Distance hexes

[Mark Stevens]

Never really been clear on how these work: JAMiAM suggested using them in my Europe Aflame scenario to prevent bombers in North Africa affecting combat in the Horn, as in reality it was too far away, although on my truncated map they are within range. I tried sticking a line of distance hexes across the Libyan desert, but that didn't work.

As a test, I placed a ring of +100 distance hexes around the Commonwealth airfield next to cairo, where there's a British bomber with a range of 57. When I open the game, the bomber can still hit the Italians in the Horn, even though it must be bombarding over the +100 distance hex.

Have I misunderstood the way these hexes affect the game?

Comments welcome.

[JAMiAM]

Mark,

The distance hexes only affect the hexes occupied by attacking units, and defending units. They add the range listed to the hexes.

They do NOT add range to hexes that are overflown, en route to the target hex.

What I had recommended on the Egypt-Sudan rail line to the Horn of Africa, were some distance hexes on the actual rail line. This will cause any air units that attack those hexes to add the distance to their flight distance. Conversely, if it is easier to think of it this way, it subtracts from the effective operational radius of units entering into combat in, or from, these hexes.

The distance hexes affect all ranged combat into, or from, the hexes, so the side benefit for the EA scenario, would be that you don't have the anomaly of battleships in the naval units, being able to bombard into the middle of the Sudan, from the sea lanes that traverse the southern map edge, if you put distance hexes on the rail line, and move it in one hex, separated by a line of unplayable hexes.

Hope this helps.

[Mark Stevens]

Aha! So no easy way (apart from extending the size of the map) to prevent bombers in the Desert from supporting the Horn, and vice versa?