@KillOFzee:
Thanks for clarifying, I figure this will be a pretty clever strategy for a possible sea-lion.
I don’t think you understood his answer…
Scrambling is declared before strategic bombing raids are done. If you choose to strategic bomb an airbase AND attack a seazone adjacent to the airbase the defender has the following options:
1. Scramble to the seazone
2. Intercept the SBR
3. Both (some to each, not planes performing double duty)
4. None.
Even if you managed to do maximum damage in the SBR run that follows (but is prior to general combat), you cannot prevent the planes from scrambling to the seazone. If he declared the fighters to scramble to defend the seazone, it’s already been done and they’re already in the seazone by the time you roll for your SBR on the airbase.
So yes, the base will perhaps take a pounding, but because repair is done prior at the beginning of the UK turn, it will be repaired by the next German turn. and the least that the UK lost is 3 IPCs in repair on their turn (all it takes to make it fully functional again) It’s near impossible to actually shut a base down in a way that is meaningful for their defense in a single turn - it’s mainly just a money drain.
However, if two players teamed up, the strategic bombing becomes more dangerous. If Italy somehow bombed a UK airfield, it could not possibly be repaired before Germany could somehow exploit it.
So it’s not really a good choice: Germany leaves a bomber out of a larger fight, but London is still able to scramble 3 planes, and the worst that happens is that the UK needs to repair. No impact on their ability to scramble at all.