Anti-Air: How Bad Is It?

[unmerged(56089)]

I've been playing as Poland and after trying numerous (less gamey) strategies I'm able to stalemate Germany. Anyway, I want to see how I fare holding the line over the years, but I don't know what to build.

*Can't build units thanks to zero manpower
*Building IC is useless because my lack of resources eventually start to throttle it below actual capacity.

Forts are a good idea because they deter the Germans from attacking and are quick once the practicals go up. But I've already stalemated the Germans to the point where they decline to attack, so forts aren't a priority. What is going to be a problem is German airpower. Eventually they'll bomb my IC/Forts/Infrastructure to the stone age. My only option really is to put down Anti-Air, but I hear it's useless. How useless is it, really? What if I max out my Anti-Air in a province? Does putting down RADAR installations help the Anti-Air?

Otherwise, any other ideas on what to do with my IC? I'm able to build resistance, but they take quite a while, and I'm not really sure what they do exactly. I wondered if I might be able to use them to spawn in German occupied Poland to cut their supplies and assist an otherwise hopeless offensive in encircling German divisions.

 

[KroganElite]

It's much better to spend IC on interceptors than static AA. Static AA will just reroute bombers to less defended provinces. If you have zero manpower I guess that's really the only thing you can do. Static AA is just a waste of IC IMO. Radar does not help aa. It helps detect incoming units(better with more levels). It also gives air combat bonuses in that province and the ones adjacent to it.

Not much to do with that IC without manpower. Next time I would build more IC heavy units(planes/tanks) vs. manpower heavy units(inf).

 

[gunstickuncle]

Not much to do with that IC without manpower. Next time I would build more IC heavy units(planes/tanks) vs. manpower heavy units(inf).

He probably didn't even build new troops. Mobilizing the starting OOB and adding support brigades already gets Poland into a manpower debt.

Concering resources...can you trade with the USSR? I think even without a port Poland can still trade with European countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, USSR or UK.

 

[GarfunkeL]

AAA does work. The downside is that it deflects AI bombers from AAA-heavy provinces to elsewhere - but if the AI has no other alternatives, it will bomb your AAA-protected provinces. The AAA will still damage the bombers, so building level 10 AAA in every IC province will very slowly sap the strength of the Luftwaffe. The problem is that if the province is constantly under attack, the AAA will never "recover" to level 10.

 

[unmerged(56089)]

Hm. Thanks for the replies.

As far as resources go, I do still have Danzig/Gdansk for sea trading. Maybe I could put my IC into convoy spamming if convoys don't require manpower? The Soviets trade with me, but inconsistently and our relations are -50. UK has a lot of resources, but they won't trade them with me. My limiting reagent is metal at the moment which throttles my IC down to about 47. I don't know, I may not have the best grasp of diplomacy and trade to make my resources break even under these circumstances.

The AAA seems useful in deterring German bombers and I could try to roll that practical into some sort of late arty buildup if I manage to regain manpower, but as GarfunkeL says once they start focusing their bombing on me it'll likely mean diminishing returns. I wish the allies would send air cover at least!

I haven't been successful in finding a good IC heavy unit buildup which could stop the blitz, but am open to suggestions. I've tried 3INF 1TD. I've tried converting my CAV into Heavy and Medium Tanks. I've tried INF/ART, and INF/AT on one level or another. My current game is a bastardized version of Kanitatlan's post from a couple years ago about doing a custom start with Poland and only using future tech'd infantry. Basically, I've done a standard 1936 start and focused heavily on small arms research such that I'm one or two levels ahead. It actually feels a bit gamey. I mean, on the one hand I was able to clear out Prussia and beat the wehrmacht in actual combat, but on the other hand the Germans just wont attack my defensive line. If they would I'm not sure it'd hold and I think it's kind of a broken AI not assessing the situation well with my INF being stronger than theirs.

Well, I'm not sure what I'll do yet. I am really interested to see what the potential of building resistance is, especially if the Germans start to overextend themselves.

 

[Kovax]

Why 3xINF+TD? Unlike AT, TD adds hardness, but costs a LOT more IC/days and supply. If you have the IC and insufficient manpower, 2xINF+ART+AT should be considerably more "manpower efficient" and use less supply (which frees up more IC), with more firepower but a bit less staying power. As the ART completes, split off the existing 3rd INF brigades to form fresh units.

Static AA's biggest problem is that air attacks damage it (which is historically absurd, since AA emplacements were generally positioned outside and around areas of concern, to hit the bombers BEFORE they released their payloads), and render it useless quickly. After a single raid, you'll end up with 1-2 less IC from the province, and 1-3 points less AA. After 4-5 raids, it doesn't matter how much AA you built, because it's doing absolutely nothing for at least the next few weeks. Its only real purpose is as a deterrent to the AI, to channel attacks toward the provinces where you have INT waiting to hit the bombers.

 

[unmerged(56089)]

If I recall correctly I was thinking that using TD was more efficient research-wise as I went for heavy tanks and blitz doctrines whereas doing AT/ART meant slightly more to research. TD's also contributed to armor practical. Needless to say 3INF+TD didn't stop the Germans in defense, but I was able hold Danzig and take Prussia with my Heavy and Medium armor. After that though they continued to push my line back in the South while my spearheads would lose moment if I pushed anywhere. I couldn't get that strategy to work.

I'm sure I've tried 2xINF+ART+AT before, but don't remember anything of note. I will take your advice and do another play through soon.

It occurs to me that maybe the reason UK won't trade is because I have 0 convoys making it "impossible"... lol. Okay, I'm going to try getting convoys/escorts, forts, and resistance and see where the game goes. Cross my fingers the Soviets won't attack!

 

[unmerged(56089)]

Well. Seems no matter what I do USSR attacks me February 1942. And I played so nice. Didn't attack another country.

At least the Americans showed up in time for the party. Those poor men of the 82nd airborne have a long stay in Siberia to look forward to. =(

I'm going to take a break. Nothing is going my way! haha. I'm thinking that if I can't beat Germany immediately, then I'm out of luck.

 

[BarrosRodrigues]

Well. Seems no matter what I do USSR attacks me February 1942. And I played so nice. Didn't attack another country.

At least the Americans showed up in time for the party. Those poor men of the 82nd airborne have a long stay in Siberia to look forward to. =(

I'm going to take a break. Nothing is going my way! haha. I'm thinking that if I can't beat Germany immediately, then I'm out of luck.

You can´t beat Germany starting as Poland unless you expand and/or exploit a lot. If you are determined to have your revenge watching the following LP will do wonders for you:

[video=youtube;e8gpvwsuBKA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8gpvwsuBKA&list=PLrnKzgGibBMlZdNE7S7-axCtWyvtWuX4W&index=1[/video]

 

[unmerged(760343)]

Yep, if you some how hold off germany long enough you will get raped in the ass by stalin. The only way to avoid this is to join the comintern before hitler annexs the czecks.

 

[Less]

If you're going to use AA then build 2 or 3 divisions of 4x AA and strategically redeploy them wherever you are being bombed. You can't redeploy into a province under land attack but a province only being bombed is A-OK, and in a matter of hours you can damage bombers enough to put them out of commission for weeks.

Static AA is mostly useless in terms of causing damage to bombers and only useful as a deterrent to strategic bombing (which the AI performs badly at anyway).

 

[unmerged(56089)]

Yep, if you some how hold off germany long enough you will get raped in the ass by stalin. The only way to avoid this is to join the comintern before hitler annexs the czecks.

I think I've found a minor gamey thing which will deter the Soviets, although even if I could finish off Germany by 1945 there's no way I would have enough time to take on the Soviets. I'm being incredibly optimistic with this absolutely abysmal plan of mine, but I'm hoping to do an AAR with Poland and it might rear it's ugly head.

@Less Sorry, mate. I meant provincial Anti-Air. No mp for divisions. Although by 1942 I still hadn't suffered much from German airpower with no Anti-Air or air force to speak of...

@BarrosRodrigues Haha I've been following your Let's Plays, Marco. Looking forward to seeing how your Czech game goes. I mirrored the strategy you used with Poland, but felt kind of empty after Germany capitulated.

I think I've got a plan that will at least put up one hell of a fight, but I'm going to test a couple other ideas first and then we'll see.