[FT] Fighter group sizes

FT Fighters:

As I understand it, the standard 6-fighter group is simply a convention
for ship building and book keeping. There is no hard and fast rule
regarding the size of fighter groups. This opens fighter use to
potential abuse. You have a slight advantage sending in 6 groups of 5
instead of 5 groups of 6 - Even if the defender has 5 PDS, at least 5
fighters are guaranteed a clean, unscathed shot. If you made your groups
3 fighters instead of 6, you could tie up 2 PDS's or interceptor groups
instead of 1, leaving more fighters to get through to the target. Moreso
groups of 2 (the whole reason I have these questions was because I began
thinking of fighters in terms of lead and wingman) which effectively
eliminate the reroll, as a 6 just kills off the whole 'group' of 2.
Finally groups of 1 - whouch would navigate on the board as individual
units, are the ultimate in maximizing fighter power if you take the PDS
and dogfight rules verbatim.

Another distinct advantage of small groups is that you can spread them
around the projected course of your opponent (like with SML's) and allow
them to glom en masse on to preferred targets within 6".

Revising PDS to engage up to 6 fighters (in any group) per system would
eliminate one issue. Enabling intercepting fighter groups to split for
mano-a-mano duels would also help. But there are other complexities.
Splitting fighter groups enables 1 group to take on, say 3 corvettes at
once with reasonable chance for success - the reduction of overkill and
extension of fighter endurance increases the relative power of the
fighters.

Perhaps these questions are too niggling, but tell me if you'd rather
face a CV with 6 groups of 6 or 18 groups of 2 fighters?

Noam - Trying not to be a munchkin or lawyer, but exploring both the
letter and spirit of the rules.

Noam R. Izenberg		noam.izenberg@jhuapl.edu