RE: [eia] 2nd Battle of the Forth, Coalition roll

[Michael Gorman <mpgorman@xxxxxxxx>]

At 01:59 PM 3/14/2006, you wrote:
> Here is the relevant rule:
>
> 6.2.6 ENEMY CONTROL OF A FLEET'S PORT: If a port in which a fleet is located
> becomes enemy-controlled, the fleet must be moved immediately (this will not
> happen during a Naval Phase, but during other phases and steps, including
> during a Declarations of War Step) into an adjacent sea area or the port's
> blockade box. Harbour defences are never used against fleets leaving a port.
>
> 6.2.6.1: If the port is blockaded by an enemy fleet at the time, the fleet in
> the port is scuttled instead and all its fleets and ships are lost.
> Alternately, if desired, the blockaded fleet(s) may choose to fight the
> blockading fleet(s), with the wind gauge automatically going to the 
> blockading
> fleet(s). The blockaded fleet(s) remains in the blockade box if it wins the
> combat. The blockaded fleet(s) must be scuttled if it loses the naval combat.
>
> I had thought the wording was that the blockaded fleet had to "attack" the
> blockaders if driven out of the port, but the rule uses the vaguer "fight" 
> the
> blockading fleets.  So I guess it is an interception combat (?) and the
> blockaders are the attackers (?)
>
> Does anyone disagree ?  This is a gray area, and I'm biased; I certainly 
> don't
> want to ram this down anyone's throat.
>
> If this is indeed the way we'll eventually interpret the result, then the
> Viking Armada must choose to retreat to a port or be retreated to an adjacent
> sea area.
>
> -JJY

I thought your interpretation was correct before since this is not really 
an interception battle.

The blockading fleet normally automatically wins and forces a scuttle, the 
battle option is a last ditch effort to save the fleet, but it's not 
written at all like the language in an interception.

It doesn't say the blockaded fleet may attempt to leave and the blockading 
fleet can choose to intercept.  That would clearly define the blockader as 
the attacker.  This has the blockaded fleet decide if there is a battle and 
the blockading fleet has to accept their decision.  I would expect that to 
mean that the blockaded fleet is the attacker since the decision of battle 
or no battle is theirs.

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