Burns vs. Flaviusx

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith
Air has not been nerfed though - just air combat is more bloody, as it should be.

Ground strikes have definitely had something done to them. I used to use 4-6 (8-12 attacks) air units to get a decent shift to a ground attacks odds ratio. Now I have to use my entire airforce and I don't always get a decent shift to the odds. Far more 0 effects on bombings occur now than before. I'm talking 30+ ground strikes here for the airforce, it has very little effect compared to how air power worked before the patch.

Take a look at the screenshot in post 364, you can see the entire air armies for both Britain and the US in France. All those bombers might allow one attack per nation to be won, in one case I got two wins in a single turn, but had to use my 3 strat bombers and the odds were only 2-1 on the second attack. Ground strikes are very weak now.

And it's not due to intercepts, the first 6-10 fights might get intercepted and see air combat, but the next 10-20 go in unintercepted and get so many 0 results its extremely frustrating.

Take a look at post 328 or 332, those results were achieved with just the 9 or 10 bombers that were in range. My entire airforce can't achieve that kind of success now.

Jim

[AlbertN]

I personally have always found airforce helping more when in direct support to ground attacks.
But of recent I just cannot keep planes flying, they get mauled regularly.

I agree their cost atm does not seem to offer adequate return except for strat-bombing.

[Jim D Burns]

15 December 1944

German lines pull back in Russia and the Soviets advance, no combats occur.

Rain in northern France so the US takes the turn to push up its airforce as close to the front as possible waiting on clear or snow weather for the next attack.

Clear weather in Italy allows the British to throw everything it had at the strong panzer unit guarding the southern pass (northern pass was rain). The airforce conducts 18 ground strikes (only 3 were intercepted) causing only 6 damage. Six low odds land attacks cause some damage, but casualties for the British are high and the unit holds the hex, ending the turn showing a combat strength of 3.

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith
I agree their cost atm does not seem to offer adequate return except for strat-bombing.

Wait till you get near the end game like me. I had strat bombing missions that lost 6 to air to air and 6 more to flak, that kind of mission will change your mind on their effectiveness real fast. Early game with no or low defenses it'll be worth it, but late game they get mauled for very little return since their mission effects are just as weak as ground strike effects are now.

Jim

[AlbertN]

I am in early '43 in some games and I am ripping my hair off as Axis as I am short of fuel, about 0 manpower and the Allies are advancing everywhere, albeit slowly, but still!
There is the fact that Soviets in fact disbanded their whole AF, but by what I saw the Allied AF is key to their advances. They may nail 1-2 hexes a turn per sector, but Axis simply cannot replace the losses IF they're German. (Unless I take 25% Experience replacements, that's it)

[Jim D Burns]

ORIGINAL: Cohen_slith
There is the fact that Soviets in fact disbanded their whole AF, but by what I saw the Allied AF is key to their advances.

The problem for the Soviets is their very low manpower in game. By 43 they will be well below 50% and the new air war bloodletting drains their manpower pool far faster than land battles do. I easily lose 50 manpower a turn just to air battles in Russia, but at this point it's too late to play the long game and re-adjust my strategy by building a different kind of army.

I'm almost totally out of manpower and will simply use what I have on map until it burns out. I would look at your opponents disbanding of his airforce as a significant tell, he is having real trouble with his manpower and cannot afford the bloodletting, that's why he did it.

Jim

[Jim D Burns]

29 December 1944

Germany continues to fall back in Russia and the Soviets continue to follow, no attacks due to lack of action points.

In Belgium the US Splits its airforce and only manages to force one retreat. The second attack reduced the defender to 2 , but failed to take the hex.

In Italy the British attack the southern pass hex and force the Italian mech unit to retreat, the allies finally control a hex of Italian territory on the continent.

[Jim D Burns]

12 January 1945

The calendar rolls over and we head into 1945. The Soviets continue to pursue the retreating Germans in Russia with no attacks. My guess is he's falling back to prevent the Soviets from attacking him, so manpower must be a real concern for Germany at this point.

In Italy rain prevents any attacks.

In France the US pushes back a unit in the snow, the entire airforce was needed to achieve the result.

[Flaviusx]

I'm falling back to shorten the line, primarily, and free up some forces. I can't really contest Moscow in the snow and blizzard and there is no point in having such a forward line in that event. I only need to hold on to the VPs I've already got and prefer to have relatively fresh forces going into mud in the east.

Manpower is below 50% now, yeah, but it's not like I'm building any new units.

[Jim D Burns]

26 January 1945

Soviets manage to launch two attacks in Russia that force Germany to retreat. After advancing into a vacated hex, an HQ is also forced to retreat.

The US make one attack, the unit is reduced to 1 combat value, but the hex holds.

The British try the northern pass hex again and reduce the Italian armor to 1 combat value, but like the US they simply cannot force the hex.

[Jim D Burns]

Given the extremely slow pace of the allied advance, and the fact I see no hope of reaching Berlin since the patch took the teeth out of my airforces, I went ahead and offered my opponent a resignation as all we were doing is going through the motions until the end.

He has graciously accepted and our game ends with an axis major victory. Congrats to Flaviusx and thank you for a game well fought.

Jim

[Flaviusx]

Thanks for the game, this was kind of an experimental situation since we patched several times over the course of the game and it was difficult to plan around that. A learning experience all around.

[ncc1701e]

Congratulations guys, it was a pleasure to read your AAR. [:)]

[John B.]

Thanks for a very informative AAR!

[Chocolino]

A learning experience all around.

A leaning opportunity for your readers as well. Thank you for writing it up.