Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward starts over Tyler Island, where friendly forces, Erusean factions and civilians are caught in the same chaotic battle. The enemy markers aren’t always immediately identified, and your job changes several times: clear hostile forces, protect refugees from being overrun and then stop two supply ships launched from the mass driver.
It’s the last part that catches a lot of players out. You can handle the ground battle perfectly and still fail if the supply ships escape. Keep an aircraft with good acceleration and reliable air-to-air missiles ready, because once those two targets launch, there isn’t time to wander around finishing off the remaining enemy fighters.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward walkthrough: clear the hostile units
Operation Reflux begins with UNKNOWN contacts on the HUD, followed by identification information from Long Caster’s data link. This is different from the previous mission, Last Hope, where you had to maintain the camera’s identification view yourself. Here, pay attention as enemies become marked and destroy the mission-designated hostile targets.
1. Identify targets before attacking
At the beginning of Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward, don’t assume every aircraft or ground vehicle is on the same side. The island has several factions fighting one another. Watch the incoming identification and target markers, then prioritize units threatening Osean forces or the mission objective.
There are enemy aircraft, tanks, helicopters and ground defenses scattered around the area. You can use multi-target weapons against confirmed hostile groups, but don’t waste time chasing unrelated aircraft while the main objectives remain active.
2. Defend the civilians and refugees
The mission later updates when a group of civilians is threatened by enemy forces. This part has a tighter time limit: destroy the hostile units designated as targets before the refugees are overrun. Watch for the marker identifying the endangered group rather than simply attacking the largest cluster on the radar.
During Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward, the civilians’ location becomes important to the story, including a signal used to identify them. Clear the attackers and defensive emplacements near them promptly. If you’ve been saving a good air-to-ground attack for later, this is an excellent time to use it.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward: how to stop the two supply ships
After the refugee defense, the mission updates again. Two supply ships are launched from the island’s mass driver, carrying material intended for the remaining Arsenal Bird. They must be destroyed before they get beyond your reach and into the aircraft’s defensive network.
3. Turn toward the launched ships immediately
As soon as the two supply ships appear on the radar, stop fighting ordinary enemy aircraft. Accelerate toward the first ship, climb or descend to match its altitude, and fire once you have a good lock. Don’t wait for a perfect point-blank shot if it’s already escaping.
In Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward, the ships can disappear into cloud cover, which makes them hard to track visually. Use the mission target marker and radar rather than relying on seeing their silhouettes against the sky. After destroying the first, turn immediately toward the second and repeat.
4. Don’t get distracted by the escort fighters
Enemy fighters appear during the interception, but the supply ships are the actual failure condition. Long Caster warns you to prioritize them. If you waste the launch window engaging escorts, the ships can cross into the Arsenal Bird’s network and the mission fails. Keep turning, accelerating and taking missile shots until both designated supply ships are down.
Best aircraft and special weapons for Homeward
A flexible aircraft is useful for the early ground and air targets, but top speed and acceleration matter particularly in the final chase. In Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward, standard missiles handle the supply ships, while a strong air-to-air weapon can make them easier to hit quickly. Don’t rely entirely on slow ground-attack weapons if you know the launch phase is where you’re losing.
You’ll also want to avoid getting stuck in low-altitude fights over the island immediately before the launch. Keep enough speed and room to accelerate toward the mass driver’s outgoing track.
How to spawn MANTIS in Mission 17
MANTIS is the optional F-35C ace in Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward. On a replay at Normal difficulty or higher, fly above and very close along the length of the mass driver’s launch rail during the first part of the mission. MANTIS then joins incoming fighters and bombers from the east.
Because the aircraft initially appears as UNKNOWN, pay attention to the identification markers before assuming you have spotted the named ace. Hunting MANTIS is optional, and the low pass along the mass-driver rail is something to attempt after you’ve already learned the main objective sequence.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward: common failures and questions
Why do the target labels keep changing?
Communications are unreliable and multiple factions are fighting on Tyler Island. Watch the objective updates and target identification instead of treating every UNKNOWN as an enemy. The mission is not a repeat of the exact camera-identification mechanic from Last Hope.
Why do I fail after saving the civilians?
You’ve probably let one of the two supply ships escape during the final update. As soon as they launch, pursue and destroy both. The fighters around them are secondary unless they’re preventing you from landing a shot.
Can I destroy only one supply ship?
No. Both are mandatory. For Ace Combat 7 Mission 17 Homeward, destroying the first ship is only half of the last objective, so turn immediately to intercept the second.
Read our Ace Combat 7 Mission 16 Last Hope guide for the preceding escort mission. Here, the biggest difference is how fast the battle pivots from an island defense into a pursuit.
Official game information and images: Bandai Namco Entertainment.
