Countering Air Units

[blatchcorn]

My understanding is that you can counter bombers with:

• a fighter plane on patrol
• anti-air guns / mobile SAM
• battleships

In my experience I have never been able to shoot down a plane with anti-air guns or mobile SAMs. This is with the mobile SAM sat inside the city, which is being bombed. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[tedhebert]

Honestly, I've never built any A-A guns or sam units, because I don't play MP and they're useless in SP because AI... but yes, to my knowledge, these are the 3 possible ways to counter air units.

In my mind, city-wall defense SHOULD be able to gun down bombers... at least after Urban Defenses... but hey !!!

 

[Linklite]

Honestly, I've never built any A-A guns or sam units, because I don't play MP and they're useless in SP because AI... but yes, to my knowledge, these are the 3 possible ways to counter air units.

In my mind, city-wall defense SHOULD be able to gun down bombers... at least after Urban Defenses... but hey !!!

Apparently, the AI will be using aircraft with the Feb patch...

 

[Deggial]

Unfortunately, only now and after such a long time, those AA units will become useful (if the patch works as intended, that is). For comprehensible reasons, players never felt the need to build them so far.

And this is, why only now it will become evident, that ’Mobile SAM’ should have an increased range over AA guns and both of them should cover a larger area of protection than they currently do: AA guns should have a range of 2 and mobile SAM a range of 4, in my opinion.

Will there be enough time left in the NFP to balance those units?

 

[Jkchart]

My understanding is that you can counter bombers with:

• a fighter plane on patrol
• anti-air guns / mobile SAM
• battleships

In my experience I have never been able to shoot down a plane with anti-air guns or mobile SAMs. This is with the mobile SAM sat inside the city, which is being bombed. Am I doing something wrong?

Is the city tile or an adjacent one being bombed, or is it outside those tiles? I think they only intercept in their own tile or adjacent ones.

 

[Taefin]

Do any modders know if it’s possible to give cities AA strength? That plus disabling GDR could really hamper late-game player conquest in a nice way.

 

[blatchcorn]

Is the city tile or an adjacent one being bombed, or is it outside those tiles? I think they only intercept in their own tile or adjacent ones.

City is being bombed. Mobile SAM inside the city, but does not appear to do anything

 

[Tech Osen]

City is being bombed. Mobile SAM inside the city, but does not appear to do anything

Is there a regular unit in the city? I don't think the AA support units can do anything on their own.

 

[PiR]

City is being bombed. Mobile SAM inside the city, but does not appear to do anything

Maybe the SAM hit the bomber, lowered its HP, without destroying it?

I'm wondering, can't you counter bombers with GDR? It can have AA, although it's very expensive if it's just to kill bombers.

 

[Linklite]

Maybe the SAM hit the bomber, lowered its HP, without destroying it?

I'm wondering, can't you counter bombers with GDR? It can have AA, although it's very expensive if it's just to kill bombers.

It has an upgrade that when researched should, in theory, give it AA. Of course, with the AIs lack of use of air power, no one would know until the patch if it is glitched.

It's impractical even if you had gold. It takes the full output of a uranium mine to maintain. Since U238 isn't particularly common, you can't get enough to cover more than a couple of cities.

 

[Buni0ns]

Do any modders know if it’s possible to give cities AA strength? That plus disabling GDR could really hamper late-game player conquest in a nice way.

Back when the Steel & Thunder mod was new I asked for manpad AA (Stingers / SA-7's) as a lower cost unit and it was considered. With the advent of an actual AI airpower, it might be time to dust that concept off again.