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WARDOGS Pilot Progression Guide: How to Level Pilot Fast

Fly teammates to the zone, land them safely and keep the supplies coming. Every way to earn Pilot XP, the fastest route, flying tips and every helicopter unlock in Season 2.

By n0xen, . 5 minute read.

WARDOGS Pilot Progression Guide: How to Level Pilot Fast

Helicopters are the fastest way to move players and supplies across a 16 km battlefield, and the Pilot track rewards you for doing it well.

A good pilot is one of the most valued players in any faction. A bad one gets a full cabin killed in seconds. This guide covers how to earn Pilot XP, the fastest route to level up, and how to keep your passengers alive.

Pilot in one line: Fill your seats at HQ, land in cover near the zone, get everyone out alive, and keep the supply drops coming.

How Pilot XP Works

Action Reward Notes
Drop a teammate in the Control Zone ~25 XP per player, plus cash Each passenger pays separately
Passenger drop-off streak +5 XP per player in a row Builds up to 25 players
Passengers survive the drop Survival bonus Land them safely and they need to stay alive for a short time afterwards
Air-drop a small supply crate ~150 XP Crate streak adds +50 XP per crate in a row, up to 10
Air-drop a large supply crate ~300 XP Same streak bonus
Air-drop a supply pallet ~400 XP Big payout for supplying the F.O.B
Repair aircraft XP Repairs on helicopters go to the Pilot track in Season 2
Helicopter weapon kills XP Miniguns, rockets and cannons. Destroying armed enemy vehicles pays extra

These are base values from Season 2. Deliveries into the Control Zone pay more than the base figures.

Watch out: Crashing or team-killing passengers costs you around $1,500 per player. A crash with a full cabin is very expensive.

The Fastest Way to Level Pilot

Step 1: Start With a Cheap Taxi

The MH-6 needs no Pilot level and is cheap to fly. Use it to learn and to start earning.

  1. Pick up passengers at HQ.
  2. Fly straight to the Control Zone without stopping on the way.
  3. Land in cover near the zone, let everyone out, and take off again.
  4. Fly back and repeat. Each run builds your passenger streak.

Tip: Some players report transport only counts when passengers board at HQ and you don’t land on the way. Pick up at HQ and fly direct to be safe.

Step 2: Keep Your Passengers Alive

Passengers who survive the drop earn you more.

  • Land behind cover – a ridge, a treeline or the far side of buildings.
  • Never land in the middle of the Hot Zone. Set down just outside and let them move in on foot.
  • Don’t hover. Land, unload, leave.
  • Call the landing: Landing behind the factory in ten, zone is north.

Step 3: Move Up to the Z20 Lakota

The Z20 Lakota (Pilot 10) carries more players and has crate space, so you can combine transport with supply runs.

Step 4: Run Supply Drops

Supply drops are one of the best Pilot XP sources:

  • Load crates (or pallets once unlocked through your Wardog level) and drop them at your faction’s F.O.B.
  • Consecutive drops build a crate streak worth up to 10 extra payouts.
  • A well-supplied F.O.B helps your whole faction, so your Engineers will love you.

Step 5: Repair Instead of Replacing

Land at a safe spot and repair your helicopter between sorties instead of flying it until it crashes. It earns Pilot XP and saves you paying for a new one.

Step 6: Armed Helicopters (When It’s Safe)

Armed Little Birds, the minigun Lakota and the Havoc earn XP from kills, but they’re expensive to deploy. Only take them into areas without nearby anti-air.

Pilot Unlocks (Season 2)

Pilot level Unlock Unlock cost Approx. cost per deployment
– MH-6 (transport) Low Cheap
8 Little Bird AH-6M [Miniguns] $125,000 ~$12,000
10 Z20 Lakota (transport) – –
– Z20 Lakota [Miniguns] $85,000 ~$15,000
20 Little Bird AH-6R [Rockets] – ~$18,800
35 Havoc $650,000 ~$28,000

Season 2 raised the deployment cost of armed helicopters, some close to double. Check the vendor for current prices.

Flying Tips

  • Practise in training first. Learn the controls before risking a full cabin.
  • Tap the collective when landing, don’t hold it. Holding it down slams you into the ground.
  • Turn off most flight assists once you’re comfortable, so you know exactly what each input does.
  • Avoid tight, high-collective turns at low altitude. They can roll the helicopter over.
  • Fly low and fast along valleys and treelines to stay out of sight.
  • Know the threats. Anti-air launchers, Talon SAMs, the Vanguard CIWS and the Gepard tank can all bring you down. The CIWS can destroy a Havoc in around six seconds.
  • Parachutes: passengers can’t open a parachute below about 10 m, and opening one below about 50 m while falling fast causes fall damage. Land properly instead of dropping people from height.

Common Pilot Mistakes

  • Landing in the Hot Zone. It’s where everyone is shooting.
  • Taking an armed helicopter into anti-air cover.
  • Flying with half-empty seats. Wait for a full load at HQ.
  • Hovering to let people jump. Land, unload, go.
  • Never repairing. A damaged helicopter is one hit from a crash.
  • Showing off. Passengers judge pilots quickly. Fly safely and they’ll keep choosing you.

Remember: Passengers will happily fly with a pilot they trust. Get them there alive every time and you’ll never be short of passengers, or Pilot XP.

Values and unlocks are for Season 2 (Update 0.2.0). WARDOGS is in Early Access, so numbers can change between updates.

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