"Modern Airfield Attack Issues" Topic

I've got some TD 1/600 jets and also picked up some of Pico's hardened a/c shelters, revetments and weapons bunkers to do some airfield strikes. My problem is that by the time I place the terrain and add a few SAM sites and AAA the 4 X 6 table is rather full. Approaching aircraft pretty much enter the table in SAM range and defending interceptors have a busy job trying to intervene that close to the target.

I'd love some ideas on how to address this. I have some thoughts but would like more.

Start the game at a point away from the airfield. Defenders intercept the raid on the way in. If the attackers fight through the defenders, then set up the airfield on the table and have the surviving a/c go at it.

Usually the jets and ground units(shelters, SAMs, etc.) are hopelessly out of scale in most rules. Using Phantoms, Speed of Heat, etc., each hex could be a couple of miles across, so the airbase would only fit in one hex, but with gamers we stretch it out to cover the board. You may want to just condense the size of the airbase for game purposes as in real life an attacking jet is only going to be over the airstrip for a few seconds.

As mentioned above, use several boards, if it is possible that the attackers will be detected prior to the raid, or pursued after it, e.g. by a CAP, or Combat Air Patrol near, or over the base to protect it from just such an eventuality.

Scrunching the base down in size, will also work too – you can just make the miniatures representative of the target, instead of in actual scale.

Use a bigger table – I usually like to do that for aerial games, e.g. 6' x 10', or a 6' x 12' table. That permits a run in to, or egress from the target.

At 1:1 scale, an airbase runway will be about 10', or more long.

With folding tables, or at a club meeting, that isn't too difficult.

Those are good ideas, and that's a great point about scales. The HAS are gorgeous but I didn't think about how big they'd be…

One more thing you can do – if the attackers have "Wild Weasel" or other anti-missile capability – is resolve the attacks on aerial defense and SAM sites before the aircraft actually get onto the "airbase board." In short, it is the equivalent of off-board artillery. If the defender is lucky, he might get to keep a launcher or two – or at least trade the defenses for a reduced number of ground attack aircraft getting through to actually drop bombs.

Wyatt

Take a look at "Downtown" (rules are on-line) or "Thud Ridge" for some idea of scale.

Dan

Condense your targets would be the best option:

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I keep thinking about purchasing 1/600 vehicles to convert and use as targets but due to their size and the speed of the aircraft it doesn't really make much sense (bit of a heart competing with the brain though, as I really like the little vehicles)

Now if you game 1/600 land and use air support it makes much more sense.

Thanks, All. Downtown looks like a blast with lots of good ideas there, but I'm short of opponents. Superb work on the targets, Gunbird!

I thought I'd share some of the progress I've made. I really like what I see with Downtown and Elusive Victory and thought I'd use the basic mechanics for detection, movement, engagement, morale, etc as a shell and insert the C:21 combat system. Converting a/c stats isn't hard and before long I was able to try it out with the hypothetical 22 July 1974 Greek attack on the Turkish beachhead on Cyprus.

24 (6 flights of 4) loaded F-84F's were soon on their way (Strike/CAP) and I put 16 (4 flights of 4) F-102A's on an intercept course. The Greeks could only defend themselves if attacked – the main objective being the Turks on the beach. I used the "D" detection column so firming up the contacts took some time.

Nonetheless 2 Turk flights managed a spectacular intercept which saw jettisoned bombs, rocket pods, AAMs and far too few .50 cal bullets flying in all directions. Each flight shot down 2 F-84's without loss at a cost of 8 and 10 AIM-4D Falcons respectively. The next turn saw one of the mauled Greek flights unfazed and looking for payback. They'd passed the morale check with flying colors, detected the now disordered Turks that had bounced them and bounced them back, crippling one.

When the dogfights ended 2 flights of F-84's were unmolested (and not bothered with Mig Panic) and heading for the beachhead. The Oerlikons opened up with no effect and 3 out of 4 targets were either bombed or rocketed into destruction (at least that's the Greek version).

Playing time ~4 hours

Final Talley:
4 Greek F-84F's shot down and 1 damaged.
2 F-102A's crippled, with 1 of them crashing on the way back to base and the beachhead hammered nicely.

I love the system. It well captures and addresses the things that were bothering me about C:21 by itself.

Next time the Greeks slip some F-5A's into Nicosia's airport right before the Turks send F-104G's to shut down the fighting there.