Rules Question - Do Scrambled Fighters prevent Shore Bombardemnt?

[JanFrt]

Hi everybody,
being new to this forum, I’ll start out with a question we’ve been arguing over in our group:

If there’s an amphibious assault targetting an Island with an operational Airbase and no defending ships in the Seazone,
the attacker will declare a shore bombardment with all his cruisers & Battleships.

If the defender now decides to scramble one plan and therefore start a Naval combat prior to the Amphibious Assault, this should
prevent all Ships from shore bombardement, correct?

best regards

Jan

[Razor]

I am sorry to say that you are correct. The attacker may move in hundreds of battleships, but if you scramble just one fighter the attacker is pretty much blocked from a lot of actions. He cannot shore bombard, nor can he embark units on trannies in case your scrambling fighter is in a seazone adjacent to multiple territories or islands. We call that lone stalling fighter a hero pilot with supernatural skills. He is captain Superman.

[moompix]

In the scramble section of the rules, it states that it prevents shore bombardment.

Scramble happens at the beginning of the Conduct Combat Phase, which happens after all combat moves have been made. The loading of transports occurs during the Combat Move Phase. Scrambling can’t prevent the loading of transports during the Combat Move Phase.

[Mino1124]

Also remember you can’t bombard with more ships than land units (I don’t remember if they all have to unload from a transport but I think so).

[ascendancy]

If there are no friendly ships under attack, there is no way that you can scramble. The planes are only allowed to support other units and not to start attacks on their own during the attacking players turn. See page 14 in the Rulebook.

[The Fire Knight]

@ascendancy:

If there are no friendly ships under attack, there is no way that you can scramble. The planes are only allowed to support other units and not to start attacks on their own during the attacking players turn. See page 14 in the Rulebook.

Incorrect i believe. An Amphibious assault is an attack, and so you can still scramble.

[Hobbes]

@Razor:

nor can he embark units on trannies in case your scrambling fighter is in a seazone adjacent to multiple territories or islands

This is incorrect. For the SZ to be considered hostile it has to have enemy surface warships on it. Otherwise transports are perfectly capable of loading units from a SZ that possesses an island containing an enemy airbase and planes.

[Mino1124]

@The:

@ascendancy:

If there are no friendly ships under attack, there is no way that you can scramble. The planes are only allowed to support other units and not to start attacks on their own during the attacking players turn. See page 14 in the Rulebook.

Incorrect i believe. An Amphibious assault is an attack, and so you can still scramble.

That’s right. Like somebody said earlier, a single fighter (or tac bomber) can scramble to prevent any bombardment. At the same time if there’s planes that CAN scramble, the player who’s attacking can send planes to the SZ since there’s a CHANCE for sea battle.

[ascendancy]

I see my mistake, the rules on page 14 are a but unclear, on page 15 (sea bombardement) it is better explained. The rule-book really needs some rework.

[gtg21]

So what about air units that are already in a sea zone?

Example: If at the beginning of a turn there already a Carrier w/ air units on it in a SZ with an island that is enemy occupied w/ airbase and air units.

If loaded transports move in for an amphib assault, and the attacker also wants to send in air units that are on the carrier - if the defender scrambles, do the carrier air units get to defend against the scramble AND also participate in the amphib assault (assuming they survive)?

Or do they only get to defend against the scramble?  Or do they only get to attack the island?

[gtg21]

Nevermind - the answer is on pg. 16.  Looks like attacking air units can either be chosen to defend against the scramble (i.e. participate in the sea battle), or can ignore the scramble and assist in the amphib assault - but cannot do both.