Fighters (Air) and "Control the Skies"

[Neal the Neophyte]

I don't understand how to use fighters to provide air cover, whereas the AI does quite well with them.

The AI strikes first at the start of each turn, so thier bombing run is over by the time I can assign my fighters to air cover. Apparently the air cover assignment expires at the start of the next turn. If I put the fighters in the city containing my bombers, it gets damaged by the AI bombing run - if I put it in an adjacent city it does nothing to protect (a city within one half the fighter's effective range.

What am I doing wrong?

[vmxa1]

Nothing, sad to say. Well I would not put fighters in the town I expect to be bombed as they will not be able to defend after being rebased, till next turn. This means the will probably take damage.

Base them in adjacent towns. Use flaks or mobile sams to defend the target towns directly. Use 4 and keep it at 4. If you have the tech for missle bases, build it.

Once fighters are placed on air superiority, they stay that way, until damaged or you change it.

[Neal the Neophyte]

Thanks VMAX1, you cleared up a misunderstanding that I had. I thought that since a fighter patrol had to be initiated at the begining of each turn, that air cover had to be also. So, once I assign a fighter an air superiorty mission it will stay that way until I change it - great, and thanks for the help.