The Ace Combat 8 Moon 11 boss fight does not end with a celebration. You have to face some challenges to test your might, as if it were life!
At the end, you have to bring down an X-40 Nightmare and prevent a disaster from happening. More importantly, you should face Moon 11 (Carmille Tewy) as Selene in Mission 29. Her final message carries into the ending of Ace Combat 8.
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How to Beat Ace Combat 8 Moon 11 in Mission 29
Moon 11 is Carmille Tewy, the Sotoan commander of the elite Lux Lunae unit. Moon 11 belongs to her earlier career as an ace pilot.
Selene is the tactical name recorded for her X-40 Nightmare encounter.
Your main goal is to stop Carmille from guiding a Tonitrus Spear strike onto Xanthos, the disabled nuclear-powered Land Battleship near Theve. That means bringing down the aircraft providing laser guidance.
For the fight, heed the following strategies:
- Use a maneuverable aircraft with air-to-air weapons
- Keep your speed high to stay engaged
- Before firing, wait for a more predictable flight path
One point about her hard turns which I see them as a good opportunity to land high-damage strikes. In these turns, you have a momentary lock to launch missiles.
Use wingman pressure to attack from another angle and reposition to reacquire your target when clouds break the lock. I would prioritize clean shots over trying to copy every turn she makes.
Keep attacking when the X-40 separates. Carmille continues guiding the strike from its detached nose/cockpit unit. The first shootdown does not finish the encounter. Rex must destroy the remaining unit to stop her.
Phases of Moon 11 Boss Fight
Phase 1 (The X-40 and Its Escort UAVs): You have 30 minutes. Four Escort UAVs join the fight after a dialogue sequence and shield the X-40 with force fields, so expect to deal with them as you press the attack.
Phase 2 (The Nose Unit and the Laser Designator): Shooting the Nightmare down is not the end. Once the X-40 separates, Carmille keeps guiding the Tonitrus Spear from the detached nose unit. Destroy it, then take out the Laser Designator that becomes targetable afterward.
Moon 11’s Ending Explained
Spoiler Alert: If you haven’t reached the Ending of Ace Combat 8, skip this part.
During the battle, Carmille pushes the Nightmare beyond its safety limits. Her sight is gone because of the neural strain.
She dies when Rex destroys the cockpit unit, and the aircraft explodes.
Her motive is revenge against the Enso Order for exploiting Sotoa. She wants to disrupt its cover-up by redirecting the strike toward Xanthos, but that would cause a radiological disaster. Turning against Enso does not make her plan safe for Theve, which is why Rex still has to stop her.
What Does “Hortus Regis Alti” Mean?
Before dying, Carmille asks Rex to grant her comrades’ souls safe passage to Hortus Regis Alti. According to Bandai Namco, the phrase translates to “The Garden of the High King”. It is also the name of a piece of the game’s music.
The important twist arrives afterward: the phrase is a passcode for a backdoor into Enso Order’s system.
In mission 30, it allows FCU forces to take control of an airship within the Tonitrus Rainband. Its laser guidance helps force the submarine Triumphant to surface, contributing to the fight that exposes Enso’s crimes.
Her farewell therefore does two things at once: it mourns her comrades and passes on information that can hurt Enso. Rex stops her disastrous attack, but her final message gives him another way to pursue the truth.
Is Moon 11 the Final Boss?
Ace Combat 8 Moon 11 is the boss of Mission 29, Selene, not the final mission. Mission 30, Song of Wings, follows it. Her battle closes Carmille’s story, while the consequences of her final words continue into the campaign’s conclusion.
There, your job is to protect the carrier Endurance from Enso Order’s unmanned submarine, Triumphant. It stays underwater at first and only becomes a direct target after it is forced to surface. That is where Carmille’s final words pay off: the “Hortus Regis Alti” passcode lets the FCU take over an airship in the Tonitrus Rainband, and the airship’s laser guidance is what drags Triumphant out of hiding.
Once you’ve finished the campaign, you can give your aircraft a different look for another run. Here is our guide on Ace Combat 8 Skins.
