Useless airpower?

[Callistrid]

The airpower in WITE is good for someting (except transports), or just act as a statistical, but disinterested factor?
I'm asking, because on my game against Smokindave, personally I never took time to managing the soviet airpower, upgrade, or even to attach the new air regiments to bases.

[Toidi]

My view that it is useful, but not essential. If you build 50cv wall like with Smokingdave, air is not very much needed... However, well positioned strikes can change the tides of the battle - especially when the number of troops is not very large the disruption caused can be very significant (say disrupting 4000-5000 troops when one division is defending - i.e. half of the division - can easily mean that an attack over a river or in difficult terrain becomes a success, as the disrupted troops do not participate in the battle).

[Bozo_the_Clown]

I agree with what Toidi says. I've played one game till 43 against a good opponent. I had 20000 air planes and was pounding each hex with hundreds of bombers before the ground attack. Not very sophisticated but useful.