Ace Combat 8 Mission 5 is an escort, and the eight LCACs making for the beach are what matter. Retaking of Theve goes wrong quickly if you spend too much time chasing enemy fighters instead of protecting those landing craft. Deal with the aircraft and artillery threatening them before you get distracted by less urgent targets. Later, when the assault turns into a withdrawal, keep the survivors covered until they cross the return line.
The two optional challenges sound similar, but they don’t ask for the same thing. The Proud Shoulders medal asks you to evacuate at least four LCACs, while the hidden Ace Custos requires every landing craft to survive the initial landing phase. Those are two different checks. A mission clear doesn’t automatically mean you’ve satisfied either of them.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: Retaking of Theve walkthrough
1. Protect the landing craft on their way in
Make the eight LCACs your reference point on the radar. Early Mirage fighters can harass your formation, while enemy ground batteries pose a serious danger to the slow-moving craft. Intercept the fighters that are attacking your allies, then remove the long-range howitzers rather than spending the opening minutes in a drawn-out dogfight. Each second matters more for the LCACs than for your personal score.
Cloud and darkness make this more stressful than a straightforward escort. It’s easy to lose a missile lock or the position of a landing craft while you’re fighting. If a target disappears into cloud, don’t keep firing at a weak lock. Get closer, regain a good angle and attack. Keep checking the blue allied markers: they’re the easiest way to spot which landing craft is under pressure while you’re looking elsewhere.
2. Clear the threats during the landing
Don’t assume reaching the beach ends the escort. The landing phase is still running until the operation changes, and Custos only becomes available if all eight LCACs make it through that opening section. Keep an eye on aircraft and artillery near the boats. You can use your wingmen to spread the defence, but it is safer to personally attack whichever threat is closest to an LCAC in danger.
Losing a craft doesn’t automatically end the story mission. If you’re attempting the hidden Ace, however, one loss during the landing phase is enough to spoil that trigger. Restart while the situation is still fresh rather than playing the rest of the mission expecting Custos to appear.
3. Cover the withdrawal to the return line
The landship artillery then forces a retreat. Don’t be so far away chasing fighters that the landing craft are left undefended on the way back. The surviving LCACs need to evacuate, and your job is to keep enemy aircraft and ground threats off them until they reach safety. Follow their movement towards the return line rather than chasing optional targets away from the convoy. The mission ends once the surviving craft are safely out of enemy range.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: Proud Shoulders medal
For Proud Shoulders, the important number is four successfully evacuated LCACs. Four surviving on the beach isn’t enough if some are destroyed before reaching the return line. Don’t count the medal as yours until at least four have actually escaped.
How to spawn Custos in Ace Combat 8 Mission 5
Custos flies a Su-25SM. Finish the campaign first, then launch Mission 5 through Free Mission on Veteran difficulty or above. Keep all eight LCACs alive through the initial landing section. When the mission switches to withdrawal, Custos appears towards the southwest of the map. Intercept him, destroy his aircraft and complete the sortie to add the Assault Record.
For the Custos collection run, Veteran is the sensible choice. The attackers are less punishing than on Elite or Ace, so you’ve got more room to keep the whole convoy intact. Don’t confuse the conditions. Eight safe landings are needed to reveal Custos; four successful evacuations are enough for Proud Shoulders. If you’re going for both in one run, keep all eight alive for as long as you can.
Why Ace Combat 8 Mission 5 keeps failing
If LCACs are being destroyed before you can respond, prioritise the long-range ground threats sooner and stop chasing fighters that aren’t attacking the convoy. If missiles won’t lock, leave the dense cloud, close the range and try another angle. If you lose sight of the convoy at night, bring up the wider radar rather than guessing where it went.
And if Custos refuses to spawn despite a successful evacuation, look back at the landing phase. The Ace check happens earlier than the medal’s final survival count. You can rescue enough craft for Proud Shoulders and still miss Custos because one was destroyed during the original landing attempt.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5 FAQ
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: How many LCACs are there?
Eight allied landing craft take part in the opening operation. Protect them all if you want Custos. For the campaign medal, at least four must make it through the later evacuation.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: What if one LCAC sinks?
One loss on the approach rules out Custos, but it doesn’t automatically ruin Proud Shoulders. You can still get the medal if four or more landing craft reach the return line. Fewer than four escapes means another attempt.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: Can I earn the medal without Custos?
Yes. Proud Shoulders and Custos are tracked separately. You don’t have to play at Veteran for the medal alone, but the post-campaign Veteran-or-higher rule applies to hidden Aces.
Ace Combat 8 Mission 5: What’s the most useful loadout?
Bring a plane that can quickly handle enemy fighters and ground artillery. A pure anti-air loadout leaves you exposed to the guns hurting the LCACs; a pure bomber struggles with the air cover. A flexible multirole setup is a sensible choice for the escort.
