Fun with Rockets

[Wolfe]

After trying a number of ways to get London to submit (subs attacking its MPPs, naval supremacy, air power, all-out invasion regardless of the losses), I decided to give rockets another try. I was less than successful when playing with them initially. It's expensive and you really need to build the rocket tech to its max, but it can be sooo much fun to dominate the southern part of England.

Rockets don't take damage when they attack and at level 15 can do a lot of damage to both ports and enemy units. They even contribute to your HQ's experience level if you destroy enemy units with them. I was even able to use 6 rockets and 3 planes to take London with only one Italian corps landing on English soil; albeit against the AI. After the bombardment the corps was able to simply waltz into London without firing a shot. And the rocket and air cover were able to protect it for a couple of turns. I was just trying to see if it would work. If I had gone for a real invasion instead, I could have held onto my gains.

Also, in the process, I was able to devastate the UK naval and air units that were sent around to attack my rockets and landing craft. Fun!

I imagine a few rockets would make for not just a good harassing force to bleed London and its port down, but maybe also a good defensive force to keep any adventurous Allied player from crossing the channel.

But one of the best uses is attacking Malta. 3 Rockets, a plane unit (mostly for protection), an HQ, one landing unit, and a couple of Italian ships, and Malta is yours in no time.

Unfortunately, rockets are real expensive, so I'm not sure the gains were really worth the points expended to buy them and for the upkeep when the AI attacked (both for the rockets themselves and for the air cover required to protect them).

They might even be good for starting the invasion in the USSR, though they obviously wouldn't be much good once the tanks get rolling; they simply can't keep up. But for set-piece battles they can be a huge nuisance to your enemy.

- Chris

[Straha]

Well, it's good to hear that rockets seem to be of some use after all.

Straha

[Wolfe]

Hmmm. Thinking about this a bit more I have to wonder if rockets aren't too powerful? Level 11 and 12 rockets don't seem to do too much, but level 14 and 15 can do a good deal of damage. Even to units that it probably shouldn't be able to hurt at all (naval units not in a port, for example). I also have to wonder how rockets would do that much damage to ground units. I think it would be better if they could mostly do damage only to cities/ports or naval units in port, and not to ground units.

And what's with strategic bombers taking out subs? That kind of attack shouldn't be possible, IMO.

- Chris

[husky65]

Originally posted by Wolfe:

And what's with strategic bombers taking out subs? That kind of attack shouldn't be possible, IMO.

Strategic bombers were the most effective counter to subs in the war.

Long ranged Liberators used as sub hunters made life very difficult for the U-Boats.

One of the dumbest decisions (for the allies) in the war was to keep squandering 4 engined bombers and modern radars in Bomber Command whilst the U-boats were coming close to cutting Englands supply lines, they would have been way more effective hunting U-Boats.

[Wolfe]

Originally posted by husky65:

Long ranged Liberators used as sub hunters made life very difficult for the U-Boats.

Oh! Just did a brief search on Google. Didn't know that they actively hunted subs. I just thought of them in the B-29/B-52 style bombing runs. Learn something new every day. Thanks!

- Chris