Using Aircraft More Than Once in a Turn

[HBG GW Enthusiast]

Let’s say I’m the Germans and I’ve captured Paris. The British player is conducting three attacks on Paris this turn:

1. Strategic Bombing of my factory in Paris.
2. Carpet Bombing of my forces in Paris.
3. A land combat attack on Paris.

If I have a fighter in Paris, I cannot participate in all three battles, correct? The British (attacking) player would announce his combats and I would then have to choose which one of the first two my fighter would want to fly interception for, but could I then participate in the land combat? Two out of three? Or only 1? But there’s no way all three, right?

I know that if I scrambled and actually left the land zone to participate in an adjacent battle, then I wouldn’t get to participate in a battle in Paris, so I feel like the right answer is I can only participate in one of the three battles.

[Noneshallpass]

I don’t think that this is specified in the rules, but since all three attacks are essentially taking place simultaneously, you would have to decide where your fighter will go : either you intercept the Strategic bombing (rule 9.16 - table 9-9) or the Carpet bombing (rule 9.17) or take part in the land battle. Since interception is at a reduced value, it mostly makes sense to use it for the land battle.

You do get to wait until all combat movements have been announced before you declare (see Clarifying Ordering Effets on page 37).

The only difficulty is if your fighter scrambles and you lose Paris, where does it go? Is it lost or can in land somewhere else? There was a similar discussion in the FAQ Thread about a month ago regarding scrambling to an adjacent zone.

Maybe this could be avoided if fighters in an attacked land zone did not have the option to scramble and must take part in the land battle, eliminating the possibility that a scrambling fighter survives while its original territory is captured…

[Linkler]

@noneshallpass I read some of that I think it ended up if you use the fighter say to defend against say the strategic bombing attack and your zone gets captured you can land up to one space away or lose your fighter if that’s not possible- like the aircraft carrier thing somewhat

[TheVeteran]

@linkler this! yes one territory away and if not possible: dead!

[TheVeteran]

@noneshallpass said in Using Aircraft More Than Once in a Turn:

but since all three attacks are essentially taking place simultaneously, you would have to decide where your fighter will go : either you intercept the Strategic bombing (rule 9.16 - table 9-9) or the Carpet bombing (rule 9.17) or take part in the land battle. Since interception is at a reduced value, it mostly makes sense to use it for the land battle.
You do get to wait until all combat movements have been announced before you declare (see Clarifying Ordering Effets on page 37).

"but since all three attacks are essentially taking place simultaneously, you would have to decide where your fighter will go : either you intercept the Strategic bombing (rule 9.16 - table 9-9) or the Carpet bombing (rule 9.17) or take part in the land battle. Since interception is at a reduced value, it mostly makes sense to use it for the land battle.

You do get to wait until all combat movements have been announced before you declare (see Clarifying Ordering Effets on page 37)." this i believe is the answer for HBG GW enthusiast question.

[insaneHoshi]

If you really want to be a rules lawyer, a defending fighter can maybe do 2. and 3.

The section on carpet bombing states that the bomber is subject to anti aircraft fire and interception from aircraft. Take not that unlike the section for strategic bombing, there isnt a part for the defender to decide to scramble fighters or not.

Probably not the way its supposed to be played however.

[Noneshallpass]

@insanehoshi If you look at the definition of Scramble (Rule 8.6), it applies to sending planes to an adjacent territory from an airbase.

Interception relates to the reduced value of air combat in raids/carpet bombing (see Table 9-9 and other Air units stats in Rule 12.2).

If the planes are already in the attacked territory, they are not scrambling per se but may still fight in the battle or intercept.

Same thing for scrambling planes that may intercept or take part in a normal battle in an adjacent zone, but not do all at once.

I don’t see how your answer supports that the planes could fight 2 or even 3 different battles at once.

[insaneHoshi]

The idea is that Table 9-9 step 2 states that the defender decides if they wish to scramble their fighters (scrambling is an overloaded term referring to both using a airbase and choosing to fight bombers). Step 3 then says if scramble then interception

Now if you look at 9.17, there is not “if… then …” it flat out states that carpet bombers ares subject to interception and AA fire. To me this, as written says, there is no choice to scramble, interception just occurs the same way AA fire just occurs.

[Chris_Henry]

@insanehoshi “subject to”, by definition from Merriam-Webster, means:

“affected by or possibly affected by (something)”.

To me, that reference at 9.17 is just using “subject to” to mean if the defender has chosen to scramble interceptors.

I guess I obviously can’t guarantee any of this, but I doubt it was intended to allow defending fighters to be able to intercept and then also take part in a defense. I’d think they get one defensive action, and it’s up to the defender which one it is they’d like to do.

[insaneHoshi]

@chris_henry said in Using Aircraft More Than Once in a Turn:

I’d think they get one defensive action, and it’s up to the defender which one it is they’d like to do.

Oh i agree, i just think its worded poorly. 9.17 just needs a “as per the interception process in table 9-9”