artillery barrage or Planned Combat attack ?

[fulcrum28]

A simple question for experts on TOAWIV:

Does a single attack of artillery (barrage) before a combined planned attack help? Does it actually soft the target, by decreasing proficiency/readiness even though that not destroy/damage equipment?

OR

is it better to sum up the artillery contribution as support role S/2 using the planned attack ?

The same question applies to a single air attack vs. summing air attack as support to the planned attack.

[Curtis Lemay]

A simple question for experts on TOAWIV:

Does a single attack of artillery (barrage) before a combined planned attack help? Does it actually soft the target, by decreasing proficiency/readiness even though that not destroy/damage equipment?

OR

is it better to sum up the artillery contribution as support role S/2 using the planned attack ?

The same question applies to a single air attack vs. summing air attack as support to the planned attack.

If you're in no hurry, and supply isn't an issue, you can degrade a position via that method. Otherwise, you are wasting rounds and supplies that would be more effectively used in support of an assault - where artillery gets a bonus in lethality (subject to Assault Ratio Rules, of course). Also be aware that if the target has artillery units itself, bombardments are subject to counterbattery fire (support is not). Air units are subject to enemy AS and AAA, so not a good idea to use them in such a wasteful way.

[golden delicious]

There's a lot of factors. To be honest the only time I ever use pure bombardment is if I see a density light but I'm not in a position to launch a real attack against it.

It might be that if you're facing a fortified defender it would be suitable to target the hex with high-calibre guns to try to clear the fortified flag. These guns often don't have high AP factors so aren't that effective for causing losses, but if you can clear the fortified flag by bombardment it'll be less costly to then drive the defender out of the hex.

As Bob says, this is only if you're not in any particular hurry. Supply (for artillery) I'm not so bothered about; it's better to fire for ten rounds on 1% supply than for three on 100% supply.