                              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
units pay one update's worth of mobility, except for marine units,  which  pay
only half of that.  Unless assaulting from a ship with landing capability, mo-
bility is further decreased to one update's worth of mobility negated (so that
the  unit  will have zero mobility after the update), except for marine units,
whose mobility is decreased to zero instead.

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 "Attacking" 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, Attacking, LandUnits, Ships, Combat

