Let's examine some of these strategies:
1. My Personal favorite : put all your air units in reserve turn 1 to build their morale. Oh yeah that's a winner. Some units need to go into reserve turn 1 - that I will respect, Fighter units can be spared, they're really ineffective in the fighter role if morale prevents them from reacting and causes em to suffer badly when they do. Recon units - really think its a good idea to blind yourself when you're being attacked ? Transports and Long range Bombers, When youre getting pocketed I don't feel that disbanding the supply transports is the best approach. Level Bombers and Tac Bombers. ok this is the key. When fighting as Russian remember youre not fighting a whole army you're fighting 30 units - that's it, plain and simple. The fact that each unit is named Rambo and runs like an Antelope is a minor setback. Look at your arsenal and try to determine what you have that can have any sort of impact on these cretins. Yup you got it - Air Units - Specifically Tac Air and Level Bombers the Critical Units in the first few turns are the SU tac Bombers they have the range and numbers- therefore you have to get em into air units asap in force directly in front of Rambo... So why on earth would you send your entire Air Force to reserve turn 1 ? Yup drugs... only possible answer cus anyone that dumb couldn't read the rulebook anyhow.
2. Disband all your SAD units as soon as possible... SERIOUSLY !??! What exactly is a SAD unit ? It's an Ad Hoc or generic unit like a combat command. Usually a multi tasker for local command. These are some of your best formations I stack em with my my best Tac Air units. They accumulate tons of really nice kills. So why on earth would anyone disband them ? Let's examine some rules real fast.
8.1.4.3. Soviet Air Group Unit Designation Changes
Certain Soviet air group units may be re-designated as follows:
„h Air Group units with IL-2 model aircraft will be re-designated as ShAP
„h Air Group units with U-2/R-Z model aircraft will be re-designated as LBAP (10% probability) or as NBAP (90% probability)
„h SBAP groups with no SB model aircraft can be re-designated to BAP (50% probability)
„h TBAP groups with no TB or Pe-8 model aircraft can be re-designated to DBAP (50% probability)
„h DBAP groups with no DB,IL-4,Pe-8,Yer,or TB aircraft models can be re-designated to BAP (50% probability)
„h Soviet Air Battalion air group units (with "/" in the name) can be re-designated as air regiments (10% probability)
„h SAP (composite Soviet air regiments) can be re-designated after March 1943 as a specific air regiment depending on aircraft model (80% probability)
Get the picture ? By March 43 the SU units have phased out in favor of the IL2 the units are all SHaD. Ok Beginning in March 43 you get automatic redesignation of all your SAD units 80% probability.
9.2.3. Creation of Soviet Guards Air Units
Soviet Air Base units (representing Soviet Air Divisions) can become Guard units if their attached air group units collectively destroy a certain number of aircraft or ground elements. The criterion is based on the year as follows:
„h 1941 - 400 destroyed aircraft and/or ground elements
Gary Grigsby's War in the East Manual v0.67 Oct 03, 2013
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„h 1942 - 600 destroyed aircraft and/or ground elements
„h 1943-45 - 1200 destroyed aircraft and/or ground elements
Game Play Info: VVS and SAD type Soviet air base units are not eligible to become Guard units.
So the myth of SAD units not converting to Gaurds is done. You will be building Airbases as the game progresses and can rotate units to Gaurds ShaD units prior to 1943. Remember its the base that cant convert to Gaurds prior to 43 not the individual units and units within SAD bases convert to gaurds just fine.
Heres a nice little Screenie of my SAD air units in jan 42. I can convert them to Bomber, Fighter or ground attack units in March 43 simply by assigning the relative units. Don't destroy your best AIR base Units... that's just SAD
