18.64MB - View From The Trenches

FLYING LESSONS FROM THE BARON
Updating RICHTHOFEN'S WAR
By Michael Anchors
Back in Vol. 19, No. 6, in an article entitled
"A Historian's Guide to AH Wargames", Seth
Owens made a plea for "some Tom Oleson" to
rescue RICHTHOFEN'S WAR from obsolescence.
He advocated simultaneous movement and inclusion
of the optional Maneuver Cards as standard features.
Now that Mick Uhl has put physics back into air
war games with KNIGHTS OF THE AIR, it is
high time to refurbish that old WWI classic-
but is Owens' formula the best? Actually,
RICHTHOFEN'S WAR is so much fun already, I
hate to louse it up making it more "realistic". Any-
way, what is so realistic about complicated written
movement orders? Let's try something new! Throw
away your pencils, lads. Get your hands around the
stick and your feet on the pedals. We are going to
fly!
5 .O Players may inspect the ASP of enemy aircraft
only during the Attack Phase of their own segment.
In other words, a pilot is not permitted to know the
position of the controls of enemy aircraft when
setting his own controls (Exception: ADVAN-
TAGE). Of course, a player is always entitled to
know the altitude of enemy aircraft.
5.1 ADVANTAGE. A player can see the ASP of an
enemy aircraft at times other than his own Attack
Phase only if one of his aircraft "has an advantage"
over it. This occurs when the enemy aircraft is
within the forward 120" arc, seven-hex range and
within 250m altitude of the friendly plane (i.e.,
within the field of fire of an imaginary Fe-2 in the
position of the friendly plane).
5.2 If two opposing aircraft have advantage over
each other, the advantage of both is cancelled.
Variant 5.3 A plane can possess the advantage regardless
of its ammunition or damage status.
All movement and combat rules of the Tourna-
ment Game in RICHTHOFEN'S WAR are in effect
except as below:
1.0 The Aircraft Status Pad (ASP) for each aircraft
in play now contains a set of controls as well as the
Altitude track and other data.
1.1 The "Current Speed" marker on the Speed track
represents the throttle and regulates engine speed.
(It never was a good reflector of airspeed.) All the
old rules apply: Speed can be increased or decreased
by one or two movement points per turn; Speed cannot
be less than Minimum Speed or greater than
Maximum Speed; and so forth.
1.2 A dummy counter, blank side up, represents
thepedals. Place to the right, left or directly on top
of the word "Maneuver Schedule"; this indicates
right, left or neutral rudder respectively.
1.3 A second dummy counter, representing the stick,
is placed in or adjacent to the hexagon figure below
the word "Schedule". When the stick counter is
moved forward toward the word "Schedule", the
elevators are depressed and the aircraft dives. Ease
the stick back, and the aircraft climbs. Right stick
in addition to right rudder effects a right turn. And
so forth.
5.4 A player must move his non-advantaged aircraft
and set their controls before looking at the ASP of
disadvantaged enemy aircraft.
6.0 If the controls of an aircraft are found to be in
a position other than those shown in Figure 1 (or
Figure 2 if in play), the opponent may reposition
them in his favor.
7.0 Optional Unexpected Maneuvers
Using the above variant, the optional Unexpected
Maneuver cards (available from The Avalon Hill
Game Company by mail order) can be used accord-
ing to the rules supplied with them. At the start of
Must climb 50m
or more, if able.
Control Effects Chart
the Movement Phase, aircraft that were attacked in
the previous Attack Phase may choose to ignore
their controls and go through the ritual of drawing
cards and selecting a maneuver. A reasonable
addition to the rules would prohibit aircraft with
damaged controls (Critical Hits #5, 7, 8 or 9), dead
engines or a wounded pilot from performing
Unexpected Maneuvers. In addition, planes that
exceed Maximum Dive +200m in the course of a
Nose Dive or Spin ought to roll the Overdive
Penalty.
Players may have more fun using their controls
to generate Unexpected Maneuvers instead of the
cards. In this form, pilots of aircraft that have been
attacked may change their controls to any of the Un-
expected Maneuvers shown in Figure 2, during a
special "Maneuver Phase" that would follow the
Defensive Fire Phase of their opponent's Turn
Segment.
Each plane that attacked the maneuvering plane
can attempt to follow its quarry by rolling one die.
If the die roll is equal to or less than the firing range,
the attacking plane may alter its controls to one of
the Unexpected Maneuvers or to any position that
would allow it to get a shot on the defending plane
next turn. The die roll is modified as follows:
Maneuver Schedul-
Must make at least one LEFT May NOT turn. Must make at least one RIGHT
I turn and no right turns. turn and no left turns. I
2.0 At the beginning of the game, the controls of
all aircraft are set in any position desired by the own-
ing player.
3.0 On its turn to move, each aircraft must be moved
according to the positioning of its controls. (See the
Control Effects Chart in Figure 1.) (1) Maneuver
4.0 The new Turn Sequence is as follows:
FIRST SEGMENT
1. Movement Phase. Player "A" moves his aircraft
one by one according to the position of his controls.
The controls of aircraft cannot be altered before or
during movement of the aircraft counter. As each
aircraft completes movement, its controls may be
repositioned to determine movement for the next
turn.
2. Attack Phase. Player "A" executes attacks, if
any, by firing his machine guns.
3. Defensive Fire Phase. Player "B" returns defen-
sive fire, if possible.
SECOND SEGMENT
4. Movement Phase. Player "B" moves his aircraft.
5. Attack Phase. Player "B" executes his attacks.
6. Defensive Fire Phase. Player "A" returns fire,
if able.
May not climb.
May dive 50m.
Must dive lOOm
or more.
1 Schedule