A Thursday afternoon in Ellsworth part 2

[Teaticket]

We had time for a 2nd game and gave Joaquim’s Universal solitaire system a run. I modified his system away from the card decks to a dice table. I calculated each maneuver’s percentage and made a table for each deck of cards. Two 10 sided dice and one 6 sider give you the AI plane’s plot choice(s) and speed. This one page
Chart is it the WW2 files section under House Rules. It is listed as WW2 Universal Solo Chart with dice.

We went simple at this first try, Dave and I each flew a Wildcat against two Zeros. Altitude was not used.

My first pass didn’t go as well as Dave’s but at least I did some damage.





After turning around my second pass was horrible. I’m in trouble and my enemy is in relatively good shape.



Dave turns to help me out as his enemy turns away.





Dave catches my nemesis in the side with some good damage.



I circle around and try to take on Dave’s original opponent and again fail to hit.



Dave shoots down the green Zero but is wounded in the process.

I don’t play wounded pilots by the rules as it disrupts the turn sequence and seriously slows the game down. I just have a wounded (or rookie) pilot plot an extra card which gives a similar effect.

I finally put some hurt into a Zero!



Unfortunately the nimble Zero evades me, but Dave is on the way.



The Zero and Dave head at each other while I set up an Immelmann.


The crafty Jap gets in an unanswered shot plinking Dave’s engine.



I get to trade a long shot and do little but am now piloting a smoking Wildcat.


Not able to see the Zero through my smoke filled cockpit the unpredictable Jap Kamakizi’s me and takes me out.



Dave gets his chance and scores his second kill.


So, a first run with the diced Universal chart we felt was a success. Not the best test as it was only a 2 on 2 head on encounter but it was quick and felt good.. We’ll try the chart in a more involved scenario in the near future.

[Stumptonian]

More interesting action.
I hope to get some of my WGS out of storage and onto the table this winter.
I made an Excel sheet that calculates the moves and displays what to play, similar to what you did with the dice, but that (I just noticed) was two years ago!
Having never played WGS other than solo with these charts I am rusty, that's for sure.

I am not sure what you mean by this:

I don’t play wounded pilots by the rules as it disrupts the turn sequence and seriously slows the game down. I just have a wounded (or rookie) pilot plot an extra card which gives a similar effect.

Can you 'splain it for me, please.

[Teaticket]

More interesting action.
I hope to get some of my WGS out of storage and onto the table this winter.
I made an Excel sheet that calculates the moves and displays what to play, similar to what you did with the dice, but that (I just noticed) was two years ago!
Having never played WGS other than solo with these charts I am rusty, that's for sure.

I am not sure what you mean by this:


Can you 'splain it for me, please.

In the rules, when a pilot gets wounded the turn changes. He will move and then immediately plot his next move. After this all non-wounded pilots fly, then shoot. It adds an extra plotting phase to the turn. This is done to slow down reaction for the wounded pilot.

The way I like to play it the turn will remain the same except that wounded pilots have to have 3 cards down when non-wounded pilots have 2. In the plotting phase after he gets wounded he will plot 2 cards to add to the 1 down. (from then on he plots 1 card as usual but it will be his 3rd card down)

I think just having him have 3 plotted cards is close enough without slowing the game down by breaking up the turn with an extra plotting phase.

[Dak21]

I really enjoyed the solo system. All the moves made by the AI planes made good sense. The only minor flaw is that Immelmann turns are signaled in advance. In the end, since the Immelmann is by far the obvious choice anyway, it doesn’t take much away from the uncertainty that would normally be there. I look forward to messing around with this system over the winter. There will be plenty of days where it is the only game in town.