Author: Trench1936
Editor: Mobius

This manual is intended to be used in Carrier Command 2 player versus player tournaments held on Tricky’s discord server. Mods used in this match include the following:

2x Vehicle Water Speed
Captain Controls
Gentle Missile Speed Buff
Turbo Barges
Revolution

This manual contains guides to executing operations in Carrier Command 2 which achieve highly specified objectives. This manual will be organized according to general categories of objectives and order of difficulty. In the interest of being a comprehensive list of all possible operations, even those which are not recommended will be included. This manual does not endorse any specific strategies and aims to provide an unbiased analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of every strategy.

This strategy is named for the glass that is formed when sand is subjected to intense heat and pressure from artillery shells. This method requires the destruction of all hostile units on an island using solely 160mm artillery and cruise missiles. This method is expensive and unsustainable.

After capturing their first islands, most players will default to this basic capture method involving 1 albatross with a gimbal camera, 1 razorbill with 2 20mm autocannons, and 1 seal with virus bots. The first step is to drive the carrier and park next to the island you wish to capture. Then you launch an albatross with a gimbal camera to orbit the island above 1000m to avoid ground fire. Then after fully scanning every target, the razorbill launches and is manually piloted to destroy every marked target. Once the island is completely clear of enemies, then the seal is deployed to the command center and ordered to drop virus bots and return to the carrier on autopilot. While this strategy works well for level 1 islands, it fails to account for naval vessels which may be present in level 2, 3, and 4 islands. While a safe method for clearing a level 1 island, the whole process is quite time consuming and allows for hostile aircraft to launch from airfields, disrupting the scanning process to launch AA missiles and defend the carrier. While it is possible to clear ground forces from level 3 and 4 islands using 1 razorbill, many players find it difficult to maintain a safe altitude above 1000m while also shooting accurately enough to not run out of ammunition from 1 razorbill. Overall, this strategy is simple to execute, economically efficient, yet very time consuming and generally inapplicable to islands with air defense units. Most players will be familiar with this tactic and will find the razorbill autocannon combination nimble and easy to operate. It is also important to consider the risk of positioning the aircraft carrier next to an island which is being captured since it reveals your location to enemy players. 20mm autocannons and airframes may also be a limiting factor and at risk of being destroyed.

This method is a much faster variation on the Basic Capture method which does not call for scouting targets. To begin, a razorbill with 2 20mm autocannons is launched 15km away from the target island and ordered to fly towards the island. A player may take manual control and fly the razorbill at maximum throttle to complete the time faster. Upon arrival, the razorbill will identify and engage targets by their tracer fire during the day and headlights at night, prioritizing targets at the airport (if present) and near the command center. Unless the island has been alerted to the player’s presence by other means, no hostile aircraft will have time to become airborne before being destroyed by the razorbill. During the engagement, the aircraft carrier is en route to the target island and 1 seal with virus bots is prepared. The carrier is driven close to the shoreline and reversed to face the loading bay towards the beach at the closest point to the command center or access point if located along a cliff. Under normal circumstances, the razorbill pilot will have sufficient time to destroy all targets before the aircraft carrier arrives. If there are still some hostile units remaining, the virus seal is still cleared to deploy as long as no enemy units are within 1.5km of the command center. This is because the seal is slow enough that by the time it arrives at the command center, the razorbill pilot should have destroyed all remaining enemies. This strategy is riskier than the Basic Capture method since most pilots are unaccustomed to engaging unmarked targets. The risk of being shot down by ground fire is also increased without experienced pilots. This strategy is also dangerous for islands with air defense units and does not address the presence of naval targets. It is also important to consider the risk of positioning the aircraft carrier next to an island which is being captured since it reveals your location to enemy players. 20mm autocannons and airframes may also be a limiting factor and at risk of being destroyed. In exchange for these risks, the time to capture an island could be reduced to less than 5 minutes for low-level islands without naval units.

Note from the editor:

Cheap, quick to launch, fun to use and the ‘bread and butter’ unit for ground clearance once air superiority has been secured above the island, the Razorbill with dual 20mm cannons aka the ‘gunbill’ is typically used in the clean up phase and the ‘kill’ part of the kill chain. Launching directly from the elevator they are typically 45 seconds to a minute faster in deployment than any fixed wing, and recovery in pattern is roughly only 30 seconds to one minute. In general most crew members in PVP should be used to doing a gunbill sweep. Carrier in complete loadout typically has 4 of these. The only real downside to gunbills is their range. With roughly half the tank of a comparable petrel these are typically deployed next to the target island or within 10-15 km of the carrier, possibly more given favorable conditions and an experienced operator.

In general you are not launching a gunbill in an environment that AA fire may be incoming, so any flares are redundant. Also since 20mm cannons are so essential in island cleanup they are arguably the most important ‘turret’ prior to being able to produce more, and care should be taken to coordinate launch and retrieval schedules of aircraft to avoid losing ‘another set of guns.’ It is very possible to soft lock a carrier from capturing additional islands with the loss of guns, or at the very least turn what could have been a quick 2 minute capture into a 10 minute ground assault or missile slog. A viable tactic in deep strike given an opportunity would be to send in mantas to take out their 20mm cannon carrying rotors.

In this commenter's experience, deployment guidelines are 10-15 km from the carrier (20-25 if experienced), only deploy to islands that are mostly or fully marked out (1-2 good to go, 3-4 will require suppression of anti air first), and begin retrieval at 20% fuel if nearby the carrier. Fuel consumption is greater while traveling so do not set rotors in a loop while waiting to land, instead keep them stationary. Launch is typically 45 seconds to a minute, retrieval at head of queue is roughly 30 seconds from landing to deck, with an additional 30 seconds to stow. (Values need to be confirmed). As razorbills have fast ‘rebuild’ and deploy times it is in this commenter's opinion that more than one is rarely needed except in the case of a multi island capture with multiple operators, in which case a remote island capture with a petrel would be preferable.

When airframes and other resources are unavailable, some players will have no choice but to execute this strategy. This strategy calls for the deployment of all available ground chassis, (typically seals and walruses) and an assortment of weapon attachments including 30mm cannons and IR missile turrets. This combination of vehicles will not survive encounters with hostile IR Missile vehicles, 40mm vehicles, or bears and thus may be capable of facing small groups of enemies on level 1 or 2 islands but will require additional support from the carrier through 160mm artillery or cruise missiles on level 3 or 4 islands which can be difficult without an airborne gimbal camera. When deploying your convoy of ground vehicles, it is recommended to make a dash to the command center and defend the virus bots until either the hack is complete or all hostile units are destroyed. The best way to increase survivability during a ground vehicle assault is to focus fire from all vehicles on one target to destroy it as quickly as possible. In some instances, the convoy may become overwhelmed by a large number of enemy ground vehicles. To successfully execute this strategy, you must recognize this before it develops into a serious problem and recall your damaged units to the carrier where they can repair and rearm. Basic ground invasions often lead to heavy losses when commanders fully commit to attacks without retreating and always consume valuable time whether or not it takes multiple attempts to capture the island. This strategy is often seen as a last ditch effort due to the low probability of success time expense. It also does not account for hostile naval or air assets but it is one of the simplest and straightforward methods of capturing an island. It is also important to consider the risk of positioning the aircraft carrier next to an island which is being captured since it reveals your location to enemy players.

This method is a variation of the basic ground invasion where many resources are available but airframes cannot be used. Most ground vehicles are bears equipped with IR countermeasures and battle cannons which have faster reload times, more ammunition, and equal damage output to heavy cannons. Other vehicles will be walruses which have more armor and hitpoints than seals at the cost of slower speed. These walruses may have 40mm cannons which have good damage output and rate of fire but poor ammunition capacity, IR missile launchers which deal good damage over long distances around obstacles but have a very slow rate of fire, low ammunition capacity, and can be intercepted with hostile CIWS, and virus bots. Bears will lead the convoy to absorb most of the damage and focus all fire on the greatest current threat to destroy it as quickly as possible. Despite the greater concentrated firepower, you must be vigilant to notice when your convoy is being overwhelmed and prepared to recall your vehicles back to the carrier before they are destroyed, especially when facing hostile bears and IR missiles. This method does not account for naval or air assets and can be difficult for players with little experience operating the bear and battle cannon. It is also important to consider the risk of positioning the aircraft carrier next to an island which is being captured since it reveals your location to enemy players.

The remote capture relies on the petrel’s ability to hoist vehicles and deploy them anywhere. This is an easy way to shorten the time it takes for a ground vehicle carrying virus bots to arrive at the command center. While some players prefer to use the petrel in conjunction with other air assets to clear an island of hostiles, it is more practical from an efficiency standpoint to use the petrel in both an attack and utility role by equipping it with weapons. Specifically, 2 20mm autocannons. The other two weapon slots are optional but may be used to target ships or aircraft. I prefer to equip 2 IR missiles since most games start with over 100 IR missiles in storage and their damage is not affected by water like the 20mm autocannon thus adding a small speed boost in clearing an island of enemies. Others may equip AA missiles or TV missiles especially in PvP settings where your island capture may be interrupted by other players seeking to destroy the petrel or its precious cargo. Another option is to equip an assortment of bombs with the intent to destroy a ship loitering beside the target island. Although an incredibly difficult feat, it is possible to dodge an AA missile in the petrel and approach a CIWS defended ship to destroy it with bombs. Torpedos are a safer, slower, less reliable option. A gimbal camera or gimbal turret are optional. Once the petrel arrives at the island, it destroys all targets in a similar manner to the Gunbill method where no scouting is performed in advance and targets are identified by tracer fire or headlights. Once the island is cleared of hostiles, the petrel is safe to deploy the virus bot ground vehicle at the command center, deploy the virus bots, pick up the ground vehicle, and return to the carrier. This method is faster than the Gunbill method and safer since the petrel has significantly more armor and hitpoints than the razorbill. Some players may find the petrel difficult to fly due to its sluggish flight controls, lack of maneuverability, and delayed power response. This is often made worse by the fact that most new players have little experience flying the petrel in a combat role. Others may find the petrel easier to fly since its slow response to flight controls stabilizes the operator’s aim and the increased armor allows for shorter range shots compared with the razorbill, both resulting in better accuracy. These features lend themselves better to applying this method on level 1 and 2 islands but not level 3 and 4 islands since 1 petrel cannot contend with large numbers of hostile naval vessels. This method does provide the benefit of locating the aircraft carrier long distances away from the target island, thus keeping your true location safe from hostile players.

Note from the editor:

It is worth noting that IR turrets on a 3 shield and above can and will fire at the ground vehicle suspected under the petrel. There is a significant chance that the missile WILL track the petrel causing the loss of an airframe. A skilled pilot can avoid a single missile from the front but the chances of losing both the petrel and the seal increases as the number of units firing increases.

This method is a lightning fast, highly difficult variation of the Basic Remote Capture method. Using 1 petrel with 2 20mm autocannons carrying a seal with virus bots, the aim of this attack is to immediately begin the capture process and defend the virus bots. Begin by destroying any units in the immediate vicinity of the command center, then deploy the virus vehicle at the command center. Immediately order the vehicle to drop its virus bots while hovering nearby to attract hostile ground fire away from the bots. Continue to draw attention away from the virus bots while destroying all hostile units near the command center and at the airport (if present). At a certain point in the attack, the only remaining threats will be at a great distance away from the virus bots unable to interrupt the capture process. At this time, it is safe to retrieve the bot delivery vehicle with the petrel and return to the aircraft carrier. This method can be made faster with a highly difficult manual pick up/drop off method which involves the player holding the aircraft steady no higher than 30m above the ground where an activated AI waypoint exists ordering the petrel to pick up/drop off the vehicle, then toggling the auto/manual pilot control button. Due to the difficulty of this method, many players may find it takes longer to execute a successful manual drop than the AI and in more cases crash the petrel leaving the defenseless virus delivery vehicle in the midst of many hostile elements. Recommended for use on level 1-2 islands, this method carries the same strengths and weaknesses of the Basic Remote Capture with the added risk of failure in exchange for an island capture time of less than 3 minutes when no naval assets are present.

Capturing an island from an enemy team is perhaps the most difficult operation to execute. With sufficient resources, islands can be made into fortresses with near limitless numbers of turrets and hostile air assets likely to respond. The first step towards successfully capturing an enemy island is establishing positive air superiority in the area of operations. One manta breaching the area is enough to destroy virus bots attempting a capture leading to more engagement time. Next, deploy an air asset with a gimbal camera with the ability to provide a comprehensive picture of the situation on the ground and order artillery strikes on air defense targets including CIWS turrets and IR missile launchers. During this time, the opposing team will continue building more turrets once every 60 seconds. One newly constructed turret near the command center can be occupied by a player and be used to destroy virus bots in just a few seconds. To counter this, you must have the ability to respond instantly to new turrets near the command center. This can be accomplished with good team communication using bears equipped with battle cannons, IR countermeasures, and sonic pulse generators, or a razorbill with IR countermeasures and 2 20mm autocannons. While delivering virus vehicles to the command center, dropping the vehicle with a petrel invites the possibility of the petrel being destroyed while driving the vehicle manually consumes valuable engagement time. The method you choose should depend on what resources you are willing to sacrifice in capturing the island. This strategy risks many resources, is very time consuming, has a very low probability of success, and should only be done if the capture of the island is absolutely necessary.

This is a variation of the Gunbill method where the virus delivery vehicle is not retrieved in exchange for a shorter capture time. A razorbill with two 20mm autocannons is launched towards the target island from 15km away. This razorbill may be manually piloted to expedite its arrival by flying at maximum throttle. It then destroys all targets and returns to the aircraft carrier. Typically for level 1 or 2 islands, all targets will be destroyed before the carrier arrives. Once the carrier arrives, it allows the razorbill to land, then sails by the island near the command center deploying the virus delivery vehicle while in motion. The carrier then leaves the area and the virus vehicle slowly approaches the command center and captures the island. This method allows the carrier to continue pursuing other objectives by eliminating time devoted to recovering the virus delivery vehicle. This strategy does not account for hostile naval assets or air defense units and is thus primarily suited for level 1 and 2 islands when no naval units are present.

This is a more difficult variation of the already difficult Advanced Remote Capture strategy which trades a shorter capture time of 1 low level island for the slightly longer capture of 2 low level islands. In this case, the increased risk comes not from the danger of units being destroyed but from the 5 minute self-destruct timer of the virus bot and pilot accuracy. It is a little known fact that micro vehicles like the virus bot and deployable droid can be picked up by the petrel. Since each virus delivery vehicle drops 2 virus bots, it is possible to deploy virus bots on island 1 and use a petrel to deliver one of the two virus bots to island 2. This is difficult because from the moment of deployment, they are subjected to a 5 minute self-destruct timer and it takes 2 full minutes for a virus bot to capture an island. This means the virus bot must be picked up by the petrel and dropped off at the command center of island 2 in 3 minutes and then kept alive for 2 minutes during the capture process. This 3 minute timeline is often made shorter by the time it takes for the petrel to align itself properly for pickup and drop off, typically 40-60 seconds. This leaves only 2 minutes for flight between adjacent islands which may not be possible if the distance between command centers is greater than 10-12 kilometers. This method only works when 2 level 1 or 2 islands are within 12 kilometers and no naval assets are present. It is up to the pilot to make sure island 1 is clear enough of hostile units that the virus bots can be left alone for 2 minutes. Then the pilot may choose to either let the AI perform the pick up and drop off sequence or execute a manual pick up and drop off with greater risk of crashing or spending more time than the AI on alignment. Then they must fly at maximum throttle on an exact heading in the petrel which does not allow the pilot to see where they are going. Once they arrive, the pilot must make an instant decision whether or not to spend precious time engaging a few targets near the command center before dropping off the virus bot at the command center and defending it for 2 minutes. It is important to note that the virus bot is incredibly fragile with minimal hitpoints. 1 round from a 30mm cannon is enough to destroy a virus bot. Once it is certain that island 2 will be captured, the pilot must decide when to return to the carrier. Typically in this strategy, the petrel will be operating at the limits of its fuel range and return to the carrier in a low fuel state due simply to the extended flight distance required to travel to 2 islands plus the distance to the carrier if the carrier is in a safe position well behind the front line. This method is incredibly difficult, minimalistic in its resource consumption, and highly situational. In spite of this, successful execution can lead to truly amazing gameplay moments where at the beginning of a match, 2 simultaneous operations of this kind are executed leading to the capture of 4 islands in less than 10 minutes. It is highly recommended that this strategy be practiced by the pilot multiple times prior to use in a real match in order to gain a sense of the limits of this strategy.

An alternative method for clearing hostile units from islands is to use fixed wing aircraft in ground attack roles with 20mm autocannons. Similar to the Gunbill method, the aim is to destroy all hostile units so that a virus delivery vehicle can safely capture the command center. This method takes significantly longer to execute since only a few targets may be destroyed in 1 pass by the aircraft and exposes the aircraft to more ground fire at lower altitudes increasing its chances of being shot down. Many inexperienced fixed-wing pilots also have a tendency to dive too steeply too close to the ground on a pass leading to controlled flight into terrain. This method is generally only suitable for level 1 or 2 islands since level 3 and 4 islands possess air defenses and naval units. While perhaps an impractical method for destroying an entire island’s defensive structure, fixed wing ground attack is an excellent way to destroy a select few ground units at great distances from the aircraft carrier. For example, a fixed wing aircraft may surprise an enemy player team which has cleared an island of hostile elements and is in the process of deploying virus bots. A pilot may then be able to destroy those virus bots leading to a time delay for the enemy player team by forcing them to deploy yet another set of virus bots which may also be destroyed again by the same means.

First publicly introduced by Grim Reapers Naval Ops in 2022, this method is a variation on the Remote Capture where the petrel carrying a virus delivery vehicle intentionally crashes into the command center. The virus delivery vehicle is then quickly driven to a spot in the buildings where it cannot be harmed by defensive turrets and is free to capture the island with the sacrifice of 1 petrel. This method is suitable for islands where the command center is surrounded by walls and the buildings are arranged in such a way that the turrets have no angle to shoot at the virus bots. This method also carries the risk that the petrel is shot down by CIWS before being in a position which would allow the virus delivery vehicle to safely hide inside the command center. This method assumes the virus bots are safe from fixed-wing ground attack aircraft for 2 minutes during the capture process. This method is also possible to execute on an AI controlled island provided the virus bots are safe from ground vehicles during the capture process.

A variation of the Basic Capture, this method accounts for the presence of naval assets and air defense units at the cost of extra devoted time and resources. First, the destruction of hostile ships is prioritized. This is done through dive bombing, rocket attacks, missile attacks, torpedo attacks, or other means. Once the ships are destroyed, the island’s air force will typically be airborne and pose a security threat to friendly aircraft and the aircraft carrier. These can be dealt with either through combat air patrols or carrier AA missiles. Once the hostile air force is destroyed, a scouting aircraft is deployed in an orbit more than 1000 meters above the island. The player then meticulously identifies all ground vehicles and turrets, fully scanning each one to obtain data on weapon type. The carrier is then brought closer to the island and begins a bombardment of all CIWS enemies with 160mm shells. An optional step is to then use cruise missiles to destroy IR missile enemies before deploying a razorbill to destroy the remaining targets. Once the island is cleared of enemies, the virus delivery vehicle is sent to the command center to capture the island and all assets are ordered to return to the carrier. This process can take upwards of 20 minutes if executed successfully and even longer if torpedoes are used, turrets are missed during scanning, or razorbills are destroyed on attack runs. Sometimes, it may take more than 40 minutes to capture 1 level 3 island if mistakes are made. This method also exposes the aircraft carrier to risk in multiplayer games by remaining stationary for long periods of time. However, this simple straightforward method is robust, accounting for all possible hostile AI assets.

This is a riskier variation of the Basic SEAD Capture strategy which reduces capture time in exchange for leaving some units alive and performing more difficult attack runs in the razorbill. The first step is destroying naval assets. This is done without the use of torpedoes, instead using rockets when possible and bombs or IR missiles when rockets are not available. Hostile aircraft are then destroyed using strictly carrier-launched AA missiles. The same aircraft used for destroying naval assets is then deployed in an orbit more than 1000 m above the target island without landing at the carrier. All hostile units are scanned only once to track positions. Then only units near the command center and on the line of approach are fully scanned. Any CIWS units are destroyed immediately with 160mm artillery fire. Shortly before all enemies near the command center are fully scanned, a razorbill with 2 20mm autocannons and IR countermeasures is launched and engages only targets near the command center and on the line of approach. As soon as the razorbill is ordered to begin launching, a virus delivery vehicle is ordered to drive to the command center and deploy its virus bots before returning to the carrier. While the virus delivery vehicle performs its task, the razorbill pilot provides overwatch in coordination with the gimbal camera operator in the orbiting scout aircraft. Shortly before the capture process is complete, the razorbill is ordered to land first, then the fixed-wing aircraft is ordered to land. This method is noticeably faster than the Basic SEAD Capture method lasting 10-15 minutes when executed successfully and may even be expedited by using a petrel with 2 20mm autocannons to drop the virus delivery vehicle at the command center and perform ground attacks, this however introduces the risk of a stray hostile IR missile tracking the petrel which cannot carry IR countermeasures. This method still puts the carrier next to the target island for an extended period of time allowing it to be easily found and targeted by hostile player teams.

With unlimited time and resources, this method accounts for all levels of islands and provides the added safety of capture at a distance by using needlefish. First, naval vessels are destroyed around the target island by a manta with rocket pods and a gimbal camera. Next, friendly gun and cruise missile needlefish are positioned to cover the island with their respective weapon ranges. The manta is then ordered into an orbit more than 1000 m above the island and fully scans all targets. The needlefish are then ordered to destroy all CIWS targets with 160mm artillery and all other targets with cruise missiles. Just as the last units are destroyed, a petrel carrying a virus delivery vehicle which has been launched minutes prior arrives to deploy the virus bots and retrieve the vehicle before returning to the command center. This method may also be optimized for time by choosing to only destroy targets near the command center or using the petrel in a ground attack role, safety can also be optimized by using only gun needlefish and only scanning targets for their location data at the added expense of more needlefish and ammunition.

Coined by Grim Reapers Naval Ops, this strategy is a one-way remote capture mission where the petrel is either not expected to survive or grounded at the island after all the defenses are destroyed. If the command center is not guarded by mobile units and turrets are positioned in such a way that they cannot engage virus bots inside the command center, the petrel will typically be crashed into this blind spot to allow the bots to capture the command center or the virus delivery vehicle is deployed out of view from turrets and then driven manually and quickly into the blind spot.

Most players when choosing to build turrets on their islands will typically opt for building a CIWS turret at the command center in anticipation of aircraft being the greatest threat to island security, but will often stop at building 1-3 turrets Due either to economic constraints or lack of perceived danger. This method is simple, inexpensive, and significantly reduces the likelihood of an enemy team capturing their island. However, this method is predictable and lacks the volume needed to repel a massive immediate surprise attack. It is worth noting that some island layouts can only accommodate 2-3 turrets and in these cases, 1 turret of each kind should be constructed when three slots are available while a CIWS and IR Missile turret should be constructed when 2 slots are available.

This method calls for turrets to be placed both near and away from the command center when possible and only applies to islands with many placement options for new turrets. Building turrets in locations away from the command center makes them more difficult to detect. At the command center, only gun turrets are built and they are in plain view. Seeing this configuration may lull any hostile spotters into believing no air defense units exist and this may catch them off guard. 2 CIWS turrets are then built at a distance well away from the command center where they may still have the ability to intercept cruise missiles targeting turrets at the command center. For each CIWS turret, 3 IR Missile turrets will be constructed within range of the CIWS turret for protection from hostile cruise missiles. These IR Missile turrets are intended to provide surface-to-air missile coverage near the island and can be lethal to albatrosses, razorbills, and petrels. The high number of IR missile turrets is intended to negate the long reload time of the turret allowing the operator to switch quickly between turrets to rapidly fire many missiles in a short amount of time. These numbers are limited in scope to provide a reasonable compromise between economics and defense but more turrets can certainly be added especially along the perimeter of the island where hostile units are expected to approach at low altitudes or where operators may use turrets to spot hostile units at neighboring islands. Additional turrets should follow the pattern of covering the command center area with gun turrets specifically for destroying virus bots, and building IR missile turrets protected by CIWS to allow a higher volume of fire.

An integrated air defense network follows the method of Advanced Turret Construction but also incorporates accessories which improve survivability. The addition of a ground vehicle carrying the radar attachment and actuated camera allows hostile aircraft and ships to be detected 10 kilometers away. This provides an early warning to any attacks and grants the crew more time to prepare a defensive strategy. The addition of radars on every island can provide a widespread picture of the battlefield and even detect formations of strike aircraft far out over the ocean. Hostile units which are beyond 10 kilometers may also be spotted manually using the zoom function on island CIWS turrets or the actuated camera of a radar vehicle. The vehicle itself is quite vulnerable since it can be spotted from its headlights at night. To reduce this visual signature, it is recommended to drive the vehicle into a wall so that its headlights are covered by the wall and when possible, hide underneath structures. This method is expensive and time consuming, but the strategic advantage in additional intelligence are sure to help the team make better decisions.

It is possible to land rotary aircraft like the razorbill and petrel on the ground and leave them there at a steady fuel state for an indefinite length of time. This is done by first setting a waypoint with a hold at some safe altitude. Then by setting the altitude to 0 meters and taking manual control to land gently in the waypoint area, the autopilot will not increase throttle and take off again. If the throttle is set to 0%, no fuel will be consumed. To bolster an island’s survivability during an attack, one may leave razorbills with AA and TV missiles to fend off attacking mantas or 20mm autocannons to destroy virus bots. This method does not work for fixed-wing aircraft like the albatross or manta because releasing control while on the ground will lead to the autopilot attempting to take off.

It is possible to land rotary aircraft on the ground and on stationary ships. This means in theory, one could park a number of rotary aircraft on a stationary barge in the middle of the ocean either to guard against intrusion or to conserve fuel until the carrier is within recovery range. Moving the barge is almost guaranteed to lead to the aircraft falling into the water. This also happens in tall waves found in deep sections of the ocean but in some spots far from any islands, shallow spots have been known to exist by random chance.

Another way to defend your command center from attack is to station weaponized ground vehicles on the island such as bears with battle cannons. These units can be hidden in reserve until hostile virus bots are deployed and then interrupt the capture process. It is however difficult to hide ground units especially in large numbers and they are likely to be spotted due to their headlights. If the island is captured and the defensive vehicles survive, they can also be used to help recapture the island.

This method is a variation on the integrated air defense strategy which calls for the deployment of a ground vehicle in the middle of deep ocean currents especially where currents are fast and carry the vehicle into enemy territory. This vehicle may possess a radar, cameras for spotting, IR missiles, or a battle cannon in anticipation for hostile units to stray closely. This method is highly situational and typically does not offer significantly more radar coverage than is provided by land-based radars. This vehicle can also be easily spotted and destroyed at night, but it has the potential to make an important difference in the battle when the right circumstances arise.

Deployable droids are tiny and do not produce lights at night while also packing a punch making them an excellent ambush tool for protecting a command center from virus bots without first being spotted and destroyed by aircraft. These bots are also expensive and require a long setup time with the mule to get into position.

Red AI islands start in an inactive state with aircraft in the hangar and ships remaining stationary. Once a player is detected, these assets begin to move making them more difficult to destroy and a greater threat to operations. To slow the advance of hostile teams through uncaptured islands, it may be advisable to activate islands in their path by flying close to them but not engaging. You know an island has been activated when ships are no longer stationary and aircraft at the island airbase are moving or have a flashing strobe.

A knife fight refers to a situation when two aircraft carriers are within visual line of sight of each other or 10 km. Typically knife fights progress by both carriers charging each other and attacking with 160mm artillery, cruise missiles, and torpedoes. During a knife fight, it is important to watch the enemy carrier to see when weapons are released so that evasive action can be taken to dodge shells before they impact the carrier. This strategy should only be taken as a last resort, typically when no aircraft are available or when there is no advantage to allowing the match to continue for a meaningful length of time.

An advanced knife fight considers strategies and tactics derived from experience in player versus player matches. When engaged in close surface action, the advanced knife fight strategy calls for retreating to a nearby friendly island. This location provides multiple advantages including a stable firing platform, extra coverage by land-based CIWS turrets, and the ability to deploy ground vehicles for IR countermeasure coverage, smoke, or sonic pulse. Pointing the nose of the carrier at the enemy allows the 160mm gun to spend less time traversing, shortening the firing time. An airborne artillery spotting aircraft with a gimbal camera is necessary to place accurate shots on the incoming carrier. During the retreat, ground vehicles with high damage output such as bears with battle cannons, or seals with IR missile launchers are placed in the path of the enemy carrier to deal extra damage. A barge can be parked near the friendly carrier in line with the enemy to absorb damage from hostile torpedo launches. A razorbill is held airborne near the carrier to provide IR countermeasure and sonic pulse coverage. Cruise missiles are fired using the viewing scope while 160mm shells are fired from the airborne gimbal camera. This method provides a carrier the best possible chance of surviving against an enemy carrier charging their position but leaves the carrier immobilized and vulnerable to bombing airstrikes.

This method calls for the repeated use of torpedoes against an enemy carrier. Torpedoes are typically an ineffective means of damaging a carrier due to the carrier’s ability to deploy noisemakers and torpedo countermeasures. Torpedoes can however be incredibly effective at degrading an enemy crew’s situational awareness by occupying the attention of multiple operators in order to divert incoming torpedoes.

A needlefish swarm refers to a diversified fleet of player needlefish ships which are deployed to destroy an enemy aircraft carrier. These fleets typically consist mainly of 160mm gun boats with the ability to fire 4 salvos of 5 160mm rounds each. It is therefore possible for a single gun needlefish to destroy an aircraft carrier with 3 accurate salvos. These boats are vulnerable to air attack and torpedoes. To counter air attacks including missiles, these gun needlefish are typically escorted by 1 or more CIWS needlefish which hold 100 20mm rounds each. This is sufficient ammunition to intercept at least 4 cruise missiles or 2 direct air attacks. Needlefish are difficult to destroy with torpedoes due to their small size, high speed, and lightweight which allows them to become airborne for short periods of time when jumping over a wave. To successfully dodge an incoming torpedo, a needlefish may attempt an S-shaped turn to confuse the torpedo. A friendly aircraft may also deploy an air-dropped noisemaker behind the fleet of needlefish to divert torpedoes away from the fleet. Torpedo and cruise missile needlefish are typically not used in this strategy since torpedo needlefish only possess 2 torpedoes with a low damage potential and even lower potential to impact the enemy carrier and cruise missile needlefish can only track targets while stationary, the cruise missile travels relatively slowly, the cruise missile has a low chance of impacting the carrier, and these factors combined make the cruise missile needlefish extremely vulnerable to incoming attacks. Experience has shown that a fleet of at least 5 ships is required to close within accurate firing distance before the hostile players can manage to destroy the fleet. For accurate shots, plot waypoints through shallow waters and allow the needlefish to come to a complete stop before firing.

This strategy refers to long range airstrikes against enemy carriers where the primary ordinance used to destroy the carrier is the IR missile. To successfully execute an IR missile airstrike, 20 IR missiles must impact the aircraft carrier before the hostile crew activates the hull repair breaker. While CIWS does have the ability to intercept incoming IR missiles, as long as the pilot releases their IR missiles after the CIWS targets the aircraft, the IR missiles will not be shot down. This strategy can be countered by deploying IR countermeasures or sonic pulse in close proximity to the carrier. An advantage to this strategy is that in most matches, starting warehouse supplies include 100 IR missiles and 2 albatross airframes allowing it to be attempted upon immediately starting a match. From a resource perspective, this attack is quite cheap and risks little in the long-term.

This strategy is a variation of the IR Missile Spam strategy where heavy bombs are used instead of IR missiles. The advantage of this strategy is that bombs can be released above CIWS engagement range and cannot be diverted by IR countermeasures or sonic pulse making this strategy highly effective. The disadvantage is that heavy bombs can only be manufactured by capturing a heavy munitions island, purchasing the supplies, then delivering them to the carrier making this strategy time consuming and expensive. Another disadvantage to this strategy is that contrary to IR missiles which are self-guided, bombs must be dropped manually which requires a degree of piloting skill which may not be possessed by all members of the crew.

The ultimate evolution of the IR Missile Spam strategy is the use of rockets instead of IR missiles. This is because rockets cannot be intercepted by CIWS and are relatively accurate at ranges beyond CIWS engagement range making them safer to use than IR missiles. The use of rockets also permits more damage to the enemy carrier per aircraft used in the attack and the inherent spread of the rockets fired makes it more likely that enemy carrier subsystems will be destroyed during the attack further increasing safety for the pilot. Mantas are used because they are very difficult to shoot down with AA missiles fired from the carrier. This strategy is the most expensive and time consuming since it requires the capture of 3 different islands to acquire mantas, rocket pods, and rockets but it is objectively the most effective air strike method.

This strategy calls for the deployment of a bear with battle cannon via petrel in the immediate vicinity of the enemy carrier (within 2 kilometers). The bear then stalks the carrier in the water while firing 100mm shells to degrade the carrier’s health. The petrel is intended to be a sacrifice and is not expected to survive. The optimum bear drop crashes the petrel into the carrier and allows the bear to drive into the vehicle loading bay inside the carrier. Once inside the carrier, the bear is invulnerable to 160mm artillery and cruise missiles. By the time an enemy ground vehicle is launched, the bear will have had enough time to destroy the carrier from within. An alternative to this method is more discrete and calls for the petrel to deploy a bear in the path of the carrier without being spotted. The bear then may be able to enter the enemy carrier’s garage without being detected. Bears may be equipped with sonic pulse generators or IR countermeasures to increase its survivability. To increase the petrel’s chances of crashing into the carrier, it is recommended to send a razorbill equipped with IR countermeasures to escort the vulnerable petrel past enemy AA missiles or send more than one petrel with bears under each petrel.

It was discovered through in-game testing that the manta has the capability to skim the surface of the ocean like a boat at low speeds. This does not prevent the manta from being detected by AWACS or other aircraft within 5 kilometers but it does make it both difficult to spot visually and shoot with AA missiles since the missile may crash into the wave. It is unclear how this feature may be useful in a carrier air strike but this is certainly an option to conceal a strike package from spotters looking in the sky for strobe lights.

During a panicked retreat the enemy carrier will typically activate CIWS defensive systems causing power drain and slow movement while driving in the opposite direction of the attacking force. This leaves them vulnerable to bombing airstrikes, torpedoes, and 160mm salvos.

A basic retreat differs from a panicked retreat by implementing strategies known to enhance survivability as seen in previous player versus player situations. The first component to a basic retreat is the basis upon which the decision to retreat is made. For many players, the appearance of an enemy carrier within 10 kilometers triggers a retreat. For others, damage inflicted upon the carrier by airborne assets triggers a retreat. Having a criteria set ahead of time for when a retreat should be executed enables instant decision making and reduces confusion amongst the crew. The next choice to be made is the destination of the retreat. Depending on the nature of the threat, this could vary. In the event of an enemy carrier charging your position, it is best to retreat towards an island where shallow waters allow for accurate 160mm fire. In the event of an air attack, it is wise to flee in a direction which strains the fuel reserves of the attacking aircraft or towards an island with friendly turrets. The basic retreat ignores the use of aircraft. Players in basic retreat will often let their aircraft run out of fuel before allowing them to land on the carrier either through fear of detection or loss of situational awareness. Sometimes, a carrier in basic retreat may choose to leave behind ground vehicles in the path of their retreat as a way to inflict damage on the threat typically through IR missiles or 100mm shells.

An advanced retreat incorporates the use of aircraft but can be more difficult to execute due to the level of attention needed to ensure the safety of the carrier, ground vehicles, and aircraft. An advanced retreat is triggered when a hostile aircraft is spotted by an early warning AWACS aircraft greater than 25 kilometers from the carrier. This advance warning time is sufficient to disperse all sources of attention away from the carrier including lights from barges, vehicles, and aircraft. This makes the carrier more difficult to spot from the incoming aircraft. The carrier is then piloted in a new direction away from the anticipated line of advance and either retreats out of bounds (covered in the section after this) or to a neighboring friendly island where a defense can be mounted. If these tactics do not conceal the carrier and the intruding aircraft spot the carrier, manage defensive weapon system power distribution to maximize speed at all times while only turning on CIWS and AA missiles to fire briefly at targets. Once parked in the shallow waters of an island, deploy ground vehicles and razorbills around the carrier to defend using IR countermeasures, sonic pulse generators, and even smoke which can conceal the carrier’s precise location inside a large cloud. While under attack and stationary, launch a counterattack with the intention to follow the enemy axis of attack and strike back. At this point in the match, this will be the only way to escape pressure applied by enemy air attacks. These guidelines apply with the assumption that the retreat is away from aircraft and not a carrier.

The out of bounds retreat protects the carrier by avoiding detection completely, allowing the carrier to hide in a section of the map unlikely to be scouted but consuming massive amounts of time and fuel. Tall waves in the deep ocean make the edges of the map good for hiding the silhouette of the carrier against the sky and dodging IR missiles. The outside edge of the map can also be a good place to station units with bright light signatures like barges or needlefish. This strategy was used in Tricky's 14th PvP match where a team had no airframe production opportunities and instead of facing the remaining team head-on, circumvented the entire map to attempt capturing a player-controlled airframe island. This effort failed when the carrier was immediately bombed upon detection. This strategy has historically led to the loss of teams in player versus player matches and should only be used as a last resort.

Smoke may be deployed roughly 100 meters upwind from the carrier in an attempt to conceal the carrier’s precise position and orientation. It is not yet known if layered smoke conceals a unit from radar detection (displaying a red diamond in the pilot heads-up-display or triangle in the operator control screen) however previous engagements have proven the ability to see the targeting data through smoke. The duration of this smokescreen lasts roughly 20 seconds using stream launched smoke but this time can be extended to 1-2 minutes with the deployment of a smoke-equipped mule to resupply the smoke-launching unit with more smoke. This strategy is only feasible if the carrier is stationary and additional preparation is required to ensure more smoke munitions can be manufactured from captured islands.

A fleet of needlefish may be used to aid in the defense of an aircraft carrier either as a diversion or direct fire support. Among the needlefish variants, CIWS needlefish are most effective in deterring high accuracy airborne weapon releases against a carrier. Gun needlefish are most effective in defending the carrier in surface naval warfare. The low ammo capacity of the torpedo needlefish (2) and the slow missile speed from the cruise missile needlefish make these variants less capable in a defensive role. Experience has shown that a flotilla of more than 5 CIWS needlefish alone is not sufficient to successfully defend an aircraft carrier from airstrikes, but a fleet of needlefish in combined with other defensive measures may have the ability to mount a successful defense. This strategy is one of the most expensive and time consuming methods and should be considered well in advance of the time when it is needed.

This strategy follows the common phrase: “the best defense is a good offense” and in Carrier Command 2 player versus player tournaments, this has proven to be true time and time again. To prevent the enemy from mounting dangerous attacks on your carrier, this strategy calls for attacking the enemy before they have the capability to attack you. Typically, this is done by locating the enemy carrier early with reconnaissance aircraft. Attacks can either be done in small bursts spread out over a long period of time or in strong waves with long time gaps in between. Both types of attacks have their advantages and disadvantages but the general consensus is that strong wave attacks with long gaps in between are more successful in deterring the enemy carrier from launching its own attacks and successful in winning the match. Most players will suspend all operations not directly related to the defense of the carrier during an attack, allowing your team more time to prepare a more devastating attack. Oftentimes, the first team to seize the initiative in a match by launching an air strike is able to maintain this momentum as long as they are able to maintain air superiority and intelligence superiority. It should be noted that this method of defense is unsustainable without intensive logistical operations and makes your carrier easier to visually spot through aircraft and barge lights.

A bear trap is the defensive variant of the bear drop. This strategy calls for leaving a bear with a battle cannon in the ocean where an enemy carrier is likely to sail through. A single bear is capable of destroying an enemy carrier either from a distance of less than 2 kilometers or by sneaking inside the enemy vehicle bay undetected and destroying the carrier from within.

A reaper trap derives its name from the observed defensive behaviors of the team Grim Reapers Naval Ops. A reaper trap is intended to be a final fallback location where an aircraft carrier can make its final stand in surface action and more recently has evolved to defend against air attacks. In surface action, the enemy will flee towards the fallback island with a cove-like coastal feature where many CIWS turrets may be built along the rim of the island to protect the carrier. While en route to the fallback location, bears with battle cannons and seals with IR missile launchers will be dropped into the ocean with the intention of damaging your carrier as you charge their location. Once in the cove, the enemy carrier pivots to face you head on which allows their 160mm gun to traverse and fire with minimal delay. To guide in accurate artillery fire, an aircraft with a gimbal camera is launched and used as the primary firing platform for 160mm rounds. The carrier viewing scope is also used to deploy cruise missiles and the torpedo station is used to fire an intense spread of torpedoes in groups of 4. More recent evolutions of this strategy have included razorbills with flares and sonic pulse generators to divert incoming air dropped munitions and CIWS equipped ground vehicles to aid the ship CIWS systems. In rare situations, smoke may be employed to obscure the view of the enemy carrier. This is an extremely effective defensive position and should not be approached within 5 kilometers at all costs. Instead, it is recommended to take advantage of the enemy’s immobility to launch increasingly devastating air attacks or precisely timed torpedoes.

A seal or walrus may be dropped onto the deck of your own carrier to aid in its defense via the employment of CIWS, IR countermeasures, or sonic pulse. This can even be done early in the match and the vehicle can be parked in the workshop on deck 4 to prevent the vehicle from falling overboard while the carrier is in transit. Manually targeted CIWS fire is capable of intercepting large volumes of missiles or with greater difficulty, bombs.

A shield bug refers to an aircraft (usually razorbill) which loiters near the aircraft carrier while defending from an enemy air strike. Equipped with IR countermeasures or sonic pulse generators, the shield bug flies near the dropped munitions and either diverts or destroys them to protect the carrier from damage.

A slow reaction force can simply be an aircraft in the carrier hangar equipped for air to air combat. This method requires early-warning to be effectively implemented since the 10 kilometer radius provided by the carrier radar is typically not sufficient to launch and intercept aircraft before they can inflict damage on the carrier.

A quick reaction force is a group of aircraft in the immediate vicinity of the carrier which are airborne. These aircraft are typically equipped for air to air combat and early warning via AWACS or gimbal camera. While possibly effective in defending the carrier from an air strike composed of slow aircraft, this method is ineffective in stopping mantas from reaching the carrier and inflicting damage. This method also draws attention towards the carrier via flashing aircraft strobe lights making your carrier easier to detect.

A basic combat air patrol (CAP) is a group of aircraft equipped for air to air combat and early warning via gimbal camera or AWACS. These aircraft patrol large areas in directions where the enemy is most likely to approach. Great distance is put between the CAP and carrier to allow sufficient time for the carrier to either flee in a new direction or launch CAP reinforcements to intercept the incoming threat. A CAP’s main objective is to protect the carrier by either destroying enemy aircraft which breach the patrol area or divert enemy aircraft away from the carrier’s true position and delaying the enemy aircraft until it runs out of fuel. A basic CAP consists of 1 manta and 1 albatross and it is typically positioned 20-30 kilometers away from the carrier to cover 1 suspected enemy axis of advance.

An intermediate combat air patrol (CAP) requires greater numbers of aircraft to either cover more suspected enemy axes of advance or add layers to the patrol route to increase the lethality of the CAP system. A layered CAP typically has 1 group of aircraft 20 kilometers from the carrier and a second group 40 kilometers from the carrier or even further. Replacement CAP aircraft are launched when the patrolling aircraft is at 50% fuel. Patrolling aircraft are recalled from their route only when the replacement aircraft arrives on station to ensure no gaps in security exist.

An advanced combat air patrol is supported by a surface-based radar network and numerous AWACS aircraft to allow enhanced situational awareness. It consists of multiple layers with the outermost patrol exceeding 60 kilometers with AWACS support. These aircraft are typically equipped for air to air combat and anti-shipping weapons so that if the enemy carrier is spotted, the opportunity may be taken to immediately inflict damage and disrupt enemy operations. An advanced combat air patrol not only defends the carrier but also dispatches detachments of fighter aircraft to sweep enemy territory for vulnerable hostile aircraft, further disrupting enemy operations. This strategy requires a strong supply line and a high income to purchase the sufficient equipment for continuous operation. Aircraft are constantly swapped out to ensure no lull in operations takes place by launching replacement aircraft when the patrolling aircraft is at 50% fuel.

Airframe attrition targets the enemy’s aircraft production facility and forces them into a defeat by systematically destroying every air asset in their possession. Here, it is vital to act quickly since even the most difficult islands can be captured less than 30 minutes from starting a match. This strategy only works if the enemy is denied the ability to manufacture air assets and you have captured one for yourself. Carefully conduct sweeps of enemy territory to destroy all enemy air assets especially those related to island capture. Over time, the enemy team will be forced to relocate their carrier to an airframe island to attempt a ground assault where you may have the opportunity to destroy their ground forces as well. This strategy is incredibly situational yet consistently leads to victory.

Deploying combat air patrol (CAP) aircraft without the intention of recovery is the peak of operational capability and material expense. By eliminating the need to recover aircraft, their fuel range is essentially tripled and your carrier is permitted to remain stationed in deep seas where launches can be done safely with the aid of the “deck hold” button, and you are less likely to be detected. This strategy requires a strong supply line and extremely high income.

Sending messages into the general chat during a match can momentarily distract the enemy or prompt a response thereby delaying enemy decision making. Messages of a confusing nature may cause the enemy to change operational plans or focus their attention on a specific element of the battle. Oftentimes the best defense against chat operations is to completely ignore public messages.

A basic diversion is any operation which causes the enemy to momentarily stop what they are doing and focus on the new operation. This may be done for a multitude of reasons, but most commonly to conceal the carrier’s true position. An example of a basic diversion is sending barges in directions away from the carrier’s true location. Another example may be launching torpedoes in the general vicinity where you wish to pretend the carrier actually is since torpedoes are rarely equipped on aircraft. These torpedoes will then appear on enemy AWACS radars and attract attention. Basic diversions require a low number of assets, usually 1-2 and employing few if any weapons.

An intermediate diversion employs an increased number of assets and weaponry to create the appearance of a carrier’s true location. This is typically done with rotorcraft which inherently have a small operational range and typically are only used near the carrier. These vehicles can however be stored on islands where they may wait and conserve fuel while the carrier exits the area. Other aircraft may circle the location at low altitude to mimic a carrier holding pattern. Barges can also be gathered near the decoy location to give the impression of a carrier onboarding supplies. An intermediate diversion can only be sustained for a few minutes before either being dissolved or realized as a decoy and thus rendered ineffective.

An advanced diversion occurs when every action taken by a carrier is done to conceal its location including the rerouting of air assets to approach the enemy from false attack vectors. A more permanent distraction can be built to imitate a carrier formation using needlefish in a wedge formation missing the formation leader, barges in a cluster, ground vehicles with CIWS, smokescreens, and rotorcraft on nearby islands to mimic short-range operations. This type of diversion is expensive and difficult to maintain if the enemy realizes that the decoy area does not in fact contain a carrier, but this approach may give you valuable time to execute other operational plans which may take longer to implement.

A delayed remote capture is simply clearing all the enemies from an island, but not deploying virus bots until a significantly later time into the mission in order to ensure the carrier is not close to the island being captured. The recently implemented Revolution mod in Tricky’s PvP tournaments has made this less effective since the new fog of war does not allow players to see the alignment of islands greater than 25 kilometers from a friendly asset. In spite of this, delayed remote captures still add increased operational safety in matches without the Revolution mod or similar fog of war feature. The one obvious drawback is that resources will not reach the carrier as quickly, but experience in games so far have proven that safety typically outweighs resource gathering.

The execution of multiple delayed remote captures at exactly the same time can help to obscure the carrier’s true location. This was done in Tricky’s 14th PVP match where 5 islands were captured at once using chained remote capture. This made it more difficult for the enemy to know the true location of the carrier and allowed the carrier to escape the area undetected.

Barges are relatively affordable once a (3-4?) number of islands are captured.

On Scouting

Barges have no intrinsic radar or spotting capability, you can literally ram the enemy carrier and not be able to spot it. Another unit is needed to spot other units. That being said the mere presence of an enemy unit on radar may be enough to significantly distract an enemy carrier’s operations with the mere cost of 1000 credits and a waypoint.

Defensive Torpedo Screen

Fortunately, Barges are quite tanky, other than a sustained IR or Torpedo campaign, it takes 5 large bombs to kill a barge in one pass. Barge bomb A valid strategy would be to set barges on a follow command on a retreating carrier to pull away torpedoes. As torpedoes tend to track whatever is in front of it it would be very useful to have a barge near carrier in anticipation of enemy contact to draw away a torpedo. Barring that at least in this commenters opinion it is always useful to have a seal (usually S1-4) to drop in the water as an additional torpedo screen.

Offensive operations

Barges can be used in a supporting offensive role as well, to clutter the enemy readouts with surface contacts, and serve as a screen for forward deployed needlefish. What a team might dismiss as just two barges floating in radar range harmlessly may conceal an approaching gun needlefish going in for the kill.

Self imposed barge limits and performance issues.

As discovered in this video as of the economy update, having ‘too many barges’ can have significant to severe performance issues in a multiplayer game (GR 2022–10-14).(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D731hNs5gTg) Thus its a gentleman’s agreement to limit total number of barges to just 7 as of time of this document.

Potential of an Assault Barge Mod.

As of late 2023 the Assault Barge mod, which allows for the carrying of ground units from radar seals to CIWS to Mules to a bear is not in current standard PVP mod loadouts. The primary reason is due to speed, the barge gets caught on crests of waves and stalls out, and since torpedoes now have a proximity effect a stuck barge can lose all ground units without the ability to move defensively. However it has been proven again and again that a properly placed bear can wipe out a carrier team and the reader would benefit from at least becoming familiar with the mod and how to load on units. (From the front between the lights. There is a slight ‘invisible overhang that retains the ground units). A speed update to the assault barge mod would make the strategy viable again, and a section will be added to this document in the event that it becomes standard.

Note from the author:

Barge reconnaissance and the operation of more than 2 barges per barge island and warehouse island has been unofficially banned by the hosts of Tricky’s PvP matches due to the unconventional nature of the tactic and a proportional increase in lag to the number of barges active in the match.

Oftentimes, recon aircraft may discover the location of the enemy carrier but have no means of inflicting damage. In this event, it may be productive to fly the aircraft in a way that mimics a bombing run. This can distract the crew causing them to waste defensive munitions, delay aircraft launch/recovery, and waste time in general. This is especially recommended if the aircraft is not required to be recovered or a constant surveillance of the enemy carrier is not necessary according to the captain’s judgment.

This strategy is typically used by inexperienced players to acquire supplies required for operation. This situation typically occurs when a player realizes supplies are running low. The player then orders the supplies, waits for them to be produced, then once the supplies are built, they wait for the supplies to be delivered to the carrier. During this series of events, all operations on the carrier are halted leaving the carrier in a vulnerable state to enemy air strikes.

Preemptive ordering calls for the production of supplies which are possibly needed at some point in the future as soon as islands and funds are available. The supplies are then delivered to the carrier before they are needed. This allows the carrier to continue operations as usual but may in some cases not provide the exact supplies needed to conduct future operations possibly leading to some degree of reactive ordering.

Mass manufacturing occurs when a player uses a surplus of money to produce high volumes of many types of supplies on islands despite no pressing need for these supplies. This method is expensive but allows the player to instantly deliver a wide variety of needed supplies instead of waiting for them to be manufactured. One drawback to this strategy is that in the event of an enemy team capturing an island with a large stockpile, the enemy team is now able to steal these supplies and use them against you.

Minimal manufacturing is different from mass manufacturing by producing fewer materials and offloading them from islands as quickly as possible in order to reduce the risk exposure related to losing the island to an enemy team.

When an enemy team is close to capturing an island of yours which contains many supplies, an island cleanout is when barges extract all supplies from the island to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.

Barges can be looped between the carrier and ship if the crew is task overloaded. In general though this is preferable for production with long build times that are continuously ongoing (Airframes, large bombs), and discouraged with production islands that product lots of small or quick munitions (flares, small munitions, rockets in particular) and have a tendency to ‘stick’ the barge to the island until production is complete. In which case it is better to just continually load up a set amount and either ‘remember’ to send the loaded barge over, or fix the amount of quick munitions so as soon as the order is complete they are on their way to the carrier.

In anticipation of capturing a vital island such as heavy munitions, airframes, and sometimes utility and turrets, a barge should almost always be standing by the carrier logistics permitting. Not only does it allow for quick and immediate loading on capture in a game that rewards efficiencies, but it can also serve as an impromptu torpedo screen.

Note from the author:

Standby barges are also recommended when trying to deliver large volumes of supplies to the carrier in one single trip. Routing the barge to pickup supplies and deliver them only when the desired supplies are finished being manufactured is the fastest most efficient way to deliver supplies to a carrier but requires more intense situational awareness and attention to detail, drawing attention away from combat operations.