@simon33:
You don’t have to send the cv in and doing so expends a 16ipc unit on absorbing two hits. Hardly optimal.
You may not have to send the CV, but you can’t say that you don’t have to send it. Too much depends on the bid, whether London’s under threat of a SL, whether Germany landed air in S Ita, and if the cruiser in sz91 survived G1. Can you kill the Italian navy without the carrier present? Yes, but you’re probably only going to have odds in the 70s unless you bring 2 ftrs from UK, didn’t lose the CA in sz 91, AND bid at least a sub in sz98. Too many things need to happen in order to having to bring the CV or risking 73% odds in such an important battle. Not only do you ensure high odds of killing the Italian navy, but you also have a greater chance of having more units survive that will either land in Malta to fight another day or give you more dice to kill German air.
@taamvan:
Not losing the BB last is inadvisable and does not make sense. It’s irreplaceable and can heal itself where it sits. Then, they have to come and kill it again. The only time this would be the right move is if subs are present and first striking activated.
Sometimes it’s not a bad option to kill the bb if you will only have 1-2 units survive to another round of combat. Perhaps the allied player will say mission accomplished and retreat instead of pressing the battle. Better to have the transport and 1-2 fighters survive then to lose it all. It’s not like you really change the odds by selecting the bb over a fighter if they do in fact press. Plus if they retreat, you won’t get raided in sz97 and it opens up some options for you having that 2nd transport plus air unit(s) live rather then die.