Guadalcanal Rules Question

[GeneralDiCaro]

During the 'Attack Land Units' Step, can land units attack both enemy land units and airfields? The rule is vague. It does specify that air and sea units can't attack both.

-Thanks

[Krieghund]

Land units can't attack airfields. Only air and sea units can.

[Autarch]

Wow, since infantry doesn't have the choice between attacking airfields and land forces, they MUST attack both! :eek:

[lozmoid]

I must say I am still unsure about the exact procedure for attacking Airfields, and unfortunately, this was not clarified in the FAQ.

So, my air units in the target Island Zone can attack the Airfield(s), as can my adjacent Cruisers and Battleships, but not land units present there? Therefore, can my land units in the target Island Zone only attack enemy land units in the same zone? And what does the rulebook mean when it says "the attack is made with the combined attack power of each unit chosen to attack the Airfield(s)"? It tells us to ignore the the unit types listed on the battlebox. Therefore, what attack powers am I adding up here - land attack power?

Any help with this would be much appreciated.

[Krieghund]

Only air and sea units may attack airfields. Each air and/or sea unit attacking the island must choose between attacking land units and attacking airfields. You add up the land attack power of the units attacking airfields and roll the dice, counting only the number of dice in the box equal to the attack power (as with any other attack).

When it says, "ignore the unit types listed on the neck of the battle box", it means for determining casualties. You simply look for ones and twos on the appropriate dice and count the number of hits. For every two hits scored, one airfield on the island is damaged.

Land units may not attack airfields. I assume the rationale behind that is that if you're attacking an airfield you don't control the island, and if you don't control the island the land units are busy dealing with enemy land units.

[GeneralDiCaro]

That seems very odd that land units would not be able to seize an airfield. I would like a clarification from a game designer, your generous explanation notwithstanding.

On second thought, however, land units in effect "attack an airfield" by taking the enemy land forces around it, thereby seizing the airfield. Why would infantry and artillery damage an airfield when they could simply take the island and use the airfield for their own purposes. Furthermore, the result of action is to "damage" an airfield by attacking it, not "seize it." So I think your explanation may be correct. How would infantry damage an airfield? Throw grenades at it? :)

The rule book could have easily and explicitly made this clear. For the most part the rules are well written but in some places a simple clarification would suffice.

By the way, air units and sea units have "land attack values" and are therefore capable of attacking airfields.

[Autarch]

It seems to me that land units should also be able to attack airfields. Infantry could infiltrate or hold positions close enough to bring fire down on and disrupt operations, and artillery could blow holes in runways just as well as bombers or naval guns.

The only prevention would be to push a perimeter out far enough where this couldn't happen which would indicate "control" of an island. So if the attacker has control, or at least equality or superiority in land numbers they should be allowed to attack the airfield.

[GeneralDiCaro]

I don't think the rules allow for it.

[Aldrick]

Sure you can damage an airfield but can you destroy it?

I have a situation that came up where on Santa Maria? island (the one in the middle with two) had one destroyed airbase. The americans had moved up 4 supply on transport to both repair and build a second (this would give them the game). My air units could reach the island but not the transports in the SZ beyond. However.. it seemed they could do nothing else according to the rules.. and therefore despite the massive amounts of air units buzzing the island and the fact that supply tokens are immune to being damaged. He was able to at the end of the turn with no land units on the island save tokens.. repair his airbase and build a second.. this sealing the game.

[Krieghund]

Airfields can't be destroyed - only damaged.

The only way you could have stopped your opponent in this case was to have landed a combat unit on the island, thus taking control of it, as well as the airfield and supplies on it.

[GeneralDiCaro]

Keep in mind that this is not real war. It's a board game. While the airfield attack restrictions may seem odd, the game mechanics are such so the game functions in a sensible way. There have to be some "rules" so players can achieve tangible goals (victory points).

[Larry Harris]

Hi people, and special hello to you krieghund. Once again you’re jumping right in and taking it upon yourself to help people out with all kinds of Axis & Allies questions. I appreciate your doing this. It’s an important service you’re providing to the A&A community. Your knowledge and insights into these games often have me coming to you for answers! Thanks again.

Allow me to give a designer’s points of view about this, land units attacking airfields, discussion. In a nutshell, in my mind and I guess in Nate’s (the game developer), land units capture airfields… They don’t damage them. Damaging airfields is left to the unit types that could really do the job well, aircraft and the big guns of the warships.

[starcs]

Another question about A&A Guadalcanal if you dare.
During the deploy phase, you might move ship from your base card dirextly onto the game board by spending supply token.
Ok but, do you spend supply token for only ONE ship or is it for one zone.
I mean, if in this phsae, you bring in the J zone a battleship aned a cruiser, do you have to pay 2 supply token or only one?

(Sorry if it seems evident to everybody but I'm not very fluent whith english so, maybe I didn't understand well the rules ;-)

[Krieghund]

Thanks for clearing that up, Larry! And congratulations on another great game!

[Krieghund]

During the deploy phase, you might move ship from your base card dirextly onto the game board by spending supply token.
Ok but, do you spend supply token for only ONE ship or is it for one zone.
I mean, if in this phsae, you bring in the J zone a battleship aned a cruiser, do you have to pay 2 supply token or only one?
You must pay the number of supply tokens listed in the sea zone in which you are deploying the ships for each ship you wish to deploy. For example, if the US player wishes to deploy a battleship and a destroyer in sea zone I, he or she must pay four supply tokens.

[starcs]

Thanks a lot Krieghund, that's what I understood ;-)
Then, it's pretty hard to deploy a great fleet like that..

[GeneralDiCaro]

If using the optional tactics rule, there is a token that allows the Allied player to get one supply token free for each one he buys for that one reinforcement step. That would allow for a large fleet to be deployed in a pinch.