Ace Combat 8 S Rank Attempts
Trying to turn an A into an S? Record the result shown by the game, then compare attempts on the same mission and difficulty. The notebook below saves your results and route notes in this browser so you can see what changed before the next sortie.
Record a completed attempt
Copy the rank shown by the game. Use Rank Score from the results screen each time and note your aircraft, special weapon and route change. Leave score blank if you did not capture it.
Mission 7 · Pilot
0 matching attempts. Select two to compare. Up to 200 runs are saved across all missions and difficulties.
No attempts for this mission and difficulty yet. Save the first result above, then try one route or loadout change.
Rank score and MRP are different totals
Use the Rank Score under the RANK heading for this notebook. The results screen also shows an MRP REWARD section: reward totals and the damage-taken reward are not the number to enter as your rank score.
| Results-screen field | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Rank / Rank Score | Your achieved grade and the score used in this comparison. |
| Total time | The completion-time field. Round fractional seconds the same way on every run. |
| Checkpoint restarts | A note about the run. Keep restarted and clean attempts distinguishable. |
| Total rewards / Total MRP | Aircraft Tree spending and rewards, separate from the rank score. |
Practice the flight before the rank run
This flight-skills video covers Expert controls, high-G turns, missile evasion and aerial attacks. Use it to work on one manoeuvre that costs time in your own runs, then return to the notebook and compare the next completed result.
It is a general combat tutorial, not a mission-specific S rank walkthrough. For input setup, use the controls guide.
Make the next attempt comparable
- Choose one mission and difficulty. Keep the aircraft, special weapon and parts fixed for the first comparison. The aircraft comparison helps match a role to the targets.
- Capture the completed result. Write down the rank, completion time and the score field you are comparing. Record checkpoint restarts in the note, so you do not compare a clean run with a restarted one by accident.
- Change one thing. Try a different target order, one weapon choice or a shorter return route. Note the change before launching, then log the result using the same fields.
- Compare two records. A faster flight and a higher score are separate observations. If the rank stays A, keep the successful part of the route and test the next change; two runs do not establish the scoring formula.
Mission 7: give the route a purpose
For the Annihilation mission, plan your ground-target clusters and the return-line resupply before you launch. The Mission 7 guide explains chain destruction and resupply. Note whether a detour or rearm changed your time and score; changing both the route and aircraft makes the result harder to interpret.
Campaign replay and Free Mission
Free Mission is used for replaying campaign missions. Keep the launch mode in your note when comparing runs, along with any aircraft restrictions that affected your loadout. The Aircraft Tree guide explains campaign aircraft access; online progress is separate.
Ace difficulty and achievement progress
The Ace of Aces achievement calls for S ranks on Ace difficulty, with free missions included. An S earned on another difficulty is a useful practice result, but does not replace an Ace result. Keep each difficulty separate in the notebook and check your in-game mission records. The difficulty guide covers the starting settings, and the mission list helps identify the sortie.
What this notebook saves
Your records stay in this browser and are not sent to a game account. Clearing site data or switching devices removes access to that local copy. Export all runs as CSV for a backup; the export includes every mission and difficulty, not only the current filter. If browser storage is blocked, comparisons still work in the current tab and a message reminds you to export before leaving.