Mission 16

Mission 16 takes place on July 11, 2161 and is part of the Frontier Operations campaign.

Briefing
''The sad loss of Captain Foster has been felt across the Alliance, but we will make sure his sacrifice was not in vain. For the first time in this war, we are beginning to turn things around and the Coalition knows it! To capitalize on this, we intend to begin counterattacks immediately.

''The ANS Yamato, with the Ronin and Tigers, will engage the CS Morzov, while the Alliance carrier ANS Bremen and the Vampire squadron take on the CS Pukov, base ship of the infamous Black Guard.

''You know the drill on these missions. Tackle the Morzov's fighters first, then go to work on her flak turrets. Gamma wing will be waiting to move in as soon as they get the green light. Our two targets are currently within striking distance of each other, so be prepared to offer support if the other group gets into trouble.

''Stay on your toes people. This one is for Foster.

Recommended loadout

 * Plenty of dogfighting and a ship assault mean that you will require a balanced ship. However, since there's hardly any time limit, a beefy heavy fighter like the Tempest might be preferable if the Black Guard turns out to be a pain to fight.

Walkthrough

 * Launch from the Yamato for the first time, enjoying the greatly improved quarters. The Vampires will depart after restocking at Fort Sherman... And a Coalition wing composed of six Sabers and a Kamov will jump in immediately. Command orders you to jump out to hit the Morzov as it's being refueled, to destroy it together with the tanker, while the Ronin hang back to protect the Yamato and the Fort. Nothing ever goes according to plan, does it?
 * As you jump in, the Morzov is docked with the Sharov. However, as you close in, the sitting duck turns out not to be sitting at all. It's a trap, as before, with an eight Basilisk wing led by Nicolai Petrov and two Kurgens jumping in, while eight Sabers launch from the Morzov. The situations goes lopsided, but try not to lose your cool. To get the success out of the way, close in with the Morzov and bring its engines to low health (you can't actually destroy them until later). Then start shaving off the Sabers, Kurgens, and Basilisks, making sure to hit Petrov (he's a guaranteed kill, as he will never jump out).
 * After clearing the opposition, you're told to proceed with crippling the Morzov by taking out its shield generator and engines. Focus on them first, then hit the ten Laggs that jump in to try and turn the tables of the battle. The Yamato will immediately hit the Morzov with a torpedo volley if you did take out its engines, scrapping the ship.
 * However, the Vampires did not fare as well. Enriquez will notify the 45th they lost comm links a while ago, but relay a request for assistance. Meanwhile, a Coalition hunting pack with two Kurgens, two Kamovs, and six Laggs will enter the fray.
 * You can jump out to Bremen's location, however, the carrier is gone, together with the Vampires. A single escape pod will be found and the lone Vampire pilot will relay what happened. After remarking that he doesn't know why he was left alive after Vampires butchered everyone, Ivan Petrov and five other Basilisks will jump in and kill him, before going to work on you. It's impossible to kill Ivan, and he will jump out after sustaining enough damage or losing most of his wing. Afterwards, return to the Yamato to complete the mission.

Outcomes

 * Success: Morzov destroyed.
 * Fail: Morzov not destroyed.