Basic Training: Air Tutorial

[AlGrant]

Hi All,

New player here and although it's early days ... I'm loving it!
Played the Harpoon series from way back (board game and Amiga) and never really found anything to replace it until now.

Spent some time working my way through the various menu options to see how it all works and had a run through the tutorial missions with no real issues on the ASuW and ASW missions but struggled with the first 2 or 3 attempts at the air mission.

Had another go today and spent a bit more time on the mission planning and came out of it far better that my earlier attempts.
This is about my 4th attempt at this mission and for most of this I just let the units work within the assigned missions with some small intervention to adjust an AAW patrol area and and some course adjustments for the bomb carriers to try make the most of terrain masking and also bring the 3 ground attack waves in from different directions:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Result: Minor Victory (Score 1200)

IDE: CVW-15

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
2x A-7E Corsair II

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
13x AIM-54A Phoenix
4x AIM-7F Sparrow III
8x AGM-62B Walleye II ER/DL
12x AGM-45B Shrike [ARM]
10x CBU-59/B APAM [717 x BLU-77/B Dual-Purpose Bomblets]
11x Generic Chaff Salvo [5x Cartridges]
5x Generic Flare Salvo [3x Cartridges, Single Spectral]
160x Mk82 500lb LDGP
16x GBU-10E/B Paveway II LGB [Mk84]

SIDE: Red Side
===========================================================

LOSSES:
-------------------------------
4x MiG-23ML Flogger G
4x MiG-21bis Fishbed N
1x Vehicle (Flat Face B [P-19])
1x Radar (Tall King A [P-14])
6x SA-7a Grail [9K32 Strela-2] MANPADS
6x SA-2f Guideline Mod 1/2 Single Rail
1x Vehicle (Fan Song F [RSNA-75M])
1x Vehicle (Spoon Rest C [P-12])
3x Building (Large)
1x Vehicle (Fire Dome [9S35])
1x Vehicle (Straight Flush [1S91])
4x SA-3c Goa Quad Rail
1x Vehicle (Low Blow [SNR-125])
6x A/C Hardened Aircraft Shelter (1x Medium Aircraft)

EXPENDITURES:
------------------
2x AA-7 Apex C [R-24R, SARH]
16x SA-3c Goa [5V27D, V-601PD]
9x SA-6a Gainful [9M336]
5x SA-7a Grail [9M32]
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It may be a 'minor victory' as far as the game scoring is concerned but it's way better than my first attempts! [:D]
There was a single SA-6b Gainful SAM that managed to survive but was damaged and had ceased firing.
I saved my setup just after the first missions launched and have a feeling I could save the lost Corsairs. For some reason they were blundering around over the target area when the rest of their group had turned away .... might run this again from the saved game to see if I can bring them all back.

Still lots to read and learn on this game.

One question I do have (one of a long list!):
Is there a way to assign a transit route for a group heading towards a mission area?
At the moment I wait until the group launches and then manually add plot a course.
I'd like to be able to assign a route to a mission before take.


Al

[Tomcat84]

Welcome! Glad you're enjoying it.

As for your question: that is probably something more for the advanced strike planner which is a long term in development feature.

One thing you could do to steer your forces a bit is by plotting a no-nav zone to force the mission editor to go a certain route. This can be a bit cumbersome however so maybe for now your current method is better.

[AlGrant]

Thanks.

Only just noticed the DGT: & TTG: info on the unit waypoint screen, very useful for coordinating attacks.
Just ran the Battle of Latakia scenario for the first time and came out of it with a 'Triumph' score of 800. (not sure I agree with the difficulty level assigned to this scenario!)

I'm planning on giving your DCA Mini-EX a run through at some point in the next few days. Trying hard to resist reading the AAR's for it!

[Tomcat84]

ORIGINAL: AlGrant
I'm planning on giving your DCA Mini-EX a run through at some point in the next few days. Trying hard to resist reading the AAR's for it!

Cool! I hope you enjoy it. It's not the most complex scenario but it can be a fun little air battle

Let me know what you think after you play it. And of course if you have any questions (about anything, not just that scenario) fire away.

[cns180784]

You could have tried creating a strike package or two and allowing an off angle attack for both. A package for the a/c with the LDGP bombs and one for the Walleyes. Give them both SEAD and EW escorts and see how that goes rather than micromanaging a/c courses and ordering them to drop bombs etc. I did the exact same thing as you when i played this mission in pretty much micromanaging it all.