Air spacecraft in Beyond Earth are one of the most versatile game-changing units you can get in the game, and it is important to understand their progress over time and determine which strategy towards tier affinity upgrades you would want to move forward with to have the best upper hand.
We will start from the earliest units you can buy to the most advanced units available.
This drone-driven jet has a low range and, like all other jets, can only attack from a base. With their lower base range at which they can attack, they don't come in as useful during the early game because you probably won't have an enemy base nearby. Maybe an alien nest, in which case you could farm the nest for science if you have the related virtues to do so (See might virtues).
These units, later on, are incredibly useful in changing the tide of battle. They are a great defense unit during this early period, but are not often used for offense, except maybe taking out aliens.
Next is the Needlejet, which has some slight improvements and only slightly improved range compared to the Tacjet. They can easily take down ranged units and still have some trouble with some melee units, but at 22 strength they can hold their ground for the most part. They return back to their base and can heal after an attack without the risk of being destroyed if you have 3 or more jets.
The Locust has less fighting strength than purity by slightly but makes up with improved range, which is a unique feature of harmony jets. Their range moves up to 11 if they have full HP, but it might be wiser to use the other perk choice of +30% strength against air units if you are prepared for air battle with your other enemies. But if your strategy is to attack early on, extra range can be a great offensive perk.
The Herald, which has similar strength to the Locust, can get a 20% strength perk that is not just for attacking air units, and a unique other option is that the Herald can get a 50% attack advantage when air sweeping. This will wipe out any intercepting jets if you want to be extra cautious. One thing you'll notice about supremacy if you go that route is that you will have the most powerful air units when it comes to air-to-air combat and could easily destroy any spacecraft to take over the sky.
The Raider is the strongest of all 3 tier jets, with 38 strength and the ability to get a 25% strength bonus against land and sea units. It is the obvious choice if you are planning an offensive route and want to focus on air units to destroy ground targets.
Shrike has the most unique perks. It has the ability to use splash damage or scatter enemies 30% of the time. Splash damage, however, is unblockable and not reduced by strength, so an additional 15 damage done to every nearby unit next to where you attack can add up to a lot of damage over time. It is a unique strategy, however, and doesn't always come in useful in every situation.
Next is the Predator, which again has the clear strength advantage versus the other 2 units. It has the perk option of always gaining health which is really amazing when it comes to attacking, so that you can maintain an offense consistently. Or you can choose the perk option towards attacking cities for 50%, but I personally would advise the March perk as it will give you the ability to continuously attack over and over. and not worry as much about your unit's health.
The Seraph has less range strength than the predator, but an extra interception attack perk can change the game. This allows you to have one seraph ambush two attacking air units during your enemies' turn. This can greatly destroy your enemies' air superiority, and before you know it, you will be the only one with air units on the battlefield.
What makes Seraph great:
Best Air to Air combat jet
2 interceptions
Have a complimentary battleship that can carry one jet
The number one air unit for Beyond Earth is unique in some ways. It could be considered not an air unit, but I'd say as it is able to go into outer space and become a satellite, in some ways it is. This unique unit is in harmony class, and this unit has the highest ranged strength out of any non-ultimate unit. Its range is unlimited, but being in outer space, it is limited in who can attack it. Plus, as it lays the land with miasma, you'll be hopping for joy if you're a harmony builder.
Now add the perk of it being able to deorbit at any time for mobility; otherwise you have to wait 10 turns until it is finished with being in outer space. Its range when in orbit is 2 which could cover a whole bridge or land mass. They are amazing for defense because they are only targetable by anti-orbital strike units and they can lay waste to any land unit rather instantly.
Because they're in outer space, I put them as number one as no other air unit can even get to outer space other than the rocktopus. That's it for my tier list, folks. Have fun out there, and remember, as Buzz Lightyear once said, it's not flying, it's just falling with style.
Seanny Ray is a super hero that was working on developing technology for instant teleportation. He zapped himself now he's made of lasers. He apologizes for anyone that is sensitive to lasers.
