why is the AH-1G mini gun so bad?

[FizzyElf]

So I have had the AH-1 (starter heli for USA) for nearly a month now and while I love just messing around flying it I can't seem to get any kills with it, the rockets should be able to kill light tanks but it takes 10 of them hitting something like a bagel panzer or BMP just to knock out their tracks (and thats low balling it, I have dumped all 26 on a BMD-4 and it didn't die), I've used the same rockets on other vehicles and they work perfectly but for some reason these don't do any damage (and its not just me, other people flying this thing can't even pop the tires on my puma and it doesn't even give me a hit marker in my MBT's) but the real issue I have is with the mini gun. Now I like to fly around the battle field in my heli's (and even my Mig 23 MF) and sneaking up behind the enemy heli's to wipe them out, and I do mean sneaking up on, I am getting within 20 meters of things like Ka-50's in my allouette (german starter heli) but it doesn't seem to matter how many rounds hit the target or how far/close I am they only give me: hit, hit, hit, hit and I can't figure out why, its a 7.7mm mini gun but my MG-34 ripoff's on my allouette are doing more damage and killing enemy heli's with ease compared to this thing. I love flying it and my whole goal was to use it to take out enemy heli's but I can't get any kills with it which means I can't switch over to using the 20mm cannon because I can't get any RP for the modifications, was the AH super powerful at one point and Gaijin had to nerf it or something?

(PS) nearly 50 matches and I haven't finished a single modification, I could have nearly 2 by now but I haven't died enough in it to earn the RP for 2 modifications (I actually still have 2 free repairs left).

[[QUAP] Time to Colonize]

Regardong the rockets, yes you have to magdump on anything to get a kill with them. The Mini gun is as you mentioned 7.62mm and you only have one so its no wonder it doesnt fair that well against things like KA-50 who are also armoured.

The question why light things like BMP etc. dont get killed that easily even if they should is that the BMP series has for some reason a iffy DM which you probably have noticed when driving tanks.

Some tips: hug the ground (yes even between the trees) and fly at the edge of the tank maps behind the hills, plan your attack route at lift off from the helipad i.e. you want to strafe the usual camping spots from direction A to C etc.

Keep your speed up, what i learned is that the Cobra is like the typical american plane, you only fly in straight lines and dont do fancy manouvers. You can deviate a bit from your path but the Cobra loses its speed extremely quickly and doesnt build it up that fast again.

[Shyue Chou]

I have it but I have not fielded it, I frequently see them being shot down seconds after they appear. I wonder as to its learning curve. I tried it out in those test drives. Not easy.

(No, I don't know the answer to your question. haha. )

[9imperator8]

I have unlocked the bigger rocket pods and dumping all 76 on one to two targets usually gets me a kill or two, but flying it is often a suicide as there is so many quick and fast firing autocannons everywhere. Quite often using it doesn't feel worth it, just feels like a heli without atgms is near useless.

[kittyhawkmeow]

AH-1G @ 8.0 is ridiculous anyway, shouldve been placed at 7.3 / 7.7

[jr83]

Originally posted by kittyhawkpilot:

AH-1G @ 8.0 is ridiculous anyway, shouldve been placed at 7.3 / 7.7

It used to be 7.7 I believe and was still a chore to grind. Bump to 8.0 was unwarranted. PEople who don't play US cried about it, because the 1 match in 100 where an AH-1G managed to do really good caused them to keep raging about it so it got bumped.

[Happyguy22]

Play it like a plane - mag dump in a straight line rather that moving to another one.
I'd suggest trying Assault Ground with it.


Lower tier helicopters in general aren't worth it tbh - only at higher tiers are they even worth it.
They should of been starting at 5.0 then go from there, solely because early ones are either scout helicopters or utility and generally aren't big threats for the attentive player.

[Snivy Films]

Originally posted by Happyguy22:

Play it like a plane - mag dump in a straight line rather that moving to another one.
I'd suggest trying Assault Ground with it.


Lower tier helicopters in general aren't worth it tbh - only at higher tiers are they even worth it.
They should of been starting at 5.0 then go from there, solely because early ones are either scout helicopters or utility and generally aren't big threats for the attentive player.

"But Hiktorical Accuracy" says Gaijin, "since there wasnt any helicopters during WWII, it wouldnt be right"

Please know that the above is satire.

The Miniguns on the AH-1G and most of the helicopters after that really sucks, the grind for the helicopters in my honest opinion is really not worth it, and you are better off bringing out aircraft like the P-47, F-84, A-4s, and later the Harriers and A-7s

[FizzyElf]

Well at least I am not the only one having trouble with it, though I had no idea it used to be at 7.7 but given the fact that I have survived their rocket assaults in 2.7 vehicles I guess that 7.7 didn't help it grind any faster than it does now. I would grab the Israeli apache but it's not exactly built for my strategy of super stealthy sneaking around the map and scare the enemy heli pilots, so what would be a better way to use the AH-1 if I want to grind and unlock its modules rather than grind out/buy a new heli to replace it in my lineup?

Oh and I forgot to mention the AH-1 is currently running in a 9.3 lineup with the XM-1, AGS, Duster and M19 (soon to be replaced by the M163).