The General Vol 17 No 5

8
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ADVANCED
RICHTHOFEN'S WAR by David A. Bottger
Combining Si-Move, Maneuvers and Excitement to Improve RICHTHOFEN'S WAR
Few variant articles are as solidly based as
David Bottger's state-o/-the-art update 0/
RICHTHOFEN's WAR. Most variants add just
that-variety, a new way 0/playing a game which
has grown tiresome from repeated play. Usua{{y,
such things are lacking a certain degree 0/hisloricity,
playabifily, validilY or all 0/Ihe above. Such is
nOI the case here Ihough.
Eight year later I can still remember the excilement
and anticipation as r unwrapped
RICHTHOFEN'S WAR and opened the box for
the first time. Inside, lhat photographic board and
those blueprint-like counters convinced me that this
was the game air-war buffs had so long awaited.
Here Avalon Hill had captured the chivalry,
glamour, color and drama of World War r in lhe
skies.
Or so I thought. But my excitement turned to
disappointment as I discovered that R W played
more like aerial PANZERBLITZ (han the air battles
I had read abOUl. First I move and shoot at you,
then I hover there while you move and shoot at me.
Enemy on your tail? No problem-just circle
around 10 his tail while he sits there. In fact, the
enemy hardesl to hit is the one in front of you.
So RW found its place on my dusty shelf with
other nawed simulations, to rest there until AH's
recent acqui ition of AIR FORCE and
DA UNTLESS started me wondering whelher the
AF/D simultaneou movement system could be
lransplanted to R W. ThaI, plus other revisions intended
to get R Woff the hobby's dusty shelf, is the
purpose of lhis article.
All Basic, Tournament and Oplional R W rule
apply unles staled or clearly implied 10 Ihe contrary.
Following each advanced rule is a brief statemenl
of ilS rationale.
SIMULTA EOUS MOVEME T
Each lurn consislS of th.ee phases: (I) Joint
Movement Ploning Pha e: (2) Joint Movement Execution
Phase: (3) Joint Combal Pha e.
JOINT MOVEMENT PLOTT) G
PHASE-During lhe Joint Movement Ploning
Phase, each player plot the movement of all air·
craft under his control for the immediately following
movement execution phase on the revised Aircrafl
Status Pad (figure I). All movement is plotted
secretly and is not revealed to any other player
(friendly or enemy) until the Movement Execulion
Phase (exception: Tailing).
Each turn, the owning player notes the speed
and beginning altitude ofhis aircraft for lhat turn in
the appropriate columns of the ASP. Next, altitude
changes for that turn are inserled, the number of
meters preceded by a " +" for climbs and a " - "
for dives. Speed plus MP's gained or lost due 10
altitude changes equals net MP's which mu t be expended
in movement that turn.
The movement plot for each aircraft consist of
a series of numbers and/or letters indicating how
lhal aircraft will move that turn. Movement
straight ahead is denoted by a number representing
lhe number of hexes straighl ahead the aircraft will
move.
Turns are indicated by an "R" (right) or "L"
(Jefl) for each hexside turned in thaI direction.
Thus, an aircrafl plotted "2RR3" will move lWO
hexes straighl, turn lWO hexsides to the right, then
move lhree hexes slraight ahead in its new direction.
FiRurt I; Revised Airerllfl ShHuS PUd
...
Turn
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
II
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Sped
Beg.
All
(a) Speed (in movement points)
max.
"Special maneuvers" consisl of the maneuvers
described in the arlicle enlitled "Unexpected
Maneuvers" by Michael Turner in Vol. 14, No. 40f
THE GENERAL. That arlicle and lhe Maneuver
'Cards it describes are available separately from
Avalon Hill for $4.00. Figure 2 summarizes the
notations, MP costs and altilude change for
special maneuvers.
The movement point co I and end po ition for
loops depend on the size of the loop performed,
which in turn is limited by the aircraft's climbing
abililY. Figure 3 shows the relationship of these factors.
Subject to limitations imposed by accumulated
damage and critical hits, any aircraft can perform
any special maneuver. However, no aircrafl may
perform more than one special maneuver per turn
and no altitude changes other lhan lhose required
by the special maneuver may be made during the
All. Net
Change MPs 7 Movement Piol