Port Strike, Cannot use surprise to choose target

[Zorachus99]

Probably already reported, but...

You cannot use 3 surprise points to choose a target during naval air to sea during the port strike phase.

Rather important rule, not an optional.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Zorachus99

Probably already reported, but...

You cannot use 3 surprise points to choose a target during naval air to sea during the port strike phase.

Rather important rule, not an optional.

I was able to do this in a NetPlay game last week. I could use some more details:

Mode of Play
Scenario
Turn
Impulse #
Was the defender surprised as a result of a DOW?
Port attacked
Major power(s) performing port attack
Attacked major power(s)
# of surprise points (die rolls would be nice too)
Were these land based air units, carrier based carrier planes, carriers flying temporary carrier air units, or a combination?

Note: in some of the NetPlay games it matters whether the Axis or the Allies are the attacking side.

[Zorachus99]

Mode: Solitaire
Scenario: Barbarossa
Turn: 1
Impulse: 1
Phase Port Attack

When attacking Leningrad on the surprise impulse of Barbarossa, the Russians get no surprise points, which makes it easy to amass a large number of surprise.

No matter how many surprise points I have (happened with 5-8-11 surprise), the increase chart is clickable, but the use surprise to choose target is grey.

Am i supposed to save surprise after increasing the chart? I assumed that I could increase the chart and use points to choose a target in the same digression. (there is a button for choose target).

[Courtenay]

Yes, you are supposed to save surprise points until the stage you want to use them. Naval combat is a series of steps. First you pick the type of combat (or cancel it). Here the only way to use surprise is to pick the combat. Then there is air-to-air combat. Here, one may use surprise to change air-to-air values. After that is anti-aircraft fire; you can only use surprise points at this point to change the AA fire's column. After this, you will know how many attack points each side has, and you can raise or lower the combat columns. Finally, one starts applying results to individual ships. Only at this point can one use surprise points to pick a target; if one wants to do so, one has to have saved three surprise points. I am not sure if I have done this in a port attack; I certainly have for ordinary naval attacks, and would think that it would work the same way for pott attacks.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Courtenay

Yes, you are supposed to save surprise points until the stage you want to use them. Naval combat is a series of steps. First you pick the type of combat (or cancel it). Here the only way to use surprise is to pick the combat. Then there is air-to-air combat. Here, one may use surprise to change air-to-air values. After that is anti-aircraft fire; you can only use surprise points at this point to change the AA fire's column. After this, you will know how many attack points each side has, and you can raise or lower the combat columns. Finally, one starts applying results to individual ships. Only at this point can one use surprise points to pick a target; if one wants to do so, one has to have saved three surprise points. I am not sure if I have done this in a port attack; I certainly have for ordinary naval attacks, and would think that it would work the same way for pott attacks.

Yes.

I think there is only one place where the code lets you spend surprise points "in advance". The normal setting is that the program only enables the buttons for the current subphase of the naval combat. Spending surprise points for choosing targets is last in the list because that only happens after the combat results have been determined.