The Penetrator, The Interceptor, The Rotor and The Lifter

[It'sLikeThat]

Here's a couple of question regarding the two chassis types and their deployment:

If I were to build a defensive force against enemy invasion forces (i.e. transports full of chaos invaders and probes and chaos cruisers for shore bombardments), would I be better of building the penetrators or the rotors? And should I put them on alert?

As for air defence, should I build Interceptors or Lifters? And how do I make them scramble to defend? Shift+L? If I put them on alert, won't they strike ground targets as well, incurring the -50% penalty?

And special abilities, what special abilities are best put on these airborne defenders?

[stuntman19]

Against the AI just build a couple of assault choppers to allow you to multi-attack any invaders. The AI isn't very good at this anyway...humans is a little different though. You might add empath or wave to them to fizzle AAA and native units(especially if they have the NA).

I wouldn't use the auto defense either it seems as though your interceptors or lifters will be chasing ghosts around the map, atleast thats what I remember when I tried it once. Just keep some close by to kill off any invading needlejets after they hit your formers/crawlers. Better yet don't let them get to the point of being able to do this by keeping 12 squares between your enemies base by launching first strikes.

[Earwicker]

As you might have guessed, the answer is: both.

Keep a couple of needlejets on patrol as an early warning system against transports. The AI has a habit of following the same route to your territory. Make sure the route passes over fungus squares that would otherwise hide invaders. The plane will stop when it finds someone who doesn't belong there -- kill them if it's outbound, clean up with another jet or chopper if the partol is homeward bound.

Choppers with AA are best for repelling AI aerial attacks, since they provide the ability to shoot down multiple attackers. Jets have the advantage in terms of range but are vulnerable after they attack.

I don't use the Alert feature since it takes away some of my flexibility -- as your turn progresses, cycling through units with orders, "shift-L" will give you an "already moved". If you discover the need for a counterattacker late in the turn, the unit will not be available. Just using "H" will keep them ready for use, and (most important) AA jets/ choppers will still engage automatically when a nearby unit comes under air attack.

[RedFred]

The thread title looks a bit like a SMAC version of The Thief, the Cook, his Wife and her Lover.

Regarding your question about how to make interceptors intercept, that should be the least of your worries. The real problem is preventing them from doing so. With alert off, they will still scramble against nearby attacking aircraft. Even when they are 90% damaged and have no hope of winning. There is no way of stopping them. Same with the lifter.

The people who have suggested using both chassis are giving you good advice. Sure the repeat attack option of the rotor is huge. But the jets can fly further without damage, ZOC enemy troops without damage, block enemy spies without damage and provide aircover to your own troops, leaving them vulnerable to only the enemy arty.

The "without damage" part is key. With air superiority you can use a couple of needlejets to provide continuous troop cover. One jet will be over your troops while the other one is back in base every turn.

[It'sLikeThat]

So the general consensus is I should put it on alert?

[RedFred]

Nope. Leave it off alert. Stuntman, Earwicker and I all agree on that point.

[Earwicker]

quote: Originally posted by RedFred on 04-09-2001 01:10 PM The "without damage" part is key. With air superiority you can use a couple of needlejets to provide continuous troop cover. One jet will be over your troops while the other one is back in base every turn.

And if you've got an AAA unit hiding underneath that stack, your opponent is in for a nasty surprise when they do attack with an anti-aircraft unit.

[johndmuller]

quote: Originally posted by Earwicker on 04-09-2001 02:14 PM And if you've got an AAA unit hiding underneath that stack, your opponent is in for a nasty surprise when they do attack with an anti-aircraft unit.

I take it that the AAA unit would be the defender in this scenario.

In general, what are the rules as to defender selection - does it just take the highest strength number? What about designated defenders, types of units (air/sea/land, arty/nonarty, native/nonnative, etc), morale, damage, whatever??

I think I've seen defense with less than the maximum possible defender, especially with mixed attack/defend units thrown in - say perhaps choosing an 80% (20% damage) 1-4-1 (pure defender) over a full strength 6-4-1 (attack unit to the program) other parameters being equal - not that it is necessarily bad to make such a choice.

[Earwicker]

You could bypass the computer's methodology for selecting the defender in a stack by using "designate defender" (control-d), so that the AAA would be chosen for certain.