Valkyrie/Main

The Valkyrie is the fast attack gunship for all three empires. It can hold up to 2 crew members and 4 passengers. (Pilot, Front Gunner, and 4 Rumble Seats, 2 on each side.)



Valkyrie Strategies and Tactics
The Valkyrie's four rumble seats, squad spawn ability, and safe ejection features all make it an extremely robust platform for small teams of infantry. Light assaults especially can deploy from the aircraft, float down on top of enemy positions, and quickly destroy them with C4. Even if they are incapacitated in the process, they can simply try again by respawning in the aircraft. Non-Light assaults can still deploy into decent positions from any altitude since the aircraft comes with built-in safe drop. Engineers riding along can also toss tank mines out on roadways, turning the Valkyrie into a very fast and effective minelaying vehicle if the need to mine remote areas is great enough. Heavy Assaults can use launchers from the side seats, which further can diversify your effectiveness against vehicles. Infiltrators can stealthily be dropped in areas that may need their equipment subverted. The Nose Cannon could be ignored in this scenario, but as long as the Valkyrie is allowed to fly without being staunchly opposed, the nose cannon can be used to great effect to clear out enemy infantry or vehicles. The aircraft also comes with a 50% resistance to small arms damage from the bottom of the aircraft, so this further enhances its loiter time against infantry that is ill-equipped to deal with the air.

Squad up!
Any dedicated Valkyrie crew is highly recommended to be in the same squad (not just the same platoon). Only individuals in your squad can spawn on the Valkyrie, and they can only spawn on it in the following scenarios: If you are too far away from your squad mate in contested or enemy territory, they will not have the Valkyrie as a spawn option.
 * You are flying over friendly, completely uncontested territory (no points are being captured and the base is not being attacked or defended).
 * The squad mate trying to spawn on you died within 1000 meters of your current position.

Fast Drops
When possible, fly fast, low, and use the terrain to mask your approach. Hills, mountains, buildings, and trees can all be used to deny the enemy sight or firing lines onto your aircraft, allowing you to approach without risking taking fire. Vehicle Stealth can greatly enhance your subtlety when approaching drop zones and bases. Once you arrive at your target, hover over it or land so everyone knows to disembark (if they haven't jumped out already).

High Drops
Alternatively if there is too much heat too close to the ground, you may be able to drop your cargo from as high as possible. While this is not typically as effective and might get you spotted by flak, it can be a passable strategy for a bit until someone looks up. Flying as a high as possible and just letting your troops drop can work.

Post-Drop
If the vehicle is critically damaged upon coming in, it may be safer to abandon it rather then attempting to fly it back out. If an engineer is available, you may be able to make it back out and fly somewhere out of sight for a few seconds to regain some strength. Any squad members that are killed in the area after the drop can just respawn on the aircraft so long as it is occupied, so staying within the area and flying is usually more beneficial then abandoning the vehicle.

Extraction
It is usually fastest to land and pick up any troops you dropped off when needing to relocate if they have a good degree of cohesion. Otherwise, it might just be easier for everyone involved to use redeploy and just respawn in the aircraft. Keep in mind the spawning rules above and avoid flying too far away and over unfriendly terrain so all of your members can spawn. You may also want to land if there are more individuals needing transport then seats available, so they can arrange other nearby transport if the aircraft fills up.

Crew Classes

 * Light Assaults - Are the best at deploying from the aircraft with explosives and destroying priority targets flown over. The Rocklet Rifle can harass vehicles from the side seat or when deployed, but otherwise the light assault does not have a place as crew, only as a deployed trooper.
 * Infiltrators - Like the Light Assault, except they are only good to be deployed to subvert systems at a base. Otherwise, avoid.
 * Medics - Their Triage ability heals anyone in and nearby the vehicle while they are on board (very slowly), but they are by far most useful deployed with the rest of your troops when attacking something to keep them in the fight.
 * Engineers - Versatile, and should always have at least one sticking with the aircraft. Repairs are the most obvious task, but the Archer AM Rifle can be used from the side seat to harass vehicles from relative safety. Tank mines can be deployed from the sides to quickly mine important areas or attack unaware vehicles. C4 can also be used, but be wary it does not stick to the aircraft when thrown.
 * Heavy Assaults - Versatile due to their launcher slot. They can be tailored to assist in anti-air or anti-tank operations when operating from the side seat of the aircraft. Lock-on launchers are usually most helpful, as hitting other vehicles from the side seat is much more than difficult. If preferring to fly in close and engage infantry with your own troops from the side of the Valkyrie, the Heavy Assault's nanite shields can help them outlast damage aimed at them directly.

Close Air Support (CAS)
The Valkyrie is also most obviously used in direct support of infantry. The Valkyrie has several marked advantages compared to the Liberator: But the downsides:
 * Much more precise maneuverability (easier to move into specific positions/areas)
 * Much smaller profile (harder to hit)
 * Nose cannon has a much wider traverse range then the Liberator's belly cannon (makes engaging targets much easier on the pilot and gunner)
 * Rumble seats allow specialized roles, depending on the class (see Crew Classes chapter above)
 * Rumble seat personnel can deploy from the Valkyrie and engage targets on the ground which are inaccessible or too difficult for the Valkyrie to engage directly
 * Much more susceptible to being attacked by aircraft, requires rumble seat personnel tailored to detering aircraft from attacking it. Nose cannon insufficient to deal with aircraft on its own.
 * Much less overall damage output from nose cannon alone.
 * Susceptible to taking damage from small-arms fire.
 * No weapons for the pilot, and no dedicated tail gunner position.
 * No afterburner, therefore much slower overall.

How to Cert the Valkyrie
Utility Slot:
 * Decoy Flares will break locks and prevent new ones for a few precious seconds. This can be used during ingress before you get to adequate cover and will improve the survivability of you and your cargo against lock-on threats. It could also be used during egress to cover your escape, as well as foiling air-to-air lock-on missiles like Tomcat A2A pods and any type of proximity-seeking missile like Coyotes and T2 Striker missiles. On the other side, using IR flares does not make you immune to lock-on launchers, it merely lets you avoid them for a short time. In any case, you will not be able to operate in an area rife with lock-on threats for long, and IR flares will only allow you a breather.
 * Fire Suppression will fairly quickly repair a large portion of the aircraft's health, enough to shrug off the worst of a lock-on missile or to keep you flying for a bit longer. If used smartly, you can extort your Fire Suppression for about 600 additional health if you save it for when you're on fire, but doing so is obviously risky. Fire Suppression won't stop things from damaging you though, and occasionally you may take too much damage at once to make any use of it. Still, it is a solid all-around option and greatly improves your survivability when making near-escapes.
 * Scout Radar will not improve your survivability when flying through enemy-populated areas, but it can let you know of infantry threats and how to avoid them (or alternatively, the best way for you to hunt them down). At its maximum tier, scout radar covers a 200 meter radius, which is extremely large considering the size of most infantry battles. Any ally that kills an enemy that was recently spotted on the minimap by your Scout Radar generates a Scout Radar Assist for 10 points. These assists can easily roll in in number if you can find a safe place to sit in your aircraft at a large battle, though this is rare except for biolabs. If employing a CAS Aircraft with the CAS-14E, scout radar is invaluable for finding and clearing out troublesome infantry targets, and can be a great boon to your gunner to help him find indicated targets without needing to spot them for him (not to mention, a great boon for the infantry on the ground who can now see the enemy coming). As mentioned you won't have any survivability boost from the prior two upgrades, so plan accordingly and avoid getting greedy.

Defensive Slot:
 * Nanite Auto Repair will automatically (albeit slowly) restore your vehicles health while it has avoided damage for at least 12 seconds. While useful, it is rather slow and will not allow you to survive engagements if you cannot flee to a safe area for some time. On the upside, you can remain flying and allow the aircraft to repair itself, instead of needing to land for every scratch and dent. This can greatly improve your situational awareness and help avoid getting ambushed by enemy aircraft or vehicles while landed.
 * Composite Armor at its final rank nets you approximately an additional 450 health on the aircraft. This won't usually make or break an engagement, but it can help keep you flying above critical condition in those near-miss scenarios where you barely escape.
 * Vehicle Stealth increases the time it takes for the enemy to acquire lock for lock-on weaponry, reduces the distance your vehicle is automatically show on the minimap and HUD for the enemy (normally about 250 meters), and reduces the distance that enemy ESFs can detect your aircraft via their built-in Engagement Radar (normally 600 meters). This is a great choice for the aircraft that wants to get in and  out without attracting too much undue attention, and as a bonus foils lock-on weaponry to some degree. It is less useful if filling a CAS role, since being spotted by the enemy negates all bonuses from this for a time except the lock-on penalty for the enemy. If you expect to loiter in an area for a time, Vehicle Stealth is less useful. If making quick drops or intending for surprise attacks on armor/vehicles, Vehicle Stealth can be a great boon to keep you hidden up until the crucial moment.

Performance Slot:
 * Evasiveness Airframe improves the overall mobility of the aircraft and makes it easier to turn, roll, and change direction. It's great for flying fast and cutting tight corners, but not so much for precise maneuvers.
 * The Hover Stability Airframe favors greatly improved airbrakes, vertical thrust, and overall smoothness of the controls. Additionally, at its last level, it allows the Valkyrie to maintain a hover without loosing altitude, as long as it is relatively flat. This hover is rock-solid, and essentially allows infiltrators to use rifles from the side seats to snipe infantry. The controls become very smooth at the final level, allowing you to more cleanly maneuver through tight areas and more quickly come to a stop.

It is recommended you try both airframes in the VR Training Room before deciding on one.