Rabaul by Night - A Black Zero Mini Campaign
This is a mini campaign created for the proud owners of Black Zeroes (though no one will forbid you to use other colored Zeros or of taking this mini campaign anywhere else.)
Special Considerations
This is a Solo Campaign - the enemy planes are to be played by the AI system.
This is a campaign based on patience - as night fighting always was.
The main concern is finding the enemy and then intercept and taking it down.
Historical (almost accurate) background
September 1943
Operation Cartwheel is in full steam. This defined allied offensive strategy in the South Pacific. The operation was aimed at isolating the major Japanese forward base at Rabaul and cutting its supply and communication lines. This prepared the way for Nimitz's island-hopping campaign towards Japan.
During the night, American bombers and fighters pound the important Rabaul airfield destroying planes and making it hard for the Japanese to fight as a cohesive force. Yet they kept fighting. A squadron of A6M5 zeros was painted black, their pilots kept in darkness during the afternoon to try to intercept the attacking forces.
They didn't use radars, only their eyes and the observers in the ground that would point them to their targets. The combat and night flight attrition was steep for this squadron. They were The Black Samurais.
Planes used
Japanese
A6M5 Zeros or A6M2 Zeros
The A6M2 uses the C+ deck (see the Banzai Deck created by Jan) or the C deck as it is if they prefer.
The A6M5 uses the A+ deck with a banzai card similar to the C+ deck - I hope someone can do this card soon. For those that prefer it they can use the C deck also as it was decided by the committee.
Americans
F4f Wildcats
P-40
F4U Corsair (convert into Wildcats if no Hellcat is under your belt)
F6F Hellcats (convert into Wildcats if no Hellcat is under your belt)
P-38 Lightning (convert into P-40's if no Hellcat is under your belt
B-25
B-17
SBD Dauntless
TBF Avenger
(Rules for Hellcats, Lightnings and Avengers can be found in the unofficial list)
Campaign Rules
1. Zone of interception
Take an A damage chit:
0 damage - Over the port of Rabaul
Numbered damage - Over the Airfield of Rabaul
Special damage - Over the Sea
Over the Port of Rabaul rules:
Observers and Searchlights
Ship and building targets
Over the Airfield of Rabaul rules:
Observers, Searchlights and Extra Plane
Planes and building targets
Over the Sea rules:
Bailing out in the sea
2. Intercepting
The Japanese player will have two zeros flying that must always be at different zones of interception. If they find themselves at the same zone of interception they might think that the other zero is an enemy.
The playing mat is divided in 4 zones. The zones further away from the target are the approaching zones. The zones over the target are the target zones.
The zeros can be placed i any of the target zones. The American planes are 4 counters that can be place in the edge of the approaching zones.
Over the Port of Rabaul:
There will be 4 targets over the port. Two ships and two buildings. The Americans will earn attrition points by destroying these targets.
Two of the targets must be in one port zone and the other two in the other port zone.
Observers and Searchlights will help the interception of the American planes.
Ship will be destroyed if they receive three points of damage. Destroyed ships grant 10 attrition points. Damaged ships grant 2 attrition points.
Building will be destroyed if they receive two points of damage. Destroyed buildings grant 4 attrition points.
The damage is done in a easy way. One point if they are hit by a card but not by the center of the card and two points of they are it by the the center of the card.
Over the Airfield of Rabaul rules:
There will be 6 targets over the airfield. Four planes and two buildings. The Americans will earn attrition points by destroying these targets.
Three of the targets must be in one airfield zone and the other three in the other airfield zone.
Observers and Searchlights will help the interception of the American planes.
Planes will be destroyed if they receive one points of damage. Destroyed planes grant 3 attrition points. For each destroyed plane take an A chit: Special damage means that a Black Zero was destroyed.
Building will be destroyed if they receive two points of damage. Destroyed buildings grant 4 attrition points.
The damage is done in a easy way. One point if they are hit by a card but not by the center of the card and two points of they are it by the the center of the card.
One Extra Plane can be deployed if one of the starting zeros is shot down or leaves the combat zone (it's not shot down, just retreated). Put the extra zero in one of the airfield zones at least one ruler away from the American planes or counter.
Over the Sea rules:
This means that the interception might be away from the American targets.
The American planes must fly to the other side of the playing mat. A second scenario can be played at the Japanese discretion. Take another A chit and refer to Zone of Interception above. The same planes will be used and they start all at the Approaching zones, the zeros one rulers away from the American planes and counters.
If a Japanese pilot has to bail out in the sea at night he will probably die. That's life... and death... Take a A chit. If a special damage is taken he was rescued.
3. Special Rules for the Campaign
Japanese Night Fighters and Pilots
These were special planes and pilots. They are all veterans specialized in night combat.
You have 6 planes and 6 pilots.
The planes can be replaced if after losing one you take an A damage chit and any chit is not a zero.
The pilots can be replaced after being wounded or killed if you take an A damage chit and the chit is a special damage. Otherwise your number of pilots is reduced by one. Tricky...
Observers
Observers will help you to find the American planes. Observers add one to the die at the "Visuals on the Target Plane Table"
Searchlights
Searchlight are white circles of 10cm (4 inches) radius that can move 5cm (2 inches) each turn before the American planes and counters are plotted.
There are 3 searchlights in the port, 2 in the airfield and none in the sea.
The american planes will always try to avoid them. If a plane is caught in the searchlights the Japanese fighter can add an A chit to it's firepower. If a American counter is caught in the searchlight is immediately converted.
Targets
As soon as the American counters or bombers are 2 rulers away from a target they will immediately fly in its direction to bomb it, even if they go through a searchlight. As soon as they drop the bombs they will turn and fly of the edge they entered. If they are escaping and at 2 or more rulers away from a fighter and outside a searchlight they "disappear".
Japanese Table for shot down Zeros
Roll 2D6:
2 or less - Dead!
3 - Severely Injured - Out of the battle
4 - Badly Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios
5 - Injured - Skip 1D3+1 Scenarios
6 - Injured - Skip 1d3 scenarios
7-8 - Concussed - Skip 1D2 Scenarios
9 - Fuzzy head, Doctors orders - skip 1 Scenario
10+-All is well when you land well
Modifiers to Crash dice roll:
Ace: +1 (+ special see below)-----------Your pilots skill helps his landing
Veteran: +1 -----------------------------Your pilots skill helps his landing
Exploded: -4 -----------------------------Boom card drawn for any reason - overrides flamer/collision
Flamer: -3 -------------------------------Downed by fire or downed whilst burning
Collision: -2 ------------------------------Downed due to Collision
Shot Down -1 ----------------------------Just shot to bits! (Not cumulative with the above)
Wounded: -1 per wound ------------------Receive 2 wounds & you're shot down
Bailing out: +1----------------------------Nothing like hitting the silk.
Crash landed in Enemy Territory/Sea -1 --Not the safest or smoothest place to land
Ace Special:
To Crash landing/bail out add +1 to roll for any of the following skills:
Acrobatic Pilot
Daredevil
Exceptional Pilot
Golden Touch
Lucky Git
Zones of Interception Rules
If two Zeros are in the same zone of interception they take an A damage chit. If any of them take a special damage that zero considers the other an American plane and has to intercept it and fire against it. This is overruled if that plane is already engaged with an American plane nearer than the other zero.
American counters
At each scenario the Americans start with 4 counters. The counters are fighter base sized and move per the I deck. The counters will be removed, keep flying or turned into planes as soon as a Zero is at 1 ruler distance from them or they get into a searchlight circle.
Visuals on the Target Plane Table
Roll 2D6:
3 or less - Not seen. Counter moves as usual next turn.
4-5 - Bogey. There's nothing here. Discard the counter.
6-8 - One fighter. Roll on fighter table or choose one American Fighter.
9-11 - One multi engine bomber or two single engine bombers.
12 - Two fighters. Roll on fighter table or choose an American Fighter. Both fighters should be of the same kind.
Fighter Table
Roll 1D6:
1 - F4f Wildcats
2 - P-40
3 - F4U Corsair (convert into Wildcats if no Hellcat is under your belt)
4-5 - F6F Hellcats (convert into Wildcats if no Hellcat is under your belt)
6 - P-38 Lightning (convert into P-40's if no Hellcat is under your belt)
Bomber Table
Roll 1D6:
1-2 - B-25
3 - B-17 (convert into B-25 if no B-17 is under your belt)
4-5 - SBD Dauntless
6 - TBF Avenger (convert into Dauntless if no Avenger is under your belt)
American AI Behaviour
Bomber will zig-zag towards their targets as per bombers automatic movement rules. They will try to avoid the searchlights.
Bomber gunner will only fire against close ranged targets.
Fighters will engage the zero as per normal AI rules. They will move away as soon as no bombers are in play.
A counter that reaches one ruler of a Japanese target will always convert immediately into a bomber. Roll on the bomber table.
Victory Conditions
The player will loose if:
Attrition ever reaches 50 points or;
All his pilots are out of action.
The player wins if:
Attrition reaches 0 points or;
After 10 scenarios he still has 3 pilots.
Attrition points:
Attrition starts at 25 points.
Ship destroyed - +10 att points
Ship damaged - +2 att points
Building destroyed - +4 att points
Parked Japanese plane destroyed - +3 att points
American fighter destroyed - -4 att points
American single engine bomber destroyed - -5 att points
American multi engine bomber destroyed - -7 att points
Scenario without Japanese targets destroyed - - 3 att points
4. Final Thoughts
I think that this is the ultimate solo campaign. More solo feeling than night fighters searching for bombers is impossible.
This campaign can easily be converted to other theaters of operation. Malta, Soviet Union, BoB, The bombers campaign in Europe.
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Originally Posted by Skafloc
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