The Beam Attack

[stas]

Ah, thank you ander.

One thing I thought might work well would be to set up airbases in vertical or
horizontal pairs.

Call the two paired airbases A and B. Set them both to bomber launch mode. Then
launch all bombers from airbase A in a straight line past airbase B. After the
first bomber passes B, but before the second one does, launch all bombers from
it in the same direction as before. This way, the second wave of bombers will
fill the gaps between the first wave, resulting in a narrow, dense line.

Any thoughts?

[ander75it]

Sounds good.

Really, the only problem I see with the BA and various variants is enemy fighter coverage. You do have to launch outside his radar coverage, otherwise, surprise is lost and severe losses are assured. A couple of bombers dedicated to taking out coastal radars with the first wave is a good idea too.

[ander75it]

Also, choose targets so that the leaders of the wave launch first. This draws AA fire from the silos and means a higher % of surviving bombers.
Be wary of enemy naval groups even if you have superiority in the ocean (I usually place small 2BB/1CV teams as SAM traps close to my coastline when I can).
Expect a silo to be placed by EU in Iceland.

[Taedal]

Hows a bout a screenie so I can understand what you mean. Do you mean by making a 90 degree turn bombers arrive simulatneously rather than in a steady stream one after the other? If so then yeah seems to be a good idea.

[ander75it]

Yeah, exactly. Since it was mentioned on the forums, I have seen several people do it with good success, and I have also heard of it referenced as "the beam attack" so I guess the name stuck

[caranthir.pkk]

Yeah, exactly. Since it was mentioned on the forums, I have seen several people do it with good success, and I have also heard of it referenced as "the beam attack" so I guess the name stuck

It is in fact the modus operandi for any advanced player when attacking another player with bombers

[ander75it]

Yes, well, it has its limits, e.g. you can't do the beam when the range is very long, but still it's a nice tactic. It's somewhat difficult to do in Speed Defcon though

[caranthir.pkk]

Yes, well, it has its limits, e.g. you can't do the beam when the range is very long

Why not?

[Grim_Reaper]

Why not?

Because by sending the bomber at a 90 degree angle to your target you expend fuel while not getting any closer yo your target. This will shorten your effective range, and will leave your bomber without the necessary fuel to make a return flight from very long range missions.

[palehorse864]

The question is, Why would you do the beam when the range is long, unless you are expecting to take the enemy by surprise. I usually only use this tactic when attacking a neighbor so that my bombers can switch to SRBM mode and fire as soon as they are in range. Then it is just a short trip back home.

[caranthir.pkk]

Why not?

Because by sending the bomber at a 90 degree angle to your target you expend fuel while not getting any closer yo your target. This will shorten your effective range, and will leave your bomber without the necessary fuel to make a return flight from very long range missions.

Just throw some carriers in between, thats what i do.

[ander75it]

sounds like a good plan, if you can win naval superiority
but yes, the beam is usually best done against neighbours

[Torp]

And that is why I strongly prefer playing as Africa or one of the Eurasian powers. The Americas, and especially NA, never seem to work well for me with bombers.

And bombers are without doubt my favourite unit.

Also, since I haven't seen it mentioned in the thread (I might just have missed it). After launching your planes, instead of immediatly targeting your chosen targets, pick one far away (and pick the same for all planes), at a point on the other side of the intended target (so that the bomber would fly over or close to it). This way, you'll have the Nuke launch ready at any time you want. Just remember to launch the nukes before the bombers are within range of the "aim target".

(yes, I know this is old news, and that it's in use already. I don't claim to have invented it, but for anyone wanting to learn Defcon tactics, it's nice to know)

And sub-nuke screens. I almost always give my bombers a screen of some nukes launched from my subs. Ties the SAM sites up and ensures that more of my bombers survive. Remember, losing a bomber is a much greater loss than losing a nuke. The bomber carries a nuke, it's the best anti-naval unit, and it can reequip with more nukes later on to carry yet another beam attack.

[ander75it]

yes, firing a few nukes (maybe a single sub?) to cover the bomber attack is a good idea, as the sam sites will prioritize the nukes helping your bombers to survive
good idea

[Exhortera]

This is a killer thread. Getting my air offense in order was what finally took me to the level where I can compete with others.

I try to time my bomber launch so that they're in position once defcon 1 hits, but if their flight plan will take them over open ocean I wait until I'm pretty sure any enemy fleets in their path have been cleared out. I've lost a shitload of bombers to BB.

Once they are close to their targets I'll start micromanaging the hell out of them too. That way if they uncover any radar stations or even the occasional silo I can take those out first, allowing my bombers even more opportunity to do their jobs.

Once I got that down, I started with the suggestion to use warheads to take the AA pressure off of my bombers. Most awesome.