Questions regarding aces

[Hunter]

If you reach an 'Ace' status in ones local gaming, can that ace be used in tournament play and vice versa?

Are aces restricted to one plane? Example, you made ace in a DVIII and the next time you play it's set in 1916 and you have an Albatros DIII. Can you use your ace?

Do you, if so, how do you verify aces? Honor system or verification of victories?

Thank you for any imput.

[Bruce]

Hi Terry
We are 9 players who meet for a game or two every 4th Sunday during the Oct-April "winter" months, and we also play by E-mail (4 games over the same period).
We agreed on a starting group of pilots (Allied and German) 4 fighter pilots for each, and 4 X 2-seater crews for each. Some had a few ACE pts and Experience pts.
Thereafter we leave it to each player on-his-honour to record and manage his own roster. Any new aircrew that he brings into the game are "Rookies" (0 Experience and 0 "kills").
We have had no problems with this "system".

[Oberst Hajj]

Aces are completely "house rule" system and can not truly be moved from group to group. Most groups only allow Aces in some type of campaign setting. As such, the Ace pilot tends to move from plane to plane, but typically advancing as new types come out in the campaign years.

Bottom line, work out a system with your local group and have fun with it!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

As each player in our group reaches an ace ability, he is given a small card with the ability on it.(they are in the files) This is kept in his aircraft box for whichever plane the ace is flying at the time. we also have a little card with his medals on it too. this gives a quick reference to him.
Rob.

[Bruce]

:o Leave it the Colonel to actually answer Terry's question.
The other stuff was "colour commentary" as the TV folks say.

[Charlie3]

We allow you to use your ace in any plane since they had to borrow a plane on occasion. We orginally had a rule that said that a pilot upgrading to a "newer" plane from a plane that he got most of his kills with could only bring his gunnery skills forward with him. We have stopped using this restriction because we found it was unessasary to worry about the game balance.

The only real restrictions we use now are that the Ace Skills are for specific "pilots" not the player. This is important in our group because the players will switch sides from one game day to the next or even in the same session as suits their fancy. The other restriction is that they must have their Ace pilot sheet on the table during the sortie and announce that they are using an Ace before the sortie begins so that everyone knows there is an Ace on the line and are not surprised by an Ace Skill put into play. The player does not however need to reveil the skills available to the pilot until they are used.

As far as using an Ace Skill in games or tournys with players outside your usual flight mates, I would say that is completly up to the host Squadron or game master. As long as they don't unbalance the game at hand and mesh with their house rules (if any) what's the harm? Besides we all know there is a certain satisfaction to shooting down one of these menaces!!

[Hunter]

Thank you all for your kind responses. Very thought provoking indeed, I have much to ruminate on - what to suggest to the flight, I meant.

[Linz]

If an ace is shot down does this kill him and you have to raise a new ace?
Linz

[Flying Officer Kyte]

If an ace is shot down does this kill him and you have to raise a new ace?
Linz

Depends on what rules you are playing to Linz. We always give him a chance of survival.There are several different responses to this very question on the site.
Rob.

[Charlie3]

In our group he is not superman, so he has the same chance to die from crashing his plane as anyone else. It may just be harder to actually shoot him down.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

In our group he is not superman, so he has the same chance to die from crashing his plane as anyone else. It may just be harder to actually shoot him down.

Sorry Charlie, I should have made clear that this chance of survival is the same as for a non Ace. In our games they all draw from the consequences deck if shot down. This is arranged in such a way that they have a 45% chance of leaving the werck in some way or another. The % was worked out by looking at the evidence of survival rates of victims of the German Aces.
For the reasoning behind this go to:- http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?4207-Shotdown-What-s-Next&p=57797#post57797
Rob.

[Charlie3]

Sorry Charlie, I should have made clear that this chance of survival is the same as for a non Ace. In our games they all draw from the consequences deck if shot down. This is arranged in such a way that they have a 45% chance of leaving the werck in some way or another. The % was worked out by looking at the evidence of survival rates of victims of the German Aces.
For the reasoning behind this go to:- http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/showthread.php?4207-Shotdown-What-s-Next&p=57797#post57797
Rob.actually I agreed with your post:)...I was just was commenting on his question of needing to start over(I forgot to reply with quote)...We do nearly the same thing we just use the dreaded "Dice of Decision":rolleyes: We allow for a 50% luck rate, although our roll represents a chance of being dead or living but being captured, the story is up to the player. Either way the pilot is out of play.

[Hunter]

You all have given me much to ponder and consider for implementation in our flight. I like the ideas of giving a pilot at least a 50% survival chance, but also like, and have used the dice for these decisions. I'm going to try several ways to play as listed here and find one that our flight works the best with.

[Charlie3]

You all have given me much to ponder and consider for implementation in our flight. I like the ideas of giving a pilot at least a 50% survival chance, but also like, and have used the dice for these decisions. I'm going to try several ways to play as listed here and find one that our flight works the best with.Best of luck, I'm sure you will find a system that works for you!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I am glad we are of a mind Charlie. We just do it with 30 cards. Half of which are survival ones, with a serried rank of injuries of varying seriousness.
The actual survival rate was worked out at 45% so we ain't too far off it. With the right no of cards you could get an exact match.
Rob.