beginner Axis

[tiesto7772]

Hello everyone,

I just bought the game last week, and I decided that before learning how to bomb, I’d like to first learn how to effectively play on the defending side. For that, I started a campaign in Bombing the Reich as the Axis. However, even after reading the manual, I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to react to enemy raids, and I have some questions for you guys (since I totally lack experience, being probably one of the youngest—if not the youngest—players of War in the Pacific and Bombing the Reich).

1. My first strategy was to relocate some fighters from Germany and Italy toward the coast of France and set up patrols over the airfields. But I wasn’t sure which targets I should have them intercept. Should I go after Typhoons, Mosquitos, etc. (which are wrecking my radars), or should I wait and intercept only medium bombers?

2. I also had issues with my patrols either doing nothing or chasing targets but being unable to catch them—so they just fly around, get fatigued, and achieve nothing. What would be an ideal strategy here? (Also, at what fatigue level is it best to rest a unit?)

3. I once tried relying only on intercepts without patrols, but the results weren’t good either. My interceptors often failed to catch the enemy, and with my idea of using airfields near the coast, I ended up taking a lot of ground casualties and airfield damage. Even when I dispersed my forces across multiple airfields, the result was that I had fewer aircraft available because many were in transit, and the airfields I moved them to were also bombed.

Could you help me understand the basics of how to set up a solid defense strategy so I can maximize enemy losses, protect my airfields and planes, and minimize my own losses and fatigue? (I usually manage about a 2-to-1 kill ratio in my favor), but right now my airfields are bombed, my pilots’ fatigue is getting high (probably because of the many sorties I flew), and I’d really appreciate any tips. (Also i havent faced daylight B 17 raids deep into germany so i also have no idea how to face those when they come)

[Cones2002]

Hello everyone,

I just bought the game last week, and I decided that before learning how to bomb, I’d like to first learn how to effectively play on the defending side. For that, I started a campaign in Bombing the Reich as the Axis. However, even after reading the manual, I’m still not sure how I’m supposed to react to enemy raids, and I have some questions for you guys (since I totally lack experience, being probably one of the youngest—if not the youngest—players of War in the Pacific and Bombing the Reich).

1. My first strategy was to relocate some fighters from Germany and Italy toward the coast of France and set up patrols over the airfields. But I wasn’t sure which targets I should have them intercept. Should I go after Typhoons, Mosquitos, etc. (which are wrecking my radars), or should I wait and intercept only medium bombers?

2. I also had issues with my patrols either doing nothing or chasing targets but being unable to catch them—so they just fly around, get fatigued, and achieve nothing. What would be an ideal strategy here? (Also, at what fatigue level is it best to rest a unit?)

3. I once tried relying only on intercepts without patrols, but the results weren’t good either. My interceptors often failed to catch the enemy, and with my idea of using airfields near the coast, I ended up taking a lot of ground casualties and airfield damage. Even when I dispersed my forces across multiple airfields, the result was that I had fewer aircraft available because many were in transit, and the airfields I moved them to were also bombed.

Could you help me understand the basics of how to set up a solid defense strategy so I can maximize enemy losses, protect my airfields and planes, and minimize my own losses and fatigue? (I usually manage about a 2-to-1 kill ratio in my favor), but right now my airfields are bombed, my pilots’ fatigue is getting high (probably because of the many sorties I flew), and I’d really appreciate any tips. (Also i havent faced daylight B 17 raids deep into germany so i also have no idea how to face those when they come)

There is a lot to cover with what you've asked.

1) Aircraft placement is a constantly changing area. It depends on where your enemy is focusing.
I personally place aircraft along primary raid routes (Through Netherlands to the Ruhr, The coast of Northern Germany on the way to Wilhelmshaven, Naples, Rome, etc). I wouldn't place aircraft too close to Britain as you might be able to respond in-time to a raid.
The targets you go for really depend on fighter escort.
Typhoons are a big priority as they're extremely effective at demolishing any targets and suffer low losses from AA due to their 2 armour. They are tough to crack with interceptors as well. Their biggest weakness is the low replacement rate of 3 per day.
Medium bombers can be good targets to go for as they aren't as tough as B-17s and deplete enemy pilots at the same rate as a B-17.
B-17s are important targets to go for as they can avoid a lot of flak and deal decent damage to industry at high altitude.

You want to strip raids of their escorts with fighters, normally the Bf 109 and then hit the raid with more powerful fighters like the Fw 190, Bf 110 and Me 410 (But don't use Bf 110s and Me 410s against enemy fighters or Typhoons as they get rinsed rather easily)

2) Patrols don't do anything unless they're on-top of a raid or you manually assign them to intercept. They normally chase but don't intercept when they're below the enemy raid.
You don't need to worry too much about German fatigue as they're normally good to go the next day. I would refrain from launching pilots twice in a day unless you feel you need to as the fatigued normally makes them a little ineffective.

3) Intercepts without patrol don't work too well due to radar inaccuracy. Intercepts will try and match the estimated altitude as picked up by your radar, which is often quite wrong and results in failure to intercept.
I recommend using 1 unit to patrol very close to the enemy to get the correct altitude and then having the other patrols bee-line the raid.

For defence, use your L/E and S/E flak trains to defend key radar sites while you build up organic AA. These flak trains don't seem to suffer losses even when directly targeted, so you don't need to worry about them.
Use balloons to disrupt enemy Typhoon and fighter bombing attempts. Have plenty of Machinegun AA to soak up damage to your AA pieces.
Use heavy AA (88s, 105s etc) to hit targets that fly overhead and to disrupt the formations for easier interception.

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... lit=Window

I also recommend looking at this forum thread, as it contains a lot of useful info for the Axis.

[mark dolby]

Hi.
Hope you are enjoying the game.
The first thing I would recommend is to follow the axiom: " He who would defend everything, defends nothing "
Winning this game requires you to knock down the American heavies faster than they are replaced. B17/24 replacements are 30 per day so concentrating on them is the primary concern.
Strip your defences in France and Italy rather than bolstering them, your industry is concentrated in the Reich. This is the one area to defend. Use the movement points to remove flak guns in Italy before the Allies overrun them, you will need them.
As to how to intercept, you will learn how to spot Heavy bomber raids from mediums and fighter sweeps/bombers. Send up a patrol of 4 AC (the stabs flights are great for this) at 35k+. You use this to get to the raid early and get a visual recognition which will give accurate height and numbers. Then you send up your Gruppen at 5-6k higher than the raid when the raid gets nearer. Manually move these to an intercept position and only click to intercept when you are within about 20 miles. This gives you a lot of fuel to engage the raid.
Be careful with your twins, often a good idea to equip some of the stabs fights with these and use them to go exclusively for damaged bombers trying to reach safety.
Mark.

[tiesto7772]

First of all, I would like to thank you all for answering. It’s really great to see a community for this game, which is almost twice as old as I am.

I’m really enjoying the game. While I’ve improved somewhat, it’s still hit or miss. Some days I manage 100+ kills for 20 or fewer losses, while on others I barely break even, especially when my interceptors get bounced. What first drew me to try the Axis was the production aspect—I’m having a blast tweaking things (I’ve decided to go all-in on the FW line).

I feel like I get the most success when I wait for the bombers to hit their target, then hit them with my Bf 110s (equipped with rockets), and after that throw in all available interceptors. I read somewhere that this wouldn’t really work in the Battle of Britain, but well—I’m only on turn 20 (just lost some wings that got overrun in Italy). Anyway, I’ll definitely try to implement the concepts you all described. Thanks again, and if I have any other questions, I’ll be sure to ask.

[tiesto7772]

One thing I’ve been wondering is what would be considered an acceptable morale/fatigue level?

I try to rotate out wings that drop below 60 morale, and I don’t fly pilots with more than 30 fatigue (though I usually send them up when the enemy tries to bomb my airfields). I guess this won’t be much of an issue if I just ignore the raids into Belgium and Holland. I managed to inflict 100+ casualties on the Typhoons and was hoping to grind down their numbers, but I’ll stick to your tips.

[simovitch]

Try the new 1.06.91 beta patch I posted, most of the fixes were for the defender side. The official patch will be the same but it will be a full install version.

Your approach to moral and fatigue are about right. Fatigue, mostly, will get you in trouble during combat so don't be afraid to recall your interceptors back to base if fatigue starts to get up above 60-ish. Low morale will just make you more likely to break away from combat before all the planes in that flight have a chance to engage.

[georgecopelan]

Where are you all seeing the production stuff
for the Axis? I'm on Turn 1 of the 1943 grand campaign and all I can seem to influence is the 'production priority' of aircraft?

[simovitch]

Where are you all seeing the production stuff
for the Axis? I'm on Turn 1 of the 1943 grand campaign and all I can seem to influence is the 'production priority' of aircraft?

Best to read the production manual included with the game. It's in the "manuals" folder.