Best stand-off weapon for...

[Suhiir]

Don't expect Stingers to have much effect on enemy aircraft.
Due to the way the game works unless you actually shoot them down before they make their attack run just damageing them has basically no effect. And it's rare that a stinger actually shoots down an aircraft.

Against helos they're somewhat more effective, in that if a helo is damaged it will usually exit the map the following turn.

In short, unless you're playing a game with unlimited ammo MANPADS are effectively useless for air defense. If you're playing unlimited ammo then yes, damaged aircraft won't return for a second (or more) bombing run later in the game.

Now if you have 10, 15, 20 MANPADS as some of the computer generated Soviet forces do this of course changes the whole equation - with enough missiles they work just fine !

[Joe1960]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

Now if you have 10, 15, 20 MANPADS as some of the computer generated Soviet forces do this of course changes the whole equation - with enough missiles they work just fine !

Indeed. I usually lose at least one UAV a game., oft-times more, to the AI combo of man portable IR's and AA guns.

Course now that Andy has fed me the tip we will see.

The only problem with drawing out the AA defenders is the time factor. I find the first turn or three is the best time to hit the enemy with cluster munitions before they get all spread out - hence forcing my UAV's over the line on turn one!

[runequester]

I find a liberal application of mortars tend to work well, with some heavier guns to cause kills.

Its hard to find a good balance between converging the barrage (higher suppression and more chance of kills), and dispersing it over their front line (less effect individually but you can suppress a larger number of formations)

Against low quality troops, once you have multiple platoons panicking, the leaders are hard pressed to keep them in the line, and once that starts happening, you can "hit the beach" as it were