How to Effectively Use Air Sweeper

Please start by reading the [Three Different Uses of an Air Sweeper] page first in order to understand better.

Air sweeper has only a 1/3 control over it's radius since that's how big it's Air Wave is, and since the fact that it can only lock onto one target, that would mean 2/3 it's radius is not in control or protect.  What others are trying to teach you and use the Air Sweeper to protect something is mostly wrong due to the fact that Air Sweeper's actual capability is only 1/3 it's radius.  In order to truly use Air Sweeper's radius to it's fullest, you need to control the remaining 2/3 of the radius and not have the enemies be the ones who dictate it, as well as the fact that you must anticipate that there is a possibly that the enemy will come in from the back side. Use the 3 Uses of Air Sweeper fully when it comes to the 2/3 side and it will guarantee success.


So to an Air Sweeper there 3 Elements:
1/3 Protection Zone
2/3 Unprotected Zone
Back side of the Air Sweeper

Protecting the Center is Incorrect

Any sort of centralized protection is wrong of you are only focusing on the 1/3 area.  In these examples, I'm using Air Defense and Wizard Towers as an example since Air Defense attracts the attention the most, while Wizard Tower will represent the DPS.
In this example, you can see that they are trying to protect the front of the AD area with the AS, but fhe problem with this example is that the enemy is able to come in from the left side and the right side of your defenses, as well as the fact that it offers the back side to the enemy. These two Wizard towers will be destroyed like normal while everything is distracted by the Lava.

So in terms of 1/3 zone, it'll do a decent job in protecting, has a nice effect of deterring, but in terms of the 2/3 unprotected zone, it's completely ignorant of it and does not actually protect that area as well.  The Back Side of the Air Sweeper is safe though since most likely the other territories of the base is protected.

There will be more to be explained in the Protecting One AD section.

Protecting 2 AD is Incorrect

This is actually far worst than trying to protect one AD due to the fact that the 'territory' that both ADs cover is roughly half your base.

In terms 1/3 zone, it'll be a semi-decent protect, but it's more on the lines of stalling and it won't really deter the enemy as much. In terms of the 2/3 zone, you virtual thought that the AS coverage would protect that side but the lavaloon will precede as normal on that side (check out the gif later).  In terms of the back side of the Air Sweeper, since the fact that the enemy would have killed 1/4 of the base, it's basically an invitation for them to attack from behind (which could be used to your advantage), and negate the AS completely.


More Information on the Protect 2 AD section.

Control the 2/3 Zone of the Radius

Protect 1/3, Deter and Stall the 2/3

The most effective way to use the Air Sweeper is to Protect the 1/3 on one side, give the enemy this section to deal with, but have control over the remaining 2/3 of the radius as well as anticipate the enemy could possible come in from the back side.

What this does is enforces a strict separation between the Lava hounds on the 1/3 zone, and having a Anti-Loon zone on the 2/3 half, as well as the fact that with this set up, you know they might attack from the back side.

As a metaphor, you can say The 1/3 AD zone is your shield, the 2/3 Wizard tower zone is your Sword, and since you already perfected the front, you are also anticipating any back stabbing enemy as well.  With this set up, you can protect the front, and/or use the back as a bait.

Shield the Front, Protect the Back

Credits to Edpgolfer for this image's set up.

After I saw this image, I thought this was actually a clever way to shield the front fully, and bait the enemy to come in from behind. It's like having a Shield at the front fully, but what you are doing is preparing yourself from behind.  Although the Air Sweeper could be a sacrifice, you are forcing your enemy to decide whether or not to do a straight push or to come from behind.  If they do a straight push, chances are your defense is going to win.  If they come in from the back, you have already layed a trap to absorb their assault from behind.  It will require you to make your base better and set up the 'trap' properly though.
Now that you know the 3 uses, and the 3 elements of the Air sweeper, you can now understand how it is utilized in an Anti-3 Star Bases.