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Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve — Best Loadouts & MRP Paths

By Serhii Patskan
3 min read
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve,

Aircraft Tree progression system in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve allows you to spend MRP and significantly improve your aircraft, special weapons, and upgrade parts. This guide will provide you with some of the best loadouts and MRP tree paths in the game, including for both solo campaign and multiplayer.

Best Loadouts by Role & Mission Type

Best Loadouts

When building a strong aircraft, focus on matching your SP weapons to targets, parts that improve speed, missile reload, gun accuracy, lock-on range and speed, and overall power. Also, be sure to use Free Mission mode to test out various aircraft choices and upgrades. Here are the best loadouts you should try out:

TypesLoadouts
Dogfight & Air SuperiorityPreferred planes: F-22A, Su-57, Su-47, Typhoon, Su-35S.

SP weapons: QAAM (high-performance guided), 4AAM/HCAA (multi-target capacity), HVAA/LAAM (range).

Parts: Arms for reload, lock-on speed and range, missile power; Body for maneuverability and High-G.

Ground Attack MissionsPreferred planes: F/A-18F, F-35C, and any other attackers or multiroles with good AG options.

SP weapons: FAEB, SFFS, UGB (area for dense tanks, AA, and ships), GPB, 8AGM, LACM.

Parts: Ground ballistic and power modules, drop-weapon lock improvements, reload accelerators.

General CampaignF-22A: High Speed, Maneuverability, Air-to-Air; SP QAAM (free), 4AAM/XSDB (55k MRP); solid Body and Arms slots; high MSL count.

F-35C: Excellent all-around; SP LACM (free), HCAA/8AGM; similar high slots.

Su-57: Comparable to F-22 with thrust vectoring; more balanced Body and Arms slots.

MRP Aircraft Tree Path Priority Order

MRP Aircraft Tree

Aircraft Tree has many branching paths, so plan your purchases toward the desired endgame planes rather than spreading points thinly all around. Note that Campaign and Free Mission progress are separate from multiplayer progression. Also, the best endgame planes will cost you 550,000 MRP, so keep this number in mind. Here are the best MRP tree paths for each stage of the game:

StagesPaths
Early Game
  1. Prioritize the Mirage 2000-5 plane and unlock its path highlights.
  2. Unlock Target Identification Accelerator for standard missiles and shorter reload.
  3. Unlock Ground Ballistic Correction Module for standard missiles and better ground power.
  4. Unlock ECU Software Update for better stall resistance and High-G turn time.
Mid Game
  1. Aim for F/A-18E Super Hornet with more air-to-air SP options, 6 Body and 6 Arms slots, or F/A-18F Super Hornet.
  2. Unlock Electro-Optical Composite Air-to-Air Targeting System for faster and longer AA SP lock.
  3. Unlock Drop Weapon Noise Filter for better bomb lock.
  4. Unlock Large-Scale Maneuverability Improvement.
Late Game
  1. Push toward F-35C Lightning II, which is very versatile and beginner-friendly among high-end options.
  2. Then work the upper tree branches for more standard missile upgrades and toward the F-22A Raptor.
  3. Unlock Directional Proximity Fuse for standard missiles power.
  4. Unlock Anti-Stealth Microwave Radar.
  5. Unlock EA-18G Growler and Surface Target ID Accelerator.
  6. Unlock Long-Range Terrain Scan Accelerator for LACM, then F-35C.

Serhii Patskan

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