One of the most interesting activities that is performed in Seas of Thunder is the setting of the line for battle. Every time two fleets meet in a Sea Zone, they move to the Combat Sequence Mat and duel it out. Setting the Battle Line requires removing your ships from the board, with the units unseen by your opponent, to the Combat Sequence Mat. Players then put up a screen to shield their mat from the opposition and proceed to place their ships in the boxes they wish for them to be assigned to. When both sides have completed their setup, the screens are removed and combat begins. Today, we will discuss just the ins and outs of setting your AIR units on the battle line. I had originally intended this article to be a sweeping discussion of the entire Battle Line, but as I wrote it, I realized that just the air options would be plenty detailed to make an article of reasonable length. So I will revisit the remainder of the line in at least one future article.

Control of the Skies

In this art, Part 1 of the series, I will discuss the AIR unit deployments in the game. Because of the versatility that air power possesses, it is possible to win or lose a battle before a surface ship can even fire a salvo in anger. How you divide up your precious Swordfish, Condors, Zeroes, and Avengers will go a long way to determining you success, or lack of it, in Seas of Thunder.

Deployment of Air Assets

Your Air Assets should be placed in one of the first three boxes. There is virtually no reason whatsoever to have any ship that can carry aircraft do anything but fly one of the three aircraft allowed missions; Air Superiority, Air Strike, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). Situationally I can see sacrificing an AV to lengthen a Surface line IF you knew that your line would be outnumbered when that situation arose. But the fog of war runs deep in Seas of Thunder, and there is no way to know that you are possibly protecting a fleet carrier until the sides are actually revealed and all of the steps leading to surface combat will go as you foresee. So use them as they were intended, to fly air missions.

If you are a larger fleet with multiple carriers and fear opposing air units, take advantage of putting a large number of your aircraft in Air Superiority. This will reduce the smaller fleet’s aircraft potential to strike at your most vulnerable ships or knocking a battleship out early. Flying Air Superiority as a smaller fleet is a sound defensive measure but it is possible to be overwhelmed and still suffer air attacks from a carrier-heavy force. If you are in the minority, try to cause some disruption and inflict some damage.

Once you have decided to punch with your aircraft, do you place them on Air Strike duty searching for opposing ships? Or are they assigned to ASW duties to knock out subs? In my opinion the devil is in the details and it comes down to turn-by-turn, nation-by-nation and ship type factors more than any other factor. In scenario 1, Submarines are fairly rare and surface ships are much more dangerous. The longer the game goes, in general, the more submarines are out in the water and therefore the more resources need to be assigned to hunting them. Luckily, the Allies felt just that impetus and when the subs become a large threat, the Allied forces respond with escort carriers. Here are how I generally deploy my air units by nation:

German – All of the air available is land-based air. Generally their air is best used to Strike at opposing ships but in hotly contested waters, trying to silence the deadly Allied air must always be a possibility. The later in the game it is, the more likely that the Allied stacks will have air capacity and the desire to play defensively to counter that air will grow.

Italian – The vast majority of the Italian air is land-based. However their strength is weaker than the Germans. This puts the Italians at a disadvantage in air deployment. Adequate protection is not as assured as a German LBA, so I tend to lean towards the let’s get what we can with them approach of going on Air Strike missions. The way I see the Italians in general is as an attrition force designed to keep the British thoroughly occupied in the Mediterranean and forcing them to cycle more ships into the middle sea. Because of that, the reinforcements begin to take on the shape of “whatever can reach the combat zone.” That in turn leads to an unpredictability on what ships the Allies may have in battles with the Italians. Unless you know subs are in the area and have fallen victim to them, always keep rolling the dice on air strikes.

French – They have very limited air capability and as such should always be put on Air Strike. They have a surplus of ASW destroyers and no ability to predict when the Allies will be coming at them with their own air strikes. Any turn a French air unit not seeking enemy ships is a wasted turn.

British – At the beginning of the game, their carriers seem great and are versatile. However, only the best of them can counter a German or even an Italian Air Assault. But the truth is their preservation alone tends to keep me using them as Air Superiority any time they fight under the threat of Axis LBA. Once out at open sea, these fleet carriers do a fine job in the air strike role. As the game progresses, the Atlantic will be more and more populated by U-Boats. As this happens I tend to flip these carriers onto ASW roles. Soon after the German U-Boat fleets begins to increase, the Allies begin pumping out escort carriers. Any fleet with an escort carrier and no dedicated ASW destroyers should use that CV to hunt subs. However, if I have both fleet and escort carriers in the same battle, I actually reverse the roles and use the larger ship for ASW and the smaller for air strikes. Why? The hit values of course. Air strikes hit on 33% of the time that they make it through AA, whereas ASW only hits on 16% of the attacks. Therefore if I have one air unit with a strength of 3 and one with only a 1, I like to use that 1 to go after a ship and get 3 shots on a sub with the larger unit.

Japanese – Because the Japanese get to pick and choose their battles, I almost always place a lot of Japanese carriers on Air Superiority when facing off against the Americans. It is imperative to protect their fleet. Nullifying the American air power can go a long way towards that end. I have had, on occasion, 27 factors of Japanese air or more on Air Superiority missions when matching up against the Americans. On the other hand if there is only 1 carrier or a small total amount of air factors it is more useful to go after opposing ships. I get that there is an opposing point of view that finds the rewards for cutting down the American fleet at any cost to outweigh those of preservation. I don’t subscribe to it, but I understand it and if you decide to subscribe to that theory, I will not rebuke you for it. However, in my opinion, the Japanese need to use their air to counter an American air threat. If you find yourself in battle against the Russians (unlikely), British, Dutch, or French then it should be time to hunt the enemy and blow them out of the water on Air Strike missions. It is only the Americans that should be feared.

Americans – They have something of the inverse Japanese concerns. They need to protect early from Japanese air and early on should want to throw up Air Superiority themselves. As the war progresses more and more carriers will roll out of the shipyards and the balance will become pronounced in your favor. When you begin to feel secure enough, stop protecting and go on the hunt.

American Fleet carriers should deal mostly with the Japanese carrier force, either by flying Air Superiority or when the balance shifts flying Air Strikes searching for Japanese air. Always try to keep the boot on the Axis player’s neck in the Pacific once you start the offensive, don’t allow them to do anything with their carriers but defend. If you get cute do anything else, you are only slowing your own war effort.

In the Pacific the ubiquitous escort carriers and seaplane tenders need to join your destroyer fleet on ASW patrol. In the Atlantic, by the time the US enters the war, if you see a German ship among the opposition, use those light carriers on ASW, no questions asked. If it’s German, it’s probably a sub and probably better to err in that direction.

Conclusions

Air is important and for many nations its proper use is key. The best part of the game, I think, is the ability for each individual player to strike their own balance between aggression and defense. Player mentality matchups are every bit as important as the pushing of cardboard. Players can cancel each other’s air out, they can both hold back and let the surface and specialists run things, or they could both rain steel from above and decimate each other’s fleet. All of the advice I could offer is always rendered moot when player personalities call the shots. For better or worse, I have laid out what I think are solid plans, but the unexpected or the bold counter-stroke can often carry the day. My best advice? Have fun and enjoy the unfolding stories of each battle, be it one ship or a dozen on a side.

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Seas of Thunder – Sailing Outside the Edge of the Map

Combat Sequence in Seas of Thunder

War on the Raiders: A Strategic Look at Playing the Allies in Seas of Thunder Scenario 1

Seas of Thunder: Raiders – Shadows on the Sea