Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve comes with a massive list of aircraft to unlock and use in the different game modes, and not all of them are built alike. While aircraft have different roles, some of them are more powerful. This might be just their build capacities, or their in-game abilities.
In this guide, I will go through all the aircraft on the current roster and how they fare in the game.
Complete Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve aircraft tier list
For the offline campaign, you won’t need to worry too much about the aircraft you are using. The choices will be mostly predetermined. When it comes to the multiplier, however, you can have complete freedom to choose which aircraft you want to use. It will depend on the total number of options you have at your disposal. To separate all available aircraft, I have used four different tiers.
- S-tier aircraft are among the strongest ones to use in the current game.
- A-tier aircraft are slightly weaker compared to the S-tier names in terms of their in-game abilities and firepower.
- B-tier aircraft will need proper setups to excel and dominate in online games.
- C-tier aircraft fill average in terms of prowess and abilities.
S-tier
| Aircraft | Reason |
|---|---|
| F-22A | Arguably the best stealth option and perfect for PvP. The base firepower ranks it in top of the charts. |
| FA-36 Game | One of the best aircraft for beginners due to its all-rounded capabilities. |
| Typhoon | You have plenty of potential to when it comes to adding payloads and increasing its firepower. |
| Su-57 Felon | One of the best alternative to the F-22A when it comes to stealth fighters. |
| Su-47 Berkut | Strong firepower, unique ability, and great movement speed — this aircraft boasts it all. |
| ADFX-02 Morgan | While the aircraft is very fun to use, it’s locked behind the Premium Ace Pass Season 1. |
A-tier
| Aircraft | Reason |
|---|---|
| Su-355 Flanker-E | While it’s one of the fastest aircraft in the game, you’ll need to be precise your weapon usage. |
| Rafale M | This is one for those who love close-quarters combat. |
| F-35C Lightning II | A good stealth option which isn’t as powerful as the F-22A or the Su-57 Felon. However, you can use it in different roles. |
| F14D Super Tomcat | While this aircraft offers one of the longest ranges in the game, I am not a fan of how the weapon systems work. |
| Gripen E | In expert hands, this is an S-tier choice due to its sheer agility. However, you’ll also need to master its movement unless you want to become cannon fodder. |
| F/A-18C Hornet | This is the best starting choice in the game since it’s easy to master its movement and the firepower is decent. |
| Mirage 2000-S | A good all-rounder that doesn’t excel in any specific department, but it also doesn’t have any glaring weakness. |
| F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | A perfect choice in situations when you face plenty of anti-surface resistance. |
| F-15C/J Eagle | A pacy aircraft that comes with excellent defense and evasive mechanisms. |
B-tier
| Aircraft | Reason |
|---|---|
| Su-33 Flanker-D | While it’s a beginner-friendly carrier to fly, it really struggles against pacier aircraft. |
| F-16C Fighting Falcon | An agile fighter, but it’s outdone by other aircraft that operate in similar role (mentioned in the tiers above). |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | I love the damage it does, but it also struggles in defense. |
| MiG-29A | Good option as a beginner to learn close-quarters combat. |
| EA-18 Growler | While the aircraft doesn’t excel in any specific area, it’s a great hybrid option to have. |
C-tier
The following aircraft aren’t bad, but they have better alternatives in their respective roles.
- MiG-21 bis Fishbed
- F-4E Phantom II
- F-14A Tomcat
- MG-31B Foxhound
- A-10C Thunderbolt II
- Su-34 Fullback
- Su-244M Frogfoot
- EA-6B Prowler
- A-6E Intruder
With new models coming to the game in future, the tier list could shake up slightly based on how they perform. If you’re struggling with graphics, you can use this guide to get the best possible results.
