FIRE IN THE SKY
EXTENDED EXAMPLE OF COMBAT

The following is an edited transcript of an electronic exchange between myself, Brien Martin, and Fire in the Sky developer, Adam Starkweather, which was held on ConsimWorld.

In this exchange, Adam and I walk through a sample naval invasion to explore how the rules work together for combat in the game. Comments made by others on game play that did not affect the outcome have been deleted. I would like to thank all those on ConsimWorld who followed along, discussed strategy and rules, and participated in the discussion.

My thanks also to Adam Starkweather for agreeing to walk me through the combat system, and for allowing his remarks to be reproduced herein.

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ADAM: We can fight it out here - in public and I will help out on the sequencing and rules.

BRIEN: It's a deal, Adam. Let me work up something after work today and post my TF choices.

ADAM: No prob...OK Brien, you are up - say you have 6 oil points and 4 trans pts to use to move any in play units from Truk to the Canal. I have a "2" land unit and 1 step of air at the canal...and also have CV, CA, 2 DDs at Noumea and the CL at Brisbane to react with...you also have 4 steps of long range air at Rabaul to use. We each have 2 Sub Pts to play with too.

BRIEN: I think, after careful deliberation that we should use: Carrier Task Force with two CVs and a DD escort and a Bombardment Task Force of a CA, 2 DDs and a 4 Land Unit for an invasion force. Admittedly, I think this one would be useful to draw out any CV that the USN has ... but, maybe we can game it that way for the example.

ADAM: I will react with one Bombardment TF of a CL (from Brisbane), one CV TF of 1 CV and 1 DD (from Noumea) and one Bombardment TF of a CA and a DD. All move to Guadalcanal (of course)

Air commitment is next. Only one thing that applies here - the 4 Air Steps in Rabaul are faced toward Guadalcanal.

Next up is to set up the battleboard. Wanna give it a shot?

Oops, I forgot about subs. The US would probably pass here and save his to go after convoys. I could go after your land unit (and if my sub got through, I would get a reduction of your pool anyway but you have ASW which reduces my shot). The Japanese would almost certainly go after the CV. Only one DD as a screen and it is about as good as it gets. The Allies would roll ASW (and need a 4-6 to stop the point - 5 or 6 with a plus one mod for air in the hex ). And if the IJN sub gets through, it needs a 5 or a 6 to hit the CV. Let's assume for the example that it misses. If you didn't follow any of that, let me know.

BRIEN: So, when you have a land unit in your TF, is the abstraction that the land unit is aboard its own convoy of ships? In other words, it's not on the other units in the TF. If that's the case, that clears up some stuff for me.

As to the battleboard ... let me give this a whirl ...

I believe I have 9 air points, and you would have 4 (2 of which are long-range from Rabaul). The Air Pts markers for each side would be placed on the track.

If I can knock out your 4 Air Points, I get Air Supremacy. If you have any air left (assuming I have more than you in the end), I get Air Superiority. If we're tied, we roll for Air Superiority.

My Carrier Task Force goes in its boxes, as does yours. My Bombardment Task Force goes in its boxes, as does yours. I believe you have one land unit in Guad ... it would go in the Land/Air at Base box. None of your ships are at anchor, if I read that right.

ADAM: That is correct. The land unit moves alone (it is in the TF - but not carried on the other ships or anything). The transports are not shown (but are deducted from the pool).

You have the air points wrong though...you have 7 air on your CVs (the circled number) and have 2 (half of the 4 from Rabaul - these are Japanese)...for a total of 9. I have 4 from the CV and 1 in the guadalcanal hex for a total of 5. The Japanese air point marker is placed on the 9 and the US air point marker on the 5 (in the top part of the battleboard).

The only think it looks like you missed on the other stuff are the 4 Japanese Air Steps from Rabaul - they go in your Long Range Air Section and the 1 Allied Air Step that goes in the Land/Air unit at base box on my part of the display.

No ships are at anchor.

Let me know if there is something you are not following...

BRIEN: So far, so good.

The next step would be for air-to-air combat ... my nine points versus your five.

Then, any surviving air points would then be able to target units in TFs or bases. If I attack a TF, then you get an AA attack, combining the factors from all ships in the TF.

Here's the part I'm not sure of ...

I can attack a unit at sea with the air, because I'm actually attacking the ships carrying the troops. However, there's no strafing of land units on land, except as part of an amphib landing. Do I have this right?

After the air combat ... then the ships duke it out for sea control.

So far ... how'm I doin'?

ADAM: “I can attack a unit at sea with the air, because I'm actually attacking the ships carrying the troops. However, there's no strafing of land units on land, except as part of an amphib landing. Do I have this right? “

No sure on the last part. But you can't attack land units on land with air alone. You can only ground support (and the max ground support hits cannot be greater than the number of land strength in your force).

You want to keep going? Roll the dice for both of us for air to air...you get 9, I get 5. How many 5s or 6s did you roll for each side?

BRIEN: 4 rolls of 5 or 6 for the IJAF, 2 rolls of 5 or 6 for the USAF ...

So, my Air Points are down to 7 ... and you have but 1 Air Point left. I have Air Superiority, just missing Air Supremacy.

You get to name the target of your single Air Point ... rock on, Adam ...

ADAM: OK - so after air to air, there are 7 Japanese Air Points left and 1 Allied point. The Japanese have air superiority. Because of this, the Allies chose targets first. The 1 allied Air Point will go after the Japanese CV TF. You now chose. You chose only a target - a specific TF or the base. That's all you say for now.

BRIEN: OK, as I understand it, I will simply be stating how many points will be attacking each target type.

So, we'll go with 2 Air Points against one of the Bombardment TF, and 2 Air Points against the other Bombardment TF, 2 Air Points against the Carrier TF, and 1 Air Point against the base.

Did I do that correctly?

ADAM: You did fine...just a note here that I could have gone after your land unit. I can't stop the landing with one air point (need two hits to flip you) but I can get a hit and reduce your pool by one.

OK...next up is flak...you can roll for all these. Each TF attacked adds up all of its AA and rolls that many dice. Any Air Points that get through, may roll against any ship in the TF.

You pick the targets for your attacks. My air point will hit the bigger CV (I forget which one is there) if it survives your flak.

For your point attacking the base, the base flaks at half it air capacity (so I get one roll here - half of 2). If your air point gets through, you can then attack the air step or declare the point is on ground support (but you don't roll this yet).

BRIEN: OK, the USAF is going after the carriers ... Kaga/Akagi and Hiryu/Soryu ... they have 2 AA factors total ... and score 1 hit (6, 2), eliminating the USAF.

The IJAF is taking two points vs CL ... 2 AA factors ... (3,2), both miss ... and two points vs CA/DD ... 3 AA factors ... (2,2,3), all misses ... and two points vs CV/DD ... 3 AA factors ... (5,2,4) ... one hit ... and one point against the base ... 1 AA factor ... (4), a miss. IJAF ends the phase with 6 Air Points still intact.

How'd I do?

ADAM: You did good.

OK, so now you go after your targets. An individual ship in the TF that was attacked or, if striking the base, attack the air step or hold points for Ground Support (this is performed later).

Go ahead and do your worst.

BRIEN: With the USAF gone from the skies above Guadalcanal, the Japanese start their bombing runs ...

2 points attack the CL ... 5,5 ... two hits

1 point attacks the CA ... 2 ... miss

1 point attacks the DD ... 1 ... miss

1 point attacks the CV ... 6 ... hit

1 point attacks the DD ... 3 ... miss

1 point attacking the base will hold as Ground Support

Adam ... why don't you walk us through what happens next with damage rolls, removal, etc. before we move on to Surface Combat?

ADAM: Brien, if I am reading right, we have two damage checks...two damage rolls on the CL and one on the CV. Note that really they are already damaged and this is more a "sunk" check. The CL is out for 4 turns and the CV for 2 at the very least.

So it is two rolls of 2 dice for the CL (add 1 to each roll because it is an air strike) and one roll of 2 dice for the CV (also adding 1 to the roll for the air strike). Compare the rolled result with the damage value of the target. Equal to or more, it is sunk...less it is damaged (and goes away for the already stated number of turns).

I use the air points track as a reminder that there are still air points active. In this case, after you finish rolling, there is one Japanese air point remaining (the ground support guy).

Roll dem bones.

BRIEN: OK, I've got the rolls done ... I just don't happen to have the units handy to see the damage done.

The two rolls on the CL are (after the +1 is added) ... 9, 7

The roll on the CV is ... 9

I doubt that the carrier is sunk, but maybe the cruiser?

ADAM: CL has a defense of 8 - 9 glug, glugs it.

CV has a defense of 10 - missed that vital fuel line on this one but it is now on the game turn track 2 turns later.

Air is now done and we move to Sea Control. You have Air Superiority so I must declare first. I can pick any ship in any Bombardment TF to enter the sea control box. TF organization is now irrelevant. I pick the CA and the DD to enter the Sea Control box and to fight it out for control of the seas around the Canal.

You now pick who goes in the Sea Control box to fight against my ships. You may pick from all the ships in any Bombardment TF. Any you pick will not be able to ground support later in the battle.

BRIEN: OK, I'll send 1 DD against the CA, and 1 DD against the other DD. I'll save my CA for the off-shore naval bombardment against the units on dry land.

As I am nowhere near my game components or dice, if you could play this out, Adam, that would be great. I will tell you in advance that I will not withdraw from combat ... we *want* to be on that wall ... we *need* to be on that wall

ADAM: Will do, Brien. One thing to be aware of - you jumped the gun a bit here. You decide what goes in the Sea Control box and then we decide if we want to run or not. Player without air superiority decides first.

If neither side runs, the ships get matched up for the dance.

You also probably don't want to be outnumbered here. Are you sure you don't want that CA in the Sea Control box?

If you don't put him in, I suspect you will lose this battle, not be able to land and that battle will end.

BRIEN: OK, let's get the CA out there where he belongs… the CA will go up against the other CA, along with the DD.

So, we get to see what's being brought to the table before we decide if we want to stay and fight. Got it!!

ADAM: Ok - so it is a IJN CA and DD agin a USN CA and the two DDs square off against each other.

This goes in rounds of combat. It is done when only one side (or neither side) has units in the Sea Control box.

Firing is simultaneous...to fire, you cross index the firing strength against the defense strength of the target and see what you need to roll to hit. One die is rolled. You are first. CA fires at CA - firing strength of 1 against a defense strength of 9 means you hit on a 5 or 6. Your DD is also firing at my CA - 0 against 9 means a 6 is needed to hit.

Rolls are: CA - 6, DD - 2. CA hits my CA.

I fire and need a 5 or 6. Roll is 6. My CA hits your CA.

Damage rolls: IJN CA - 7 (+1 for my FP of 1 on the USN CA); a total of 8. Not sunk. Removed and placed on the game turn record for turn 4.

Your roll is also a 7. Same thing happens to my CA.

Your DD stays in the sea control box.

DDs fire - your roll is 4, my roll is 5. My DD hits yours. Damage roll is 6 (no mods - DD fire power is 0). Your DD is placed on the gameturn chart for turn 4.

Next round and things look brighter for the US. Now an even up fight. Your DD against mine. First to roll a 5 or 6 wins now.

It goes 2 more rounds and the IJN gets the roll. Damage check roll on the USN DD is 2. My DD goes on the game turn chart.

As you have units left in the sea control box and I do not, you have sea control.

Next you land your division (the land unit is moved from the Bombardment TF box to the Land/Air at Base box) and we proceed to the next stage.

You follow so far?

BRIEN: So far, so good ... the DD is off-shore to keep things under control, and the land unit is ashore to take on the enemy.

ADAM: Next up (and I am playing by memory - may miss something) - ground support.

Your air flies and fires - needs a 5 or 6 and gets a 2. Miss.

Now ground combat. Your 4 shots need a 5 or 6. My 2 shots need a 6 to hit (you have sea control making me OOS). IJA Rolls are 6,5,5,1. Mine are 3,4.

You got three hits and I got none. Here is where my air comes into play (and why Tom was right - you should have bombed it). The defending air give me one automatic hit. So you compare the totals and it is 3 to 1 (one step loss for the US). To see if you get two steps of mine, you add to the previous total, my strength. That is 3 to 3. Not more, so just one step loss. If you had killed the air step, the Canal would have been yours.

End of battle. Both of our CV TFs return to base during the upcoming phase. Your remaining DD also RTBs. I have a (1) unit and one air step remaining in the hex. You have a 4 division. I still own the base as the last to solely occupy the hex.