Seize the Heavens!
There's nothing like a healthy dose of thunder, fury, and pain to turn an average morning into some blistering white-knuckle fun. Crimson Skies®: High Road to Revenge™ offers a toy box full of feisty war birds, each with its own quirks and personality. Your high-flying playground is Xbox LIVE®, where you'll find plenty of opportunities to test your multiplayer mettle.
All the aircraft in Crimson Skies were designed to balance strengths and limits. However, all planes are definitely not created equal. The goal of this article is to give you some insights into which aircraft best suits each kind of gameplay.
Dogfighters
Over time, you'll come to appreciate these great all-purpose airplanes. Each provides a tasty and balanced blend of speed, defense, and firepower. Dogfighters are best suited to the following types of gameplay: Dogfight, Team Dogfight, Keep Away (as plane killers), and Wild Chicken.
Devastator
The first plane you get during the single-player campaign may well become your favorite. Plain and simple, the Devastator is an all-around-solid fighting machine.
- Primary Weapon: Quad-linked .30 caliber machine guns
- Secondary Weapon: Magnetic Missile
When you think Crimson Skies, think Devastator.
Piranha
Tough and nimble, the Piranha works well in a scrape with a Zeppelin or in a dogfight with a few of your friends. Use the Tesla Coils to stun your opponent, and then finish him off with your machine guns.
- Primary Weapon: Quad-linked .30 caliber machine guns
- Secondary Weapon: Twin Tesla Coils
Dust Devil
This is another all-around great plane. It's fast, agile, and with the Gatling Gun, it's loaded for bear. Once you get the feel of flying and targeting, you'll be ready to do some serious damage.
- Primary Weapon: Quad-linked .30 caliber machine guns
- Secondary Weapon: Gatling Gun
Coyote
Designed as a multi-role aircraft, the Coyote's speed and weaponry make it useful in many different situations. Its primary guns do the job with precision, and its secondary Fireball Cannon offers your foes the kind of gift that just keeps on giving.
- Primary Weapon: Quad-linked .30 caliber machine guns
- Secondary Weapon: Detonator Fireball Cannon
Vampire (New)
Though slow and heavy, the Vampire packs the Plasma Projector, which shoots balls of glowing, ass-kicking energy. Not a plane to go head-to-head with, this bird works particularly well in Team Dogfight.
- Primary Weapon: Machine gun
- Secondary Weapon: Plasma Projector
Fury
This is the quintessential dogfighter. Small and agile, the Fury was built to play havoc. Its Rapid-fire Cannon is best suited for close-range combat. Its four-rounds-per-second can deal the most damage.
- Primary Weapon: Machine gun
- Secondary Weapon: Rapid-fire Machine Cannon
The Fury can get into tight spots.
Interceptors
These tend to be the fastest planes in the sky. Even though they may pack a less-than-devastating wallop, their excellent speed and agility more than compensate. Interceptors are best suited for Keep Away, Team Keep Away, and Wild Chicken (if you're grabbing the chicken). Plus, they make great runners in Capture the Flag.
Desert Fox
If you have a need for speed, you've found your dream plane. The Desert Fox screams! Even though it's a bit fragile, it will outrun anything on a straight line. When flying the Fox, work your way up close and personal, then blast them to oblivion.
- Primary Weapon: Quad linked .30 cal machine guns
- Secondary Weapon: Triple Drunken Rocket Launcher
Bulldog
This is one of the favorite planes of the aces. It inflicts huge damage at close range. Don't back down from a fight—the Bulldog can survive the toughest scrape.
- Primary Weapon: Twin 1-inch cannons
- Secondary Weapon: Shotgun Cannon
HellHound
Another new aircraft, the fast and agile HellHound is bound to quicken the pulse of Sky Pirates everywhere. Slow down your foes with the machine gun, and then finish them off with the Burst Cannon. For a devastating triple blast, hold down the left trigger.
- Primary Weapon: Machine gun
- Secondary Weapon: Burst Cannon
This poor Zeppelin doesn't have a chance.
Zeppelin Killers
A bit slower than the others, what these planes lack in acceleration they make up for in punch. You won't go wrong choosing a Zeppelin-Killer for Wild Chicken and Capture the Flag (if you play a defensive style) or Gun Heist and Chicken Pox (if you're more into offense).
Fairchild F611 Brigand
A tank with wings, the Brigand offers a solid package for killing Zeppelins. What she lacks in speed, she makes up in guts. She'll take a ton of damage before giving up the ghost.
- Primary Weapon: Quad 1-inch cannons
- Secondary Weapon: Concussion Rocket
Firebrand (NEW)
Tough and powerful, the brand new Firebrand is the healthiest plane in the game (just beating the Brigand). You'll make major mayhem with its fireball-spitting secondary weapon, the Detonator 2. A direct hit from its fireball produces immediate damage, which increases over time. It has a slower rate of fire than the original Detonator, but it does more damage. It's the closest thing to a sniper in the game and has incredible range on its secondary weapon, which makes it great for sitting on the edge of a battle and picking people off.
- Primary Weapon: Machine gun
- Secondary Weapon: Detonator 2
Doppelganger
Heavily armed—it can inflict more damage per second than any other plane—and armored with a huge wing span, the Doppelganger is a powerhouse at blasting the big boys from the skies.
- Primary Weapon: Twin 1-inch cannons
- Secondary Weapon: Blockbuster Tank Gun
Dauphin
The Dauphin isn't fast, but it can take a pounding and dish it out with the best of them. Her main guns can deal damage quite effectively; however, the Triple Magnetic Missile might be more fun. It does the most damage of any weapon in the game.
- Primary Weapon: Twin 1-inch cannons
- Secondary Weapon: Triple Magnetic Missile
Carpe Caleum!
So, your future is up to you. Choose the plane that fits your style of battle best. Then, give your foes a double-barreled fast-pass to the long dirt nap. Carpe Caelum! Seize the Heavens!
Article by Jack Turk
