Mig 29 Guide

How to fly the Mig 29 and adapt to it's learning curve

Playstyle/How to fly

You cannot fly the Mig 29 like an F14, Mig 23, or an F16, or anything else really. It is a very unique plane with a high skill ceiling, and as of writing this even I am just starting to grasp the gameplay fully. You can't do long range missile slinging like an f14, as the radar (and missiles) are not nearly as consistent with long distance tracking, although the radar is much more capable of holding locks at oblique angles while dogfighting in the HMD tracking mode.

I recommend taking 4 R60's and 2 R27T's or 6 R60s, with the drop tank obviously. 4 R60's and one of each R27 are also good choices, but add more workload for switching through modes, and I find the R27T to produce better results overall, when flown right. I use Reinforced flares and chaff, on 5 second intervals. I run the dispenser when I know for a fact there is someone behind me, or if a missile goes pitbull on the RWR. There isn't much of a point running it in the background as a passive defence, since an aim9L or aim7M in proper launch conditions won't care about your flares or chaff anyways. You need your head on a swivel with this plane, as there's too few countermeasures to rely on them as anything other than a last resort. The good side is there is plenty of maneuverability in store to solve any issues you might have with incoming missiles.

Start every match by pulling a hard left/right turn off the runway, whichever direction will put you furthest from the enemy team. Accelerate in afterburner until mach .95, and depending on the map, you can either choose to cut the afterburner, conserve fuel and use surrounding geography such as mountains to dodge radars playing a somewhat normal playstyle, but what I highly suggest is continuing to side-climb in afterburner and notch against radar locks as needed. I get that the meta for the past couple months has been 'fly low, avoid radar', but we are moving so fast in these things that it isn't really a problem at long distance. I've died plenty in it so far, but not once to an AIM54. The Mig 29 is very fuel inefficient at low altitudes, and by the time you're at 5000m or so the consumption becomes much more reasonable, both of these strategies put you at about the same amount of fuel by the time you reach the enemy, with your drop tank being close to empty at this point.

The Mig 29 climbs like crazy, and you should use this to your advantage. As you climb, use the SRC/PD/HDN mode as well as TWS/HDN to keep track of enemies as they scramble. HDN mode is where you can use the pilots HMD to lock targets, and these targets will stay locked at a much wider angle than the stock 50x10. The radar in TWS also show you any AIM54's headed your way pretty reliably. Once the first engagements in the middle of the map begin you should be turning towards the center of the map, and provided you aren't being locked you can begin to engage targets. From 6-9km, dive on two targets with IRST boresight mode as to avoid alerting them, and dump the R27T's on them. The more speed you gain in this dive, and the later you launch your missiles, the more resistant they are against flares, from my own findings. Place your trust in the missiles, pull back up and go back to space, keeping your head on a swivel if anyone else noticed you. I find little incentive in doing a headon while i'm down there, and as such I turn away and let them waste missiles when they happen.

From this point on you can just continue to transition from space, to diving on unsuspecting targets with your R60's. This is where I've found the plane to be most rewarding. If you do find yourself in a true dogfight, you've screwed up, but try using the airbrake. It appears to have the most authority of any airbrake in game, and can get you out of a pinch. Be cautious dogfighting F16's as their window of speed for maximum maneuverability is much wider, and at a higher speed than the Mig 29's. The Mig 29 loses alot of control authority past mach 1.1 and stops feeling quite so nimble. Coming back down to mach .95 gives you plenty of AoA to work with. The energy retention and acceleration should make up for any other shortcomings, and if I'm being honest the biggest shortcoming is the R60M, which still isn't the worst missile around.

Conclusion

Wonderful plane overall, I found myself getting frustrated with it before I settled on this style of gameplay, and have had much more fun since. Like most new jet aircraft added these days, there is a week or two after release where the most polarizing opinions are put forth, as everyone learns the plane. Definitely isn't hop in and mop the floor like everyone was imagining, but a few hard nerfs will do that to any plane. Just remember this plane doesn't reward you for being a dogfight hero, and will only work with you when you start flying it like an interceptor. When it does reward you, it does so in droves.

[coravi29]

nice guide

[Derelict]

I posted this nearly two years ago and it seems to be getting a bit of traction recently. I cannot verify the accuracy of this guide anymore in the current meta as I mostly play the SU27 these days. If this guide still gets anyone good results, then hooray!

[slayerx42]

thx

[~Nekomancer~]

"play like an absolute rat" is the summary

[Kekse]

thanks bro

[XANAX]

thx

[Fubu]

This is the best guide about Mig 29. So much work put into it but nobody said thanks.