Items here are from the game designer.
For those who are ready to grasp the most complex details of GC here is a advanced system of how engagement works.
Advanced, Advancement MV rule: Interdiction.
An enemy moving into a hex you control and that is your space; You can.....
a) AM your SQ together first and attack enemy SQ (who can now AM also).
b) If your already AM when they try and enter you can attack one enemy SQ (and probably ensure it never gets into hex), or
c) You can wait for them to AM and try to force the whole bunch out, or
d) Delay your AM and try to attack as many individual enemy SQ as possible (using the lead SQ rule of course...your number 1 to his number 1 and so on. )
Note the interdiction rules are important as it prevents enemy from entering a hex.
Editorial note- this shows one reason why squadron order of engagement listings are important. The defender can arrange to have their best squadrons fight first. If enough of them win, then the eventual mismatch when one of their squadrons is outclassed will not occur.
WS attack is a two combat round affair minimum. Its on your free attack you declare disengagement, that however means your opponent gets one shot at you before you leave. Note though that if you plotted an AM it would be in effect for the 2nd combat round.
You are SQ X1 and X2. You have a WS and AM plotted for both. Only 1 WS can happen in the turn.
Your enemy has SQ A1 and A2. They have a AM plotted.
Battle goes like this:
Combat Round 1:
X1 (the lead SQ) gets free attack vs A1 and A2 AMed, or the lead SQ, defenders choice. On combat round 1 players may declare disengagement.
Combat Round 2:
X1 and X2 may AM and battle is conducted as normal vs however A1 and A2 decided to fight above. Players who declared their intent to leave on round 1 do so now.
The above is of course a simple example since no LA or BM are involved.
Advanced Rules Explained:
RX
The use of WS and FLY does NOT ensure combat, the target of the WS/FLY can decline. Note also a BN does not work with either WS or FLY.
The only way in which you can ensure combat with a WS/FLY is when it is used against a defensive target. Defensive targets are defined by units that cannot disengage by acceleration (bases, systems, convoys, crippled ships to name a few). WS/FLY also have some value vs opponents who try to advance or maintain a blockade.
The following RX MV are used up when implemented within a turn. They cannot be used again later in a turn, even if the rules technically allow it, UNLESS a second RX has been plotted.
BN,WS,SS,BM.
The following RX MV are always available with a turn (within their own rule restrictions); in effect they are always “on”.
AM,FE,FR,FLY.
A Legendary Base Commander (LB) (see A12.30(b)) can not lower the BI of the other side below ``evade''.
Source: Rules Committee question to designer.
The LA's ability to decline combat (A1.10) applies to CV strikes- they may avoid the strike if they wish.
Source: Rules Committee question to designer.
While perhaps not obvious from the rules, damage allocation can either be left up to the local commander (that would end up being the GM), or a player can specify it in their orders. This applies to both damage you receive (when told to let it fall), or when you deal it to the other side. You may, within the relevant rules, specify how to damage their units (see (A10.40) for available attack forms). You may, for example, specify that any enemy DW based scouts and all minesweepers are to be destroyed when seen. You can also make targeting orders contingent upon the unit's reserve status. For your own ships, you could avoid voluntarily damaging any ships with special crews.
Creative damage allocation tricks:
You may, if told to ``let the damage fall'', allocate damage to civilian economic infrastructure (QCBs, TCBs, and CBs) before damaging military units. If the enemy is looking to capture the system (and thus is going to not destroy the base), this lets your military units (with their presumably higher AF values) stay at full capabilities for a longer period of time. Note that if the enemy intends to rubble or annihilate a system, this may not be as good of an idea.
A similar tactic may be done with shipyards. Again, if the attacker's plan is harming you (by, for example, destroying shipyards) instead of capturing the system, damaging the shipyards may not be a Good Idea...
Fighter squadrons (including heavy fighters and bombers) and PF squadrons are treated as a single unit for AF, DF, and damage purposes. Fighter losses are not calculated until after the battle is over. They are then prorated (so a squadron of 12 fighters with 8DF and 3 points of damage would lose 3/8ths of their fighters). For mixed squadrons (PFL, PFS, 4xPF; 11xF14, 1xF14E) the lost unit(s) are randomly picked (so if 3 fighters died, the F14E would have a 3 in 12 chance of death; if one PF was lost, the PFL and PFS would each have a 1 in 6 chance of being the dead PF).
Source: Rules Committee question (and additional corner cases) to designer.
Note that in order to get the 5 ship square root bonus (A10.25) to apply, the 5 ships must all be alive at the same time. If a 4 ship squadron is reinforced by a 5th ship, the bonus would kick in (and stay in effect even if ship(s) were lost later in the battle). If the same squadron lost a ship before the reinforcement ship arrived, the bonus would not apply.
Source: Rules Committee question to designer.
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