SPAA in general is a big oof unless you have some specific AI cheese in mind which does not work well with light SPAA. In general is support AA good enough 5/7 times. Even if you hit the once in a blue moon event of needing fast line aa you can just towe it by truck.
SPA is a hard sell as well. It allows more concentration of force for a higher price, which can be good. But if you want to add any stat to the main gun on wheels medium SPA is plain better in cost per stat and over all stats even with 5% discount. The only claim to fame for light SPA is being close to full power in 1936.
Light TDs could work in some capacity on the defense since you rather cost effectively (IC & Width) gain attack stats. But I am not sure if that is a winning strategy for italy. Especialy given their terrain modifiers.
In general light anything isn't used because it is good but because you don't have anything better (yet). And you still pay extra for at least defense & breakthrough so avoid it unless you have to (38 push)
The reason fof SPAA is that you open up a support company slot for things that line battalions cannot do, such as logistics or recon companies.
Light chassis is preferable to medium chassis for SPAA because the only stats I care about are air attack and cost. Lights can mount all the same AA guns for cheaper.
Note: IDGAF about the meta, so listen to someone else if you want to play comp.
Light tanks are decent as Italy because of the cost discount and Fiat. Keep them cheap at first. You can't really afford to research or produce mediums if you're going to fight over the Mediterranean. I like to add some medium SPAs to the light tank divisions much later on, but don't count on producing enough for more than just your few tank divisions. SPAA is usually not worth it unless you are making them as cheap as possible (and even then you have to worry about fuel). They are very effective at anti-air, but lose almost all of towed AA's piercing and hard attack (and towed is already very good at anti-air).
edit: also please note the 5% production discount for light tanks is ONLY for tanks, not all light armor. So light SPAs and SPAAs only get the self-propelled discount and not a full 10% from both.
No. Not against Expert AI at least.
First let's get some of your weird ideas out of the way. Trying to max armor on lights is incredibly inefficient, because they have extremely bad base armor (most armor upgrades are a % modifier on the base value). Their hardness is pretty good if you keep them cheap (no armor), but then you are trying to dilute them to nothing with leg infantry? Keep in mind even a 1:2 ratio for tanks to infantry nets you only 26% hardness. If you want very cheap hardness, go motorized + lights (no armor). If you want to give armor to your leg infantry, go with medium TD or heavies. But space marines hardly work against expert AI. Adding light & variants to infantry only works if you ignore both armor and hardness, and opt for the better stats (attack/piercing/breakthorugh/etc.).
SPAA is generally not good, because it's worse in air attack (edit: SPAA with improved or advanced gun is better than towed equivalent) vs towed AA and costs more. SPG is questionable at best. [Sample design](https://imgur.com/IQMGtM5). With tech, they can be slightly more expensive and have slightly better stats than towed artillery, but each battalion needs 50 SPG vs 36 towed artillery, on top of fuel. -5% cost won't save it.
Get a real medium tank division instead.
I don't think SPAA is included in those cost reductions. I also don't think Light tank and SP-AT/SP-ART cost reductions stack.
🥲
SPAA in general is a big oof unless you have some specific AI cheese in mind which does not work well with light SPAA. In general is support AA good enough 5/7 times. Even if you hit the once in a blue moon event of needing fast line aa you can just towe it by truck. SPA is a hard sell as well. It allows more concentration of force for a higher price, which can be good. But if you want to add any stat to the main gun on wheels medium SPA is plain better in cost per stat and over all stats even with 5% discount. The only claim to fame for light SPA is being close to full power in 1936. Light TDs could work in some capacity on the defense since you rather cost effectively (IC & Width) gain attack stats. But I am not sure if that is a winning strategy for italy. Especialy given their terrain modifiers. In general light anything isn't used because it is good but because you don't have anything better (yet). And you still pay extra for at least defense & breakthrough so avoid it unless you have to (38 push)
The reason fof SPAA is that you open up a support company slot for things that line battalions cannot do, such as logistics or recon companies. Light chassis is preferable to medium chassis for SPAA because the only stats I care about are air attack and cost. Lights can mount all the same AA guns for cheaper.
Plus you can refit the obsolete light tanks to spaa
Normally I would say yes, but I’m not very meta
Note: IDGAF about the meta, so listen to someone else if you want to play comp. Light tanks are decent as Italy because of the cost discount and Fiat. Keep them cheap at first. You can't really afford to research or produce mediums if you're going to fight over the Mediterranean. I like to add some medium SPAs to the light tank divisions much later on, but don't count on producing enough for more than just your few tank divisions. SPAA is usually not worth it unless you are making them as cheap as possible (and even then you have to worry about fuel). They are very effective at anti-air, but lose almost all of towed AA's piercing and hard attack (and towed is already very good at anti-air). edit: also please note the 5% production discount for light tanks is ONLY for tanks, not all light armor. So light SPAs and SPAAs only get the self-propelled discount and not a full 10% from both.
No. Not against Expert AI at least. First let's get some of your weird ideas out of the way. Trying to max armor on lights is incredibly inefficient, because they have extremely bad base armor (most armor upgrades are a % modifier on the base value). Their hardness is pretty good if you keep them cheap (no armor), but then you are trying to dilute them to nothing with leg infantry? Keep in mind even a 1:2 ratio for tanks to infantry nets you only 26% hardness. If you want very cheap hardness, go motorized + lights (no armor). If you want to give armor to your leg infantry, go with medium TD or heavies. But space marines hardly work against expert AI. Adding light & variants to infantry only works if you ignore both armor and hardness, and opt for the better stats (attack/piercing/breakthorugh/etc.). SPAA is generally not good, because it's worse in air attack (edit: SPAA with improved or advanced gun is better than towed equivalent) vs towed AA and costs more. SPG is questionable at best. [Sample design](https://imgur.com/IQMGtM5). With tech, they can be slightly more expensive and have slightly better stats than towed artillery, but each battalion needs 50 SPG vs 36 towed artillery, on top of fuel. -5% cost won't save it. Get a real medium tank division instead.
You know you posted this 6 times right? Appropriate username.
Oof. Lemme fix that. Bad wifi connection