Matrix Games Forums

Hi All,

Together with a friend i am playing World in Flames from matrix.
We started at WIF 5 then bought the computer version and even bought the latest collecter edition.

Absolutely love the game.

At the moment were playing the computer version.


Im playing Axis, my friend is playing Allies.

The current situation:
It is march-april 1941. French is vichy. And free french are at war with Italy and germany.
Allies moved the british fleet in the western Mediterean Sea.
In box zero there is one free french unit with about 6 english units including convoys in box 2 there about 8 english battleships.
In Box 3 are about 30 english ships of wich 4 are carriers and 2 trannies with inf.

since all my italian nav planes are near i can drop one in box 4 togehter with the nav bonus and the convoys it gives my 60 percent chance to find the english fleet.

Italy declares war on the commonwealth and in an air impulse flies 3 bombers in with air factors only italian units.
the dice gods are with me and i find them on a 1 while allies throw a 10. 8 surpise points!!

However while going for the kill, the computer program lets the allied player scramble his fighters from the carriers for a airfight.
while im only attacking box 3

Ive read the rules from cover to back from wif 5 - rules from wif matrix (mwif) - final rules collecters edition.

And in every rule i read the following:
* surprised aircraft cannot fly any mission that is exclusively against major powers declaring war.
surprised aircraft units that flew combat air patrol cannot fight if the only units that fly a mission to their hex are those controlled by a major power declaring war.

Since all air components of allied who can reach the seazone are commonwealth, and none are free french.
I think its a bug in the program.

Is my idea that commonwealth scrambling his carrier air component being surprised by italy and with only italian air is a bug correct?
Or is there a rule i didnt read correctly or read wrongly?
Could a few of you clarify this for me? Is it possible to fly and start an airbattle with the planes on the commonwealth carrier whil surprised if only attacked by the country that surprises you?


If im wrong no problem (ummm ok i prefer to be right ) but i like a clear ruling and were it states so.

Thx in advance.

With regards,

CVPs on carriers are an intrinsic part of the carrier. They function perfectly well in a surprise impulse, except of course for the effects of surprise. No bug. They are not "Flying an air mission". Naval combat is not an air mission. Land based aircraft flying naval interception are "flying an air mission", and could not join the naval combat. If there were land based aircraft already in the sea area at the end of naval movement they could fight perfectly well, too.

Thx a lot! not what i wanted to hear but very helpfull!

The number of surprise points looks wrong for the situation described.

I think the Free French unit in the sea zone negates the surprise as Italy is already at war with Free France. Eight surprise points still looks wrong though.

ORIGINAL: AllenK

I think the Free French unit in the sea zone negates the surprise as Italy is already at war with Free France. Eight surprise points still looks wrong though.

You said it.

And 8 surprise points looks wrong.

Although calculating surprise points here might depend on whether the Optional CV Searching is in play. But isn't that likely to give the Italians even more surprise points?

By rule, the FF should only negate surprise if they are included in the combat.