Exiting a dogfight (was Re: Using FTFB interceptors)

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Channing Faunce <channing@glasscity.net> Wrote on
Fri, 02 Jul 1999 16:06:14 -0400
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> [quoted text omitted]
attacking Group follow (assuming it hasn't moved yet this
> turn) ? Can it initiate another dogfight ? With the

Page 17 of Full Thrust 2 ed. last column states that if a group breaks away
from a dogfight the other may take a parting shot, then move as normal, but
*may not* attack a second time that turn. One attack by a fighter group per
turn.

Chan Faunce
<<<

One way to resolve this situation is to apply the initiative movement rules to
the dogfighting units as a separate unit. In FTFB, the initiative loser has to
move first, while the initiative winner is allowed to move last. This makes it
easy to figure out how to exit a dogfight as follows:

Case 1: Initiative loser ("Group A") attempts to exit the dogfight. Since
Group A must move first, the Initiative winner ("Group B") has the following
three choices:

a) Group B can take their parting shot and allow Group A to exit the dogfight,
then move elsewhere. b) Group B can decline their parting shot and move to
reengage Group A in another dogfight. If Group A is faster than Group B, they
get away clean. If Group B "catches" them again, another dogfight is created.
c) Group B can decline their parting shot and move elsewhere to attack another
target. Group A gets away clean.

Case 2: Group B (initiative winner) attempts to exit the dogfight. In this
case Group A is considered to have "passed" on their
movement - since they were supposed to move first - and would
be wise to take their parting shot. Group B exits the dogfight and Group A is
not allowed any movement.

This is just a slight variation to the written rules, but it does clear up how
to leave a dogfight. The only other sequencing issues are taken care of by
requiring all groups of dogfighting
units to resolve their movement before any non-dogfighting fighter
groups are moved. This allows other unengaged units to possibly intercept a
group that exits a dogfight.

Mark "Hauptmann" Shurtleff