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To spawn a conditional ace in ACE COMBAT 8: WINGS OF THEVE, check the missing entry in Data Viewer → Campaign Data → Campaign Assault Records, replay its mission on Veteran difficulty or higher, meet that mission’s specific trigger, shoot down the ace, and complete the sortie. One reported dependency matters: defeat Shadow 24 in Mission 18 before trying to spawn the Lux Lunae 22nd Unit in Mission 28. These hidden conditions come from launch-week guides, not an official Bandai Namco roster.
How ace spawns and Assault Records work
Launch guides report 83 campaign Assault Records: 52 entries for mostly scripted special units and 31 for conditional named enemy aces. The 31 aces are the entries that require a mission-specific action rather than simply progressing through the campaign. The counts are reported by PowerPyx’s September 29, 2026 guide and KeenGamer’s October 4, 2026 guide; Bandai Namco has not published the hidden trigger roster.
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The guides say conditional aces require Veteran, Elite, or Ace difficulty. A lower setting may suit ordinary campaign progress, but it reportedly will not satisfy this ace-spawn requirement. Once an ace is down, finish the mission: the kill alone does not save the Assault Record.
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- Find the gap: Open Data Viewer → Campaign Data → Campaign Assault Records and note which entries are missing. Use the missing entry to identify the mission rather than replaying every mission at random.
- Set an eligible difficulty: Choose Veteran, Elite, or Ace. Veteran is the least demanding setting reported to qualify.
- Plan for the trigger: Read the condition for that mission and build your route around it. Depending on the ace, guides describe clearing non-target aircraft, reaching a kill threshold within a time limit, protecting mission assets, or flying through a particular route.
- Engage the ace: When the named aircraft appears, prioritize it before destroying the last required target if that would end the encounter.
- Complete the sortie: Finish the mission after the kill so the record registers. Do not quit, abandon, or restart if you want to keep the entry.
Mission 28 has a reported prerequisite
Before attempting to spawn the Lux Lunae 22nd Unit in Mission 28, shoot down Shadow 24 during Mission 18. PowerPyx and KeenGamer both report this cross-mission dependency. If the Mission 28 entry remains missing, check the Mission 18 record before repeating the later mission.
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Examples of mission-specific triggers
These early-mission examples show why there is no single action that spawns every ace. They reflect launch-week guide reporting and are not a complete roster.
| Mission | Ace | Reported trigger |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gigas | Destroy all non-target enemy aircraft. |
| 2 | Crematio | Destroy at least four enemy aircraft within three minutes of mission start. |
| 3 | Raia | Destroy the bombers before they reach the stated range of White Valley Base. |
| 4 | Auster | Fly into the tunnel. |
| 6 | Flamma | Destroy at least five targets within three minutes of mission start. |
PowerPyx and KeenGamer agree on the overall pattern and several early triggers, but their guides were published soon after launch. Individual names or later-game details may be corrected; consult the relevant guide entry if a specific trigger appears disputed.
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What completing the ace set unlocks
Launch guides report that each conditional ace has a special aircraft paint scheme, and that completing the set is tied to the A Record of Rivalry achievement or trophy. Check the in-game record and achievement tracking as you progress rather than assuming a sortie counted simply because the ace was destroyed.
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