Strategies To Conquer Skull's Airport: A Comprehensive Guide

The Skulls are a tough enemy unit in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the first real boss fight of the game. The unit comprises four members, each with an additional layer of armour that can regenerate over time. The fight takes place at an airport, and the player must also avoid the infected personnel supporting the Skulls. Strategies for beating the Skulls include using a sniper rifle, bringing Quiet as a companion, and taking advantage of the QTE when they go CQC. Players can also use the D-Walker with a Gatling Gun upgrade, climb onto the roof of the airport and throw grenades, or use the anti-air emplacement weapon in front of the airport building.

Use the D-Walker with the Gatling Gun upgrade

The D-Walker is one of Big Boss's buddies in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It is unlocked as a Buddy after completing Mission 13.

The D-Walker is initially used as a support buddy for assault scenarios. It can also be used as a quick means of transportation across the open world. However, it has many upgrades that can be developed to make it a more versatile tool in the field.

One of the early upgrades for the D-Walker is a mounted Gatling gun, which can be used to great effect in the fight against the Skulls. Here is a strategy for beating the Skulls using the D-Walker with the Gatling Gun upgrade:

As soon as the mission begins, get on the D-Walker and start blasting bullets at the Skulls. This will cause them to cease zipping around and perform a Mist attack. Keep your distance when this happens, as the black smoke they emit will rust the D-Walker and render it useless. With nifty skills, the D-Walker can kill all four Skulls in under 5 minutes.

While using the D-Walker, stay mobile and be mindful of the Skulls' attacks. They have a variety of attacks, including metallic shards (both projectile and spikes), a machete, machine-gun fire, and the Black Mist. To avoid the metallic shards, simply jump away or shatter them with a sniper rifle or AA gun. Stay mobile and dive away when you see orange swirls on the ground to avoid the spikes. The machete attack can be countered by pressing the R2/RT button at the right moment or by diving away. Keep your distance to avoid machine-gun fire. And, as mentioned, stay away from the Skulls when they emit the Black Mist to avoid rusting your D-Walker.

Using the D-Walker with the Gatling Gun upgrade is an effective strategy for taking down the Skulls quickly. However, it is important to stay mobile and be aware of the Skulls' attacks to make the most of this strategy.

Use the Anti-Air Gun at the airport

To beat the Skulls at the airport using the Anti-Air Gun, follow these steps:

First, as soon as the mission starts, locate the Anti-Air Gun emplacement in front of the airport building. This weapon has rapid-fire capabilities and can kill a Skull in less than 30 seconds. However, be cautious as the other Skulls can teleport behind you and destroy the gun.

With the Anti-Air Gun, you can get 2-3 free kills. Aim for the heads of the Skulls to take them down quickly. Their armour can regenerate over time, so focus your fire on one Skull at a time to prevent wasting ammo.

Additionally, keep an eye out for their attacks. The Skulls can produce stone, spire-like objects and throw them at you. These are easy to dodge by jumping to the side. However, be aware that they can also materialise these objects right next to you, which will explode after a few seconds, causing serious damage or even killing your character.

If you run out of ammo, you can call in a supply drop and select the roof of the airport building as the drop zone to avoid unnecessary risk.

Using the Anti-Air Gun is just one strategy to beat the Skulls at the airport. Other effective methods include utilising the D-Walker with the Gatling Gun upgrade, bringing Quiet along and equipping her with the Sinful Butterfly weapon, or climbing onto the roof of the airport building and using a strong Sniper Rifle and Rockets.

Take Quiet with you, and equip her with the Sinful Butterfly weapon

To beat the Skulls at the airport in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, it is recommended that you take Quiet with you and equip her with the Sinful Butterfly weapon. Quiet's powerful sniper rifle can take out half of the Skulls' health in one shot.

At the start of the mission, put down Kaz and go to the far end of the bridge. Place explosives at a certain point on the bridge, sneak out, and shoot one of the Skulls in the head. This will cause the Skulls to teleport to the bridge, where you can detonate the explosives.

Alternatively, you can climb to the roof of the airport building and call in a bombardment. The Skulls will congregate at the edge of the building, where you can shoot them with mortars.

If you take Quiet with you, she will spend the first few minutes shooting the puppets, so you will need to give her the order to fire at the Skulls by marking them with binoculars. Quiet can kill each Skull with three direct shots, and with Snake's backup fire, they will be taken down almost instantly.

Another strategy is to use the Anti-Air (AA) gun in front of the airport building. The AA gun can kill a Skull in less than 30 seconds, but be careful as the other Skulls can teleport from behind and destroy the AA gun.

To defeat the Skulls, you must first deplete their armour before you can do any physical damage. Their armour can regenerate over time, so it is best to fight them one by one. Keep your distance and stay mobile to avoid their attacks, such as the metallic shards that they hurl at Snake or create under him.

The Skulls will constantly shoot at Snake, so be prepared for their attacks and keep your distance. With Quiet by your side and the right strategies, you can beat the Skulls at the airport.

Use the roof of the airport building to your advantage

The roof of the airport building can be used to your advantage in several ways when facing the Skulls. Firstly, it provides a vantage point that can help you get a better view of the battlefield and plan your strategy accordingly. From the roof, you can also mark 2-3 members of the Skulls unit with binoculars, allowing you to track their movements even if they change position or camouflage themselves. This is especially useful as it enables you to focus on eliminating them one by one, which is crucial considering their ability to regenerate their armour over time.

Another advantage of the roof is that enemies, including the Skulls, cannot reach you there. While they may stand near the ladder or try to reach the roof, they will not be able to teleport onto it. This provides you with a safe position from which to launch attacks, such as leaning out to shoot or throwing grenades. If you run out of ammunition, you can also call for a supply drop to be delivered to the roof, minimising the risk of injury or capture by staying in one place.

Additionally, the roof offers protection from some of the Skulls' attacks, such as the metallic shards they hurl at you or the spire-like objects they materialise on the ground. However, be cautious as the Skulls will aggressively start launching projectiles at you when you are on the roof, so be prepared to dodge or move away from their attacks.

Use binoculars to mark members of the Skulls unit

Using binoculars to mark members of the Skulls unit is a highly effective strategy for beating the Airport level in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. This strategy allows you to track their movements, even if they change position or camouflage themselves.

As soon as the mission starts, take out your binoculars and use them to mark at least two or three members of the Skulls unit scattered around you. Try to do this before they vanish. By marking them, you will be able to track their movements, even if they change position or try to camouflage themselves. This is especially useful for preventing them from regenerating their armour.

While marking the Skulls unit, ignore the infected personnel of the airport, who will be supporting them during this mission. Try to prevent them from getting close to Big Boss, or you will lose the opportunity to complete one of the secondary missions. Keep your distance and use sprint to get away if they get too close.

Once you have marked the Skulls unit, you can then focus on eliminating them one by one, starting with getting rid of their armour. Use a sniper rifle, and if you have a companion, have them use the same weapon. Quiet is a good choice for this mission, but be sure to develop your relationship with her to a high enough level so that you can issue advanced commands.

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