Stepping Stone
- This article is about an in-game mission. For the in-universe event, see Raid on Wensleydale Range.
- "You hear that? The echoes...that’s only one fighter."
- ― Federation Air Defense Command
"Stepping Stone" is the ninth mission of Project Wingman. The player flies a solo mission to knock out defenses on the route to the Solana Communications Array.
Objectives
The player must fly over the mountains of the Wensleydale Range and destroy several clusters of anti-air defenses, primarily comprising 29 C-RAMs and 20 L-SAMs. The L-SAMs have extreme range, but their fire can be avoided by using the mountains as cover or simply moving out of the missile's path when it enters level flight. Fighters will engage the player at several points during the mission; shooting them down is not necessary but recommended. Other priority and non-priority targets include more defenses, P.28 helicopters, two radars, and a comm tower. Two FC-8s at the end are marked as priority targets, but shooting them down is not actually required to complete the mission.
There are three tunnels on the map. The first is an airfield with three F/D-14s and F/E-18s that will attempt to take off when the player approaches. The other two contain only containers as targets of opportunity, but can also be used to avoid enemy fighters during the final part of the mission if the player does not wish to engage them.
Mercenary difficulty
The fighter patrols are somewhat reinforced and fully upgraded airships are present.
Enemy List
Section | Unit | Points | Count | Mercenary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Defense Cluster Alpha | C-RAM | 150 | 1 | ||
AA | 150 | 3 | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 1 | |||
Defense Cluster Bravo | RADAR | 150 | 1 | ||
AA | 150 | 4 | |||
C-RAM | 150 | 4 | |||
MG-31 | 250 | 4 | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 2 | |||
Defense Cluster Charlie | RADAR | 150 | 1 | ||
P.28 | 150 | 3 | |||
AA | 150 | 4 | |||
C-RAM | 150 | 4 | |||
COMM TOWER | 200 | 1 | |||
F/S-15 | 250 | 1 | ✔ | ||
F/C-15 | 250 | 4 | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 2 | |||
Defense Cluster Delta | C-RAM | 150 | 3 | ||
L-SAM | 300 | 1 | |||
Defense Cluster Echo | C-RAM | 150 | 2 | ||
SAM | 150 | 2 | |||
F/D-14 | 250 | 3[note 1] | |||
F/E-18 | 250 | 3[note 1] | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 4 | |||
Defense Cluster Foxtrot | C-RAM | 150 | 5 | ||
P.28 | 150 | 6 | |||
F/C-15 "8-BITS" | 250 | 4 | ✔ | ||
F/C-15 | 250 | 8 | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 7 | |||
Defense Cluster Golf | C-RAM | 150 | 10 | ||
CONTAINER | 200 | 6 | |||
FC-8 | 250 | 1 | |||
FC-8 "LLAS DARWIN" | 250 | 1 | |||
L-SAM | 300 | 3 | |||
BATTLECRUISER LITTORIA MK.III "FD - NATOR" ADV-RAILGUN M-SAM ADV-SAM CIWS |
750 100 100 100 100 |
1 1 1 2 4 |
✔ | ||
BATTLESHIP 205-S "FD - ARCHANGEL" M-SAM ADV-SAM RAILGUN CIWS |
750 100 100 100 100 |
1 2 4 4 6 |
✔ | ||
HEAVY CRUISER ARCION MK.III "FD - BEN ROGERS" M-SAM CIWS ADV-RAILGUN |
750 100 100 100 |
1 1 2 2 |
✔ |
Trivia
- This is the only mission with a gray briefing intro background without the flickering.
- Two of the airships that appear in Mercenary difficulty are named after Kickstarter backers: Thomas "Nator" L.[1] and Benjamin Rogers.[2]
References
Footnotes
Project Wingman Missions | |
---|---|
Campaign | |
Frontline-59 |