Simple Attack Craft interaction mechanic

[Phthisis]

What are your thoughts on this AC mechanic?

When squadrons or waves come into contact, their movement is arrested for the remainder of the ordnance phase.
Squadrons resolve combat by rolling 1d6 and comparing scores.  Fighters are rolled for first, bombers second and assault boats third.  Each player rolls 1d6 for their first squadron.  The squadron with the lowest number is defeated and is removed from play.  If the numbers are equal, both squadrons are removed from play.  If one squadron has a higher score than the other, it remains on the board but may not move during the same ordnance phase.  Surviving fighters must make another attack if they survive the first combat but will be automatically removed whether they win the second combat or not.  Continue rolling for all squadrons in a wave until every attacking squadron has made an attack or there are no remaining defenders. 
Squadrons have the following modifiers: 
Fighters +1 to roll
Assault Boats -1 to roll
All eldar AC has an additional +1 to roll

It seems to me that this makes long-range AC more viable by adding uncertainty to whether a fighter squadron will be able to take out some incoming bombers or assault boats.  Also, it makes fighter escorts useful enough to take.  Also, I think it will make the ordnance phase more strategic and give bombers a reason to take them over ABs.

Thoughts?  Reasons why this will suck?

[AndrewChristlieb]

:/ that's a lot of rolling, one at a time. The nice thing about bfg ordnance interactions is that there is no rolling its automatic (except for resilient craft).

[Phthisis]

It's probably about the same number of dice rolled as a bombing run, so I don't think it's the number of dice but the time it takes to do individual roll-offs.   Overall it may add a few minutes to the game, but it's a trade off.
How does AC get used where you play?  Here, AC is generally reserved for close range shotgun tactics, otherwise fighters take your AC down.  Also, we heavily favor assault boats as they have proven themselves more useful to us time and time again.  For us, this proposed mechanic would have us using assault boats the same way but we'd have a reasonable shot at using bombers at long range.  This way we could have kind of a Midway type battle going on. 

Aside for this mechanic adding a little bit of extra time, any opinions on what it does to the game?

[AndrewChristlieb]

Ya thats pretty much how everyone I know plays attack craft unless theres a significant difference in the amount of craft one fleet can launch over the other.

[horizon]

To see the game effect you'd need to playtest is quite a while. The idea itself ain't bad at a glance.
You give Eldar AC a +1, what about other resilient AC (Manta/T-Hawk)?

Use of AC depends on how many numbers you have. With a race like Tau I do sent out long range waves along the missiles waves. Makes the opponent think some more where to go with his fighters.

[Talos]

Fair enough, but fluffwise assault boats are much better equipped than bombers. The bomber is mostly just a massive payload which is most of its mass; otherwise medium sized crew with a couple of turrets. Assault boats are 50% larger than bombers and have a much more engine, armor and over triple the point defense weapons. The fact that that they can go as fast as fighters, even if they are not as maneuverable makes them harder targets than lumbering bombers.