The Gauntlet
"The Gauntlet" is a special, non-canon mission featured in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. It pits the player against all of the enemy ace squadrons encountered in the story. "The Gauntlet" can only be played in Free Mission and is unlocked after shooting down all 11 enemy ace squadrons, necessitating at least three campaign playthroughs across the three separate Ace Styles.
"Zero", the eponymous song from the final mission, plays during this special mission.
How to Unlock
The Gauntlet is unlocked by acquiring all of the following Assault Records:[1]
- The Round Table
- 010–013: Rot 1–4
015–018: Grun 1–4
021–024: Indigo 1–4
- The Talon of Ruin
- 127–128: Espada 1, Espada 2
- The Demon of the Round Table
- 137–144: Sorcerer 1–8
145–152: Gault 1–8
153–160: Wizard 1–8
Objectives
All enemy units in this mission are TGTs, therefore the player must shoot down every enemy they encounter. The player has 30 minutes in total to complete the mission; unlike other missions, the timer does not reset at each Mission Update. The squadrons the player faces depend on how fast they take down Gelb Team and Espada Team.
Like other missions, the player's ammo and damage do not reset between Mission Updates. A Return Line is available to the south, allowing the player to land at Valais Air Base and rearm.
Shooting down Wizard Team, Gault Team, Sorcerer Team, or Mobius completes the mission.
Mobius
"Mobius" is a secret boss that can only be encountered under specific circumstances: the player must be on Ace difficulty and must shoot down Espada in less than 60 seconds. If both criteria are met, Mobius will shoot down the four Wizard YF-23s (the F-16XLs will not spawn) and engage the player in a one-on-one duel.
Mobius is the first enemy unit in the Ace Combat franchise with the ability to fire up to four missiles at once. Like Gelb, Mobius can also fire missiles backwards and can perform 90-degree High-G Turns. Mobius' F/A-22A has increased armor, requiring a total of four missile hits to be shot down.
Shooting down Mobius awards the player with 30,000 points. While this is the highest value of any single unit in Ace Combat Zero, shooting down all eight Wizard aircraft still awards more points than Mobius alone.
Enemy List
The following enemy list is taken from the Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Perfect Guide Book.[1]
| Section | Unit | Points | Count | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial | 
|
Su-37 "Gelb" | 2770 | 2 | |
| Mission Update |
|
Typhoon "Rot" | 2400 | 4 | [note 1] |
|
|
F/A-18C "Grun" | 1680 | 4 | [note 2] | |
|
|
Gripen C "Indigo" | 2040 | 4 | [note 3] | |
| Mission Update 2 |
|
MiG-31 "Schwarze" | 2380 | 8 | [note 1] |
|
|
F-14D "Schnee" EA-6B "Schnee" |
2500 2130 |
4 1 |
[note 2] | |
|
|
F-4E "Silber" F-16C "Silber" |
1980 1980 |
1 4 |
[note 3] | |
| Mission Update 3 |
|
J35J "Espada" Rafale M "Espada" |
2190 3030 |
1 1 |
|
| Mission Update 4 |
|
YF-23A "Wizard" F/A-22A "Mobius" |
3480 30000 |
4 1 |
[note 4] |
|
|
F-16XL "Wizard" YF-23A "Wizard" |
2790 3480 |
4 4 |
[note 5] | |
|
|
Su-47 "Gault" | 3000 | 8 | [note 6] | |
|
|
F-15S/MTD "Sorcerer" | 2800 | 8 | [note 7] |
S Rank
Earning an S rank on The Gauntlet requires completing the mission in 14 minutes or less.[1]
Using air-to-air special weapons is recommended for quickly shooting down squadrons, especially those that spawn directly in front of the player.
It is also recommended to avoid fighting Schwarze, and instead fight Schnee or Silber, because Schwarze has three more planes in its squadron. This is accomplished by waiting more than 60 seconds to shoot down Gelb.
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Rot and Schwarze will spawn if the player shoots down Gelb in less than 60 seconds.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Grun and Schnee will spawn if the player shoots down Gelb in 60–120 seconds.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Indigo and Silber will spawn if the player shoots down Gelb in more than 120 seconds.
- ↑ Wizard and Mobius will spawn if the player shoots down Espada in less than 60 seconds on Ace difficulty. Mobius will shoot down all Wizard aircraft and then engage the player.
- ↑ Wizard will spawn if the player shoots down Espada in less than 90 seconds.
- ↑ Gault will spawn if the player shoots down Espada in 90–180 seconds.
- ↑ Sorcerer will spawn if the player shoots down Espada in more than 180 seconds.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Perfect Guide Book, pages 098-099.