Anti-aircraft Guns Too Effective?

[Stonemason]

Everytime I sent a plane out to do something the enemy anti-aircraft gun automatically shoots it down (never misses). Is this normal? Might as well not put any planes in the air if it will always be shot down without a chance of surviving.

[pipfromslitherine]

AA guns have a chance based on the plane, the AA guns, and the number of them around. If you are sending air power into zones with AA cover then you will often be shot down.

But they don't have a 100% chance to do so.

Cheers

Pip

[Ryben]

The 88 Flak was used mainly as a high-altitude gun, very useful to defend against bomber formations but i think that due the size of the gun, slow traverse and the low rate of fire (20-25 shells per minute) it shouldn´t be a very useful gun against low-flying small fighters isn´t?

Maybe they should have a smaller chance against fighters than the Wilberwind?

Talking about the Wilberwind...shouldn´t be able to fire against ground targets apart from infantry? After all it have four 3,7cm guns, more powerful than the 20mm gun of the Sdkfz 232...at least they had a chance to defend against armour.

[shawnt63]

Ryben, I think you are a bit mixed on your German flak, the Whirbelwind was quad 20mm. You are absolutely correct on the 88 though.

[Ryben]

Oh, true...i messed up with the "Ostwind" (same turret, only one gun).

[MrsWargamer]

Since I have been playing, and keep in mind that means a lot of playings, I think I have had only 2 Stukas NOT shot down.

Stuka, easily the worst thing in the game

[MrsWargamer]

Wow, during a turn today, a plane actually killed something, I was like wow, they aren't totally worthless

Although I must say, I'd trade air support any day of the week for a single mortar unit.

[MesaDon]

I find that air can ans does destroy units. I noted on occasion in a previous thread (to qoute):
"I lost a portee that was not in a direct line with the strafing attack along with a tank and anti-tank gun that were ... dang Stukas" That was in one attack.
In another MP battle just finished I hit the jackpot when one attack destroyed a Wespe, Puma, and Panther. Stukas I admit seem to fall down easily but against areas without antiair they seem fairly effective. Oh, in the two examples given the units destroyed were not in a line.

[MrsWargamer]

I have only seen two airstrikes that truly put the fear of god into a player.

B17 strike once hit a town I was in, but it hit the other side. Nothing would have lived under it.

I have also watched a British bomber nearly wipe out a side in Desert Fortress.

Strike aircraft are near suicide runs, but level bombers while a bit clumsy, are death incarnate.

I'd still rather have the mortar and be able to once a turn ask for some specific assistance on a small portion of map.

[gib10]

But they don't have a 100% chance to do so. Pip

Your right Pip, it's only 95%.

Since BFA tactcial air strikes don't do crap anyway, shouldn't it be about 15% for games sake?

[junk2drive]

I need to test a plane mod and make sure the die animation works. 30 x 30 map. Place three 88s in a line. Call airstike right over the top perpendicular. Not one hit the plane. Same test a few squares offset. Not a hit.

[gib10]

Weird.

I've played Desert Rats 10 times(5 as axis, 5 as allied) and only seen airstrikes survice the little aa tanks fire like 3 or 4 times. Since you get an airstrike every x turns, thats quite a hit kill rate. I think that scen has 16 turns and you get about 5 airstrikes per game so say 50 airstrikes in 10 games. That's over 90% kill rate from the small aa tanks so maybe its a tweak needed on those aa tanks - their aa fire value must be huge?