Are fighters as mean as they seem?

Here’s a thought:  In the early parts of the game, before the Germans have had enough time to bring in massive numbers of reinforcements, is the best time for fighters to strafe 'em while they come in.  Because later, the board will be swarming with German units, and the Allies will not want to risk their fighters against 2-5 AA guns.

One thing I love using my fighters for is to defend liberated towns.  This is because of the first-strike ability, which the artillery don’t have; they just have to go toe-to-toe with their enemies.  Especially when the Allies have taken 2 of 3 towns, and the Germans have no hope of getting them back, that’ll free up some more fighters to use for this purpose.  I think it’s pretty intimidating for the Nazis to approach a city and find it being circled by 6-8 fighters, all rolling 1’s for every attacking unit.  :wink:

Fighters are best at defending VCs, as Orange said, but they can also be used as road blocks. Instead of placing them in the Reinforcement zones, where the German usually keeps Artillery to protect his incoming units, place them in the zones surrounding Reinforcement zones; that’ll greatly inhibit his movement, and maybe even slow his Reinforcements, if he gets backed-up.

Uhh, I’m at work right now, so I don’t have the rules right in front of me.  I was pretty sure, however, that given the turn order, fighters will have the opportunity to strafe units first, retreat back to the “fighter zone”, then the Axis moves, and THEN the 88’s try to shoot them down.  So, as long as you don’t place your fighters in a zone with enemy AA guns already in it, then they won’t have a chance to shoot your planes down, right?

I was also pretty sure that bombers get a “first strike” ability kinda like subs in Revised.  So, if they kill their target on the first try, even if it is an AA gun, it won’t get to fire back.

Please tell me if I’m correct on these points.  'Cuz if I am, then I would say that airforce is the main thing I like about playing the Allies.   :-D

Your 88’s are not going to be as deadly as planes. The planes get to shoot at each piece that comes into a reinforcement zone or any zone they are patrolling. They also get to shoot at each piece that tries to move out of any zone they are patrolling. So your planes get a swing at the 88’s before they are even on the board. And each plane gets a swing at each piece. You only get one swing per 88 no matter how many planes are in its zone.

The FTRs and BMBs do not get to retreat back to the Airfields before the Axix gets a chance to roll Antiair. I don’t have the cards in front of me either but I’m pretty sure the Axis gets AA for Bombers and fighters.

The only games that I have played that have even been close to Allied victory the FTRs seemed to never miss. You have to get 88’s into your reinforcement zones to have a chance at the FTRs but not going after those zones with the FTRs is a huge mistake even with 88’s in them. With some players the 88’s will keep them from putting FTRs in those zones but they get over that pretty quick.