STARTING A GAME – An alternative.
Background
Whilst this scenario is basically a simple dogfight, the opening is prompted by a Thread on the Forum about what is going to be offered at Prague this year, and in particular by comments made in that thread about starting games with two lines of planes facing each other. [The Thread is “Attack from the Sun - a Wings of Prague 2022 scenario” in WGF Mission Discussions.]
This is my attempt at a simple alternative to two lines of planes facing each other. The original plan was modified in two ways by feedback from the other participants. This is the final version that we used for the game.
Set-up
A D6 die for each plane is required in addition to the usual miniature and manoeuvre deck.
Each player can choose from where their plane begins the game and when it begins.
Where
To do this a player chooses one of his manoeuvre cards and places it face down anywhere on the playing surface in the orientation he chooses. Any manoeuvre card can be chosen including an Immelmann.
Following feedback, it was intended that all players put all the selected manoeuvre cards down at the same time. However, that didn’t happen, because one player was a bit slow in putting his down. As it happened, he didn’t get any advantage from that. One of his planes was the first to take damage!
At the start of play for each plane, the player turns the manoeuvre card over and plays that manoeuvre as its first manoeuvre.
When
The player then decides at what point his plane will join in the action. The plane may start on any manoeuvre in the first six of the game. To indicate their choices, all players will select a number from 1 to 6 facing up on the die for that plane. The die will be hidden under a plastic cup or some other suitable cover. This will be the manoeuvre on which that plane starts in the game.
For example, if a player chooses a 1 on his die, his plane will start on the first manoeuvre of the first turn (which is the first manoeuvre of the game). If a player chooses a 5 on his die, his plane will start the game on the second manoeuvre of the second turn.
If a player needs to fly two aircraft for the balance of the game, he will need a die for each plane.
In our game, two planes started on the third manoeuvre (the last one of the first turn), one plane started on the fifth manoeuvre, and one plane left it to the last moment and started on the sixth manoeuvre.
Game
This game is a dogfight between an equal number of Fokker DrIs and Sopwith Camels. The number of planes will depend on the number of players available. It proceeded as usual after the different start.
Photographs show the starting positions. (I’m sure you have seen pictures of DrIs and Camels duelling, so we didn’t take any of them.)
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