Originally Posted by Root

Is there any real distinction between support and assualt roles for PR helos, in terms of the way we employ them? Should there be? This isn't a pilot-specific question. If you're trying to grab flags you might prefer the 60 minguns engaging bad guys or you might prefer the 60 pilot to be ferrying troops in. For the pilots amongst us, if you prefer using a particular type for a particular role do share your thoughts.

Yes there is a difference between support and assault roles. When youre using a helicopter for assault your goal would be to fly around the flag suppressing any enemies, you dont really have a specific target to take out, its just "Hover around and shoot everything that moves".
On the support role you would have specific targets to take out (Vehicles, RPs, other helicopters, a group of enemy infantry inside a building that has windows, etc) and you would actually have to watch your fire to avoid killing friendly units.

The use of transport helicopters as a gunship isnt a good idea simply because they dont have the ability to attack with their front at the enemy.
This means that to attack enemies the pilot must face the enemy with his side, this makes it far easier to fire at the helicopter in a way that would seriously injure if not kill the pilot. (Nade/rocket to the cockpit or a well placed rifle round of 2.)
Its like using the large transport helicopters for hovering around enemy infantry to draw fire so you would assist friendly infantry by drawing fire and distracting the enemies. The tactic can be useful and has its uses, but using it also puts the entire helicopter in a far greater risk than just landing the helicopter somewhere, letting the troops that were in the helicopter get out and then return to base.

Another use for helicopters (Mostly the chinese and MEC ones.) is calling in artillery on targets for the commander from the pilot or door gunner seat.


Basically, attack helicopters should stick to specific target elimination and specific area infantry suppression while transport helicopters should stick to transport. The transport helicopters could be used as gunships, but its a better idea to avoid it unless youre looking for a good LZ.
The entire concept of a transport helicopter being a gunship is just silly since a medic or 2 would revive whoever will get killed by it anyway.


The roles of the helicopters in 0.5 as i see it :

AH-1Z/WZ-10 (Steel Thunder, not sure if theres even another map in the rotation that has attack helicopters besides for Al Basrah and Steel Thunder) - Tank hunting and suppressing infantry around a specific flag.
Another use that i saw on the server at one point was using the ATGMs to get rid of the enemy arty but im not sure if it would be allowed or not on the server. (A direct hit could easily blow up the arty.)

Little Bird - Transport to areas that are too small for a black hawk to land in and H-AT launch platform.

Armed LB - Killing snipers, scouting, harassing attack helicopters, harassing APCs/Tanks (The LB with the rockets on Steel Thunder) and suppressing infantry in small areas.

No idea what the chinese light helicopter is called - Same as the armed LB but minus the APC/Tank part and with the use of a H-AT launch platform. Also useful as a spec ops transport.

UH60 (Black Hawk) - Moving squads to large open areas as the damn thing is impossible fly anywhere with less than 5 meters empty at each side. Not very useful as a H-AT launch platform since its very unstable.

MEC Helicopter (Mi-8?) - Scouting, H-AT launch platform and moving squads to just about anywhere in the map because the thing is impossible to lose control of.

Z-8 (Chinese Helicopter) - Scouting, remote and safe arty calling (Qwai River), H-AT launch platform and transportation in a fashion similar to the MEC helicopter. It should be noted that the Z-8 feels heavier than the other helicopters in the game so you need to be slightly more careful when landing it if you want to avoid it flipping to its side.

Merlin (Only on Ghost Train) - Crashing into trees, testing the option of dropping inf from the trees, flying around to annoy the Z-8 and somewhat of a transport. Considering that it has a total of 6 seats its not very useful for transporting squads since you have to leave someone behind.

That LB on Jabal that always spawns in the water for some reason - Besides for entertainment, it doesnt have an actual role.