                              Command : ASSAULT

NAME
   assault - Attack coastal sector from ship

Level: Basic

SYNTAX
   [##:##]% assault <SECT> <SHIP> [<forts?> <ships?> <arty?> <planes?>]

The assault command allows your marines to hit the beaches.  It  is  also  the
only  way  to  get  ashore other than by unloading at a harbor, thus it is the
first step to gaining land on a new continent.

Any ship with military can assault a sector containing 0 mil, however  only  a
landing ship can assault a sector with military in it with its full complement
of troops.  The other ships will only be able to  land  a  fraction  of  their
troops  in any given assault (usually 1/10th).  This represents the use of the
Admiral's gig, the Captain's barge, etc.

Note that some ships will have the semi-lander flag, which allows them to land
25% of their troops.

If you have land units with the 'assault' ability aboard the ship  assaulting,
you will be asked if you wish them to join in the assault as well.  Assaulting
land units go to negative mobility when assaulting.  (by an  amount  equal  to
the  mobility  gain  per  update)  Marine  units go to 0 mobility instead.  If
assaulting from a ship with the landing ability, a normal unit pays  only  mob
equal  to  1  update's  worth of mobility. A marine unit pays 1/2 that amount.
(Example: in a game where land units gain 32 mobility per update, a non-marine
unit would pay 32 mobility to assault from a landing ship. A marine unit would
pay only 16 mobility)

NOTE  This mobility loss for units happens whether or not you own  the  sector
being  assaulted.  If  you wish to land troops without suffering this penalty,
make/capture a harbor!

If you have ship #28 bearing 10 military at 31,53 it can assault land  at  any
of the adjacent sectors, (32,52; 33,53; 32,54; 30,54; 29,53; or 30,52).

For example:
   [##:##] Command: assault 32,54 28

This command asks to assault sector 32,54 from ship #28.  If you assault  with
9  troops  and  assuming  the  sector has no military, and since there were 10
troops on the ship to begin with, 90% of the food will be taken along  by  the
assaulting  troops, (and each one that makes it will contribute his or her 10%
to the conquered sector). A minimum of 1 food will be left on the  ship.  Land
units  will  not take any food from the ship, and will only have the food they
are carrying.

You will be asked for any information which was not included  on  the  command
line,  (sector  to be assaulted, which ship is doing the assaulting, number of
brave troops to disembark, land units to use).

The offensive value of assaulting units is cut in half to represent the diffi-
culty  of  getting  to  shore, except for "marine" units whihc assault at full
strength.

Units may not retreat from an assault, and will take extra casualties  instead
if they fail a morale check.

Other than these factors, assault is the same  as  normal  land  combat,  with
forts/units/ships/planes  firing  on both sides to support, etc. Support argu-
ments are also as in attacking.

See info Attack for the exact procedure. The sector being assaulted will  have
exactly the same reaction to being conquered as if it were attacked by land.

You may assault your own sectors. In this case, the assaulting mil  are  added
to the mil in the sector, and assaulting land units simply come ashore.

SEE ALSO
   Attack, LandUnits, Ships, Combat

