Strategic bombing questions (completely new to game)

Welcome, SgtCoolBeans!

Strategic bombing doesn’t take away IPCs directly, it damages the target industrial complex (IC).  Each complex can sustain a number of damage points (represented by chips under the IC) equal to twice the value of the territory in which the IC is located.  Any damage beyond that is disregarded.  For each damage point, one less new unit may be mobilized by that IC.  Damage may be repaired (effective immediately) in the Purchase Units phase at the rate of one point per IPC spent.  It’s up to the owner of the IC whether to repair none, some or all of the damage each turn.

Strategic bombing can be very effective in bleeding IPCs from the target power’s economy, but only if the power doing the bombing can afford the loss of the bombers, which may end up costing more than the damage done.  Fighter escorts and interceptors are an optional rule, and they can make it even more expensive for the power doing the bombing.  However, keeping fighters in IC territories also costs the defender some flexibility in their use for attacking and defending in conventional battles.

basically SBR, strategic bombing raids as we call them.

Attack a players ability to produce.

It used to be, you flew the bomber over their factory, their aa tried to shoot you down 1 shot at 1/6 for each bomber.

If they missed, you rolled a dice for each bomber. Say you rolled 4. they IMMEDIATELY lost 4 ipc’s/dollars to the bank.

People could exploit this rule with Technology or hordes of bombers. So SBR’s evolved.

The rule changed so you could only do as much damage as double the VALUE of the territory the factory was on.  So a factory in italy say, worth 6, could only be bombed for $12 a turn (per country).

Then the rules changed AGAIN.  Now, you bomb the amount of units that can come from a factory, up to double the territories worth.

So germany at 10 ipcs a turn, can only create 10 units of any kind from it’s factory.  Now when you bomb it, you put a token down for whatever you roll.  Say you bombed it for 6, Germany can now only build 4 units there.

However on their turn, for 1 ipc, the germans can remove 1 damage token.

This is better, because now you can choose to leave some damage if you want.  say germany just wants to build 7 tanks, you would only spend $3 to fix you factory, to allow it to build 7 units.

Escorts is a whole new tool too, that allows your planes to defend your factories as well as accompany SBR’ing bombers.  but someone else can explain that.

Basically, rule of thumb for SBR.

1. if there are fgt escorts on the territory, DONT attack.
2. if your bomber is needed in a more important battle, use it there instead.  a maximum of 6 damage, is nothing compared to multiple hits, in a serious naval battle over even 2 rounds of combat.
3. if they have no AA gun, hit the factory.
4. if you have NO other viable targets for your bomber, and you are the allies Bomb germany.
5. Try to NEVER sbr as the axis, save for a few scenario’s. That said, as Axis always SBR moscow or Caucusus.

6. dont send escorts with bombers to fight escorts. its always bad for business.

SBR is worthwhile, if your lucky, or you know when to/when not to, and how often to.

Hope that helps.

I’d, honestly, say always SBR Moscow unless you need the bomber for a fight.  Russia’s so cash hungry anyway, and they really only have one viable SBR target (Caucasus is worth 4, so 8 max damage, and Karelia 2 so max 4 SBR damage) that if you send more than one bomber (and most likely if you are in a situation where you want to SBR, you are sending more than one) hit Moscow since you can do 12 damage there.

Other than that, I agree.  SBR is an end game tactic to kick a man when he’s down in an effort to end the game by surrender and thus get back to your pizza and beer…or another game!

@Cmdr:

I’d, honestly, say always SBR Moscow unless you need the bomber for a fight.  Russia’s so cash hungry anyway, and they really only have one viable SBR target (Caucasus is worth 4, so 8 max damage, and Karelia 2 so max 4 SBR damage) that if you send more than one bomber (and most likely if you are in a situation where you want to SBR, you are sending more than one) hit Moscow since you can do 12 damage there.

Other than that, I agree.  SBR is an end game tactic to kick a man when he’s down in an effort to end the game by surrender and thus get back to your pizza and beer…or another game!

Karelia doesn’t have a factory in AA42

The Russians could build one there! LOL.

SBR with escorts is how the Allies won the war for Air Supremacy over Europe.  It had much less to do with destroying factories then people realize.  It was all about killing pilots and destroying planes.

I tried this allied strategy in AA Europe once.  You know make it look like SBR but really go for thier planes. I had just watched a documentary on the subject, and I was stoked!

The Germans were losing but had a FAT inf stack in Berlin, it seemed like the way to go, to really cut the teeth out of thier defense.

What a bad idea man.

What worked in real life, certainly didn’t pan out in A&A.

I might as well have just suicided the planes into other smaller clusters of units in the area.  Of 10, I think only 2 came back.

Pay back I suppose, in a previous game I had shot down 5/6 aircraft with AA in a botched Sea Lion attempt by the Germans.

Lady Luck is Fickle. Never forget that.