Yeah the chaff pod method was what I always used. You also had to avoid the AMG's when you were retreating, but they always made that distinctive sound when they were fired, so I'd check the rear view to see if I needed to move. They moved slow enough they weren't usually a problem. And, if you were on an attack run and far enough out, a slight course change would make them miss, while you still kept your lock. WC2 capships were the hardest to kill, imo, and that combined with the rear turrets on fighters really upped the difficulty between 1 and 2. Capships in WC1 were a joke. The only time they were a slight danger was if you approached them head on and they hit you with a missle.