So yesterday, I played some games with my friend on PTE. The main point was to test the following assertion: how the game plays when you mass one type of unit. I did the test, he played as usual (we're almost the same level). - first game, I started mass inferno (with some spinners to protect them from incoming air). Attack click, win. I lost a lot of units however. - second and third game: mass inferno, some spinners (ratio 5 for 2), backed up by combat engies (1 for 10 inferno). It was a no show. Lost about 20% of all infernos, even when attacking a hardened spot of 4-5 double laser turrets. - fourth game: early mass bomber (my friend didn't know that). I lost easily, due to spare anti-air turrets. My remarks: - The unit combination inferno and combat engineer is very effective. Maybe too much? My friend tried this tactic on me after that and there was litterally nothing I couldn't do. Inferno is fine when using it alone however. - Early bombing is an unsuccessfull tactic. Even one missile launcher can defeat a ****-load of bombers... I know it's the hard counter, however the general feeling is either the bomber is a bit too weak, or either the missile launcher is a bit over-powered. [edit] For infernos, even walls were destroyed in a matter of seconds. Hiding behind walls just didn't help at all.
If you're rushing with T1 bombers, you have to have perfect timing and precision. Use a scout to find out where ALL of your enemies stuff is, and send a single bomber at any fabricators out of range of AA support. Later on, if you see an army far from your opponents starting location that has few AA units, you can send 5-10 bombers and focus on the AA, and then area patrol or attack to finish up the rest, while bringing fighters in to protect them. You send the bombers first (and probably a scout too) because they have more HP than fighters. You can also fly your air force over a combat fabbers to heal them up
It is nice how you can bring combat fabbers to an area and put them on a small area patrol as a "triage" point.
Bomber are very well balanced in my opinion. If they were able to destroy bases defended by AA turret they would be completely OP. So you should not consider bombers like attacking unit, but like harrassing unit. The purpose of early bombing is to pick lonely engineer in order to slow the expansion of your opponent. Early bombing is not enough to win, you must use it to gain adavantage, but beside you must grow your ground forces.
I had 15+ bombers raiding an advanced outpost constitued of 4-5 T1 bot factories, and 2-3 fabbers as assistants (don't remembers if they were bots of vehicle), only protected by ground defenses. There was no AA defense at all. And guess what? My enemy had plenty of time of building AA bots, killing all my bombers, even when I had focused fabbers ( because they started building AA turrets when they saw me arrive ), then factories. I couldn't destroy all his factories (I remember that at least one was still up), even if he didn't send any reinforcements. Don't you think that a bit underpowered?
I repeat what i said: Bombers are not made for destroying bases. If you want to destroy a base use tank and bot. (this is true only for the Tier1 of course, it is possible to destroy a base with Tier2 Air). If you kill 1 fabber with a bomber, it is already cost effective. Bombers are not made to stay alive.
15+ is pretty easy to take out the base you mentioned. 14 is enough for a lab strike. Should get a lab or 2 before the notice and start building aa units then have 2 bombers got keyed to kill fabbers/ aa bots. I do think needing 15 is excessive and really risky for 1 lab but that's how it is these days. Their hp increase is a nice touch. 1 hummingbird doesn't kill 10 bombers as quick as before.
