Author Topic: Offense vs. Defense (Read 780 times)

MajIssue · « **on:** February 28, 2008, 10:11:21 AM »

I've always maintained that a good offense will make defense a non factor.
A dedicated group of 10-20 palyers "on a tear" can dictate the terms of the battle in their favor.

IMHO it is always better to fight on your terms, rather than face the opposition where they hold the advantage.

Amazingly, others will immediately up from whatever bases were just taken, allowing the "campaign" to roll on.

I also believe that speed is essential in this type of operation, not allowing the "enemy" time to regroup is a big factor in the ultimate success or failure.

Overlag · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:32:35 AM »

but does that mean you totally ignore the attackers because you want to attack too?

well that just leads you down the road of what others see already. Mass darbars taking undefended bases everywhere, because, like you said, its better to attack than defend.

Surely theres a limit to this though? whats the point of taking bases if you aint going to defend them?

Dadano · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:38:42 AM »

It only takes one or two decent sticks to fly around the horde / flight path to the enemy field to change the position of the fight. Get some alt, rope and dope just off their field, piss em off, and drag the lemmings where ya want.

Till about 3 weeks ago I was playing on a 600Mhz machine. Naturally I couldn't stand doing laps around a friendly field. The low FPS and constant bouncing just arn't my cup of tea. It led me to get off the field, away from the cluster****, and to their field.

A couple of perks to the tactic:

Higher probability of a good 1v1 2v1 @ alt on the edge of the flight path.

Great B n' Z / Rope n' Dope potential once at alt and close to their field.

High levels of antagonizing and accompanying satisfaction.

pluck · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:42:17 AM »

Honestly, there is very little defense in AH. Sometimes a mission comes in, and enough people up to deal with the attack, and the attackers just move to another undefended base. Othertimes, defense is seen as a group of people hovering over their field, seeming just waiting for their hangars to go down. Once and awhile you get a good fight going. When I think of offense being the best defense, I don't think about leaving from another field and milking someplace else. I think about leaving from the field that is being attacked, beating them back, and then taking the field they were flying from. I get the feeling though, very often in AH, this is not what people mean when they say "best defense is a good offense."

Lusche · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:50:50 AM »

I'm almost always defending. I'm lazy, I find it much easier to let them come to me instead of going to their base

Usually I'm patrolling the airspace, looking for buffs, incoming hy Jabos, or goons & M3's. (Already got 42 goons & 39 M3s this tour so far

). Or I spawn a Tiger on a port under massive air attack.

I find it quite boring if my country is on a roll and there are green darbars everywhere over enemy bases with little defence. If my country is steamrolling on one front, but getting it's butt kicken on the other one, I gleefully head for the big red darbars most of the time...

BaldEagl · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2008, 11:18:49 AM »

Dadano's right. I've single-handedly moved a fight from our base to the enemy's by flying over the fight at our base, going to theirs and harassing them while they are low and slow. As the greedy gangers up and try to gang me, the fight dries up at our base and the cavalry starts to arrive (well, most of the time).

I've never understood the tactic of flying around your own base low waiting for the enemy to show up with alt and E (other than safety in numbers).

humble · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2008, 11:44:17 AM »

No question Dano's tactics work remarkably well. The single biggest "Assist" you can give is getting the fight over the other guys field. I've managed to do the same thing a few times in an A-20. Amazed you can have 5-8 guys inbound at 15k+ and all of them will follow an A-20 down to the deck. More often the not I end up with A-20 parts scattered all over the landscape but the end result is a bunch of low slow "attackers" strung out on the deck for the other friendlies who inveriably get there about 30 seconds to late to help:)

Rich46yo · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2008, 12:05:20 PM »

Nothing beats offense. It discombobulates. At the same time a big hairy furball or two, defensive in nature, does tie up a bunch of enemy and help the offensive. When I was flying bombers I spent many a night keeping ords down along an entire front in support of CVs or our own bases.

Im trying to avoid the zebra stampedes when A-20s come in, or B-25s, P-40s, or other planes that always seem to get 20 guys chasing them. That is a pretty slick tactic to send an A-20 in screaming down stealing the altitude/E of about 10 defenders.

Ill be you can send 4 goons in from E/W/S/N and clear out all the cons from over the base.

MajIssue · « **Reply #8 on:** February 28, 2008, 01:57:58 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Lusche
I'm almost always defending. I'm lazy, I find it much easier to let them come to me instead of going to their base

Usually I'm patrolling the airspace, looking for buffs, incoming hy Jabos, or goons & M3's. (Already got 42 goons & 39 M3s this tour so far ). Or I spawn a Tiger on a port under massive air attack.

I find it quite boring if my country is on a roll and there are green darbars everywhere over enemy bases with little defence. If my country is steamrolling on one front, but getting it's butt kicken on the other one, I gleefully head for the big red darbars most of the time...

I beleive it Lusche...

I know a couple of those M3 you've killed were ME!!

Lusche

Strip · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2008, 03:09:27 PM »

I also like taking the fight to the enemies base. This tactic is especially useful when flying a tempest. You can watch the drool come out of the cockpits! Just yesterday I had 10-12 cons indisposed over there own field while waiting for backup (they never did get me). I enjoy flying in large red dar bars while cherrypicking, alt monkeying, and generally harassing/pissing off the horde below. No better way to help your country imho!

Strip(er)

Shuffler · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2008, 04:06:12 PM »

I prefer a great defense..... up my 38J and watch the offense die to attrition. Press the defense into an attack as you push the cons back to their field.

Generally you'll note the enemy pilots that were being killed early on will not be in the mix anymore as you press their position. They tend to move to the next milkrun in line. You'll start running into the guys that like a good defensive fight as your about to their field. Then a fight has a chance to get really good.... Defense types actually fighting eachother.

thndregg · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2008, 07:26:23 PM »

I can defend for a bit. After a while I feel I must do something to get to the source of the offense, be it goon/M3 hunting, or porking. Defense alone and by itself just postpones the inevitable, IMO.

Stang · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2008, 08:02:13 PM »

One good stick defending is equal to 10 mindless toolshedders.

Wingnutt · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2008, 08:05:34 PM »

diving a jug from 10K into a mass of furballing spits, niks, zeros, and hurris is 2nd to none..

like throwing a chainsaw into a chicken coop.

Xasthur · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2008, 08:33:43 PM »

Defending is more fun.

You know where the fights are going to be.... just up from base behind the front line, climb-out and get into it.