Section 11.1

[Light4bettor]

"11.1. air CoMbat All Soviet attempts at interception and/or flak during the air execution phase will be much less likely to succeed at the start of the week but will improve each day. The Axis player is advised to make a maximum effort on the first day of the turn."

If the turns are weekly, is the first day of the turn determined by combat delay?

[RedLancer]

The air execution phase runs by individual day across a week. Combat delay is in the ground phase. The advice is specific to the air phase.

[MAS]

ORIGINAL: Light4bettor

"11.1. air CoMbat All Soviet attempts at interception and/or flak during the air execution phase will be much less likely to succeed at the start of the week but will improve each day. The Axis player is advised to make a maximum effort on the first day of the turn."

If the turns are weekly, is the first day of the turn determined by combat delay?

I'm no expert on the air system, but I recall some screenshots showing the ability to manually set air unit's intensity levels and/or select which days of the week they are ordered to fly. Presumably if you order air units to fly everyday they are going to become very fatigued, leading to high operational loss rates and maybe low performance efficiency while conducting their missions.

I'm assuming it isn't possible to make this maximum first day effort with the 'just set a few commands and let the AI do the rest' option. But that's okay with me, I'll go for the detailed orders!

[loki100]

the solution is to set the AD to run on D1 only, this is a feature of what you can do with manual control (as in WiTW)

[terry1040]

ORIGINAL: loki100
the solution is to set the AD to run on D1 only, this is a feature of what you can do with manual control (as in WiTW)

I still don't get it.
Why?
"All Soviet attempts at interception and/or flak during the air execution phase will be much less likely to succeed at the start of the week but will improve each day. The Axis player is advised to make a maximum effort on the first day of the turn."
1) why are the Soviet skills improving?
2) if I run D1 only, am I not missing 6 opportunities to recon/spot enemy units?

I am confused 🤔

Terry

[jacktimes2]

Well on Day 1, they’re taken completely by surprise. After that, they know they’re being attacked. You don’t wake up the 2nd day and get surprised all over again. I assume it’s to simulate that.

[ObeseMonkey]

ORIGINAL: terry1040

ORIGINAL: loki100
the solution is to set the AD to run on D1 only, this is a feature of what you can do with manual control (as in WiTW)

I still don't get it.
Why?
"All Soviet attempts at interception and/or flak during the air execution phase will be much less likely to succeed at the start of the week but will improve each day. The Axis player is advised to make a maximum effort on the first day of the turn."
1) why are the Soviet skills improving?
2) if I run D1 only, am I not missing 6 opportunities to recon/spot enemy units?

I am confused 🤔

Terry

It means like Jacktimes2 said that Day 1 is surprise. You wouldn't just run day 1, all days run for the phase, but you can prioritise attacks for day 1 (presumably one would focus on catching the Russians on the ground). The soviets after the initial attack would know they are being attacked, but due to confusion as was the case historically it will take the rest of the week for them to be up to normal standard. So their skills are not getting better as such, rather they are getting back to what would be the normal.

[terry1040]

ORIGINAL: jacktimes2

Well on Day 1, they’re taken completely by surprise. After that, they know they’re being attacked. You don’t wake up the 2nd day and get surprised all over again. I assume it’s to simulate that.

So we are only talking Turn 01?. Then it makes sense. I thought that would go for any turn.

[Light4bettor]

To answer 1):

Whatever the case, some Soviet and German documents tend to agree that by the end of the 2nd day (June 24) Russian total losses were apprx. 4000 aircraft and German losses were under a 100. I suspect the simulations numbers will be in that neighborhood too (once people learn how to play the airwar at least). And if there is a way to game the system to get more, you know it will be found sooner or later.

[loki100]

The air phase runs by day (as in WiTW), so you can set up a given mission/Air Directive to run on anything from 1-7 days. As in WiTW, even under normal circumstances, over 3 days a week is risking wrecking your airforce (sustained operations = lowering morale and raise fatigue = more operational losses)

The 22 June turn then adds in near total Soviet air disorganisation on D1 rapidly improving over the week. You also get a bonus for airfield bombing on D1 that is then lost. So on D1 you might risk an unescorted bomber raid on a deep target (but if you get caught, you'll suffer), I really wouldn't take the risk on D2.

So if you persist in that mission into the week, the axis losses escalate and Soviet losses reduce.

Now there is a second part to all of this. In WiTE2 damaged planes are much more vulnerable to being destroyed if their airfield is captured. So its worth planning your T1 operations with some attention to the bigger airbases - clearly not worth hunting if it disrupts your really big T1 goals but its another thing to phase in. In effect, it adds to the consistent feeling that even right at the start, the Heer is a wee bit less strong than you'd ideally want.