Planetary Assault Troops Question

[Pavlov Grenadier]

Ok, we are about to play a Battle Level Planetary Assault and had a quick question:

Does the defender got to roll all his dice for remaining troops every turn the attacker has troops on the planet?

My Example:
For a Battle level game, it says the defender gets 50 troops on the planet. Lets assume the attacker runs off/defeats the defending fleet. Now the attacker destroys the emplacements and lets say destroys 15 of the troops on the planet in the process (leaving 35 defending troops on the planet).

Now the attacker is ready to start landing troops. He lands 10 troops during turn “x”. How do you resolve the troop attacks? Attacker rolls dice for his 10 troops and then the defender rolls 35 dice for his defending troops? Yikes!

I understand that other things can kill troops (atmospheric ships and fighters, etc) but wanted to make sure I had the troop attacks right.

Thanks!

Curtis

 

[tneva82]

I understand that other things can kill troops (atmospheric ships and fighters, etc) but wanted to make sure I had the troop attacks right.

I think you got it right. Which is why atmospheric ships/fighters or anything with lots of shuttles are needed. You can't afford to land in piece meal.

That's why I lost my first planet assault. Couldn't land troops fast enough and by then had no atmospheric ships. The planet was virtually impervious since even if I had had unlimited time I would have ran out of troops!

 

[greenboy]

It is very difficult to win an assault for that very reason

 

[Locutus9956]

You are afterall trying to invade an entire PLANET. This is easier said than done! Realistically to take even a small planet you will need to bombard it a bit, strafe it with fighters and atmospheric ships for at least a turn or two before you actually invade.

Similarily if defending a planet its a 'very good idea' to bring some atmospheric fighters of your own along so you can chase enemy ones that go down to strafe troops....

 

[tneva82]

It is very difficult to win an assault for that very reason

Though vorchans and sentri's are excelent here. Let's see...Each sentri in average takes out about ~6 troop per turn. Each sentri about 1...So flood the planet with tons of sentri's(with fleet carrier to help dogfights) and vorchans and clear the planet of troops.

For other races just look at anything with word atmospheric in them. For EA thunderbolts are your best friends here. Once the atmosphere has been flooded with fleet carrer supported thunderbolts he's going to require tons of of his own fighters!

With minbari nials and torotha's are invaluable. ISA can pretty much head to planet with whole fleet and clear the planet. Enemy fleet might be left but you have cleared the planet! Narns have frazi's(atmospheric, 4AD!) and T'Loth is nice troop carrier.

 

[Locutus9956]

and Dilgar have Throusns and Mass drivers....

Gaim have... well gaim have more troops than god....

Drazi are brimming with troops most on atmospheric ships to boot....

Vorlons and Shadows dont DO planetery assault. They just remove the pesky thing from existence.....

Most races have some good way of dealing with planets

 

[tneva82]

Most races have some good way of dealing with planets

Yeah. But have to say I'm fan of centauri method. Flood the atmosphere with sentris and vorchans :twisted:

Thank the Maker DD/TD don't kill 2/3 troops or centauris would be utter cheese in planet assaults ;-)

 

[Locutus9956]

Most races have some good way of dealing with planets

Yeah. But have to say I'm fan of centauri method. Flood the atmosphere with sentris and vorchans :twisted:

Thank the Maker DD/TD don't kill 2/3 troops or centauris would be utter cheese in planet assaults ;-)

Sentris? Nah.... RUTARIANS :twisted:

 

[Shadow Queen]

Most races have some good way of dealing with planets

Yeah. But have to say I'm fan of centauri method. Flood the atmosphere with sentris and vorchans :twisted:

Thank the Maker DD/TD don't kill 2/3 troops or centauris would be utter cheese in planet assaults ;-)

Sentris? Nah.... RUTARIANS :twisted:

Dont forget The Centari have Mass Drivers as well

 

[tneva82]

Sentris? Nah.... RUTARIANS :twisted:

There's only half as much of them though. Since enemy is going to flood the atmosphere of his OWN fighters you are going to need lots of your fighters to stop them from being swamped by sheer numbers ;-)

 

[tneva82]

Dont forget The Centari have Mass Drivers as well

But do the mass drivers get to clear emplacements before atmospheric craft clears the troops?-)

Narns were unable to stop the centauri assault force so planet was de-trooped before even half the emplacements were taken out. Mass drivers? Don't need 'em!

 

[Pavlov Grenadier]

Thanks for all the replies! I do have another question.

1) Does the attacker have to destroy all the emplacements before he can use atmospheric ships/fighters to shoot troops?

If not, then the only reason to shoot emplacements is if you plan on landing troops soon and dont want the defender to get the +1 to his troop attack for having more emplacements than troops?

Thanks!

Curtis

 

[tneva82]

1) Does the attacker have to destroy all the emplacements before he can use atmospheric ships/fighters to shoot troops?

Haven't seen anything saying so in the rules.

If not, then the only reason to shoot emplacements is if you plan on landing troops soon and dont want the defender to get the +1 to his troop attack for having more emplacements than troops?

That + possibility to blow out more troops along the way. I therefore prefer to blast the crap out of emplacements with non-atmospheric ships. Get rid of troops and if I take out all the emplacements I can land in troops(in case enemy manages to get rid of atmospheric ships. You can bet he'll be pouring tons of fire to those as they sweep the troops!).

 

[No. 1 Bear]

It is very difficult to win an assault for that very reason

Just sit back and raze it to the ground.

 

[Greg Smith]

Mass Drivers can't kill troops. Only Orbital Bombs can kill troops from orbit.

 

[tneva82]

Mass Drivers can't kill troops. Only Orbital Bombs can kill troops from orbit.

They can destroy emplacements though which in return can kill troops. Albeit not lot but still everything counts in race against time to clear the planet out of enemy troops ;-)

 

[Na-Po]

And if I remember well in order to claim victory you have to get rid of both troops and emplacements.
So you still need to destroy them even if you sent virus bombs and killed all troops.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Can you use ion cannons to fire on planetary targets? I remember in 1st ed Centauri twin arrays weren't able to fire on the surface...

 

[Methos5000]

Can you use ion cannons to fire on planetary targets? I remember in 1st ed Centauri twin arrays weren't able to fire on the surface...

According to the rulebook page 40:
In addition, weapons with the following traits may not be used to attack planetary targets; Energy Mine, Gravitic Shifter,
Mini-Beam, Weak.

So it appears the list of weapons that can attack planetary targets has increased by quite a bit. I remember in 1st Ed when 99% of my Brakiri weaponry was useless against a planet.

 

[Lord David the Denied]

Cheers buddy. 8)