Is Air Superiority a viable strategy?

[phydaux42]

Currently I'm driving a Langley, and other than upgrading all my aircraft there isn't really a lot I can do to spec out my ship.

 

Once I unlock the Bogue I'll have the option to spec for two fighter squadrons.  Then I can focus on shutting down the enemy's carrier, first by shooting down his fighters, then by shooting down his attack craft.

 

I can't be the first person to have this thought.  Is this considered a viable strategy?

[HowitzerBlitzer]

As long as you spot enemy ships with your fighters in addition to suppressing the enemy carrier(s), I can't see why not.

[Hatework]

Strike and stock win games in the bogue.  Most folks just keep an air superiority CV for farming flags from clear skies achievement.   

 

 

[ValkyrWarframe]

AS_BOGUE_IS_!@#_CANCER

[El_Judarino]

As long as you spot enemy ships with your fighters in addition to suppressing the enemy carrier(s), I can't see why not.

This.

If your opponent is at all competent, he'll most likely be able to slip *some* strike craft past you, either by misdirection or just when your fighters need to reload. 

 

When you go AS, you're largely giving up your ability to deal damage for your team, so you need to enable your team to do more damage. So, while suppressing red strike craft, use your sqadrons to also keep red DDs lit up and don't be afraid to use the F3 key to call your team's attention to annihilating the deadly little blighters either.

[cjwagn1]

Setups I ran while playing the USN CV's(all these setups come highly recommended to be a potent USN CV driver):

 

Note All AS CV drivers I've faced have far lower WR in CV's compared to someone who plays strike

 

Bouge - Stock; this allowed me to do lots of damage with the single torpedo bomber and allowed me to cover my allies with a fighter squad.
 

Independence - Stock; All around better option, you start to see the Ryujo, in which even if you  did go Air Superiority load out, you're not going to be able to defend your team very well from her aircraft. Now you can defend your teammates while still doing loads of damage.

 

Ranger - Strike(hella fun); You start seeing lots of ships with great AA in which you no longer need the fighter, while helpful to your teammates, you are worth more while playing strike.

 

Lexington- Strike; This ship while playing strike is some of the most fun I've had with an aircraft carrier. The amount of firepower this thing holds is far superior to the Shokaku and is more influential to the battle. This is the crown jewel of the USN carrier line

Essex - Strike; Same reasons as Lexi

[Estimated_Prophet]

People will hate your guts for using Air Superiority for two reasons;

 

Enemy CVs will hate you because they're trying to actually help their team by causing damage, and your AS loadout is screwing with that; if used smartly.

 

Your own team will hate your guts because you aren't doing any real damage to help out; a sub-set of your own team will hate you just because you are a CV. (CV-itis... also know as "I get blown up by CVs all the time and don't know how to deal with them' syndrome.)

 

People will like you for using Air Superiority for two reasons;

 

Enemy players will know as a CV that you effectively can't hurt them; especially if your team is full of less than competent players. The enemy will mercilessly destroy your team, then if a destroyer hasn't already done so; will ruthlessly hunt you down and teach you the error of using a CV loadout that can't do any damage.

 

Your own team will like you if you manage to nullify the enemy Strike squadrons, and if you keep the enemy destroyers located, so that they can be destroyed.

 

A sub-set of your own team will STILL hate you just because you are a CV. (CV-itis... also know as "I get blown up by CVs all the time and don't know how to deal with them' syndrome.)

 

Personally, I hate Air Superiority because I consider it lazy CV play; and I take great joy in watching such CVs get destroyed by my allied ships because they can't defend themselves; but that's just a personal opinion. 

[Zim_Xero]

No matter your loadout... your are actually both.   I prefer a balanced loadout de-emphasizing bombers.  Always bring fighters up first and scout the caps.  Gather your bombers/torp planes to rally on a allied ship of your choice (alternatively send them to strike enemy carrier).  If your scouts find DDs and are safe from aa fire stay on them, otherwise send them to join your torp planes and all aircraft to a single enemy if you have a good target.   After that, use your fighters defensively by having them shadow BBs and Cruisers.  Proactively send them after oncoming torp planes and bombers without air support.   The key is patience... wait for the enemy carrier to send its aircraft near one of your ships with good AA and immediately trap them there with fighters to destroy them.

 

There are many nuances and variations... but I guess, in general, thats my overall strategy.  One more thing, be sure to read the AA values of the BBs and Cruisers of the opposing team lineup before the match starts.  Know which to avoid and which may be easy targets.   I have a decent winrate with CVs doing this which helps to offset my pathetic DD winrate a little.  I love playing DDs though.  Wish I could win in them more often.

[KlendathuDrop]

I have more respect for strike

[TenguBlade]

AS is a viable strategy if your team can capitalize on the air superiority.  If you're willing to take that gamble in Randoms, then by all means.

[WanderingGhost]

9/10 - no, it's not. Doesn't matter how many planes you shoot down, how much you scout, your not dealing any damage and a mix/strike/IJN is guaranteed to be doing so and no matter what, that is more often what the team needs. Most of my losses in USN CV's are AS set up when I was stubborn and determined to swipe planes from the sky, but match after match, AA obliterated my bombers and was left with only fighters, what damage I did wasn't enough and in one case neither was downing the equivalent of a CV and a Half's planes. You want to really help the team, bring a set up that punishes BB's that don't pay attention with massive damage, can break a cruiser if it they can get the planes near, and can chase DD's from smoke screen or shatter them if they end up hit by a torp.

 

USN AS in particular is basically [multiple redacted words] troll set up. Even IJN is but they also get a balanced option of real use at tiers USN does not.

[hipcanuck]

54.8% WR in an AS Ranger, avg planes shot down 23 ish (this includes a lot of time with stock setup), most is 59 and lately Im getting more 40's. My avg damage is low at 28k however, but damage alone isnt much of a barometer on how good a setup is.

 

You have to do more with an AS CV, scouting caps, spotting torps and DD's, to help your team win.

 

Strike setup's are, IMO, what cause CV hate.

[phydaux42]

54.8% WR in an AS Ranger, avg planes shot down 23 ish (this includes a lot of time with stock setup), most is 59 and lately Im getting more 40's. My avg damage is low at 28k however, but damage alone isnt much of a barometer on how good a setup is.

 

You have to do more with an AS CV, scouting caps, spotting torps and DD's, to help your team win.

 

Strike setup's are, IMO, what cause CV hate.

 

Hate from team mates directed at their team's CV driver, or hate directed at enemy CV drivers?

[StoneRhino]

Both. Any damage the red cv does is your fault and the reds hate you because of your damage 

[El_Judarino]

 

 

Strike setup's are, IMO, what cause CV hate.

CV hate is largely caused by min-maxxers who want to focus solely on dpm and neglecting to 1.) Pay attention to the minimap  (planes are not invisible) 2.) Take advantage of the multitude of available skills and equipment available to swat planes out of the sky.

 

It's not hard, CBT CVs were hard.

 

That said,  props to you!  A win rate like yours in an air superiority CV says you're doing it right! (As you're still dependent on a competent team to exploit your air superiority )

[Admiral_Thrawn_1]

Have seen some pretty good AA on ships that can clear the skys on their own leaving your fighters potentially with nothing to do or getting shot down if the enemy has such ships. So if you are wanting to eat up a ton of enemy planes a good AA ship can do about the same.

I know some carrier captains like to seal club down in tier IV and V, but some ship captains are down their expecting the carriers and then precede to shoot down every plane enemy has, one ship alone shot down 77 planes.

[Bokkies]

AS is cancer because you cant do anything for your team. You only suppress 1 person and because of that you arent doing anything to help anyone anywhere else... Like IF you play AS IMO you need to uninstall... Now in competitive play i can see it being viable but pubs... it just shows a lack of skill

[_Marines]

In randoms, most CVs have an eye-for-eye strategy, and fighter loadout would result in enemy CV trying to sink your CV, and you both end up low xp at the end.

 

In ranked, CVs scout and support. Fighter loadout might have some use.