Defending against bombing runs

[Aias]

Hi,

I've looked over the forums and read the manuals and strategy guides, but I still can't figure out how to defend against another civ making bombing runs and destroying my tile improvements.

Any help would be appreciated.

Aias

[Marauder34]

Maybe the Air Superiority thing will help. I have not used it, but I remember in the manual there was a bit on air superiority used for air defense. Look in the manual or the civopedia.

[trevor]

Bulid airports, then fighters, many fighters.

[Major Guz]

What about those SAM sites (or SAM batteries), or do they only defend against fighters.

By the way: how to use the air superiority button (is it to put a fighter "on guard" within its operational range. So to say if the enemy attacks a unit or city within the operational range of the "Air Superiority Fighter" the ASF will attack the fighter which bothers your forces/cities. Or do you have to place them at air superiority when the enemy attacks (seems a bit difficult moving your units in an opponents turn. So I presume the first method [on guard])

Guz

[CerberusIV]

Re: Defending against bombing runs

Originally posted by Aias
I've looked over the forums and read the manuals and strategy guides, but I still can't figure out how to defend against another civ making bombing runs and destroying my tile improvements.

To protect tile improvements the only way is to build fighters or jet fighters and set them on air superiority. They then have a 50% chance of intercepting any bombing mission within range. The range they cover is half of their movement value (I can't remember how far that is but it is in the editor if you want to look).

If your fighter does intercept an enemy bomber or fighter then it will usually shoot it down but is sometimes destroyed instead, often it takes some damage. For that reason it is advisable to build airports to produce veteran air units and to heal them quickly.

If there is not a city within range of the tile you want to protect you will need to build an airfield (PTW only).

SAM missile batteries only protect the city they are built in.

If the enemy is using stealth air units the chance of intercepting is only 5%.

The best defence is to take out the city/airfield/aircraft carrier the bombers are coming from.

[Nym]

I can confirm that ASF works about 50% of the time to protect tiles' improvements: I've already seen it and it's quite useful.

[Aias]

Thanks for all of the useful tips! I've started to build more airfields in the middle of tile improvements.

Air Superiority isn't as effective as I had hoped. It seems to me like it works far less than the 50% intercept rate that it says. And you'd think that Stealth Fighters would be better equiped to shoot down Stealth Bombers.

Also, SAM Batteries are the equivalent of Coastal Fortresses. They can't proactively shoot down Bombers.

[MoonWolf]

You need plenty of fighters. Upgrade them to jet fighters when available. But note that stealth fighters haven't the ability to shoot down incoming bombers/fighters

[Underseer]

Do radar towers influence air superiority missions? Or do they only affect ground attacks?

[Master Zen]

I have actually found that I get intercepted more than 50% or 5%... maybe just back luck but I'm doing some scenario testing to see what's up.

CerberusIV:

Do fighters only intercept at half their range? I didn't know this. Considering bombers attack at their full range (they have to come back to base right? A bomber at range 12 in theory moves 24 squares then) I assumed the intercept range was the same.

I also give fighters the same attack/defense strenghts. This makes offensive fighter missions possible, i.e. use your fighters to draw out enemy fighters and destroy them w hich is a very common tactic in real life. Giving the same A/D strenghts is also pretty realistic since defensive and offensive air combat is rather similar from each fighter's point of view.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by raguil_79
I have actually found that I get intercepted more than 50% or 5%... maybe just back luck but I'm doing some scenario testing to see what's up.

CerberusIV:

Do fighters only intercept at half their range? I didn't know this. Considering bombers attack at their full range (they have to come back to base right? A bomber at range 12 in theory moves 24 squares then) I assumed the intercept range was the same.

I also give fighters the same attack/defense strenghts. This makes offensive fighter missions possible, i.e. use your fighters to draw out enemy fighters and destroy them w hich is a very common tactic in real life. Giving the same A/D strenghts is also pretty realistic since defensive and offensive air combat is rather similar from each fighter's point of view.

The 50% and 5% figures are in the editor (in the general settings IIRC) so anything different is just good or bad luck.

The business about intercept range is either in the manual or the civilopaedia. I definitely read it somewhere. Jet fighters are OK but ordinary fighters are rather limited by this.

As for equal A/D, I think it is a bit too strong as the defending units should have better C&C as they are over friendly territory and covered by friendly radar, etc. They are also nearer their bases so can be turned around quicker - at least those are the factors that were important in the Battle of Britain against the Luftwaffe in 1940. Making fighters 4/3 and jet fighters 8/6 would be reasonable although I haven't tried it yet.

[Master Zen]

4/3 and 8/6 seem quite reasonable.

BTW, here's what the manual says on air interception:

Air Superiority Mission: Attack any and all enemy air units found within the
unit’s defensive range (half of its operational range).This is similar to the Fortify
order in that it remains the unit’s assignment until you reactivate the unit in order
to give it other orders. Only fighters (including the F-15) are capable of flying air
superiority missions.

[steven8r]

Originally posted by Aias
Air Superiority isn't as effective as I had hoped. It seems to me like it works far less than the 50% intercept rate that it says. And you'd think that Stealth Fighters would be better equiped to shoot down Stealth Bombers.

Put more Fighters/Jet Fighters in the town/air strip. The more units there are defending, the better chance of shooting down enemy bombers (at least I think).

Of course, a good offense is better than any defense. Wipe out your enemy's air bases. They CANNOT bomb you if they have no planes!!!!!!

As far as Stealth Fighters, IMHO, there is no more useless unit in the game. SF's can't be used for Air Superiority and they don't bomb as well as Bombers. If you want to bomb/precision bomb, builld Stealth Bombers--they have a better success rate. Never build Stealth Fighters, unless you just want to waste the shields.

[CerberusIV]

The only things stealth fighters are good for are recon and going in first and getting shot down to preserve your more expensive stealth bombers.

I do mod them (and the F-15) to have Lethal Land Bombardment so they have a use in finishing off damaged units. I would not do this with a unit available to all civs earlier in the game as it would be too powerful.

[Master Zen]

I also give Stealth Fighters lethal land and sea bombardment and a bombardment of 6 (the RoF is still 2). I also mod them to have a range of 8 which is more than the F-15.

Even the US should have the incentive to build Stealth Fighters since the F-15 it is meant to replace the Jet Fighter. With a range of 8 and LLB/LSB the SF becomes a pretty usefull ground attack aircraft.