If fighters can target enemy aircrafts, that will model a continuing dogfight every turn. I also suggest AAguns fire every round, together with the rest of the defending units, and not preemptive, not in land combat anyway. SBR is another business
It will go like this
One time air to air combat and one time SBR of facilities
Naval combat and landing, with defending artillery preemptive fire, modelling the coast fortress, and Battleship shore bombardment
Debarked land units all attack on 1 the first round. Marines A2 alone or A3 with Battleship support
General combat
Inf A2 alone or A3 with Art, Art A3, Tanks A2 alone or A3 with Tac, and absorb two hits
Fighter A1 and can target enemy aircrafts, owners choice
Tacs strafe land units at A3, and Strategic Bombers carpet bomb the infantry stack by rolling 3 dice, A1 + A1 + A1 targeting the infantry
Defenders roll
All land units defend on 3 or less
AAgun roll a die to every plane, limited at 3 dice pr AAgun, the OOB rules,
Fighters roll D2 and target enemy aircrafts, owners choice
Tacs D4 and Strat Bombers carpet bomb the infantry with D1 + D1 + D1
I don’t think it will be to strong to let the AAgun fire every round, since its no longer preemptive, and AAguns can be taken as casualties and the fighters new cost will be 8 IPC. Come to think about it, it always was unfair to let the AA gun only fire one time, but the aircrafts could fire every round.
Your getting to a wider picture now, impressive.
I’m not very qualified to appreciate all the details and balance of units.
Glad that some of the ideas has just showed helped you refined your mixed model of 1914G40.
On AA gun and Fighters:
For balance purpose and historical accuracy (1 out 10 planes were shoot down according to IL), making up to three rolls every round is a lot. At least, give AA gun a single roll @1 vs 1 plane max after the first round (even if not preemptive).
Also, if FgA1D2M4, 1 hit, always hit plane first, maybe you can make it a 6 IPCs unit.
Maybe can also allow Fg to target AA gun instead, when no plane.
Your combat system includes a lot of possible planes casualties, this way it will have a lesser impact.
However, you will have another balance issue with 2 places carriers because Fighters will not be very effective vs TacBs. And carriers with 2 Fgs on it vs warships will not get a real chance.
Imagine: the once proud CV+2 Fgs A6D10M2 is becoming a A2D6M2.
This means that only TcB A3D4 will be put on Carriers.
Which is inaccurate historically.
That was one of the reason I mostly keep the +1 A/D Air Supremacy bonus.
I’m thinking out loud here:
If you don’t like such bonus,
maybe you need to think differently about Carrier to keep balance,
make them 3 places instead of 2 planes carrier.
There will be room for mixed cargos on CV:1 Fg + 2 TcB / 2 Fgs + 1 TcB.
3 Fg A1D2C"6"= A3D6C18
Maybe it is TcB which need also a lower down to A2D3C8 IPCs.
Combining three planes will be more in the same value with OOB originals 2 TcBs (A6-8D6 Cost22):
3 TcBs A2D3C8 = A6D9C24 3 Fgs A1D2C6 = A3D6C18
2TcB+1Fg = A5D8C22 2 Fgs+1TcB = A4D6C20
Don’t know if this unexplored new idea of 3 planes carrier can save the day for Carrier operations…
I hadn’t thought about it while I was exploring Air-to-Air combat and impact on carrier operations with Uncrustable.
But at least, you will know about.
But the 3 TcB will still prevails.