Request for CP options (especially Air)

[Dayvit78]

Hi all,

I'm in the middle of Red Steel and German air is killing me. In some scenarios, I have alot of Air CP, and some scenarios (like Stalingrad), you are given just a few.

I have some ideas relating to CP:
-I would love for the option to move some CP around - maybe for a cost? For example, give up 5 land CP for 3 Air CP. Or just pay coin. The flexibility to go for land or air superiority (if you can't have both) would give more replayability. Or maybe there could be flexibility in terms of scenarios - forgo some CP in this map, to get some extra in a future map, or vice-versa.
-There are some specializations that give more CP, but getting 1 extra Air CP is kinda worthless. Can there be more specializations which impact CP?
-Why is there not more variety in Air unit CP cost? It seems like all aircraft, except recon, are 3. Shouldn't there be some cheap or expensive options?

But in general, I'm not interested in more CP because of difficulty levels; but rather, there are so many units I never get a chance to use. For example, I often ignore AA, because I'd rather have an infantry and the AA is never in the right place at the right time. Also, I end up using the same very-experienced aircraft because I only get a few units per map - even though my core forces have a bunch of shiny toys that never get taken out of the box

Thank you and hope to hear what others think.

[terminator]

Hi all,

I'm in the middle of Red Steel and German air is killing me. In some scenarios, I have alot of Air CP, and some scenarios (like Stalingrad), you are given just a few.

Thank you and hope to hear what others think.

I always have several Soviet anti-aircraft units in this campaign.

[prestidigitation]

There are some specializations that give more CP, but getting 1 extra Air CP is kinda worthless.

This is a scenario design thing. Many OOB WW2 scenarios give you an extra +1 or +2 air CP. when combined with the specialization you’ll be able to get an additional aircraft rather than a couple of recon planes.

For example, I often ignore AA, because I'd rather have an infantry and the AA is never in the right place at the right time.

AA and using AA well is the key to the Red Steel campaign. Don’t chase the German fighters, lure them into your AA.

If your AA is never in the right place that’s a placement problem on your part that will go away with experience. It also indicates you probably don’t have enough of it to cover your units adequately! I typically take about one per formation so I usually have 3x AA.

AA should cover units that are vulnerable and expensive, chiefly ART/AT/AFV. Your formations should also be concentrated such that the AA can easily reach most of your units in a single turn. Keep in mind that AA is vulnerable to artillery and try to always place it in terrain with decent cover value.

[cutydt02]

The lack of AAs is the main reason why you cant dominate the sky in Soviet camp, also they have the best AA battery in game (the towed one which can move 2 titles). I used a couple without truck throughout 3 USSR DLCs, incredibly cheap and effective, just place your fighters or cheap bombers near them to bait, or else their good speed can help you cover much more larger area (around your artilleries maybe ?). It becomes even easier to place them in so many defending missions vs German. And last reason is the useless of Soviet fighters in early period, hell god, yak-3 is the first useable fighter but still be crushed by experienced Luftwaffe if fighting outside AA cover.

Extra air cp is best thing you can have, 1 or 2 recons can help you much more than imagining. About the 3-cp costed problem, i remember one of the nearest updates said that biplane now just 2-cp, but forget them except you're playing japanese campaigns.

Your ideal of exchange air and land cp is good, but it reminds me of Panzer corps which ground and air units sharing the same pool. I love this mechanic more and still replay many times

[Dayvit78]

Thanks all.
You're right, I haven't focused on AA. I'll do another run forming keeping an AA with each team like you recommend. It means I'll have to adjust my playstyle though. Usually I do as mobile as possible - fast tanks, fully mech infantry and fast planes. Now I'll try something different.

Quick question though - what about strat bombers? Does anybody use them? I really want to just to see how the units perform.

[terminator]

Quick question though - what about strat bombers? Does anybody use them? I really want to just to see how the units perform.

I always have a strat bomber with me in the Soviet campaign and certainly in the next upcoming DLC...

[prestidigitation]

Quick question though - what about strat bombers? Does anybody use them? I really want to just to see how the units perform.

Frankly the real question is does anyone use tac bombers?

Strats are durable and perform well against most AA and fighters, do great without vet and best of all attack efficiency and entrenchment. They’re flying sky artillery which IMO is fantastic. They’re my workhorse strike aircraft.

Tacs are pure glass cannon. They’ll do and take a lot of damage. I often don’t have any and usually won’t have more than 1 in non Carrier games until pretty late in the campaign.

[Halvralf]

Quick question though - what about strat bombers? Does anybody use them? I really want to just to see how the units perform.

Frankly the real question is does anyone use tac bombers?

Strats are durable and perform well against most AA and fighters, do great without vet and best of all attack efficiency and entrenchment. They’re flying sky artillery which IMO is fantastic. They’re my workhorse strike aircraft.

Tacs are pure glass cannon. They’ll do and take a lot of damage. I often don’t have any and usually won’t have more than 1 in non Carrier games until pretty late in the campaign.

Well to be honest in Blietzkrieg I used atleast 3 Stukas when playing the campaign as you never face that many enemy fighters. In Panzerkrieg I also used 3 in a lot of scenarios. Endsieg never!

[cutydt02]

Depend on what campaign you are playing. Both bomber have their own role, like you cant use strategic bomber on naval missions, they do pretty poor vs navy, or use tactical bomber on endsieg bcoz of losing the sky. In the late war, i prefer some interceptors to do close air support. Some campaigns have special 2nd objective that just can be done by tac bombers, too.
And the last thing, higher difficult requires more stra bombers.

[Dayvit78]

Quick question though - what about strat bombers? Does anybody use them? I really want to just to see how the units perform.

Frankly the real question is does anyone use tac bombers?

Strats are durable and perform well against most AA and fighters, do great without vet and best of all attack efficiency and entrenchment. They’re flying sky artillery which IMO is fantastic. They’re my workhorse strike aircraft.

Tacs are pure glass cannon. They’ll do and take a lot of damage. I often don’t have any and usually won’t have more than 1 in non Carrier games until pretty late in the campaign.

Just wanted to reply with thanks to you and others on this thread. I'm making my way through Allies Defiant campaign - and yes Strat Bombers feel like cheating. They're so good at weakening ground units so I can attack them with my own ground. And as another said, I now only use Tac for naval battles.

Also the AA are doing great, but still AT is my key center unit. I've had to cut back on Arty to make room for it, but it's ok since Strats do that job now.

[cutydt02]

Allies Stra Bomber is really a cheating weapon. Extremely good surrvivable, long range, duration. And whats worse ? They cause dmg nearly as good as a tactical bomber, and have the bombardment ability of a heavy arty unit..... Even early Allies Stra Bombers can do better than the ultimate one in Endsieg, the He177, they cant make of single dmg on full strength infantry LoL

[prestidigitation]

Allies Stra Bomber is really a cheating weapon. Extremely good surrvivable, long range, duration. And whats worse ? They cause dmg nearly as good as a tactical bomber, and have the bombardment ability of a heavy arty unit..... Even early Allies Stra Bombers can do better than the ultimate one in Endsieg, the He177, they cant make of single dmg on full strength infantry LoL

To be fair, the Germans are compensated with the absurdly strong tanks in their late roster and an excellent tactical bomber that carries hard for most of the campaign.

[cutydt02]

The tactical bomber is glass turtle, they're slow and extremely vulnerable, its very hard to keep them effective in half-end of Endsieg or when sky isnt dominated. But AI must think twice before attack even a very early Stra bomber, the Wellington, think about what happening if some monsters debut, like B-29 or Lancaster ? And what makes things better ? British gots spitfire, the overwhelming fighter, the best of the best of the best fighter in early game (may be even before me262 appears). They couple save my campaign many times.
Otherswise, ground units are really around artillery and of course, bomber. You still need support even when attacking an fully dugged in infantry by your 5*Koenigtiger (one str losing of tank units is a massive lose), while your light infantry can fight every tanks equally after it took a direct hit of Hallifax. Its not to say that early German tanks are'nt a thing to count, i just use about 3 tanks till the pz4 F2 appear in battle of Kharkov.
The real cheating weapon of German roster should be their 17cm and moutain artillery, a pretty perfect mix between strong long range and enough useful + mobility.

[prestidigitation]

The German advantage is numerous reasonably armored reasonably strong self propelled artillery units for good CP cost at pretty much every point in the campaign and extremely strong tanks. Not to mention actually good SPAA and mechanized transports early! The combination allows them to put together a fully mechanized mobile force before anyone else which is super strong on all their missions in the campaign.

In addition their heavy arty is fantastic and contains all the longest range guns. They also have great footmobile AA and AT for a potent infantry force.

The Stuka line is also REALLY good. They are dirt cheap to buy and replace and because you know they’re fighter bait you can escort them over AA for free kills on enemy fighters and then pay peanuts to fix them up. Probably the cheapest and highest damage precision strike bomber available.