Germans at long and extreme ranges

[Greg Smith]

We are still playing games of 1st edition while the second is still somewhere over the horizon, and we had a few questions arise from our last game.

German Radar: It can only detect ships in its front arc, but once a ship is detected, can it use radar at long & extreme range even if the target is not in front of it?

German optics: can a ship take advantage of both radar and advanced optics - giving a +1 at long range and negating extreme range penalties all together?

A general question - why not use Flank Speed! all the time? It gives a +1 movement at no penalty.

[rcbecker1]

We are still playing games of 1st edition while the second is still somewhere over the horizon, and we had a few questions arise from our last game.

German Radar: It can only detect ships in its front arc, but once a ship is detected, can it use radar at long & extreme range even if the target is not in front of it? I would say so, once its detected and you dont drop it but only for the ship that detected it.

German optics: can a ship take advantage of both radar and advanced optics - giving a +1 at long range and negating extreme range penalties all together? Bonuses like that cant be combined to gain bonus's from negatives. It should read does not suffer the -1 at long and only suffers a -1 at extreme range. This would explain it better.

A general question - why not use Flank Speed! all the time? It gives a +1 movement at no penalty.

Flank Speed!
Command Check: Automatic
Effect: Straining the engines, the captain orders his crew to make best speed. The ship adds +50% to its Speed for this turn. All Attack Dice of weapons fired from this ship suffer a –1 penalty.

[Greg Smith]

A general question - why not use Flank Speed! all the time? It gives a +1 movement at no penalty.

Flank Speed!
Command Check: Automatic
Effect: Straining the engines, the captain orders his crew to make best speed. The ship adds +50% to its Speed for this turn. All Attack Dice of weapons fired from this ship suffer a –1 penalty.

This changed in OOB.

[rcbecker1]

sorry didnt think to check second book. I have been looking at US fleet list for so long Im kind of getting brain dead burn out.
I say your right but it Assumes you might also use other rules. This is different in the new rules as it is removed as a specail action.

[Greg Smith]

Other special actions are rarely used...

We decided to keep the hit penalty in our last game.

[rcbecker1]

I find them all very important when used as needed. Now if the times for them to be needed do not come into play then they are not needed.
You will find in version two most of them are needed in certain situtations but when that time comes up youll be glad you have the option. Most Specail abilities are not designed to be used every turn. If you have no subs or carriers then those will not be used abilities. It makes a difference what is in your fleet as to whats available and whats needed.