Tailing

[Dutchy]

Do you use the optional tailing rules?
If you use the tailing rules do you also use the altitude rules?
How does the use of tailing effect the play of the game?
It slows the game down.
It give a unfair advantage to the better player?
It makes the game more realistic?
All of the above.
I use the tailing rules with modifications (indicate the modifications)

Thanks, Dutchy

[Aero825]

I don't use tailing because it's just to much hastle, and it just takes to long.

Hunter

[Goering Ace]

Dutchy,
Currently my son and I don't use tailing, although we've tried it on occasion. I like the idea of tailing, but I kinda feel it's almost backwards. I feel you'd have an easier time tailing with the plane a little further ahead of you (.5 to 1 rulers length), and when it's close (inside a half rulers length) you'd actually have less time to react to the tailed plane's maneuver. So hopefully I can sit down with my boy and iron out some house rules for tailing and incorporate it into our game.

As far as game play goes, I don't think it slowed down our game much, but we did often forget to check for tailing when we were in the heat of a large dogfight. But that's likely a product of the fact that we both control up to three planes each at the same time. Kinda hard to remember everything when you have that much going on.:)

I do think that the more experienced player would have an advantage with the tailing rule, so I wouldn't use it with a mix of new and experienced pilots.

Scott

[Pseudotheist]

Theoretically we play with tailing, but I don't recall ever seeing it happen...

[Olt^Jones]

hi, normally i use tailing (with altitude) in my plays.

[CappyTom]

We use it, but it very rarely happens and half the time that pilot forgets to check when he/she does have the opportunity to tail.

[Oberst Hajj]

As others have said, it does not come up to often in our games.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

If tailing occurs I use altitude rules as well. However to actually get a tailing position is very difficult in our games.
Rob.

[rrodrick]

I have not been using it as I learned the game and taught new people but I would very much like to incorporate it as we get a crew of trained pilots. When I played with a group of very experienced pilots I discovered how dangerous being tailed can be for a newbie.

[Doug]

Yes we use the tailining rules and quite often.

[tonyc206]

We use it, but it very rarely happens and half the time that pilot forgets to check when he/she does have the opportunity to tail.

I think Tom has summed it up quite nicely here and when it does happen I've rarely seen it continue for more than a phase or two.

[MayorJim]

We use it, but it very rarely happens and half the time that pilot forgets to check when he/she does have the opportunity to tail.

We're with Tom on this one. We use tailing...when we remember. As far as altitude...we have just started incorporating alt. into our games; but haven't really appreciated it since we mostly play dogfights. If we were bombing, saving downed pilots, etc. altitude would make more sense.

[The Cowman]

I like the tailing rules... however since I just got into the minis thing, I do not have a lot of experience with tailing and altitude... will have to see how that goes!

[g.paoletti]

I think that tailing and altitude rules makes the game a little more realistic without introducing a big overhead in the game mechanics.

G.

[hatfieldsinal]

We usually don't use the altitude rules. It seems like alot of times we are playing with newbies and try to keep the rules simple. So, while I like the tailing rule, we usually don't use it.

[pistonpopper]

We don"t use the tailing rules that much 'cause we are usually caught up in the game, and not paying attention (forgetting) about them. Joe

[RonaldRS]

we use it but not all the time it gets to crazy some times!!!!

[steel_ratt]

As with others, we use it but don't tend to see it. I think that the ONLY time I was in a position to tail I had just performed an Immelmann so I wasn't able to change my next maneuver anyway!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

As with others, we use it but don't tend to see it. I think that the ONLY time I was in a position to tail I had just performed an Immelmann so I wasn't able to change my next maneuver anyway!

Interesting that Jon. We find that tailing seldom happens. Having said that Dave got on my tail on Friday but his guns jammed.
Rob.

[grumpybear]

I am usually the taile not the tailor, so am very happy when his guns jam . Then I make my get away or sometimes turn the tables

[Hunter]

We use Tailing with altitude rules, but as the majority have stated, it doesn't come up because we're caught up in the action and forget to declare about 80% of the time!

[Chris Maes]

We play "Tailing" as written, with altitude. Sometimes, for quick, pick-up games, we play without altitude but most of the time "with". Tailing rules seem simple and effective but, as some others have mentioned, sometimes is forgotten "in the heat of battle". Don't know why anyone would play without it.

Chris Maes

[Пилот]

Tailing doesn't take much time during the game and it's not complicated. And certainly adds realism to the game. We use them fully - even think of extending them to allow tailing during the move (not only at the begining). Of course very rarely happens that somebody forgets to use it, but that's all fine. You simply failed to obtain advantage.

[celticgriffon]

I played a five player game this evening with simple altitude, limited ammo, and modified tailing.

If a player could place the range stick from the front base of his plane to the rear base of the lead plane tailing was allowed. Also no planes at the same altitude could be in between. If your plane was tailing another you could add one extra manouver card (placed below the pilots play sheet). You then got to look at the lead planes manouver card. You could then use either the original card or the new card you placed below. It worked fantastic. Simple and fast.

Michael

[Boney10]

Use tailing, with both altitude situations..
Although the situation does not seem to occur very often to effect play

[Sparky]

Definitely use altitude and tailing rules, but like most players find that to get into that necessary position, at the right time rarely happens

[gully_raker]

:D We always use Tailing at our club with or without Altitude although it does not occur all that often as others have said above.

[milcoll73]

dont use it because i think as written its not much use. i dont know about you all but rearranging the order of what i plotted would most likely do more harm than good. been toying with the idea of using a house rule where after the tailed a/c has plotted he shows his 1st card to the tail a/c whom then does their plotting. i think this would better reflect whats actually happening when an a/c is tailing a target. havent used it yet as its likely to slow down game play a bit. if i were doing a campaign i definitely use it.

[Nicola Zee]

dont use it because i think as written its not much use. i dont know about you all but rearranging the order of what i plotted would most likely do more harm than good. been toying with the idea of using a house rule where after the tailed a/c has plotted he shows his 1st card to the tail a/c whom then does their plotting. i think this would better reflect whats actually happening when an a/c is tailing a target. havent used it yet as its likely to slow down game play a bit. if i were doing a campaign i definitely use it.
Great minds think alike. I've been using this house rule for over a year. In addition, if the tailing plane is higher than the tailed plane, the tailing player sees the first 2 cards. It's worth mentioning I use my own house rules which allow for multiple dives using tokens - and the tailing player can't tell if the tailing plane is doing a dive and not a straight or a climb and not a stall. So, there's a chance of getting away by diving and sometimes by climbing. It's realistic and players really check for tailing. It does not slow the game down as tailing is only checked for at the end of the turn and its easy to spot.

Tailing
Check for tailing at the start of each turn before placing movement cards. To see if tailing is possible, use the ruler to connect the stand of an aircraft with the stand of any plane in front of it and within 3 levels of its altitude. If the ruler passes through the front side of the first plane's base and through the rear side of the second plane's base, and if the ruler does not cross any other plane base (in between), then the first aircraft is tailing the aircraft in front. If a pilot can tail more than one plane, the player must choose which plane to tail. The tailed player reveals the first movement card to the players of the tailing plane. If tailed by a plane at a higher altitude, the player reveals the first two movement cards instead of just the first. If deliberately not evading, the tailed player reveals all movement cards and the pitch counters.

[milcoll73]

Great minds think alike. I've been using this house rule for over a year. In addition, if the tailing plane is higher than the tailed plane, the tailing player sees the first 2 cards. It's worth mentioning I use my own house rules which allow for multiple dives using tokens - and the tailing player can't tell if the tailing plane is doing a dive and not a straight or a climb and not a stall. So, there's a chance of getting away by diving and sometimes by climbing. It's realistic and players really check for tailing. It does not slow the game down as tailing is only checked for at the end of the turn and its easy to spot.

Tailing
Check for tailing at the start of each turn before placing movement cards. To see if tailing is possible, use the ruler to connect the stand of an aircraft with the stand of any plane in front of it and within 3 levels of its altitude. If the ruler passes through the front side of the first plane's base and through the rear side of the second plane's base, and if the ruler does not cross any other plane base (in between), then the first aircraft is tailing the aircraft in front. If a pilot can tail more than one plane, the player must choose which plane to tail. The tailed player reveals the first movement card to the players of the tailing plane. If tailed by a plane at a higher altitude, the player reveals the first two movement cards instead of just the first. If deliberately not evading, the tailed player reveals all movement cards and the pitch counters.

so how do you find it works, does it slow down gameplay appreciably? one of the guys i play with with some regularity suffers from " "paralysis analysis" and slows the game down enough as it is. i hate to think how much he would delay if i added this option :(

[Blauer Baron]

Yes, I use tailing in solo and normal games, but with between 6 and 8 planes on the go it often gets forgotten.
ANYWAY, you can bet that the machine gun will jam as soon as you take up the perfect shooting position on anyone's tail!!!!! :cry:

[Nicola Zee]

so how do you find it works, does it slow down gameplay appreciably? one of the guys i play with with some regularity suffers from " "paralysis analysis" and slows the game down enough as it is. i hate to think how much he would delay if i added this option :(
We usually play with 6 players. The house rule does not slow the game down anymore than the official rules - since with the house rule tailing is only checked once at the end of movement. It can slow down gameplay but I find analysis-paralysis can occur at any time - tailing does not make it that much worse. One rule we use is that once the tailing player has seen the other player's move, he or she can't communicate it in any way to anybody else - and everyone except the tailing player can get on with laying down the movement cards.

For me the benefit of the house rule in terms of realism and drama outweighs the cost - especially in games with several planes. In the last game I played, my Alb DV was heavily damaged and had 2 enemy planes nearly tailing it. Fortunately a Dr1 was close to tailing them and they broke off the attack to avoid the threat of colliding and of being tailed themselves. Immediately afterwards one of the British players pointed out that one of the British planes was in a tailing position on the other and so could have seen the other British player's move - this would have eliminated the danger of collision and changed their tactics. With the house rule, in nearly every game I have played tailing is significant and wise players always keep it in mind.

[Future Pilot]

I use tailing rules with altitude, and when we do ace skills my younger siblings always get good at escaping when we use tailing rules.

[Popsical]

I use both. It neither slows the game down nor happens too often. I like it though.