Is there a good guide on how to utilize CVs?

[Spartan448]

I feel like mine barely do anything, while my enemies will be constantly launching strikes, even though my CVs generally have more planes and I have more of them. Is there a good guide on CVs?

[MAD-3R_Marauder]

While this is for RtW 2, it should mostly apply.

https://nws-online.proboards.com/thread/3923/beginners-manual-operating-aircraft

[Pritswalk]

Once the AI spots your CVs it will never lose them and will just constantly keep sending bombers at them until your out of range or sink, theres not really a counter play to this since AA is wasted tonnage for most of the game and CAP is also kinda beans early on. You also cant really CV hunt until 1950 since aircraft are so slow and scouting is so obtusely difficult.

All you can really do is instantly turn around as soon as the battle starts and hope maximum CAP helps.

[mhsiea]

Originally posted by Pritswalk:

Once the AI spots your CVs it will never lose them and will just constantly keep sending bombers at them until your out of range or sink, theres not really a counter play to this since AA is wasted tonnage for most of the game and CAP is also kinda beans early on. You also cant really CV hunt until 1950 since aircraft are so slow and scouting is so obtusely difficult.

All you can really do is instantly turn around as soon as the battle starts and hope maximum CAP helps.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with you. Even through the WW 2 era, CVs on my side have been remarkably ineffective, while the enemy carriers often seem to find mine as if by magic. I've had some successes with airstrikes against enemy targets but less than I'd expect. As a result, I always set the CAP to max and try to keep the carrier group at maximum range.

I really don't think that the game does a good job of modeling carrier warfare before the Jet Age. In the Jet Age, carrier strikes can become devastating.

Another issue is that the game will sometimes put your carriers, especially in the inter-war period, in with your main body or even make a single carrier into the main force. I suppose they can argue that this is historically accurate, given the fate of the Glorious, but it's still unfair to the player. This means that you can't keep the carrier out of gun range until the opposing forces sight each other and the game gives you control of your force. If this happens, there really isn't a choice other than to shut the scenario down.

[Leisen]

I think AI cheat. It always knowing player's fleet location. Months ago I had a battle where my DD squadron chasing a lone CVL at night. My destroyers failed to find the CVL several times in a row and I was kind of mad so I decided to save scum it. I had significant edge of radar technology over the enemy (Lv5 vs Lv3) so it shouldn't be impossible. However it ended up taking me 2 hours to finally got that CVL. I checked the path of enemy flagship in after battle report every time and I was convinced that enemy change its course according to the position of my fleet even if we never make contact.

[Daikhan]

Heavy CAP is the best way to protect ships from enemy airstrikes. As you get into missile age, adding SAMs really helps too but good CAP is still better. Medium and heavy anti-air guns are moderately good (heavy is worse imho). You should keep mediums at least for missile protection - I've noticed that medium AA guns systematically shot down atleast some missiles in my games. Heavy AA guns are worse - they can shoot down enemy planes occasionally but become almost useless in missile age as they don't shoot down missiles and rarely shoot down aircraft. I think you can skip them in this period (drop the DP property), it won't be a bother. LSAMs are good vs. missiles and planes though, I usually try to put as much of these on my ships as I can. MSAMs are pretty reliable though I personally prefer LSAMs. HSAMs are my least favorite - it seems they shoot down the least amount of targets comparing to light or medium SAMs. This is my experience anyway

On the topic of enemy carriers always spotting my own carriers: this haven't been that much if a problem for me. Enemy airstrikes usually find my ships before I manage to spot enemy carriers but since I use heavy CAP and try to give all ships good AA defenses, they can't cripple me in one strike. I've also noticed that hostile carriers usually send strikes to groups of ships that are closer to them so I get strikes to the main force slightly less often than strikes on my carrier group. At any rate, heavy CAP rules.

I also like to have good high-speed cruisers in my fleets. I like to build them quite large (18000-19000 tonnes, 34kn speed) armed with 10'' guns (for better range) and as much missiles as I can put. Such cruisers can catch up and sink carriers with relatevily few troubles

Late missile age (1965+ in the game) wars can get quite problematic. Almost all ships in this age are armed with at leasy some kind of missiles and you get pretty large missile volleys as soon as enemy spots you. These strikes can overcome your missile defenses with sheer volume of missiles launched (which is realistic) and you will likely loose ships no matter how good their missile defenses are. I found that having the first strike is crucial here - you should launch your own missile volley as soon as you can. Since blind fire should be available at this time, you should launch really as soon as possible.