Air force bonus ability clarification

136Beef · Air force bonus ability clarification

Question concerning the "Alternate Payload 7" for the Avenger (Once per game, this unit can make a 7-dice Bomb attack instead of a Torpedo attack during the Air Attack phase".

1) Although the Avenger is listed as a "torpedo bomber", it is acting as a "dive bomber" for this turn, can it also bonus off a carrier that allows +1 for dive bombers? If so, then added with a Catalina, it would work out to a 9 die roll.

2) House Rule: Should an alternate payload decision be made before the air defense step? The ability to decide whether or not the aircraft is dropping torpedos or bombs during the air attack phase seems unrealistic - bombs "magically" appear in place of torpedos. Has anyone adopted this as a house rule?

BattleshipOverkill

In our games we always declared if a torpedo plane is using bombs instead of a torpedo as it was being set out.

Greyh Seer

This is a really good question. I would love to hear an official answer to this.

jfkziegler · Re: Air force bonus ability clarification

swarbs

yep, the only aircraft that can change 'type' is the barracuda, that's what Mission Selection does, so Avenger is always a torpedo bomber.

As for the second part of the question, unless there is a rule (like strafing) that makes you do it before hand, you don't have to choose your ordinance until you drop it, just as you don't have to choose which bomber is 'expert' before you see which ones get through the AA. I've heard of plenty of people who house rule it, so go ahead if it makes more sense to you that way.

chesty

Generally speaking, I don't think we should have to declare what a plane's payload is until it comes off the airplane. That's usually when the enemy finds out, right?

The Tirpitz

Although it makes more sense to declare it earlier. The enemy doesn't know, but the choice of weapons was made on the carrier/airbase when the plane was armed.

Diamondback

Besides, when you bomb with an Avenger you're not making a precise attack like a dive-bomber, you're eitherflying over at mid-altitude with the throttle firewalled, dumping and hoping they hit or doing the same at low-level for CAS. Either way, it's a much less precise attack, even if it can bring more tonnage.

I'd say, place a face-down "bomb/torp" chit when you deploy (committing to an attack type), flip to reveal at "Drop Time".

If we wanna be accurate a VT's AP attack should get +1 Armor and Vital too, as the approach is nowhere near as restricted as the "low, slow and level" of a torpedo-run.

Air force bonus ability clarification

Re: Air force bonus ability clarification