Atom Bombs in a PBEM

[GKILLA]

Hey guys, another quick question. Have y'all ever used or been on the receiving end of atom bombs in game? Furthermore, how about in a PBEM? And what are y'all's experiences with them? Are they just a total hex wipe or do things like forts help mitigate damage? Any anecdotes, experiences, facts etc are helpful.

[BBfanboy]

I am only aware of a couple of PBEMs where A-bombs were used. In one of them it did a lot of damage, especially to manpower but it did not wipe out all the industry. Very realistic.
In the other the bomber was harassed by a night fighter and the A-bomb did little damage - probably a good simulation of it being dropped way off target so the bomber could skedaddle.

[GKILLA]

Thanks for the info dude! I always wondered what atom bombs would do. Especially to someone behind a lot of firts etc. I wonder if there are any actual home rules for Atom Bombs in PBEMS. Or maybe nobody bothers because they show up so late.

[BBfanboy]

We must keep in mind the hexes are 46 statute miles wide, so there is plenty of room to miss. So if someone wanted to use an A-bomb to try an wipe out a division in a wooded hex, there is a good chance they would not succeed. No need for a house rule then. Besides, IIRC you must use the City Attack mission type to have the A-bomb as ordnance. That means you can't target the port or airfield to take them out, but they could still be damaged by the City Attack.

[GKILLA]

That's pretty interesting. So if the Allied Player has to perform a City Attack if they want to use an Atom bomb, it makes their use much more limited in my opinion. Thanks for the notes!