Understanding air power...

[ajarnlance]

I'm having trouble understanding how best to use air units in the game.
1) Should I place them on the front line or one region back?
2) Stances: what difference do they make?
3) Do I have any control over which regions my planes conduct reconaisance in?

In need of enlightenment...

[Jim-NC]

1. They have a range of up to 3? (I think it's 3) regions, so if 1 region back, you lose 1 region of potential flight coverage.
2. I haven't seen a difference due to stance.
3. No. The AI handles the plane flights.

[TXcavalier]

1) I include aircraft in my armies at the front. The goal being to maximize range and provide my armies with their balloon/signal stack abilities. In six+ single player and PBEM games, I have yet to have my aircraft captured in normal battle. They should be safe baring some catastrophe where your army is annihilated.
2) Aircraft perform their mission in all stances except passive stance. If the enemy gains air superiority your aircraft will be shredded if they keep performing missions. Therefore, you will need to remove them from a stack and place them on passive to recover.
3) No.

[ajarnlance]

Thanks for the tips! Do fighter planes reduce enemy recon plane ability to see into adjacent regions?

[Jim-NC]

I don't believe they do (unless there is an air battle, in which case the fighters shoot down the recon planes).

[ajarnlance]

I don't believe they do (unless there is an air battle, in which case the fighters shoot down the recon planes).

Thanks. So fighters will automatically shoot down the recon planes in the same region? No chance of evasion? Do you recommend stacking fighters with recon planes to protect them later in the war?

[Jim-NC]

The screen shows an air battle. It is possible to evade fighters, but I have seen 90ish planes shot down by some enemy fighters before (not very pretty to say the least). So I would say there is a chance of an air battle if there are planes from each side in the same region. Not sure what the % chance is for that to happen.