Ranking campaigns by difficulty

[gachatar]

I've been through training, flied some sandbox missions practicing against both air and ground targets and want to start playing the campaigns. I'm not anywhere as comfortable with the F-18 yet as with the good old A-10, so I'd rather start with something easy so I don't have to replay missions over and over.

Which campaigns are relatively easy/simple and which ones are more challenging?

 

Here's the list, let me know if I missed anything:

Task Force Challenger
Serpent's Head
Raven One
Rising Squall
Operation Pontus

 

Also feel free to recommend some of the free campaigns available to download, there's a few of them but I have no idea if they are any good. So far I've seen this one recommended: Operation Cage The Bear (and of course Liberation, but that's another kind of beast).

Edited February 13, 2021 by gachatar

[L4key]

I did the first two no problem, both Task Force Challenger and Serpents Head 1& 2 were easy enough for me (I’m not a particularly serious player).

 

Now on Cage the Bear and that’s a bit tougher but still within my comfort zone.

 

All three of these have easy radio AND either no need to tank or an easy tanking option, which for me is great as I’ve not mastered either.

 

Pontus I bought but requires user mission planning which I’ve not done yet but am really looking forward to learning.

[dburne]

I am pretty much about the same stage of learning the Hornet as the OP, and I chose Rising Squall as my first campaign. I am 5 missions into it now and am thoroughly enjoying it. I find it good to continue my learning of the Hornet, and it feels so good to finally after all this time of trying to learn the Hornet being able to fly a campaign and successfully complete missions.

 

Also of benefit for me - I like using Chuck's guide for the Hornet in my learning process, and he has a page for Rising Squall which references page numbers for each mission along with weapons that will be employed for that mission. I use this to brush up before the next mission I will be flying.

https://www.rising-squall.com/chuck-s-guide-pages

 

[Qiou87]

On 2/13/2021 at 8:52 AM, gachatar said:

Here's the list, let me know if I missed anything:

Task Force Challenger
Serpent's Head
Raven One
Rising Squall
Operation Pontus

 

Task Force Challenger was a big disappointment for me. Not very challenging, but not interesting either. It was made at a time where the Hornet couldn't do much, and as such you don't actually learn so much.

 

To start I'd think Rising Squall is the better bet, it seems to be especially geared towards people not overly confident in the jet.

 

Serpent's Head 1 & 2 are fun and not too challenging. I'd have no issue recommending you to play them afterwards.

 

Raven One is "realistic", but I didn't find it particularly hard to complete successfully. You need to know how to use guided bombs, mavericks and such. But AAR is optional (you will need to manage your fuel carefully if you don't AAR though). If you know how to use the jet, you can complete almost all missions the first time, no need to be a brilliant aviator... Missions in Raven One can be longer, more similar perhaps to real-life. I believe that it can be tackled without issue once you have completed the previous three.

 

Haven't played Operation Pontus yet, but the fact you need to use the mission editor to plan your missions can be a bit overwhelming at first I guess. Aside from that it doesn't seem more complicated than the others regarding what you will have to do inside the cockpit.