USA 2500, China 7500 and a meeting

[Pepper]

fossiili said:
After 1-2 turns I see about 10 Chinese helicopters wandering around and many Chinese tanks and mechanised forcies coming.

How should I have spent my 2500

There are certain helicopter loadouts which include Stingers, if I remember correctly. That is one option.

Also, when playing by PBEM and air assets can be purchased (you can check in preferences to see if air assets can be bought and it may even tell you how many), its always good to buy an anti-air unit or two (or more depending on points). Perhaps a single Infantry-SAM team, or a single ADA vehicle, along with an ammo carrier.

Personally, when I play a PBEM that includes air, I make sure I purchase all the following types of assets:
1. Air defense (either infantry-SAMS from infantry menu or air defense vehicles from artillery menu).
2. Scouts
3. Armor
4. Infantry
5. Ammo carriers
6. Helos or air support
7. Artillery
8. Spotters

If you forget to buy any of those categories (number 8 is semi-optional) it can make the game pretty unbalanced, in my opinion.

But as others have noted, you don't have much hope given that your opponent has 3 times the points you do. Even if the Chinese were assaulting you, I think the ratio is 2.5 to 1, not 3 to 1. In a meeting engagement the ratio should be 1 to1.

[PlasmaKrab]

Pepper said:There are certain helicopter loadouts which include Stingers, if I remember correctly. That is one option.

Also, when playing by PBEM and air assets can be purchased (you can check in preferences to see if air assets can be bought and it may even tell you how many), its always good to buy an anti-air unit or two (or more depending on points). Perhaps a single Infantry-SAM team, or a single ADA vehicle, along with an ammo carrier.

I have to stress what Pepper said here, always buy some anti-aircraft units, even when facing a low-tech enemy, you never know, even a light strike aircraft with cheapo rockets and 50lb bombs can bust your HQ or your ammo supplies.
As a US player, and with many other countries, best is to invest in some (relatively cheap) Stinger teams or comparable infantry SAMs, since they can cover a good area on any map, and are relatively hard to spot, even from SEAD aircrafts. They tend to fare pretty well against helicopters, but there again, don't neglect the ammo supply, these units tend to travel light.
One useful thing if you fear massive airstrikes or heliborne assault is to severely reduce the range of most of (or deactivate) your teams (maybe keep some open to fence attackers off), so they get a surprise effect, a better hit probability and they won't waste ammo on 5%-hit-chance shots.

Now if you really fear large and modern air threat, don't hesitate to buy a full long-range SAM battery, particularly in the recent years, where things like the Patriot or the S-300 tend to be quite deadly. THis doesn't prevent a couple of short-range SAMs to act as a second defence line of course!

[Skirmisher]

You got what is commonly called a "Raw Deal"

Points should never be that lopsided in a meeting engagement,unless you specifically want that challenge of course.