ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29, Selene, is a one-on-one boss fight against the X-40 Nightmare rather than a normal mission full of targets. Operation Lunar Eclipse tests whether you can read the boss’s movements, wait out its protective drones and evade the railgun before committing to your own attack. Trying to win by firing both missiles the moment you get a lock will make the fight harder than it needs to be.
There are major story spoilers ahead, including the final phase of the encounter. This walkthrough covers the shield UAVs, railgun attacks, the separate nose unit at the end and the hidden ace Prudens, which you can unlock on a later Free Mission replay.
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29: Selene boss fight walkthrough
Choose an air-to-air loadout
For ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29, bring a strong fighter with reliable air-to-air special weapons. The mission is an aerial duel, so there is no reason to spend a slot on heavy surface-attack equipment. There is also no return line or landing point where you can replenish ammunition. That means every wasted volley matters, particularly when Selene is temporarily protected by her shield drones.
1. Don’t fire into the opening shield
When ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29 begins, head towards the X-40 Nightmare. You may be able to get a lock early, but its protective UAVs are still active. Hold off on firing until the drones separate and become their own targets. Order your wingmen to spread attacks and use special weapons against the drones, then destroy the ones you can reach. Reducing the escort makes it harder for the boss to rebuild its rear-facing electromagnetic shield.
Don’t sit directly behind Selene emptying your missile stock. Instead, watch for the moments when the shields separate and your weapon has a real path to the aircraft. If you see the protective formation returning, switch your attention to the drones again or reposition for a later attack.
2. Watch her heading and evade the railgun
During ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29, Selene will turn towards you and attempt to fire a railgun. Keep the short-range radar visible and look for the warning when she’s facing you. A sharp turn away from the attack is more reliable than flying straight at the boss just to hold your missile lock. Once the railgun shot has passed, use her recovery and turn to line up another attack.
Anticipate the X-40’s next turn instead of chasing where it was a moment ago. If you can see the direction she’s banking, turn into a better interception angle. Keep enough speed for an evasive manoeuvre if the warning returns.
3. Use spaced missile shots
The boss in ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29 takes several hits, but firing both standard missiles at once isn’t always the best approach. Space your launches so you can correct your angle between them. When Selene flies low, take the easier opportunities to land hits. She will climb rapidly again and resume the railgun threat, so don’t follow a low pass into a vulnerable straight line simply because the target is in front of you.
This is the part where patience beats aggression. In ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29, a few accurate shots over several passes beat a huge volley fired into a sharp turn. Let the wingmen work on other threats and concentrate on keeping your own nose pointed toward the next useful opening.
4. Destroy the detached nose unit
After you’ve dealt enough damage to the main X-40, a smaller nose section detaches and continues flying. The boss fight isn’t over yet. Follow the close-combat prompt that appears on screen, move into the specified mode and use your gun and missiles on the detached target. The final attack ends the fight and completes the mission.
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29: How to unlock Prudens
Prudens is the optional Su-57 ace in ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29. It can appear after you’ve completed the campaign and returned in Free Mission on Veteran difficulty or above. Head towards the CN Tower-style landmark by the eastern coastline, then look for the intact road overpass near the curved waterfront and dock. Fly underneath the bridge, not just along the shoreline, to trigger the ace.
Once you’ve flown beneath the bridge, Prudens appears from the southeast. Since the Su-57 uses stealth, its radar contact may come and go as you approach. Keep checking for the named aircraft while watching the boss’s railgun. The extra enemy is optional and makes the fight more complicated than a straightforward story clear.
ACE COMBAT 8 Mission 29: Why Selene’s missiles don’t seem to work
In the opening phase, the protective UAVs block effective hits, so a missile lock is not proof that the boss is vulnerable. Wait for the escort to separate, destroy the drones and then use the opening. Later, the X-40’s sharp turns mean that an apparently good lock can still lead to a miss. Fire when your approach is stable and be ready to dodge the next railgun shot.
If you’ve already defeated the main body and the mission still isn’t over, look for the detached nose unit and the on-screen close-combat prompt. You haven’t reached a damage bug; there is one more target to finish.
What is the easiest way to beat Mission 29?
Ignore the optional ace on your first attempt, clear the shield UAVs, evade the railgun and take controlled shots at the main aircraft. When the nose section detaches, switch to the prompted close-combat phase rather than trying to fight it like an ordinary distant fighter. That’s the sequence to remember if you want to finish the story without repeatedly restarting the duel.
Official game information: Bandai Namco Entertainment’s ACE COMBAT 8 overview.
