Air Superiority

Air Superiority is a multiplayer game mode in Battlefield 1943 and the upcoming Battlefield 3 expansion pack, End Game.

Battlefield 1943


Air Superiority mode's first appearance was in Battlefield 1943. At the release of the game, the mode was locked until the community achieved 43 million kills per console. The mode was unlocked on both platforms within a week and a half, but received mixed reception mainly because of the gameplay issues and lack of maps.

Gameplay
The United States Marine Corps have access to two Yorktown class aircraft carriers, which spawn two F4U Corsairs on each carrier and have two 40mm Bofors anti-air guns at the rear of each carrier.

The Imperial Japanese Navy have access to two Shokaku class aircraft carriers, which spawn two A6M Zeros on each carrier and also have two 40mm Bofors anti-air guns at the rear of each carrier.

At the center hill of the map, there is a flag located beside a bunker and radio tower there. The minimap shows players the capture area of this flag, which is enormous for such a flag.

Most of the map is out of bounds, so if a player bails out of his plane above the sea or a hill, then he/she only has 9 seconds until they die.

Entry into the enemy's aircraft carriers is allowed, but players will not gain any points for killing enemies there.

Objective
The only objective in the Air Superiority mode is to eliminate the enemy aircraft and secure the air above the map. In order to take the control of the air the team must have more players in the air than the opposite team. Leaving the aircraft carrier or the plane once you're away from the carrier results in death within 9 seconds. The team which runs out of tickets first loses the match.

Issues

 * The mode received mixed reception mainly because of gameplay issues (uneven spawning on the two carriers leaving one mostly empty), limits which make the mode restricted compared to other modes and lack of maps.
 * Some players noted that the mode is flawed because it was added to the game at the very end of production and from a technical view the mode is basically Conquest with one flag and large capture radius.

Battlefield 3: End Game
Air Superiority is scheduled to return as one of the two new multiplayer gametypes in the End Game expansion for Battlefield 3 alongside Capture the Flag.

Gameplay
In End Game's Air Superiority, two teams of up to 24 players must take control of three control points in the map by clearing the skies of any enemy fighter jets nearby.

The United States Marine Corps have access to F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets, while the Russian Ground Forces have access to SU-35BM Flanker-E fighter jets.

The control points, all called "Control", are white, indestructible dirigibles floating in one spot.