Question: The AI and Airstrikes - Tanks vs. Points

[Miketee10022]

Many thanks Suhir. I try to keep this in mind, as (see my other answer to Andy) I try never to plot an air mission too close to friendly forces.

And I will try working with the editor to improve the odds!

Originally Posted by Suhiir

The air AI routines do a good job of representing typical Air Farce "close air support". A ground commander on calls in aircraft, they eventually arrive and strafe/rocket/bomb something in the vicinity of the area they are asked to attack.

For AI and other reasons dedicated ground support aircraft that will drop a bomb on a specific bunker 500m in front of your ground formations that's REALLY pissing you off aren't represented in the game.

You can use the editor to make the pilots and their "armor attack" skill 100+, in which case they become less of a hazard to your side and, if you have a clear line-of-sight to that pesky bunker and the aircraft has appropriate armament it has a fair chance of dropping something on it.

[Mobhack]

The other thing about strike air (Coin and fighter bomber - not the novelty types!) is that they really do like bridge hexes. Presumably fighter jocks are able to navigate to these (its original SSI code). So if you plot them onto a bridge hex they are reasonably certain to go there and drop a brick on it.

So - Strike air is rather nice for any AI or PBEM opponent traffic jams on bridges. On bridges, bigger bangs are better - go for the 2000lb option if you have them. 1000lb does well enough on wooden ones. On bridges, plot a path that will tend to fly along the bridge (and any approach road).

LGB plotted onto bridges, for those air farces with such a luxury to hand also seem to have the lesser drift if the target is a bridge hex. Saves having to deal with any pesky short range AAA but you do lose the carpet of umpteen iron bombs planted all along a multi-hex bridge and its approach roads of the lay-down attack.

As I say - that code came pre-baked in the original SSI formula, and so strike air's special little party trick seems to be bridge bashing.

Andy

[Miketee10022]

Thanks again Andy. I have played river-crossing scenarios (self designed) where my units were piled high on a long bridge and - sure enough - enemy jets pounded the bridge into rubble. In the process, ten or twleve vehicles were dumped into the drink! It was a very painful lesson learned. But thanks for the reminder and insights!

Originally Posted by Mobhack

The other thing about strike air (Coin and fighter bomber - not the novelty types!) is that they really do like bridge hexes. Presumably fighter jocks are able to navigate to these (its original SSI code). So if you plot them onto a bridge hex they are reasonably certain to go there and drop a brick on it.

So - Strike air is rather nice for any AI or PBEM opponent traffic jams on bridges. On bridges, bigger bangs are better - go for the 2000lb option if you have them. 1000lb does well enough on wooden ones. On bridges, plot a path that will tend to fly along the bridge (and any approach road).

LGB plotted onto bridges, for those air farces with such a luxury to hand also seem to have the lesser drift if the target is a bridge hex. Saves having to deal with any pesky short range AAA but you do lose the carpet of umpteen iron bombs planted all along a multi-hex bridge and its approach roads of the lay-down attack.

As I say - that code came pre-baked in the original SSI formula, and so strike air's special little party trick seems to be bridge bashing.

Andy

[shahadi]

Miketee10022,

Also, plotting a CAS mission of fixed wing aircraft, be mindful of attack vector. I plot a vector away from friendlies and not plot one where munitions are dropped in the direction of my guys.

Have fun

[Exiled Penguin]

I tend to plot such vector where there are no friendlies in or out preferably. AI loves to drop short almost as well as being too long.

[Suhiir]

I often wonder if they prefer blue-on-blue

To an extent I think they do, because if they have any trouble at all spotting opposition forces they can always see friendlies so ... "Fox One"!

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Exiled Penguin

I tend to plot such vector where there are no friendlies in or out preferably. AI loves to drop short almost as well as being too long.

"True dat." What I try to do is spot the target with an FOO of high experience and vision 40+ or greater if I use say an Lt Observation Helo. Next, if say I'm dropping CBU munitions (a lot of scatter,) (2)800 lb CBU AP x2 for example, I'd make of the CBU stores inactive. What I've found, or at least it appears to me, that my guys will drop with increased accuracy when I use an enhanced spotting unit and inactivate one of the stores.

Example:

AV-8B Harrier
Default vision is 20
Weapon Load Out:
25mm GAU-12 GAT
800lb CBU AP HE 2
800lb CBU AP HE 2

Inactivate one of the two CBU's and to be safe just in case a vehicle gets in the LOS of the attack vector, turn off the 25mm as well.

Now it'll drop two rather than four stores mitigating short and long drops.

Try it you might like it, although it involves more battlefield management, it will increase targeted kills.

IMHO

Go Messi, Go Argentina!