Some random thoughts on air combat in PS2

[Malorn]

If you think air superiority doesn't matter you weren't paying attention to the E3 video. While the fighters were more interested in dogfighting than shooting ground targets, the Liberators were tearing it up. You win the air war, you have free reign with Liberators, which were basically flying howitzers.

It gives you 3 advantages:

1) Gives your ground forces air support via Liberators and A2G fighters

2) Allows your ground forces to focus more on AV and AI configurations.

3) Forces the enemy ground forces to focus more on AA configurations, making them even more vulnerable to your ground forces.


Not having air superiority is bad.

I've been hypothesizing that a good balance of a 10-man air squad would be 4 air-to-air fighters, 2 liberators, and 2 air-to-ground fighters. It's all set up as 2-man wingmen too, so every aircraft has a partner to coordinate with, including the libs.

The A2G fighters can operate as dogfighting if need be with machineguns but their primary role is as wild weasels going after ground-based AA like lightnings & AA max. The go after the stuff the Liberators might have a hard time killing and rely on speed and surprise. I figure with 2 of them they could rocket just about any ground target that isn't a Deployed Galaxy. The Weasels are sort of like floaters, taking out AA threats which appear or assisting the A2A fighters when necessary.

The A2A fighters keep the skies clear for the Liberators and weasels, but also look for enemy Libs, weasels, and galaxies.

The libs provide the actual ground support and draw out the ground-based AA for the weasels to pummel with quick strikes.

That formula could be tweaked, like removing a lib in favor of 2 more A2A if the situation demands, or scaling down the numbers for smaller squads, but I think you get the idea.

Also, if you have air superiority it means your own tanks can afford to use different configurations, such as doubling down on AV weaponry on tanks for blowing up other tanks, or adding mortars for better infantry suppression. If they don't have to worry about air threats then they can focus better on ground attacks and keeping ground-based AA from bothering their air cover.

And the reverse is also true - if you don't have air superiority you need to invest in more AA, such as pulling more lightnings with skyguard turrets or tanks with AA secondary guns. That weakens your ground forces and makes them more vulnerable to the enemy who has the luxury of doubling down on AV weapons and smoking your tanks.