Guest fighters on aircraft carriers - Do they defend against scrambled fighters?


  • Question: Player 1 moves an aircraft carrier and a transport into an EMPTY Sea Zone as part of an amphibious assault. This carrier has a guest fighter; i.e., a fighter that belongs to an ally, NOT the owner of the carrier. If Player 2 (the defender) decides to scramble planes against the carrier and transport, does the guest fighter participate in the battle against the scrambled planes?

    On the one hand, the rules state that during a Player’s Combat Phase, guest fighters are cargo, which would imply they can’t participate. However, if the carrier is attacked by scrambling fighters – a battle that would not have occurred without the scrambled fighters – isn’t the guest fighter then defending, which means they would then be part of the battle?

    The rules aren’t clear on this point. Thanks in advance for any help.

  • '17 '16 '15

    Hi wryguy

    No. It doesn’t. Or at least that’s the way I play : ) The CV initiated the combat and the scramblers are defending against that attack. So yea it
    s just cargo. Pretty sure Panther will explain it better.

    Welcome to the Boards  :-)


  • Barney is right. The guest Ft still can’t participate. It is not the defender; the scrambling player is. The Ft will be lost, if the Carrier is hit twice. If the scrambling planes miss, however, or only hit once, the attacking Carrier can retreat with the Ft on board.
    This scenario could have been avoided had the Air Base been badly damaged, so preventing a scramble.
    Perhaps your group could allow Player 1 to undo this suicidal move. It can’t end well for him!
    Enjoy your games.

  • Liaison TripleA '11 '10

    People often get confused and think a scramble is an “attack”  - a scramble is infact ONLY a defence.

    Correct responses here the fighter does nothing.  and if the carrier is sunk, so is the guest fighter!


  • Scrambling is a defence not an attack. This is valid for any amphibious assault. A related example would be USSR trying to invade Sardinia to get that extra NO. It would not matter how many ships the royal navy had in the area, the italians will still scramble against the USSR ships, and prevent the landing.


  • @wittmann:

    Barney is right. The guest Ft still can�t participate. It is not the defender; the scrambling player is. The Ft will be lost, if the Carrier is hit twice. If the scrambling planes miss, however, or only hit once, the attacking Carrier can retreat with the Ft on board.

    If the carrier is only hit once, isn’t the guest fighter stuck on board until its repaired?


  • Yes; you are right.

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