Air Strike against target with escorts in close proximity

seems a bit on the gamey side that you can physically block an attack from the air with a ship on the surface “getting in the way”, especially a dive bomber, torpedo bomber could see a larger ship blocking a smaller one but not the other way round, idea that a few destroyers can make a carrier or other high value target immune to air attack just feels wrong – they should be able to make such an attack a lot more dangerous but to physically stop it?

especially when they cannot stop an actual surface vessel making an attack where they have a lot more chance to actually be in the way

can see dive bombers obliterating destroyers being a decent way to remove them given they will likely one hit kill them – though someone slowing destroyers down to screen larger ships is begging to get them sunk with gunfire.

I do like how streamlined the air rules are, but it feels a bit “40k” if you get my drift to be able to physically block an attack using something that “in reality” doesn’t get in the way, while denying the blocker the ability to attack the attacker when thats sort of its job..

Not seen the changes to DP guns.. only really have had one test airstrike that included a single DP equipped destroyer so it worked but not amazingly well.. will have a look at the changes.

this is part of the point made elsewhere about what counts as moving over the escort, given its meant to be just a single point

I *hate* gamey stuff like this, really spoils the immersion when you stop thinking like a ships captain and start thinking like a Speeece Murine

DP armed escorts though do have longer range so an “outer perimeter” works, well sort of.. have found the FAQ and its slightly disappointing to see rules encouraging the “carpark” formation approach instead of taking great delight in punishing it. Guess this is where you need to pick your ships carefully and pay attention to movement to try to make it harder to swoop in.

have noted this as one of the many reasons I ditched “Cruel Seas”, the ability of a strike unit to start far enough out you can’t hit it, then in a single turn close & strike before you get a chance to fire is quite frankly ridiculous.

flak screen is something that should be operating constantly, when even a dedicated flak cruiser (say AD: 3 DP) is probably only lobbing a single dice (half, rounded down) when its doing its job perhaps something is a tad wrong somewhere. Makes the few ships that do have ranged AA other than DP more useful, but only as outer screens.

seems there is enough “gamey” bits around aircraft that for now likely not bothering with them, so far finding ~700 points to ~1,000 points nice and its hard to stick a decent sized carrier in that, build a scouting fleet around it and still have something able to do a bit of damage.

in effect if I wanted to play “Warhammer: ww2 Navy” I would, the rest of the rules are better than that. I’d go for “house rules” but not much chance locally of that, so easier to avoid it as an issue.. so far the only other aircraft people have are the small amounts from the starter fleets but to date not seen them on the table..

Given I have enough 1:600 scale fleet air arm models to equip the actual fleet air arm probably not a huge issue.. bring on the stats for Lancasters, Wellingtons & Mosquitoes and will be easy to avoid air strikes totally.