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Thread: OTT-BYM - Mission 12 - Run For Home - December 27th 1916 - by flash

  1. #1

    Default OTT-BYM - Mission 12 - Run For Home - December 27th 1916 - by flash

    After a long drawn out scrap deep into Hunland the chaps are headed home in various states of disrepair for an evening of frivolity & frolics ahead of their squadron being sent back to Blighty for a well earned rest and recuperation. The job had been to flush out the Hun patrols ahead of the tandem as it made a recon and escort the same back to base.
    All went well, the Huns were seen off, the necessary pics were obtained, the tandem signalled he was done; now all they had to do was get home in one piece...



    Mission:
    Bulldogs - protect the tandem & get everyone home
    Eagles - stop them achieving their mission !

    Set up:
    Trenches & countryside mats if you have them, left & right respectively.

    Forces:

    Bulldogs - 1 tandem, 3 randomly selected scouts, all bearing randomly drawn A deck damage of value greater than 1.
    Select scouts randomly how you like, or, use this format or similar with your own models if it helps:
    Roll D8 -
    2,5,8 = Nieuport 17 (one may be A deck gunned if more than one appears)
    7 = Spad VII
    4,3 = Sopwith Pup
    1,6 = Sopwith Triplane (one may be A deck gunned !)

    Draw damage cards until total is over one.
    Should you be unfortunate enough to draw any special damage - resolve it before the start.
    If it's a boom it counts as half the planes start damage rounded up; if fire damage, draw the 3 cards.
    Should a wound be drawn on the tandem & the observer hit play the Wounded Observer option with these penalties applied:
    ie 4 move gun jam & no shoot after steep moves (Split S, Immelmann). A second hit and observer is incapacitated for the rest of the game.

    Eagles - 3 scouts, also bearing randomly drawn A deck damage of value greater than 1.
    Select scouts randomly how you like, or, use this format or similar with your own models if it helps:
    Roll D8 -
    Halb D.III – 2,5
    Fok D.III – 8 (or any odd Fokker other than yourselves!)
    Alb D.II – 3,6
    Alb D.III – 1,4,7

    Draw damage cards until total is over one as above.

    Deployment:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Bulldogs start on the right hand edge in a scattered open formation, using a D6 randomly roll for each planes position.
    Scouts start with their base rear edge on the edge of the mat, the tandem with it's base rear edge 1/2 ruler inboard.
    Only one scout per slot (16.3cm), though one may be in the same slot as the tandem, which I suggest can be started in slot 3 or 4 to keep it in the centre of the table if preferred.


    Eagles start top, or, bottom of the mats, randomly roll their positions on a D6, only one scout per slot:
    1 - Top in second half of countryside mat
    2 - Top in first half of trenches mat
    3 - Top in second half of trenches mat
    4 - Bottom in second half of trenches mat
    5 - Bottom in first half of trenches mat
    6 - Bottom in second half of countryside mat

    Modifiers:
    Crash landing anywhere on the trenches mat is always bumpy and counts as NML for purposes of C/W rolls, though counted as friendly territory (FT) for E&E purposes if the model's put down behind the rearmost trenches of the relevant side.
    These are roughly marked with orange lines in the photo but I'm sure you'll work out what's behind friendly lines if you need to !
    As always if you're in FT there's no need to roll E&E !

    Altitude:
    Starting at Alt 3 for both sides to keep out of range of trenches as they cross / fly along them.

    Limited Ammo:
    Having been in action already both sides have limited ammo.
    Ammo = 2 +D3 bursts.
    Each plane will have at least 3 - 5 bursts max. Holding fire for close range shooting may be an idea to maximise their effect.

    Victory Points:
    Each Bulldog plane that makes it home (over the left edge) +2pts
    Tandem downed +3pts
    Each enemy scout downed +2pts
    Each enemy FRTB +1pt
    (Eagles FRTB can leave any open side of the countryside mat)

    Hopefully this makes sense and will provide an entertaining match up !

    It is unashamedly Bulldog oriented but if any of you Eagle chaps wanted to reverse the roles then please have at it.

    If there are too many models for your liking feel free to downscale the forces, or, if you feel like throwing all in you can do that too. If time is an issue then set a time limit so that the Eagles break off due to lack of fuel and see how the mop flops.
    Last edited by flash; 07-30-2022 at 11:38.

    "He is wise who watches"

  2. #2

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    Nice one Dave, I do like Asymmetric games and this could turn out to be one. I finished my new backboards yesterday just in time.
    Cheers

  3. #3

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    Thanks John, look forward to seeing your take on it & the new boards.

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

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    Addendum - I've been playing this today and suggest that you might want to start the tandem in either the 3 or 4 slot as mine started in the 1 slot and, because of the way the Eagles appeared, ended up with quite a free run home.
    I also had a brain fart and rolled the ammo as D3 +1. This, however, still worked pretty well. I also fielded all my remaining scout pilots for both sides so quite a shindig in the end. I will of course be posting the AAR as soon as possible.

    "He is wise who watches"

  5. #5

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    Sounds quite a show. Can't wait for the AAR.

    Out of curiosity, doesn't limited ammunition make it easier for the returning pilots to score as all they have to do is fly off the table, whilst the interceptors have to shoot them down to score.

  6. #6

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    You say that like it's a bad thing, Gary !
    The limited ammo has little impact in reality as getting more than a handful of shots with one machine in any game is unusual, it depends more on what damage is drawn with the few hits scored but I was trying to reward & encourage protecting the tandem & escaping over milling about for ages offering up victories.

    "He is wise who watches"

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    You say that like it's a bad thing, Gary !
    I'd say the same thing if the boot was on the other foot so to speak.

    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    The limited ammo has little impact in reality as getting more than a handful of shots with one machine in any game is unusual, it depends more on what damage is drawn with the few hits scored but I was trying to reward & encourage protecting the tandem & escaping over milling about for ages offering up victories.
    Completely understood, and I'll play it that way when I get round to the mission.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    You say that like it's a bad thing, Gary !
    The limited ammo has little impact in reality as getting more than a handful of shots with one machine in any game is unusual, it depends more on what damage is drawn with the few hits scored but I was trying to reward & encourage protecting the tandem & escaping over milling about for ages offering up victories.
    I have played this mission out and can concur with Dave in that only a limited number of shots were taken (mostly at long range) so didn’t really have much effect with only one plane running out of ammo. The initial damage was more of an issue with mine with one aircraft taking 10 out of 12 damage (Pup) due to fire but have worked this into the story. In any case, this machine left the field with it’s two points still intact despite the attentions of a D.III. Another plane had a 5 + Pilot wound which again hampered the plane but only when firing (steep) and as they had limited shots anyway probably helped it. The game ended with only one machine shot down (boom) and one leaving FRTB due to damage (I assume random initial damage counts for FRTB too, Dave?)

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Baz View Post
    ..(I assume random initial damage counts for FRTB too, Dave?)
    Yep, that's how I played it, bit frustrating but adds to the drama a bit.

    "He is wise who watches"



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