how to use AA efficiently?

[Jeffrey H.]

edit, weird cross post.

[Josh]

AI airforces can  be a pain in the @$$, if it keeps spamming me with lots and lots of planes I keep spamming with Flak, in the end the AI *will* lose appetite. I make units of ten Flak each and place them all over the map, each hex one "10-Flak" unit. Not much need for transport, because your approach will be painfully slow; you have to cover your forces with Flak each hex all the way (at least lvl II, preferably higher). Yes fighters are fancier but they eat up oil and supply, the AI has a major advantage there.

[Falkon1313]

Just to followup, as my flak and fighters gained experience, they gradually started taking a small toll on the enemy aircraft. I never got air superiority, and even my final airstrikes on their capital were a miserable failure, but their airstrikes gradually got fewer and less effective throughout the game.

After retrenching for a couple of turns, my forces drove forth and started capturing their aircraft factories, which had a big effect. Also helped that I learned to expect a certain number of casualties from their airstrikes each turn and prepare replacements dedicated to responding. Seems the best way to beat AI air was ground forces rolling in and blowing them on the runway. Had a long line of militia holding the flanks and keeping the supply lines open.

[Josh]

I should be very carefull with airstrikes on the capital, it can cripple your airforce because of the Flak and fighters. I tend to use long range Arty to really soften them up, they rule