Maritime Air Patrol questions

[Ghetty]

I just can’t wrap my brain around Maritime Air Patrol. Could someone please answer these questions?

1. Do I even need to put my British Seaplane out on Maritime Air Patrol? If it sits on land and waits for a sub to end it’s turn within 2 spaces, I can then use my Seaplane to fly out during it’s combat movement, announce MAP, and immediately attack the sub. If I have a Destroyer within range, it could sail over and help with the attack. So why place the Seaplane out on Maritime Air Patrol in the first place?

(I think I must be wrong on this, but in our current game the British have Seaplanes and a few Destroyers ins the British Midlands, Gibraltar, and Newfoundland, and have nearly all of the Atlantic covered. The German subs had to retreat toward South Africa to go raiding.)

2. If my Seaplane is out on Maritime Air Patrol, on a given turn can I move it to another sea zone to patrol, assuming that sea zone is within it’s range? If so, how far can it move?

Thanks.

[insaneHoshi]

1. I think you are asking, why you would leave a plane on maritime air patrol? A) any sub that moves though a zone that has a plane on MAP gets attacked (well defended at), and b) MAP adds a bonus to convoy defence if I recall correctly… But yes more often than not its advantageous to take your planes off MAP at the end of your turn.

2. It cannot. MAP must be cancelled in the non combat phase before it can be placed on MAP in a different zone. Remember you put a plane on MAP and cancel it in the same turn.,

[sjelso]

@ghetty You are not the only one. MAP needs a written playbook on it’s own. We still have a question…can the sub if not destroyed move out of the space as part of it’s submersion.

[insaneHoshi]

@sjelso It can not. There isnt really any impression that it could?

[Noneshallpass]

In case you did not see it, there are 60+ posts in a recent thread on MAP.

https://www.axisandallies.org/forums/topic/36587/subs-destroyers-map-and-other-ships/51

[HBG GW Enthusiast]

@ghetty Here’s a couple videos I made about MAP:
MAP is covered at 10:55:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFhtShzVL2A

MAP Interdiction of Submarines at 2:52:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-DaBgO_XUk

Before France falls, if you put a British plane on MAP with some naval units, you can force any enemy sub entering that sea zone to attack you. That means the sub (as the attacker) will have to decide if s/he wants to roll once or submerge. Then all the British naval units get their defense rolls. Most German players won’t enter a MAP-patrolled sea zone that contains a small attack force like a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, and a couple destroyers because they are likely going to get that u-boat sunk. With proper placement (say SZ’s 3 and 24), you can prevent u-boats from getting out after your convoy lines. If you don’t have a plane on MAP, the submarine just waltzes through any sea zone that just contains naval units.

After France falls, you have to worry about the Germans hitting you with their air force, so you may not want to continue your “cordon” strategy, and the “First Happy Time” begins for the u-boats. At this point, you might assign some escort ships in sea zones that are out of reach of German aircraft, but you are likely going to take some convoy raiding until Britain develops Advanced ASW. While awaiting that tech advance, MAP can then be used in a retaliatory manner as you note above (with MAP +/- Destroyer).

As others have noted, if your aircraft started the turn on MAP, it cannot move to another sea zone for a different MAP mission. It would return home during the non-combat movement phase.

[HBG GW Enthusiast]

@insanehoshi said in Maritime Air Patrol questions:

@sjelso It can not.

Concur.