Air combat mechanics: interception, air sweep and anti-air

[Laurwin]

How do these things actually work in Civ5 BNW: interception, air sweep, and anti-air ground units (but also naval ships providing anti-air?)

It's an embarrassing question about basic game mechanic but rarely against AI do you have to fight against credible air defense. (with tech parity)

War academy does not provide an article here at civfanatics about this subject either. (article is needed it seems!). Such an article could be useful (perhaps for multiplayer purposes though).

Case examples with air units, aa-guns and intended bombing target units, would be welcome if you fellow civfanatics have time enough in your hands to help the community (and me) here.

 

[aimlessgun]

This is how it works to the best of my knowledge...

A unit can intercept one incoming air attack per turn, as long as the attack occurs against a tile within the interception radius. For fighters this radius is the same as the area which they can attack. For AA guns it is 2 tiles.

An air sweep eats an interception, and that unit cannot intercept again that turn. Vs ground AA, neither side will take any damage. Vs enemy fighters, the fighters will engage in a combat.

When an intercept occurs, the attacker will usually still damage its original target unless killed outright.

AI air defense seems better in BNW than before (though that is not saying much!).

 

[Laurwin]

This is how it works to the best of my knowledge...

A unit can intercept one incoming air attack per turn, as long as the attack occurs against a tile within the interception radius. For fighters this radius is the same as the area which they can attack. For AA guns it is 2 tiles.

An air sweep eats an interception, and that unit cannot intercept again that turn. Vs ground AA, neither side will take any damage. Vs enemy fighters, the fighters will engage in a combat.

When an intercept occurs, the attacker will usually still damage its original target unless killed outright.

AI air defense seems better in BNW than before (though that is not saying much!).

example 1:

-brazilian mobile sam stands two tiles behind brazilian pracinha(infantry UU)

-Let's say I have aircraft carrier with two jet fighters.

-use one jet fighter for air sweep (against the tile occupied by mobile sam)
what happens to mobile sam, and what happens to jet fighter?

-can I bomb the pracinha with the second jet fighter, for less dmg taken (because mobile sam was air swept?)

 

[aimlessgun]

In theory the air sweep will eat the intercept from the mobile same. Neither will take damage. Then you can airstrike the pracinha, which will do far less damage to your fighter than being intercepted yes.

Also the air sweep should have the same result regardless of sweeping the AA tile or the pracinha tile, assuming there are no other interceptors lurking in fog ofc

 

[ravenmagus]

example 1:

-brazilian mobile sam stands two tiles behind brazilian pracinha(infantry UU)

-Let's say I have aircraft carrier with two jet fighters.

-use one jet fighter for air sweep (against the tile occupied by mobile sam)
what happens to mobile sam, and what happens to jet fighter?

-can I bomb the pracinha with the second jet fighter, for less dmg taken (because mobile sam was air swept?)

An air sweep will send a fighter to 'attack' a target square. If there is an interceptor in the area, like that AA gun, it will trigger the AA gun's intercept and will fly back to base without taking any damage. If there is no interceptor in range, it will fly around and do nothing before reporting back.

I think you need to Air Sweep against the pracinha; I'm not sure if it will trigger the AA gun's intercept properly if you target it directly. But it will allow you to bomb the Pracinha afterwards without taking extra damage from the interept.

If the intercepting unit in the area is another fighter plane, the two planes will go into a dogfight and damage each other. In no other situation will your sweeping plane take any (or deal any) damage.

 

[Laurwin]

In theory the air sweep will eat the intercept from the mobile same. Neither will take damage. Then you can airstrike the pracinha, which will do far less damage to your fighter than being intercepted yes.

assuming there are no other interceptors lurking in fog ofc

why are there promotions for air sweep line of air promotions then?

what do the air sweep promotions do?

 

[aimlessgun]

For when there are enemy fighters intercepting. The bombing fighter and intercepting fighter engage in a combat mechanically like a melee combat.

Since the AI relies mostly on AA guns for air defense that promotion line is pretty bad though IMO

 

[George Abitbol]

Since the AI relies mostly on AA guns for air defense that promotion line is pretty bad though IMO

AI loves to build tons of AA and SAM units! But the interception animation is pretty cool to watch.