Matrix Games Forums

Hello - thinking about getting this game during the sale. Can you play the Axis side in this game and is it any good from that side?

Yes, both in Eagle Day and in Bombing the Reich you can play Axis side.
Don't know if it's good, I just got the game myself

Hi.
Looking at BTR first.
You certainly can play as the Axis, including air units from Italy and the minor allies.
Short scenarios including a 1 day event and up to 6 weeks can get you into the game.
However it's the '44 and full length scenarios that unlock the full potential for playing the Axis. Full control of the Axis production facilities allow you to customise and rationalise what you want to build. Try to get the FW 190D into series production quicker or using precious production to bring forward a jet fighter at the expense of many more piston fighters now? What about late 109's or the Ta152?
Where to place all those new flak guns coming out of the factories and flak trains are available. Defend the factories or radar sites or airfields. Move air units to concentrate in defending an area at the expense of another.
Pilots are kept track of and you can see their scores going up and lament at their demise. Many historical pilots are listed, on both sides.

Now these scenario's are long, very long. One day will seem very much like another, just as it did to the Jagdwaffe pilots.
Have you the mental stamina to play for 500 days because unless its a bad weather day it can take one day to play one day especially if you micro manage like I do. I mean by the time you have finished playing one day and combed through the results it can be hard to carry on and start the next day. At least you can pause and save at any point in the game to come back later.

For BoB it's all in the mission selection and composition. Axis production is computer controlled and set in stone so be wise with those assets. Again a variety of scenarios are available and once again it's the longer ones that allow for a greater scope. Very fond of the full length '41 scenario as the Italians offer an interesting twist. The victory scores for the Axis have just been raised in the latest update and I still have to play it through again.

It's a great game and one of the few I still play on a regular basis, mostly as the LW.
Mark.

Conversely, in Eagle Day you can play the RAF in a similar defensive role as the Axis player in BTR, where you manage production and intercept the LW bombing raids.

The trick on the defense is to time your patrols to be in position at the right place and altitude at the right time. Don't get caught on the tarmac during an attacker fighter sweep or bombing raid of your airfields, it's better to be patrolling from above. But then if you run out of fuel you might get caught in the air trying to land and that can turn out even worse than if you stayed on the ground.

OK thanks guys I bought it...

The Axis side of the grand Bombing the Reich campaign is interesting but a bit too tedious for my taste. Managing production is cool and I like how much control you have over research/airframe logistics but the actual gameplay of intercepting hasn't aged great. Night bombing is especially annoying to deal with because you'll often scramble a fighter group only to have almost all of them not find a target and simply patrol around their airfield. You can task every individual aircraft to intercept a target, but doing so is extremely tedious as it requires a lot of clicking and menus for almost no reward since chances are they won't find a target anyways.

Day intercepts are also kind of strange. I've often noticed that even when my aircraft have a considerably faster speed listed than what they're trying to intercept, they still get outrun. I'll also often notice that I'll have a pack of 109s in prime targeting position above a group of fighters/bombers, only for the intercepters to shadow them for a while, never attack and then go back to base. Just lots of clunkiness without an obvious cause. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong and there's unexplained mechanics at play, or if there's just weird quirks with being the defender. Information in the manual is pretty sparse when it comes to being the defender so the forums will be your friend if you want to learn how to play.

The game models the aircraft climb-out to altitude so unless you have a good jump on the enemy target you will lose the race trying to climb up to meet them. That's why patrolling is so important.