Beginner Guide

New pilot briefing

Ace Combat 8 Beginner Guide — First Hours Tips for Wings of Theve

Quick answer

Start on a comfortable difficulty, learn high-G turns and weapon switching, issue wingman orders early, spend MRP with a plan on the Aircraft Tree, and read briefings before loadouts. Tutorials/training are friendlier than Ace Combat 7 — use them.

Systems Intent guide

Who this Ace Combat 8 beginner guide is for

Whether you are new to the series or returning from Ace Combat 7, this Ace Combat 8 beginner guide covers the first hours of Wings of Theve: controls habits, squadron commands, progression currency, and mission prep so you do not waste early MRP or special weapons.

Before mission 1 — setup checklist

  1. Complete tutorials / training modes (developers aimed these at newcomers after AC7 feedback).
  2. Pick a difficulty you can finish without rage-quitting — raise it later for MRP multipliers.
  3. Confirm your edition bonuses (F-14A / Zero) are downloaded if you preordered.
  4. Skim controls so missile vs gun vs special weapon inputs are muscle memory.

Core combat habits that matter immediately

  • High-G turns (accelerate + decelerate together on pad layouts) create the classic Ace Combat circle fight.
  • Switch targets deliberately — do not sit on a bad lock while a SAM paints you.
  • Guns still matter in merge fights; missiles are not automatic win buttons.
  • Damage model is more forgiving on aircraft hits (not weak-point-only) — stay aggressive but do not ignore positioning.
  • Use clouds (Cloudly) as cover and as a tracking hazard — contrails/smoke help spot enemies.

Use Joker Flight — do not solo everything

You lead three wingmen. Issue Attack, Cover, Scatter, and special weapon orders. New players often ignore commands and get overwhelmed; veterans from AC5 will feel at home. Deep dive: wingman orders.

MRP and the Aircraft Tree (first spending plan)

Campaign play earns Military Result Points (MRP). Spend them in the Aircraft Tree for jets, parts, and special weapons. Branches matter — do not randomly unlock everything. Early plan:

  • Unlock one reliable multirole path for mixed missions.
  • Grab Body parts for handling and Arms parts for lock/power as you struggle.
  • Save big jumps for aircraft that match upcoming mission types.

Full systems: Aircraft Tree & MRP · Parts guide.

Briefings, dual specials, and loadouts

You can equip two special weapons. Plan both for the briefing (anti-air + anti-ground, or two air options). One special with more ammo vs two with split ammo is a real tradeoff. See briefings & loadouts.

Between missions — Endurance hub

Explore the carrier, talk to Baxter / Tasha / Coster, and absorb story beats. Skipping everything is fine for speedruns; for immersion and missable context, walk the deck. Endurance hub guide.

First-week goals

  1. Clear early missions without catastrophic retries.
  2. Learn when Cover vs Attack saves a sortie.
  3. Build a small hangar of 2–3 jets you understand.
  4. Sample Free Mission later for cleanup — Free Mission mode.

People also ask

faq“>
Is Ace Combat 8 good for beginners?

Yes — tutorials and a softer damage philosophy target newcomers while Ace difficulty remains for veterans.

What should I unlock first in Ace Combat 8?

A flexible multirole aircraft path and basic Body/Arms parts before exotic Misc parts.

Should new players use wingmen?

Absolutely — squadron orders are a core combat tool, not optional flavor.

Further reading

Related guides

Controls · Aircraft Tree · Wingman Orders · Campaign

Primary: Ace Combat 8 beginner guide. Also covers: first hours tips, Wings of Theve new player, MRP, tutorial. Independent fan guide.