Air Units

[puvi]

As a new player i am struggling to use the Air units properly. I hardly used them more than once. After the first attack it vanishes with the message "ran out of fuel"
Is there anyone who can help!!!

[DaveV]

Note that fighters use a movement point when they attack, so you must include that in your range calculation.

[drake]

Well technically they don't have "fuel", but thats not the point. As Tizzy and dave pointed out- they just need to land in a safe haven at the end of a turn. So go out three or four squares with your fighter, make your attack and the return them to where they started. It's really a very simple concept.

And yeah Tizzy, cruise missiles like hanging out on airbases just fine In fact, if strategically placed, airbases are a much better home for them than cities......I think.



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Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an off hand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

[Scouse Gits]

One thing I didn't realise until recently - spies can sabotage air units!

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SG (2)

[Edward]

quote: One thing I didn't realise until recently - spies can sabotage air units!

Zoiks!! That's cool. Since sabotaging can't kill, you still can't get through bomber blockades, however.

Can spies sabotage battleships? It'd be worth it to cut their massive hitpoints in half.

[Deity Dude]

Just a little trick I use relating to air units.

When attacking a city with multiple bombers, attack from different squares surrounding the city. If the city you are taking has partisans, they can only appear in city squares that do not already have an enemy unit (i.e. bomber) in it.

123
4c6
789

Using the diagram above, where c = the city and numbers 1-9 are the squares directly surrounding the city, lets consider the following example.

The city has 8 defenders so you will need 8 bombers to successfully clear out the defenders and move a ground unit in. If you attack c from square 1 all 8 times, then move a ground unit in, you will have the potential to have 7 partisans appear in squares 2-9. If however you attack 1 time from each numbered square you will not have any partisans appear in any of the numbered squares because your bombers will be occupying them waiting to return home.

I'm sure alot of the vets around here are already aware of this, but it might be helpful for some of the newer players.

[Tizzy]

Air units (except helicopters) must re-fuel periodically.
Fighters must end every turn in a city or on an airbase or carrier, and bombers after 2 turns.
Missiles can only go for one turn too, but I'm not sure if these can be held on airbases, or must end in cities.

[Tesla Picasso]

Two other air unit strategies that I'm sure are not new to everyone:

If I have a missle sitting unused for a few turns, I used it as a scout: send it out six squares and back, or in a loop, as a way to find enemy units such as traveling spies, or destroyers.

In my last game I landed a bunch of units on a square next to an enemy city. I ended the turn with a stealth bomber over top, which stopped nearby tanks from attacking my units or reinforcing the city.

"And then one day you find
Ten years have got behind you,
no one told you when to run,
(or mentioned the fact that at this phase of the game each turn is worth ten years, and since you didn't read the manual,)
you missed the starting gun!"

[Bohlen]

Yes, spies can sabotage any unit with an offensive attack number, even air and sea units. Maybe even other units, but what's the point? No one really needs to sabotage a caravan or explorer. At least I don't think so...
[This message has been edited by Bohlen (edited December 22, 2000).]

[Blaupanzer]

If you build nukes, putting them in airbases seems to fool the AI into not noticing them. Occasionally useful in a nuke shootout.

[Smash]

Command+N will keep any plane or missile from ever crashing.Just hit w with at least 1 move left then end turn with command+N.Keeps triremes from sinking also.

Just in case someone didn't know.

I consider this a cheat in mp games should you have the good fortune to go that far.

This end turn keyboard shortcut is only in MGE.


[This message has been edited by Smash (edited December 22, 2000).]

[SilexMT]

quote: Originally posted by Deity Dude on 12-21-2000 05:04 PM Just a little trick I use relating to air units. When attacking a city with multiple bombers, attack from different squares surrounding the city. If the city you are taking has partisans, they can only appear in city squares that do not already have an enemy unit (i.e. bomber) in it. I'm sure alot of the vets around here are already aware of this, but it might be helpful for some of the newer players.

I'm pretty sure every one who ever had a half-dozen bombers destroyed by one lousy fighter has already learned never to stack their bombers. The partisan is an interesting angle though.

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All the world marvels at our superior intellect, sire!

[SandMonkey]

Smash, the end turn function is in ToT, also.

[lord of the mark]

sometimes i have air units in a city too far from intended target to return safely to starting city, but i can get them to another city, even one on other side of intended target, so I move it there. this is a real world tactic called "shuttle bombing" IIRC.

[lord of the mark]

to clarify the above air unit starts in city A, hits target, lands in city B.