Me 262
Cost: $930
Army Points: 3
Hit Points: 200

If not for Adolf Hitler’s insistence that the Me 262 be developed as a bomber, it might have entered the war much sooner — and that could have had a major impact on the outcome of the air war over Germany. Instead, the first operational jet fighter didn’t see action until August, 1944, and by then the massive number of Allied bombers meant it had to focus on them rather on dogfighting.

Pros: A speedy interceptor that matches up well against enemy fighters, and it can put a major hurt on bombers.

Cons: Fairly expensive, and its ground-support role is limited to attacking infantry and light armor.

Bottom Line: Despite its limitations, you should always have a few of these at your disposal to protect your Stukas from Mustangs and Yak-9s.

Stuka
Cost: $1100
Army Points: 4
Hit Points: 300

For thousands of Allied soldiers, the Stuka’s trademark siren meant it was time to take cover. But the German dive bomber earned its deadly reputation early in the war, when the Luftwaffe had unchallenged air superiority. When improved Allied fighters arrived, the Stuka’s slow speed and sluggish maneuverability led to extremely high loss rates in the last two to three years of the war.

Pros: An adequate ground-attack aircraft, especially adept at hitting moving targets.

Cons: Like the Me 262, it’s fairly expensive for its class; unlike the Allied P-38 Lightning, there’s no way to upgrade its bomb-only capability.

Bottom Line: Just as in real life, the Stuka is not up to par with the ground-support airplanes of the Allies or Russia.

Giant Zeppelin
Cost: $5000
Army Points: 5
Hit Points: 1000

In the first few years of World War I, Zeppelins were able to drop their bombs almost at will over English soil, but the arrival of faster fighters and incendiary ammo rendered the Zeppelins obsolete. The Giant Zeppelin in War Front is a rigid airship with high-powered cannons and strong armor to protect against fire from AA guns and enemy fighters.

Pros: The cannons mounted on the Giant Zeppelin can easily take out super-heavy tanks fielded by the Allies and Russians, and is invaluable in reducing major buildings.

Cons: This lumbering craft has a high number of hit points, but unfortunately they bleed away rather quickly when enemy AA guns train their sights on the big target.

Bottom Line: Perfect as a heavily armed “guardian angel” traveling above an armored formation that’s equipped with AA vehicles to protect it from enemy fighters.

Call-In Junkers Bomber
Cost: $1200
Tech Level Required: 1

Though perhaps most famed for the Ju 87 Stuka, Junkers manufactured a slew of aircraft for Germany, particularly in the bomber and transport classes. The six-engine bomber depicted in War Front resembles the Ju 390, a prototype with a range of over 6,000 miles.

Pros: Can be built at Tech Level 1, and it delivers damage to a fairly wide area.

Cons: Interceptors can provide protection from enemy fighters, but the slow Junkers can be brought down rather quickly by ground-based AA fire.

Bottom Line: Always send along Me 262s to not only protect against enemy fighters, but also draw away AA fire from this large plane.

Call-In Horten Bomber
Cost: $2000
Tech Level Required: 2

The Luftwaffe always seemed to have great designs in the works, but the vast majority never made it into production. Such was the case with the Horten 229, a jet-powered “flying wing” bomber that was the forerunner of today’s B-2 Stealth bomber.

Pros: The extra money you spend for the Horten rather than the Junkers is worth it: this bomber can take much more damage than the Junkers and still deliver the goods.

Cons: Despite the extra armor, the Horten can still be brought down by fire from AA guns and interceptors; you must reach Tech Level 2 before you can call in the Horten.

Bottom Line: Unless you’re strapped for resources, you should always opt for the Horten over the Junkers.

V1/V2
Cost: V1 Launch Pad $3000, $4000 to upgrade to V2
Tech Level Required: 2 for V1, 3 for V2 upgrade

The V1 and V2 are generally considered the world’s first guided missile and first ballistic missile, respectively. Although their accuracy was poor, their ability to strike without warning (or very little warning, in the case of the V-1) gave the Allies incentive to seek out and destroy their launch sites, diverting forces that would otherwise be used in the move into Germany.

Pros: Neither the V1 or V2 can be brought down by AA fire.

Cons: A V2 launch not only carries considerable resources costs, but also the time spent reaching Tech Level 3. And while the V1 is more accurate than the V2, there’s no guarantee that either will hit the precise point you target.

Bottom Line: A V1 or V2 blast can flatten a large area and deflate an opponent’s morale.