Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day is the first proper score-attack mission for Spare Squadron. You’re given 15 minutes to hit the required points total in Roca Roja, and you must stay alive until the clock runs out. There is no boss to defeat and no benefit in hanging around one empty base once the easy points are gone.
The map looks busy, but you don’t have to wipe it clean. Make a quick pass over the southern airfield, work across the eastern base, then hit the dense complex in the west. Groups of ground targets are much easier points than a long chase after a lone aircraft.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day: score needed to complete the mission
There’s no single score target for every player. The mission requirements change with your selected difficulty:
| Difficulty | Destruction points needed |
|---|---|
| Easy | 11,000 |
| Normal | 17,000 |
| Hard | 20,000 |
| Ace | 24,000 |
All four difficulties give you 15 minutes. For Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day, you win by beating your difficulty’s point requirement before time runs out. There isn’t a final enemy you need to hunt down after reaching the score threshold, but the mission continues until the fifteen-minute timer reaches zero.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day: best target route
For a first clear, head towards the southern airfield from your starting position. After its densest groups of targets are gone, move to the eastern position, then the larger western or northwestern complex. That last area has plenty of grouped ground targets and the tunnel used for KITTEN’s optional spawn. The biggest time-waster is doubling back for one tiny vehicle while an entire cluster remains untouched nearby.
- Equip something for grouped ground targets. The A-10C with unguided bombs is a strong first-clear choice if you’ve unlocked it. An agile multirole aircraft with air-to-ground weapons also works and will handle the later drones more comfortably.
- Make the first pass through a dense target area. Destroy buildings, fuel points, aircraft on the ground and other marked enemies you can reach without sharp manoeuvres.
- Move to the next base once the cheap points are gone. The score bar matters more than getting a perfect clear of the first location.
- Watch for airborne threats. Enemy aircraft and MQ-99 drones may engage you. Shoot down those directly threatening your run, but don’t abandon an efficient ground route to chase distant targets.
- Check your score, then watch the clock. Reaching the requirement does not end the mission. You still have to survive until the full 15 minutes have elapsed. For S rank, keep collecting points up to 27,000.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day rewards efficient ground attacks more than chasing distant fighters. A decent aircraft with air-to-ground special weapons makes each pass count, but ordinary missiles and guns will still help clean up the targets that survive.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day: resupply at the return line
There’s a Return Line on the eastern side of the map. Cross it to enter the resupply sequence, where you can replenish ammunition and repair your aircraft before returning to the operation area.
The briefing says this supply facility is reserved for the regular forces, and Bandog is not pleased when Spare Squadron uses it. It still works. You’ll be reprimanded, but using it doesn’t make the mission fail. It’s particularly useful if you’ve exhausted your special weapons while you still need a few thousand points.
Don’t trek across the whole map just because your special weapon has run dry. Save the return-line trip for when you genuinely need ammunition or repairs, then get back to the remaining target groups.
How to unlock KITTEN in Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day
The optional F-14D KITTEN requires a replay of Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day after you’ve completed it once, with the difficulty set to Normal or higher. Its trigger is an unusual flying challenge rather than a destruction requirement.
At the westernmost base, fly through the tunnel. KITTEN then appears in the southwest of the map. The tunnel itself is a tight space, so approach carefully and keep the aircraft lined up before entering. This is worth doing on a separate attempt, when you don’t also have to worry about squeezing out every destruction point for a first-time clear.
Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day: how to get S rank
An S rank requires at least 27,000 destruction points. Unlike many other Ace Combat 7 missions, this one does not use the same kind of combined time-bonus threshold. You still have the mission’s 15-minute limit, but the critical number for S rank is the actual score from destroyed targets.
Start with dense ground targets, keep your special weapon firing whenever there is a worthwhile cluster, and don’t waste time attempting difficult drone shots while untouched bases remain available. If you’re short towards the end, some of the aircraft and vehicles near the runway areas provide extra destruction points, and you can use the return line to reload if ammunition becomes the limiting factor.
Why Ace Combat 7 Mission 06 Long Day won’t finish early
If you’ve reached the score but the mission keeps running, that’s expected. You’ll only see the result after the full 15-minute timer expires. If you’re still short of the score, double-check the requirement for your selected difficulty. A score that clears Easy may still be several thousand points short on Normal, Hard or Ace. Then zoom the radar out and look for another group of ground targets rather than continuing to fly over a base you’ve already emptied.
If ammunition is the problem, remember the eastern return line. If time is the problem, stop chasing scattered airborne contacts and head for the next dense collection of ground targets. It’s a mission about efficient point gathering, not about shooting down every enemy on the radar.
Visit Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat 7 page for official details about the game.
