Area Bombardment

[gpearce696]

I just wanted to check my understanding of this MAR.  Is the following correct?

 

Say I have two Chinese Luxing Bombers in a squadron targeting a squadron of four frigates at RB2.

1. I place a small area template on the centre(?) of ship number 3 (from left to right) which completely covers ship 3, about 80% covers ship 4, and about 10% covers ship 2.

2. As I have two bombers in the squadron I then roll to determine the random direction for a second small area template.  This is placed touching the first template and thus covers about 20% of ship 1, and a further 80% of ship 2.

 

3. Do I now roll 6AD for each ship as each is at least partly covered by a template, or do I roll 6AD for each ship except ship 2 as it is covered by two templates and so gets 6AD and then (separately) another 6AD, am I correct that I don't think these can be linked to make 9AD... or is it something else altogether?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Thamoz]

You are correct, each ship is hit once per template covering it (even if only a little covered) and the ad cannot be linked in an area bombardment attack.

[parryone]

As an addendum to this question when making a AB attack are the AD rolled once and applied to each model under the template or do you roll separate AD for each model under the template?

[Nazduruk_Bugzappa]

AB is rolled separately for each model.

 

mine explosions are "roll once, and apply to all"

[John Allday]

A question about area bombardment that came up from my last game. If you have two bomb bays do you get to roll to hit with the AD twice, once for each bomb bay ? Or only once, however many bomb bays you have, as my opponent considers to be the case.

[Nazduruk_Bugzappa]

A question about area bombardment that came up from my last game. If you have two bomb bays do you get to roll to hit with the AD twice, once for each bomb bay ? Or only once, however many bomb bays you have, as my opponent considers to be the case.

if the target model is touched by multiple templates, it is hit multiple times

[Lord Nat]

it's once per template, each Bombay adds a template to the attack (if you want to), so you can get hit twice by an area bombardment attack from a heavy bomber

[CDR_G]

Huh, can you choose to attack two different targets with area bombardment? Say if they are on opposite sides of the the bomber? Or once area bombardment is chosen it must follow

the random adjacent placement of templates? Can one mix concentrated bombardment and area bombardment if you have two or more bomb bays?

[Lord Nat]

digi admiral pg 65 last bulletpoint you can have one area bomb bardment attack per activation but it's a firing option so weapons don't have to join in....

At least that's my read of it

[Nazduruk_Bugzappa]

pretty much. example- you have a bombardment target that one model can't join in on because of arc or range

[Bunnahabhain]

To quote myself from about a month ago......

 

 

 Area Bombardment

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Straight from the rule book- firing options, area bombardment section

When performing an Area Bombardment, an Initial Aiming Point is chosen within Range, Fire Arc and Line of Sight (unless using Indirect Fire) of all weapons making the Attack.

 

A Squadron may only have ONE Initial Aiming Point, any weapons unable to reach the Initial Aiming Point cannot make an Area Bombardment this Activation.

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The  ONLY way a squadron ( one model or several) can place more than one blast a turn from area bombardment is to nominate that several weapons are making an area bombardment attack, and nominating the ONE initial aiming point for the whole attack. ALL blasts are then placed from that ONE initial aiming point, with the second and subsequent scattering off the first.

 

If a weapon cannot hit the initial aiming point, it cannot contribute to to the area bombardment.

 

An example. A model has two  Area bombardment weapons, with overlapping arcs of fire. It may fire in the following ways.

An area bombardment with both weapons with an aim point withing arc and range of both

Linking fire with both (NOT as an area bombardment), against a target in arc and range of both.

Firing one as an area bombardment and the other normally, against the same or separate targets.

Firing both normally.

 

What it may NOT do is

Fire two separate area bombardments against separate initial aiming points!

 

James, DW designer

[John Allday]

Thanks Bunnahbhain, that's pretty much what I thought. Except for the bit about linked fire. The paragraph on area fire in the rule book says that the linked and combined fire options are unavailable with area fire. Is that not correct ?

 

[Bunnahabhain]

I will edit it for avoidance of doubt.

[Firelord44]

Okay one more question, if I have a plane with 2 bomb bay 6, would I drop one template at a 9 or two at 6, or can I do either?

 

If the answer is you can not link, then can I choose to link and just hit one ship, instead of using the Area Bombardment?

[althorin]

You do 2. 6AD placed together 1st one where you shot 2nd touching in a random direction.

You can link fire against a single ship instead.

[Firelord44]

Nice,

 

Thank you

[Reacher]

You do 2. 6AD placed together 1st one where you shot 2nd touching in a random direction.

You can link fire against a single ship instead.

.

But linked fire does not use the templates.

[althorin]

.

But linked fire does not use the templates.

Absolutely correct I should have made that clear so to clarify.

If you do not wish to use area bombardment then you can link weapons per standard firing rules.

[crabking]

Sorry for the thread-necromancy and my question is not even concerning the area bombardement itself.

Let's say a squadron of three ships is attacked by area bombardement and each ship happens to be at least partially under a template. Does each ship to defensive AckAck against the attacker as lead on its own, or is linking allowed?

[NaH2PO4aq]

I dont think you can use AckAck against area bombardment because area bombardment does not have a target. From the DigiAdmiral page 71: "Agressive counter attack ack ack used to Counter Attack Models in the Aerial Height band that have targeted the model." Since area bombardment uses a template it is not targeted on a model thus you cant use an Counter Attack.

[Nazduruk_Bugzappa]

If by some chance you are allowed defensive AA against an area bombardment (flyers with carpet bombs, bombardment rockets, etc) the target model/s may only link with another model in the squadron if they themselves are not also under the template.

[CDR_G]

I probably missed it, but area bombardment allows a bomber to reach beyond two inches- correct? Yes the Initial Aim point must be in range but if the random placement of adjacent templates from additional bomb bays puts part of those template outside the two inch range it still attacks all units in the template.

This happened to me and it seemed gamey. But It is probably the case as I see nothing addressing it directly as allowed or not.

[Nazduruk_Bugzappa]

I probably missed it, but area bombardment allows a bomber to reach beyond two inches- correct? Yes the Initial Aim point must be in range but if the random placement of adjacent templates from additional bomb bays puts part of those template outside the two inch range it still attacks all units in the template.

This happened to me and it seemed gamey. But It is probably the case as I see nothing addressing it directly as allowed or not.

The initial template must be within 2" of the bomber, and the additional templates scatter from it (even if they end up more than 2" away)

[CDR_G]

Yep, That was what I expected.

Not happy about it.  The 2" 360 degree bombing change was a good game play adjustment, not a realism improvement. This extension of this to accommodate the area bombardment rules is a step too far in my opinion. Weapons should not be able to extend their range. I can make up descriptions that have an explanation but that is rationalizing in my book. A basic principle of the game is range bands and limits. Violating them should be a last resort.

[jupjupy]

Well, think about it. It would be near useless if it could only area bombard under itself, because the base size for most bombers that want to do so simply prevent models from being below it, and hence eat up 80% of the bombardable area. If bombs could be dropped as part of movement, like mines, I could see use. As it stands, area bombardment on bombs right now is fairly hard to pull off already, let alone making it restricted to within 2".