The Gauntlet
The Gauntlet is an special mission featured in Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. It pits the player against all of the Belkan ace squadrons encountered in the story. The Gauntlet can only be played in Free Mission.
"Zero", the eponymous song from the final mission, plays during this special mission.
How to Unlock[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
All enemy units in this mission are TGTs, therefore every enemy unit encountered must be shot down. The player will have 30 minutes in total to shoot down the enemies; the timer does not reset at each Mission Update. The squadrons the player faces will depend on how fast they take down Gelb Team and Espada Team.
The player's ammo and damage do not reset between the Mission Updates. However, a Return Line is available to the south of B7R, which allows the player to land at Valais Air Base and rearm.
The player will complete the mission once they shoot down Wizard Squadron, Gault Team, Sorcerer Squadron, or Mobius.
Mobius[edit | edit source]
"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 (Wizard's F-16XLs will not spawn) and engage the player.
Mobius is the first enemy unit in the Ace Combat franchise with the ability to fire up to four missiles at once (only previously seen in Ace Combat 2 if the player flies the XFA-27). 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 will award the player with 30,000 credits, the highest value of any single unit in Ace Combat Zero.
Enemy List[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Earning an S rank on The Gauntlet requires completing the mission in 14 minutes or less.[1] It would be best to take a fighter with air-to-air special weapons to make quick work of squadrons, especially those that spawn in front of the player.
It is recommended to avoid fighting Schwarze, and instead fight Schnee or Silber, by waiting more than 60 seconds to shoot down Gelb. This gives the player fewer enemies to fight in Mission Update 2.
Footnotes[edit source]
- ↑ 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[edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Perfect Guide Book, pages 098-099.
| Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Missions | |
|---|---|
| Campaign | |
| Special | |