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Thread: OTT CYM Mission 9 “Who’s Stalking Who?” 5 September 1916

  1. #1

    Default OTT CYM Mission 9 “Who’s Stalking Who?” 5 September 1916

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    Routine flights are sent out several times a day by both the Entente and Central forces.
    For scout units these can be specific tasks, such as escorting aerial reconnaissance or artillery spotting aircraft, or simple flights searching for enemy aircraft to engage.
    Today’s mission will be the latter.

    You will have two patrol flights – one a “Dawn Patrol” and the second, an afternoon return from an uneventful excursion.

    Assign two available pilots to each patrol, for both your unit and the enemy.
    Determine which pairs will be used for the Morning Sortie using some random method. The other pairs will be used in the Afternoon Sortie.

    Morning Sortie
    Roll one D6 to determine mat layout.
    1 to 3: Start in Friendly Territory heading toward No Man's Land
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    4 to 6: Start in No Man's Land heading toward Enemy Territory.
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    [Note: Since most players are flying for the Bulldogs, the mat photos show Entente setup with appropriate national emblems.
    If flying for the Adler, the symbols would be reversed.]

    Roll a die for each side: high die has the initiative. (If equal, roll again.)

    If you have the initiative, place an enemy aircraft card in the middle of the starting mat, heading toward the other mat.
    If the enemy has the initiative, place one of your aircraft cards in the middle of the staring mat

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    The rear of the aircraft card should be 12” from the long edge of the starting mat.

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    Place the AI Template over the aircraft card.

    Shuffle the movement deck from any aircraft and draw one card.
    If card number is >12 draw again.
    (If you have a D12 die you could use that instead of drawing a card.)
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    The number drawn represents the AI Movement Template vector of the attacking aircraft.

    In this example the card drawn is #8
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    Place attacking units per the vector/range matrix:
    Place the rulers end to end from the target aircraft peg through the vector outline.
    Note: the range is 1-1/2 rulers for all vectors except 1 and 12, which are 2 rulers, and 6 and 7, which are 1 ruler.
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    Place a ruler to form a T at the end of the range.
    Place an attacking aircraft at each end of the T as shown.
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    Place a range ruler across the top of the aircraft card.
    Place a target aircraft at each edge of the ruler as shown.
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    The setup using this example should look like the photo below.
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    Vectors 6 and 7 allow the attackers to use the Tailing option in the first turn. [Optional]
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    This is to represent a 'bounce' on unsuspecting targets.

    If an attacker is able to fire at the end of Movement Phase 1 he will receive a +1 bonus.
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    The aircraft will dogfight until either shot down or forced to exit per the OTT Campaign rules, however, the player may choose to exit at any point.

    Scenario Rules
    Aircraft on fire that are FRTB-F will attempt to exit from any edge of any mat.
    Aircraft forced to return to base because of Engine Damage, Wounded Pilot or Damage Limits (or by Player Choice) must exit from any edge of either Friendly Territory or No Man's Land.
    Once all of either side's units have exited the mat, remove all aircraft from the table and prepare for the Afternoon Sortie.

    Afternoon Sortie:

    Roll a D6 to determine mat layout.
    1 to 3: Start in Enemy Territory heading toward No Man's Land

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    4 to 6: Start in No Man's Land heading toward Friendly Territory.

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    Roll for initiative per the instructions from the Morning Sortie and place the second groups of aircraft.
    Again, the aircraft will dogfight until either shot down or forced to exit per the OTT Campaign rules, unless the player chooses to exit.

    Once all of either side's units have exited the mat the Mission ends.

    Victory Conditions:

    1 point for each of your aircraft that successfully Return to Base.
    2 points for each enemy aircraft shot down.
    1 point for each enemy aircraft FRTB.
    Last edited by Stumptonian; 11-10-2020 at 07:28. Reason: Update added

  2. #2

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    Looks like fun, Pete. Thanks for posting.

  3. #3

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    See what you meant, very Otto und Lothar like !

    OK Where's the crash smilie gone ?

    Ah, there it is !
    Last edited by flash; 11-05-2020 at 08:13.

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

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    Speaking of Dawn Patrol, my wife an I drove down the Wirra Wirra Winery (on the Fleurieu Peninsula) for lunch and I spotted this on the chalkboard:

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    I immediately showed them the movie poster!
    Last edited by Biggles downunder; 11-03-2020 at 00:16.

  5. #5

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    Whats this 12 " measurement Seriously Pete it looks a fun one. just got to write up no 7 first. Lock down doesn't mean I have more time on my hands courtesy of SWIMBO


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by tikkifriend View Post
    Whats this 12 " measurement
    Sorry - maybe I should have said "One Foot" (as in mouth) which you metricians can convert to 305mm

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by tikkifriend View Post
    Whats this 12 " measurement ..
    Something the Brits are reverting to very soon

    "He is wise who watches"

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    Transcribed BRF to the collated thread.
    As we're back in national lockdown I might get to play this sooner than expected !

    "He is wise who watches"

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    Having played mine Friday/Saturday I think I need to change the text regarding FRTB

    Current Scenario Rules
    Aircraft on fire that are FRTB-F will attempt to exit from any edge of the No Man's Land or Friendly Territory mat – not the Enemy Territory mat.
    Aircraft forced to return to base because of Engine Damage, Wounded Pilot or Damage Limits (or by Player Choice) must exit from the long edge only of those mats.
    Once all of either side's units have exited the mat, remove all aircraft from the table and prepare for the Afternoon Sortie.

    Proposed Scenario Rules
    Aircraft on fire that are FRTB-F will attempt to exit from any edge of any mat.
    Aircraft forced to return to base because of Engine Damage, Wounded Pilot or Damage Limits (or by Player Choice) must exit from any edge of either Friendly Territory or No Man's Land

    Once all of either side's units have exited the mat, remove all aircraft from the table and prepare for the Afternoon Sortie.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I did have a situation where an enemy aircraft was FRTB-F and was near the edge at the end of Phase 3 and had plotted to exit.
    I drew the 'A' card and the flames went out, so I allowed the pilot to return to the fray with new moves plotted.
    It seemed in the best interest of the scenario at the time.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    Having played mine Friday/Saturday I think I need to change the text regarding FRTB....

    Proposed Scenario Rules
    Aircraft on fire that are FRTB-F will attempt to exit from any edge of any mat.
    Aircraft forced to return to base because of Engine Damage, Wounded Pilot or Damage Limits (or by Player Choice) must exit from any edge of either Friendly Territory or No Man's Land
    ...
    That kinda reads they can leave by any edge Pete... Or, did you mean "must exit from any edge of either Friendly Territory or No Man's Land[/I] - Whichever is friendly to them" ?

    "He is wise who watches"

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    That kinda reads they can leave by any edge Pete... Or, did you mean "must exit from any edge of either Friendly Territory or No Man's Land[/I] - Whichever is friendly to them" ?
    Basically saying they cannot leave from Enemy Territory if that mat is in play.
    My original spiel came from when I had considered using three mats - FT/NML/ET - and I missed changing when I scrapped that idea.

  12. #12

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    I've updated the BRF & the collated version Pete.
    Hope to get into this today willing !
    To reflect the bounce I'm going to have varied reaction times for my pilots from nothing to instant based on their experience, similar to what I used in the 'Bouncing with Otto und Lothar' AAR's.
    Last edited by flash; 11-10-2020 at 00:41.

    "He is wise who watches"

  13. #13

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    All sounds a bit Brexit there chaps


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  14. #14

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    My attackers kicked off from the 5 o'clock pos - found the one & a half + ruler width distance a bit too much to make up - if the target hadn't reacted & turned back they'd have avoided all contact !
    At that distance if the attackers are slower than the target - no chance; if the attackers have the same speed - no chance; if attackers are faster - some chance, so players might want to consider this & adjust the distance accordingly, and/or, have the targets fly a stall until attacked perhaps.

    "He is wise who watches"

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    Since this was meant to be a dogfight, and not an interception of recon or bombers, I assumed the targets would turn to fight the enemy - not continue straight.

  16. #16

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    Well obviously - however, it ain't much of a bounce if you can't catch up & at least stick a few rounds into it before it jinks away !

    A useful exercise though, helped me to clarify how I will do it in the future - Setting up the planes on the T is a good idea but I found it disadvantaged one of them when coming from the rear at an angle, I'm going to look at setting one up on the card & the other within the half ruler to it's best advantage. That can always be rolled for as an option.
    Another Otto & Lothar game I'm thinking..
    Last edited by flash; 11-11-2020 at 10:01.

    "He is wise who watches"

  17. #17

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    Perhaps all vectors from 3 to 9 should be at one ruler distance.


    Another thing I had considered was allowing attacks at range one to get a shot in before any movement takes place.
    I had hoped to get some discussion going when the mission was posted but hardly anyone commented at all.

  18. #18

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    It's a tricky thing to set up as a scenario I find because you have to manufacture the situation quite carefully to make it work and because what works great for one plane may not work as well for another.
    I found with my experiments so far that having the planes react after the first card works quite well - so shuffle straights and sideslips together & pick one blind as the first card; then choose the reaction cards relevant to the position of the incoming attack & use the first two if AI.
    The trickiest bit is gauging the distance the attack should start from as you have to take into account the speeds of both sides involved to get a shot in on the first or second card to effect the bounce. So far just over or just under 1 ruler works the best from the rear areas (depending on relative speeds) so your idea of reducing the range between 3 & 9 sectors may help with that.

    "He is wise who watches"

  19. #19

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    Finished my game yesterday and just did my photos for the AAR but I have to write the story yet. I had Nieuport 11 vs Halberstadts (and 1 captured Nieuport 11).

    My squadron was lucky in that the Seadogs got the initiative for both the AM and PM missions. That was a significant advantage. If the Seadogs had lost both initiative rolls it would probably have wiped out the squadron - or nearly so. Perhaps the player should have the initiative or one patrol and lose the initiative for the other patrol but maybe we need to see how some AAR go.

    The Seadogs also got the luck of the arc with a '7' for the AM and a '8' for the PM. Got a shot in on the AM bounce but not on the PM bounce but that was partly because I was playing altitude and rolled at random for relative altitude. The Seadogs were at the same height as the Adlers for the AM patrol and higher for the PM patrol - delayed diving until the 2nd phase and missed the opportunity but would have had it if the Seadog had dived on the 1st phase.

    Don't know if that helps but I thought I'd give you some feedback rather than wait for my AAR.

    The game winners were that in each patrol an Adler was FRTB early on which made it 2 on 1.

  20. #20

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    No sooner do I catch up than I start to fall behind again.

    This looks an interesting one Pete, I've cleared the table so hopefully get to it fairly soon although Mrs V and I have been spending a lot of time in Gloomhaven a board game we recently bought.
    I'm quietly hoping that this may help free her mind to the fact that a game is a game and flying airplanes is just another game that she could play. We'll see.



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