Ace Combat 8 Mission 15: Wings of Wax Guide and Ace Route

Clear Ace Combat 8 Mission 15 Wings of Wax with a practical target order, Ace condition, loadout plan, and replay checklist for safer fleet-defense runs.

Quick answer: make the mission objective your target queue

Ace Combat 8 Mission 15, Wings of Wax in Operation Deal Cards, is easier when you stop treating every red contact as equal. The practical route is to identify the objective-critical threat, make one clean attack pass, level out, and check the mission state again before returning to a dogfight.

Bandai Namco has not published a full written Mission 15 walkthrough. The mission name, route details, and hidden Ace condition below are therefore marked as community-reported where appropriate. PowerPyx's campaign walkthrough is a useful route reference, but verify your HUD and current objective during the sortie.

Need	Best first response
First clear	Follow the briefing and remove objective threats before cleanup enemies
Safer replay	Preserve special weapons for the phase that changes the objective
Ace hunt	Learn the trigger before chasing the optional target
Rank attempt	Finish a clean route first, then refine speed and score on replay

Mission 15 identity and what is confirmed

Community walkthrough sources identify Mission 15 as Wings of Wax, with the operation name Deal Cards. That naming is useful for search and replay planning, but it is not a replacement for the in-game briefing. If your target list, phase timing, or aircraft availability differs, follow the live mission objective over any written route.

The most transferable lesson is target discipline. Fleet- or objective-defense missions punish tunnel vision because an enemy that is not directly in front of you can still be moving toward the failure condition. Use the radar to find the current high-priority contact, then turn back only after the threat is removed.

Information type	How to use it
In-game HUD and radio calls	Final authority for the current run
Official game pages	Best source for modes, aircraft roles, and system announcements
Community route reports	Helpful for spotting hidden conditions and replay options
Old video footage	Useful visual practice, but may not match every setting or patch

For campaign-wide phase reminders, use the all-30-mission walkthrough. For the broader mission order and aircraft-role choices, see the Ace Combat 8 missions guide.

A practical target-order plan

Start every new phase by asking what can end the operation before you complete another turn. That question is more useful than trying to memorize a single flight path. If a marked target is launching, approaching an ally, or tied to a countdown, it belongs ahead of ordinary fighters.

Priority	Look for	Why it comes first
1	Current objective marker, countdown, or attacking threat	It can change or fail the mission immediately
2	Large or high-value enemy linked to the phase	Removing it often advances the operation
3	Enemies blocking your next clean pass	They create risk but are not always the win condition
4	Isolated fighters and leftover score targets	Save these for a stable moment

Fly the pass, then reset

Approach from enough distance to see the target and its escorts.
Use one deliberate attack pass instead of chasing through the target's turn.
Break away before terrain, clouds, or nearby enemies erase your view.
Level the wings, read the HUD, and identify the next mission-critical contact.
Re-enter from a new angle with missiles or special weapons saved for the real priority.

This rhythm is especially useful with Expert controls. Roll only as far as needed to set the attack angle, pitch through the turn, then recover to a level attitude before you search. The difficulty and Expert controls guide explains how Standard and Expert schemes change that process.

Community-reported Ace condition

PowerPyx lists an optional Ace trigger for Mission 15: destroy one Ladon, then defeat the named Ace before destroying the second Ladon. Treat this as a community route condition rather than official publisher documentation. It is easy to miss because normal target clearing can end the opportunity before you look for the Ace.

Ace-hunt step	What to do	Why it matters
1	Begin a replay after you can clear the normal mission reliably	Avoids losing the operation while searching
2	Identify the first Ladon and destroy it	Community reports use this as the trigger start
3	Scan immediately for the named Ace	The optional target can be lost if you advance too quickly
4	Defeat the Ace before the second Ladon	Community reports identify this as the critical restriction
5	Finish the mission normally	Confirms the run rather than abandoning it after the Ace

The full condition is documented in PowerPyx's Assault Records guide. Use it as a checklist, not as permission to ignore the in-game objective.

Loadout choices that support a clean first clear

The official game information divides aircraft into fighter, attacker, multirole, and electronic-warfare roles. For Mission 15, favor the aircraft you already control consistently and choose special weapons that match the mission's real target mix. A familiar multirole setup is often safer than switching to an unfamiliar specialist for one replay.

Mission problem	Practical loadout idea	Avoid
Air threats interrupting the objective	Fighter or multirole with reliable air-to-air weapons	Burning all missiles on distant low-probability locks
A mix of surface and air contacts	Multirole aircraft with flexible ordnance	Bringing a pure ground setup without reading the briefing
Tight visibility or crowded airspace	Aircraft you can turn and recover confidently	Changing aircraft and controls on the same attempt
Ace attempt after a clear	Keep the known successful build	Rebuilding the entire loadout for a single optional target

If your run fails because a protected unit takes damage, the answer is usually a better target queue rather than a more expensive aircraft. If it fails because you cannot maintain a firing angle, practice the maneuver on a familiar mission before returning to Mission 15.

Turn Mission 15 into a repeatable replay

Once you clear the mission, separate your replay goals. A first clear, an Ace hunt, and a high-rank run require different priorities. Trying to accomplish all three without knowing the phase changes tends to produce slow, inconsistent sorties.

Replay goal	Primary focus	Secondary focus
First clear	Objective survival and phase transitions	Saving enough ammunition
Ace condition	Ladon order and immediate scan	Finishing the normal route safely
Better rank	Efficient target order and clean movement	Reducing dead travel time
Control practice	Smooth roll-pitch recovery	Score only after the route feels stable

Community reports can be excellent at finding optional targets, but a strong run still begins with the game itself: briefing, HUD, radio calls, and the target list. That approach also carries into the S Rank guide, where repeatable objective control matters more than a risky chase.

FAQ

What is Ace Combat 8 Mission 15 called?

Community walkthrough sources call Ace Combat 8 Mission 15 Wings of Wax and list Operation Deal Cards. Check the in-game briefing for the final wording in your run.

How do I find the Mission 15 Ace?

According to community-reported Assault Records guidance, destroy one Ladon, locate and defeat the named Ace, then avoid destroying the second Ladon before the Ace is down.

What is the best aircraft for Ace Combat 8 Mission 15?

Use the aircraft and air-to-air or multirole loadout you can fly consistently. The mission objective and target priority matter more than changing to an unfamiliar aircraft branch.

Should I chase the Ace on my first Mission 15 clear?

No. Clear the normal mission first so you understand the phase changes. Then replay specifically for the community-reported Ace condition.