newbe asking for info

[Waldfels]

I like this game very much but I need some info on a couple of points.

I first played the scenarios and now started a grand campaign as germany. This brings me to the following questions:

1) Air Fights: At the beginning of the game, I have a lot of air activity on my west-border. Sometimes I win the fights, sometimes I loose them. So far so good, BUT if I do not intercept the enemy, my ground units only get minor dmg, which costs me about 1-2 points to repair. If my air units get dmg in the fights it costs me about 12 points to repair a single point.

So, taking the dmg on ground seems to cost me much less the doing airfights. What am I missing here?

2) Is it worth doing raids with subs, etc. ? Because I seem to loose them quite oftem and I am not sure what impact they have on the enemy.

3) Air attack on enemy units seems to result in only moderate losses to them, but the repair cost for my fights are very high (compared to inf or tank repair). So should I use air attack?

I hope you can help me,

Waldfels

[cpdeyoung]

I use airpower when I need it, but not often. I like to keep my air armies up to strength and hurt the enemy with interceptions. If I find the enemy on the ground I will pummel them. A typical case in which I would use air attacks is when a hex is vital, position wise, or a city I really want to take. Once I have air superiority I may use them more, but not as a ground unit killer, rather as a operational asset for those high prority hexes. For just killing ground units I rely on ground units.

As for subs, I have not gotten the chance to fight at sea a lot yet, but if you can afford them then there can be rewards. Much depends on the overall naval situation. If you have the PP to build a lot as the Axis I think the British will be worried.

YMMV.

Chuck

[Mike Parker]

Answers follow.. maybe they are good.. maybe not I am also learning this game!  There are some significant changes from RtV
 
1)  Here is the thing, your likely damaging your opponent on interceptions more often than your being damaged.  So while it looks like maybe you should let your opponent just have his way with your ground troops vis a vis bombing them it is actually costing him WAY more than its costing you.  And if you keep blunting his air attacks he is likely not able to wear your ground troops down enough to kill one.  If you pull back your air so they don't intercept, likely he will bang on one or two units with his air, and then bring in his own ground troops and kill it.  however if you keep your interceptors close, your stopping him from this, and still hurting his air.
 
Using air seems NEVER to pay off in just a simple PP for PP proposition.  What it allows you to do is to concentrate force on a single spot.  So you can base air all over your front, and then use most or all of it on one or two hexes a turn then follow it up with ground attacks to blow a hole and then send armour/motorized units through.  That is at least the benefit I see with air units (at least on the ground.. there is a whole other aspect of using them against naval units that I am as yet ignorant of).
 
2)  Yes it is worth it.  Subs do not particularly seem to help you in fleet engagements at sea, they are too fragile (2 HP so they die fast) and do not seem to land hits onto opposing capital ships with much frequency.  What they do well however is to munch through enemy shipping, at 20PP per 10 shipping points this can eat into your enemies budget quickly.  You will need to track this by using the reports button, but putting some subs into your enemies shipping lanes is a very good strategy.
 
3)  See point 1 I guess I jumped the gun.  Use your air to make an opening.  In fact here is what usually happens with me.  I have 3-4 Air Armies ready to begin an offensive (sometimes more but rarely).  I pick a spot I want to break through.. I then use my air to weaken a key unit or two so that my front line troops (hopefully infantry) can kill them.  If I use my air (and take the losses usually 1-2 points lost per Air Army) and do NOT manage a breakthrough I am very upset and its considered a major setback as I am going to have to spend 60-90pp replenishing air regardless if my breakthrough occured, I am HOPING that opening a hole and plunging armour through will be enough benefit to justify the costs of repairing that air.  If I never make a breakthrough I just spend those PP in vain.
 
Air caveats
 
Keep your air concentrated.  Often what occurs is you begin using your air, and your being intercepted, air losses occur on both sides during this phase.  When you make an attack it picks the air unit in range with the most strength to attack with.  Likewise when it intercepts it picks the unit with the most strength.  Hopefully by concentrating 3-4 air armies in one theatre you will be oppossed by only 1 or two air armies that are intercepting.  It really seems that STR is a HUGE factor, so your cycling through 4 armies your opponent 2 armies, so for awhile your taking losses as is he.. but soon your bringing in fresh 8 STR air and he is intercepting with 7 STR then 6 STR air and you REALLY begin to hurt him, as well as many more of your ground strikes passing through to the target.  And even if you do not face interception at all, it seems that the stronger the ground unit the more chance you will suffer casualties on your  unit, and the weaker your unit the more chance you will suffer casualties (Although I am not sure on these two it just seems to be).  So when you cycle through 8 STR air armies its much better than having a single 8 STR one get whittled down, since you have 8 STR when the unit your attacking is strongest!
 
 

[Gloo]

ORIGINAL: cpdeyoung

...but not as a ground unit killer...

But historically the Allies probably succeeded in Normandy (just as an example) largely relying on air support, isn't it ? I may be wrong but I think air superiority should allow one to use his air assets when need be. Specially as ground killers !

[Gloo]

ORIGINAL: Mike Parker

...more often than your being damaged...

Just a simple question : how exactly can you evaluate that ? Apart from gaining the final victory, of course [:D]