Nuclear Bombers

Claudio NVKP wrote:

Are nuclear bombers worth it? I mean, they take huge amount of resources and slots and time to produce, and can be shot down easily. So, which are better to use Nuke Rocket instead? Or should I leave the nukes out of question?

I find they're not worth using except in allied due to research time (more important than rare expense at that stage, for me at least).

They are fairly vulnerable but there are some techniques. If the anti-air defence of the enemy is too high, it usually easier to bomb a province or smaller stack next to it, and catch it within the blast radius.

If the enemy doesn't have substantial fighter defence, this should work. If he does, wait until he sleeps or saturate his patrolling fighter defence.

Perhaps some more experienced players can give opinions?

Nuke rockets unless a total absence of anti air power

Perfect summary, Lord Crayfish.

In many ways rockets are superior. You can build a bunch, fast, then upgrade to level 4 when you need them. Take out airfields, bunkers, whatever.

Nuke rockets can't be transported as easily

The Warsaw Pact wrote:

Nuke rockets can't be transported as easily

100% true for all rockets.

Either you build level 1 close to the front and mass-upgrade later, or you end up building level 3 or 4 rockets deep in your core where you have level 4+ secret factories, or you end up with a long baggage train to the front. By the time the rockets get there, the need for them may be over.

I am generally not a fan of nuclear bombers as they're expensive but they can be worth it for the Allies, which was mentioned by others.

Nuclear rockets are never ever worth it in my opinion. The research requirements are exponentially higher, you can't always see the target you're aiming for, they're slow and clumsy to move, vulnerable on the ground, and you should just invest in your conventional military instead of wasting time on nuclear rockets.

I would also like to add to this by saying the game gives you zero information about the nuke bombers amor/ defense.

Example: 50 stack of random units in a city. Click on the stack and it tells you the combat statistics verse air units. Why doesn’t the nuke bomber show you how much it c withstand?

you literally have to stack 5 nuke bombers for every stack over 10 units. Also as mentioned, who wants to wait for a slow driving truck to deliver a short range nuke missile so close to the front? The front moves faster than the truck.

Just my opinion

the nuke bomber withstads its hp

Peachez wrote:

I would also like to add to this by saying the game gives you zero information about the nuke bombers amor/ defense.

Example: 50 stack of random units in a city. Click on the stack and it tells you the combat statistics verse air units. Why doesn’t the nuke bomber show you how much it c withstand?

you literally have to stack 5 nuke bombers for every stack over 10 units. Also as mentioned, who wants to wait for a slow driving truck to deliver a short range nuke missile so close to the front? The front moves faster than the truck.

Just my opinion

TheZhukov wrote:

the nuke bomber withstads its hp

Peachez wrote:

I would also like to add to this by saying the game gives you zero information about the nuke bombers amor/ defense.

Example: 50 stack of random units in a city. Click on the stack and it tells you the combat statistics verse air units. Why doesn’t the nuke bomber show you how much it c withstand?

you literally have to stack 5 nuke bombers for every stack over 10 units. Also as mentioned, who wants to wait for a slow driving truck to deliver a short range nuke missile so close to the front? The front moves faster than the truck.

Just my opinion

I believe my earlier response misjudged what you were trying to say - jubjub and Zhukov are right here. Just look at how much health it has!

Imagine you are facing a huge army with 30 Heavy tanks.

Then Imagine wht you need to defeat them.

In sch occasions nukes are useful indeed.

(This is my own experience when Yugoslavia backstabbed my German Reich while I was invading the USA)

Air defense of ground units shouldn't apply to nuke bombers at all. I mean, it is dropped from high altitude, so why the H would some pea shooter AA matter?

Not that I really care, though. I cant remember a single game where a nuke bomber I built made a difference for the win or lose. The game is always already decided before you can build - let alone research - nuke bombers. We are talking something like day 18 or 20 - way past last day of the decisive action in most games.

Myself, I prefer to answer a different question:

Assuming I have the means to research and build nukes, is using them going to amuse me?

I'm not particularly hung up on winning or losing (unless I need the gold for something), and the main reason I use anything on the Secret tech branch is because they're awesome, not because doing so is necessarily a sound tactical decision.

From a more practical perspective, they're more useful psychologically than anything else. Particularly if you're dealing with a noob who hasn't worked out that nukes aren't the ultimate weapon in the game, somehow letting them find out that you have a huge stockpile of them is a pretty good way to make them panic and make a bad decision (like a preemptive strike they're not prepared for) that makes invading them a walkover.

z00mz00m wrote:

The Warsaw Pact wrote:

Nuke rockets can't be transported as easily

100% true for all rockets.

Either you build level 1 close to the front and mass-upgrade later, or you end up building level 3 or 4 rockets deep in your core where you have level 4+ secret factories, or you end up with a long baggage train to the front. By the time the rockets get there, the need for them may be over.

Zaktty wrote:

z00mz00m wrote:

The Warsaw Pact wrote:

Nuke rockets can't be transported as easily

100% true for all rockets.

Either you build level 1 close to the front and mass-upgrade later, or you end up building level 3 or 4 rockets deep in your core where you have level 4+ secret factories, or you end up with a long baggage train to the front. By the time the rockets get there, the need for them may be over.

Level 3 infrastructure when used specifically is crucial for late-game transportation.

Research them especially if you're in Arms Race. It's available from D1