A new use for the MATES cards

**Zoe Brain** · 09-12-2016 03:11

Please bear with me. First an explanation of the ground scale, time scale, vertical scale and aircraft scale.

In WGF, the ground scale is around 1/1000. That is consistent with both the effective range of weaponry, and the turning circles of the aircraft. This in turn means about 2 seconds elapsed time per card.

Vertical scale is more problematic. Each 1/2" (12.5mm) peg should represent 20 metres or so, so really should be 2cm to be consistent with horizontal scale . This is inconsistent with ceilings, which assume a 300 metre height, but 300 metres is way too much for a split s or dive change, and even 1 peg height difference would mean a 300 metre range for weapons, compared to the 150m range horizontally. 12 seconds to climb 1000 ft - corresponding to a climb rate of 2 - also just doesn't fit.

20 metres works.

The aircraft models are 1/144. This means they are about 7 times too big in each dimension.

To have a game where the aircraft scale and ground scales are consistent would require each base and maneuver deck card to be about 7 times bigger than it is now. About 45cm by 31cm. An A3 sheet at 42cm by 29.7cm is close enough.

As for vertical scale, a telescopic aerial with approx 14cm lengths per peg is needed, so a 15-60cm aerial is ideal to represent ,1-4 pegs.

In the past, making decks of A3 sized cards just isn't on. Bad enough to manufacture an A3 sized plywood base and stick an aerial in it, but making 20+ A3 cards... Forget it.

However... We can get away with a single MATES card instead. Play is as usual, selecting cards from a normal sized deck, but then using the MATES card expanded to A3 size to do the maneuvers.

It's still easier to use the existing cards, pegs etc on a tabletop. Even a compact 4' x4' table would be as big as a 28' x 28' playing area. But to get an accurate visual effect for display or demonstration games played on a floor, this would be ideal. The only work involved is to make the A3 bases and put the aerials on them. Officeworks can print out the MATES cards on A3, preferably cardstock or thick paper.