Trups overview of Career squadrons with low/no DLC requirements.

[Trupobaw]

In previous guide, I've explained what each DLC brings to your careers. In this one, I'll try to list some interesting squadrons that require very few (or no) DLCs. This is not guide to "best" or "legendary" squadrons; if you want to find out in which DLCs to find planes used by Escadrille N.3, Jasta Boelcke or No.10 RNAS, you need to check the DLC guide.


http://steamcommunity.com/app/244050/discussions/0/846964363992631666/

Here, the question is how to get most mileage from few DLCs, or from the basic game, or when missing key DLCS for a nation.

Technical stuff:

Complete/incomplete careers: Some squadrons have their whole service time covered by planes from basic RoF:CBE game, with DLC planes run alongside. Others don't use basic planes and use only planes from one DLCs. I call these careers "complete" because, if you can play it at all, you can play whole duration of squadrons service. Most squadrons are incomplete - you can play them with basic planes but only for part service time, or you need two or more DLCs to play whole duration.


Typical / unusual: Some squadrons included here are typical fighter squadrons that require fewer DLCs than most. I call them typical - look at them if you want to fly full career in fighter squadron with few DLCs. Other careers have some unique qualities that make them interesting even without DLC that covers their service time; look at them if you want to do something different and interesting without buying many DLCs, and without flying full length of squadrons service.

Unlocking ranks: when your pilot in career gets promoted, all new careers in the same profile on the same map can start with that or equivalent rank. The last two ranks make you commander of your squadron. Some squadrons work best if you start them already with high rank - they fly few missions, so if you are not commander you will often not be selected for missions, so you will not score fast enough to get yourself promoted and fly more missions and so on. As commander, you just assign yourself to any mission you want and skip missions you don't want.


Part 1:
British Careers:
We know that with Bloody April DLC we can play almost every British squadron in game, but how far can we go without it?

No.56 Squadron
Theatre: Western Front
Planes:S.E.5.a
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Ace Pack (nice to have)
Features: Complete / typical

This is a legendary British squadron; many famous fighter aces historically served with it at one point or another. It appeared on Western Front already equipped with S.E.5 planes, so you need to buy no extra planes to fly it's full service time. Ace Pack lets you add fuel gauge, better gunsight and lamp for night flying to your S.E.5, but you can easily fly without these. Just remember to turn back before fuel runs out...


No.3XX Flight
Theatre: Channel
Planes: Felixstowe F.2A
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Ace Pack (nice to have)
Features: Complete / unusual

There are many Felixstowe flights in the game, but they all seem to work the same in career. They don't fly other plane types, once you start flying Felixstowe you continue till end of the War. Ace pack brings fuel gauge, mandatory cockpit light and more guns, they are useful but neither is really necessary to fly the career. The Felixstowes fly few missions and don't fight often, so it's best to "unlock" some ranks on Channel map with other careers and start the career already as commander (captain or major rank in RFC), to assign yourself to every mission.

No. 19 squadron
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: SPAD 7, Sopwith Dolphin
Needed DLCs: Furious Wings, Battle of St. Michell
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Incomplete / typical
A British squadron that does not use Bloody April DLC at all. If you have just Furious Wings (most useful choice for all nations but Britons), you can start a Spad 7 career in this one and switch to S.E.5a / Camel squadron later in the war. If you have Battle for St. Michell, Dolphin is a very interesting plane to fly...


No. 10 / No.8 Squadron (Naval)
Theatre: Channel / Western Front
Planes:Nieuport 17.GBR, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Triplane, Sopwith Camel
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Bloody April (essential)/ Ace Pack (nice to have)
Features: Incomplete / typical

A couple of naval squadrons, each heavily featured on different map; No.10 is another legendary historical squadron next to No.56, No 8 has really long service time. Without Bloody April DLC, they are just two more Camel squadrons. But if you have Bloody April, each of these squadrons uses all planes in DLC in one career. These are to-go squadrons to experience most British types in one run.

No.61 Squadron
Theatre: Channel
Planes:Sopwith Pup, S.E.5.a, Sopwith Camel
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Bloody April / Ace Pack (pretty important)
Features: Incomplete / unusual

This is a Home Defence nigh fighter squadron; instead of fighting on Western Front, it spent time in England shooting down German night bombers that sometimes tried to bomb London area. You need a Sopwith Pup from Bloody April DLC to play first six months
of this career, like with most other British squadrons, but I think it's different enough from standard frontline service to try just with S.E.5a. As it flies night missions, if you don't use simple gauges you may really want Ace Pack DLC for cockpit lamp - otherwise you'll barely see your own instruments. It's not necessary (I fly this squadron without Ace Pack and don't complain) but very helpful, and more reliable aldis gunsight will be help in the dark, too. The Germans did not come over England every night, the squadron flies fewer missions, so it's best to "unlock" some ranks on Channel map with other careers and start the career already as commander to assign yourself to every mission.

No.112 Squadron
Theatre: Channel
Planes:Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Bloody April / Ace Pack (nice to have)
Features: Incomplete / unusual

Another England-based Home Defence squadron - but equipped with Camels rather than S.E.5as. I have yet to see if it fly at night, it seems to fly lot of daytime sea patrols. Again,it may be best to start as commander.


No.4 Squadron (Naval)
Theatre: Channel
Planes:Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Camel
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Bloody April / Ace Pack (nice to have)
Features: Incomplete / unusual
Another Sopwith squadron - starts with Sopwith Pup (Bloody April again), switches to Camel. What makes it more interesting from other Pup/Camel squadrons is that it switches to Camel very early (June 1917) and that it transfers to England for a month, so you get to play both frontline and home defence service. Good squadron to fly Camels without buying DLCs.

No.215 Squadron
Theatre: Channel OR Western Front
Planes: Handley/Page 0/400
Needed DLCs: Legendary Bombers
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete (with DLC) / unusual
There are two versions of this squadron, one on Channel Map and one on Western Front map, so you can even run two parallel careers with it. It's the heavy bomber squadron; if you have Handley-Page bomber, this is where you use it. As with Felixstowe, this specialised squadron flies one plane type for whole service duration. The Handley-Pages fly few missions and don't fight often, so it's best to "unlock" some ranks with other careers and start the career already as commander to assign yourself to every mission.

No.7 / No.52 Squadron
Theatre:Channel map / Western Front
Planes: R.E.8
Needed DLCs: Birth of Warbirds
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete (with DLC) / unusual
Two long running R.E.8 squadrons, one for each map. If you have DLC with the plane, you can start the career with it and keep playing till end of the war. The R.E.8s fly fewer missions and don't fight often, so it's best to "unlock" some ranks with other careers and start the career already as commander to assign yourself to every mission.

No.48 squadron
Theatre:Channel map OR Western Front
Planes: F.E.2b, Bristol F.2B
Needed DLCs: ???, Battle of St Michell
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete??? (with DLC) / unusual
No 48 starts the career with F.E.2 (not flyable in Channel Battles edition, yet), but it's a Bristol squadron through and through. If you have the Battle for St Michell, it'd be a shame to not try the two-seater that can fight like a single-seat fighter.

[Trupobaw]

Part 2:

United States squadron (there are few American squadrons in the war and Furious Wings is only DLC they require):

94th Aero squadron
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: Nieuport 28, SPAD 13.C1
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Ace Pack (almot needed for N.28)
Features: Complete / typical
The second longest running American squadron, and it does not use DLC planes. What's more to ask? Oh, Nieuport 28 comes with almost no instruments; it's one of planes that makes most use of Ace Pack DLC.



Belgian squadron:

1ere Escadrille de Chasse / 9me Escadrille de Chasse.
Theatre: Channel
Planes: Nieuport 11, Nieuport 17, Sopwith Camel
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Furious Wings, Ace Pack (almot needed for N.17)
Features: Incomplete / typical

The Belgs are uderdogs of WWI, flying the obsolete planes other allies no longer wanted to use for most of the war. You can play full length of all (two) Belgian fighter careers with Furious Wings pack, but 1ere Escadrille (later reorganised as 9me Escadrille) allows you to fly long Belgian career without buying DLCs. The Nieuport 17 (like American N.28 above) comes without instruments and makes most use of Ace Pack DLC, but hey, you are supposed to be an underdog... 777 plans to eventually release the Hanriot HD.1 plane that may replace the Camel in this career (or may not - historically squadron used both types).

French squadrons:
Sorry, no shortcuts here. Every French career requires you to buy Furious Wings (or Ultimately the Best Fighter for two-seaters). Once you buy it, you can pick any squadron you want.


German squadrons (most German fighting squadrons use planes from four DLCs, but there are exceptions):

Jasta 11
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: Halberstadt D.II, Albatros D.III, Albatros D.Va, F.kker Dr.I, F.kker D.VII, F.kker D.VIIF
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Furious Wings, Ultimately the Best Fighter, Ace Pack (almot needed for D.Va)
Features: Incomplete / typical

The highest scoring German unit of the War and one with best DLCs to service months mileage, since it never used F.kker E.III or Albatros D.II. You need just one DLC (Furious Wings) to run full length career. Ultimately the Best Fighter brings even better version of F.kker D.VII you probably don't want to skip. Ace Pack brings much needed instruments for AlbatroS D.Va and not so needed, but still good instruments for two other two other planes from basic game.


Jasta 7
Theatre: Channel OR Western Front
Planes:Albatrod D.II , Albatros D.III, Albatros D.Va, Pfalz D.IIIa, F.kker Dr.I, F.kker D.VII, F.kker D.VIIF
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Bloody April (Western Front only), Furious Wings, Ultimately the Best Fighter, Battle for St. Michell, Ace Pack (almost needed for D.Va)
Features: Incomplete / unusual

There are two copies of this squadron, one on each map. On channel map, it's the longest running German squadron (other big name German units leave in 1917). On both maps, it makes much more use of F.kker Dr.I then other squadrons, flying it until the end of the war alongside D.VII. If you want to fly Dr.I a lot or fly on Channel as German, this is your squadron to go. You can also fly Pfaltz D.IIIa with it, which is always welcome.

Jasta 35b
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: Albatros D.Va, Pfalz D.IIIa, F.kker D.VII, Pfalz D.XII
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Battle for St Michell, Ace Pack (almot needed for D.Va)
Features: Complete / unusual

The Pfalz squadron. It does not use the F.kker Dr.I, it's only squadron to use Pfalz D.XII. It runs almost completely on planes from standard game (Pfalz D.IIIa is used alongside Albatros D.Va and you can skip it - but you will miss a lot!).

Marine Feldjasta I / II
Theatre: Channel
Planes: Albatros D.III (only MFJ I), Albatros D.Va, Pfalz D.IIIa, F.kker D.VII, F.kker D.VIIF, F.kker D.VIII
Needed DLCs: -
Useful DLCs: Furious Windg (MFJI), Battle for St Michell, Ultimately the Best Fighter, Ace Pack (almot needed for D.Va)
Features: Complete / unusual
The German Navy fighter squadrons. Like Jasta 35b, they don't use F.kker Dr.I and make very long use of Pfalz D.IIIa. Your channel Pfalz squadron if you're not running Jasta 7.

Seestation Flandern I / II
Theatre: Channel
Planes: Brandenburg W.12
Needed DLCs: Legendary Bombers
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete(DLC) / unusual

A seaplane squadron. As with Felixstowe, squadron uses just one type of plane - if you have DLC, you can just fly it. This is a difficult plane to get promoted in, so you may want to unlock some ranks and start it as Oberleutnent.


FA(A) 225
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: DFW C.V
Needed DLCs: Legendary Bombers
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete(DLC) / unusual

A DFW squadron, through and through. The squadron uses just one type of plane, and does it from early 1917 to 1918, either longest service time for single type or second to R.E.8. If you have DLC, you can just fly a long career in it. This is a difficult plane to get promoted in, so you may want to unlock some ranks and start it as Oberleutnent first.

Bomberstaffel 13
Theatre: Channel OR Western Front
Planes: Gotha
Needed DLCs: Legendary Bombers
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Complete(DLC) / unusual

A heavy bomber squadron, exists in both Channel and Western Front version. In channel version, it supposedly has missions where you fly over channel to bomb targets in England. This is a difficult plane to get promoted in, so you may want to unlock some ranks and start it as Oberleutnent first.


Schlasta / Schusta 27b
Theatre: Western Front
Planes: Roland C.II, DFW C.V, Halberstadt Cl.II
Needed DLCs: Birth of Warbirds OR Legendary Bombers OR Battle of St. Michell (essential!)
Useful DLCs: -
Features: Incomplete / unusual

This squadron runs through many two-seaters and DLCs, but the full year it spends flying the Halberstadt Cl.II ground attack plane still makes it one-DLC wonder. You can skip straight to Halberstadt stage, with just Battle of St. Michell pack. This is a difficult squadron to get promoted in, so you may want to unlock some ranks and start it as Oberleutnent.

Owners of Birth of Warbirds may transfer to this squadron (via another Roland squadron) to continue their F.kker E.III career if they don't have Furious Wings. It still uses Rolands when Albatros D.Va becomes available.

[Trupobaw]

Part 3

Ok, Trup. So suppose you have the bare game or can afford just one/two DLCs. What would you use your 3 profiles / 15 career slots for to avoid "buy plane to continue" situations and get most from the game?

First thing, I'd probably start Jasta 11 on Western Front or Jasta 7 on Channel, just to get hang of game in Albatros D.Va :). Then, I would lay off one profile for channel and one for western front careers (because of how unlocking ranks works), leave third for mixed content and:

If I had just CBE / Ace pack:

Channel careers:
No.4 naval squadron, starting late June 1917 on Camels - if only to unlock the rank
Jasta 7, starting late June 1917 on D.Va - if only to unlock the rank on third profile
A Felixstowe squadron(when have a rank unlocked)
1ere Escadrille de Chasse - starting June 1917 in N.17 . Unless I know I'm buying Furious Wings soon.
No.61 Squadron (when have a rank unlocked)


Western Front careers:
Jasta 11, starting June 1917, if only to unlock the ranks on Western front.
No. 56 squadron (no excuses!)
94th Aero squadron
Jasta 35b, starting late August 1918. Unless I know I'm buying Battle for St Michell soon.




If I only had Furious Wings:

Channel careers:
Fly any Belgian squadron I want from the begining (one ends flying Camels, other the SPADs)
Start Channel Jasta 7 career from the beginning.

Western Front careers:
Start my Jasta 11 career in October 1916
No. 19 squadron career from the beginning. Transfer to S.E.5 squadron if I don't have a Dolphin.
Fly any Western Front French squadron I want :). If only to unlock ranks on third profile.




If I only had Bloody April:

Channel careers:
Take No.10 squadron instead of No.4. Or better, No.8 squadron on Western Front (longer career). Or both :).
Start my No.61 career at the beginnig.
Start CAM Dunkirk career if I know I'll buy Furious Wings one day

Western Front careers:
Start No.8 squadron career
Start Western Front Jasta 2 career if I know I'll buy Furious Wings one day
Consider starting No.29 Western Front career in March 1917 for long N.17 GBR tour, if i know I'm not buying Birth of Warbirds.


If I only had Birth of Warbirds:

Channel careers
Start Jasta 8 career instead of Jasta 7 - if I know I'm going to buy Furious wings AND Bloody April. Later switch to Jasta 7.

Westen Front careers:

Jasta 6 career, starting in September 1916, for F.kker E.III, then either:
- transfer to Roland squadron and fly it until i can transfer again to fighter squadron (needs another transfer between Roland squadrons at new year)
- or buy Furious Wings, possibly with Bloody April, to continue career in fighter squadron.
No.52 squadron career (when rank is unlocked)
No.29 career, staring in October 1918, for few months in D.H.2 then either
- transfer to No.52 quadron until I can transfer to No.56 or No.8
- or buy Blooody April and continue the career
Career in Roland squadron once the rank is unlocked, then keep transferring to other units.


If I only had Ultimately the Best Fighter:

Both theaters:
-enjoy F.kker D.VIIF in all my German careers except Jasta 35b
-consider making a D.H.4 or Brecket career

Western front careers
Make August 1918 Jasta 6 career just for F.kker D.VIII. Start as Oberleutnant, enjoy it while it lasts.



If I had only Legendary Bombers:

Channel careers
Seestation Flandern II (when have a rank unlocked)
Bomberstaffeln 13 (when have a rank unlocked)

Westen front careers
FA(A) 225 (when have a rank unlocked)
No.215 Squadron (when have a rank unlocked)


If I only had Battle for St. Michell:

Channel careers
Marine Feldjasta II if I don't have Jasta 7 / Jasta 35b or if I skipped Pfalz D.IIIa in both.

Westen Front careers:
Start Jasta 35b from the begining if did not already
Schlsta27b career, starting in September 1917 in Halberstadt Cl.II (once have a rank unlocked )
No.48 squadron career starting in July 1917 in Bristol F.2B

[Smegmata]

Great guide Trup!

That'll save me a lot of trouble in the future - I won't have to play around with the career generator to find out if the squadron I'm about to sign onto is a dead-end one that keeps flying out of date planes!

I just have something to add to Jasta 7 (since it's the one I have the most experience flying): Although they keep the Albatros D.Va for quite a while longer than Jasta 2 (Jasta Boelcke), it's not a big deal. If you're looking to score LOTS of easy kills / learn to fly without much pressure, Jasta 7 on Channel side is great.

Sure the Sopwith Camel will mop the floor with a D.Va, but you won't see very many of them once No.4 (naval) sqdrn transfers away in mid 1917. The main opposition you'll see in the front in late 1917 are Spad 7c1 and Nieuports, along with RE.8s - about six months of inferior planes that you can out-turn and out-gun! Great for new players who only have DVas in the default pack.

Highly recommend Jasta 7 for new players, starting in late summer/early fall 1917. (early summer can be dodgy - lots of Camels sniffing around waiting to make a meal of you).

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

No doubt I'll be coming back to this guide on a few occasions. Lots of useful info. Thanks very much Trup.