How to fire star shells

[Dan Caviness]

Hey Reddog, just wanted to make sure you knew I was joking around with my above post.

On a more serious note, I'd say your best bet for starshells is to use your lighter artillery (75mm and below) first to attempt and get a starshell where you want it. With the halved range often as not they won't be able to get where you want them. Failing that, you can use the close up infantry units, and pay the 20 point fee each time you attempt. Eventually you will get your starshell. Most units don't fight effectively at night in any case so the wasted AP's really don't matter all that much.
Since they are subject to drift however...I am usually very careful about choosing my target hex...and will push it one further over the enemy positions I'm trying to light up if I know that one hex shorter will light up my own units.
THAT is a real problem...lighting up your own boys in a night fight...and is embaressing not to mention lethal.

I personally believe night scenarios would be more enjoyable if the designers supplied more starshell ammo. Night scenarios tend to be games of "blind man's bluff" where whoever has the most stacks wins by volume of fire. You spend a lot of time trying to get effective shots, what with halving for night effects, minimal range, etc, so those starshells become your best way to hurt the enemy. The more the merrier I say, and this is a plea to those miserly designers out there to lay in large supplies of willie pete...
Phosphorus....good stuff...

I wonder if the game could model spotlights?
Fixed positions, and ships of course, made heavy use of spotlights during night combat.

Regards,

Dan