Effective aerial defense (TDS & SAM)

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    • Effective aerial defense (TDS & SAM)

      I have read several topics about the TDSs, though I’m still quite not sure how they actually work. Sadly, in several games I played, I never seen one in action. Usually, I’m the only player in coalition that uses TDSs at all, sometimes someone makes a few lvl1 SAMs but nothing more… and from the other hand, the same players use all types of attack missiles pretty often.

      Personally, I’m a quite cautious player, so I rather put my resources to cover my territory from WMDs, before I even start thinking of researching my own. Still, I have never been attacked with any nuclear/chemical ICBMs or BMs, so I’m not really sure how efficient my defense is.

      As I understand it, TDS/SAMs cover the whole (red) area in their range, not only the place where they are currently in. However, do they automatically intercept any enemy flying object that just flew into their range OR they attack only when an enemy missile/aircraft is about to hit/attack (or starts patrolling) some target in your TDS range?

      I think I read in some status update, that TDS/SAMs gain an additional defense turn when they are directly attacked. Thus, planning your territory AA defense, is it better to scatter TDSs to your cities (so they overlap each other) or to rather make less but stronger points of multiple TDS defense in some middle place between several cities?


      Also, how do you guys plan your aerial defense? And contrary, what do you do to successfully strike an anti-air protected city?
    • I personally suggest you to put 3 lvl5 -if possible- TDS not in a city but a place in which it can cover 3 cities etc. So you shouldn't take large countries to protect yourself with minimum air defence units. And 4 lvl 3 or 4 SAMS are good but you need also 4-5 Air Superiority Fighters for probable fighter attacks. If ı am not wrong, eastern doctrine countries have strongest air defence units such as TDS and SAMS but Air Superiority Fighters are better in Western doctrine.
    • This game ended on Day 56, the defense pictured on land held off 4/5 ICBM attacks done at once. What is not pictured, where the destroyers are here I had stacks of 2 Frigates and 1 Destroyer, it added protection to the coastal cities. The enemy targeted my coastal cities to destroy my Naval Bases, but was unsuccessful. Each of those cities had Level 3 Bunkers also. The one that got through, I repaired all buildings within 24 hours. Each TDS has a spec ops to see any other stealth units moving in via ground. The stealth fighters patrolled the western cities.tds defense.png
      "For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?" -
    • Thanks for the tips guys. Seems like I was using my TDS properly, just like you both described. Although, never really thought of adding SF for scouting against stealth raids. Quite interesting idea.
      Also, is it worth adding some ground units – like Mot. Inf. - to my TDS points of defense, as a meat shield to absorb some damage from enemy air attacks?

      I’m still curious about the first question. Will an enemy plane or a missile take damage instantly when in range, if it just flies over my TDS/SAM to some other place (just flies over - not engages me)?
    • @ivan Dolvich: Alat is only partially correct. If the enemy is passing through your "AA envelope" it depends on your AA unit a) not being on cooldown b) being in range during the "AA tick" timer.

      So as you can see, there are occasions at which an AA max not engage... this is deliberate and simulates the uncertainties of radar, evasive flight patterns etc.
      "Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion." Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf
    • I am finding under the new update you have to have core ground units and its difficult to get the special units unless you want to use gold, otherwise you get out matched in ground combat. I haven't been able to "widen" my research, I have to go "deep" to enable strategic airlift. The country that just sits within its borders and has low level units is dangerous now because they probably are just going for missiles. The new stacking update might mean that you have to stack your TDS also.
      "For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?" -
    • @Seele07 - you are aware that we do sometimes balance things before releasing then to the unsuspecting public ;)

      But seriously: Of course we are not simply allowing stacks without looking at the implications of AA units as well as further changes to the ranged AA system (cooldown changes etc).

      So this is a more complex thing and we are currently testing it - not sure when we will release it, most probably with the other mentioned changes to make sense holistically.
      "Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion." Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf
    • I am not a friend of nuke war. In an old game I have nuked an ai because the ai had spam units. After a ICBM on a city the city is on level 1. And if I conquer this city I win 1 victory point :thumbup: :D .
      So I am afraid that the game is changing to a complete nuke war game. Then the players first will research to the nuke bomb. For me is the nuke bomb only the last choice.
      „Morgen, ihr Luschen!“ --- „Morgen, Chef!“ (Ausbilder Schmidt alias Holger Müller bei der Arbeit)
    • I have not used AA yet, so I have questions about how this works.

      If several AAs are in the same stack and they fire on a single target, then the "AA tick" timer fires immediately for all units in the stack, even if for the destruction of the target it was enough only one AA. This is true?
      Does this lead to the conclusion that AAs are best placed alone, at some short distance from each other?
      If the target is knocked down by the first AA, the "AA tick" timer will only fires for it leaving other AA in the ready state.
      If the target is not knocked down by the first AA, then it will be knocked down by the next.
      Индийская кампания (руководство для начинающих в Conflict of Nations)