Strategic Bombing + Fighter Escort Rules Clarification

[A Former User]

Regarding the optional fighter escort rules in AA42, how exactly does the escort work? It says that fighters have an attack value of 1 and a defense value of 2 and that bombers have no attack value. Do the bombers have a defense value? If so what is it? Can defending fighters shoot down bombers, or only the escorting fighters? If a strategic bombing raid is occuring and there are no escorting fighters, can defending fighters still fight the bombers? Most of all, under what circumstances would it be advisable to send a fighter escort along with your bombers?

:? Maybe I’m missing something, but the description of this rule in the rule book seems very unclear and inadequate. Any help here would be much appreciated!

[Imperious Leader]

Its very clear.

Only the fighters on both sides fire for one round at the stated values. If Bombers don’t bring in any escorts they get chewed up. each player allocates his loses and surviving bombers perform SBR.

The reasoning is that bombers are already doing SBR, they don’t get to shoot down a potential fighter AND do SBR, because for 12 IPC that would make it too powerful a unit.

If you don’t like the rule then i suggest making the bombers 15 IPC and dropping the escort/interceptor rule to balance it out.

[Krieghund]

Welcome, Tbabs!

@Tbabs:

It says that fighters have an attack value of 1 and a defense value of 2 and that bombers have no attack value. Do the bombers have a defense value? If so what is it?

The bombers’ defense value is irrelevent, since they’re attacking, not defending.

@Tbabs:

Can defending fighters shoot down bombers, or only the escorting fighters?

Since the “combat is resolved in the same way as a normal combat”, all of the defender’s hits must be assigned, and the owner of the attacking planes chooses which units are casualties.  Normally, this would be the escorting fighters, if any.

@Tbabs:

If a strategic bombing raid is occuring and there are no escorting fighters, can defending fighters still fight the bombers?

Yes.  “Any or all defending fighters based in a territory that is strategically bombed can participate in the defense of the industrial complex.”  There is nothing in this rule that links fighter defense to the presence of attacking fighters.

@Tbabs:

Most of all, under what circumstances would it be advisable to send a fighter escort along with your bombers?

When there are fighters in the territory being bombed that could potentially defend against the raid.  If there are no fighters in the territory, sending escorts is pointless, as they will serve no purpose.

[dnalevelc]

Now that I’ve read up on sub vs sub, I’m happy to know that the defender has to declare submersion before the megalomaniacal attacker rolls. Upon exploring this escort/interceptor rule, hearing that escorts without defending interceptors are useless, I got to thinking. Does the defender declare if he is using interceptors before the strat bombing? It would suck to bring your airforce in to risk aa fire and not be of use due to the defender deciding not to use his fighters as interceptors. I suggest
1. Declare strat bombing
2. Defender declares interceptors
3. Attacker declares escorts
4. combat ensues.

I know it won’t fly, so to speak, but just as my pals were waiting to see if my attack sub would miss before deciding to submerge, a rule I will have to school them on… I feel the defender has an opportunity to dupe the attacker into sending fighters into a trap. I understand the defender needs the advantage, but I would like the opportunity to turn my escorts around when there is no resistance. Pros?