Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Advanced Tactics is a versatile turn-based strategy system that gives gamers the chance to wage almost any battle in any time period. The initial release focuses on World War II and includes a number of historical scenarios as well as a full editor! This forum supports both the original Advanced Tactics and the new and improved Advanced Tactics: Gold Edition.

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Hollywood7
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Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Hollywood7 »

I'm having a hard time figuring out the value of a Strategic Bomber instead of a larger/cheaper/mover versatile force of level bombers.

Can anyone lend some knowledge/info here?
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Tac2i
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Tac2i »

Strategic bombers are more useful, just as in WW2, for attacking cities (production), resource hexes, ports, air fields, factories and fortifications. In other words it is much easier for a group of say eight strategic bombers to cause damage or destroy those targets than an equal number of level bombers. Level bombers are very deadly against light targets (infantry, trucks, cavalry and to a degree armored cars and light tanks).
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jreid
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by jreid »

Yes, I've been burned by the old Strategic Bomber :)

If you click on it, you'll see that it has high Anti Structural points. A city normally has 2,000 structural points (click on city and look in right side small window), so a bunch of bombers can knock it out in one turn.

I believe there may be a button/key (X ?) to conduct a bombing run which is different from the button/key to conduct a normal air attack against units (Z).
Hollywood7
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Hollywood7 »

Thanks guys. I'll keep experimenting, but with the same range as levels they are hardly strategic, but just heavy (same range) bombers.
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Twotribes
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Twotribes »

There are 2 buttons for air attack the first from left to right is against ground or naval units. The second which shows a 4 engine aircraft is for Strategic attacks. Strategic bombers are not so good on anything except strategic attack. Level bombers are not so good on Strategic attack. Level bombers are for bombing soft targets, dive bombers for ships and armor.
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Meanfcker
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Meanfcker »

Strategic bombers work best against cities only if there is no danger of your airfields being over run, like on an island or accross a channel. Ciites repair themselves and are normally heavilly defended, so this is a high maintenance approach. Strategic bombers are better suited for destroying enemy factories which must be rebuilt for 80 pps or for getting that all important bridge in the enemy rear and frigging up his supply and arms distribution. This has been my own experience anyway.
To be honest, most of the time I feel that an air force is a VERY expensive luxury. When one of my opponents suddenly has a large airforce, I am sure to suddenly have a lot more tanks, and I know which one I would rather have. :-) Airforces burn oil like its free. In most of the games I play, everyone is running flat out and there is not enough oil for tanks, so bombers would be grounded anyway.
I have developed a very cost effective integrated fighter/flak Air Defense system that can maintain air parity (that is denying the enemy air superiority) without burning oil, which largely neutralizes the enemy investment into air power.
In summary, they are very task specific. You may only need them once every five to ten games, but they are great for killing factories and bridges.
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Josh
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Josh »

ORIGINAL: Hollywood

Thanks guys. I'll keep experimenting, but with the same range as levels they are hardly strategic, but just heavy (same range) bombers.


You're right about the range, however with the lvl upgrades the strategic bombers have a very long range.
Level bombers *absolutely* rule against soft targets out in the open... Inf gets obliterated. A combined attack of 10 lvl bombers and 10 Art tubes wipes out almost any Inf unit, *if* there's no Flak around that is. Flak tends to be very deadly against planes, makes them almost useless.
Dive bombers rule against armour, especially highly experienced high level bombers are deadly... *if* there's no Flak or fighterplanes around that is [:D]

A well dug in unit with Flak cover is very very hard to defeat with planes, even Arty takes much longer when the unit is well dug in. Ads to the fun of the game I say.
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lion_of_judah
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by lion_of_judah »

if i have time, i always build flak units and put several of them around my production centers and airfields and try to maintain air superiority as much as possible. the oil thing is a major factor in this though and I have had my offensive ground to a complete halt due to lack their of.

I prefer levelbombers as long as I have air superiority though and don't have to worry about the other fellows airforce. If I can build strategic bombers I will and use them to pound the hell out of the other guys infrustructure, but then again only as long as I have air superiority.
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Strategiusz
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Strategiusz »

The correct compare is Strategic Bomber vs Levelbomber II (research cost).
Levelbombers II: 250 hp
Levelbombers I: 200 hp
Strategical bombers: 300 hp

Production points per structural damage: almost the same for Levelbombers II and Strategical bombers
Oil per structural damage: 3.5 for levelbombers, 1.5 for strategical bombers (tested vs city with 3 x flaks)
Hollywood7
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Hollywood7 »

All good info. Air fuel usage vs ground fuel usage is definitely a fun choice aspect of the game.
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Jeffrey H.
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Jeffrey H. »

ORIGINAL: Madlok

The correct compare is Strategic Bomber vs Levelbomber II (research cost).
Levelbombers II: 250 hp
Levelbombers I: 200 hp
Strategical bombers: 300 hp

Production points per structural damage: almost the same for Levelbombers II and Strategical bombers
Oil per structural damage: 3.5 for levelbombers, 1.5 for strategical bombers (tested vs city with 3 x flaks)

The range being the same, it would appear that the data favors the Lvl Bmr II. I guess the other factors might be defense against fighters and flak .
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Twotribes
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RE: Strategic Bomber vs Level Bomber

Post by Twotribes »

Except why would you not go strat II since they are the better strategic bomber?
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