Energy Rules for WGS - First Draft

**Zoe Brain** · 04-03-2013 07:27

These need play testing, unlike the simplified height rules.

Rationale - the best tactical speeds for aircraft were all about 250 mph, even if they were capable of 400. The maneuver decks are based on 1cm of movement = 37 km/h (23mph). So a Spitfire can only go 300 mph in the game, not 360.

However, by flying straight, speed can be gained to move faster than the cards allow -in a straight line. As soon as you do anything other than a fast straight or dive, you lose this "energy", you slow down to tactical speeds.

Rules
Aircraft that use fighter bases that do consecutive fast straights gain energy up to their maximum level flight energy level, for each one after the first. Place an energy counter on top of each fast straight.
Each energy level extends the next fast straight move distance by one counter (any square counter will do).
Fighters (ie anything that doesn't use a bomber base) can have up to 3 energy counters in level flight. Bombers have zero.
Aircraft that do a dive automatically have their energy counters increased by 2 per peg lost up to a limit of 4. Vertical dives do not gain energy (the dive brakes prevent that).
If there are Energy counters in excess of the maximum level flight limit (3 for fighters, 0 for bombers) one is discarded after use.
If the aircraft does anything other than a fast straight or dive, all energy counters are immediately lost.
Energy counters may be discarded at any time.

Example - a Hurricane is having difficulty catching an He-111.
It pulls away to the side, then increases its speed by energy, until it catches up, then turns in for the attack (losing all its energy in the turn).
A good pilot will instead trade his energy for an additional peg of altitude in a climb, then turn, then dive to make a fast, slashing attack (gaining energy)

So... attack from the port quarter... about 45 secs to a minute in reality.

Climb 1 peg while flying parallel to the Heinkel.
Fast straight.
Fast straight, gain an energy counter.
Fast straight, use the energy counter for movement (don't discard it) - now starting to catch up
Fast straight, use the two energy counters for movement (don't discard them) - now gaining slowly
Fast straight, use all three energy counters for movement (don't discard them) - now gaining quickly
Repeat until to port of the Heinkel, out of range.
Climb 1 peg, trade in all energy counters for another peg, so slightly behind the Heinkel and to its side.
Turn Starboard towards the Heinkel
Fast Straight, closing range from Heinkel's port rear.
Turn port to slot in immediately behind the He-111, but 3 pegs higher (Heinkel dorsal gun only can fire, and at half range)
Dive 2 levels, gaining 4 energy counters.
Fast straight, using all 4 energy counters, discarding one. and open up from one level higher for an additional A shot, closing rapidly. If too rapid, just discard energy counters.

Future, fast aircraft may gain 4 energy, not 3. Even mustangs and late model P-38s still dogfought at 300mph, they just went a lot faster doing boom'n'zoom.

Bombers can only gain energy by diving, and start losing energy as soon as they level out. So the Heinkel might dive, and continue a shallow dive, to get away, until it runs out of altitude. These can be remarkably difficult to catch, and in the Battle of Britain, many Luftwaffe bombers escaped this way.

This simulates as best I can using existing game mechanics some of the things seen in gun cameras.

Aircraft gaining energy this way require full emergency boost and close attention to engine revs to get maximum acceleration.

Example of a Spitfire gaining energy from consecutive fast straights: