Little bird tactic

[Expendable Grunt]

First let me get a Q out of the way. If the USA calls their bell-front chopper a "Little bird", what are the names for the PLA/MEC ones? Also, when does the US actually deploy such small and somewhat fragile choppers? That is, what is their main purpose, especially the armed ones?

Ok, that's out. Now, here is an interesting suggestion for the pilots who have not already thought of this on their own (and you know who you are.). When the round starts on maps like Kashan or Qwai, instead of hovering around and trying to capture a flag with the rest of the force, do something very useful -- harass.

*On Qwai, especially as China, you have the oportunity to really put some hurt down on the enemy. USMC first has to capture the Mines. This is way out of reach for anything China has at that stage of the game, except for you. Normally, the USMC team has a few men and an APC up there. Use your chopper to go and harass the hell out of them, damaging the APC / killing the soldiers (I forget if the PLA little bird gets rockets like the US one or if it's just a chain gun...I really really don't fly these often) and slowing down their capturing. This allows your team to settle in with their cap zones before the enemy gets Government.

As USMC, you have a harder battle as you need to deal with tanks, but you can tick them off enough to slow things down a little.

*On Kashan, your enemies first flag to capture has one of your APC's on it. This means that, in a somewhat organized round, there should be atleast one squad on that flag, holding things up. Since I mostly play the 64 edition, IIRC there are no planes at the start of the round, so the only thing in the air would be yourself and (maybe) transport choppers. Your job would be to fly over to that flag in question, and harass oncoming light vehicles and infantry. The ability to stop this flag from being taken, or atleast slow it down while the heavier aircraft arrive, is vital -- it could seriously hamper your enemies ability to win.

In my opinion, since the LB only requires one person to man, I don't think it's too much of a hamper having the pilot as a member in an otherwise all-infantry squad (and it may actually be optimal). These choppers, being fast, fairly well armed, and un-detectable by heat-seaking ordinance, really can reek havok all over the battlefield.

[Outlawz]

I think, they make great recon helis for their teams and a nice tin can to shoot down for the T90s

[[R-DEV]Falkun]

This website gives a good idea of they're made for.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...craft/ah-6.htm

[Expendable Grunt]

Hopefully this changes the way they're used in game.

[[R-MOD]dunehunter]

The attack-LB the USMC gets on Qwai is nice for harassing, you just need to find a way to re-arm and repair, otherwise you're useless quickly. The Chinese one only gets a machinegun, no missiles, so it isn't really useful.

[Nimble]

Originally Posted by dunehunter

The attack-LB the USMC gets on Qwai is nice for harassing, you just need to find a way to re-arm and repair, otherwise you're useless quickly. The Chinese one only gets a machinegun, no missiles, so it isn't really useful.

I suggest the landing pad. But hey, that's just me.

[[R-DEV]CAS_117]

I find it hard to believe that the on Qwai that the USMC has neither tanks, nor available anti tank helicopter mounted weapons (Realism). This map would be more interesting if the USMC had 1 cobra and 1 blackhawk. This would force the Chinese to be as careful regarding USMC air support as the USMC is with PLA tanks. THB, I rarely win against the PLA on most maps, including this one. A chinese team that has less teamwork and coordination can still beat a USMC that all have voip, a good commander and intelligent responsive squad leaders. Call it realism or call it balance, but both should end up causing the US to get better equipment. Just a little frustrated I guess.

[[R-MOD]dunehunter]

Nimble, I'm not a retard. I tried it, it didn't do anything.

[Outlawz]

Cobra's are overpowering, because then PLA would get air raped and every single vehicle TV'd.
LB with rockets would do just fine

EDIT: Oh yeah, take out the bridges, if you don't want tanks on your side of the map

[HABO3]

I've never understood why US doesn't get at least 1 tank on that map either.

And thanks to Black Hawk Down the little bird has become synonymous with troop transport but that helicopter is basically exclusive to the special operations community. Why is a little bird transporting infantrymen? You would more likely find a Kiowa Warrior hunting tanks with it's TOW launcher rather than an attack-LB if it were the Army, in the case of Marine Corps combined arms doctrine, a Cobra (at least 1?) would probably be supporting infantry on that map . I'm pretty sure the Marine Corps doesn't even field the MH-6 and if they do it has probably been on only a very few occasions.