                              Command : ASSAULT

NAME
   assault - Attack coastal sector from ship

Level: Basic

SYNTAX
   [##:##]   Command  :  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 which 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.

You may also use assault to sneak spies on land.  To do this, you must assault
with  spies  only,  and  they will try and sneak on land. See "info Spies" for
more information.

SEE ALSO
   Spies, Attack, LandUnits, Ships, Combat

