BAR fighter versus bomber targeting and air combat basics

How unit targeting works when fighters and bombers mix, why you must win air superiority first, and quick naval combat tips.

Tags: beyond all reason, BAR air combat, fighter targeting, bombers, BAR navy basics, naval mine detection

Do fighters prioritize bombers automatically

Yes. BAR units automatically target the most valuable enemy within range. You do not need to manually focus fire bombers when fighters are present. The game handles priority targeting for you. Setting individual fighter targets on mixed fighter and bomber groups actually hurts performance. With hundreds of fighters trying to micro-manage individual targets, the game slows to a crawl. During that lag the bombs still land.

Let the auto-targeting work. Build enough fighters and the game sorts out the rest.

Fighters versus bombers engagement logic

Fighters trade against fighters extremely fast. If you commit fighters to bomber targets while enemy fighters are still alive, your fighters get shredded before they kill enough bombers to matter. Better approach is to clear enemy fighters first, win the air space, and then mop up bombers with your surviving units.

The one concern players raise. If you almost win the fighter-versus-fighter fight but only have a handful of fighters left, the still-alive bombers run free. That concern is valid in theory. In practice, keeping twenty enemy fighters alive while trying to save your own is a worse problem. Win the fighter engagement decisively first.

Quick naval combat primer

BAR naval follows a rock paper scissors pattern. Gunboats are strong early and excellent at harassing constructors. Frigates destroy gunboats when you can afford them. Destroyers counter submarines with depth charges. Submarines operate underwater and require dedicated anti-sub units to detect.

Naval mine detection differs from land mine detection by design. The longer detection range keeps naval engagements more dynamic and tactical. Land mines trigger on direct proximity. Naval mines give ships time to react and maneuver around them.