This is first testing of my newly designed scenario, so it will probably still need some adjustment, but I'd like to share first experience with you guys. Here goes the story...
Location: Rethymno Port, Island of Crete
Date: 22 May 1941
Situation: The german paratroopers are assaulting towards port of Rethymno, however their advance is put to a hold by some well prepared Allied defence positions. As paratroopers are lacking heavy weapons they call Luftwaffe for a help. Meanwhile RAF scout patroling the area has spotted German airplanes and calls for reinforcements as well.
Axis Forces: 1x Me-109E, 1x me-110C (with one bomb load, 4 damage points), 1x Ju87 Stuka (with two bomb loads, 4 damage points each)
Allied Forces: 1x Hurricane, 2x Gladiator, 1x Flak (defending Rethymno port, D damage, 8 damage points), 3 target cards (5 damage points each)
Official rules in use: A-A Guns, Aim, Altitude, Dive Bombing, Firing from above, Full load, Strafing, Tailing
Home rules in use:
a/ Limited resources - any side can call additional aircrafts at the victory points cost given to other side. Costs are as follows: Me-110C with 1 bomb load (3 VP), Me-109E (2VP), Ju-87 with 2 bomb loads (2VP), Hurricane (2 VP), Gladiator (1 VP). The Allied Flak is worth 3 VP (at the beginning of the game only). Both sides can use this system to build initial forces.
b/ Replacement rule - if at any point in time a plane leaves the gameboard on the following turn a plane of the same type can be placed in starting area at VP cost of 1 less than stated under Limited resources rule (yes, Gladiators are for free then!). This rule can be used to replace heavily damaged aircrafts and/or ones that have emptied their bomb loads
c/ Troops under fire! - Luftwaffe has limited time to destroy target cards. If they manage within given time groud troops advance towards next position, if not paratroopers are pushed back from the town (see the attached map for details of advancing paths)
d/ VP awards: for calling additional plane (see above a/ and b/), for ground troops advancing towards next position 2 VP bonus is awarded to winning side. Important: no VP for shooting down the plane. Only if other side calls for additional plane VP are awarded.
Victory conditions:
a/ When the port of Rethymno is captured (last target card in port is destroyed) Germans immediately win
b/ When last German paratroopers are pushed out of game area Allied side immediately wins
c/ When at any point in time Victory Points balance exceeds 6 points (difference between VP of each side) the side with more VP immediately wins
Map diagram (two official Ares maps used - Coast and either City or Countryside):
Initial target cards are placed at yellow crosses and a time markers are placed aside. Each turn a time markers are reduced by one. If target is destroyed within given time paratroopers advance towards port as designated by blue arrows. Otherwise they are pushed back as indicated by red arrows. In any case a new target card is placed in appropriate oval area and new time counter is placed aside. For that game I used fuel markers with "8" value so Luftwaffe had 8 turns to destroy newly placed target card.
Enough for the rules and setup Time for ACTION
"We are under heavy fire!!! Bring our birds to silence that bunkers!!!"
"Roger that! Birds on their way, keep your heads down!"
Meanwhile, lone Allied scout spots approaching enemy:
"Rethymno base! Here's scout green! Bandits are coming! Repeat - scout green reports bandints coming! Bearing 190..."
"Roger that! Stay under flak cover! Eagles on the way!"
Next turn, German aircrafts split, Me110 heading towards easternmost target, while Me109 escorts Ju87 with the flight towards westernmost one. Meanwhile Allied scout turns rapidly to stay under flak cover and two new planes appear on the horizon...
Flak tries to target approaching Me109...
...but misses, as german figter turns and opens fire towards lone Gladiator. Allied plane is peppered with bullets...
Allied pilot puts the plane into left turn avoiding the next burst from Me109 and targets German dive bomber...
At the very same time on the other side of the map Me110 prepares for straffing approach reducing the altitude. Will he make it? Or maybe two allied fighters will torn him apart before he reaches the target? He pushes the trigger...
...and the fire from frontal cannons is deadly for Allied troops. They could not even find a hiding place as they were swept by approaching striker
As soon as Me110 destroys the first taget he immediately turn to second one. Meanwhile, on the other flank, Ju87 goes for a dive to bomb a target card and destroys it with two bomb load release. At the very same moment he comes into heavy flak fire. The outburst of fire and iron shatters plane badly!
The overview of the situation so far. Me110 turns towards second target card, but a Gladiator after turn and Hurricane after Split-S are coming dangerously close. On the other flank target card is destroyed by Stuka, but the plane is heavily damaged and Gladiator coming on its tail! Note target cards with time counters (in the middle the paratroopers are pushed back, as the target was not destroyed in time)
And the focus on one flank (Hurricane is a bit too far, as he stays one level higher than Me110. Gladiator is higher as well, hence "A" token shot followed by additional "A" token according to "Firing from above" rule). Me110 exchanges fire with ground target...
...and destroys it minutes later with another burst, just seconds before it spins towards ground shot down by two Allied fighters!
On the other flank Ju87 receives a few bullets from Gladiator, but manages to escape towards the board end.
The sky over Rethymno clears for a moment as there's only Me109 left, but paratroopers are advancing into a town already (note target card in the city with "8" time counter on it).
Germans sense the blood and decide to go for the coup-de-grace. So the second wave is coming!!! (Limited resorces and replacement rules in use)
Me109 rushes towards Hurricane and Gladiator hoping for a victory as it will clear the way before the bombers! But he forgets about the flak, and it usually hurts...
Although heavily damaged he manages to take down another Gladiator!
But the climax of the battle is about to come. It starts with exchange of blows between Hurricane and Me110...
...continues with very close dogfight between all the planes around...
...the tense goes even higher with a crash between Gladiator and Ju87, which appears to be lethal for Allied plane...
...but finaly ends with succesful bombing by Me110...
...and minutes later by Ju87.
The target was destroyed and German paratroopers marched into the City. Germans win, but it was close one. Notice the time counter on the last photo - it says "1', which means that Ju87 destroyed target at the very last time! One turn later and paratroopers would be pushed back from the City!
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