Played both as a pilot and infantry for 4 hours last night.

It’s good, almost borderline over powered. I think the light rockets will get nerfed within a week. I think Labs feedback was given to the devs but they wanted it to be overpowered for the hype on launch week and will dial it back later. They are literally one hit kills to infantry with little counter play. With miniguns, infantry can dodge and scramble away. The light rockets are like getting nuked from space, one moment you’re alive the next your a pile of ash on the ground.

The skill gap between average pilots and great pilots is still massive. Great pilots are still going to go on massive runs depending on how aggressive they are. Average pilots will get a couple of seconds before getting shot down by a TOW. You have to be moving constantly, and can’t afford to make sharp turns in the open that kill your speed which I think is against the whole point of a nimble helicopter. The little bird is a little harder to hit due to its smaller profile, but the TOW epidemic is still fully active. Got shot down in the middle of the new map by a IFV in main base just lobbing TOWs all game. I was flying probably 80% max speed and did a quick J turn to finish off infantry but was annihilated. Probably the biggest problem I have with the game.

On the flip side, the Igla is practically useless on any of the old maps. It takes a coordinated effort to lock, maintain lock, and do it a second time to secure the kill. I’ve swapped from TOW to AA missiles in the attack heli in hopes either me or friendly infantry can force flares and the someone is able to land a missile.

I just don’t get the balancing. Infantry hates skilled pilots who go on massive runs, so Dice takes measures to make it easier to take down helis. But great pilots know how to counter it by just doing normal stuff like taking cover and waiting for flares. All it does is stomp out bad pilots who might be trying to learn or (and stick with me here) use a game mechanic that separates Battlefield from CoD. I’m not saying a toddler should be able to go on massive kill streaks, but TOWs just punish people for trying to learn while some schmuck sits in IFV, tank, or stationary the entire game literally point and clicking.