Strat Bombing question

[Mysterious Sexual]

Lets say i have 2 unescorted strategic bombers and they are conducting SBRs on an enemy factory which also has 1 fighter defending in that territory, does that fighter defend against the bombers? or does that only happen when you have escorts?
Also in what order does the AA fire?

Thank you in advance,
-MS

[Krieghund]

The fighter may defend, whether or not there are escorts.  AA fire occurs after the air battle is over, and is resolved only against the strategic bombers, not the escorts (if any).

[Mysterious Sexual]

thanks Krieg it was a little unclear reading the rule book.

[maverick_76]

So the escorts don’t get fired at by AA? Why in the world would that be the case?

[Dylan the Canadian]

@Krieghund:

The fighter may defend, whether or not there are escorts.  AA fire occurs after the air battle is over, and is resolved only against the strategic bombers, not the escorts (if any).

They fire after the battle? Is this in all games?

[Krieghund]

@maverick_76:

So the escorts don’t get fired at by AA? Why in the world would that be the case?

Defending fighters were typically sent up to engage before the flak started, otherwise they might be hit with friendly fire.  Once the defending fighters disengage, there’s no reason for the escorts to hang around and get shot at.

@Dylan:

They fire after the battle? Is this in all games?

No, just this one (and AAE40).

[Lema099]

@Krieghund:

AA fire occurs after the air battle is over, and is resolved only against the strategic bombers, not the escorts (if any).

@Dylan:

They fire after the battle? Is this in all games?

No, just this one (and AAE40).

Will this perhaps replace the AA50 FAQ’s optional Fighter Escort rule?  Currently its AA fire happens before the fighter battle, not after, and the way the rule is written sounds (to me at least) like escorts are also subject to AA fire: “Attacking fighters may escort and protect the bombers … After antiaircraft fire is resolved against the attacking air units, if there are any defending fighters an air battle occurs between the attacking and defending air units.”  It makes a lot more sense that AA doesn’t affect escorts and takes place after any escort/interceptor battle, since that’s how bombing missions actually happened.

[gamerman01]

Lema, I got to the point where I just played my AA50 games with the P40 escort rules - that they weren’t subject to AA fire.  I did this not for historical reasons so much, as game play reasons.  If there were defending fighters and an AA gun (let alone radar or increased production) it was almost never worth it to SBR.  Kinda sucks if the rules are effectively negating one of the strategies of the game (SBR’s).  The rules of the 1940 games are much better in this regard.

You asked if the 1940 rules will replace the AA50 FAQ, or in other words, will the AA50 FAQ be revised again to change this.  Maybe Krieg can answer that question, I don’t know, but I will say that based on my experience the AA50 FAQ SHOULD be revised so that escorts are not subject to AA fire - for playability and fun.  Or, alternatively, it doesn’t even need to be an optional rule - it could be incorporated into the rules (errata).  Although, with the radar and increased production techs, interceptor/escort rules just make SBR’s even more rare.  If the 1940 game has techs that also dampen the effects of SBR’s, I don’t think we’ll see much SBR in the 1940 game, especially because all targets ALWAYS have AA (not the case in AA50).

[Krieghund]

It’s possible that it may change in AA50, but I don’t know right now.

[Lema099]

Thanks to both of you.

[maverick_76]

Great to know, I have friends that take their planes as cannon fodder so their bombers make it through my AA. Not anymore suckers!

[gamerman01]

@maverick_76:

Great to know, I have friends that take their planes as cannon fodder so their bombers make it through my AA. Not anymore suckers!

:-) That is not possible when correctly following any of the rulesets.  With or without escorts/interceptors, with AA50 FAQ or P40 rules, bombers always endure their own AA fire.

Did you catch the little rule change of AA50 that AA fires separately at fighters and at bombers in every battle, SBR or otherwise?  :-)

[maverick_76]

We have always just had it where the person chose what to lose, I guess we need to change that in my group. The reason was we just rolled dice and when ones came up the person who was hit just took what they wanted to lose.