Balloon Busting

[Oberst Hajj]

Anyone have some good balloon busting missions? Our local group has a few missions in the campaign we are running, but they are just "destroy x number of balloons in x number of sorties". The balloons are pulled to the ground in 12 turns, so there is a time limit of sorts for them to kill the balloons. We allow all aces to have incendiary bullets, but we do not use rockets.

What is everyone else doing?

[Kiwi_Ace]

we r still tweeking our optional rules for balloon busting.
early on in our campaign we did not use the "special damage cards inflict cumulative burning damage" rule which made the balloons very tough to take down as they were often defended by multiple ground targets as well as the A machine gun mounted on the centre of every balloon.

now that we use the special damage = burning dmg rule they r a bit easier to destroy but still a challenge.

one rule im thinking of introducing is that all pilots can use incendary bullets but they cause jamming. this is appropriate for our campaign as we currently ignore any special damage icons from cards (except versus balloons).

incendiary bullets can normally be used against other aircraft as well right?

something else ive added to our campaign but its still untested is a Boalloon Busting ace skill. This is designed to complement the use of rockets by the ace and lets them ignore 1, 2 or 3 (single ace =1, double ace =2, triple ace =3) special damage icons when firing rockets. we trialed the rockets and found them pretty hard to accurately use and so discarded the rule but now it might be viable again for aces to specialise in the Balloon Busting tiered ace ability... more time and testing well tell.

[Oberst Hajj]

Yes, incendiary bullets work against planes as well, but only the fire and smoke special damages cause fire for planes.

An Ace skill for balloon busting could be interesting.

[usmc1855]

We use the altitude rules, and have on several missions placed 3 inch AA Artillery guns in 360 around the balloons. This forces the aircraft to descend to the balloons elevation, which puts the aircraft in range of the AA guns as they make their approach. This along with having to contend with enemy planes forces the balloon busting pilots to really consider their approach angles, elevations and maneuvers on the approach, as they have to keep enemy planes off their tails, avoid AA bursts, and still get a good run at the Balloon.

In this picture, you can see an artillery marker under the base of the nearest plane. At the beginning of the next maneuver phase, it will detonate, and be replaced by an airburst marker.



This picture is the same mission a few manuevers later (I beleive three or four manuever cards). In this one you can see an airburst marker in use.

[Aero825]

Here's one of mine. Hope you can use it!

Balloon Busters

Players: 2-5

Gaming Surface: Length: 110cm Width: 90cm

German Player: One Albatros D.Va in the middle of the back of the German side with two Albatros D.III's one rulers distance to its left and right. The D.Va has rockets and the D.III's have incendiary bullets. These planes are at an altitude of 4.

Allied Player: Two balloons half a rulers distance from the back of the Allied side, one rulers distance from the left and the right sides of the gaming surface. One balloon 2.5 rulers distance from the middle of the back of the Allied side. On the 2nd turn place one Sopwith Camel in the middle of the back of the Allied side with a second Sopwith Camel half a ruler's distance to its left or right. Place one AA machine gun half a rulers distance from the middle of the back of the Allied side. All Allied balloons and aircraft are at an altitude of 4.

Winning Conditions: For the German player to win, all of the Allied balloons must be destroyed and at least one German plane must escape out of the back of the German side.

For the Allied player to win, all of the German fighters must be destroyed with at least one Allied balloon intact. Or, all of the Allied balloons are winched to safety on the ground and one Allied plane escapes out the back of the Allied side.

Variant:

Allies: (attacking force)
SPAD XIII
2 Nieuport 17/21/23s

Germans: (defending force)
2 Fokker Dr.Is



Feel free to tweek the winning conditions to a tournament setting.

Hunter

[Aero825]

In my opinion, incendiary bullets/rockets shouldn't be an ace skill, but thats just me.

Hunter

[DaveZee]

I fun twist that Wolfbiter and I have played is Barrage balloons - there are 2-3 balloons with cables running between them. No Altitude rules, but if you try to fly between the balloons and hit the cable - BOOM!!

It really forces you to concentrate on pilot skills, not just shooting fish in a barrell. This can be complimented by a combination of AA guns, planes and flak.