Just finished the GOTM 25 -- had my first experience with a late game war in years. Carthage was the last AI to take out -- we both had all the techs, were both in Fundy, and both had war chests over $20K. My spies found that a nice developed city would cost $13K, and a single unit near their capital was available for the lowly price of $6.6K. Some of the AI cities were defended by six or seven units, but a few had twelve. I lost a couple of vet tanks, thinking that they could take out vet rifles, but the job came down to Howies.
My BB/Aegis Cruiser pairs soaked up a bunch of Cruise missiles, and ate a few stealth bombers to boot. My stealth fighters took serious damage on the few units they faced, so I was less impressed with them. Sooo long story short, when facing an even up situation (where the spies are to an extent neutralized), the Howies get the call.