Battlegroups and exercises

[PrinceBimz]

During peacetimes, I send my carriers out to international waters just outside a potential enemy's waters. I bring 2-3 destroyers for escort with my carrier. I keep those destroyers ahead, aside and near instead of directly on the space with my carrier. My carrier airwing usually consists of 2 fighters and 2 bombers. Sometimes all fighters or all bombers, depending on my situation. I normally like to keep at least 1 fighter onboard for recon missions. So when I expect a war or I am on bad terms with another nation, I try to keep my battlegroups within a one turn striking range. Or I will at least dock them at a nearby port provided I have one close enough. At last, I love those carriers!

[HazieDaVampire]

Well, i always try to have an impressive airforce. When invading other continents i keep all my air units on carriers, cuz i don't think i can hold the citys they're stationed in.
I've also noticed my offensives are more successful around coastlines because of this! hehe

[Generalissimo]

Battle groups are probably my favorite thing in war.
If properly placed and assembled you can cripple an enemy with one turn.
In my last game I have kept 6 "fleets" containing a battleship, 2 destroyers and a carrier (3 bomber+1fighter) floating around my enemy soft spots, if you add some paratroopers that will drop into the AI luxury and resources points. You’ve already dug the grave for the AI. Now all that is left is to gently push him into that grave with the assistance of your trusty armor

[PrinceBimz]

Originally posted by Generalissimo
Battle groups are probably my favorite thing in war.
If properly placed and assembled you can cripple an enemy with one turn.
In my last game I have kept 6 "fleets" containing a battleship, 2 destroyers and a carrier (3 bomber+1fighter) floating around my enemy soft spots, if you add some paratroopers that will drop into the AI luxury and resources points. You’ve already dug the grave for the AI. Now all that is left is to gently push him into that grave with the assistance of your trusty armor

Yes, in one of my past games I used a few destroyers to bombard my enemy's oil resources along the shore. Fortunately for me this AI nation only had 2 oil resources and both were near the coasts. I continued to bomb the roads and keep the AI from getting that oil. I signed a trade embargo to be sure they could not get oil overseas either. All the while I had 3 carrier task forces heading over each with 2 destroyer escorts. So between all 3 carriers I had 12 aircraft. Because this AI could not get oil, they could not build any aircraft. So all 12 of my aircraft were bombers.

When these carrier task forces got over there I bombed the hell out of several improvements, units, cities you name it. I later sent another carrier out there. After about 10 turns, they had cities that were once size 15 or more down to a very low 3 or even less. It was a complete naval and air campaign and I did not bring in any ground forces until the very end. Which was just infantry to take over the weakened cities. It all worked good!