To earn every S-rank in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, first clear the campaign on Elite to unlock Ace difficulty and Free Mission mode. Then replay each sortie in Free Mission with an aircraft and weapon loadout suited to its targets, and balance score-building kills against the mission’s time limit. The S-rank threshold varies by mission, so there is no single aircraft or route that guarantees every rank.
What you need to unlock first
PowerPyx’s October 2026 guide says that completing the campaign on Elite unlocks Ace difficulty, Free Mission mode, and the FA-36 and X-40 aircraft. Free Mission lets you take unlocked aircraft, parts, and special weapons into individual missions, making it the practical place to pursue missed S-ranks.
The campaign has 30 missions. According to the same guide, earning an S-rank on all 30 at Ace difficulty unlocks the Ace of Aces trophy or achievement. The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, according to Bandai Namco’s official game page. Bandai Namco announced a worldwide release date of October 2, 2026, in its launch announcement.
How S-rank scoring works
PowerPyx describes rank as depending on completion time, enemy destruction, bonus targets, and mission-specific objectives. The exact score requirement changes from mission to mission. That means the objective is not simply to destroy everything: prioritize targets that add meaningful score or satisfy an objective, while avoiding detours that put the time requirement at risk.
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- Target value: High-value targets and named enemy aces can contribute worthwhile points. PowerPyx estimates an enemy Ace kill at around 2,000 points; treat that as an approximate figure from the guide, not a guaranteed value for every encounter.
- Damage: PowerPyx says finishing a mission without taking damage awards a 5,000-point bonus. Pursue it when your route and skill make it realistic, but do not sacrifice essential objectives or too much time chasing a flawless run.
- Optional targets: Bonus targets and clusters can help, but only if the score is worth the time and weapon expenditure. Mission objectives take priority.
- Time: A long diversion may erase the value of extra kills. Learn the mission’s main route, then add optional targets only where they fit naturally.
Choose a loadout for the mission, not for the whole campaign
Start by identifying what the sortie asks you to fight: air targets, ground installations, ships, an escort threat, or a major weapon. Then select an aircraft and special weapon that can engage those targets efficiently. The official Bandai Namco gameplay overview describes varied flight and combat systems, upgrade parts, and special weapons; PlayStation.Blog likewise identifies air-to-air, ground-attack, anti-ship, and giant-weapon mission types, with more than 30 aircraft across fighter, attack, multi-role, and electronic-warfare roles.
PowerPyx broadly recommends the X-40 with UAVT, but cautions that its precision and limited ammunition make it a poor fit for dense ground-target clusters. For those missions, the guide recommends area-effect air-to-ground weapons. This is the guide author’s loadout advice, not an independently tested universal ranking. Match precision weapons to discrete targets and area-effect weapons to groups, and consider ammunition capacity when a mission spreads targets across a large area.
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Use a repeatable approach for each replay
- Open the mission in Free Mission on Ace. Confirm that the selected aircraft, parts, and special weapon are available for that sortie.
- Read the target mix before choosing a setup. Decide whether the mission emphasizes air, ground, naval, escort, or boss targets, then fit the loadout to the work rather than defaulting to one plane.
- Identify score opportunities and their cost. Note bonus targets, named aces, target clusters, and mission-specific tasks. Include optional targets only when their detour is compatible with the time limit.
- Fly the objective route first. Deal with threats that directly affect mission progress, then take nearby high-value opportunities. Avoid chasing a low-value target far off course.
- Review the result and adjust one variable. If the score is short, add a valuable target or improve objective completion. If time is the problem, shorten the route or skip an inefficient detour. If damage undermines the run, prioritize safer engagements before attempting the no-damage bonus.
When a checkpoint restart is worth it
PowerPyx says a checkpoint restart does not automatically disqualify an S-rank in every mission, but generally makes the rank harder by reducing evaluation points. Restarting after a slow or failed opening can still be preferable to continuing a run that has already lost too much time or scoring potential. Use the mission result, rather than assuming every restart has the same effect.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is and is not covered for all 30 missions
PowerPyx’s October 1, 2026 guide provides detailed route advice for Missions 1–10, including target order and some ace appearance triggers. Its accessible text lists the headings for Missions 11–30 but does not include their corresponding route instructions. It would therefore be misleading to present specific routes for those missions here. Use the scoring and loadout method above as a framework, and consult mission-specific instructions where available rather than treating an inferred route as verified.
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