DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Airbattle Games
HTML https://airbattle.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: IGNORE: Wing Leader Playtest Archive
*****************************************************
#Post#: 917--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 16, 2019, 7:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Scenario: E22 Mediterranean Melee
Version: v0.6
Playtesters: Dave Demko solitaire
Report: The P-38 escorts broke the German interceptors quickly
enough to re-form as escorts. The Fw 190 flight tried to hit the
lead B-25 the turn before it bombed but was brushed off by a
successful reaction. All three B-25 sqdns bombed the Aux for 0%.
The escort P-38s attacked the transports with one successful
reaction by the German escorts. The P-38 sweep wing split two of
its squadrons and engaged all four transports. The fight became
a four-square conga-line melee in which the P-38s hit hard but
broke early. No transports were broken. Flak from the destroyer
was effective, inflicing -1 modifiers on two of the bombers.
Because the B-25s are assigned Bombing, not Strafing, missions,
I did not let them shoot up the destroyer; they flew over, took
their lumps, and saved their bombs for the Aux. Losses (though
they don't count for VPs) were 10 P-38s, 3 B-25s (all from
flak), 5 Bf 109s (1 from friendly flak), 2 Me 210s, 1 Bf 110, 9
Ju 52s, 0 Fw 190s. In sum, the US had very good luck against the
interceptors, very bad luck bombing the shipping, and bad luck
on cohesion rolls. The game was over with the transports still
in columns E through H.
Victory: decided in 9 turns, with 4 VP for unbroken transports +
1 VP for an unscratched Aux = 5 for a massive German victory.
Axis forces remain in Africa and consider a punitive expedition
against Rick's Café Américain.
Recommendations: (editorial) The order of battle shows the Bf
109s and Me 210s as interceptors, though the special rules still
refer to them as CAP. "CAP" is left over from version 0.5 (and
earlier) of the scenario. The special rules don't mention that
the surface is sea. No scenario adjustment recommendations now
because this playing was an outlier. It is good that the
aircraft are spaced out about right to give both sides dilemmas
about which targets to engage (or protect). Maybe if the Aux
were further back, the US would have to think harder about
protecting them and the Germans would have a tougher choice
about what to do with their fighters over on the right.
#Post#: 918--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: pilotofficerprune Date: January 17, 2019, 2:19 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Good catch on the CAP. I'll take a look at the VP outcomes in my
spreadsheet over the weekend and see where we are on that.
Good to hear the spacing is working out better.
Note that the definition of sea has been removed from the second
edition as superfluous.
Do you need to test again or are you happy to sign off?
#Post#: 938--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 17, 2019, 12:13 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Lee, I want to give it another go and see how the balance feels
without weird runs of hot and cold dice. It also occurred to me
that setting up the transports and their escorts another square
or two to the left might sharpen the decisions both sides have
to make with their fighters.
#Post#: 940--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: pilotofficerprune Date: January 17, 2019, 4:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Give that a try and see what happens.
#Post#: 958--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 18, 2019, 10:21 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
> Give that a try and see what happens.
Will do. I have already done another run-through of the scenario
as written and will post that first.
#Post#: 959--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 18, 2019, 10:25 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Scenario: E22 Mediterranean Melee
Version: v0.6
Playtesters: Dave Demko solitaire
Report: A second playing of the scenario as written, this time
with more even luck, though the P-38s slightly underperformed
the statistical mean for shooting and cohesion. Luck did not
swing hard in either side's favor. Both sides considered the
transports more important than the bombers and surface targets.
That means the US escort reacted with only one squadron to
protect the B-25s, and the intercepting Bf 109s tallied the
escorts, not the bombers, in the hope of degrading the US
air-to-air capability. The Me 210s went after the B-25s but
disengaged, I see in hindsight, one turn too early. The P-38
wing again used orders and splits to attack all four transports,
though the Germans managed one successful reaction. By turn 12
the only unbroken fighter unit was one P-38 flight which had
already shot up and Broken a transport squadron. If it hadn't
blown its last-chance tally attempt, it would have had one turn
of unopposed fire on another, unbroken transport. The B-25s
bombed moderately well, 0%, 25%, 10%--well enough to inflict 6
hits on the Aux and deny the Axis a VP.
Victory: 3 VP for transports, 0 VP for shipping, yielding a Draw
in 12 turns
Recommendations: The Draw seems like a fair representation of
the outcome. It was touch-and-go for both sides, tense and
undecided till the end. I like it. I think the scenario's
balance is validated and will survive a few quirky dice results.
Shifting the Ju 52s and their escorts one column left at setup
time would make decisions in the mid-game more tense, but it
might give the Axis too much advantage. I will try that next. (A
similar effect is possible by having the 82nd FG fly onto the
board rather than having its lead squadron set up in Column A.)
#Post#: 991--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: pilotofficerprune Date: January 19, 2019, 4:41 am
---------------------------------------------------------
That's good. Please try with the set-up shift, but unless it
makes a notable improvement we may keep the set-up as-is. The
history of this scenario has been to generally increase the
separation of the two raids.
#Post#: 1015--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 19, 2019, 11:52 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Scenario: E22 Mediterranean Melee
Version: v0.6
Playtesters: Dave Demko solitaire
Report: I varied the scenario from as-written by setting up the
transports in V1 to Y1. The German interceptors divided their
effort between plinking bombers and messing with the escort
P-38s, forcing one dogfight. But they accomplished little toward
either goal. The B-25s took only 1 straggler from flak and
bombed the Aux for 10 Hits (10%, 0%, 50%). The Americans blew
two important tally rolls and the Germans blew one. The dice
didn't skew toward either side. One fighter squadron from each
side broke in their virgin combats. The P-38 wing leader failed
to tally the transport formation, and then the escorting Bf 110s
tallied the wing leader and made a head-on attack. That attack
yielded two kills and a disruption against the Bf 110s, but
their sacrifice ruined the Americans' opportunity to issue
orders. The fight among the transports was wild, with lots of
tally switching, late reactions, and tricky flying. The ending
was a photo finish. With only three potential turns to shoot at
transports, the one unbroken P-38 squadron broke two Ju 52s
squadrons.
Victory: 2 VP for two unbroken transports exited, for an
American victory
Recommendations: This run-through played out differently from my
last one, but it was still tight and exciting, a nail-biter.
Based on this playing, I'm pretty confident that the one-column
shift of the transports doesn't ruin play balance. It adds a bit
excitement because it gives the German escorts a one-pip
advantage on their tally rolls if they want to break away from
escort duty and go after the American sweep squadrons. The
difference, though, is minor. With or without the shift, the
scenario has good variability. Big questions for the Axis are
how aggressive to be against the B-25s and how best to protect
the transports. The Americans can opt to neglect bomber
protection to have tons of fighters to throw against the
transports, but that's a gamble. So I'm ready to sign off on
this one as written.
#Post#: 1018--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: pilotofficerprune Date: January 20, 2019, 2:05 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Okay, I have shifted the Ju 52 start one column left and will
update the book later today.
At this stage I'm happy to sign off on your say-so.
#Post#: 1034--------------------------------------------------
Re: E22 Mediterranean Melee
By: Okmed Date: January 20, 2019, 10:04 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Fair enough. As I say, the difference is small. And while I've
been playing solo, I do have the benefit of a local kibitzer.
The consensus of two is that the scenario has good variability.
Onward to Origins.
*****************************************************
DIR Previous Page
DIR Next Page