Rules: Landing fighter on recently deployed aircraft carrier

[SeismicAssault]

I’ve got a game going where we had a rules question on landing fighters on an aircraft carrier that was purchased and will be deployed during the mobilization phase.

It is UK’s turn, and they purchased an aircraft carrier this turn.  A fighter leaves from UK, attacks Western Europe, and survives the combat.  The fighter can land back in UK, but can I also have it land on the carrier that will be deployed in the mobilization phase in SZ7?

We decided that this was allowable, but the rules seemed non-definitive on this.  One rule says that a fighter must land during the non-combat movement phase (which is before deployment).  Under Non-combat movement, it says that “You must have a carrier … be placed to pick up a fighter that would end it’s non-combat move in a sea zone”.  So if during non-combat movement, I declare the fighter will return to SZ7 (where the carrier will be), it can land on it.

[toblerone77]

http://www.axisandallies.org/forums/index.php?topic=23993.0

This might help. Read response #8.

[Krieghund]

Welcome, SeismicAssault!

@SeismicAssault:

It is UK’s turn, and they purchased an aircraft carrier this turn.  A fighter leaves from UK, attacks Western Europe, and survives the combat.  The fighter can land back in UK, but can I also have it land on the carrier that will be deployed in the mobilization phase in SZ7?

Yes.

@SeismicAssault:

We decided that this was allowable, but the rules seemed non-definitive on this.  One rule says that a fighter must land during the non-combat movement phase (which is before deployment).  Under Non-combat movement, it says that “You must have a carrier … be placed to pick up a fighter that would end it’s non-combat move in a sea zone”.  So if during non-combat movement, I declare the fighter will return to SZ7 (where the carrier will be), it can land on it.

Actually, the rules say that fighters must be in “an eligible landing space” by the end of noncombat movement.  Such a space can include a sea zone where a carrier will be mobilized.

[toblerone77]

Damn Krieg that was fast work man! I needed to dig a bit myself for that one. Thanks as always for helping out.

BTW Welcome to A&A.org SeismicAssault.

[SeismicAssault]

Thanks for the answers … I guess I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted here before.  Used to play A&A back in the late 80’s, then my son bought Spring 1942 recently, and now it seems like we’ve got a game going all the time.

[toblerone77]

@SeismicAssault:

Thanks for the answers … I guess I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted here before.  Used to play A&A back in the late 80’s, then my son bought Spring 1942 recently, and now it seems like we’ve got a game going all the time.

That goes for a lot of us. Usually when people play online they use the play by forum here on this site. So You’ll see a lot of people here with literally thousands of posts sometimes.

[dedo]

One rule says that a fighter must land during the non-combat movement phase (which is before deployment).  Under Non-combat movement, it says that “You must have a carrier … be placed to pick up a fighter that would end it’s non-combat move in a sea zone”.  So if during non-combat movement, I declare the fighter will return to SZ7 (where the carrier will be), it can land on it.

Actually, the rules say that fighters must be in “an eligible landing space” by the end of noncombat movement.  Such a space can include a sea zone where a carrier will be mobilized.

Kriegshund knows his rules (Rulebook, page 26 confirms)
But, at the risk of doing blasphemy :wink:: I’m always wondering a little bit about this line of argumentation. In my understanding, the fighter should not be allowed to land on a carrier mobilized in the mobilization phase. The “eligible landing space” should fit to “…the end of the NCM phase”. In my opinion, the fighter should land at the end of the NCM. At that special point of the turn within the NCM there should be an eligible landing space. A fighter should not be allowed to “land” in the mobilization phase, because landing is the final part of moving and moving ends at the end of the NCM. In the example stated above, the fighter could only land on water at the end of the NCM… when the CV is yet layed on keel in the shipyard.

[SeismicAssault]

@dedo:

Kriegshund knows his rules (Rulebook, page 26 confirms)
But, at the risk of doing blasphemy :wink:: I’m always wondering a little bit about this line of argumentation. In my understanding, the fighter should not be allowed to land on a carrier mobilized in the mobilization phase. The “eligible landing space” should fit to “…the end of the NCM phase”. In my opinion, the fighter should land at the end of the NCM. At that special point of the turn within the NCM there should be an eligible landing space. A fighter should not be allowed to “land” in the mobilization phase, because landing is the final part of moving and moving ends at the end of the NCM. In the example stated above, the fighter could only land on water at the end of the NCM… when the CV is yet layed on keel in the shipyard.

Yeah, I kind of agree with what you are saying above.  My thought would be that the only time you would be allowed to land on a CV that was placed during the mobilization phase would be if that was your only possible landing spot, which is referenced somewhere else in the rulebook.  The case I was detailing was I was able to land in another location, but the mobilized CV was also available.  In my case, it was more advantageous to land on the CV, as my fleet was more vulnerable.

[Krieghund]

You guys are taking game events way too literally.  A game turn unfolds over a few months of “real” time.  Moving a fighter to a sea zone where a new carrier will be mobilized and then landing on it simply represents redeploying existing aircraft to a new carrier.  In game mechanics terms, it also allows the new carrier to not be defenseless for an entire round.

[SeismicAssault]

@Krieghund:

You guys are taking game events way too literally.  A game turn unfolds over a few months of “real” time.  Moving a fighter to a sea zone where a new carrier will be mobilized and then landing on it simply represents redeploying existing aircraft to a new carrier.  In game mechanics terms, it also allows the new carrier to not be defenseless for an entire round.

I agree with you completely on this … I was just trying to make sure I interpretted the rules correctly.

I guess this leads to the next question, which is, can a plane take off and make a non-combat move (from land) to land on a CV that will be placed during the mobilization phase?

[Krieghund]

Yes.