So one thing that has always bamboozled me is that fighters that strafe ships successfully don't have some kind of effect on its Anti-Air capabilities. It is a fact of WWII that fighters that strafed ships successfully resulted in AA mounts being destroyed and bombers having a clearer path of attack. But in W@S no such penalty exists other than damage done by a strafing attack, which can only really be successfully done against destroyers. One of the biggest examples I know is that when the Yamato was sunk, it was done by this method: 1. fighters strafe the battleship, knocking out the AA guns 2. dive bombers hit the ship to do more damage 3. torpedo bombers (most vulnerable) move in on the ship, now less effectively able to fire its AA, and make their attacks successfully. Why didn't RB include any rules about this?
This game is not a simulation, so many things aren't represented. The Bismarck was sunk because the rudder was hit, and was not fixable ...
We did add an SA that does what you say, and Team Poseidon gave it to the RAFCC Mosquito Mk. VI
FLAK SUPPRESSION - At the end of Air Mission phase, you may choose a local enemy Ship. If you do, that Ship rolls one fewer attack die when making Antiair attacks this turn and this unit can't make any attacks this turn.
Großadmiral Swizzle
Browncoat by fandom; Cossack by blood; American by birth; Virginian/Husband/Father by wife; Libertarian by choice; Human by race; Christian by grace.
Interesting. It was a common tactic at least in the USN as far as I know. I believe the Japanese also used this tactic at Pearl Harbor. I may make a "house rules" modification and see how it works.
Another issue is that strafing takes place after the aa phase so any aa penalty would have to apply on the next turn which is annoying to keep track of.
Giving a fighter a variation of Divide the Defense is probably the best way to go.
Make it so it still gets the -2 A and VA, can't as and can't escort but ship gets -1 to aa that turn
To you from failing hands we throw the torch be yours to hold it high. -In Flanders Fields. John McCrea
You can't target individual parts of a ship in War at Sea. You can't blow up a magazine, destroy the bridge, knock out a radar array, or break a barbette. That's why it's not in the rules: it's too much detail for the beer and pretzels game.
House ruling those along with strafing AA guns would be fun!
That is true. However if planes can be assigned a mission as specific as gunnery strafing, I feel as though there should be some kind of effect that has on AA.
Thats what flak suppression, divide/split the defence do. They act upon the aa of a target. You can devote 25 aircraft to strafing, but you might send 2 or 3 which is represented by the -1. In game terms players will rotate divide the defence bombers to suppress aa on multiple turns. As if it was doctrine
Edit - crippling salvo could potentially fall into this catagory as well