how to use strat bombers?

[Pocus]

I have problems using efficiently Strat bombers. Gunships, no problems

If I ask them to bombard an area, it seems they deliver their bombs at random, without targetting in priority the enemies?

If I micromanage them so that they each pick a target, it takes too much time...

With gunships I don't have the problem, I can set them on patrol over the fighting zone, and they will kill anything in the area. Would this work for strat bombers?

Also the problem is that when they turn around, they generally move a bit too far to my taste, and get often trounced by some additional AA...

Any advices? I was never able to use them as efficiently as gunships.

[Acidd_UK]

Personally, I wouldn't use them to attack an area - I hold them back till you have a juicy target scouted, like their first fusion, gantry etc. Then get your bombers to kill exactly the one structure you want dead then get back to safety. You tend to lose a fair few to any decent AA, but they are pretty much guaranteed to take that one thing out. IMHO they suck big time for cost against a mobile army, unless it's a huge mass of weak units.

Summary - use them for pinpoint strikes on high-priority targets.

[Kixxe]

eg slow units, important buildings or annonying defences.

[Egarwaen]

Summary - use them for pinpoint strikes on high-priority targets.

If this is for Absolute Annihilation, read the Unit Guide.

[Pocus]

ok thanks all.

Done a test though, patrol work nicely too :)

Now I have to compare the efficiency/cost ratio of the Strat compared to a group of vtol.

[Min3mat]

strategic bombers are impact units, they whack down a huge payload in a short time
Gunships are better suited to taking down enemy units without AA or unprotected bases

[BigSteve]

The clue is in the name, use them like was previously mentioned, for a really juicy target, moho geo/comm/lev 3 plant using them on area attack isnt usually that effective, just pick a big a target and bomb it 7-8 phoenixes/hurricanes have a high chance of taking out most targets even when flying through anti air.
If youre using them in xta, forget it... they just plain suck ^^

[Machiosabre]

sigh, this thread reminds me of the good ol' carped bomber missin ya buddy

[KorJax]

Yep, all I do if I want them to attack buildings+units in an area is that I tell them to patroll an area above the enemy. They will automattically attack structures+enemies they fly by.

One game I played against AI, they built a forward base actually near my "defending bomber patrolls", and tehy bombed+destroyed small outpost (no AA at the moment) by themselves

[det]

A large groups of adv bombers can devastate a base if there is no flakkers or anti-bomber turrets (They will own all other forms of AA). Area attack is _great_ for sweeping unprotected areas in a very short amount of time. I have played games where my teammates were almost dead and I had a group of 10 adv bombers completely crippled all 3 enemies bases. I have noticed that if you dont have radar coverage they tond target as well though.