Is it better to attack with airplanes first or ground troops?

[milkit]

nt

[Terif]

It depends on the situation - but usually it is better to first attack with your ground units. After this you see (according to the real results) where you will be able to kill enemy units and where you can efficiently use your more flexible airforce (AFs have a range of 6+ hexes and can choose on which target to strike, while ground units have to use certain spots and often have no choice).

Nevertheless in some situations it will be better to attack with your air first (e.g. if you want to test enemy air presence in the area before you send your ground units in...or against an entrenched Paris garrison - here both your ground and air units will do no damage until you reduced the entrenchment. But since without enemy entrenchment armies can do up to 4 damage in average and AFs only 2, it is better to use the AFs first to reduce entrenchment and not to waste the more valuable armies for this job ).

[Curry]

As always Terif has the answer. I would have just said, land first, air second. But Yoda has the much better fuller answer.

[SeaMonkey]

I won't differ with Terif's logic, but add to it. Remember armies, corps, and tanks are cheaper to reinforce then airfleets, so I like to use air where I think they will take the least losses, ie. when the enemy's unit strength is lowest, in open terrain, etc. For entrenchment reduction, if possible use corps, or very high experienced other units as they are less susceptible to losses. If time is not critical using corps over a couple to three turns to reduce entrenchment levels is usually the least expensive, while your elite units push the flanks back around the enemy units entrenched location.

[Friendly Fire]

Consider also which units are HQ supported. Attack the entrenched position with units NOT supported by HQ, this avoids experience loss of the HQ, also saves more effective units with HQ support for attacks later in the turn when the defender is less entrenched.

Terif, do you agree with this?

[Terif]

Yes