Bomb Loads

**Nachtschwärmer** · 02-21-2016 22:54

Greetings,

while reading the rules booklet of the Zeppelin Staaken R.VI (what a brilliant package, I'm beyond impressed!), I hit the bombing section, which I have kind of problems understanding correctly. Each bomber gets a load dictated by the scenario. Each load can be divided into one bomb or several groups of bombs. So, how many single bombs are one group of bombs, and how many groups of bombs are one load? Any help is greatly appreciated.

**Angiolillo** · 02-21-2016 23:16

That's not really important in the game. You are free to decide. For a giant bombing a factory, you can decide that there is just one huge load to be dropped all on the target. For a Caproni going against a ship, all the same. For the same Caproni doing tactical bombing against trenches, you can decide that there are 2 or even 4 loads that can be split on as many targets. It does not really matter that, historically, the Ca.3 brought 800 kilos of bombs and if in your scenario they are a few large ones or several small ones - in realtion to the targets in your scenarios, you just have to decide if the huge target needs all of them or if the tiny trench needs only 1/2 or 1/4 of them to get enough damage to consider the mission a success. Bomb allowances in Kg can give you a comparative idea of what these planes could do.
Players can go deeper into that and houserule differently, if they feel like, and bomb allowances can help in that,. But the system we published seems accettable to me in a standard game.

**Nachtschwärmer** · 02-21-2016 23:28

If I understand you right, Andrea, then each load represents one bomb card, correct?! Looking at the "Bomb London!" Scenario in the Staaken rules booklet, which gives the Staaken 2 loads, this means that the Staaken has two chances in bombing its targets, right?!

**Angiolillo** · 02-21-2016 23:36

Almost.
This means that every time the Staaken is on the target, the player can decide to drop one load or both. One single bomb card is used anyway.
If he drops one load and hits the center of the target, it's 12 points. If it hits the target but not the center, it's 6 points. So he could decide to drop both loads at the same time, if for example he thinks that there is no chance for a second attack. If he will hit the center of the target, it will be 18 points (12 x 2 = 24, but in the scenario 18 is the maximum that each target can give). If he will hit the target but not its center, he will score just 12 points. This give the opportunity of tactical choices depending on the situation: the position of the bomber when it has a chance to drop, its chances of being shot down or take too damage before it has a chance to reach the other target or to do a second pass on the same one, how hard you think that it will be the way home in the third part of the scenario and so on.
Have fun!