Editing World in Flames (section)

== Air combat ==

Air combats are fought between fighter units from each side or between [[Fighter's History|fighter]] units and other units, like [[Strategic bomber|strategic]], [[Carrier-based aircraft|naval]] or [[tactical bombers]]. The non-fighter unit types are generally easily destroyed in air-to-air combat, and air-combats are usually fought to hinder the opposing player's non-fighter aircraft in performing a bombing, resupply or paradrop mission. Each side divides its aircraft units into fighters and either bombers or air transports, in two sequences of units numbered from first to last. The first unit is called the "front fighter" or "front bomber".

Each air unit has an air-to-air combat factor. The air-to-air combat strength of each side is the strength of its front fighter, which can be increased by having other fighters behind it. A side with no fighters uses the unmodified air-to-air combat strength of its front bomber; also, all remaining non-fighters belonging to the other side are "cleared through" to their targets, that is, are able to reach their targets unhindered.

A round of air-to-air combat consists of both sides determining odds by subtracting the opposing side's modified air-to-air combat factor from their own value and summing the rolls of two ten-sided dice. The appropriate odds-column in the air-combat results table is consulted and results implemented. Results include the "clearing through" of enemy aircraft, aborting enemy front fighters or bombers (which are then forced to land on eligible hexes and turn face down), and destroying enemy front fighters or bombers. At the beginning of each round of air-to-air combat, each side can opt to abort its remaining aircraft and return them to an eligible hex.