are cases where the same plane has a better version at the same br, but not so much better as to warrant a .3 br increase.
It’s actually more of an advantage — having 120 countermeasures is more than many 13.0 jets that don’t even have Fox-3 missiles. So you’re telling me a 11.7 aircraft with radar missiles has to face 120 countermeasures and far more advanced missiles? You tell me — where’s the balance in that? I think sooner or later they (Gaijin) will move this aircraft to 13.0, alongside others like the Su-33, F-2A, etc., that don’t have Fox-3 missiles, The arrival of the F-18C Early has already made things more difficult for 11.7, and now you’re telling me they have to face 120 countermeasures as the new standard at 12.7? Is that really what 11.7 has to deal with now? Or can you give an example of a 12.7 aircraft that combines both strong countermeasures and powerful missiles in a single platform? The F1C, even though it has a lot of countermeasures, still only has two Magic 2s as its main reliable missiles.
When you say it’s just a small difference and doesn’t justify a 0.3 BR increase — who even cares how good your missiles are? What matters is that when someone fires a missile at you, you don’t die because you have 120 countermeasures. Your so-called ‘small difference’ actually doubles the defensive capability from the already hellish experience others have to deal with. With the agility of the F-18C and 120 countermeasures, we don’t even need to talk about how OP that is.
If there’s going to be any change, I think it would be better to upgrade the F-18C Swiss by giving it AIM-9Ms and a better radar missile than the AIM-7P, then move it to 13.0. I believe this is reasonable because the Swiss version is a newer model, and the American version should clearly be the weaker one.
(Translated verbatim by AI with zero meaning omission)
Current player disputes primarily focus on the F/A-18C Early’s dominance at 12.7 BR, where it crushes older 11.7 BR vehicles. This is compounded by many new players at this BR using older premiums, enabling extremely fast research progress. This may be the result of precise design.
I believe BR decompression is inevitable. The F/A-18C Early will eventually move to 13.0 BR after becoming obsolete – either after massive new premium releases or alongside Rank IX vehicles, forming a new grinding BR at 13.0. The latter seems more probable.
Its current dominance over 11.7 resembles a “new-product bonus” – a time-limited advantage testing players’ willingness to pay for top-tier premiums.
Previously, I expected future premiums to feature active radar missiles on weak airframes.
However, the F/A-18C Early must fix its flaws, especially countermeasure defects casting doubt on its future. No one advocates for obsolete vehicles. Critical issues include:
- Engine overheating
- Downward-firing flares ineffective during low-altitude flight (common in top tier), wasting limited flares
- Severely insufficient flares: Only 60 total (30/chaff + 30/flare)
Remember future 13.0+ threats:
- Su-33 at 13.0 BR: 8× superior radar missiles + 4× IR missiles with ECCM
- Su-27SM at 13.7 BR / Su-30SM at 14.0 BR: Both carry larger quantities of better missiles
→ If moved to 13.0 BR, flare count must increase to 120 minimum.(Ground RB issues against mixed SAMs mentioned previously.)
Frankly, long-term solution: I strongly prefer both nations’ F/A-18C premiums to use the late-variant configuration:
- 120 flares
- No HMS (Helmet-Mounted Sight)
- AIM-9M missiles (limited to 4-6)
- BR 13.0 or slightly higher
This maintains competitiveness among peers.Why this works:
- All nations’ F/A-18C premiums would form a new 13.0 BR grinding tier.
- Avoids the problem you mentioned.
Controversial but critical: Germany’s F/A-18C premium already has advantages at 12.7 BR:
- Better engine
- More flares
- Other late-variant features (except HMS)
My stance:
- Strengthen BOTH US & German variants to retain advantages.
- NEVER nerf Germany’s flares/airframe while leaving the US unimproved. Such imbalance harms game health.
Implementing this:
- Buff engines and flare counts (not BOL)
- Move to 13.0 BR
- Release multiple new premiums to establish 13.0 BR as a popular grinding tier
Feasibility: Gaijin clearly can execute this quickly (current update added many premiums). Benefits:
- No chain-reaction buff demands (e.g., F-20A → F-4S)
- F-20A’s primary RP method (base bombing) remains distinct and efficient
Core principle reiterated: Players deserve well-crafted, high-performance premiums for their money – not frustrating half-finished products.