| S3 #76 - Beamont’s Baby; The Channel - Spring 1943 Game Settings
Basic Rules Initial Format - changes after in bold italics. 1. Start Times - each frame uses the following schedule;
2. Operational Restrictions - each side may only conduct operations in the area outlined in the game map. Squad roles are squad specific expertise but does not limit operational missions or conduct during the series. Aircraft assigned to a squad determines which missions they can conduct during a frame. Each side has its operational area divided into two regions. England is divided into East\West and Ocupied Europe into North\South. A limited number of missions are assigned to each region but squads may ignore the line for basing and flight operations. 3. CM radar & reports - avoid flying over enemy occupied land for long distances above the 150ft AGL, this increases the chance you will be spotted by donkey dar. Do not follow enemy coastlines, flying at least 5 miles offshore at any alt is a good rule to follow to reduce the chance of CM reports. Generally once you begin an attack on a target you will be reported so hit and run, do not linger in the area unless you want to be bounced. 4. Weather - the notorious Channel weather will be in full effect, heavy cloud cover at all altitudes with dark lighting but no wind. 5. Secondary Damage - the new secondary damage makes all aircraft more fragile in the tail sections but this will be most noticable in bombers with an increased likelyhood of loosing their stabs. Bomber otto has been increased to deter rear 6 attacks. Flying in tight bomber formations is still the best defence. 6. Ord Restrictions - pure fighter a/c types cannot carry ord during play but may carry droptanks. This includes the Spit IXE, Spit VC, P47C, FW190A4, Bf109G6 and Bf109G2. 7. Aircraft Steps - each side begins play with a set number of a/c steps outlined in the Step Table. Every a/c type is assigned a mission types for which they can be used. If after a frame losses to a specific a/c type or class are over 60%(from all causes) one of the at-start steps will be removed from play and a replacment step is issued. 8. Squad Basing - each airfield has a step allowance for basing aircraft. Squads may transfer to any open airfield during play as long as they do not over-step.
9. Missions - there are bomber, strike, shipping, intercept and specops missions that score VPs if successfully completed. Successful Allied missions score 1 VP whilemost LW missions score 2 VPs. Intercept missions are both worth 1 VP for each side. This is to allow the LW with more limited numbers and plane assets to keep pace. Once each mission is completed they are removed from series play. If one side removes all the missions from play they will be put back into operation and missions can be conducted against them again. Missions that are not ruled complete may be attacked again in succeeding frames. Damage is not exact so if you damage a target in one frame all the objects will be up again next frame and if you do substantial damage to it again it will be ruled destroyed. If you only sink some ships in a location you need to go back in another frame and sink some more to have them ruled sunk. Each side has two operational regions which are limited to 7 missions(5 regular, 1 intercept and 1 specop) per region per frame. Squads are not limited to flying or conducting missions in only one region, they may rebase and fly as they see fit. 10. Allied Missions - The Allies may assign 5 regular(strike, bomber or shipping targets), 1 intercept(one squad) or 1 specop mission per operational region. The Allies have bomber, strike and shipping and targets indicated on the map. Some target areas have several targets indicated in them and each count as a mission. For example Cherbourg has 3 factories, 1 oil storage and a 1 port facility in the bomber area for a total of 5 missions. B25s and B17Fs can only be used on bomber missions. All strike a/c types including B25s may be used against shipping and strike targets. Shipping missions are either anchored or moving with the moving missions having arrows indicating their general start area. A range of ship types and numbers will be present with only moving shipping having DDs. Airfield targets do not include the tower or AA and remain destroyed/closed for the series once ruled a success. Intercept missions are assigned to a specific squad and they must shootdown at least one strike or bomber a/c per squad step. So a 3 step squad assigned an intercept mission must down 3 enemy strike\bomber\specops a/c. One squad may be assigned two intercept missions, one in each region with total kills only being counted not where they were killed.. Specops have specific numbers and types of a/c assigned to them, details are not known until requested during the planning stage, expect to see unusual a/c types and missions. Specops pilots once completing their mission may switch back to the regular squad a/c. This is the only exception to the 1 a/c type S3 rule. 10. Luftwaffe Missions - The Luftwaffe may assign 5 regular(strike, bomber or shipping targets), 1 intercept(one squad) or 1 specop mission per operational region. The Luftwaffe have strike and shipping and targets indicated on the map. Some target areas have several targets indicated in them and each count as a mission. For example Southampton has 2 factories, 1 oil storage and a 1 port facility in the bomber area for a total of 4 missions. All strike a/c types may be used against shipping and strike targets. Shipping missions are either anchored or moving with the moving missions having arrows indicating their general start area. A range of ship types and numbers will be present with only moving shipping having DDs. Airfield targets do not include the tower or AA and remain destroyed/closed for the series once ruled a success. Intercept missions are assigned to a specific squad and they must shootdown at least one strike or bomber a/c per squad step. So a 3 step squad assigned an intercept mission must down 3 enemy strike\bomber\specops a/c. One squad may be assigned two intercept missions, one in each region with total kills only being counted not where they were killed. Specops have specific numbers and types of a/c assigned to them, details are not known until requested during the planning stage, expect to see unusual a/c types and missions. Specops pilots once completing their mission may switch back to the regular squad a/c. This is the only exception to the 1 a/c type S3 rule. 12. German Radar - Kagas near their coast will allow the Germans radar capabilities in this terrain. 11. AI ship flak - all AI shipping will have the lowest possible accuracy and avoidance settings, ship flak will engage at 8,000ft to try and keep them moving realistically and still allow some low-level flak protection. Make no mistake though the flak is deadly so drop your torps and bombs from a distance. The remaining ship types will not engage to stop the unrealistic flipping action. 12. Ship Nav - there is no ship navigation allowed. 13. Ship Gunning - do not do this! You will get a penalty plane. AI flak is much more accurate than a player will ever be so you are only hurting your side by grabbing a gun. 14. Penalty Planes - players that commit errors in basic rules and do not attempt to correct the error during play will have a penalty plane assigned to their squad. Examples include flying different a/c during a frame, teleporting fields when not allowed by special rules, gunning from ships or flak positions. Squad Penalty Plane Tallies are kept in the PPlist. It is up to each squad to fly their penalty a/c and let the CM know how many have been flown after a frame so they can be removed them from the list. Please check your squad and clean up the PPlist from last year.
15. Victory Points - For each mission ruled successful the Allies are award 1 VP and the LW 1 or 2 VPs. A mission is an attack on an allowed target on the map. For it to be ruled successful all major structures, ships or indicated targets must destroyed or sunk. 16. Victory Conditions - The LW score twice as many points for their missions than the allies. The side with the most missions accomplished at the end of the series wins. The Allies must reduce this LW advantage by scoring more missions while the smaller LW force must defending agressively against Allied attacks and conducting hit and run raids of their own. S3 Clarifications - the S3 staff reserves the right to make a ruling on questions or game situations not answered completely or missed by the rules. For further clarification please post on the S3 forum or email Jabo. NOTES ON STRATEGY This event is trying to simulate the hit and run action that occurred across the channel as well as the growing might of the USAAF 8th Air Force. The Allies have to use their numbers advantage to stretch the German defense thin while the Luftwaffe needs to conduct small fast raids on shipping and smaller targets to keep pace with the Allies. The weather will make it difficult to view ground targets and spot intruders so each side must stack their defensive patrols at different altitudes. Recce by forward fighters is advisable to find shipping targets and give the strike groups some intel on what to expect or where to look. Time and care should be used in planning offensive sweeps and raids as undo losses will reduce the number of more capable aircraft a side has to conduct the war. [ Aircraft - Series Map - Player Rules ] |