Can anyone enlighten me to the point of the Guided Missile (if there is one). If there is, is there any strategy or tips regarding it? Because really from a standpoint of playing so many BTS games, I've only built them once or twice, and each of those times I only built it because I had nothing else really to build. Is it as pointless as the Ironclad (another unit I never build), or is there some hidden strategy I'm missing out on?
Whats the purpose of the Guided Missile?
- Thread starter Joecoolyo
- Start date
It's not worth too much. However if you load up submarines with them, it gives the subs a fighting chance to sink a battleship. You can stock your coastal cities with them to weaken any attacking ships so that less powerful defenders are needed to sink them. You don't have the 4 air units per city limitation, so if the place you are attacking is close enough, you can use them to pound the top defenders by quite a bit in addition to your bombers. They are kind of expensive for a 1 shot unit. So only use them against strong targets.
I rarely use them. However I have heard many players rave about their utility particularly in naval combat. Sending a guided missile into a ship before you attack it with one of your own with similar strength is a relatively cheap way to nearly guarantee a win. I forget now but I think the collateral damage was removed in BtS, which was a shame, but they're still useful. Remember missiler cruisers can carry a couple.
the bio-missile does collateral damage but that is rather late in games.
Onionsoilder
Reaver
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As mentioned, they are very useful for taking out ships or damaging strong land units such as Modern Armor. Using them for city/tile bombard is a waste of hammers.
Minor Annoyance
Deity
Also, only in Next War.
Mostly used when you have cities that literally have nothing to build, lol.
Probably be good to keep your subs/cruisers loaded with them and/or tactical nukes for emergencies, but to use/build them sparingly. Better to waste a few hammers than lose your veterans.
Probably be good to keep your subs/cruisers loaded with them and/or tactical nukes for emergencies, but to use/build them sparingly. Better to waste a few hammers than lose your veterans.
Guided missiles have the useful ability to make lethal air attacks. So if there is an enemy invasion fleet which you want to kill before it unloads, and you don't have enough ships in range to pull off the kills, you can hammer them with aircraft, then finish them off with missiles. Killing a sub hiding under the ice if you don't have another sub handy is another good use of them.
You can do the same sort of save-your-bacon attacks on any land unit which is within their range, threatening something you don't want to lose, but not within range of any land unit which could kill it.
Because they are quite cheap, you can fit them into the build queues of high production cities without reducing the number of other units built. It is fairly easy to turn out a good number of them, and rebase them as needed. The maintenance cost is a downside, but if you can deliver and use them in short order, that doesn't matter too much.
You can do the same sort of save-your-bacon attacks on any land unit which is within their range, threatening something you don't want to lose, but not within range of any land unit which could kill it.
Because they are quite cheap, you can fit them into the build queues of high production cities without reducing the number of other units built. It is fairly easy to turn out a good number of them, and rebase them as needed. The maintenance cost is a downside, but if you can deliver and use them in short order, that doesn't matter too much.
Thanks guys! I totally forgot about the Missile Cruiser's ability to carry missiles ( 
) 
But wouldn't you think the reusable Jet Fighter (and Carrier) are a better investment than one-shot missiles (that never really do as much damage as you think they would 
)?
) But wouldn't you think the reusable Jet Fighter (and Carrier) are a better investment than one-shot missiles (that never really do as much damage as you think they would )?
Rusty Edge
Deity
I didn't see a lot of use for them beyond naval engagements until I joined one of these discussions once upon a time. I always figured that a guided missile should be able to choose it's target within a stack.
Anyway, like everything else, it's situational. If you're like me and produce most of your military units in a few specialized production cities , you can convert all of your other cities ,even those without a barracks, etc., to cruise missile production ( because they can't get exp. points or promotions ) in an emergency, or when your city has nothing better to do. Think of it as spamming disposable cats, except that these things can fly to the city at the front in one turn. Unlike cats, they can have complete kills. So they are especially useful if a war breaks out on an unexpected front and you need to shift assets in a far-flung empire. Just stockpile them. They make great gifts if you want to shift the balance of power somewhere on the planet.
Anyway, like everything else, it's situational. If you're like me and produce most of your military units in a few specialized production cities , you can convert all of your other cities ,even those without a barracks, etc., to cruise missile production ( because they can't get exp. points or promotions ) in an emergency, or when your city has nothing better to do. Think of it as spamming disposable cats, except that these things can fly to the city at the front in one turn. Unlike cats, they can have complete kills. So they are especially useful if a war breaks out on an unexpected front and you need to shift assets in a far-flung empire. Just stockpile them. They make great gifts if you want to shift the balance of power somewhere on the planet.
Wouldn't you think a couple Jets and Bombers could do the same thing as a bunch of Guided Missiles? Plus, don't GM have a limited range compared to the reusable Jet and Bomber? Though I can see the use in Naval Battles.
Gothic_Empire
AKA, Ramen Empire
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I use guided missiles all the time, especially for defense. I once reduced an entire stack of Panzers to, literally, nothing (Prince.)
Bonescorpion
You Damn right....
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Guided missles cant be intercepted or shot down. That makes them a better short term investment then aircraft. Also aircraft cannot completely kill a unit, missles can.
Rusty Edge
Deity
You have a cap on jets & bombers in a city. Jets and bombers can't get complete kills. Jets and bombers require oil to build and can be intercepted.
All of that being said, I figure reusable aircraft are more cost effective.
Do what I did. Pull up one of your saves and do a worldbuilder test by giving yourself a mess of missiles. Have some fun with it. Bust some stacks.
See what works for you, maybe you'll find your own inspiration.
achilleszero
Emperor
Guided missles work great with marines and amphibious invasions. Since artillery can no longer attack from the sea. Also once everyone on the map gets fighters they become more usefull as a complement to your fighters since they cant be intercepted.
Jets and Bombers always have the chance of being intercepted though, GMs don't. If you launch them, they'll always hit their target. That gives them an edge over other types of aircraft.
PibbZ
Paladin
I put my medium-production cities to build me a huge stack (200+) which i station near my exposed borders. You never know when stalin appears knocking on your door with 150+ cossacks and infantry.
just wondering here
was the guided missile in response to the limits place on the number of aircraft allow per city. or was the limit on aircrafts introduce because the developers wanted to add guided missiles and wanted the guided missiles to worth something?
was the guided missile in response to the limits place on the number of aircraft allow per city. or was the limit on aircrafts introduce because the developers wanted to add guided missiles and wanted the guided missiles to worth something?
I think the limits of aircraft was just because with collateral damage considered, they are just way too powerful. A stack of a 100 good units comes at you, and you pound it with 20 bombers, and the units you use to mop up won't even get any experience points.
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