Aerospace and Initiative (versus ground units on low altitude map)

[brycesahagun]

Getting ready to play a ground scenario that incorporates aerospace fighters engaging ground units via the low altitude map for the first time.

Unless I’m reading the rules incorrectly or they have been updated via some errata that I missed, in which case please enlighten me, I would like to get some thoughts from those who have experience on the above scenario.

Rules as written, the attack declaration phase is absolutely miserable for any player trying to engage a an ASF with ground units, because the ASF doesn’t declare its flight path until it declares its attack . . . Which would obviously would be withheld to the very
last initiative round. Thus, early in the phase, attack declarations against an ASF could be totally wasted because that unit has no idea what the range will be, because the flight path could be anywhere on the map.

 How do you all deal with this? Just chock it up to ASFs having that much of an initiative advantage against ground units because of thier speed?

I’m considering house ruling the system to have an ASF declare its flight path right after it declares that it’s going to use air to ground attacks in the movement phase, making it just like the ‘ASFs on ground mapsheets’ is rule set, so I think it’s reasonable.

Thoughts would be much appreciated, thanks!

[Weirdo]

My group forces fighters to declare attacks during the movement phase, since the attack affects the final location(or at least altitude) for return fire.

[brycesahagun]

I didn’t consider the altitude drop from attacks either.

Though I sort of like the idea that the ASF attack choice itself being masked by initiative.

But we’ll test it for a few games, I might adopt the same thing in the end!

Thanks!

[Weirdo]

Per a recent errata, it's actually required for fighters to declare any air-to-ground attacks during movement, in the same way as a charge or DFA:

https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=59886.msg1391304#msg1391304

[brycesahagun]

AH. Now there’s the juicy errata I was hoping for. Much appreciated.

[Col Toda]

Hope the opposition force does not use extensive on board Arrow IV tactics with Air Defense Arrow IV Ammo in use . Then there is the potential of taking damage before you get over the combat map . As well as accurate fire During the Air Strikes on the tactical map  . By 3095 it was in my Order of Battle very infrequently before that . The Classic Rifleman with LBX cannons suck too .