Progressing wave after wave
To get far, a steady routine beats flashy plays. Here is the one we recommend.
Before the wave
Open the hangar (M key) to check your bombs and credits. Get into position before the enemies arrive, near the center of the screen, to keep room in every direction.
During the wave
Shoot enemies down one at a time without rushing: about five more enemies per wave are enough to trigger the boss. Watch your health bar, which goes from green to orange to red, and dodge rather than absorb hits.
When the boss arrives
A warning announces the boss and it starts firing a few seconds later. Position yourself, keep firing and save your bombs to speed up the end of the fight. Our boss tips detail the method.
After the boss
Visit the hangar: spend your credits on bombs or your next jet (see earning credits), then head into the next wave.
The numbers behind each mission
The first boss appears after three kills. From mission 2 on, the boss comes when your total kill count reaches five times the mission number: 10, 15, 20, and so on up to 60 in mission 12. The game keeps up to ten enemies on screen at once. Enemy damage grows with every mission: a collision costs you about 10 health points plus 1.5 for each mission number, so about 12 in mission 1 and 28 in mission 12. An ordinary enemy bullet costs about 5 points plus 0.8 for each mission number, so it goes from under 6 to about 15.
How to adapt your plan
In the early missions you can chase kills, because enemy bullets are weak and the boss comes quickly. From mission 7 on, flip the plan: stay near the middle, let enemies come to you, and spend your health points on bosses, not on small mistakes. After each boss you recover 35 health points, so a good habit is to finish a boss when you are low, since the repair comes right after. Read the campaign guide for the danger of each mission.