Newbie tactics question.....

[Bilbosmeggins]

If I take on a mission to intercept ememy bombers, and when I get there, they have fighters escorting them what's best?  Do I try to take out the fighter threat first, letting the bombers get closer to their target, or do I engage the bombers and hope for the best?  My instinct tells me to take on the fighters first, but the mission orders are for the bombers not to get through.  Just wondered what the general consensus was?

[dburne]

Normally when I am in that situation, my wingmen ( playing single player) will typically go ahead and start engaging the fighters and I go in and try and get a bomber whilst they are doing so. Hopefully they keep the fighters off my butt and prevail so they can join me soon.

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

Your job is to take out the bombers, keep that in mind. Fighters are a sidenote that occasionally disrupts your intercept.

 

Assuming you and the attack group are level, coming at directly opposed courses, I'd recommend climbing as soon as you spot the enemy and gain some vertical separation. The enemy fighters will try to match that once they see you doing so, but your head start will help you. Once you cross paths, turn around and use that altitude to dive towards the bomber formation. What you want to do here is make a fast pass through it, hitting at least two aircraft. Once a bomber drops their ordnance prematurely or diverts course you can consider it as finished since they won't accomplish their mission.

 

Assuming you have 1-3 wingmen, after each pass climb again and take stock of the situation. Are the fighters engaging your wingmen, or are your wingmen engaging the bombers? If the former, attack the bombers while the escort is distracted. If the latter, go for the fighters to keep your wingmen focused on the bombers. Once the bombers have all been sent home or down, start taking the fight to friendly lines and, ultimately, head home.

Edited July 29, 2017 by 55IAP_Lucas_From_Hell

[ZachariasX]

If you can "take out the fighters first" and then the bombers, why not? If you're not that sure about that, remember your mission objective. It's the bombers. In an area where you will genereate a lot of attention, you have maybe but one chance to hit. So you better aim well and hit hard.

[Bilbosmeggins]

Thanks all  Typically, I've been trying to erase the threat of fighters first, but have always questioned my logic.  I'll attempt hard-hitting the bombers next time, and try to put some faith in my wingmen.

[sergio_]

If you engage the fighters first, they are already indirectly accomplishing their task, diverting your attention away from your primary target, also increasing the odds of the bombers to accomplish their task.

 

Beware: this is coming from another newbie

Edited July 29, 2017 by Sergi0

[dburne]

Thanks all  Typically, I've been trying to erase the threat of fighters first, but have always questioned my logic.  I'll attempt hard-hitting the bombers next time, and try to put some faith in my wingmen.

 

When I would get to the action point, I would circle around behind my wingmen and let them start the engagement with the fighters to get them spread out. I then would start my approach for a run on the bombers.

[Bilbosmeggins]

When I would get to the action point, I would circle around behind my wingmen and let them start the engagement with the fighters to get them spread out. I then would start my approach for a run on the bombers.

 

 

That sounds like a plan

If you engage the fighters first, they are already indirectly accomplishing their task, diverting your attention away from your primary target, also increasing the odds of the bombers to accomplish their task.

 

Beware: this is coming from another newbie

 

Yes, this is what made me question my spurious logic

[sniperton]

After all, it's as simple as that:

- if no one goes for the bombers, they will escape, and the mission will be a failure;

- if your wingmen go for the bombers, while you engage the escorts, your devotion and self-sacrifice will be remembered.

(another newbie pilot)

[ShamrockOneFive]

This is a good question to ask. I still ask it after years of playing. You want to focus on the bombers but you don't want to ignore the escort.

 

Once upon a time where the campaign system would throw you up against a flight of 5 bombers plus 4 escorts and you'd just be by your lonesome (it doesn't happen anymore I don't think) I'd usually bore straight in at the bomber formation and try and shoot down one bomber or damage two and then dive away for cover. You can't win against those odds but you can achieve the mission objective.

 

The res of the time it matters if the bombers can escape in time or not. If they can't then wipe out the fighters first and clean up the bombers later. Otherwise you may want to try and divvy up your team (which is hard to get the AI to do).

[Yogiflight]

You can first fight the escort and then, together with your wingmen, follow the bombers to their base. It is one of the two airfields, that are protected by AAA.

[Jaws2002]

Now here's a sort of "gaming the game" tip. Hit the lead bomber first. If he's damaged and goes off course, the drones will follow him and that would give you more time to hit them.  The moment that one dies, the next one in line will take over and turn back on target. 

Use that to your advantage.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Jaws2002

[sniperton]

A bomber is worth of 24 points, a fighter is only 12. The objective is to stop the bombers (60 points). I don't see any reason why anyone should go for the escorts unless the objective (one bomber shot down or two damaged) is fulfilled by teammates before you begin to act. Most of the time, particularly when I fly the LaGG or the MiG, I dive on the bombers, damage or destroy two in one pass, then I try to get away as fast as I can. If I have ammo, and altitude, and speed, I can still return to deal with the fighters to max out my mission results. Intercepting bombers is about intercepting bombers, period. 

Edited July 31, 2017 by sniperton

[Bilbosmeggins]

A bomber is worth of 24 points, a fighter is only 12. The objective is to stop the bombers (60 points). I don't see any reason why anyone should go for the escorts unless the objective (one bomber shot down or two damaged) is fulfilled by teammates before you begin to act. Most of the time, particularly when I fly the LaGG or the MiG, I dive on the bombers, damage or destroy two in one pass, then I try to get away as fast as I can. If I have ammo, and altitude, and speed, I can still return to deal with the fighters to max out my mission results. Intercepting bombers is about intercepting bombers, period. 

 

 

Although I understand what you are saying from a gaming perspective, I do tend to try and fly as though my own life is at risk.  I would find it hard to take the mental leap required to equate lives and planes to a points value.  I think that it is fairly fair to assume that most pilots flew with a fair measure of self preservation, apart from the Japanese kamikaze pilots.  That's why I've always taken on the fighters first, to try to eliminate the risk of dying.  But I fully realise that this approach does not get the job done.  I really appreciate the different perspectives offered here though.  Thanks all

Edited August 1, 2017 by Bilbosmeggins

[sergio_]

Although I understand what you are saying from a gaming perspective, I do tend to try and fly as though my own life is at risk.  I would find it hard to take the mental leap required to equate lives and planes to a points value.  I think that it is fairly fair to assume that most pilots flew with a fair measure of self preservation, apart from the Japanese kamikaze pilots.  That's why I've always taken on the fighters first, to try to eliminate the risk of dying.  But I fully realise that this approach does not get the job done.  I really appreciate the different perspectives offered here though.  Thanks all

This is quite interesting.

I was going to say the same thing, but then I got second thoughts.

I imagine a pilot's feeling on his first flight thinking about surviving. But then, those who succeeded and eventually became aces... I can also imagine those pilots thinking of combat like "let's see how much can I score today". I think someone who has taken down 30 bandits sees combat from another perspective, not so far from a scoreboard, at least to some extent.

 

This may seem like moving off topic, but certainly affects tactics.

[sniperton]

Although I understand what you are saying from a gaming perspective, I do tend to try and fly as though my own life is at risk.  I would find it hard to take the mental leap required to equate lives and planes to a points value. 

Just the other way round. There's an order, stop the bombers, and the game is programmed to reward it in the first place. Everything else is secondary. Just remember the historical tactics of the British Fighter Command in the BoB. You're up there to break through the fighter escort and to attack the bombers. If you're attacking the fighters instead, you're not following orders and you're risking the success of the mission, which is 'intercept bombers'. You have the orders, lieutenant, and you're a soldier. Dismissed!

Edited August 1, 2017 by sniperton

[Wulf]

If you engage the fighters first, they are already indirectly accomplishing their task, diverting your attention away from your primary target, also increasing the odds of the bombers to accomplish their task.

 

Beware: this is coming from another newbie

 

 

Your analysis of the situation is correct.  

[-SF-Disarray]

Although I understand what you are saying from a gaming perspective, I do tend to try and fly as though my own life is at risk.  I would find it hard to take the mental leap required to equate lives and planes to a points value.  I think that it is fairly fair to assume that most pilots flew with a fair measure of self preservation, apart from the Japanese kamikaze pilots.  That's why I've always taken on the fighters first, to try to eliminate the risk of dying.  But I fully realise that this approach does not get the job done.  I really appreciate the different perspectives offered here though.  Thanks all

 

I think you might find safety is a secondary concern for a lot of combat personnel. Sure everyone would like to come home at the end of it all but there is the mission to consider. Modern military thinking dictates that the mission is the only consideration. If your personal safety must be sacrificed to satisfy the mission, so be it. I am fairly sure that this thinking extends back to WW2 as well, at least that is what a lot of reading I've done on the subject seems to suggest. With that in mind going strait for the bombers is the exact right thing to do. At that point in time the only reason for the existence of the fighter pilot is to kill that bomber or everyone on it, or both. Any other outcome is a failure that will result in that pilots friends and countrymen being killed.

[LLv24_Zami]

If you engage the fighters first, they are already indirectly accomplishing their task, diverting your attention away from your primary target, also increasing the odds of the bombers to accomplish their task.

 

Beware: this is coming from another newbie

Wise words!

 

It is quite simple, bombers are the ones you should stop before they complete their mission. So everything else is secondary. Get altitude advantage and use that energy to attack and avoid escorts.