IAF First Campaign

Started by JudgeDredd, July 11, 2017, 12:57:45 AM

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JudgeDredd

OMG! First mission.

I selected a long campaign in 1948. No missiles so just guns.

I looked at my first mission and it was 3 bombers with 2 aircraft counters in each approach area and 2 in the centre. I took 4 aircraft along. During approach to the target, I pulled the event Bad Chow meaning I lost 1 from every die roll. I'm already rolling on 10s because there's no missiles. The fighters I'm attacking have a +1 modifiers meaning I need 9 or 8 to roll and also with my +1 or +2 modifiers taking those required rolls down further.

Bandits numbered 7!! Plus the 3 bombers I had to destroy in the target area.

Got to meet the enemy aircraft and BAM! 10 rolled - pilot is out. Lesson learned. Next pilot evades for +2 stress. BAM. 9 rolled meaning damaged +1 stress. Next attack from bandits and I don't evade because he's a green pilot with only 2 stress level I think. BAM! 10!!! Another pilot down.

I'm now 2 pilots down with another one 1 damaged. My rolls result in only two bandit being dispatched.

The damaged aircraft was damaged again in the target area. Long story short, I left the mission unfulfilled with 1 aircraft intact with 12 stress - he's not going to shake that off anytime soon.

SAR rolls resulted in ALL 3 aircraft and pilots being lost.

I am now 3 pilots down in my first mission with 11 missions to go - bummer. The 1948 campaign is not for the light hearted.

My main mistake was to disregard bandit attacks because they need 7-9-10 for hits (7=1 stress, 9=damage and 10=destroyed). Rolls did not go my way. I was also quite unlucky with the number of bandits attacking me7 pulled out of a possible 12!
Alba gu' brath

JasonPratt

Do you have a finite number of pilots in your pool?
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BanzaiCat

If it's like other Leader-series games, I think you can buy more pilots using SO points (special option, I think it is). This game might be different, though.

Good write-up, JD. I'm looking forward to getting some time with it myself.

JudgeDredd

It depends on the campaign and the Pilot Loss Penalty. In the 1948 campaign, the Pilot Loss Penalty is NOMINAL and you get 1 Green pilot. Moderate means you pay a certain number of SOs for an additional pilot and Severe I think you just do not get a replacement.

I'm not in front of the rule book so cannot remember the specifics.

But I do get a green Pilot. I did not read it as I receive a Green pilot for every pilot I lost - but I will re-read to check.
Alba gu' brath

BanzaiCat

I'm guessing you get one pilot for each lost, but I can't imagine you don't take an SO hit too...? Is that the Pilot Loss Penalty you were referring to, JD?

JudgeDredd

Back home - here's the rule

Quote

  • Nominal
    Lose nothing and gain a Green level Pilot/Aircraft available during your Campaign. The pilot cannot have been Killed in Action previously
  • Moderate
    Lose 2/4/6 Special Option points immediately. Regain your SOs if the Pilot is recovered by an Event Card. If you ever fall below zero Special Option points during the Campaign, you immediately lose the Campaign
  • Severe
    Lose 1/2/3 Victory Points for each of your aircraft that was Destroyed during the Campaign
So only Nominal allows you to regain pilots. Moderate, you lose SOs and Severe you lose VPs. Thankfully 1948 is Nominal and I agree BC - it does sound like I get a Green Pilot for each destroyed aircraft.
Alba gu' brath

JudgeDredd

My campaign is going terrible. I'm 6 days into a long (12 day) campaign (and it feels looooong) with some real problems.

High stress (-3 base stress for EVERY mission)
Escalation card pulled means +1 for EVERY roll for an attack by a site or bandit FOR THE REST OF THE CAMPAIGN
Escalation card pulled means -1 VP EVERY TIME the Invasion tracker moves 1 to the right
I'm on my 8 mission in 6 days with 7 VPs and a -1 VP - so 6 VPs in total!

I had 1 mission that would give me 5VPs + I had a Home Bound Event card giving me +1 if I destroyed my next target and the mission itself gave a +1 on overkill (5 hits or more). Because the target was HARD, the first hit from every ATG weapon was dismissed. That made Mk81 bombs useless and almost made Mk-82s useless too. I got to take 3 aircraft along. I could only take 1 B-17 and it's only the B-17 that could carry the Mk-83 which gave 3 potential hits. I only 3 hits. Missed opportunity.

All of my other targets have been 1 VP and only 1 other was a 2.

The reason this campaign is so hard is your lack of FP. You are literally fighting with guns and crap bombs. The 2xMk81s the fighters can take are plain useless requiring a (unmodified) roll of 8 or more. Mk82s require a (unmodified) roll of 7 or 10. Only one of my pilots is fast - the B-17.

The killer in this game is stress and fighters. The times I've rolled a 10 and lost a pilot for bandits!! Now they've got a +1 for the rest of the campaign makes them even more dangerous! So you spend 2 stress everytime to evade, meaning (with the +3 for the mission) you end up with high stress for the campaign!

There is a plus - you can almost entirely avoid sites on the way to the target because you can fly high and there's only a couple of weapons that can shoot high. BUT - they are quite deadly - an unmodified roll of 5 giving damage meaning losing your weapons.

So this is one tough SOB campaign!
Alba gu' brath