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Is AA useless in this game? I have a multiplayer game. I researched level 4 AA. But none of my units (including dedicated AA units) will advance past level 2. [&:]

Turn after turn, German air pounds me. My AA units right next to the defending units fire and quite often miss. SO what good is AA? If the max level is 2, and they don't even help 1/2 of the time, what's the use? This is compounded by the fact that my fighters don't intercept if the AA does.

I know the Germans had 88's and even better (as did the allies) that should tear into air units, but I just don't see it happening. Also, level zero AA units (which I currently have in Russia) are COMPLETELY useless, never doing any damage at all. I know the Iowa class BB (just one example) had incredible AA abilities. But, maxed at level 2, my BB's are still getting smashed. I guess German experience must be the thing that's killing me the most, as I'm equal in other areas.

SO the Germans are totally pounding me, destroying my fighters and my units. Heck, I told my opponent that he should just use air and a couple of units to take the empty cities. That's how bad it is.

My AA units and fighters have pretty good supply, and my HQ's are level 2. What more can I do??

AA units are limited in their AA upgrade ability (lvl 2).
Ressources and Cities will benefit from higher AA levels (if you choose to upgrade them, of course).

ORIGINAL: Xwormwood

AA units are limited in their AA upgrade ability (lvl 2).
Ressources and Cities will benefit from higher AA levels (if you choose to upgrade them, of course).

and units in resource/city hexes now benefit from their increased AA...

All,
German experience is a real killer in all types of attacks. Any ideas on how to compensate?

As far as I understand the combat calculation, AD doesn't just do more damage to attacking bombers, it additionally reduces their damage.

AA-guns are able to do damage to bombers; but losses are diminished by xp; in my experience a 2-star bomber won't take any damage from an adjacent flak (except the flak is linked to an HQ at least), but nevertheless his damage to the target is reduced by the units` AD, and even more, if the unit is placed in favorable terrain and/or fortifications, best with their own AD.

It`s not necessarily a disadvantage, that your flak fires at first, even before your fighters intercept. Highly experienced bombers are able to do damage to intercepting fighters; strat. bombers even more. I find it best to let the flak do their job, then attack bombers directly with fighters if possible.

Placing units with AD in fortifications with their own AD, with flak adjacent, won`t protect the unit from being destroyed (at last after several turns), but the attacker has to operate a huge effort.

I guess nobody wants any unit to be indestructable, nor any fortification to be insuperable.

From my experience many allied players refuse to withdraw their defending units before being destroyed in time. This is the best training for the Wehrmacht; refuse to let them be destroyed if ever possible - especially if they lost their entrenchment - by operating or evacuating via ports if necessary. Don`t let them be cut off from railways and get destroyed on low supply; this is causing the NM to suffer and resulting in additionally unfavorable combat stats.

In the WWIII 1946 Mod I've upgraded the NATO forces' AA to a possible 4 and the USSR to 5 making them devastating to bombers. The rational for the upgrades are the proximity (variable timed) fuse and radar direction for NATO and the Wasserfall guided missile for the Comintern.

If you play the mod don't even think about getting near a Soviet V4 SAM or a NATO VT unit with a Strategic Bomber.

I suggest that once an effective SAM came on the scene, large formations of bombers, were doomed unless the SAMs were effectually suppressed. This led to the SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defense) mission and NOE (nape of the earth) flying.

The editor lets you limit the upgrade level of individual units thus negating the country's overall research level for AA etc.

Thanx for the advice. More fighters I guess is my best hope. I really think dedicated AA units should be better, at least capable of lvl 3..