Are Bombers now too fragile to play?

Game Discussion Arcade Battle
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251

I just finished an Air RB match in my B-18 B - and i saw two main factors which are making playing bombers so miserable:

  1. Nerfs of gunner accuracy and damage output of gunners
  2. Low skill fighter pilots dedicating their entire match to kill a bomber

What happened?

Long version:

  • In this match (replay link) a player spotted my contrail after 3 minutes and tried to kill me until he had to break of at 15:45 game time.
Summary

  • His effort out of these 12 minutes was 25 points for a hit, just a scratch.

  • My mission score was 350 points for 8 hits and one crit.

  • I saw him after around 4 minutes, checked his player card and decided to break off and turn away with a distance of 5-6 km. By looking at his stats (28k player kills vs 20k deaths in Air RB) it was obvious that he would go for me - whatever it takes.

  • I mean a high and very fast B-18 B is one of the most difficult targets to kill - especially if you get peppered from 2.5 km and the pilot has a level 75 crew and an aced plane - this means 10 seconds reload time.

  • Trying to go for a B-18 B with a Yak-3 (4.3 Air RB) is just brain dead; the Yak-3 is too slow above 6 km (=not suffient excess speed for an attack) and you have to get within 1.4 km to score a hit with the 20 mm ShVak. Otherwise the shell will de-render before they can reach a very fast (>650 kmph TAS) enemy.

  • Zoom climbing does not work if the B-18B dives slightly as most guys have no clue that things like wing rip speed are connected to TAS values (585 kmph IAS is more than 720 TAS above 6 km) - the Yak-3 scratched his rip speed in such an attempt.

  • After the Yak-3 broke off i bombed my two bases in order to get the research bonus and finished the match at 2nd place…

Short version:

  1. Until late 2022 a single hit with the Swedish 13,2 mm auto cannon killed reliably any single engine fighter. The shells fired had an HE filler which caused pilot snipes and or engine / fuel fires and the gunner was accurate at ranges even > 3 km.

  2. Out of of nowhere i was unable to hit anything at longer ranges and planes like XP-50s or Yak-3 are able to tanke 8-9 hits within 2 km without getting slower…and it looks like the cannon just fires AP rounds; i made the pilot yellow…

  3. Pilots going exclusively for bombers are not really new - but from my perspective their numbers increased like hell.

With reference to the title “too fragile to play?”:

  • Yes. With just a few exceptions.

  • But - most bombers suffer also from artificial spread added to their turrets. That gaijin has done this on purpose is imho obvious.

  • I still see a need for a reversal of this spread.

  • If you fly fighters you might have noticed that gaijin has reduced the artificial spread for the 50 mm Me 262. Time for them to do this for bomber gunners too.

4 Likes
252

In one of the recent AAB battles I shot down a P-47D in a dogfight in a Soviet Ar-2. It took 8 or 9 laps before the single 7.62 ShKAS gradually ate it. And this was a Marshal with more than 30 days of playing the fighter!

Moreover, from the very beginning of the battle I deliberately went towards a distant side base, in a shallow dive, trying to achieve the maximum possible speed. And I tried to hide near the ground, using the mountainous terrain. But this bastard tagged along with me halfway to the base, although he could have taken the ground units, which was on the way and got more points.

In another similar situation, I ran away for a long time in a Pe-2, bombing three bases along the way, and in the end my bomber rammed an F4U, which could not shoot me down. I asked him: why was he sticking to me and got the answer “I’m just learning to play, fighters shoot me down quickly”. Snail made bombers such a simple punching bag that even noobs can see it.

3 Likes
253

Back in the days, it was “simpler” for new players to attack bombers…not necessarily “easier”. Bombers cant BnZ and manouver a lot…so it is easier to see the problem…it wasn’t necessarily easy to SOLVE it (back then).
It is also easier for new players to PLAY bombers…something you should also consider.
BUT i can admit that good experienced players are better at dogfights…

Nevertheless…it was fun and i played interceptor and bomber roles…i recall that attacking a Wellington was tricky and could never be done from behind…BUT german bombers were not so tricky as long as you didnt get above the bomber. I had fun learning deflection shots (as the fighter) and positioning for a good side attack.

THAT SAID…attacking the bombers was always a good option “for the team”…and far more interesting than going on ground attack…not sure why you resent fighters that try to do their job.
If i took 8 or 9 laps to kill a bomber, then i was not playing well and deserved the loss…that was the fun part…

NOWADAYS you need to get the kill on first lap…second at most…not because the bomber will get you…mostly because some other fighter will get the bomber.

Bombers should be able to defend themselves…but not go the other way and become fighter killers…that would also not make sense…IMHO.