• Some of our more creative rule lawers developed a tactic around it.

    It happened several times that UK/US was able to send 2 ARM & 2 INF to invade Germany which was defended by only 2 INF and 5 FTR.  So, UK sent in a bomber on a suicide mission to tie up the 5 FTRs hoping that they could destroy the 2 INF in the first round of land combat.  Then by definition all 5 FTR would have to retreat because they had no supporting land units on the next round of combat.

    Needless to say this caused quite an uproar with the Air Combat interpretations. Especially considering the fact that a bomber doesn’t even get an air attack roll during the Air Superiority phase – we called this a foul – but by the rule definitions is was legal.

    That type of air unit does not roll against land until defending fighters are gone. So if you brought 2 bombers, 2 fighter-bombers and 3 fighters against 2 defending fighters… the fighters roll trying to get 2 hits. Lets say they get just one… so now you have to roll out the fighter bombers…lets say you get one more hit… now your last air type the bombers can now roll against land targets because the other types of planes got rid of defending planes and achieved air superiority.

    How could a lone bomber tie up the entire German AF when Berlin itself was threatened?

    HUH? that would never happen. If you brought in a bomber and the defender had say 2 fighters…they would roll and likely down the bomber and then be able to roll out on the second land combat sequence. A bomber would hardly EVER tie anything up unless you roll very badly.

    We were trying to come up with some rules that allowed you to divert overwhelming air power to the ground conflict, but it all became to complicated.

    their is no need the rules are quite clear on this.


  • That’s the rub though.  If you attack 5 aircraft and 2 supporting ground pieces and you kill all the ground forces in the first cycle of combat, the planes have to retreat.

    From 20080724_AARHE
    Land Combat: Retreat Decision
    At the end of a land combat cycle, if only one side has land units the other side must retreat. If air units
    can’t land they will be destroyed in Non-Combat Move. Defender declares retreat decisions before attacker.

    It is just something to be aware of when you play. Normally, a high value country like Western Europe or Germany look pretty safe when there are 5 FTR buzzing around… but if there are no boots on the ground, they retreat after the first round.

    I wouldn’t be griping about it if I hadn’t seen it happen to Germany while I was playing Japan.

    I found it cheesy that by throwing away a bomber on a suicide mission UK/US managed to capture Germany even though it had 5 FTRs defending (n.b., the bomber was nothing but a tool to deny the 5 FTRs a combat roll – yes, the bomber did get shot down) .  The FTRs never got a shot at defense because they were all tied up chasing the bomber… blood in the water!

    The two ARM backed up by shore bombardment made quick work of the remaining defender, the Luftwaffe had to retreat by definition, and Germany fell.

    Lesson learned. Defending FTRs need lots of ground forces to be effective.


  • From 20080724_AARHE
    Land Combat: Retreat Decision
    At the end of a land combat cycle, if only one side has land units the other side must retreat. If air units
    can’t land they will be destroyed in Non-Combat Move. Defender declares retreat decisions before attacker.

    what the hell? This is not AARHE. If it is written like that it needs to change. Its a typo.

    don’t go by this. I never authorized such a rule. It makes no sence.


  • Lies… propoganda… & rumor mongers!

    They even went so far as to modify the most recent version 20081102_AARHE with thier nefarious rule modifications!

    I demand to see the manager!

    Muhhaaa!

    One of the best selling points of AARHE is the air war.  It really changes the game for the better.  Other than this small fly in the ointment though, I can’t find much fault with it.  I do think that the air war hurts poorer nations like Russia, but with the Lend Lease program a cooperative US can keep then in business.


  • yes the balancing act here was a patchwork on historical events that are either magnified or diminished in their role, to provide a more accurate result but one that is somewhat balanced by its own merit.

    The idea is if both the allies and axis play to their strengths, they can each have a chance to win but players will invariably follow some of the historical options to gain victory.


  • not a typo to me
    concept is that air units backup group troops
    and can’t defend/fight effectively on their own

    it is consistent with the other rules like
    When only one side has air units at the beginning of combat cycle, air units fight with normal combat values
    when matched 1-to-1 with a friendly land unit. Excess air units fight at combat value of 1.

    @Bierwagen:

    I found it cheesy that by throwing away a bomber on a suicide mission UK/US managed to capture Germany even though it had 5 FTRs defending (n.b., the bomber was nothing but a tool to deny the 5 FTRs a combat roll – yes, the bomber did get shot down) .  The FTRs never got a shot at defense because they were all tied up chasing the bomber… blood in the water!

    this is an old area of concern
    we could only think of overly complex rules to handle the relative numbers of opposing air units

    The two ARM backed up by shore bombardment made quick work of the remaining defender, the Luftwaffe had to retreat by definition, and Germany fell.

    note is it hard for allies to amphibious assault Germany due to the canal/waterway rule


  • Absolutely!

    It’s just an important consideration that people need to be aware of – creative tactical use of air power – and what looks well defended by alot of air power, can be dangerous.

    Normal AAR folk don’t seem to make the connection until they’ve been burned a few times.

    Perhaps a tactics manual or FAQ should be created as an addendum to highlight these types of tactics.


  • When only one side has air units at the beginning of combat cycle, air units fight with normal combat values
    when matched 1-to-1 with a friendly land unit. Excess air units fight at combat value of 1.

    This is the rule and its correct, but its completely different from what i was thinking Bierwagen was getting at>

    I thought he meant if one side has air units and the other side does not, then the air units cant fight at all and must retreat. I was incorrect in my understanding.

    At the end of a land combat cycle, if only one side has land units the other side must retreat.

    I was reading it as AIR UNITS… :-o


  • This brings up the rule for strafing.  It was a common tactic for single or more fighters to attack land units and reinforcement columns.  How does this fit into the discussions below?

    The way our group plays this is fighters (without attacking land units) are allowed to attack defending land units at an attack value of 1.  Fighters are then allowed only one round of attacks.

    Comments?  Should attacking fighters without ground unit support be allowed to attack more than one round of combat?


  • The rules already cover the idea of planes flying over to just engage other planes. Lets look at them:

    ok here we go again…

    IT USED TO BE IN THE FILE UNDER COUNTER-AIR. Now the section has been changed yet again and CA is not explained.

    Tekkyy??? why?

    Anyway-

    Counter air is one round of air combat using air values. It allows just air to air units to hit to model the control of the sky thing.

    I suppose your modification is ok and i see that rolling a 1 to hit will make for a weak possibility to kill planes, but it should also work.


  • @oldsalty:

    The way our group plays this is fighters (without attacking land units) are allowed to attack defending land units at an attack value of 1.  Fighters are then allowed only one round of attacks.

    your group’s interpretion of the rule is correct

    the idea is that defending land units have nothing to fight so they stay in bunkers and what not
    attacking air units in excess of attacking land units can still do damage, but at a reduced rate

    I think its ok, unless there is a problem I am not seeing

    @Imperious:

    The rules already cover the idea of planes flying over to just engage other planes. Lets look at them:

    think you misunderstood oldsalty
    he is not talking about counter-air

    IT USED TO BE IN THE FILE UNDER COUNTER-AIR. Now the section has been changed yet again and CA is not explained.
    Tekkyy??? why?

    yeah I got your PM
    repeating my reply for others:

    the paragraph “Counter-Air” merely explains the effect unique to Counter-Air
    hence it looks a bit short
    rules common to all air missions are written under the paragraph “Air Missions”

    Counter air is one round of air combat using air values. It allows just air to air units to hit to model the control of the sky thing.

    you can already perform an attack with only air units like in OOB/LHTR
    air units then engage enemy air units

    what Counter-Air is, is that it stops the defender from running (via air unit relocation rule “Defensive Air Support”) from the Counter-Air attack

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