ORIGINAL: Froonp
If you have no fighter group, your air-to-air strength equals the air-to-air rating of your front bomber only.
When the rolling players front aircraft has a Orange air-to-air rating and the Non-rolling players front aircraft has a Non-orange air-to-air rating you achieve one result less than normal.
If the fighter flies as a bomber you get -1 to its air-to-air rating.
Flying as a bomber doesn't make the fighter better. You receive the result shift AND the -1 to the air-to-air rating.
I'm gonna correct that.
This is from the questions we submitted to Harry :
***********************************
Q294> Are Twin-Engined FTR acting as a bomber one result less than normal in an Air to Air combat in which enemy fighters are involved?
Answer> No. You are not one result less than normal as you are not a fighter when you are a bomber. However if also playing Option 54 then your air to air rating is reduced by 1. Date 29/12/2007
Relevant Rule Quote>
14.3.2 Option 53: (Twin-engined fighters) In air-to-air combat during the day, all front fighters with an orange air-to-air rating achieve one result less than normal when the front enemy fighter in the combat does not have an orange air-to-air rating. In these cases an AX result becomes a DX, a DX becomes an AA, an AA becomes a DA and so on. A DC result is unaffected.
14.3.2 Option 54: (Fighter bombers) Reduce the air-to-air rating of the front bomber by 1 if it is a FTR.
***********************************
I just saw this one. I think that the prosed change is a bad one, here is why:
- Fighters flying as bombers defend at -1, as well as get worse attack results. This means they are already penalized by being easier to shoot down. This alone balances the slightly better damage that they will inflict
- Fighters flying as bombers don't actively seek targets out. If it's combat value comes into play at all, all enemy bombers will get through. (Except when it escorted by another fighter, and is bounced)
- Fighters flying as bombers never get to bounce enemy bombers
- When attacked/found by enemy fighters, fighters flying as bombers would just drop their bomb load, and fight as normal, without any penalty, so a double penalty is too harch
If you ignore the orange result when the fighters fly as bombers, you get:
- More friendly casualties
- More enemy fighter casualties
- No enemy bomber casualties
I find this quite realistic. If these fighters would fly as fighters, the enemy fighters would avoid them, making both sides score fewer kills. If they fly as bombers, they will be sought out, then drop their bombs, and engage in dogfight, leading to higher casualties for both sides.
And since all enemy bombers will get through this way, it's not only realistic, but also balanced.
Cheers
Hakon
