Am I doing something wrong or do air units feel absolutely worthless? There doesn't seem to be any good reason for going advanced air and the first tier air units feel like they're made of paper mache. I might be using them wrong or something. I'd like some input on it.
Air rely on their speed and all terrain movement to stay out of trouble, and strike when the time is best. But when mobility is your defence, when you do get hit, you disintegrate. As such, aircraft are best used to hit targets and run away before enemy forces can do too much damage. They directly contrast with tanks, who are great at holding ground. One quick way to use planes early game is to use area patrols over your outlying mas depositions to pick off enemy bombers and raiders. One quick use for late game is to stockpile bombers behind your lines where they can't e seen or molested, and use them en-mass to bombard enemy armys, retreating before an enemys response arrives, giving you the upper-hand on the battlefield.
If they're so weak why should you even invest in them in the first place? They only seem good enough to be used as support units. I'd like to be able to do a full air build without knowing I'm not going to be smashed by some guy going vehicles. It'd add some variety. idk my opinion might as well be invalid considering my inexperience in competitive play.
They are the ultimate support unit, they however should not be capable of doing the same job as bots or tanks, otherwise they end up as the best unit type in the game. Air only gets smashed if you say where you can get shot at, so don't have your planes run in and get killed.
Is there even a reason to go air in the first place? I could see air being useful for early game harassment and sniping fabbies but that's about it. I couldn't see them being useful against vehicles unless they're in mass and that **** isn't very cost effective.
How about hitting enemy targets behind their lines and retreating before their units can even turn around? You aren't supposed to win a head on engagement with air, that isn't their purpose, raiding and support is their purpose. And scouting! can't forget scouting.
t1 air is very useful, they are almost a must in the 1v1's. Whoever has air control has the momentum to bomb mex, expanding fabricators, and unit groups that don't travel with aa. In the ffas and team battles, having hummingbird protection is also a must both to scout on demand and to protect against bomber snipes. You are correct that t2 air is not viable though.
Are there any ways they would go about fixing that? I'd love to see T2 actually being useful. Gunships are practically useless and are too expensive for what you get. Only way I could think of them fixing it is giving gunships a DPS boost. Bots absolutely destroy them and the Hornets are worthless for anything except maybe killing static defense.
The T2 "Bombers" are very useful if the enemy has no air-fighters, they outrange all AA and also the T2 has their unit-transport, order like 50 of them, send in an army of fighters in front of them and have them drop units in the middle of the enemy base.
At the very least you need a mix of T1 interceptors on patrol to prevent air raids, and a few T1 bombers on patrol to prevent ground raids against your MEX spots (and the ocassional commander snipe). The AI in particular absolutely loves to raid you with air units (often building air factory first thing). So that is actually a nice preparation for PvP. With the nerf of the Commander AA gun mass bombers are finally able to snipe unprotected commanders. If you don't have at least one factory churning out T1 interceptors you are making a mistake - and the kind that can result in you becomming a mushroom cloud. T2 effectiveness depends on how solid the fronts are/how controlled the airspace is T2 bomber is basically a very mobile artillery that can only be engaged easily by AA fighters. Mobile artillery can be used to either bait the enemy into unfavorable combats (like baiting the AA fighters just above your AA equipped ground or Naval force) or whittle away at the foe without taking (much) damage in return. In either case he looses unless he has enough counter artillery. T2 gunship heavily depends on not being shoot back. Against Dox and Slammers it's short range is the issue. And it's aoe makes it only usefull against Bot's. I can't see how to use that one properly. Maybe in large numbers against AA-less ground forces? T2 Air Transporter is one of the units only players can fully use. The vanguard drop is a classic tactic as far as I heard. But it can also be used to place a suprise teleporter at the weak side of the enemy base. If the enemy has all guns in the front, attack him from behind! Or just attack him at two fronts, that is hard to defened against. Or how about transporting ships into unprotected lakes? In know the asteryus can can transport ships. And naval rocks right now. That way you don't need a naval facotry in that lake and can still use naval's ability to control large areas in Ground- and Airspace.
