Advice on bombing runs

[lemonshark]

Since Civ II, I've been a great fan of a bombers. However I noticed that in the later version of Civ3 and Conquest it has become very difficult to successfully attack enemy cities with bombers. As soon as I send my bombers, I get shot down by flak, fighters or even enemy bombers and my plans are dropping like flies. I even got shot down by destroyers. Unfortunately, my enemies are usually much more succesful with bombing my cities, even I have three mobile sams stationed they hardly have any effect.
Seeing that a bomber is not much cheaper than a tank, they really seem to have lost their power and I now only use them to defend against units on my own territory.
It seems that the AI has a bit of an unfair advantge here, especially since the AI always knows where my figthers and sams are stationed and avoid these cities...
HAs anybody come up with a successful strategy to fight an enemy air force? When I send my fighter in first, they are ususally left alone (with unsuccessful bombing runs). The moment i send in bombers they are shot down...

 

[JoeCivFan]

You could use your fighters to run air supiriority missions to shoot down their planes. But as for your bombers not being able to get in an successful attack, I dont know what to tell you. I would however tell you to hurry up and get stealth and see how that works out.

 

[dresdor]

Here's what I use: bombers...lots of them. And carriers...lots of them.

If you encounter a lot of resistance, move on, and fly fewer missions there.

 

[justp360]

who needs bombers !!! when there are tanks ,battleships,subs
bombers need plenty of airports near by or they run out of fuel ,
with battleships you can bombard cities....
tanks can be transported by sea transports.
if enemy aircraft attacks
build more mobile sams ,fighter planes to defend your cities.
if things that bad , you can aways send a nuke missile

 

[player1 fanatic]

I'll give you a tip.

In Conuests planes stationed in cities can get damaged by bombardment. In fact they would be first unit targeted.

This is true even if you bombard with a ship. Ship bombardment can put enemy planes to 1hp.
So after that you could easily bomb the city with bombers, with low chance of getting intercepted.

As for land based cities, use cruise missiles. They will take out several hit points from enemy planes and even destroy them if lucky.

 

[Masquerouge]

It seems that the AI has a bit of an unfair advantge here, especially since the AI always knows where my figthers and sams are stationed and avoid these cities...

I've got that impression, too. Is it just an impression, selective memory and the whole, or does the AI avoids air-defended cities ?

I know I've shot down my quota of airplanes, but it just seems the AI will go straight to undefended cities...

As to sucessful bomber runs, well, apart from sending you fighters first, so they'll take the hit, there's no way you can prevent the flaks from defending the city... That's the point of the flak, IMHO. Really strong. So try to find undefended targets, or use massively superior numbers of bombers.

 

[player1 fanatic]

Well, AI rarely builds flaks or mob. sams.
(in fact most of them are build in cities with no access to Infantry)

 

[Longasc]

I cannot help but I hardly need Artillery or much tanks anymore with C3C - I had hardly to deal with enemy Flak. If the AI would get defensive measures earlier, things might go in favor of more tanks and arty, but right now bombers rule supreme.