101st Discussion Thread

[local-festival]

Interesting. The first part is right but I don't know if I would give unanimous air superiority to the FJ. Most of the time it seems to be the 101st who gain air superiority.

101st (nobody really) will ever get air superiority against a deck that can deploy a lot of 88 flaks. I've played against good 3 FJ players and specifically tried to conquer air and tops what I could do is to utilize 160 pts mustang bombers on A because they can swiftly deliver payload and get away before 2 stars ME catches them. They are super handy because of a small reload time and they can be of great help to stun autocannon tanks and MG squads. But everything changes on B when a couple of Flaks is deployed and there's two ME on standby. You simply can't destroy his interceptors because they're crazily better and also backed by flaks. And it gets gradually more intense because even more flaks deployed on C when the FJ's income is superior. 101st is mostly at a disadvantage in this matchup.

 

[Rojan]

101st (nobody really) will ever get air superiority against a deck that can deploy a lot of 88 flaks. I've played against good 3 FJ players and specifically tried to conquer air and tops what I could do is to utilize 160 pts mustang bombers on A because they can swiftly deliver payload and get away before 2 stars ME catches them. They are super handy because of a small reload time and they can be of great help to stun autocannon tanks and MG squads. But everything changes on B when a couple of Flaks is deployed and there's two ME on standby. You simply can't destroy his interceptors because they're crazily better and also backed by flaks. And it gets gradually more intense because even more flaks deployed on C when the FJ's income is superior. 101st is mostly at a disadvantage in this matchup.

Disagree. The two decks we are discussing are the two decks I bring into ranked almost exclusively. What I have been doing against the Flaks is using the nuke Maurader mixed in a plane train to bomb the 88. If you're lucky you'll one shot it. The 101st's air tab is usually relied upon earlier because of income, and snowballs because of this.

 

[Think Tanker]

Disagree. The two decks we are discussing are the two decks I bring into ranked almost exclusively. What I have been doing against the Flaks is using the nuke Maurader mixed in a plane train to bomb the 88. If you're lucky you'll one shot it. The 101st's air tab is usually relied upon earlier because of income, and snowballs because of this.

Of course, that is such an astronomical investment to keep the B-26 safe that an enemy worth his salt might as well push the open grounds where you cannot cover as well in the 101st.

 

[Max_Damage]

101st (nobody really) will ever get air superiority against a deck that can deploy a lot of 88 flaks. I've played against good 3 FJ players and specifically tried to conquer air and tops what I could do is to utilize 160 pts mustang bombers on A because they can swiftly deliver payload and get away before 2 stars ME catches them. They are super handy because of a small reload time and they can be of great help to stun autocannon tanks and MG squads. But everything changes on B when a couple of Flaks is deployed and there's two ME on standby. You simply can't destroy his interceptors because they're crazily better and also backed by flaks. And it gets gradually more intense because even more flaks deployed on C when the FJ's income is superior. 101st is mostly at a disadvantage in this matchup.

Thats true but then a couple flak88 cost a LOT and the dude has to spend money on them even while probably being on the backfoot since A. And they make perfect target for offmap aimed mode.

 

[Rojan]

Of course, that is such an astronomical investment to keep the B-26 safe that an enemy worth his salt might as well push the open grounds where you cannot cover as well in the 101st.

Thats not true at all considering the income of the 101st and the fact that the 3. FJ player is spending on 88's. It's just counterplay: Phase A 101st Air Superiority -> Phase B Flak -> Phase B Maurauder & Planes purchased from Phase A

 

[Rojan]

Thats true but then a couple flak88 cost a LOT and the dude has to spend money on them even while probably being on the backfoot since A. And they make perfect target for offmap aimed mode.

Yeah, I found myself using aimed off-map 90% of the time over the bigger ones.

 

[KattiValk]

The 101st is supposed to be the premier air deck in the game. This is clear when you look at the anemic AT and tank options they get, this deck needs air superiority to function anywhere outside of a dense forest.

However, the 101st's economy is entirely incapable of managing the price tags its air tab has in a sufficient quantity to even achieve air superiority with 88s on the field, let alone actually staging meaningful bombing runs. If this deck is going to be anything beyond a forest grinder and passable town force, it needs to actually be able to levy an overwhelming air force. Being able to have it in the deck, and actually fielding it are two different things, and the 101st can only do the former currently.

I would suggest throwing discounts on most of the air tab without actually modifying the income so the division does not become more effective on the ground (vet buffs for things like ASFs and rocket planes would be nice as well). If it's entirely necessary, the deck could lose a large portion of its off-map capability to compensate for an actually effective B-26 fleet.

 

[Max_Damage]

You do some bombing in A and B and then switch to offmap artillery. And yes i have found that you shouldnt fill the whole air tab with cards since you wont have enough money for it nor will planes be useful enough to carry the game alone.

 

[KattiValk]

You do some bombing in A and B and then switch to offmap artillery. And yes i have found that you shouldnt fill the whole air tab with cards since you wont have enough money for it nor will planes be useful enough to carry the game alone.

Indeed, this is true, but, it's obvious Eugen wants the deck to be air force #1, which it really isn't with the current price tags. A lot of decks already depend on off map, and none actually depend on air. Making the 101st actually have an eco situation friendly to levying air power would be more unique than another light division that arties everything that's remotely scary. Air is something that can actually be driven away or countered while off map is as easy as fast moving an OP down a road, dropping the marker, and GTFOing immediately after with basically no way for the enemy to realize what's coming. IMO making the 101st a real air power would be more interesting due to those reasons.