The Commander Series Forum

Hello Pete

Sorry, but I am puzzled again - please can you clarify how this is meant to work.

The rules say that the Spotter Aircraft acts like a regular FAO. So, say, if a British Auster unit with an FAO aboard is physiclly 90cm from the Aim Point selected by the player, the Artillery Support will deviate by 3 dice (5 for each 20cm or part thereof less one each for being higher and being British).

So far so good.

They also say that AA fire against Spotter Sircraft is carried out like that against Air Support. So the same British Auster is shot at by any unsuppressed Command Unit or deployed AA unit within range and line-of-sight of the Hit Point.

Taking these rules together it seems that the Spotter Aircraft is in two places at once - one where it physically is and the other where the Hit Point is. This seems illogical to me - even paradoxical - as these two points can be widely separated.

The paradox is this: if the Spotter Aircraft in the above example rolls the three dice indicated, then it can't possibly be shot at by units within range of the hit point because they'd be out of range of where the model actually is. And conversely if the Spotter Aircraft is considered to be at the Hit Point for those units within range of the Hit Point to fire at it then the it shouldn't need to roll any deviation dice because it's virtually over the target.

This paradox can also lead to other anomolies. A Spotter Aircraft flying right above a grouping of Command and AA units could avoid being fired at by them by the player simply choosing to target an anemy unit some distance away - or by not calling in fire at all.

I hope I've got the current rules situation right and that I've explained my confusion clearly!

And if you're open to suggestions, wouldn't it be best (by which I mean simplest and most logical) to say that AA fire against Spotter Aircraft is conducted in the same was as that against Air Support except that firing units need to be unsuppressed and within range and line-of-sight of the Spotter Aircraft model. The timing of this could then be when it requests Artillery Support (if you don't mind a Spotter Aircraft avoiding AA fire by simply not making a request - it's too busy taking evasive action) or at a fixed point in the opposing Player Turn (say before the Scheduled Phase).

Thank you for your patience.

Puzzled

"...wouldn't it be best (by which I mean simplest and most logical) to say that AA fire against Spotter Aircraft is conducted in the same was as that against Air Support except that firing units need to be unsuppressed and within range and line-of-sight of the Spotter Aircraft model."

I think this is the spirt of what the rule means. As the Spotter aircraft is actually a table top model (where as air support is pretty much just a counter to mark where the air strike will occur) any AA fire against the spotter AC would have to be within range of where the Spotter AC model actually is on the table.

It's a good point Puzzled - after all, the Spotter plane isn't a dive bomber! Panzerleader's probably right, I'm guessing you try and shoot it down as it flies overhead rather than targeting the area where the template lands.

We discussed it on another thread. I belive Pete stated that after the Spotter plane moves*, any AA capable units within range can shoot at it.

* At the end of the command phase.

Steve (hoping the memory is correct and not affected by old age!)

Hello All

Ah, I see! In that case I think it would make sense to place AA fire against Spotter Aircraft in the End Phase to make it clear that it occurs after the movement at the end of the Command Phase.

Thank you everyone.

"Slightly less" Puzzled