Quick answer
Mission 15 is "Wings of Wax" (Operation Deal Cards). It takes place over the Spring Sea.[1][2] It has no mission medal.[1]
The one confirmed optional goal is a hidden enemy Ace. It appears after you destroy the first Ladon, and you must shoot it down before you destroy the second Ladon.[3]
Clearing the mission earns the Bronze story trophy Downing a Dragon.[4]
Mission 15 at a glance
| Item | Mission 15 |
|---|---|
| Mission name | Wings of Wax[1][5][2] |
| Operation | Deal Cards[1][5][2] |
| Location | Spring Sea[2] |
| Mission medal | None[1] |
| Story trophy | Downing a Dragon (Bronze), on any difficulty[4] |
| Hidden enemy Ace | Name and aircraft not yet listed. PowerPyx shows "?" for both.[3] |
| Comes before | Mission 16, Singer[1] |
How to get the hidden Ace: the steps in order
PowerPyx's Assault Records list gives the trigger as "Appears when 1 Ladon is destroyed (Must kill ace before destroying second Ladon)".[3] Combined with the general Ace rules, this is the full chain:
- Play on Veteran or higher. Named Aces only spawn on Veteran difficulty or above.[1]
- Destroy one Ladon, then stop. The Ace appears once the first Ladon is down.[3]
- Shoot down the Ace before you touch the second Ladon.[3]
- Finish the mission. The kill only counts toward your Assault Records if you complete the mission after it.[1]
Missed it? You do not need a new campaign. After your first campaign clear, you can replay Mission 15 in Free Mission on any difficulty you have unlocked.[1]
Mission 15 and S rank
- An enemy Ace kill is worth "around 2000 points each", according to PowerPyx's S-rank guide.[6] On a score run, the hidden Ace is worth taking, as long as it does not cost you too much time.
- Taking no damage in a mission gives a 5,000-point bonus. Restarting from a checkpoint after a death costs points.[6]
- As of October 1, 2026, PowerPyx's Ace-difficulty S-rank walkthrough has only a video for Mission 15, with no written route.[6] The exact S-rank score for this mission is not confirmed in any written source we could check.
More on scoring: S rank requirements.
Not confirmed yet
We could not find a written, bylined guide for these, so we do not list them:
- The full objective sequence
- The time limit
- A recommended aircraft and special weapon for this mission
General plane advice is on best planes. The full mission order is on missions list and length.
Sources & References
- KeenGamer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE – All Missions List (Rafly Wibowo, Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Ace Combat Wiki (wiki.gg): Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve/Missions ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 All Assault Records & Enemy Aces (Sep 29, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- KeenGamer: ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE – All Trophies List and Platinum Roadmap ↩ 1, 2
- The Click: ACE COMBAT 8 Mission List (PaulD, Sep 30, 2026) ↩ 1, 2
- PowerPyx: Ace Combat 8 All Ace S-Ranks Walkthrough (Oct 1, 2026) ↩ 1, 2, 3
