How to use cruise missiles?

[jkg]

Cruise missiles don't seem to move over water squares, they can only move one tile in enemy territory, and only have a bombard range of two. Seems like artillery is a much better option even though it is slightly more expensive and has a marginally lower attack rating. The fact that it is reusauble, seems to make it much more effective.

Any good use of cruise missiles that I'm missing?

 

[Turner]

Yes, but in standard rules, Cruise Missiles have leathal bombardment, whereas Artillery does not. So having a few cruise missiles around to mop up after the arty takes them down is not all that bad a thing to have.

Welcome to CFC. . .

 

[Globetrotter]

On top of what Turner said, you can transport the Cruise Missiles by sea at a later stage, and the fact they have a higher range can somehow prove very useful (hitting some resource improvement 3 tiles away, bombarding cities from sea before a landing – again, at a later stage), etc.
+ when you reach a certain point where you have a couple of cities that produce them in one turn, after a while, you’ll have a pack of them, and they can be reaaaaaaaally deadly!!!
I once captured around 4 to 5 cities after I had hit them one after the other with some 20 cruise missiles. No fighting, just using Arty and CM’s, and then marching into a “freed city”.

 

[The Last Conformist]

A popular tactic is to use Arty to redline any enemy ship that ends up within range of your coast, and then sink it with a Cruise Missile; it's practically a guaranteed kill even against Battleships. The AI's got brighter on this point over the patches, but it still works.

 

[Masquerouge]

However their use is quite limited, I'd say. They're expensive, and are a one-use unit. So I'd suggest you only build them for fun

 

[tao]

Originally posted by Masquerouge
However their use is quite limited, I'd say. They're expensive, and are a one-use unit. So I'd suggest you only build them for fun

This topic has been discussed many times:

Use your corrupt cities to build them.

A 60 shield cruise missile sinks a red-lined 200 shield battleship.

Ship a couple of them (w transports) to your islands to sink enemy ships.

If you have enough, use them to hit mech infantry defenders in metropolises.

 

[sabo]

Another nice thing about CM's is that when you target a city with them they always will hit the military unit in the city instead of sometimes improvements like Arty will.

 

[ybbor]

compared to radar artilary whos BRF is 16.2.2 CM's are 16.2.3 which means it has a better chance of bieng effective, and infinitly better chance of killing a unit

 

[WhimpyCiv]

OK, I am using CM's ... and I don't see anything happening when I use them! When I use an arty I see something akin to "Bombard Successful! Enemy units injured!" or some such. When I use a CM, I see ... nothing.

I'm playing C3C, latest patch (as of Apr 12, 2004).

-- WC

 

[Smellincoffee]

I don't think you're supposed to see anything. I just use cruise missles to take out enemy naval units, though.

 

[WildWeazel]

I modded my game to make them more realistic and effective- cruise missile, tactical missile, foot unit, lethal land/sea bombard, AEGIS cruisers can carry 2 tactical missile/ foot units

 

[Daffy Duck]

Ditto that WWWeasel. I do the same, plus give range of 5 to 7 tiles, and let nuclear sub carry 2 as well as the Aegis. AI seems to deploy CM's more with these changes.

 

[jb1964]

I don't use 'em.

 

[Renfield]

Ditto what others have posted.

Use 'em to defend your coast. That's about all they're good for unmodded.

Also the AI doesn't knwo how to use them. Last night I was moving a large stack of MA's in on a city. The AI launched a volley of about 10 CM's at my stack of 20+ MA's. I couldn't stop laughing.

 

[Fanatica]

I've usually found CM's to be useful. I tend to have a stockpile of them especially after railroads are inplace. Like everyone else has mentioned, they tend to be useful in mopping up wounded ships or tanks, etc.