Lately, I've been experimenting more with using Bombers, and was pleastantly surprised at how well they work early to mid game.

On the surface, you'd think that bombers wouldn't work well vs light frigates because they only do 50% damage against that armor type, but I've found that bombers do enough raw base damage to be fairly effective in that role.  And against structures and capitals they're pretty good.  In the early and mid game they're a good for raiding infrastructure and for putting a lot of fire down on enemy capitals.

Late game, they are effective against heavy cruisers, but this is where it gets complicated.  I'm not sure if it's a better expenditure of my supply points to field lots of carriers with fighters and bombers supported by a modest number of heavy cruisers, or it's better to field a modest number of carriers with purely fighters and many more heavy cruisers.  Heavy cruisers are so powerful that they may do better in the offense role than even a large horde of bombers.  I've tried both ways, and they both seem to work I'm just not sure which is better for fleet engagements.  Having bombers does force the opponent to defend from more threats, which is worth something in itself.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?  Lately, I've been playing so that in the late game I'll have an equal number of light carriers and heavy cruisers in a fleet.  My carriers have been splitting their hangar space 50/50 between fighters and bombers (fighters are absolutely necessary to suppress enemy fighters before launching bombers; otherwise, your bombers are butchered by enemy fighters and you lose a lot of your offensive firepower right at the start of the battle).

Early and mid game, though, the 50/50 fighter and bomber combo is deadly.  Fighters for suppressing enemy fighters and then LRMs, bombers to lay down fire on enemy capitals.  I've been pleased with the results so far.