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Questions - Air Units - 11/25/2013 3:58:59 PM

Hugolin
Matrix Trooper

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/17/2013
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Some questions and some advice to improve my understanding and gameplay...

I’m pretty awful in the Air War as Germany. I understand that in a way ‘Germany cannot win the Air War’, however I got to do better. When there’s no opposition I’m good enough (duh!), but it’s when there’s those murderous stacks of 24 Russian fighter planes start to fly around, ready to intercept, that things get ugly.

Air Units Stacking and the stacking mechanism:
- I tried to observe it, but get torn to pieces by bigger stacks. I send a stack of 20 planes (bombers and fighters) but he’s sending 48 fighters, likely incurring heavy stacking penalty, yet destroying more planes than I do, and coming out a winner…
- what exactly is that stacking penalty? Is it really punishing? Or not really?
- do you respect it, or ‘the more the merrier’? Do you care?
- do you send mix units (re. 10 Bombers with an escort of 10 FTG) to attack? How do you deal with escorts?

Attacking enemy cities:
- is attacking enemy cities, in the hope of destroying enemy planes, a good idea? Upon trying, I did not meet with any spectacular success. Russian Land Units and sometimes AA would participate in the defence, making it more costly.
- Attacking enemy cities: what is the winning way to do it? With Fighters or also bombers? In 2 waves? Feedbacks appreciated.

Air Interception
- I understand interception is automatic.
- Is the range of intercepting planes 100 (max AP)? Or 50 (Round-trip)?
- About the difficulty of intercepting small stacks or large stacks, is it as easy to spot 1 planes than to spot 20? Is there ‘spotting rules’, like bigger stacks of planes are easier to spot and intercept than smaller ones?
- Is intercepting automatic? (100% chances to succeed? Or some odds?)
- Is there a calculation of ‘chances to win the air battle’ factored in the interception attempt? e.g. 24 planes will intercept 10 enemy planes, but not vice-versa? Or is interception ‘blind’?

Air Recon:
- Recon: can we get intercepted while doing recon over non-city hex? (haven’t done enough recon yet)
- Recon: is the size of the recon force affecting the quality of the recon? Or is 1 unit enough to spot enemy stacks?

Post #: 1

RE: Questions - Air Units - 12/3/2013 8:54:19 AM

Vic
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There is no stacking penalty for air to air combat, only for air to ground combat. Altough the air-to-air combat is being calculated on a single hex it is considered to model a fight for air superiority over a wider region: hence the lack of stacking limit for air<->air combat.

However stay aware there is an airfield stacking penalty if the air unit in question is operating from an overstacked airfield.

Intercept range is usually half the normal range of your fighters.

best,
Vic

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(in reply to Hugolin)

Post #: 2

RE: Questions - Air Units - 2/10/2014 8:32:50 PM

tbone1218
Matrix Recruit

Posts: 41
Joined: 6/3/2004
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Is there any reason to reassign air units to another HQ?

(in reply to Vic)

Post #: 3

RE: Questions - Air Units - 2/12/2014 7:05:40 PM

Vic
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@tbone,

Sorry for the slow response. But no normally there is no reason. Except maybe for Transport Corps units that want to do airsupply missions; make sure they are attached directly to OKH so they can access the supply reserves.

Best,
vic

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Post #: 4

RE: Questions - Air Units - 5/14/2014 12:07:45 PM

mmarquo
Matrix Elite Guard

Posts: 1376
Joined: 9/26/2000
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Is this also true if playing with hardcore rule? Do the Transport Corps Units need to be attached to OKH or can they draw supply from a lower HQ they might be attached to?

Thanks

(in reply to Vic)

Post #: 5

RE: Questions - Air Units - 5/14/2014 2:35:59 PM

RCHarmon
Matrix Veteran

Posts: 322
Joined: 1/19/2011
Status: offline

In hardcore rules I think it is better to have everything attached to OKH or stavka. I think I read somewhere that if you don't air replacements can get trapped in a HQ.

I'd like to have a confirmation on this myself.

(in reply to mmarquo)

Post #: 6

RE: Questions - Air Units - 5/14/2014 4:05:45 PM

Vic
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quote:

ORIGINAL: RCH

In hardcore rules I think it is better to have everything attached to OKH or stavka. I think I read somewhere that if you don't air replacements can get trapped in a HQ.

I'd like to have a confirmation on this myself.

Well they don't get trapped, but they can immobilize an Army or Corps HQ on their way to their end units. If you attach you air units directly to OKH this will not happen.

best,
Vic

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Post #: 7

RE: Questions - Air Units - 5/14/2014 10:38:59 PM

mmarquo
Matrix Elite Guard

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All the air units, including non transports?

Much thanks

(in reply to Vic)

Post #: 8

RE: Questions - Air Units - 5/15/2014 8:34:58 AM

Vic
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Marquo

All the air units, including non transports?

Much thanks

Yes all the air units.

When hardcore logisitical rules are enabled reinforcements will be send down the chain of command 1 level at a time. So if for example a Fighter unit deep in the chain of command requests 5 fighters the effect will be as follows:

Turn 1. 5 fighters from OKH to 8th Army.
Turn 2. 5 fighters from 8th Army to XXX corps
Turn 3. 5 fighters from XXX corps to fighter unit.

This is the reason why HQs can get immobilized (or rather: limited to airfields) when playing with hardcore rules.
And why its best to assign all air units to OKH directly.

Best,
Vic

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Post #: 9

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/4/2014 4:22:52 PM

RCHarmon
Matrix Veteran

Posts: 322
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When do most players lose air superiority as Axis?

July or August I find my bombers decimated by hordes of Soviet fighters. I lose in my fighter sweeps also. I've been very careful to keep the Soviet air force at bay and I was doing a good job, but the the tables just turn. I know from history that the Axis air force really did much better for a longer period of time.

Is there something that can be modded?

(in reply to Vic)

Post #: 10

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/5/2014 4:30:19 PM

RCHarmon
Matrix Veteran

Posts: 322
Joined: 1/19/2011
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As an Air Marshal I am seriously deficient.

I know the Luftwaffe was running successful bombing missions in support of 6th army at Stalingrad. By this point in the game I am being swamped by soviet fighters. I am guessing that is the way it is. Since no one has mentioned a strategy to keep partial air superiority.

(in reply to RCHarmon)

Post #: 11

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/5/2014 9:07:46 PM

Michael T
Matrix Legion of Merit

Posts: 4443
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From: Queensland, Australia.
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Perhaps play all those extra fighter cards?

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Post #: 12

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/6/2014 7:37:28 AM

Vic
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quote:

ORIGINAL: RCH

When do most players lose air superiority as Axis?

July or August I find my bombers decimated by hordes of Soviet fighters. I lose in my fighter sweeps also. I've been very careful to keep the Soviet air force at bay and I was doing a good job, but the the tables just turn. I know from history that the Axis air force really did much better for a longer period of time.

Is there something that can be modded?

What a lot of players do not do (i think) is bombing enemy airbases. Its the best way to keep the red airforce down for a long time. Especially against the AI.

Best,
Vic

_____________________________

Visit www.vrdesigns.net for the latest news, polls, screenshots and blogs on Shadow Empire, Decisive Campaigns and Advanced Tactics

(in reply to RCHarmon)

Post #: 13

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/6/2014 1:13:56 PM

Erik2
Matrix Hero

Posts: 786
Joined: 11/2/2000
From: Oslo, Norway
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Vic

quote:

ORIGINAL: RCH

When do most players lose air superiority as Axis?

July or August I find my bombers decimated by hordes of Soviet fighters. I lose in my fighter sweeps also. I've been very careful to keep the Soviet air force at bay and I was doing a good job, but the the tables just turn. I know from history that the Axis air force really did much better for a longer period of time.

Is there something that can be modded?

What a lot of players do not do (i think) is bombing enemy airbases. Its the best way to keep the red airforce down for a long time. Especially against the AI.

Best,
Vic

Agreed. I have noticed that readiness for the airplanes on the base is lowered to 10. So they will normally not intercept for a few turns.

(in reply to Vic)

Post #: 14

RE: Questions - Air Units - 6/6/2014 2:55:56 PM

RCHarmon
Matrix Veteran

Posts: 322
Joined: 1/19/2011
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Well, my air plan from turn one is to find and bomb air bases. I use my Sch G for scouting, my JG and ZG for fighter sweeps, my KG for bombing missions, I always hold back my StG. I use them only against pure armored formations or at the end of my turn against units that retreated due to battle (this usually really has some great results). I always leave some in the Crimea with 100 ap so they can fight shipping.

I go after those bases every turn, but eventually my rediness falls off and I do not fly with poor readiness. With all of this eventually ( and too soon for me) the Soviet air force just swamps me. Even 0ne good JG unit will take hits against swarms of fighters. Two or three bombing missions that get jumped really hurts the bomber formations.

(in reply to Erik2)

Post #: 15