One of the reoccurring themes on the World of Warplanes forums is the discussion of Attack Aircraft. Sadly, most times it brings out the "not so best" of comments and opinions. Let me summarize my interpretation of what I usually read....
"GA are not real planes....only low skill floor players use them....easy to fail to the top with them....they don't contribute to competitive play....it takes more skill to fly Fighters/Heavy Fighters....GA will never determine the outcome of a battle among truly skilled players"
I have read stuff like that and even more, since I first started playing, so long ago now. Most times, I just keep my tongue in check and refrain from making any comments that would fan the flames and derail the ongoing discussion.
However, I can see and understand where those who have grown to dislike seeing GA's in battles, are coming from. I have witnessed, first hand, players who play totally focused on just destroying ground targets. Either they are ignoring or just oblivious to what else is going on around them, stuck in "tunnel vision" mode. I have been caught in that mode many times, myself.
For me, it's frustrating to watch, if I stick around in the battle after I have been removed from the action. I will observe those players, who seem either unwilling to take the chance on aerial combat or truly lack the skill to modify their role in the sortie.
But, that is just talking about GA's in general, let's get to the specifics. The Soviet Attack Aircraft branch have been a mainstay of the game, far before it was even officially released. They are tough, slow and if used wrong, an easy target for for those who can this "poor play" to their advantage. The German GA line sheds some of the toughness for a slight advantage in maneuverability, but once again, it comes down to how it's being used.
Which brings me to the Stuka. Compared to the IL of the same tier, the Stuka gives up an optional bomb load and a hitpoints for guns that can hit very hard. Flying with the stock 20 mm cannons can be an exercise in patience versus ground targets, but be moderately effective against aerial targets. The 30 mm cannons are slow firing, but wreak havoc against ground targets and can pound away hitpoints from just about any enemy aircraft, if you can line the sights up.
Having said that, I present two examples of the Stuka, flown by me, in both a winning defensive and offensive victories.
Defense for the win.
Before I continue, I want to state I really dislike battles that play out this way. The scenario in brief was this; both teams are wiped out, leaving myself and an enemy P-51A standing. Taking on a Mustang with a Stuka, solo, isn't what I considered to be the wisest of moves, so I used the map to my advantage....
....by staying within the "green zone" and very close to the still active AA guns. Simply put, I wanted to bank on the Supremacy lead for the win, since I knew the P-51A didn't have enough sustained firepower to turn the tide to their favor. However, I also knew the Stuka couldn't go toe-to-toe with an aircraft that had an energy advantage, namely climbing and turning. In this situation, it turned into the "waiting game" and a very long one at that. Here is the replay, best viewed with the 1.8.2 client....
Offense for the win.
Now, these are the battles I live for, action, drama and a good dose of suspense. While others have stated, over and over, all of the "real action" happens up high, here is an example where the same thing can and does happen a little closer to the Earth.
This one played a little something like this; I start off being the "typical" GA player, just concerned with attacking ground targets. Then, my team is mostly defeated when I make the choice to end this battle, on my terms.
With the enemy team continuing to attack friendly ground targets, they give away their position to me. All I had to do was disengage the ground, fly on over and take the battle to the air. Two planes fall in quick succession and after a bit of a drawn out turn fight....
....the third and last enemy plane becomes ashes. More often then not, there is where other GA players fail to capitalize on the given situation. If I chose to hide, the enemy team would have collected and surpassed my team in Supremacy. Perhaps, one or more of them might have come looking for me, adding another kill and ending the battle that much quicker. For me, I had only one choice to follow through on, not allow either fate to happen. The replay of how that all went down....
Two battles won, presented from two different tactics, from the same player. Luck or skill? You be the judge.
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