Island Air Bases?

[canuckgamer]

In our PBEM game, the Japanese have based an air unit on hex 126,24 by Espirito Santo. There is another island a couple of hexes away where an air unit could be based as well. The terrain on both of these islands is plains. In the Marshall Islands around Bikini Island, Maloelap and Tarawa, I count 11 island hexes that are plains so air units could also be based on those hexes.
Considering how supply rules work, air units on these hexes could continue to conduct normal operations until they reach a supply level of 2 before there are effects due to lack of supply. They can always take off and land in any hexes within range that are in supply.
To me this is an exploit that should be fixed. Maybe a rule prohibiting single hex islands to be used as airfields unless an air field is constructed there.

[ncc1701e]

Funny, I was asking the same question few days ago.
https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... ae52f548ab

[AlvaroSousa]

If you put an air unit on a non-port island with no supply trying to resupply via ship it will quickly deteriorate in effectiveness with each mission. The difference of naval supply to port/main supply on effectiveness is huge.

[canuckgamer]

Here is why I think this is an exploit and not realistic. Using Suva as an example, there are two islands with terrain of plains a couple of hexes away where you can base an air unit even though neither has a port so no supply. Yes, air units based on either will be out of supply but it is my understanding that their supply level will decrease each turn and until they reach a supply level of 2 they can conduct normal operations.
What it allows you to do is shuttle them back and forth between Suva so you end up having 3 air units in that area without ever having to construct an airfield. It seems unrealistic that an air unit can land on a deserted island with no port and conduct operations from there for weeks at a time. How are they getting the fuel and ammunition? If there are ground crews attached what are they surviving on. I know you can air supply them but I don't think you should be able to use supply trucks until a port is constructed on that hex.

[AlvaroSousa]

In this example I can simply put terrain on both islands and stop it.

If it is appropriate.

[canuckgamer]

You may want to consider doing that because my opponent is using that tactic as the Japanese advance across the Pacific. It doesn't make sense to me that an air unit can merely fly to an island with no airfield, no refueling facilities and operate from there until they reach a supply level where they are no longer effective. They can then merely fly to a port or airfield within 10 hexes.

[ncc1701e]

Maybe a very simple fix is to add jungle terrain on top of them like in the New Hebrides Islands.

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small islands.JPG (58.81 KiB) Viewed 388 times

[ncc1701e]

There are also the Amani islands that are considered as Plains and where planes can land without airfields.

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Planes without airfields.JPG (29.25 KiB) Viewed 345 times

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Amani Islands.JPG (28.58 KiB) Viewed 340 times

[ncc1701e]

But, in reality, this is more Hills and Plains. For retirement, maybe.

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Amani for real.JPG (167.95 KiB) Viewed 342 times