So, I set up a mini campaign of sorts, mainly testing it now for when BoB is released.
It tells the stories of the pilots on both sides, missions are secondary to this.
It's just to give a purpose to the game beyond 'I win/You win'.
So, to start..
RAF gets 5 pilots.
Germany gets 7.
The reason being that the Germans are much more likely to be captured when shot down.
Everyone is a rookie, except 2 German Pilots.
5 kills earns you a random pilot ace skill, the ace skill that deals with reducing the downtime will be left out at first, as it is useless on its own.
You can pass on earning an Ace skill, to add a new pilot to the roster (not so sure about this one, maybe there is a better way to do this)
A wounded pilot skips his next mission.
When shot down roll a D6, on a 2+ you survive.
A wounded pilot suffers a -2 modifier.
A double wounded pilot, or a pilot of a plane that outright explodes suffers -4 (needs a 6 to get out alive)
Once out roll a second D6, on a 2+ Brits make it home to base, Germans require a 4+. (hence more planes at the start)
An alternative and untested option would be as follows
When destroyed roll a D6
1 dead
2 Captured
3 missing (skip one mission)
4+ fine, return to base ready to fly again.
Double wounded pilots, or those who die due to an explosion suffer a -2 mod.
Germans always suffer -1, this doesn't stack with Double wound/explode, use highest mod.
First two Germans to earn 3 kills become Aces. They did have more experience at the start, this is here to represent that.
Back to adding new pilots, perhaps this could be done with victory points instead.
Now I couldn't work out how to use victory points.
Mission one, which was to test the rules saw a Spitfire and Mustang (we only record the Spit pilot progress) vs an HE-111 and FW190 (again, ignore HE-111 progress)
I could certainly use ideas on how to 'score' the missions.
The Mustang got the HE-111, which sort of hit its target, till I realised I forgot to factor in Altitude So certainly points are due to the Allies, but how much... no clue.
The 190 claimed its first kill and dropped the Spit in flames. Spit pilot bailed out and was fine, the FW then sped off the table and made his way back to France.
So, the HE-111 missed its target and died, this seems like a win to the Allies to me.
I really don't know how I'd score it though, or how I'd 'spend' victory points. So could use some clues.
Shortly I'll add a 109K, a B-17G and a second Spit, then we can record the progress of 2 pilots per game. But mainly I'm testing for my prefered period of Battle of Britain which I'll dive into this October.
What I'm looking for is how to score missions.
Lets say the HE-111 makes it home, 2 points. Hits its target, 2 points, direct hit (over red dot) 4 points? That's 6 up for grabs.
109/190 mission would be to keep it alive, not seeing any real excuse to give them points for anything really.
Allied job would be to stop it, so maybe 2 points if it misses its target completely, 3 points if they shoot it down, that is 5 max. Germans could in theory get 6 max, but that means a direct hit is required and they must get the He-111 home, no easy task.
If the Spits escort that B17G, I'd simply reverse the order.
But what if it was straight up Spits V 190/109? 2 victory points per kill?
Any suggestions on how to use victory points? Perhaps 10 can be spent to add one new rookie pilot to our ranks?
Let me know what you think
Right now the idea is only to record the Spitfire and 190 pilots. But I could just as easily record the progress of a Hurricane Squadron and ignore the Spits, or ignore the Emils and track the Stukas.
Don't want to get bogged down with rules, the idea is you are part of a Spit squadron, and while you are 'up there' you may occasionally encounter allied Hurricanes, but they don't have their kills and progress written down. They can steal your kills though It's all about tracking your group off airmen, when they are all gone, you lose. But it ties the random fights together nicely imo, with a small narrative.
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