Heavy bomber altitude

[Fred19]

I think there's definitely something wrong there:

On escort missions my bombers start at medium altitude on 4 out of 5 times. Shouldn't they be set up higher more often?

[tornado]

On my escort missions the heavy bombers are usually at High altitude - ocassionaly they are at Medium or Very High (not more than 2 out of 5 times). Maybe it's a run of unusual circumstances?

[lakespeed]

I've had my Med. Bombers start at Low and Very Low before, and my Heavies are usually at Medium. I think it's completely random.

[Guest Mike]

I wouldn't vouch for this, but I think the altitude you select for your fighters might matter.

It seems like there's always 1 enemy fighter within 1 altitude band of your escorts, so that may "load" the way the other a/c are scatterd across the band?

As I say I've no proof of this.

[Fred19]

Usually I set my fighters at "very high". I'll let them start at a lower altitude later today and see what happens.

[Stikman]

It's a bit fustrating that you can't coordinate altitude with the bombers. I gave this a bit of thought yesterday after perching my fighters at "very high" on two different missions and having my B-17s jumped at medium. In one case, enemy fighters were at medium and low, giving them two turns to thump on my "Big Friends" before I could get there to help.

This was escpecially annoying when on another recent mission--also with an altitude differential from my bombers--I noticed one Japanese wingman in a "Randy" had seven! cards at the start of his turn. (I still can't explain this, though Sixxkiller and I discussed it at the time. The Randy wingy should have had four to start, plus one for teamwork, and maybe one for a "draw extra" I may not have noticed, but I still can't account for one card???)

What do others think? Should you be able to know what altitude your bombers will be at, so you can plan an escort strategy?

[Guest Mike]

Was the wingman attacking bombers? He'd add his attack and defence factors to get quite a lot of cards

It is possible to get better co-ordination, and the expense of risking no longer getting "the jump" - or watever advantage you expect to get from your preferred altitude.

Heavy bombers are supposed to only fly at Medium or higher, medium bombers at low-High (although I have often seen them at very low!! :mad: ), and light bombers at medium or lower.

So if yuo start your fighters at the middle of the 3 bands you're pretty sure to be near the bombers.

I often start escorts, with zoom climb, for heavies at low to get that extra card - but it's a calculated risk - it works if hte heavies are at medium or very high (the later since often the interceptors have a hard time doing them damage)

Sometiems I start at very high if I've got power dive - usually there's at least 1 enemy fighter at high when I do so.

I always start escorts for lights at very low - again I've usually got zoom climb so it's a matter of maximising and retaining cards, and hoping the enemy fighters aren't too good vs the bombers!

It's all a matter of risk management

[tornado]

On Escort missions against the AI I always start my fighters at Very High - more times then not my bombers are at High. Occasionaly they are at Medium or very high(seems that I remember I even had them pop up at low one time). It would be very nice to know what altitude the bombers would be at before you selected your starting altitude. As far as the extra card(s) for the AI Wingman - it seems that a read a thread in which Brian stated that enemy WM get a card "bonus" (my word-not his) when doing an intercept mission. It takes the number of offensive cards allowed PLUS the number of defensive cards, or some such. I can't remember which topic it was under. And it is possible that I am totally misinterpurting what he said (I do remember that he addressed it)-so, Brain if you read this- HELP!

lol - I see Stalin's Organist beat me the punch on posting - as usual.

[Sixxkiller]

Ya I think Stalin sits on his lawn chair and hits the refresh button OVER and OVER because in the land Down Under and OVER where he resides, there may not be that much to do. I can just see his wife and kids shaking thier heads while he tries to teach the sheep to do it for him when he gets tired, and alerting him when someone posts so he can run, throw the poor sheep out the way, and post his opinion(s).

But my take is simple on this subject. There should be random bombers. Escorting the heavies all the time shouldnt happen. But I always start out V High for the heavies.

-Ray

[Guest Mike]

I'm not married Six - never was and I intend to raise my kids the same way!

they spend most of thier time with their mother - I love them to bits when they're with me, and I also often love to hand them back!!

Other than that I work for the Govt, so you're not too far out!

Has anyone tried mailing Dan today? I keep getting bounces for 1 msg I'm trying to send - from his own address and also from difadmin@battlefont.com

[Dan Verssen]

My email seems to be working okay. But, you never know when dealing with the AOL email system.

[lakespeed]

Wingies get Offense + Defense - 1 for attacking bombers. So, at high levels, they usually get 7 + 1 for Draw an Extra Card for a total of 8.

Has a tendency to blast bombers to little pieces if you are slow in getting there.

Of course, if you'd rather have both sets of fighters jump you instead, which I try to do sometimes, it can be very brutal too.

[Guest Mike]

Escorting is a different game - you win if hte bombers get trhough - even if your fighters do get shot to bits - the EXP for the bombers is worth it.

Of course you then have to go fly a few 1:1 missions to get your ED's back....

[Guest Mike]

Originally posted by Dan Verssen:

My email seems to be working okay. But, you never know when dealing with the AOL email system.

lol - I get "User<dverssen@aol.com> - (554 TRANSACTION FAILED)"

I'll try to send it from home tonight - no biggie

[bartbert]

Originally posted by tornado:

On Escort missions against the AI I always start my fighters at Very High - more times then not my bombers are at High. Occasionaly they are at Medium or very high(seems that I remember I even had them pop up at low one time). It would be very nice to know what altitude the bombers would be at before you selected your starting altitude. As far as the extra card(s) for the AI Wingman - it seems that a read a thread in which Brian stated that enemy WM get a card "bonus" (my word-not his) when doing an intercept mission. It takes the number of offensive cards allowed PLUS the number of defensive cards, or some such. I can't remember which topic it was under. And it is possible that I am totally misinterpurting what he said (I do remember that he addressed it)-so, Brain if you read this- HELP!

lol - I see Stalin's Organist beat me the punch on posting - as usual.

When wingmen attack a bomber, they get their Offensive cards plus their Defensive cards minus one. When a leader attacks a bomber, they get a +1 burst against Light and Medium bombers. They get an additional +1 burst (for a total of +2 bursts) against Heavy bombers.

As far as a bomber's starting altitude, it breaks out as follows:

Heavy Bomber:

Very High = 15%

High = 35%

Medium = 50%

Medium Bomber:

High = 20%

Medium = 45%

Low = 25%

Very Low = 10%

Light Bomber:

Medium = 15%

Low = 55%

Very Low = 30%

[Fred19]

That explains a lot! Never thought it's 50% for the heavies to start at medium.

Back in the old days of the last year when I had time to play hours and hours *sigh*, I wrote down the starting altitudes of both the HB and my escorts:

1. Fighters: High - Bombers: Medium

2. F: H - B: VH

3. F: VH - B: H

4. F: H - B: M

5. F: VH - B: M

6. F: M - B: VH

7. F: H - B: M

8. F: H - B: M

9. F: M - B: M

10. F: H - B: M

11. F: VH - B: VH

12. F: VH - B: H

13. F: VH - B: H

14. F: VH - B: VH

15. F: H - B: M

16. F. VH - B: M

So it's 8 times out of 16 at medium which perfectly fits in the scheme.

Well, have to go to bed now to be prepared for another 13 hours working day tomorrow.

Greife weiter an!

[Stikman]

Bartbert, thanks for that info. I may have to adjust my heavy bomber escort strategy. I normally start at very high, which usually gets me the jump on any enemy fighters. This works well when the bombers are at high, but tends to bite when they are at medium.