Do not abort at end of air combat

[Courtenay]

Just discovered something: If, after an air combat when all the bombers have been dealt with (cleared, aborted or destroyed) but both sides still have fighters remaining, if one side aborts from the combat and the other side stays, the side that aborts returns its fighters to base immediately, while the side that stays returns to base only after all the air combats and bombings in that step have been resolved.

So, if you are the second player to decide whether to stay or abort, and the first side has already aborted, always stay. Almost all of the time this will make no difference, but occasionally where you land will depend on the results of the bombing, or of future air combat.

For example, there is a hex you want to land a fighter in, and there is an unresolved air combat where you have an air unit that will land there if it can. You get to see if the second plane survives the air combat or if is destroyed. If the second plane survives, it lands in the hex; if not, the first plane lands in the hex.

Or the opponent is ground striking, and you expect him to attack if his ground strike does well. If it does roll well, you want to land farther away than if it doesn't. (Then of, course, he whiffs on the ground strike, you land close, he attacks anyway, and rolls an 18. [:)])

Where this really shines is carrier combat. It is much better for you to have your planes in the air when bombs are dropping on or around your carriers than to have them sitting on the carriers! (I haven't tested this with carriers, but I think it works.)