OTT Edgy Young men (EYM) Campaign Rules.
Joining Instructions:
If you are thinking of joining in this OTT BYM campaign then please read through this sticky thread.
Games can take several hours to play, as can the AAR to produce and they can involve a lot of models as well as a lot of photographs.
Gold or silver membership is required to allow for retention of images.
If you have the inventory, the required membership, agree with the rules and, as importantly, can commit the kind of time required every month over the next 12 months then:
PM Dave (flash) which side you wish to fly for and produce a list of pilot/crew names you have prepared.
You will need 6 starting scout pilots (P) & 3 complete tandem crews (P2 & O) to start.
There will be four games to each campaign month eg 5th, 10th, 15th, 25th October but we will only play 1 game a month.
This means that for the 3 months of the period we campaign we'll get 12 months of gaming, we also get longer use of some of the kit. This also affects injury times for pilots and crew and there may be breaks in summer & at Christmas.
Dave will provide a roster of opposition pilots all of which are linked through this thread.
General Rules:
This is not a historical recreation of the WW1 air war - it is a game, played along general historical lines.
There will be at least two squadrons, a British and a German on the Western Front, 'The British Bulldogs', 52 Sqn RFC, and 'The Kaisers Eagles', that'll become known as Jasta 24 for the purposes of our campaign.
(Though we have opened it up for players to be whatever nationality Bulldog, or, Eagle they wish on whichever front against their local opposition in the past that tends not to work out so well for some scenarios created).
These units are fighter squadrons and the scenarios will be based around their actions as their tandem units are hived off as separate units but still under the banner of Bulldogs/Eagles and co-located with them on their home field.
The British Tandem unit will be known as 57 Sqn, the Eagles tandem unit will become known as FF(A) 245 (bending history a little) and will be used where required as bait/targets etc for scenario purposes.
Players will enlist in their chosen side naming their pilots and crews and using aeroplanes from their collection. Each pilot will be given a roster of opposition pilots to fly against and feature in their stories, unless they opt out.
The start of this Campaign is 1st January 1917, the intent is to run to end of March 1917 with four scenarios per campaign month so a collection of early war types for that period will be essential.
This will result in 12 months of gaming.
Each month a mission scenario is posted by one of the players, prefix BRF. Players use their pilots to complete the mission, sometimes with & always against AI pilots, using whatever aircraft they like that were possibly available by that date (see post #6). They then write an AAR with photos and post it in the sub-forum with the prefix AAR.
All that is asked is that you play the scenario set; within the rules & write the AAR using the title & date of the scenario (makes it easier to compile the collection).The reports should be written with "WW1 flavour" so that the story of your squadron members grows as the missions pile up over time and the scenarios should be played with sincerity, an eye for drama and fluff !
Note, if you're writing a scenario try not to create something that requires additions to the roster - like a dozen extra pilots or crews.
Please do not to use the image method for your BRF or AAR's, they can be hard to read, they create more work to transfer and if we get hacked again, or you delete them for any reason, the scenario will be lost & nothing is left for posterity.
Wings of Glory rules will apply along with some OTT Campaign house rules (below).
Solo Rules will be used for the AI pilots. There are a number available in the files.
(Richard Bradleys Advanced 'solo' charts developed by Blackronin will be used for AI aircraft; 2nd Gen charts; the universal diceless system ; Dave's D8 AI solo charts...) Solo Charts here in files
If you fail to post for three consecutive months it is presumed you have withdrawn from the campaign unless you PM flash otherwise and your roster will be hidden. Your pilots & stats will be left untouched in case you return but your opposition pilots may be removed & used to replace the fallen for other players.
The idea is to have fun & tell your new mates about it in tales of your pilots derring-do and images. The campaign rules are the baseline arrived at following a number of lengthy campaigns, experience tells that we will all do it slightly differently but at least we'll all start in the same place, use the same ace abilities, roll on the same result tables.
Forum Medals are awarded at the end of the campaign.
The OTT House Rules:
For this campaign some of your pilot and crews will be given an inherent ace skill that can be used once per game & will be the first ace skill they achieve. (there are a couple of skills that are de facto full skills, you don't gain a second skill for achieving ace) These skills will be randomly assigned by Uncle from the OTT Ace Skills below and will appear dark grey in the roster until the full skill is achieved when it will become black.
Pilot management: We use the OTT spreadsheet for personnel and opponents. Click on: Entente or Central Powers
Dave (flash) will be the only gamer allowed to make entries/changes - any issues PM him !
Pilot usage:
It is usual, unless stated otherwise in the scenario, that you only fly as one of your pilots in a mission, everything else is handled by the AI. Of course, you may need to take over another pilot if yours is downed during a mission, or, to handle something specific for a few moves that the AI can't always cope with, like bombing, photographing, landing.
The reason is mostly to represent the lack of comms in the air and to counter the God like overview a player has of a battle field.
You will have enemy pilots assigned to you (found lower down your sides roster) that you can assign to enemy aircraft as you wish - but - please use scout pilots for scouts and tandem crews for the two-seater's - as their medals/awards are tallied differently. If you think you don't have enough pilots/crew PM flash and more will be assigned.
At the end of a game you work out the tally for all the pilots, both yours and your enemy, & Uncle (flash) will check the result before adding it to the roster.
Butchers Tally:
All will use the Butchers Tally format for all pilots involved at the end of your AAR (regardless of photos) in this format:
Pilots name & aircraft identifier / what happened to them & where / injuries (if any) / Victories or not & Probable's if any
eg: Lt Stan Deasey: DH.2 #4 - EXP-ET / WIA / 1 Kill (Goering) & Probable FRTB-D (Udet)
Please note - All on one line, no job titles, no medals, no shorthand, no notice of damage in the example
Use this to help calculate what happens to them & write it out eg:
Lt Stan Deasey: DH.2 #4 - EXP-ET / WIA / 1 Kill (Goering) & Probable FRTB-D (Udet)
Crash: Rolled 9 -3EXP -1WIA = 5 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 3 = Skip 2
E&E: Rolled 12 -1EXP -1BEL -1WIA -1WIC = 8 Landed almost home! - Skip 1 Scenario. Total Skips 2
Tally Glossary:
RTB- Returned to base
FRTB - Forced Return To Base
SD - Shot down
EXP - Shot down Boom card
COL - Downed by Collision
FLM - Shot down flamer
WIA - Wounded
KIA - Killed
FT - Friendly Territory
ET - Enemy Territory
NML - No Mans Land
BEL - Behind Enemy Lines
DRK - Darkness
SEA - Sea, or, other water landing. (well someone's bound to !)
Failure to do so will result in your being cursed roundly by Uncle..
All tallies will be checked & kills confirmed on the roster by my alter ego "Uncle" or "Onkel" or "Oncle" or "Oom" depending which side you are on !
Victories: There will be no shared kills in OTT campaigns. (If in doubt who got the kill, ie two or more aircraft could have finished the target aircraft in the same phase then the nearest aircraft is adjudged to have fired first & gets the kill).
This also applies to two-seater crew. Only the shooter is credited. Whilst not historically accurate their actual kill count will be !
Ace Abilities: We use the amended Ace Abilities as shown in the post below. An inherent, one use, ace skill will be given randomly to some of your roster, that is the first ace skill they'll achieve. Further ace abilities will be earned with victories. Fifth time's a charm !
Explosion Card: Explosion cards are expected to be played. The pilots and crews survival, or not, will be determined by rolling dice using the Resolution Crashes/Wounds table in post 2 of this thread !
The Critical Hits Deck (available in the files section) may be used for 'colour'.
AI Special Damage: Unlike it's stated in RB's rules in OTT all special damage for the AI applies - if it suffers rudder damage then either turn it the other way or sub in a straight or other card ie do whatever is best for that aircraft at that time. Same with engine damage - just sub one move with a stall; same with fire, do whatever you think is best for the AI machine. Be the I in AI !
Morale:
All aircraft will actively engage until they are:
a. Within 3 of destruction, or,
b. Within 5 of destruction if on fire, or,
c. The pilot’s wounded on A deck 5 or B deck 3 (includes those with strong constitution) or,
d. The engine is damaged,
They will then disengage and head for the barn at best speed taking whatever evasive manoeuvres are necessary for survival, and shots at targets of opportunity - that's something in range crossing their nose !
If possible leave the board at the nearest friendly edge but in dire circumstances they may just need to escape the battle area so any edge will do (unless stated otherwise in BRF) - they could also dive/over dive out of combat, of course, and head for friendly territory but they should still react to enemy aircraft actions - not fly dumb without any reaction to being shot up. Be the I in AI & do what is best in the situation given.
Wounded pilots:
Wounded pilots bugging out - Rather than they just go we use the damage number to dictate the result ie the potential severity of the wound. So,on a Wounded Pilot A deck hit of 5 or B deck hit of 3 the pilots head for home but on a Wounded Pilot A deck 3 or B deck 1 they will stay in the fight. This means your pilots may fight on in spite of a wound, or, equally, may push off home. The cards will decide.
Two pilot wounds – if your pilot receives a second wound, he is not immediately killed. He is, however, shot down and the appropriate post game results applied to combat die rolls ie 2WIA (+ appropriate EXP/FLM/SD)
Collisions:
If models are at the same level and a base cannot be placed because it overlaps central peg of the other aircraft a collision occurs: 1 C damage card to each aircraft involved. NB: Other than the Explosion card Special Damage is ignored.
Option: Those who wish to use the resolve collision cards may do so.
Altitude:
Scenario will be written without altitude in mind - those who wish to play with altitude may add that dimension to their game if they to wish using whatever altitude rules they prefer.
2nd AAR:
If you post a second (or more) AAR from the same scenario your pilots are still at risk and any results from enemy action stand but any kills you score are counted as probables i.e. Unconfirmed kills. So make sure the first one you post is the one you want counted.
Optional Rules:
Lewis Gun Restrictions:
Lewis guns had 97 Round pan mag from Nov 1916 to equip all squadrons. RoF is 500-600 Rpm; or 8-10 Rps - that's 10-12 sec in a 97 drum. In the game that's 6 rounds of shooting for the 97 rd pan before you have to reload. (At close range that's 12 cards of damage with +1s where appropriate)
For those with a fixed over-wing weapon eg N.17, SE5/a, it takes 3 moves (1 GT) to reload their Lewis Gun
For cockpit mounted weapons, or, over-wing models with Foster mounts (eg RFC N.17, SE5s) it takes 3 moves (1 GT) to reload the Lewis Gun but they are restricted to non steep moves to do so.
Parabellum MG14 Restriction:
Parabelllum MG had 200 round drum mags, RoF is 700rpm, or, 11.6 rps - that's (very roughly) 18 sec of ammo per drum. In the game that's 9 phases of shooting per drum before you have to reload. (At close range that's 18 cards of damage with +1s where appropriate, or, nearly half a B deck !
Rudder Jams:
Play the Rudder Jam damage as normal, ie no move in that direction for 1 game turn, then remove one L or R turn as appropriate from the manoeuvre deck for the rest of the game (and a one appropriate sharp turn if aircraft has one); damage is cumulative. This is a house rule but it adds a permanence to the damage and is representing reduced rudder efficiency.
Clarification: Sideslips are not counted as turns for removal in this rule; Only 1 turn card removed per damage unless the aircraft has an appropriate sharp turn then it is 2 turn cards, one long, one sharp.
Wounded Pilot:
In addition to the usual rules a pilot taking a wound will, in his whole next turn, fly the same manoeuvre that he was flying when he took the hit (eg if he was turning left he will play 3 left turns) and will be unable to shoot.
He will begin the next turn with a straight and again will not be able to shoot but after that card he can play whatever card he likes & shoot as current restrictions allow. If he was wounded whilst playing a card that would make an illegal move when played three at a time then it is considered he has spun away from the battle out of control & come to in time to save his aircraft & get home. This is a house rule, it reflects the impact of taking a wound & getting it back together.
Wounded Observer:
Option for obs/recon/bomb missions:
a. You knock him down for the remainder of the turn he is hit in.
b. He stays down the whole next turn.
c. He returns to action at the beginning of the next turn with these penalties applied:
ie 4 move gun jam & not after steep moves, Split S, Immelmann, climb cards.
d. A second hit and observer is incapacitated for the rest of the game.
Gun Jams:
Suggested optional rule for twin mounted guns.
Playing the guns as separate guns on a twin mount, as Andrea has already provided as an 'unofficial' optional rule, are a must to make it viable, playing with single guns it may be a spoiler.
It allows for easy fix 1 & 4 jams to be quickly cleared in a single phase, a 2 fixable jam cleared in 3 phases (hammer); a 3 & 2 unfixable jam stops it for the game.
See this link for types of stoppage
In an A deck a Red 0/GJ could signify a 3 or 2 unfixable jam,
a Green 0/GJ, or, Green 2/GJ could be #1, or, #4 type jams taking one phase to fix.
The Red 2/GJ could be a fixable #2 jam that takes three phases to fix.
In a B deck the two Red 0/GJ could signify a #3 or #2 unfixable jam,
the two Green 0/GJ, or, Green 1/GJ could be #1, or, #4 type jams taking one phase to fix.
The red 1/GJ could be a fixable #2 jam that takes three phases to fix.
Simplifying this to put it in a nutshell:
A deck: Red 0GJ is an unfixable jam; Green 0GJ or 2GJ is a 1 phase fix; Red 2GJ is a 3 phase fix.
B deck: Red 0GJ is an unfixable jam; Green 0GJ or 1GJ is a 1 phase fix; Red 1GJ is a 3 phase fix.
This keeps it within the existing framework without introducing dice or the multiple reasons why a jam could happen.
Both guns are also jammed if two gun jam cards are received in a single phase, or, a second jam card shows in a subsequent phase.
Altitude for AI: Should you want to play a scenario using official altitude rules then this simple mechanic can be employed for the AI pilots (by you playing the I) to get them on terms with their adversary. :
AI pilots can react to the upward or downward movement of another aircraft by using the next straight it draws to substitute a dive card, or, the next straight or steep drawn to substitute a climb card; unless they have engine damage, in which case only straights may be converted into climb cards. The AI can climb until they're an altitude level above its target if so wished to gain advantage.
Bomb Loads:
Option for bombing missions - rather than using cards, ensure your target has a sensible value given.
Machine ------------------- Payload Kg / lb -------------------- Damage full load / half load
RAF BE2 - 100 / 224 ---------------------------------------------------- 11pts / 5pts
RAF FE2b - 235 / 517 ----------------------------------------------------26pts / 13pts
Sopwith 1½ Strutter (Two Seat) - 60 / 130 --------------------------- 6pts / 3pts
Sopwith 1½ Strutter (Single Seat) - 120 /260 ----------------------- 13pts / 6pts
Albatros C.III - 90 / 200 ----------------------------------------------- 10pts / 5pts
Rumpler C.I - 100 / 220 ----------------------------------------------- 11pts / 5pts
LFG Roland C.II - 50 / 110 ---------------------------------------------- 6pts / 3pts
Voisin III 150 / 330 ----------------------------------------------------- 16pts / 8pts
Near Miss is counted as half the damage rounded down.
How To Bomb !
Not an option:
Please remember to use the Butchers Tally format at the end of your AAR as it makes the admin much easier:
Pilots name / what happened to them & where / injuries / Victories or not & Probables, if any
eg: Lt Stan Deasey: SD-ET / WIA 0 Kills & 1 probable FRTB-D (Udet)
Use this to help calculate what happens to them & write it out eg:
Lt Stan Deasey: DH.2 #4 - SD-ET / WIA 1 Kill (Goering) & Probable FRTB-D (Udet)
Crash: Rolled 9 -1SD -1WIA = 7 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 3 = Skip 2
E&E: Rolled 12 -1BEL -1WIA -1WIC = 9 Didn't even see me! Total Skips 2
Doing this will help me out greatly as the calculation can be quickly checked and corrected if required
RTB- Returned to base
FRTB - Forced return to base
SD - Shot down
EXP - Shot down Boom card
COL - Downed by Collision
FLM - Shot down flamer
WIA - Wounded in Action (ie shot)
WIC - Wounded in Crash
KIA - Killed
FT - Friendly Territory
ET - Enemy Territory
NML - No Mans Land
BEL - Behind Enemy Lines
DRK - Darkness
SEA - Sea, or, other water landing. (well someone's bound to !)
Note: Failure to do so will result in your game stats going unrecorded, kills unconfirmed
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