"Scenarios for WWI air games?" Topic

Are there any scenario books for WWI air games, like the Check Your Six scenario books for WW2?

Mmmm … You could use the scenario books for the very old AH game Red Baron or the not-quite-so-old Knights of the Air. Bloody April from GMT can be used to generate scenarios. Although it's guaranteed that many won't be "balanced," playing them in a day-long context changes the meaning of "victory." Just not being shot down and giving the other side points matters when it's not just this one game.

I tried out a few scenarios with my wings of War gear, check this page out if your interested in a few scenarios…

link

was plenty of fun.

Think in some of the TooFatLardies specials over the years there have been some scenarios for "Algy pulls it off"

I wrote a set of campaign rules for WWI which might be of use. They generate scenarios. If interested they are posted in the files section of two Yahoo groups,

link

link

under the title Dawn Patrol.

When we were playing "Red Baron" on a weekly basis we had charts to determine missions. Photo recon, ground attack, balloon busting, etc. That gave us an idea of what to select for planes and each side did it. So we sometimes had a balloon on each end of the table. One with a cross and another with roundels.

Peter Hart's Somme Success is loaded with pilot's combat descriptions which can be turned into scenarios. Also recently finished a Guynemer biography in public ebook format which includes his mission diary.

Emphatz,
Where did you get your mat? Very impressive!
Peter

Thanks for the ideas folks. Bloody April looks like a great source for scenarios, but I can't believe no one's put together a Check Your Six scenario book.

And Emphaz, I'd also be interested in how you did your fantastic looking mat.

Lapatrie88, I would love the link to the ebook!

re: Bloody April
Hart's other two books (Somme Success and Aces Falling) share the format of many first-person descriptions and are worth a peek.

As to published scenario books:
Mike Clinton's "Billy's Boys" contains 60 scenarios concerning the American forces from April to November '18. Dunno if he has any copies left, or you might find one on the secondary market?

Where can I find info on Mike Clinton's Billy Boys? Google gave me nothing.

Duh. Just found all the TMP posts about Billy's boys and Watch Your Six.

The In Clouds of Glory mission compendium can be downloaded here…

PDF link

Also: try to find a copy of the excellent Offensive Patrol scenario book for Hostile Aircraft…

"…the excellent Offensive Patrol scenario book for Hostile Aircraf"

Viper911 had one for sale a couple days ago:
TMP link

Mortane's Guynemer, Ace of Aces. I got a copy through Barnes and Noble, but this may work for you

link

We start by rolling for "period", One through Six, early war through the late war. Then we roll for "mission", which can be arty, bag bust, photo recon, bomber escort, offensive patrol or ground attack. Then we roll for side and for aircraft. We have an aircraft generator that puts the more common and least performing aircraft lower in the 2d6 generator roll. For example, in the "early war", 1915 through early 1916, the N. 11 Bébé only rolls up on an 11 or 12, but in the next period, 1916 through early 1917, the same aircraft rolls up on an 8-12, and in the last period, through the summer of 1917, the Bébé is almost automatic, you'd have to roll a 2 or 3 not to be able to take it for the scenario. This system produces "non starter" scenarios, that is to say, scenarios so imbalanced that nobody will play them, for example if there were five players and only one rolled up "Central", with a 2 for aircraft, and the other four players all showed up with "cat's whiskers" fighters, and the out-numbered, out-classed Central aircraft/player was supposed to be doing a ground attack mission, there would hardly be a point in setting up such a game; the Central player simply declares, "okay you guys shot me down, next?" and you roll up another scenario, until you actually have a game that is viable. Even viable games are usually not evenly balanced, which is part of the fun. Once a game is underway, when somebody gets shot out of it, they can reenter. All aircraft are generated as above, and then enter randomly either in the same altitude "band" or "stick", or the one below or one or two above the "mission" aircraft altitude; entry in the room is random as well for direction, using a six or eight-sided die. Pilots/crew roll to "see" the other aircraft in the "room" or gaming area. Until pilots/crew "see" the enemy they may not alter their flight attitude and proceed through the gaming area until they spot an enemy.

I am sure that any game can utilize such a scenario generator. They are not difficult to work up….