Matrix Games Forums

How effective are bombardments against armored units compared to soft targets?

Admiral Scott wrote: Fri Apr 05, 2024 11:20 pm How effective are bombardments against armored units compared to soft targets?

Armoured targets suffer less damage.

RangerJoe wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 12:20 am Armoured targets suffer less damage.

Especially when well dug in. Most offensive artillery bombardments by themselves cause a lot of disruption but few actual losses in enemy guns and squads. I can't recall a tank ever being knocked out by one even when I still had the patience to watch the land combat play out unit by unit.

Is it worth bombarding armored units just for the disruption it causes if I am following that with an attack from other units?

Yes. If the armoured unit has soft devices then they will be affected more, trucks don't usually have too much armour, plus any additional units there will be hurt as well.

The type of bombardment, that is the size of the guns/bombs, will also matter.

If you are making a deliberate or shock attack a bombardment will always automatically precede the assault assuming artillery is present.

The ground combat sequences proceed as follows:
1. Attacker fires bombardment
2. Defender fires (will bombard only if attacker is only bombarding)
3. If attacker is set to Bombard only, combat ends, otherwise this sequence continues.
4. Attacker fires
5. Assault phase

In this case the bombardment will likely be more effective than by itself as it's immediately followed up a ground attack leaving no time for the enemy to recover disruption or replace losses. Artillery attacks tend to go better for the side with bigger and longer-range guns so the US and the UK will always have an edge over the Japanese (who always have an edge over the Chinese)

I would also recommend a few turns of ground attacks air missions to soften things. DBs and medium bombers are good for that sort of thing, altitude probably safer around 13K, as that will be above where most light and medium AA guns can hit.

IIRC the Bofors reaches about 12K but don't quote me on that.

Arkham wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:15 pm I would also recommend a few turns of ground attacks air missions to soften things. DBs and medium bombers are good for that sort of thing, altitude probably safer around 13K, as that will be above where most light and medium AA guns can hit.

IIRC the Bofors reaches about 12K but don't quote me on that.

Don't use the DBs at that altitude, they will dive bomb into the light AA guns . . .

RangerJoe wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:19 pm

Arkham wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:15 pm I would also recommend a few turns of ground attacks air missions to soften things. DBs and medium bombers are good for that sort of thing, altitude probably safer around 13K, as that will be above where most light and medium AA guns can hit.

IIRC the Bofors reaches about 12K but don't quote me on that.

Don't use the DBs at that altitude, they will dive bomb into the light AA guns . . .

Fair point. I think if you use them at 16K they level bomb? Still, medium and attack bombers can be highly useful.

Isn't there a way to have fighters suppress AA guns by strafing?

Arkham wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:55 pm

RangerJoe wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:19 pm

Arkham wrote: Sat Apr 06, 2024 10:15 pm I would also recommend a few turns of ground attacks air missions to soften things. DBs and medium bombers are good for that sort of thing, altitude probably safer around 13K, as that will be above where most light and medium AA guns can hit.

IIRC the Bofors reaches about 12K but don't quote me on that.

Don't use the DBs at that altitude, they will dive bomb into the light AA guns . . .

Fair point. I think if you use them at 16K they level bomb? Yes! Still, medium and attack bombers can be highly useful. So will Avengers that carry 4 bombs at normal range.

Isn't there a way to have fighters suppress AA guns by strafing? I don't know if the game considers the possibility of the fighters crashing into the AA autocannons and heavier AA guns but there should be a minimum effective range for the heavier guns. The problem is that the strafers will be in machine gun, rifle, and even pistol range.

You should look up the relevant weapons in the database.