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combined arms
I want to thank this forum for all the advice I've gotten so far. I'm finally suceeding on deity after languishing for so long at prince level. Challenging an AI who can sometimes be larger and signifigantly more productive than you is an arduous task.
However, I've seen very little information on what has proven to be the hardest part of combat, the need for combined arms against an equal if not better AI.
The first thing I found was the absolute neccessity of intelligence information on city defences. Even if it means losing a spy due to overextension, it's better than leaving an invasion force sitting right outside a city you were one or two units short of taking. Plus its nice to bribe one or two citites when you've bled their treasury.
The next was having engineers to make either a railroad for those all to slow artillery units, or even better, a fortress to plop right next to that hard to get city. (At least two!)
Those bits of info I've seen scattered around, but some of the other AI tricks got me by surprise. After they inevitably get advanced flight, the bomber offensive begins, which always seemed to knock off my best units (like battelships healing in a nearby city, bastiches!), forcing me to bring along a bunch of fighters to keep those units safe (fighters are more mobile than AA defences, therfore they seem more useful in an invasion).
Partisans proved to be quite useful as well, I was usually able to sneak a few of them aroud cities I wanted to hit, cutting off reinforcements, which seem to make a lightly defenced city into chateau gaillard.
A mix of Howies and bombers seemed to be the best way to actually take cities. The howies were better at the actual assault, and the bombers earned their weight in gold keeping those pesky partisan numbers low.
as far as establighing establishing beach-heads, marines earn their keep along with a BB or two (I just wish it didn't take so long to get them out there. Plus, the AI BB seems far superior to my own, so I always have to launch a sink the Bismark campaign of fast units to track it, and some heavy hitting units (BB, cruise missile, nuk), to sink it (Although sometimes it's just easier to take their coastal cities and avoid the bloodshed at sea).
I guess in summation, it just seems that having a good mix of troops allows for a lot more flexibility in an offensive. i know that info is well known, but it really doesn't seemed stressed enough. The hardest parts (If your a democratic warlord) are the happiness issues, along with the patience to get the mix of units, clear the sea lanes, and target the best cities and strategic spots. Otherwise, the hard part is probably getting a good tech lead (for all you fundies).
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