DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Airbattle Games
HTML https://airbattle.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: IGNORE: Wing Leader Playtest Archive
*****************************************************
#Post#: 1353--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: pilotofficerprune Date: February 1, 2019, 2:54 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Great AAR.
Interesting use of the escape rolls there, Scott. Were the
failures just bad rolls, or were they low-odds attempts to
escape? How many escape rolls did you try?
I'm going to parse both yours and Kevin's AARs tomorrow. I don't
yet have a view on what changes or tweaks will be made, but at a
minimum I might look at adjusting the victory levels.
#Post#: 1364--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: ScottKey Date: February 1, 2019, 9:34 am
---------------------------------------------------------
The I-16s only had one chance at an escape roll and missed the
roll (needed a 2, rolled a 4) . The Ishaks then dived into the
haze where they were intercepted from straight above by the
remaining flight of Zeros. They then spent two more turns
headed back towards there friendly board edge unable to attempt
an escape roll. If yhey had climbed pr dived towards the
Japanese board edge they could have made several more escape
rolls.
The Ishaks were going to be able to keep the Japanese at bay
until they had to turn back since they cannot escape off of the
Japanese edge.
#Post#: 1371--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: ScottKey Date: February 1, 2019, 1:30 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Scenario: Enter the Zero (02/01/2019)
Version: 0.1
Playtesters:
Scott Key, solitaire
Report:
IJN set up the experte flight facing left (though there was a
small risk it might never tally and would exit the left board
edge) in front of the Chaikas (I6) and immediately above and
behind them (E8). The intention was to maximize Kuomintang
casualties but the Chinese actions created many points of
confusion where the Zero flights had to choose whether to pursue
a victim into a position where it would be useless if it
maintained cohesion after destroying the enemy squadron, or to
keep in range of the bombers. The right choice would have been
to focus on kills exclusively but that isn’t what the Zeros did.
The Chinese set up their vectors in such a way as to widely
separate their aircraft by altitude and give at least one of
three a real chance of intercepting. The intention here was that
whichever squadrons were intercepted could then either keep the
Zeros away from the others or allow one other to join the fight
and get the +1 for multiple squadrons. Two Chinese squadrons
(one I-16, one I-15) placed vectors that would allow them to get
above the Zeros and negate any out-of the -sun or diving
benefits. The hope was that one or both of the Zero flights
would be pulled so far away from the other squadrons as to make
it nearly impossible to catch them and to maximize any escape
attempts.
One I-15 squadron dived low into the haze (altitude 2) followed
by a tallied Zero flight. Another I-15 sqn which had a tally on
the Zeros was then able to bounce the Zeros. The modifiers
worked out to -1/+1 which was the best the Chinese would ever
get but both Chinese squadrons lost an aircraft and one broke
with the other disrupting. The fight continued (after a failed
Chinese attempt to start a dogfight) with one I-15 squdron
moving away while the remaining squadron turned left and
continued to fight the Zero (which had shifted it’s tally to the
disrupted squadron). The Zeros took a loss and the Chaikas a
straggler and broke. The Zeros then made the (bad) decision to
drop their tally and try and assist the bombers.
[*NOTE: I went back later and played it out as if the Zeros
pursued the broken Chaikas. In that case there was one more
round of combat and three more I-15s were downed. This brought
the Japanese total to +22 with a net of : +18]
The I-16s got two rounds of combat in against the middle
squadron of Rikkos. In the first one Rikko was downed and a
straggler was inflicted on the Ishaks. Both squadrons maintained
good order. On the second round the IJN experte squadron joined
the fight inflicting a loss and a straggler but taking a loss
itself. Both fighter squadrons broke and the bombers disrupted.
Escapes: 1 green I-15 Sqn (disrupted) by exiting friendly board
edge, 2 I-15 Sqns by escape (roll & allowed, see * above
however), 1 I-16 Sqn (roll)
Japanese:
+4 vps fighters killed (2x I-15, 2x I-16); +12 vps good order
bombers exited; +3 vps disrupted bombers exited (+19 vps)
Chinese:
-2vps fighters killed; -2vps bomber killed (-4 vps)
Victory: Chinese
Total: +15 vps (or +18 *see above)
Recommendations:
This was, obviously a better strategy for the Chinese. I think
the key is to either widely scatter and force the Japanese to
give up the possibility of going after more than one squadron or
to clump so that the Zeros are always involved with at least 2
squadrons with both clumps being far apart.
Even though it seems a cop out, after this second playing I am
not seeing any needed changes. The scenario will reward a player
who puts some forethought into things and can optimize the
options presented by using a tally as a way to free move and vex
the enemy. The haze presents a nice opportunity to escape.
#Post#: 1372--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: ScottKey Date: February 1, 2019, 1:37 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Also, special rule two speaks of “Chinese Flights” when
squadrons is what is meant
#Post#: 1382--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: pilotofficerprune Date: February 2, 2019, 1:32 am
---------------------------------------------------------
For the next iteration i'll correct the special rule typo, but I
shall move the victory levels by 1 VP, based on the new average
outputs.
Are you ready to sign off on this one, Scott?
#Post#: 1385--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: Kevin Date: February 2, 2019, 4:09 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Scenario: O07 Enter the Zero
Version: v0.1
Playtesters: Solo
Report: Final report! Starting positions:
I-16 Zero Zero (w/Experte)
Game 5: G8 K10 K9
Both Zero's tallied leading I-15's. Rolling for lower flight
first, and assuming he tallies, then the higher flight can tally
the squadron in F6 with only a 1 being a fail. I prefer the
frontal attack, though Scott's AARs give some food for thought
in putting one in front and one behind. The Japanese being on
radios is a nice advantage. In fact the Japanese have every
advantage in this game but need to score big.
The I-16 got a tally on K9 on turn 1, so followed him into the
plunging dive attack. Both sides did little damage in the
fight, but I decided an IJN dogfight would tie up half the
interceptors at a go. This was successful though IJN only
downed 3 fighters over the following turns. All squadrons broke
from this battle in the end, so that was that.
K10 got the bounce on a green I-15 but losses were light. This
time I thought it best as Chinese to lock IJN into a dogfight so
the remaining I-15 could go for his shots on the bomber. The
I-15 eventually broke and suffered a further set of losses in
one turn of pursuit by IJN.
The remaining I-15 caught up with the bombers on Turn 5, which
was a whiff. Turn 6, I decided (perhaps poorly) to maximize
chances of getting hits by having a turning fight at +1/+0.
However, the rolls were low and drm for the IJN in a turning
fight helped to score 1 loss and 1 straggler to the I-15, which
then broke after combat.
Victory: IJN bombing IJN KIAs Chi KIAs Total
Game 5: 18 (all intact) 8 0
26VPs IJN Win!
Luck: First turn IJN shots were poor but then so were the
Chinese. In the end, it really came down to how the bomber
pursuit squadron would fare.
Recommendations: Signing this one off! I agree with Scott
that the results will reward good planning if the dice don't go
screwy. A great scenario!
#Post#: 1387--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: pilotofficerprune Date: February 2, 2019, 4:30 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Roger that. At some point later I'll probably want to get Elias
or Gordon/Andrew in to validate this one, but it's looking in
good shape, going by your reports.
#Post#: 1411--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: ScottKey Date: February 2, 2019, 3:40 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Sure, I’ll sogn off.
#Post#: 2339--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: Elias Nordling Date: April 27, 2019, 1:46 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I noted that in this scenario, the A6M2 has radios. As it is the
only scenario in the entire WL Catalogue taking place before the
summer of 42 where Japanese fighters have radios, you might want
to make a note of this as old hands like me would easily assume
that the Japanese don't have radio.
#Post#: 2343--------------------------------------------------
Re: O07 Enter the Zero
By: pilotofficerprune Date: April 28, 2019, 9:08 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I'll add a parenthesised note to the Radio entry about the A6Ms.
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page