Anti-aircraft fire is available to anti-aircraft units and anti-aircraft machine gun units. Fire at aircraft is always opportunity fire.

Anti-Aircraft Fire Units

• Measure the range from the firing unit to the attacking aircraft’s target ignoring all cover modifiers, but adjusting the TN for range.
• Roll the unit’s Firepower Dice against the plane’s Reaction Dice (TN 4+) and apply any Suppression and Disruption results.

Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Fire

Vehicles armed with anti-aircraft machine guns may use opportunity fire against an aircraft within short range. Measure the range from the firing unit to the aircraft’s target.

• Anti-aircraft machine guns attack with 2D Firepower and cause Firepower suppressions.

Tom Penn sent some shots of his latest battle: Commonwealth vs Germans.

German Positions revealed post initial Bombardment

British tanks under artillery fire

Carrier Platoon forced to retire only to be hit by German artillery.

British Air Support: Fairey Battle attacks the German guns and suppresses them.

End of battle: all British units suppressed!

Ground attack aircraft statistics are provided here. Use the aircraft from the appropriate year.

Ground Attack Aircraft 1939-42

• Fire Dice: 3D
• Reaction: 2D
• Cohesion: 2

Ground Attack Aircraft 1943

• Fire Dice: 4D
• Reaction: 3D
• Cohesion: 3

Ground Attack Aircraft 1944-45

• Fire Dice: 5D
• Reaction: 3D
• Cohesion: 3

Fire Dice: Used for attacking Firepower and Anti-tank targets.

Reaction: Rolled when an aircraft is hit by anti-aircraft fire.

Cohesion: The number of hits needed to Disperse the aircraft.

A Special Air Mission lets a player choose any Friendly Command Pulse to use the air mission including assigning a recon aircraft to arrive at the start of the Friendly Logistics Phase.

A Special Air Mission Dice can also be used as a Wild Dice to increase another aircraft’s Attack or Reaction Dice by +1D.

Air Mission Example

Gary has three air missions available this turn:

• If he uses his Dice Chain of 3s, he can activate the 3 Air Mission Dice along with his ground forces.
• His Dice Chain of 4 only contains his Air Mission Dice. If he uses this Dice Chain, he carries out his air mission and his Command Pulse ends.
• His 6 Special Air Mission Dice can be used during any Friendly Command Pulse. He could use it to assign a recon aircraft to arrive at the start of his Logistics Phase, or he could add it to the Dice Chain of 3s, add it to the Dice Chain of 4, or use it with another Command Dice Chain. Alternatively, Gary could use it to increase another aircraft’s Attack or Reaction Dice.

When activated an aircraft is assigned to either:

• Aerial Reconnaissance (Requires a Staff Order or Special Air Mission)
• Ground Attack (automatic unless assigned to Reconnaisance)

Ground Attack Mission

An aircraft can attack any visible enemy unit. Place the aircraft next to the target unit. Enemy Anti-Aircraft units can use opportunity fire against the attacking aircraft (see Anti-Aircraft Fire).

After resolving any Anti-Aircraft Fire, and if not driven from the table or Dispersed, the aircraft attacks.

Target Type

• Firepower Targets4+
• Anti-tank Targets4+

The attack is not modified by angle of attack and is made against a unit’s lowest Reaction Die value.

A US aircraft attacks a Panther Ausf G. The Panther has RD 8D/6D. If the Panther is hit it rolls its 6D Reaction Dice. Light Cover: Units attacked by aircraft do not gain light cover dice.

Combat Results

Apply combat results as normal.

• Any unit Forced Back by an air attack moves towards its Friendly Table Edge.
• The aircraft is removed from the table after making its attack.

Attacks Against Blinds

An attack against a Blind is handled the same way as artillery interdiction fire (see Interdiction Fire in the Combat HQ rulebook).

• The aircraft attacks with a 5+ TN.
• The Blind rolls 4D Reaction with a 5+ TN.
• Any hits cause suppressions.

Hidden Units

An aircraft with a ground attack mission cannot attack or attempt to spot hidden units as it is flying too fast to search for hidden enemies.

Friendly Fire

Friendly fire occurs when an aircraft rolls more 1s than 6s with its Attack Dice.

• The aircraft has misidentified its target and attacks a friendly unit.
• Your opponent takes your aircraft’s Attack Dice and uses them to attack the closest friendly unit within 9” of the original target.
• If there is no target within 9”, no attack takes place – your aircraft has identified its target as friendly and doesn’t fire.