Hot Air Balloons are enemies that function similarly to Helicopter Gunships; appearing in fleets and dealing damage to the player's Plane via either periodically launched homing energy missiles or direct contact. They are exclusive to Stage B3.
Appearance[]
Hot Air Balloons have a bright yellow envelop held in place by a black spiky frame and a black basket below. Inside the basket is a soldier, who resembles a friendly survivor, that presumably controls the Balloon while launching the missiles.
Behavior[]
General[]
Functionally similar to Helicopter Gunships, five Balloons are found travelling as long fleets, in a horizontal trajectory from one edge of the screen to the other. Two extra Balloons are added to each fleet on Nightmare difficulty level.
When in view, Balloons fly at slow speed while discharging homing projectiles, leaving off-screen after some time and breaking active Chain Bonus if left intact.
When damaged, a red health bar appears below the Balloons then disappears after being left undamaged for a while, displaying the remaining health.
Balloons can be collided with, similar to Helicopter Gunships and Prop Plane enemy types. Intersecting them with the Plane causes damage to both aircraft until either one is destroyed or both pass through each other. Due to their high health, Balloons are able to deal significantly more ramming damage than Prop Planes, but the potential amount can be decreased by draining their health with other weapons. Both any active Energy Shields and Balloons are destroyed instantly when colliding with each other.
Armament[]
Balloons launch deep blue homing energy missiles at a medium constant rate that increases with higher difficulties. These missiles travel at moderate speed and home toward the player's Plane with a great accuracy, dealing heavy damage on impact. The missiles and their Balloons can be distracted by active Holo Granny decoys.
These projectiles only damage the Plane (and phase through other enemies) and cannot be destroyed by its projectiles and Laser power-up. However, it can be absorbed by Energy Shields, destroyed by Mega Bombs and Iron Clad's Main Weapon Supercharge shockwaves, and slowed by Slo Mo Chan's ability.
Strategy[]
- A fleet of Hot Air Balloons is highly dangerous: a swarm can cause large number of high-damaging and accurate projectiles to quickly accumulate. Therefore, utilize everything to destroy them as fast as possible, such as memorizing their spawning locations and rapidly unleash bursts of Main Weapon Supercharge at them. Do not be afraid of activating power-up against them.
- Never attempt to collide with Balloons; they have high health and staying near them will risk being hit by their swarming missiles. Even attempting such thing with Energy Shield is a waste; use it to absorb their missiles instead.
Trivia[]
Hot Air Balloons' projectiles appear to be reused from the missiles launched by Arachnotron (the final boss of Sky Force Anniversary) throughout its fight, only those missiles were red in color instead of deep blue.