Automatic or voluntary air support

[Uxbridge]

I would like some input about the difference between voluntary air attacks vs automatic, as was briefly mentioned in Alvaro's thread V4 bug stomp so far.

When reading about Warplan pre-release, I had the impression that automatic air support meant that air units were constantly supporting ground operations. Soon after I started play, I noticed, however, that the air units expended their attacks when in automatic just as in voluntary, and that you had to be careful lest you wasted them before the really important ground attacks. Since then, I always keep them off and bomb before the ground assaults.

What Alvaro said in the mentioned thread makes me confused. Is air units more effective (but attack only as one unit) if put on automatic prior to the ground attack? Or is the result if you bomb first and then attack with ground forces without air support thereafter just as effective?

[AlbertN]

The difference is pratically that:

In volountary mode (as per you select the air unit, and right click on the designated target) the air unit will do the mission, no matter what it is its current condition in HP and Efficiency (So it can also be a suicidal mission).
It is a strike by itself so to soften the enemy combat factors before the 'real' ground combat happens.

In the support mode an air unit will take off and fight only if there is adequate amount of readyness and health points at avail, and the AI selects which one among the ones that are set for full support. (Both for bombing and escort). Its effect is bundled in the land combat, and as recent revelation an air unit contributing in that way directly in the ground combat works as 'artillery' thus shooting in the first round and supposedly easening the combat / thinning down your losses. (admittedly I'd like more details in the land combat, so to know how many enemy losses are inflicted by AirUnitA, GroundUnitB and GroundUnitC - and also how much efficiency losses tally to ... but alas not the case.)

By experience the latter is very efficient if the enemy is already pretty weak, shrinking losses significantly. BUT if the enemy is a though unit, and you just go in with ground support, you will inflict more damage than without but your troops are in for a bleeding.
By how the game is now, it seems the wisest combination is to use X air mission to volountarily attack the hex(es) you desire to attack, leaving just some air mission operation points free for the ground support - in the policy of obliterating one or a few hexes a turn with savage and unbridled airpower.

[Uxbridge]

Thanks for that input. I will try the combination tonight. I'm Allies in late -41, France still kicking, and pressing the hun back hex by hex.

May an air únit in support mode fly more than 2 missions if it still has sufficient HP and efficiency?

[gw15]

That was my question too. If you use up your two air missions during your turn and then set them to support do they fly during the opponents turn as support?

[AlbertN]

They will in assumption they've enough HP and Efficiency.

I am clueless of the parameters required for them to fly air missions in automatic mode though.

[AlvaroSousa]

Human mission 1 opPt
Automatic mission 1 opPt

Enemy turn they get 2 opPts and fly if they are in support mode.

Simple. An air unit can fly twice during your turn or the enemy turn. It doesn't fly if certain crappy criteria are met on the enemy turn.

Why is it like this?
Because then players can bait out worn units and they will die in the air.

[Uxbridge]

Playing now. I will put them on "auto" and see what goes.

[TrogusP96]

We don't have combat tables to anticipate the range of probable results.

[AlvaroSousa]

There are no combat tables like a wargame. It is calculated by data. There are a lot of calculations.

One of the most important is that odds over 3:1 increase the chance of retreat.

Read the rule book for more details. One of the things about the game is that I don't want players to min-max. You play as a real general would. Making estimations and educated guesses on the success of an offensives based on incomplete information.