AIRWAR: C21 (2Nd Pdf Edition) Contemporary Air Combat Rules
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1 142.161.23.105 AIRWAR: C21 (2nd pdf edition) contemporary air combat rules Contents Introduction 3 Rockets 11 SAM missile locks 21 Notation 3 Gun/rocket attack Resolving SAM attacks 21 Materials to play 3 modifiers 11 Anti-aircraft guns 21 Bomber tail guns 11 Resolving AA gun Aircraft 3 Air-to-air missiles 11 attacks 22 Aircraft characteristics 3 Launching an AAM 11 Electronic warfare Arc definitions 4 Missile aspect 12 aircraft 22 Countermeasure decoys 5 Missile locks 12 ECM 5 Scores to hit 12 Aircraft load points 22 Air-to-air rockets 5 AAM ranges and “Lightly loaded” 5 modifiers 12 Spotting 23 “Heavily loaded” 5 Countermeasure Spotting requirements & Jettisoning weapons 6 decoys 13 procedure 23 Nuclear AAMs 13 Radar spotting 23 Pilots 6 Aircraft damage 13 Visual spotting 23 Crippled aircraft 13 Spotting restrictions on Advantages and flaws 6 Additional damage 14 manoeuvring 23 Golden BB table 14 Spotting restrictions on firing 23 Order of play 6 Ejection 15 Crashing 15 Ground scale 24 Initiative and order of movement 7 Ground objects 15 Models 24 “Tailing” 7 Ground attack 16 SOTCW 24 Movement 7 Air-to-ground weapons 17 “Engine power” speed Guns and gun pods 17 Designer’s notes 25 7 Initiating a ground attack 18 changes Executing the attack 18 Aircraft ratings 26 Normal movement & 7 Resolving air-to-ground AAM ratings 34 turning 8 attacks (strafing) 18 Gun pod ratings 36 Low altitude moves 9 Resolving other air-to- Air-to-ground weapon Special manoeuvres 10 ground attacks 18 ratings 36 Stalling Ground radars & ARMs 19 Land based SAM ratings 38 Exceeding maximum 10 Collateral damage 20 AA gun ratings 42 speed 10 Target suppression 20 Quick reference sheets 44 Air-to-air combat Surface-to-air fire 20 Guns, gun pods & rockets 10 Surface-to-air missiles 20 Guns & gun pod attacks 10 Launching SAMs 21 Credits Written by: David Manley, Paul Playtesters: Gavin Akers, Kevin AIRWAR: C21, all rules, text, graphic and photos are © Wessex Games 2008. Minson and Larry Freeman. Carrucan, Rolf Grein, Rob Kent, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be Russell Kent, Thomas Minson, produced in any form or by any means without the prior First edition written by: David Charles Rivers, Kevin Slimak, permission of the publisher. Manley and Matthew Hartley. This publication is sold subject to the following Ward Yarborough and Radek conditions: Photos: Steve Blease Zeleny. 1. It shall not be by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold or hired out or in otherwise circulated without the publishers prior permission in any form of binding Models: Furuta Miniature War Special thanks to: Members of or cover other than that in which it was published and Planes collection the WGHistorical Yahoo Group, without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Matthew Hartley, Liz, Karen, 2. No part of this publication may be reproduced, These rules are respectfully Laura, Phil and Saul. stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any dedicated to all the air crews who form or by any means electronic, mechanical, Printed by: Topflite Print photocopying, recording scanning or otherwise without have died in the defence of peace Management Ltd, Farrington prior permission of the publishers. and freedom since 1945. Published 2008 by Wessex Games Fields, Farrington Guerney, Remember – illegal copying is theft and every penny Bristol, BS39 6UU you steal from us by doing it, impacts another project we are working on for wargamers. 2 142.161.23.105 AIRWAR: C21 (2nd pdf edition) Introduction represents (you want to avoid a kilometre-wide infantry platoon, for instance). AirWar: C21 is a fast play, “entry level” set of rules for dogfights set in the years after WW2, and for Missile markers: these can be as simple as a near future SF games. The rules use a quasi 3D counter with an arrow on it or as fancy as a manoeuvre system, whereby the action is fought miniature model missile. You just need a way to out in 2D, but with some representation of 3D air indicate that an aircraft has a hostile missile combat manoeuvres. Game length is typically 6-12 heading for it. Ideally they should have some turns. Playing time varies by game size, scenario, directionality, so you can use the orientation as a and player experience. Generally it can range from memory aid for whether the missile has a lock or 30 minutes for a small, short scenario with four not (see the air-to-air missile rules for details). aircraft to 3-4 hours for a large, convention-style game with 6-12 flights of aircraft on the table. Radar Off markers: if using ground air defences in Typical game length with experienced players, eight the scenario that use radar, you’ll need to mark aircraft, and 6-8 turns, is an hour to an hour-and-a- stands that have shut down their radars (usually to half. avoid an incoming anti-radar missile) Notation Suppression markers: use these to mark ground targets (usually anti-aircraft gun or missile stands) The game uses standard notation for dice and die that have been hit and suppressed by an air attack. rolling. For example, “roll 2d10” means roll two ten- Cotton balls or yellow markers are suggested. sided dice. Materials needed to play Aircraft Materials needed for playing are: Aircraft are the primary units in the game. Each miniature or stand represents a single aircraft. Aircraft: ideally these are miniature aircraft, but Aircraft are usually grouped together into sections cardboard counters or markers can be used. The or flights of two to four aircraft. New players should rules work best with 1/285th, 1/300th, or 1/600th generally control one or two aircraft. Experienced scale aircraft, but other scales can be used. The players can control without difficulty a flight of four aircraft can be mounted on flight stands or placed aircraft, or two sections of two or three aircraft directly on the tabletop. Whatever is used, you apiece. need to define the point where angles, arcs, and ranges will be measured from. This can be the Aircraft characteristics and ratings centre of the stand, the nose of the aircraft, or some other point; just be consistent. For un-mounted Aircraft have a number of factors to describe them.: aircraft 1/144th scale or larger, measuring from the tip of the nose seems to work best. Mn: minimum speed in inches. The minimum speed the aircraft can travel (if its speed drops below this Aircraft/pilot rosters: these list the ratings of the it stalls and may crash). aircraft and pilots in the game and provide locations to mark off weapons and ammo as they are used, Mx: maximum speed in inches. The distance as well as to record the aircraft’s speed changes moved in each of the 2 phases in a turn (2” per 100 and damage taken. knots of speed). Aircraft suffer damage if they exceed this maximum speed. Dice: each player will need at least one 10-sided die (d10) and a six-sided die (d6). It is Pw: the raw power generated by the aircraft’s recommended to have two d10 and three or more engines, affecting the ability to perform some d6. Where the rules call for a d4 to be rolled, a d6 manoeuvres. can be used; just re-roll any ‘5’s or ‘6’s until you get results in the range ‘1’ to ‘4’. Acc1: the amount of acceleration the engine can produce in phase 1 of a turn. This is the maximum Ground units/ground targets: if you plan to play amount the aircraft’s speed can be increased at the ground attack scenarios, you’ll need something on start of the phase, in inches. the ground to shoot at, and possibly something on the ground to shoot back at you. Ideally these Acc2: the amount of acceleration the engine can would be miniatures again, at the same scale or produce in phase 2 of a turn. This is the maximum smaller scale than the aircraft, but they can be amount the aircraft’s speed can be increased at the counters. Mounting is not important, just pay start of the phase, in inches. attention to the game’s ground scale and what each miniature, stand of miniatures, or counter 3 142.161.23.105 AIRWAR: C21 (2nd pdf edition) Year: the approximate year the aircraft became available. Missile Load: typical missile load carried by the aircraft. Notes: specific details about the aircraft, such as the presence of tail guns or special or unusual capabilities. Arc definitions Dec: the maximum amount the aircraft can reduce The game uses several different arcs around an speed in either phase of a turn, in inches, by cutting aircraft for resolving eligibility to tail an enemy the throttle, opening airbrakes, etc. aircraft or to fire on it, and for effects on weapon hit chances. Ma: the aircraft’s manoeuvre rating, a measure of its ability to turn and perform manoeuvres. Can be Arc Definition Low, Medium, High and Extreme. rear-60 a 60-degree arc centred on the rear of the aircraft Gn: the base number of dice the aircraft gets when rear-180 a 180-degree arc centred on the rear making a gun attack with its internal guns. of the aircraft beam the portion of the rear-180 arc not Am: the number of units of gun ammo carried by included in rear-60 arc (in other the aircraft for its internal guns. Each unit words, the two 60-degree arcs on represents one second of fire.