As their name implies, Anti-Airs are strong at fighting air units, but are also strong at combating foot soldiers and light vehicles.
Usage[]
The primary use of an Anti-Air is to fight air units. Anti-Airs do very high damage to them, especially Copter units. These units have little to fear from B-Copters in particular, taking minimal damage from them while dealing extreme damage in return. Anti-Airs also deal high damage to plane-type air units, while costing significantly less in the process.
Anti-Airs are also capable of decimating Infantry and Mech units, with a full-HP Anti-Air capable of instantly destroying them if they are on roads or shoals. With any form of attack boost, this result will also be guaranteed on plains, and has a moderate chance of happening on forests. This can prove invaluable in punching through a defensive line of Infantry that Tanks could not otherwise handle on their own.
Anti-Airs are also decently effective at attacking light-armored units, such as indirects, but less powerful than Tanks in this regard. Anti-Airs deal poor damage to Tanks, and next to no damage to any heavier tanks, so those units should be avoided.
Despite their increased defense against Air Units and higher cost than Tanks, Anti-Airs have worse armor than Tanks in terms of ground combat. Tanks, Mechs, and indirect units will all do significant damage to an Anti-Air, so care must be taken around these units.
Fighting Against[]
The most direct counter to an Anti-Air is a Tank. Tanks will beat them easily in direct combat, dealing heavy damage to the Anti-Air while suffering close to nothing in return, no matter which deals the first strike.
Mechs will also deal significant damage to an Anti-Air, but only at high health and if it can get the first strike - otherwise, the Mech will likely be destroyed or severely crippled. As such, Mechs should be used more as a deterrent, shielding neighboring units with their ability to trade up well against an Anti-Air it attacks.
Likewise, Bombers will heavily damage Anti-Airs if they can get the first strike, which is fairly easy given the Bomber's increased movement range and ability to fly over terrain. Getting the first strike is critical, as Bombers will take heavy damage from the Anti-Air otherwise. Anti-Airs are also incapable of attacking a hidden Stealth, and risk taking significant damage from them without retaliation.
Since Anti-Airs are a hard counter to B-Copters, one should never engage in such a battle with a B-Copter unless the Anti-Air has 3 HP or less. Damaged Anti-Airs can still do significant damage to B-Copters otherwise.
It is generally preferable to keep B-Copters out of reach of Anti-Airs. This can be done fairly easily, despite their similar move ranges, thanks to the fact that B-Copters are not hindered by terrain features. Use forests and mountains to your advantage to move B-Copters into positions that allow it to attack but make it difficult or impossible for an Anti-Air to retaliate against.
When an enemy fields Anti-Airs, care must be taken with any defensive formations with Infantry at the front. Anti-Airs are highly likely to outright destroy even full-HP infantry, leaving shielded units vulnerable to follow-up attacks. When shielding with Infantry, it is advisable to use more defensive terrain to your advantage, and possibly having a second layer of Infantry to protect vulnerable units in case the first line falls.
At the very least, a good course of action to take is to ensure that any lines broken by enemy Anti-Airs will be more costly for the attacker.
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