Air & Naval Supremacy

[Retributar]

It just struck me when i saw a helpless USA 'Invasion Fleet' on its way to Invade [or...Debark its Troops] France!.

If Allied Air & Naval Power is REALLY sufficiently that strong!, then when 'I' [As the GERMAN-PLAYER] should only have a marginal chance of success at damaging or eliminating the 'Allied Invasion Taskforce'!.

Right-Now!,...it's just Too-Easy to destroy an invasion fleet coming from Britain!.

Whot...say...you???.

[Liam]

Retributar,

Indeed I have put back many invasions and usually a Mainland Invasion in France only works in the current version when the Axis are already spent and defeated in the East. Other than that D-Day is more of a distraction and not practical strategy for the Allies. They're better off picking off targets that they can prevent Axis from Operating into and pushing them out, i.e. North Africa, Scandanavia or the defensible regions in Spain... Even an Invasion of the Boot is possible as it's narrow but I have only lost 1 game by accident with a person who employed that strategy.

It's abstractly seen as a D-Day to see men show up in Norway and Sweden now... and bomb Germany from there and maybe even enter into the Nation directly!

To have the sufficient forces to take on Germany on Land, you either had to use the Russians very wisely or have a very superb West Strategy combined with Bombers, Experienced Fighters and good Land troops both Brit/US waiting long enough to get the right techs so they do not have to really face the Germans... In the face of the Fortification Strategy and a foe who employes it perfectly France is completely impossible without Heavy Bombers

P.S. It might be nice to give the Allies more Bombers at a later date in the build, that way they could level Fortresses easier. Though they will likely employ in a more gamey fashion than Hammering French Fortifications, it's not as if France is worth that much sort of like Kingdom of Heaven, "France is Nothing, it's Everything"

[jon_j_rambo]

Nobody likes a strong USA.

[Ottosmops]

Don't be overmodest, Rambo, you aren't nobody.

When I play as Axis against the AI, I want the USA as strong as possible.

Makes more fun to beat them. :cool:

[Terif]

@Retributar:

I guess you are speaking of a game vs an allied AI and destroying their amphibs/transports with the axis navy - yep, the AI doesn´t really protect its invasion fleets so for you as human player it is pretty easy to destroy it in the water. But that´s a problem of the AI and not USA/UK not being strong enough .

Against a human player this is a different thing:

if the allied player has only a slight clue of what he is doing, it never happens that the allied invasion fleet gets destroyed - allies just use their navy to screen and protect the amphibs/transports and/or move them under protection of their bombers.

@Liam:

Full scale D-Day in France is also a good option - but logically not in 1942 (here it is more a distraction as you said), at that time Axis is usually too powerful and can in deed drive them back into the ocean (which is quite historical).

In 1943/44 this is a completely different story - no matter how Russia is doing. Later in the war USA and UK have built up a strong invasion force that is more than a match to the axis ground forces - especially as Allies then will have total air superiority over France (also quite historical). Fortifications can delay the conquest of France, but if Allies know how to crack fortifications (first airstrikes, then ground forces to take the demoralized defenders prisoner), then they will have no real problems getting through any fortification line .

P.S.: USA IS very strong - but only later in the game when it has geared up for war. Nobody should expect them to be a military super power already in 1941/42 (quite historical as well..).

[SeaMonkey]

A perfect example at how SC game mechanics compel the players to perform somewhat to actual historical occurrences.

I'd call that a game based on historical WW2 characteristics. Sure you can deviate, but there will be a penalty, possibly a reward if your opponent fails to act appropriately.

Biggest Allied player mistake is to make an early landing in the vicinity of >5 Axis supply region.

Same goes for the Axis overextending themselves in a likewise supplied Allied area, although in USSR, Axis has no alternative in the depth of the country. Remember that fact you Red Army practitioners!

Come on Retri, what other prime directive has anywhere the preeminence of importance then for the Allied navies to protect the convoys from the "Arsenal of Democracy"?

You fail to pay attention to this task, you likely open the door for disaster. In the words of Terif, "quite historical as well".

[flip]

What's the best way to reduce axis supply in your landing area? Do you use bombers on that particular city?

Also - what's a good method for having a successful amphib invasion when no ground based air available (i.e., England is conquered, or trying to invade Italy from North africa). Cariers help reduce entrenchment, but I only have 2 or 3 available and it seems insufficient. Or is it that you can only really amphib invade if you have a ton of land based air available?

[Terif]

If no ground based air is in range you have to look for a weakly defended enemy city with port for your landing (so your troops will be supplied as soon as you have conquered it) - with one entrenched defender in it you may not get it the first turn, but the second (don´t forget to land also a HQ to support your troops so they have some punch in the second turn).

Like in history if the enemy awaits you or an area is heavily defended: do not invade (or you will just get a bloody nose ).

The coast is long enough - somewhere is always an open/only lightly defended spot.

[Konigs]

I also would suggest some investments in long range air. Also remember Bombers reduce entrenchments by 2 per bombing, while fighters only reduce 1 per attack.

[ev]

Originally posted by Konigs:

I also would suggest some investments in long range air. Also remember Bombers reduce entrenchments by 2 per bombing, while fighters only reduce 1 per attack.

What about TAC Bombers in WaW. How will they affect entrenchment?

[Konigs]

I am not sure, I have read about it in one of the WAW forums listed above. There has been an effort to separate the functions of fighter and tac bomber and sac bomber. Even so far as to allow upgrades to tac bomber for naval warfare. Is going to add many new twists to the game... see you in there..

Can any of the beta guys give us a run down on the details of the planes again????