Skies Above the Reich Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Introduction
  • Basic Game and Advanced Game
  • Campaigns
  • Missions
  • Formations
  • Bf 109
  • Auxiliary Fighters
  • Getting Started
  • Components
• Campaign
  • Campaign Set-Up
    • Select a Season (i)
    • Pilot Roster
    • Staffel Log
  • Mission Set-Up
    • Mission Set-Up Table (i)
    • Spend Operations Points
    • d. Escort (i)
    • Escort Set-Up
    • Staffel Command: 7 EP
  • Determine Situation
    • Situation Manual
    • Pre-Existing Damage
    • Anchored Status
    • Sun Position
    • Tactical Points (TP)
    • Flight Limit
    • Staffel Command: 7 EP
    • Determine Situation Example
  • Game Table Layout
• Mission
  • Starting a Mission
  • Outline of the Mission Sequence of Play (K)
  • Formation Map
  • Spaces & Boxes
  • Elements
    • Lethal Level
  • Map 1
  • Move
    • Move Example 1
    • Move Example 2
  • Return
  • Escort
  • Escort Arrives or Exits
  • Escort Stations
  • Escort Actions
  • Escort Moves
  • Escort Peels Off
  • Aerial Combat
  • Advantage in Aerial Combat
  • Resolving Aerial Combat
  • Aerial Combat Results
  • Recovery
    • Recovery Example
  • Blast (F)
  • Blast Effect
    • Blast Example
  • Flak
    • Flak Example
    • Flak Example 2
  • Cohesion Check
    • Cohesion Check Example
  • Approach
    • Approach Example
  • Mode
  • Maneuver
  • Maneuver Direction
    • Maneuver Direction Examples
  • Collision
  • Attack Advantage
  • Attack Procedure: Lethal Level
    • Lethal Level Example
  • Attack Cards
  • Attack Result: Damage
  • Attack Result: Hit
  • Attack Result: Pass Through
    • Pass Through Example
  • Other Attack Results
    • Attack Example
  • Continuing Fire
    • Continuing Fire Example 1
    • Continuing Fire Example 2
  • Event Text
  • Break Away
• Mission Tally
  • Fate
  • Tallying Points
  • Staffel Commands
  • Experten, and Green Pilots
  • Stickers
  • Credits
  • Staffel Erosion
    • Staffel Erosion Table

Introduction

Two Players? You may also play this as an (un)cooperative game. Players each command a staffel of fighters and simultaneously attack the same formation of bombers. See Section Two of the Advanced Rule Book.

Basic Game and Advanced Game

The Basic Game presents the challenge of breaking up the combat box. Your goal is to knock bombers out of formation, or destroy them outright. The Advanced Game adds another segment called "pursuit" where you despatch fighters to chase after and intercept bombers knocked out of the formation. This makes the Advanced Game more challenging, and rules for the Advanced Game can be found in the Advanced Rule Book.

Campaigns

Skies Above the Reich is played as a Campaign. A Short Campaign is but one "Season" of Missions, while a Full Campaign could encompass all seven Seasons. You must knock bombers out of formation, or destroy them outright, in order to make an impact on the enemy's assault from the sky. You must also keep your pilots alive. Campaign types are explained on p. 25 of the Situation Manual, and the Victory Schedule is printed on the back cover of that manual.

Missions

The play of the game is the Mission. You use the Mission Set-Up Table and the Operations Menu on the Bi-Fold Player Aid to establish the conditions of the Mission, and then use the Situation Manual to set up the formation map. Altogether set-up takes about five minutes, unless you linger over decisions (it will naturally take longer your first time out). As your staffel gains experience, measured in Experience Points (EP), you will have some influence over these starting conditions, giving you decisions to make and prolonging set-up time. Set-up is not something that happens before the game starts. If you are setting up, the game has begun.

On a Mission you will catch the American formation as it is either inbound towards its target or outbound as it speeds home to bases in England or Italy. You will have several Mission Turns to send your fighters into and through the formation attempting to disrupt it by damaging individual B-17s, until you reach the flight limit and must end the Mission. The enemy's formation may have its "little friends" accompanying it, an escort of deadly fighters making your task much harder.

Formations

The four maps (two 17x22 and two 22x34) included with the game depict B-17 heavy bombers, the dreaded Flying Fortress, organized in a formation called a combat box. Devised in 1942 after much trial and error, the combat box was intended to make the bevy of armament carried by individual bombers even more deadly by allowing one bomber to support another with covering fire. Luftwaffe pilots that learned skills tangling with French, British, and Russian fighters and light and medium bombers, found that the combat box was a nightmarish gauntlet. Taken as a whole, the maps portray a chronological sequence of technological and organizational development.

Map 1 depicts two sample experimental formations prior to the development of the combat box. The B-17 saw action in Europe as early as 1941 – the British used it in small numbers, working out many of its kinks in battle against the Luftwaffe. The 1942 Season can loosely be considered to depict some of those early actions as well as early attempts by the United States to formulate the rudiments of the combat box. The bombers in these formations can be considered to be the B-17E and B-17F, lightly armed by the standards of 1943.

Compared to Map 1, Map 2 demonstrates the effectiveness of the combat box formation. Bombers are organized into "elements" of three B-17s arranged in a flying triangle, or "vee", each element positioned with bombers at staggered altitudes. On-board gunners command the airspace within their element and between elements.

Map 3 expands the combat box in order to show the USAAF's growth during 1943. (Hermann Göring dismissed published figures of American manufacturing output as so much "bluff".) The "terrain" of the bomber formation becomes deadlier with each map because the B-17 itself was armed with more guns (even American escort pilots preferred to stay at a safe distance). Bomber crews, especially the pilots, got better at maintaining formation, also contributing to the increasing effectiveness of the combat box.

As dangerous as Map 3 is, Map 4 presents a genuinely lethal terrain. The B-17G was armed with a third gun turret mounted under the nose, a "chin turret" intended to punish Luftwaffe pilots attacking head on. The formation by 1944 had become a cauldron of spraying tracers. It is worth noting, however, that the map only depicts part of a larger group of combat boxes. By 1944 a "formation" might consist of 1,000 B-17s, each capable of dropping its payload on your cities below.

Bf 109

The game presents you with an oversized staffel of Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters. The challenge in the Full Campaign is to keep your staffel a viable fighting force, using it to deliver severe harm to the formations of bombers. You are the roof over Fortress Europe.

Designed and developed in the 1930s, the Bf109 began World War Two as the king of fighters. Equal or better than anything French or British engineers and manufacturers initially offered, piloted by some of the best trained and most skilled fliers in Europe, it assisted the Wehrmacht's lightning victories early in the conflict. Equipped with satisfactory armament at the war's start, it initially proved inadequate against the B-17. Later models would increase that armament to include heavier caliber guns, but confronted with the deadly combat box in early 1943, the Bf109 was augmented even more with all manner of adjustments and modifications (called "attachments" in this game). Its pilots devised unusual tactics, too. They dropped fused bombs on the combat box to try to score a direct hit on a B-17, or, failing that, shatter the integrity of the formation. Infantry rockets were attached under the wing or fuselage: fired at a safe distance, they exploded with such a blast that, even if individual bombers were unscathed, the shock forced pilots to veer and swerve, degrading the formation's cohesion. To answer the increasing lethality of the bomber formations and their arsenal of .50 caliber guns, the Bf109 was stiffened in places with a layer of armor.

All these modifications made the fighter particularly suited to battling the heavy bomber, but, as you may find, they also made the Bf109 a lame duck for U.S. escort fighters.

Auxiliary Fighters

Although the Bf109 was the most numerous machine in Germany's air arsenal, the Luftwaffe confronted the bomber formations with a variety of other aircraft types (called "auxiliaries" in this game). Like your Bf109s, they too can be armed with cannon, bombs, and rockets, enhancing your attack.

The Bf110, a twin-engined heavy fighter is available, as is its later incarnation, the Me410. Originally intended as a long-range fighter, the Bf110 proved inadequate against British Spitfires and Hurricanes: Adolf Galland referred to it as the only fighter that itself needed an escort. The Ju88 was a level bomber but saw action as a nightfighter combatting British raids in the dark, commandeered during the day to fight the American formations. They will prove particularly vulnerable to escorts, however, so use them carefully. The Fw190 appears in this game as an auxiliary as well, a most effective improvement on the Bf109, especially at 15,000 feet or less. At the very high altitudes traversed by the B-17 formation, however, the Fw190's performance was impaired. Although it is a better weapon against the enemy escorts, it is no better than a Bf109 against the combat box.

Had it gone into production earlier, the Me262 might have changed the air war. Powered by a jet engine, it was faster than any machine in the air. It, too, is at your disposal later in the war, but you may find it more useful against escorts than bombers.

Getting Started

STICKERS: See p. 58 to apply stickers to blocks.

You don't need to read this Rule Book to learn the game. Peruse the Tri-Fold Player Aid. It will explain the components and some basic concepts. Then follow the (G) Instructions on the Bi-Fold Player Aid for the Basic Game, and start playing. Refer to this Rule Book as needed.

Icon key: a letter in a circle (e.g. (A)) is a reference to the player aid cards; a "#" in a circle is a page number in this Rule Book.

Components

Boards: 22x34, 17x22 (both double sided) Pursuit Maps: 2 @ 8.5x11 (double sided) Roster & Log Pad: 8.5x11 Stickers: 8.5x11 sheet Blocks: 50 black, 12 blue Cards: 24 Nose, 24 Tail, 16 Oblique, 32 Continuing Fire Countersheets: 1 @ 1 inch counters, 1 @ 5/8 counters Off Map Panel: 8.5x22 Player Aids: 1 @ 11x25, 2 @ 11x17 Rule Book Advanced Rule Book Situation Manual Two Dice (ten sided, one red, one black)

Campaign

The criteria to win (or lose) a Campaign is explained on p. 25 of the Situation Manual. The Victory Schedule is printed on the back cover of that Manual.

Glossary...

CAMPAIGN A sequence of Missions played one after the other.

• Short Campaign = one Season you win, or lose, or fall somewhere between
• Medium Campaign = at least one Season but could last several Seasons keep at it until you win or lose, there is no in between
• Full Campaign = multiple Seasons until you win four of them, or lose just one

SEASON A sequence of Missions played one after the other, depicting a period of the war (for example, "early 1943"). A Season is either six or ten Missions long, as indicated by the Mission Set-Up Table on the Bi-Fold Player Aid (i).

MISSION Takes place on the formation map, lasting 1-12 Mission Turns, until you reach the "flight limit." During a Mission you use your fighters to knock down bombers depicted on that map.

FIGHTER Either a Bf109 or some other aircraft listed on the Operations Menu (J). Each Bf109 is a pilot in your staffel; the other aircraft are also "fighters" for the purpose of these rules.

The game does not ask you to worry about those other pilots, they are merely assets temporarily requisitioned to work with you on a Mission. However, there are consequences to Operation Points and Staffel Experience Points for losing those other aircraft (see. p. 56).

Although a staffel was likely to conduct hundreds of "missions" in any of the Seasons depicted in this game, scrambling into the air more than once a day when the action was particularly desperate, Skies Above the Reich condenses that action in order to present an impression of that bloody history. Here we reduce the life (and probable death) of a staffel into a game box.

We only present a part of that "life." A staffel would have endured a variety of missions, not just bomber-busting attacks like those depicted here. We kindly ask the player to suspend disbelief just a little and forget about missions to intercept enemy escorts or missions to protect ground-attack bombers, or other mission types that would have occupied your staffel from time to time. For those enthusiasts who demand to see the eroding effects those missions would have had on his staffel, they are welcome to partake of the Staffel Erosion Table. You can find it on the back of this Rule Book. It is intended to be used after tallying points at the conclusion of each Mission, but if you choose to use it for your campaign, know this: it will make your campaign harder. The Luftwaffe lost the war, the ceiling over the Reich caved in, and over the course of a prolonged campaign the results of the Staffel Erosion Table makes that fact clear.

Campaign Set-Up

Select a Season (i)

The Full Campaign must start in the 1942 Season, but a Short or Medium Campaign may start in any Season. Use the Mission Set-Up Table's leftmost column on the Bi-Fold Player Aid as a menu to select a starting Season.

Example: starting in the 1942 Season means you begin with six Experten (experte, or "ace", pilots) and the Season lasts 6 missions.

Pilot Roster

Start a new Pilot Roster by taking a sheet from the pad. The Mission Set-Up Table (on the player aid) indicates how many experte (ace) and green pilots you begin with (the remainder are veterans, or "non-green," the default pilot in this game, neither an ace nor green).

Experte: If one or more pilots start experte, assign them to names on the Pilot Roster, noting each pilot's skills in the Experte skill column. Skills may be selected by you, or if you prefer, select them randomly. The effect of each skill is noted on the roster, and also explained on p. 57 of this Rule Book.

Green: If one or more pilots start green, assign them to the Pilot Roster, noting each pilot's penalty in the Green Penalty column of the roster. Penalties may be selected by you, or if you prefer, select them randomly. They are explained on p. 57 of this Rule Book.

Example: Adameit has the Timing experte skill. Bauer has the Aim experte skill. Clade has accumulated 3 Experience Points (EP) (pilots start a Campaign with zero EP). Dahl has the Erratic green penalty. If Dahl is killed, write the name of his replacement in the adjoining space (replacements are automatically green, and must be assigned a green penalty); to make it easy to identify, start the replacement name with the same first letter as the name of the replaced pilot.

Staffel Log

Start a new Staffel Log for the Campaign (Staffel Logs are printed on the other side of the Pilot Roster sheet).

Example: Mission 1, Short Campaign: 1943 Late. Use the Mission Notes space to note how many bombers are knocked out of formation (fallen) or destroyed; or for other notes.

Mission Set-Up

Mission Set-Up Table (i)

Use the Mission Set-Up Table on the Bi-Fold Player Aid to establish the starting conditions of the Mission. Work left to right across the table, rolling a die as necessary, to determine the map to use, the mission type, the number of Operations Points (OP) you have to spend, and the presence or absence of escort and its composition and timing.

Determine the following in order:

a. Map

Roll a die to determine the formation map you must use for this Mission (Map 1, 2, 3, or 4).

b. Mission Type

Roll a die to determine the mission type: Inbound, Near Target, or Outbound. The mission type determines the row you must use for determining the number of OP you have to spend and the presence of escort.

c. Operations Points (OP)?

Roll a die and look up the number rolled in the OP column of the table. The result will be the number of Operations Points (OP) you may spend for this Mission. You may not save OP for a later Mission.

Example: 1942 Season — Rolled a 4, use Map 1. Rolled a 7, it is an Outbound Mission. Rolled an 8, get six OP, to be spent before checking for escort. (If two players, each gets 3 OP.) In 1942, the only available fighter is the Bf109 and there are no attachments available. So, the player selects six Bf109s. Rolled a 5, the bombers are defended by light escort, which enters on Mission Turn 5 (Spitfires).

Spend Operations Points

(J) Before determining escort (step d below), spend OP using the Operations Menu printed on the Bi-Fold Player Aid. That menu indicates each fighter (Bf109 and/or auxiliary) and attachment available during the present Season, as well as their cost in OP. Only fighters and attachments you purchase now may be used on the Mission, even if you used those fighters/attachments on a previous Mission.

Bf109s: These fighters represent the pilots of your Pilot Roster, and are available in every Season. They cost 1 OP each. In the two player game, each player gets 2 Bf109s for free each Mission.

Auxiliary Fighters: These represent fighters and light bombers that may augment your staffel. Their cost varies. Bf110s, Me410s, and Ju88s are "requisitioned" individually or in groups of three or four (that is, spend 1 OP to get 3 or 4 of them, as indicated on the Operations Menu). Not all types are available every Season (see the Operations Menu).

Attachments: These represent equipment augmenting your fighters. They either cost 1 OP each or 1 or 2 OP for a group, as indicated on the Operations Menu. More than one type may be attached. For example, a fighter may have armor and rockets at the same time. There are limits to what can be attached to a single fighter, however, and those limits are indicated on the Operations Menu. Attachment markers are provided, and you may place them on your fighter blocks or set them nearby. Usually, it is easy to remember which fighters have attachments, and there are a variety of ways to use the markers to help you remember: for example, you can place them on your Pilot Roster as a reminder, or make a note on the Staffel Log or Pilot Roster.

d. Escort (i)

Finally, use the rightmost section of the Mission Set-Up Table and roll a die to determine the presence of escort defending the bomber formation. "None" means there is no escort. Apply all results, deciphered as follows (also noted at the bottom margin of the Mission Set-Up Table):

H — Heavy Escort: The formation is escorted by a large contingent of enemy fighters. Use all seven Escort markers.

L — Light Escort: The formation is escorted by a modest contingent of enemy fighters. Use only five Escort markers, selected randomly. Do not look at the numeric side of the Escort markers when selecting them.

# — Arrival/Exit Turn: The number indicates the Mission Turn that the escort either arrives or exits (p. 18). If an Inbound or Near Target Mission the number represents the turn that the escort exits (escort is not present on Mission Turns after exit). If Outbound it is the turn that the escort arrives (escort is not present on Mission Turns prior to arrival). If no number, escort has already arrived and will not exit (except as an aerial combat result, p. 23, but this affects only 1 Escort marker).

m — P-51 Mustangs: The escort is comprised of P-51 Mustangs. Use only those Escort markers. This is the most lethal escort to your fighters.

p — P-47 Thunderbolts: The escort is comprised of P-47 Thunderbolts. Use only those Escort markers.

s — Spitfires: The escort is comprised of Supermarine Spitfires. Use only those Escort markers.

t — P-38 Lightnings: The escort is comprised of twin-engine P-38 Lightnings. Use only those Escort markers. This is the least lethal escort to your fighters, but it is still quite dangerous.

Escort Set-Up

Place the Escort markers in their stations on the Escort Display (do this now or when scheduled to arrive, player's choice). Determine which station(s) by rolling a die and consulting the Escort Set-Up Table printed on the Escort Display.

Staffel Command: 7 EP

When determining any of the above (steps a through d), instead of accepting the result of the die roll, you may spend 7 Staffel Experience Points (EP) in order to select the result, overriding the die roll. Note the expenditure on your Staffel Log. Note: you start a Campaign with zero EP.

Determine Situation

Situation Manual

After you perform the steps of Mission Set-Up (map, mission type, OP available, spend OP, and escort), use the Situation Manual to configure the formation map. Open the manual to the correct map and mission type. Unlike use of the Mission Set-Up Table, the order in which you use the manual is not important. You must determine the following information, by rolling a die for each item.

Pre-Existing Damage

Roll a die to determine if some of the bombers in the formation are already damaged. The number rolled determines the damage pattern to use. Draw a Damage marker or markers as indicated by the pattern, and place them on the appropriate bomber(s). Check for Catastrophic Effect immediately (p. 44) and replace with a Fallen or Destroyed marker as appropriate (you do not earn EP or VP). In some cases, none of the bombers will be damaged.

Anchored Status

Roll a die to determine if the formation is part of a larger formation of bombers flying just off the edge of the formation map. Place an Anchored marker in each position box indicated. A space with an Anchored marker is impassable to fighters (that is, a fighter may not move into or through it). Escorts may enter or move out of an anchored box. Once an Anchored marker is placed in the box, it remains there for the entire Mission, and its presence may increase the Lethal Level of some spaces on the formation map (as noted on the formation map itself).

Sun Position

Roll a die to determine the position of the sun. Place the large Sun marker in the position box indicated. If "none," do not place the Sun marker. For the sun's effect, see p. 45 (Out of the Sun).

Contrails (Maps 3 & 4 only): If the sun is present, roll a die to determine if contrails are also present. If they are, you may enter your fighters in the Tail/Level box (instead of a Low box), AND skip the first Escort Phase of the Mission. You can only skip the first Escort Phase if ALL fighters enter Tail/Level (doing this costs 1 TP). Luftwaffe pilots sometimes used the contrails streaming behind high-altitude heavy bombers as camouflage.

Tactical Points (TP)

Roll a die to determine the number of Tactical Points (TP) you start the Mission with. Place the TP marker on the Turn Track, and use it as a means of remembering how many TP you have (or use pencil and paper, or just remember how much you have). Unless playing Advanced Rules, you will not get any more TP during the Mission (Regroup, Adv. Rules p. 8).

Two Players

If two players, each starts with the amount of TP indicated (as above). Do not split the amount between players. Each player gets their own TP marker.

Flight Limit

Roll a die to determine the last turn of the Mission (it ends at the conclusion of the Flight Limit Turn). Place the Flight Limit marker on the appropriate space of the Turn Track as a reminder. The Mission will end earlier than the Flight Limit Turn if no fighters remain in play before then. "In play" means on the formation map.

Staffel Command: 7 EP

Instead of accepting the result of a die roll (when using the Situation Manual) you may spend 7 Staffel Experience Points (EP) in order to override the result. Note the expenditure on your Staffel Log.

Determine Situation Example

Map 3, Outbound.

1. Pre-Existing Damage: Rolled a 1. Two Damage markers, placed as instructed.

2. Anchored Status: Rolled a 7. Place an Anchored marker in the Level and Low boxes of the Flank Position.

3. Sun: Rolled a 2. Place Sun marker in the High box of the Nose Position. Then checked for contrails, rolling another 2, so no contrails.

4. Tactical Points: Rolled a 6. Three TP. If two players, each gets three TP.

5. Flight Limit: Rolled a 2. Used a Staffel Command to override that sorry result, costing 7 Staffel EP. Selected a Flight Limit of 12 (the equivalent of rolling a 10).

Game Table Layout

When you are ready to start a Mission, your gaming table should look something like this: Damage markers in a bowl or big cup; card decks (Oblique Attack, Continuing Fire, Nose Attack, Tail Attack) in convenient location(s); Hit/Proximity markers in a small bowl, or cup.

When you enter fighters onto the formation map during the first Move Phase, you must place them in LOW altitude boxes of one or more positions (Nose, Flanks, Tail; but not in Approach Boxes). You decide where. On Maps 3 and 4, if contrails are present, you may pay 1 TP to enter ALL fighters Tail/Level instead.

Flight Limit and TP markers are placed on the Turn Track in spaces determined by the Situation Manual. If two players, each gets his own pair of TP markers.

Escort markers (if any) are placed in stations on the Escort Display, as determined by the Escort Set-Up Table printed on the Display itself.

Mission

This section is organized chronologically, following the Mission Sequence of Play.

Missions happen on the formation map, and the map you must use is determined during Mission Set-Up (see p. 5). Missions involve you in decisions about how your fighters will attack the bomber formation.

Starting a Mission

A Mission starts on Turn 1 using the fighters and attachments you "purchased" during set-up. They will enter during the first Move Phase. They may "enter" in any position on the formation map (Nose, Flank, Tail), but only enter Low altitude boxes, but not Approach Boxes or Return or Evasive Return Boxes. (There is an exception for contrails on Maps 3 and 4, see p. 7 - Sun Position.) Entering is the only action fighters may take during the first Move Phase.

The bit where airplanes take off, climb, communicate with radar control stations, evade sweeps of enemy escorts, is not depicted in this game. We fast forward to the moment of interception with the bomber formation. If you're starting with a low Flight Limit or only one or two Tactical Points, that's because your fighters endured their share of trials and tribulations on the way to the formation map, or were given very little notice before scrambling.

Mission Delay?

You may delay entering by paying 1 TP per turn of delay. See p. 15 Delay Entry. The purpose of delaying entry is to avoid escort that will soon exit.

Outline of the Mission Sequence of Play (K)

• Move — Fighters enter, exit, or move from one box on the periphery of the formation map to another.
• Return — Fighters shift from a Return Box to a High/Low Position Box, or from an Evasive Return to a Return Box.
• Escort — Skip this phase unless escort markers are present, or arrive this turn.
• Recovery — Check each hit fighter to determine if the hit is trivial or severe.
• Blast & Flak — Fire rockets, drop bombs, and Ju88/Me410 may fire cannon; then, if Near Target, check for flak.
• Cohesion — Check each element for cohesion.
• Attack — Skip this phase unless one or more fighters are in an Approach Box. There are several steps to this phase. See the Bi-Fold Player Aid (L).

Start a new turn.

Mission Abort?

You may cancel the play of a Mission prior to Mission Turn 1. Note the Mission on the Staffel Log by writing "abort" and moving on to the next Mission by performing set-up again.

In other words, the aborted Mission counts (you earned zero VP and EP, but at least you didn't lose any fighters). Once Turn 1 starts, you can't abort, but you can end the Mission by exiting all your fighters (p. 15 & 17).

Mission Ends?

The Mission ends when the Mission Turn marker reaches the Flight Limit marker's space on the Turn Track (it ends at the CONCLUSION of the turn). It can also end earlier, when you no longer have at least one fighter (Bf109 or auxiliary) on the formation map. If this condition occurs in the middle of a turn, do NOT finish the turn. In either case, unused TP are forfeited (they may not be saved for the next Mission). If a fighter still has a Hit marker on it when the Mission ends, perform Recovery. Once the Mission ends, resolve the fate of fighters in Fate Boxes (p. 55), and then tally VP and EP, if you have not done so already (p. 56).

Formation Map

Positions and elements.

NOSE POSITION (11 to 1 o'clock)

FLANK POSITION (2 to 4 o'clock, and again 8 to 10 o'clock)

TAIL POSITION (5 to 7 o'clock)

HIGH BOMBING BOX (Maps 2-4 only): The only fighters that may enter this box are those with bomb attachments.

ELEMENT: A group of bombers flying together (see Elements, p. 13).

SPACE: One bomber is in this space.

DOGFIGHT BOX: Fighters may only enter this box as a result of aerial combat against enemy escorts. There is no other way for them to enter this box. Escorts, however, may enter this box during the Escort Phase as a result of a Station Check (p. 19). The Station Check results of "box with most fighters" and "box with least fighters" could send Escort markers here.

ATTACK ADVANTAGE: You can keep Advantage markers here for convenience, or keep them nearby. They are likely to be used repeatedly during the Mission (pp. 39-40).

POSITIONS: Nose, Flank, and Tail Position Boxes represent space on the periphery of the bomber formation, and out of range of its armament.

Spaces & Boxes

Formation map's anatomy.

A SPACE is in the formation of bombers. Bombers were armed with up to twelve .50 caliber guns facing many directions. Spaces are therefore dangerous, and each is rated for its "Lethal Level" (p. 13). If a space does not have a Lethal Level printed on the map, it is not a space (fighters can only be in spaces or boxes). A fighter can only get into a space from an Approach Box, and only during the Attack Phase (p. 33).

A BOX is outside the bomber formation. Boxes are safe from bombers, but not from enemy escorts. Boxes are linked to each other by arrows or notes, and fighters may move across links to other boxes (p. 15). Escort markers may move from a box to an adjacent box, but only if a fighter is in the adjacent box (p. 20).

A space is rated for its LETHAL LEVEL. Example: 2.

SPACE: Two bombers are in this space, and its Lethal Level is 2. Each bomber occupies four spaces.

EDGE SPACE: This space does not have a bomber in it. Its Lethal Level is normally 2, but if an Anchored marker is in the Nose Position, it increases to 3.

RETURN BOX: Fighters break away here when CLIMBING if in Determined mode.

EVASIVE RETURN: Fighters break away here when CLIMBING if in Evasive mode.

APPROACH BOXES

POSITION BOXES: Altitude relative to the bomber(s).

RETURN BOX: Fighters break away here when DIVING if in Determined mode.

EVASIVE RETURN: Fighters break away here when DIVING if in Evasive mode.

Elements

ELEMENTS: There are six elements on Map 3, and each has 9 spaces and 3 bombers. On Map 4 there are 7 elements and some of them have 4 bombers.

OVERLAPPING SPACE: On Maps 3 and 4, some elements overlap. The space of overlap is considered to be in EITHER element. Thus, when a fighter is in that space, you must decide which element's Attack advantages (p. 39) and Lethal Level deductions for degraded element cohesion (p. 41) apply to that space. A Detonation marker (p. 25 & 31) in that space affects one or the other element (your choice).

Lethal Level

During Burst and Break Away steps of the Attack Phase.

Blue Numbers: This number is a measure of how dangerous the space is to your fighters. The higher the number the more lethal the space.

Example: Lethal Level 4. Lethal Level 3 (but if fighter is at high altitude, the Lethal Level is 4).

Map 1

An exceptional case.

Two Formations

Unlike the other formation maps, Map 1 depicts two bomber formations (A and B). When playing this map use only one of them. To determine which formation to use, roll a die. If the number rolled is EVEN, use Formation A. If ODD, use Formation B. Ignore the other formation during this Mission.

One Element

The two formations on Map 1 are each comprised of a single irregularly shaped element. All spaces depicted in the formation belong to that element, and no space is outside the element.

Position Boxes

Regardless of which formation you use, all four sets of position boxes are in play (Nose, Tail, and both Flanks).

Rockets & Bombs

Rockets and bombs may not be used when playing a Mission on Map 1. These weapons were useful in destabilizing large bomber formations, but the mini-formations depicted on this map are too small for effective use of those weapons.

Move

During the Move Phase.

What Moves?

Each fighter in a High, Level, or Low position may move, and so may fighters in the High Bombing Box. Fighters not yet in play may also move (see Entering, below). No other fighter may move during this phase of the turn.

Hit Fighters?

Fighters with Hit markers may NOT move. They may not exit.

Return Boxes?

Fighters in Return or Evasive Return Boxes may NOT move.

One Box to Another Box

Fighters may move from one box to another, following either an arrow or the instructions of a note printed in the fighter's box. Some moves cost Tactical Points (TP), as indicated by the arrow or the note.

TP Costs and Groups

Movement is free, unless noted on the map. Pay the Tactical Point (TP) cost for movement immediately. Pay for each GROUP of fighters that move, not for each fighter individually. A group is any number of fighters that start the Move Phase in the same box and move together to the same destination. If a group has but one fighter in it, then that lone fighter is considered a group. If a group splits to move to two or more destinations, treat each as a separate group, one per destination.

Me262 exception: The ONLY Approach Box an Me262 may enter is Tail/Low.

ANCHORED exception: Boxes with Anchored markers may NOT be moved into or through by fighters.

ESCORT: Boxes with Escort markers MAY be moved into or through by fighters. Fighters may NOT move to Escort Stations on the Escort Display, nor may they move to the Dogfight Box.

Entering

Fighters enter on Mission Turn 1. Entering costs zero TP. Organize them into one or more groups and place them in one or more Low boxes in one or more positions. They may not be placed in an Approach Box on their turn of entry.

Contrails: On Maps 3 and 4, if contrails are present, you may spend 1 TP to enter ALL fighters in the Tail/Level Position Box. Doing this allows you to skip the first Escort Phase of the Mission.

Entering fighters may be placed in the Low box, but not in any other box in the Flank Position.

Delay Entering?

At your discretion, you may delay entry of some or all fighters. To do so, spend 1 TP per turn of delay (regardless of the number of fighters delayed). If you delay entry of ALL fighters, move the Turn marker up the Turn Track and start the Mission on the turn of entry.

Exiting

A fighter may use its move to exit the map. It costs nothing to do this, simply remove the fighter from play. Exited fighters may not return to play later in the Mission. Exiting is considered a move.

Move Example 1

During the Move Phase.

1. Fighter in the Flank/Low Position Box moves into the Low Approach Box. It eludes the enemy escort and will attack the formation this turn.
2. Bauer spends 1 TP to move from the Flank/Low to the Flank/High Position Box. Moving through enemy escort is allowed. This gives Bauer altitude advantage when the P-38 inevitably chases him during the Escort Phase.
3. Fighter is in the Return Box, so it is not allowed to move. It also has a Hit marker, so even if it were in the Flank/Low Position Box with Bauer, that marker prohibits movement (but it would not prevent Bauer from moving, because the Hit marker is not attached to Bauer).

Move Example 2

During the Move Phase.

1. Fighter in the Flank/Level Position Box will remain where it is. It does not have to move.
2. Bauer will move from the Flank/Level Position Box to the Nose/Level Position Box. This costs 1 TP, which the player pays immediately. Had both fighters moved there, the cost would still be 1 TP (because the cost is per group, not per individual fighter).

Return

During the Return Phase.

What Returns?

Each fighter in a Return or Evasive Return Box MUST return or exit. The only exception are Hit fighters (that is, fighters with Hit markers).

Hit Fighters?

Fighters with Hit markers do NOT return. They remain where they are during the Return Phase. They may not exit.

During the Recovery Phase, the fighter will either be moved to the Fate Box (and its Hit marker returned to the cup), or it will lose its Hit marker and remain in play, allowed to return and move normally (see p. 24).

Return Where?

Each returning fighter shifts to an adjacent box, following the direction of the arrow connecting the two boxes. (Fighter shifts to the Low box; fighter shifts to the Return Box.)

Mode?

A fighter's mode has no relevance during this phase.

Exit?

Instead of returning, a fighter may exit. Remove the exiting fighter from play (it may not return to play during the Mission).

Pursuit?

Advanced Rule: A fighter in a Return or Evasive Return Box may NOT pursue (Adv. Rule Book p. 4).

Anchored?

If the box a fighter would shift to is anchored (that is, it has an Anchored marker in it), the fighter must exit.

ESCORT: An Escort marker has no relevance during this phase. If a fighter returns (that is, shifts) into a box with an Escort marker, it does so. Of course, during the Escort Phase, that escort will attack the fighter. Maybe exiting during the Return Phase is a better choice?

"Return" simulates a fighter's trajectory back to the airspace represented by the positions surrounding the bomber formation. A returning pilot is racing back to make another run at the bombers, but those bombers are not standing still. They too are moving. If hit, a fighter's return is delayed as the pilot checks the condition of his aircraft, as best he can, or is recovering from the shock of taking the hit, momentarily disoriented. Evasive Return means the pilot took care to keep as much distance between his aircraft and the formation. Arcing back into position takes more time.

Escort

During the Escort Phase.

When escorts are present, Escort markers will start on the Escort Display (on the Off-Map Panel). Escort markers will start in one or more escort stations (Above Trailing, Forward, Below Trailing). Each Escort Phase, you will check each station occupied by an Escort marker, by rolling a die and applying the result in the appropriate Station Check Table. That is how Escort markers will move from one station to the next, and to boxes on the formation map. Fighters are not allowed on the Escort Display.

Escort Action Sequence

1. Check Arrival or Exit
2. On-map Escort Move
3. Check Stations
4. Aerial Combat
5. Peel Off

During a Mission, you can expect Escort markers to move among the three Escort Stations, and from those stations to the various boxes of the formation map. The most dangerous station is Above Trailing, a vantage from which enemy pilots can see the entire combat box. But keep in mind that the game allows you to watch only a fraction of the air battle. There are other bombers nearby as well as other Luftwaffe fighters, so if it seems an Escort marker is just sitting there doing nothing, it may be because their attention is elsewhere. It could also mean that they are low on ammunition, low on fuel, are following orders, or their pilots simply do not see your aircraft. It's a big chaotic moving battlefield and maybe somebody besides you screwed up for a change.

Escort Arrives or Exits

During the Escort Phase.

Arrives?

During an Outbound Mission, escorts may "arrive" (which means the Escort markers are placed in escort stations on the Escort Display on the turn of arrival). Escort arrival was determined during Mission Set-Up (see p. 6). If escorts arrive this turn, they do so at the very start of the Escort Phase. Perform Escort Station Checks on the turn of arrival.

Exits?

During an Inbound or Near Target Mission, escorts may "exit." Escort exit was determined during Mission Set-Up (see p. 6). If escorts exit this turn, remove all Escort markers from play at the very start of the Escort Phase (even those in the Dogfight Box; fighters in that box also exit). An individual Escort marker might also exit due to a result of aerial combat (in which case you remove only that Escort marker from play). Aerial combat is explained on page 21.

Escort Stations

During the Escort Phase.

Stations

The three escort stations (Above Trailing, Forward, Below Trailing) represent space just beyond the perimiter of the formation, but in close proximity to the four positions (Nose, Flanks, Tail). Fighters may never enter an Escort Station. Your job is clear: Attack the bombers. Tangling with escort is some other Staffelkapitän's job.

Escort Station Check

During the Escort Phase, check each station that has at least one Escort marker. Do this after moving Escort markers to adjacent boxes on the formation map. No Escort marker should move more than once during an Escort Phase.

PROCEDURE: To check the station, roll a die. Each station has a table printed next to it. The number rolled determines the action that one Escort marker takes at that station. Check a station only once per Escort Phase, regardless of how many Escort markers are in that station.

Escort Check example: you roll a 5 on the Forward Station Check Table, so one Escort marker moves to the formation map (it is placed in the Nose/Level Position Box). Had you rolled an 8, the marker would have moved to the Below Trailing Escort Station.

Anchored?

Unlike fighters, Escort markers may move to a box with an Anchored marker.

Box With Most or Least Fighters?

The Above Trailing Station has two potentially ambiguous results, requiring the Escort marker to move to the "box with most fighters," or "least" fighters. What happens if two or more boxes are tied for "the most" or "the least"? In those cases, you are free to choose which of the tied boxes the Escort marker moves to. In the case of "least" fighters, there must be at least one fighter in the box to qualify as "least." Note that the Dogfight Box may qualify for "most" or "least," which means the Escort marker may move to that box and join another Escort marker there, reinforcing it.

Escort Actions

During the Escort Phase.

Action Sequence

During the Escort Phase, each Escort marker on the formation map will either remain in place or move to an adjacent box (for example, from Nose/Level to the Nose Approach Box). Their movement is mandatory when triggered (see "Escort Moves" p. 20). Then, check each escort station that has an Escort marker in it. An Escort marker in an escort station will move only as dictated by the Station Check Table, and only one Escort marker in each station will move each Escort Phase (the extra Escort markers in a station, if any, remain where they are until the next Escort Phase). At the end of the Escort Phase, an Escort marker in a box with a fighter, attacks that fighter. After resolving aerial combat, Escort markers on the formation map may peel off (p. 20).

Escort Markers

Light Escort is represented by five Escort markers and Heavy Escort by seven markers. Until an Escort marker is involved in aerial combat, it should remain face up (that is, the picture of the airplanes should be visible, not the other side). The point of keeping it face up is to hide the numeral on the other side of the marker, representing the actual number of enemy planes represented by the marker. Once a marker is flipped over, it may remain that way. (keep hidden)

Escort Moves

During the Escort Phase.

Fighter's Box?

An Escort marker that starts the Escort Phase in a box with one or more fighters, MUST remain in that box. Resolve aerial combat at the end of the Escort Phase for each box shared by escorts and fighters.

Even if an adjacent box has fighters in it, the escort will remain in its box as long as it is occupied by at least one fighter. However, if two Escort markers share a box with fighters, one MUST move to an adjacent box if it too is occupied by one or more fighters. (Escort marker stays; one Escort marker stays the other moves.)

Adjacent to Fighter?

An Escort marker that starts the Escort Phase in a box adjacent to a fighter (that is, adjacent to a box occupied by a fighter), will automatically move into the fighter's box and initiate aerial combat (unless the escort's own box is also occupied by a fighter – see "Fighter's Box?" above). Aerial combat is resolved at the end of the Escort Phase. If more than one Escort marker is in the box, only one moves to the fighter's box (the other one stays where it is, regardless of the number of fighters in the adjacent box).

If two boxes, each with a fighter, are adjacent to an Escort marker, select which box the Escort marker moves into (player's choice). If there is a second Escort marker in the box, it moves into the other box occupied by fighters. It too initiates aerial combat. (choose which box the escort moves to; each Escort marker moves; escort moves into fighter's box.)

Escort Peels Off

During the Escort Phase.

Escort Returns to Station

After resolving aerial combat, a box with two or more Escort markers will lose one of those markers to the Below Trailing Escort Station. Place one of the Escort markers from the overstacked box to Below Trailing on the Escort Display.

However, if the overstacked box is adjacent to a box with one or more fighters, or is in the same box with one or more fighters, the Escort marker will remain where it is (it does NOT peel off to the Below Trailing Station). (one escort marker moves to Below Trailing)

Aerial Combat

During the Escort Phase.

Escort Attacks

Aerial combat only takes place during the Escort Phase, and only at the end of that phase after Escort markers have had a chance to move. Resolve combat in each box shared by fighters and Escort markers, one box at a time. If more than one Escort marker, or more than one fighter, is in the box, they all participate in the combat. Results affect all involved fighters but only one involved Escort marker (see Results on p. 23).

Aerial Combat Table

Resolve aerial combat by rolling a die and using that number to find a result on the Aerial Combat Table. The table is organized by fighter type (for example, Bf109) and escort type (e.g., Spitfire). Use the fighter type corresponding to the fighters in the box, and the escort type of the Escort marker.

Mixed Fighter Types?

If more than one type of fighter is in the box, choose one type. Generally, fighters higher up the table will do better than those lower down, with the exception of the Me262 (it is the best against escorts). Example: two Bf109s and one Me262 share a box with a P-51 Escort marker; the player may select either the Bf109 row or the Me262 row of the Aerial Combat Table.

Advantage in Aerial Combat

During the Escort Phase.

Two Questions

Each row of the Aerial Combat Table is subdivided by the answers to two important questions. Answer those questions to find the exact row to use for determining the combat's outcome.

Me262 EXCEPTION: If one or more Me262 fighters are involved in the aerial combat and you select the Me262 Table, ignore the two questions. Modifiers for attachments still apply.

Q1) Fighter is Higher?

The first, or leftmost question, is whether your fighters enjoy an altitude advantage. This is determined by how the fighter or escort moved into the box, from above or below, initiating combat. If neither fighter nor escort is higher, the answer is "no," the fighter is not higher. If even one fighter in a box is not higher, the answer is "no."

Cases: The answer is "no" if the Escort marker moved into the fighter's box from a higher altitude (for example, it moved from a Level box to the Low box, or from a Return Box to a Low box), or if it moved from the Above Trailing Station into the fighter's box this turn.

Fighter is higher? Answer: "no". Evasive Return and Return Boxes do not have relative altitudes, so the fighter can't be considered higher.

If the Escort marker started the Mission Turn in the box with the fighter(s), then the fighter is not higher (the answer is "no"). The escort is not higher either, but that just means the fighter does not enjoy an advantage.

Fighter is higher? Answer: "no." Neither moved.

If the fighter(s) moved into the Escort marker's box during the Move Phase of the current Mission Turn, from a higher altitude box, then the fighter is indeed higher than the escorts (the answer is "yes"). Likewise, if the Escort marker moved into the fighter's box from a lower altitude box (from Low to Level, or Level to High), then the answer is "yes."

Fighter is higher? Answer: "no" — A fighter and escort started the Mission Turn in the box together; a fighter moved in from a higher altitude (during the Move Phase) and an Escort marker moved in from a lower altitude (during the Escort Phase). Not all fighters are higher than escorts, so the fighters do not enjoy an advantage.

Fighter is higher? Answer: "yes." Fighter moved from Level to Low.

Q2) More Fighters than Escort?

The other question has to do with numerical superiority. Are there more fighters in the box than escort?

Count the number of fighters in the box and compare to the number printed on the back of the Escort marker. If more than one Escort marker, add their numbers and use the sum. Unless the number of fighters exceeds the Escort number, the answer is "no."

Altitude advantage is more beneficial than a preponderance of numbers.

More fighters than escorts? Answer: "no" (P-38 Lightning, 2, vs. two fighters). More fighters than escorts? Answer: "yes" (P-38 Lightning, 2, vs. three fighters).

Resolving Aerial Combat

During the Escort Phase (E).

Modifiers

As noted on the Aerial Combat Table, the die roll used to resolve aerial combat may be modified negatively. If any fighters have these attachments or markers, subtract one from the die roll (for each). The modifiers are cumulative, so if a fighter has a Cannon attachment and a Hit marker, subtract two from the die roll. If three fighters each have a Bomb attachment, subtract three from the die roll. No matter how many subtractions there may be, the number rolled can never fall below 1.

Modifiers (subtract from the die roll; these are cumulative): -1 each for No Ammo, Jam, Bomb, Armor, Cannon, Rockets, any Hit marker, any Green penalty. Each green penalty also counts as a negative modifier.

Aerial Combat Results

During the Escort Phase.

Result

After rolling the die and subtracting modifiers (if any), look up the result in the appropriate row of the Aerial Combat Table. The result is given as one or two letters, which can be deciphered by the legend printed below the table. They are explained here in alphabetical order:

Example: Two Bf109s are in combat with a Spitfire marker with the number 4 (four Spitfires). One of the fighters has a Rockets attachment (modifier of negative one). Your fighters are not higher and they do not have numerical superiority. You roll a 1, modified to a 0 (a modified result of zero or less is treated as a 1). The result is "Dx," read as a "D" and an "x."

B – Break Off

All fighters involved in the combat exit, and one Escort marker exits (others remain in the box, UNLESS it is the Dogfight Box in which case they all exit). By the time fighters emerged from the brief battle against escorts, the formation of bombers was far away...

D – Dogfight

Place the fighter(s) and an Escort marker in the Dogfight Box, and keep them together as a group. They remain in that box until the next Escort Phase, when aerial combat is resolved again (fighters are not higher in that next combat). If more than one Escort marker, place only one in the Dogfight Box (choose one). Dogfighting fighters may do nothing until the next Escort Phase (if this is the last Mission Turn, resolve aerial combat before the Tally Phase).

NUMERICAL SUPERIORITY EXCEPTION: If the number of fighters exceeds the Escort number used to resolve the combat, the excess fighters may remain in the box where the aerial combat was resolved. Example: Three fighters are in a box with an Escort marker with a '2' Escort number. Only two of the fighters must be transferred to the Dogfight Box (although all three may be transferred if the player prefers).

Multiple Groups: If another combat puts another group in the Dogfight Box, keep the groups in the Dogfight Box separate, resolving combat next turn for each group separately.

ESCORT EXIT: If escorts are scheduled to exit at the start of the next Escort Phase, do not perform aerial combat. Instead, fighters exit too.

e – Fighter earns a "kill"

One of the escorts is shot down by your fighter(s). Assign an Experience Point (1EP) to a pilot in the box where the aerial combat took place (if more than one is in the box, assign the EP randomly). The staffel does not earn EP.

R – Return

Fighters got the better of the escort. The Escort marker exits (if more than one is involved in the combat, only one exits, the rest remain in the box). Your fighters break away to the Evasive Return Box (Tail/Low).

S – Scattered

Fighters are dispersed by the escorts, and exit (remove fighters from play). Place the Escort marker on the Escort Display in the Below Trailing Station (if more than one, only one Escort marker is placed there, the rest remain in the box where the aerial combat happened; if it happened in the Dogfight Box, the rest exit).

x – Fighter Destroyed

One fighter is shot down by the escorts. Select the fighter randomly. Note: this result is not a "hit," it is a "destroyed" result, and can't be negated by the Luck experte skill (or anything else). Roll a die to determine the pilot's fate (but only do so if a Bf109, not for an auxiliary). Add +2 if the fighter has the Armor attachment. Check the result on the table under the Aerial Combat Table. If he bails out, the pilot earns 1 EP. If wounded, place the fighter in the Wounded Box on the Off-Map Panel (he also earns 1 EP). If an auxiliary, deduct 1 OP during set-up for the next Mission.

Lone Fighter? If this result destroys the only fighter in the combat, convert the other result to S. For example, convert a Dx to an Sx.

Recovery

During the Recovery Phase.

Check Hit Fighters

Each fighter with a Hit marker must be checked during the Recovery Phase. To make a check, select a fighter and its Hit marker, and roll a die. If the fighter has more than one Hit marker, select any one of them and resolve the check before checking its next Hit marker.

Less Than?

Compare the number rolled on the die to the number printed on the Hit marker. If less than the printed number, the hit is serious. If equal to or greater than the printed number, the hit is trivial.

(equal to or greater than: no effect ("just a scratch"); compare die roll to this number; less than: place fighter in Fate Box)

Trivial

If the hit is trivial, put the Hit marker back in the cup. There is no other effect. If the fighter has another Hit marker, check it by repeating the procedure.

Serious

If the hit is serious, put the fighter in the Fate Box corresponding to the hit type. The fighter must remain in that box until the Mission is completed, at which time you will determine its fate (p. 55). The Hit marker (and any others still on the fighter) must be placed back in the cup immediately.

Hit Type & Fate Boxes

The Off-Map Panel has a number of Fate Boxes, each corresponding to a type of hit. Each Hit marker is printed with the name of its hit type: Cockpit, Elevator, Engine, Fuel, Fuselage, Rudder, and Wing.

A Hit marker takes away a fighter's ability to Return (p. 17) and Move (p. 15), and that includes exiting or pursuing (pursuit is an Advanced Game rule), but a Hit marker does not restrict or influence the actions you may take with a fighter in an Approach Box or in a space on the formation map. The reason for this delayed effect is the rapidity of a fighter's attack. Skies Above the Reich slows down the action to make the game playable, but from a pilot's point of view, making a run on the bomber formation takes but a blink of an eye. That is, from the pilot's point of view, there is no delay, all of the steps of the Attack Phase are compressed into a prolonged and terrifying moment.

Recovery Example

The player decides to check the Fuselage marker first. He rolls a 6, which is higher than the '3' printed on the marker, so the Hit is trivial. He puts the Hit marker back in the cup.

He checks the Fuel marker next. He rolls a 7, which is higher than the '5' printed on the marker. It too is trivial, so it goes back in the cup.

But let's say the first die rolled a 2 instead. The hit would have been severe, which means the fighter would be immediately placed in the Fuselage Box on the Off-Map Panel (its Fate Box). The two Hit markers would then have been put back in the cup.

Blast (F)

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

Bombs

For a brief time the Luftwaffe experimented with dropping bombs onto B-17 formations. Bombs may be released only by a fighter in the High Bombing Box on the map (possible only on Maps 2, 3, and 4). Only a fighter with a Bomb attachment may do this. Once released, remove the Bomb marker.

Rockets

A variety of rockets were used by the Luftwaffe, but this game depicts them generically. Unlike Bomb markers, once fired, turn the Rockets marker over to its "fired" side (it will continue to serve as a negative modifier during aerial combat against escort, p. 22). Rockets may only be released in the Tail/Level Position Box, and only by a fighter with the Rockets attachment.

Releasing Bombs/Firing Rockets

Bombs and rockets are released only during the Blast & Flak Phase: bombs from the High Bombing Box, rockets from the Tail/Level Position Box (not the Approach Box).

Step 1a. Aim

When dropping bombs or firing rockets, aim for an element, not a specific bomber or space. Place a Target marker in the element. Do this for each Bomb and/or Rockets marker before you perform blast location. If aiming a bomb, you must also make a Release Bomb Check, due to bombing unreliability (Step 1b). You don't need to do this for rockets.

Place the Target marker anywhere in the Element.

Step 1b. Release Bomb Check: After placing all Target markers, make a Release Bomb Check for each bomb released. Follow the directions printed on the Tri-Fold Player Aid Card (Step 1b). Do this for each fighter that releases bombs. If the result is "Miss," remove the Target marker. The bomb either fell through the formation and exploded harmlessly or exploded before reaching the formation.

Step 2. Blast Location: For each Target marker, one Target marker at a time, roll two dice (a red die and a black die). Note which die rolled a higher number and locate the corresponding space on the Blast Location diagram printed on the Tri-Fold Player Aid Card ("doubles" automatically miss). Shift the Target marker to that space on the formation map, flip it so that the marker is Detonation side face up, and immediately perform Step 3 (Blast Effect) before locating the next Target marker. It is possible for a Target marker to "fall off" the map due to the result on the diagram, or to detonate in an adjacent element. If it is shifted to a space outside all elements, remove the marker.

Step 3. Blast Effect: Use the lesser die rolled in Step 2 to determine the result on the Blast Table (also printed on the Tri-Fold Player Aid Card). After applying the result, if any, leave the Detonation marker on the map and resolve Step 2 again for the next Target marker. Detonation markers remain on the map until the conclusion of the Cohesion Phase (they will degrade the element's cohesion, p. 31).

Ju88/Me410 CANNON (Long Range)

During the Blast & Flak Phase, if in the Tail/Level Position Box, each Ju88 and Me410 with a Cannon attachment may make a long-range attack. It must target the rearmost bomber of the rearmost element (it may not fire rockets in the same phase). "Rearmost" means closest to the Tail Position, and if more than one bomber seems to qualify, the Ju88 or Me410 may target any of those qualifying bombers. What constitutes rearmost may change as bombers fall out of formation.

Attack Procedure: Select a fighter and roll two dice. If the red die is higher than the black die, the bomber suffers a Damage result (draw two Damage markers and select one). If the red die is not higher, it misses. If either die rolls a '1', or if the dice roll the same number (that is, you roll doubles), the Ju88 or Me410 becomes No Ammo (p. 47). NOTE: Damage and No Ammo are the only results possible in a long-range attack.

Blast Effect

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

Blast Table

Note the number rolled on the lesser die, and locate the immediate effect on the Blast Table. (Leave the Detonation marker in place until the end of the Cohesion Phase; it will degrade cohesion during that phase.) Immediate effects of the blast apply only to a bomber in the Detonation marker's space. If no bomber is in the space, there is no immediate blast effect (that is, no damage to or destruction of a bomber; do not draw any Damage marker(s)).

Blast Table — die 1-4: no damage. 5-6: 1 Damage marker. 7: 2 Damage markers. 8: 3 Damage markers. 9: Bomber Destroyed (X) and 1 other bomber suffers 1 Damage marker.

EP & VP: If a bomber is Fallen or Destroyed due to the blast effect, the Staffel earns EP and VP, but individual pilots do NOT earn EP. For EP, see the Pilot Roster or p. 56; for VP, see the back of the Situation Manual.

Blast Example

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

1. The player places a Target/Detonation marker in the element, Target side up. A fighter with a Rockets attachment is firing.
2. They roll two dice (one red, the other black). A Red 8 and a black 7. The red die is higher so they flip the marker over to its Detonation side, moving it to the Blast space (as dictated by the diagram on the player aid).
3. The "lesser die" was the black die, and it is a 7. The player uses that number to determine the immediate Blast Effect on the Blast Table, which tells them the bomber in the Blast space suffers 2 Damage markers. They draw the Damage markers immediately from the cup, resolving their catastrophic effects (neither effect was triggered), and flipping them to show their Damage numbers face up. The player completes the rocket attack by leaving the Detonation marker in the space.

(The 8 is the "greater" die because 8 is greater than 7; the 7 is the "lesser" die because 7 is less than 8.)

Flak

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

Near Target

Flak only occurs during a Near Target Mission, and only at the end of the Blast & Flak Phase.

"Flak" refers to ordnance fired from the ground, in this case, by Luftwaffe gunners striving to knock down bombers. Flak can indeed damage bombers, but it can also hit fighters in Approach Boxes (you've been warned).

Advanced Rules: Flak does not occur on the pursuit map.

Resolving Flak

At the end of each Blast & Flak Phase, resolve flak by determining where the flak attack happens in the formation (that is, where ordnance explodes). Then, apply Damage to bombers (if any), and Hits to fighters (if any). Use the Near Target page in the Situation Manual corresponding to the formation map.

Flak Location

Find the page in the Situation Manual (it is the same page you used to set-up the formation map). For example, if this is a Near Target Mission on Map 3, go to page 15 and 16 of the Situation Manual.

Next, roll a die (do this every Mission Turn, at the end of the Blast & Flak Phase). Use the number rolled to find the "window," a numbered box, in the Situation Manual. In this example, if you roll a 7, find the window numbered 7.

Flak Result

Visually locate the bombers damaged by the attack by noting the location of the Damage icon. Draw a Damage marker for each bomber damaged by the attack, and resolve its catastrophic effect immediately (if any). For Damage, see p. 44.

If a Hit icon is in an Approach, and a fighter is in one of the Approach Boxes corresponding to that position, it is hit by the flak attack (draw a Hit marker, see p. 45). Only one fighter may be hit in each position marked by an icon. If more than one fighter is eligible to be hit, because more than one is in one or more Approach Boxes in that position, choose one fighter to suffer the hit (or select randomly).

Destroyed Bombers?

If a flak attack results in a fallen or destroyed bomber (that is, a Fallen or Destroyed marker is placed on the map due to flak), you earn 1 Victory Point (unless playing the Advanced Game, in which case you earn 1 VP only if it is Destroyed). EP is not earned for flak.

Green Panic

If hit by flak, a pilot with this green penalty must immediately exit (check for Recovery immediately).

Experte Luck

A pilot with an experte skill of Luck may use it to cancel the flak Hit.

Flak Example

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

Map 2, Near Target. Flak die roll: 8.

1. Bombers: Two bombers are damaged. The player draws a Damage marker for each.
2. Fighters: Three fighters are in Approach Boxes in the Tail Position. The player selects one of them to be hit. He draws a Hit marker and places it on the Me410. There is no immediate effect, the hit may prove trivial. For now, the Me410 can still attack a bomber during the Attack Phase.
3. The player rolls a die for one of the Damage markers he just placed, to determine if its catastrophic effect is triggered. If he rolls a 9 or a 10, it is, and the bomber will fall out of the formation (see Damage on p. 44).

Flak Example 2

During the Blast & Flak Phase.

Map 2, Near Target. Flak die roll: 5.

1. Bombers: Two bombers are damaged by flak. The player draws a Damage marker for each and places it on the corresponding bombers.
2. In order to check for a catastrophic effect, the player immediately rolls another die for each marker, starting with the Engine damage. They roll a 7, so the bomber falls out of formation.
3. The player puts the Damage marker back in the cup and places a Fallen marker on the bomber. If they were playing the Advanced Game, they would place the Damage marker on the current space of the Turn Track instead of putting it back in the cup.
4. Now the player checks for the Wing damage. If they roll an 8 or higher the bomber explodes, but they roll a 6, and so flips the Damage marker over, ending the flak attack for this turn.
5. The fighter is not hit because it is not in an Approach Box.

Cohesion Check

During the Cohesion Phase (D).

Cohesion

Bombers were not easy to fly, especially in formation, and especially when harassed by flak and fighters. Cohesion is a measure of the formation's integrity, and the unit of measure is the element.

Markers?

Check the cohesion of each element that has one or more markers.

What Kind of Markers?

Count every marker except Maneuver and Attack Advantage markers (they should not be on the formation map during the Cohesion Phase anyway). (Marker types that count: Detonation, Proximity, Damage, Fallen, Destroyed, Element Loose, Element Kaputt.)

Less Than?

Roll a die and compare the number rolled to the number of markers in the element. If the number rolled is less than the number of markers, cohesion degrades. If equal to or higher than the number of markers, cohesion remains the same or improves (see p. 31). If the element only has a single marker, there is no need to roll (the result is "Improves").

Degrades?

An element must be in one of three states: good order, loose (bad), or kaputt (very bad). When kaputt, there is a chance that one of its bombers will fall out of formation. The effect of a degrade result depends on the state the element is in at the moment the check is conducted, as follows:

• Good Order: If the element is neither loose nor kaputt, it becomes loose; place a Cohesion marker on its Loose side. (There is no "good order" marker; good order is the default state of an element.)
• Element Loose: If already loose, the element becomes kaputt. Flip the marker to its Kaputt side.
• Element Kaputt: If already kaputt, one bomber falls out of formation (select the bomber with the most Damage markers and place a Fallen marker on it; if two or more have the same number of Damage markers, or none have Damage markers at all, select randomly; return its Damage markers to the cup). Then, flip the Kaputt marker over (the element's state improves to loose). If a bomber is fallen, the Staffel earns 1 EP, and 2 VP if an Inbound Mission (or 1 VP if not).

Improves (or stays the same)?

If the Cohesion Check does not result in "degrade," then cohesion either remains the same or improves. The result depends on the state the element is in when the check is made, as follows:

• Good Order: If good order, there is no effect. The element remains in good order. (There is no "good order" marker; good order is the default state of an element.)
• Element Loose: If the element is loose, there is no effect, the element remains loose. (It does not improve to good order.) Once loose, an element will never return to good order.
• Element Kaputt: If the element is kaputt, the element's cohesion improves to loose. Flip the Kaputt marker to show its Loose side.

Detonations: Cohesion Automatically Degrades

After completing the Cohesion Check, each Detonation marker in an element has an additional effect. (Detonation markers are generated by rockets and/or bombs; see p.25). Each Detonation marker degrades the element's cohesion one level (from good order to loose, or from loose to kaputt). If already kaputt, one bomber becomes fallen (flip the Cohesion marker to its Loose side, then select the bomber with the most Damage markers and place a Fallen marker on it; return the Damage markers to the cup).

Remove Markers?

After all Cohesion Checks are complete, remove Proximity and Detonation markers (put Proximity markers back in the cup).

No Bombers?

If there are no bombers in an element (because they are all fallen or destroyed), the element is automatically and permanently kaputt.

The formation map is a static two dimensional representation of a potentially dynamic three dimensional space. If not closed up entirely, holes in a combat box can at least be considered to narrow as bomber pilots maneuver closer to other elements for protection. Thus, even when all bombers have been shot out of an element, it may still be lethal to your fighters because other bombers are nearby in adjacent elements.

Leader Shift (Optional Rule)

During the Cohesion Phase, when the forwardmost bomber of an element is either fallen or destroyed, one of the remaining bombers in the element takes its place. Select the bomber with the least number of Damage markers and shift it to the fallen/destroyed bomber, and shift the Fallen/Destroyed marker to the selected bomber.

Cohesion Check Example

During the Cohesion Phase.

Markers: 5 (Loose, Damage, Proximity, 2 Detonation markers). State: Loose.

1. The element has five markers and the player rolls a 3, so cohesion degrades.
2. The element is already loose, so it must degrade to kaputt. The player flips the marker to show its Kaputt side face up.
3. There are 2 Detonation markers in the element. One of them degrades the element's cohesion and since it is already kaputt, one bomber becomes fallen. The Kaputt marker is flipped over to show its Loose side face up. The player earns 1 Staffel EP and 1 VP (it is an Outbound Mission).
4. The second Detonation marker degrades the element yet again. The Loose marker is flipped over (again) and the element's cohesion is now kaputt.
5. The two Detonation markers and the Proximity marker are removed (the Proximity marker is put back in the cup while the Detonation markers are set aside for later use).

Approach

During the Approach step of the Attack Phase.

Fighters in Approach Boxes must be placed into spaces on the formation map.

How Many at a Time?

Up to six fighters may leave an Approach Box (or Boxes) at the same time (this is called a "wave"). If you have more than six in your Approach Box (or Boxes), shift them to the formation in waves (maximum six fighters in each wave; the remainder wait for the next wave). Fighters comprising a wave may come from different Approach Boxes.

Place Where?

Place each approaching fighter in any space with a bomber, so that it is oriented to attack the bomber. More than one fighter may be placed in the same space. Even when emerging from the same Approach Box, fighters need not be placed in the same space or element. Orientation is dependent on the fighter's Approach Box, as follows:

Nose

A fighter approaching from the Nose must be placed in a space in front of a bomber. It will attack that bomber.

Tail

A fighter approaching from the Tail must be placed in a space behind a bomber. It will attack that bomber.

Oblique

A fighter approaching from the Oblique must be placed in a space to the side of a bomber. It will attack that bomber.

Out of the Sun?: If a fighter leaves an Approach Box connected to the Sun marker, it earns the Out of the Sun advantage (p. 45).

Altitude?

The fighter's altitude is relative to the bomber it is attacking, and is determined by the Approach Box it came from: High, Level, or Low. For example, if the fighter was moved from the High Approach Box, the fighter's altitude is "high" relative to the bomber. If it is hard to remember a fighter's altitude, place blocks under the fighter, as follows: one or two blocks if Level or High; none if Low.

Approach Example

During the Approach step of the Attack Phase.

There are nine fighters in Approach Boxes. Only six can be included in a single wave.

1. The player selects five fighters for the first wave (four Bf109s and one auxiliary fighter).
2. Two fighters emerge from the Nose/Level Approach Box. They are placed in front of two bombers. (Level = 1 altitude block.)
3. Auxiliary fighter (Fw190) emerges from the Tail/Low Approach Box. It is placed behind a bomber. (Low.)
4. Two fighters are moved from the Oblique/High Approach Box and placed in different spaces, each to the side of a bomber. (High = 2 altitude blocks.)
5. A sixth fighter may attack as well, but the player elects to hold it back for the next wave.

Mode

During the Engage step of the Attack Phase.

Select Mode

A fighter's block has two sides, each representing its mode of attack: Determined and Evasive. Whichever side you choose to be face up is the fighter's mode. Mode can be thought to represent a number of things, but foremost is how close to the target a pilot intends to be when he pulls the trigger.

Determined: Determined fighters are more dangerous to bombers.

Evasive: Evasive fighters have less to fear from bombers.

Changing Mode

A fighter's mode is chosen at the beginning of the Engage step of the Attack Phase, and may not be changed during a later step. The only exception is when the Event Text of an Attack Card forces you to change a fighter's mode.

Mode is only meaningful during the Attack Phase, Steps 7B through 7C (Engage, Burst, and Break Away). A fighter's mode is irrelevant during the rest of the Mission Turn.

Zeal: A fighter whose pilot has this green penalty must be in Determined mode.

Maneuver

During the Engage step of the Attack Phase.

Select Maneuver

Each fighter in a space on the formation map must have a maneuver selected for it. Use the Maneuver marker as a reminder of your selection, or just remember the fighter's maneuver. The maneuver you select will influence what happens during the Break Away step of the Attack Phase, p. 53 (also see pp. 36-37).

Climb or Dive?

A maneuver must be either a climb or a dive. Climbing means the fighter will ascend away from the formation after its burst, while diving means it will descend away. Thus, climbing means it will break away towards the High box while diving means it will head for the Low box.

Roll?

Besides climbing or diving, a fighter may also roll. This allows the fighter to turn as it breaks away rather than continue in a straight direction.

Direction?

The maneuver determines the fighter's destination when it Breaks Away: Nose, Flank, or Tail. Break away happens during the Break Away step of the Attack Phase.

Climb or Dive: If not rolling, the fighter will break away to the position opposite its approach. For example, if approaching from a Nose Approach Box, it will break away to the Tail.

Roll: If rolling, the fighter will break away to the position to the left or right of its approach, depending on which direction it rolls towards. For example, if approaching from a Nose Approach Box and rolling to the right, it will go to the 8 to 10 o'clock Flank. Use the arrow on the marker to indicate direction of the roll.

In this example, the fighter approaching from the Tail will dive roll to the Flank.

Maneuver Direction

Approach from which Position?	Maneuver marker	Breaks Away to
Nose	Climb or Dive	Tail
Nose	Roll (climb or dive; break away position depends on direction of arrow)	Flank 2 to 4 o'clock, or Flank 8 to 10 o'clock
Tail	Climb or Dive	Nose
Tail	Roll (climb or dive; break away position depends on direction of arrow)	Flank 2 to 4 o'clock, or Flank 8 to 10 o'clock
Flank 2 to 4 o'clock	Climb or Dive	Flank 8 to 10 o'clock
Flank 2 to 4 o'clock	Roll (climb or dive; break away position depends on direction of arrow)	Nose, or Tail
Flank 8 to 10 o'clock	Climb or Dive	Flank 2 to 4 o'clock
Flank 8 to 10 o'clock	Roll (climb or dive; break away position depends on direction of arrow)	Nose, or Tail

Maneuver Direction Examples

In this example, all of the fighters are in Evasive mode and so they will end up in the Evasive Return Box.

• This fighter approaches from the Nose and will climb to the Tail Position.
• This fighter approaches from the Flank and will climb roll to the Nose Position.
• This fighter approaches from the Nose and will dive to the Tail Position.
• This fighter approaches from the Tail and will dive roll to the 8 to 10 o'clock Flank Position.

Collision

During the Engage and Burst steps of the Attack Phase; does not apply to the pursuit map.

Collision? (C)

During the Engage step, after mode has been selected, perform a Collision Check for each space that has two or more fighters in it. To perform the check, draw a Proximity marker and place it on one of the fighters in the space. Apply the result. During the Burst step, some Attack cards may impose a Collision Check as well, in which case you must also draw a Proximity marker and place it on the fighter. Collision is possible only in a SPACE, not in a BOX.

Altitude?

Ignore differences in altitude. That is, a Collision Check is triggered by fighters sharing the same SPACE even when they are at different altitudes.

Collision Check Results

No Collision: There is no additional effect. If the fighter is Evasive mode, put the Proximity marker back in the cup. If Determined, leave the marker in the element (it will influence the Cohesion Check during the Cohesion Phase, p. 30).

Escape: You have a choice: Either pay the TP cost noted on the Proximity marker, or don't pay it. If you pay the cost, the fighter immediately breaks away to the Tail Position (place it in either Return Box). If you do not pay, the fighter exits instead. In either case, if the fighter is Evasive mode, put the Proximity marker back in the cup. If it is in Determined mode, leave the marker in the element (it will influence the Cohesion Check during the Cohesion Phase, p. 30).

Veer: If the fighter is Evasive mode, treat as No Collision (put the Proximity marker back in the cup). If Determined, roll a die. If the number rolled is less than the number of fighters in the ELEMENT, treat as a Hit result (flip the Proximity marker over and apply it as a Hit marker; you may immediately use the pilot's Luck experte skill, Attack or the Out of the Sun advantage, if you have any of them, to remove the marker). If equal to or higher, ALL fighters in the Proximity marker's SPACE break away to the Tail Position (place them in either Return Box; they don't have to go to the same box). Then, leave the Proximity marker anywhere in the element; it will influence the Cohesion Check during the Cohesion Phase.

Hit: If the fighter is Evasive mode, treat as No Collision (put the Proximity marker back in the cup). If Determined, flip the Proximity marker over and attach it to the fighter as a Hit marker: you may immediately use a pilot's Luck experte skill, Attack Advantage, or the Out of the Sun advantage, if you have any, to remove the Hit marker as per p. 45 (put the Hit marker back in the cup).

Impact? If the fighter is Evasive mode, treat as No Collision (put the Proximity marker back in the cup). If Determined, immediately roll a die. If the number rolled is less than the number printed on the Proximity marker, a collision occurs (see below). A collision cannot be cancelled by Luck experte skill or anything else. If equal to or higher, the collision is avoided. Regardless of the die roll, leave the Proximity marker anywhere in the element; it will influence the Cohesion Check during the Cohesion Phase.

Collision! If a collision occurs, roll another die. The result depends on the number rolled, even or odd:

EVEN: If the number rolled is EVEN, the fighter collides into the bomber. The fighter is destroyed (no bail out). Draw four Damage markers and place them on the bomber (check for catastrophic effects, p.44).

No Bomber? If there is no bomber in the space where the Collision Check was triggered, select a bomber in the element. If the space is outside an element, or there is no bomber in the element (they are all fallen or destroyed), treat as an automatic ODD result.

ODD: If the number rolled is ODD, the fighter crashes into another fighter (both are destroyed, no bail out). If there is no other fighter in the space, it crashes into another fighter in the element (select randomly if more than one). If there is no other fighter in the element, it collides into the bomber after all (treat as an EVEN result). If there is no bomber in the element, the fighter is struck by debris and is destroyed (no bail out).

Attack Advantage

Check for advantage during the Engage step of the Attack Phase; use Advantages during the Burst or Break Away steps (for Attack Procedure, see p. 41); Attack advantage also applies to Pursuit (Advanced Rules).

Check for Attack Advantage

At the end of the Engage step (after Collision Checks), check to see if your fighters earn Attack advantage. Check each element where fighters are present. An advantage is particular to its element, which means an Attack advantage may only be used in the element where it was earned. A fighter does not take an advantage with it if it leaves the element during the Burst step of the Attack Phase (by passing through), but a fighter that enters the element may use advantages in the newly entered element (if they haven't already been used). For each advantage earned, place the appropriate Advantage marker in the element as a reminder, and remove it when the advantage is used. Remove all unused Advantage markers at the end of the Mission Turn.

Rotte Advantage

You earn this advantage if at least one space in the element is occupied by two or more fighters. The fighters must be in the same space, at the same altitude, and must have emerged from the same Approach Box. Also, the fighters must be in Determined mode, and they must be the same type (e.g., both are Bf109s, or both are Bf110s).

Effect: This advantage allows you to cancel one Hit during the Burst step or during Continuing Fire in the Break Away step. It need not be used on the two (or more) fighters that earned this advantage; it may be used to cancel a Hit applied to another fighter in the element. Remove the Advantage marker when the advantage is used.

(two Determine mode fighters from the same Approach Box in the same space; Rotte advantage earned)

Position Advantage

You earn this advantage if at least two fighters attack the element from different positions and different altitudes. The fighters need not be in the same space, nor must they attack the same bomber.

Effect: This advantage allows you to cancel one Hit during the Burst step or during Continuing Fire in the Break Away step. It need not be used on the two (or more) fighters that earned this advantage; it may be used to cancel a Hit applied to another fighter in the element. Remove the Advantage marker when the advantage is used.

(two or more positions and altitudes; Position advantage earned. Two positions but only one altitude: Position advantage NOT earned. Two altitudes but only one position: Position advantage NOT earned.)

Schwarm Advantage

You earn this advantage if four or more fighters attack the element. The four must be at the same altitude, and must have emerged from the same Nose or Tail Approach Box (not from the Oblique). Also, the fighters must be in Determined mode, none of the four may be No Ammo, and all four must be the same type (e.g., all four are Bf109s, or all four are Bf110s; thus, if two are Bf110s and two are Ju88s, the Schwarm Advantage is NOT earned).

Effect: This advantage allows you to automatically inflict two Damage results when resolving the attack during the Burst step of the Attack Phase (p. 44). Both Damage results may be used simultaneously by the same fighter, or one at a time (by the same or different fighters, even by one that did not help earn the advantage). If using the Damage result one at a time, flip the Advantage marker over as a reminder that one Damage result has been used. When the second is used, remove the marker.

Continuing Fire: This advantage may also be used during Continuing Fire in the Break Away step, by a fighter that has a bomber in its space (it need not be in front of the fighter). The Damage result is applied simultaneously with Continuing Fire, after the effect of the Event Text is applied (if any).

SCHWARM: Developed during the Spanish Civil War, the "schwarm" was a formation of four fighters that proved flexible yet lethal. Adolf Galland asserted that it proved so successful against British fighters early in the Second World War that the Royal Air Force copied it, as did the Americans who called it the "finger four." Its utility against bombers was that four fighters approaching abreast established a brief but nearly uniform burst of tracers that was difficult for an evading bomber to avoid. Even if it managed to evade one fighter, it might stray across the trajectory of another.

The Schwarm was invented as a tactic against enemy fighters, since it allowed for great flexibility of maneuver for each pair within the schwarm (the pair was called a "rotte"). That maneuverability was irrelevant against heavy bombers. Nonetheless, the breadth of attack is simulated by this advantage.

ROTTE & POSITION ADVANTAGES: These advantages are predicated on the idea that the bomber's defensive fire can be split, erratic, and confused when presented by targets hurtling in from a variety of directions. The risk of attacking densely in a rotte is mitigated by gunners splitting their fire between two targets.

Example: Four fighters attack from the Nose Low Approach Box in Determined mode. They earn the Schwarm advantage, and the Rotte advantage. Another fighter attacks from Oblique Level, earning the Position advantage.

Example: In this example the Burst step has occurred and fighters passed through. One of the two Damage results of the Schwarm advantage has been used, so the other remains. Any of the fighters in the element are eligible to use that remaining Damage result during Continuing Fire, because they all share a space with a bomber (two share a space with more than one bomber, and can apply the Damage result to any bomber in their space).

Multiple Advantage?

Fighters attacking in an element may earn all three advantages, but each type may only be earned once per element. Thus, the Rotte may only be earned once in an element, even if two spaces qualify for the advantage.

Attack Procedure: Lethal Level

During the Burst and Break Away steps of the Attack Phase.

Resolve your fighters' attacks, one fighter at a time. Each fighter in a space on the formation map MUST attack. Fighters in boxes may not attack during the Burst and Break Away steps.

A fighter must attack the bomber in front of it. If there is no bomber (because another fighter knocked it out of formation or destroyed it), go through with the attack anyway and apply all results except Damage (see No Bomber?, p. 43).

Lethal Level?

Each space on the formation map is rated for its lethality to a fighter. Locate the blue number in the space; that is the space's Lethal Level.

The bomber formation was designed to create a 360 degree field of covering fire, and the Lethal Level is a crude estimation of the danger posed by that field to a fighter. Each B-17 was armed with as many as twelve .50 caliber guns facing a variety of directions, including two or more revolving turrets. As bombers took damage, fell out of formation, or were destroyed, the ability to mutually support fellow bombers became weaker. Game Terminology: Fallen and Destroyed refer to a specific bomber within an element, while Loose and Kaputt refer to the element within a formation.

Modifying the Lethal Level?

A space's Lethal Level is modified by several factors, each modification noted as a numeral preceded by either a minus or plus sign. A minus sign indicates a deduction to the Lethal Level while a plus sign indicates an increase. If the Lethal Level is reduced below zero, treat it as zero, and if increased beyond five, treat as five. Deductions are good for your fighters; increases are bad.

Missing Bombers

A bomber occupies four spaces, and when a bomber falls out of formation or is destroyed, those four spaces become less lethal. The Lethal Level of those spaces is reduced by 1, as noted on the marker. (The Fallen marker projects its -1 deduction to all four spaces.)

Degrading Cohesion

A Loose or Kaputt marker applies to every space of its element, decreasing the Lethal Level of each space by 1 or 2, as indicated by the marker. (This Loose marker projects its -1 deduction to every space of the Element.)

Machines

Some auxiliary fighters (Ju88s, Bf110s, Me262s, Me410s) modify the Lethal Level of their space, as noted on the auxiliary fighter sticker, but this modification applies only to itself. For example, if a Ju88 in Determined mode is in a space, it increases the Lethal Level of that space by 2, but that increase applies only to the Ju88, not to another fighter in its space.

Cumulative

There is no limit to the number of modifications to the Lethal Level. For example, a space with a Fallen bomber (-1 Lethal Level) in a Loose element (-1 Lethal Level) has a cumulative deduction of -2.

Lethal Level Example

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

1. The Bf109 approaches from the Nose Position and is in a space with a Lethal Level of 3. The Fallen marker reduces that level to 2, and the Kaputt marker, applying to every space in the element, reduces it by another 2.

   Thus, the Lethal Level for the Bf109 is zero.

2. The Ju88 approaches from the Oblique. Its space has a Lethal Level of 3, but if at High altitude (which it is), that level is increased to 4, as noted on the formation map. Because it is in Determined mode, the Ju88 increases the Lethal Level by 2, raising it to 6 (yikes!). But the Kaputt marker reduces it by 2.

   Thus, the modified Lethal Level for the Ju88's attack is 4.

? Assuming the player elects to resolve the Bf109's attack first, what happens if the Bf109's attack forces its target to fall out of formation? Does the Ju88 still attack? Yes. If the first attack's results require a Fallen or Destroyed marker be placed on the bomber, the player would still resolve the Ju88's attack. The Lethal Level would be reduced by 1, because of the new marker, and an Oblique Attack card would be drawn. All results would apply, except Damage results on the bomber. (See p. 43, "No Bomber?")

Attack Cards

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

Once you determine the Lethal Level (explained on p. 41), draw an Attack card and apply the results, if any.

Attack Card

Draw an Attack card from the deck corresponding to the fighter's position (Nose, Oblique, or Tail). After applying the results, discard the card.

The most reliable way to do damage to a bomber was to fire on it from the rear, but that was also the easiest way to receive harm from the bomber's gunners.

No Bomber?

If there is no bomber to attack (because another fighter just destroyed it or knocked it out of formation), include the Fallen/Destroyed marker's Lethal Level deduction and draw an Attack card. Apply all results except Damage.

Reading the Attack Card

• Attack Card Type (Nose, Tail, Oblique)
• Lethal Level (0-5): Use the column corresponding to the Lethal Level of the fighter's space, modified by the factors noted on p. 41. If modifications reduce the Lethal Level below zero, use the zero column, and if greater than 5, use the 5 column.
• Altitude (High, Level, or Low)
• Determined Mode (upper section of each row): Use this section if the fighter is Determined.
• Evasive Mode (lower section of each row): Use this section if the fighter is Evasive.

Altitude

The Attack card is organized according to the fighter's altitude relative to the bomber (High, Level, Low; or in the case of oblique attacks, High and Low). Use the row corresponding to the fighter's altitude.

Mode

Each Altitude row is subdivided into two sections. Use the upper section if the fighter is in Determined mode, and use the lower (blue) section if the fighter is in Evasive mode.

Results

Cross-index row and column to find the results of the attack (that is, cross-index altitude and mode with the lethal level). If the cell is empty, the attack had no effect (there is no result except that the attack has been resolved). In most cases there is an effect to either the fighter or the bomber, or both. When there is more than one result indicated, apply them all in any order (unless noted otherwise). The effect of each type of result is explained on pages 44-47.

Attack Result: Damage

During the Burst and Break Away steps of the Attack Phase, and during the Blast & Flak Phase.

Damage

For each Damage result, randomly draw a Damage marker from the cup. Place the marker on or next to the bomber. It may have an immediate and catastrophic effect: roll a die and compare the number rolled to the Catastrophe Number printed on the front of the marker. If you roll EQUAL TO OR HIGHER than that number, the catastrophic effect is triggered (destroyed or fallen, apply the appropriate marker). If less than the number, it does not take effect (flip the Damage marker over and leave it on the bomber).

(Each Damage marker shows a Catastrophe Number, e.g. "6 wing," on its front, a Destroyed/Fallen catastrophic-effect icon, and a Damage Number on the back, e.g. "2" or "w2".)

Catastrophic Effect:

If the effect is Destroyed, place a Destroyed marker on the bomber and return its Damage markers to the cup. You earn VP (see the back of the Situation Manual for the VP chart).

If the effect is Fallen, the bomber falls out of the formation. Place a Fallen marker on the bomber and return its Damage markers to the cup. If playing the Advanced Game, place the bomber's Damage markers on the current space on the Turn Track (the bomber can be intercepted during Pursuit, see Advanced Rule Book, p. 4).

If the catastrophic effect was NOT triggered (this is the most common result), flip the Damage marker over and leave it next to the bomber. (The "w" letter prefix on a Damage marker's back is used only when playing Advanced Game, p. 6; it applies only to the pursuit map.)

Cannon?

If the fighter is armed with Cannon, draw two Damage markers instead of one. Do this for each Damage result. Look at both markers (you may look at the front and back) and select one to apply (put the other back in the cup). This is a permanent benefit of the cannon and may be used every attack.

Experte?

Aim: Draw two Damage markers instead of one if your pilot has the Aim experte skill and you choose to use it (the skill may only be used once per Mission). Apply both Damage markers (each counts as a separate Damage result).

Timing: If the pilot has the Timing experte skill, and you choose to use it, add a Damage result to the results indicated by the Attack card. This pilot may use this skill only once each Mission, and only if the fighter is in Determined mode.

Schwarm Advantage?

If you earned the Schwarm Attack advantage, you may use it to add one or two Damage results to the results indicated by the Attack card. Once both are used, remove the marker.

Accumulated Damage

The moment that the Damage numbers on all of a bomber's Damage markers add to 10 or more, the bomber is destroyed (place a Destroyed marker on the bomber and return the Damage markers to its cup). VP is earned. (Example: 4 + 4 + 2 = 10, Destroyed.) In the Advanced Game, this only applies to the formation map, not to the pursuit map (see Advanced Rule Book, p. 3).

Attack Result: Hit

During the Burst and Break Away steps of the Attack Phase, and as a result of flak during the Blast & Flak Phase.

Hit

For each Hit result on a fighter, attach a randomly drawn Hit marker to the fighter (place the marker on the fighter block, or keep it next to it). Each marker represents damage to the fighter.

You won't know right away if the hit is trivial or severe (you'll know during the Recovery Phase), but the marker will tell you where the aircraft is hit (cockpit, wing, etc.). When a Hit marker is attached to a fighter, there is no other immediate effect to suffering a hit while in a space on the formation map. Once the Attack Phase is over, however, Hit fighters may not move during the Move Phase, nor may they return during the Return Phase. Nor may they exit. To add insult to injury, they suffer an adverse modifier during aerial combat with escorts.

Hit Cancelled?

There are a variety of ways to cancel a Hit result: (some cancel 1 Hit outright; others cancel 1 Hit if Evasive, or if Determined, require an EVEN roll on one die to cancel the Hit).

Out of the Sun (Does not apply to flak.)

If the fighter approached from an Approach Box connected to a position box containing the Sun marker, it benefits from the Out of the Sun advantage.

This advantage cancels one Hit if the fighter is in Evasive mode; if in Determined mode, roll an EVEN number on one die to cancel the Hit. If you roll ODD, it does not cancel the Hit and the advantage is not used. Remove the Advantage marker if the Hit is cancelled. You must make the decision to use this advantage before drawing a Hit marker.

If the fighter does not use its Out of the Sun advantage by the conclusion of the Break Away step, remove the Out of the Sun marker.

Luck

A pilot with the Luck experte skill may cancel one Hit result. It may only be used once per Mission. If you choose to use it, make the decision before drawing the Hit marker.

Attack Advantage

Each of these markers (Position, Rotte) allows you to cancel one Hit, but you must make that decision before drawing the Hit marker. Any fighter in the element may use it. Remove the marker when you use it.

Attack Result: Pass Through

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

Pass Through

The numeral printed on the Attack card is the number of spaces the fighter must move. If no numeral, treat as a zero (that is, there is no Pass Through movement, the fighter remains in its space).

Which Direction?

Direction is determined by the Maneuver marker.

Climb or Dive: If climbing or diving, movement must be straight ahead.

Climb Roll or Dive Roll: If rolling, direction must be as indicated by the placement of the Maneuver marker. The arrow on the marker indicates direction (left or right).

Me262: A Determine-mode Me262 automatically adds +1 to its Pass Through result. (for example, if the Pass Through result is zero, the Me262 moves one space).

Edge of the World?

A fighter may not exit the map due to Pass Through movement. If it reaches a space on the edge of the formation and still should move another space, it remains in that last space.

Pass Through Example

The Ju88 attacked obliquely and one of the attack results requires it to make a Pass Through move of three spaces. It is Dive Rolling towards the front of the formation (that is, towards the Nose Position), and thus, it must move in the direction indicated. After moving two spaces, the Ju88 stops, because it has reached the edge of the map and may not move a third space.

Other Attack Results

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

C — Collision

Make a Collision Check (that means drawing a Proximity marker and placing it on the fighter, and apply the result; see p. 38).

Make this check even if the bomber is destroyed by Damage or attacking a bomber that was already fallen or destroyed by another fighter's attack. Why? The collision may happen with debris and not just another intact aircraft.

R — Riding the Tail

After applying all other results of the attack, the fighter must either attack again immediately, or drop back to the Tail Position.

Attacking Again: Draw another Attack card and apply the results. If one of the results is "Riding the Tail," the fighter may attack yet again or drop back to the Tail Position.

Drop Back to the Tail Position: Place the fighter in the Level Box of the Tail Position. Doing this allows the fighter to skip Continuing Fire.

Note: a fighter that drops back is NOT placed in the Approach Box, it is placed in the Tail/Level Position Box.

No Ammo

After applying all other results, place a No Ammo marker on the fighter as an attachment (or make a note on the Pilot Roster, or just remember). For the remainder of this Mission, the fighter is incapable of producing a Damage result on a bomber, and it suffers a -1 modifier in aerial combat against escorts. If a pilot with the Timing experte skill is No Ammo, he may not use his skill. Note: A fighter with a No Ammo attachment may attack. Any Damage result it garners is cancelled, but all other results apply.

No Bomber? A fighter resolving an attack against a bomber that has just fallen or been destroyed due to another fighter's attack, is affected by a No Ammo result (see p. 43, No Bomber?).

Schwarm Advantage? You may not earn the Schwarm advantage if one of the fighters qualifying for that advantage is No Ammo (see p. 40).

Jam? A Jam result has no effect on a No Ammo fighter.

Jam

After applying all other results, place a Jam marker on the fighter as an attachment (or just remember that its guns are jammed). For the remainder of this Mission, when the fighter scores a Damage result on a bomber, roll a die: if the number rolled is EVEN, apply the Damage result normally. If ODD, the Damage result is cancelled.

No Bomber? A fighter resolving an attack against a bomber that has just fallen or been destroyed due to another's fighter's attack, is affected by a Jam result (see p. 43, No Bomber?).

No Ammo? If a fighter with a Jam marker garners a No Ammo result, flip the marker over. The fighter is now No Ammo. But look on the bright side: at least it isn't Jammed!

To the dismay of many a fighter pilot in the unfriendly skies above Europe, it was not unusual to experience weapons malfunction, including the jamming of machine guns or momentarily inoperable cannon.

Attack Example

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

1. The player decides to resolve Maack's oblique attack first. His space has a Lethal Level of 1 but the element's cohesion is loose, lowering the Lethal Level to zero. He draws an Oblique Attack card and finds the result under the zero column and the "Low" row (because the Bf109's altitude relative to the bomber is Low). He finds the result in the upper section of that row because the fighter is in Determined mode.

2. Results: Maack damages the bomber, and so one Damage marker is drawn and placed on the bomber's image on the formation map. It's an engine hit with a Catastrophe Number of 5, so the player immediately rolls a die. He rolls a 7, which triggers the catastrophic effect and the bomber falls out of formation. A Fallen marker is placed on the bomber. Maack then moves one space forward (the fighter moves straight ahead because the Maneuver marker is Climb). Maack earns 1EP for knocking the bomber out of formation, and so does the Staffel. And VP is earned too.

3. The player now resolves the attack of the Evasive mode fighter attacking from the Nose. Its space's Lethal Level is 2, and with the element's loose cohesion, it is reduced to 1. He draws a Nose Attack card and finds the result under the 1 column and the "Level" row.

   Results: The fighter is Hit, but instead of drawing a Hit marker, the player elects to use the Position advantage to cancel the Hit (he removes the Advantage marker). Had the fighter been in Determined mode, he could have used the pilot's Timing experte skill to damage the bomber. The player immediately makes a Collision Check to satisfy the 'C' result. It is a "No Impact" marker, so there is no effect. Since the fighter is in Evasive mode, the Proximity marker is returned to the cup. Had the fighter been in Determined mode, that marker would stay in the element.

4. Pass Through: The fighter moves forward two spaces to satisfy the Pass Through result on the Attack card.

Continuing Fire

During the Break Away step of the Attack Phase; does not apply to the pursuit map (Adv. Game Rules).

Select a fighter in a space on the formation map, and draw a Continuing Fire card for it. Flip the card over and read the Event Text (do this first, following its directions), then check to see if the fighter is Hit by locating the result in the Continuing Fire Table printed on that card. You must do this for every fighter in a space on the formation map, one at a time (one card per fighter).

Reading the Continuing Fire Card

• Continuing Fire Table
• Lethal Level (0-5): Use the column corresponding to the Lethal Level of the fighter's space, modified by the factors noted on p. 41. If modifications reduce the Lethal Level below zero, use the zero column, and if greater than 5, use the 5 column.
• Determined Mode: Use this row if the fighter is Determined.
• Evasive Mode: Use this row if the fighter is Evasive.
• Event Text

(Example card, "Fall Away": If diving: Change to Evasive mode and skip Continuing Fire. If already in Evasive mode, exit instead.)

BA — Break Away Anywhere: This experte skill allows you to Break Away at the start of the Break Away step. If you use it, don't draw a Continuing Fire card (p. 57).

Event Text

Each Continuing Fire card has text printed below the Continuing Fire Table. Follow the directions of that text. In most cases, the directions apply only under specific circumstances (and those circumstances are indicated in the Event Text itself). If those circumstances do not apply, ignore the text. If the directions allow you to "skip" Continuing Fire, ignore the result in the Continuing Fire Table.

Me262: An Evasive mode Me262 skips Continuing Fire and Breaks Away instead (do not draw a Continuing Fire card).

Continuing Fire Table

After applying the Event Text, if the fighter is still in a space on the formation map (that is, the Event Text has not allowed it to Break Away or exit before resolving Continuing Fire), use the table to determine if the fighter is Hit as it flies out of the bomber formation. Only two results are possible, either the fighter is Hit, or it is not Hit (actually, there is a third possibility: the fighter may suffer more than one Hit). Locate the result in the column corresponding to the Lethal Level, and the row corresponding to the fighter's mode. If Determined, use the upper row, and if Evasive use the bottom row (blue). Hits may be cancelled by Luck experte skill, Attack and/or Out of the Sun advantage (p. 45).

Lethal Level Modifications

The Lethal Level can be modified by all the same factors that modify it during an attack (during the Burst step of the Attack Phase, explained on p. 41). In addition to those, the Continuing Fire card itself may modify the Lethal Level, if the fighter's Maneuver marker corresponds to that shown on the card. Not all cards modify the Lethal Level.

Example: A "Slow Climb" card indicates that if the fighter's maneuver is Climb or Climb Roll, the Lethal Level is increased (+1 if Climb Roll, and +2 if Climb).

Continuing Fire Example 1

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

1. The player decides to resolve Continuing Fire against Maack first. He draws a Continuing Fire card and notes that the Event Text does not apply. Had he drawn this card for the other Bf109, which is diving, it would have applied (and because that fighter is already in Evasive mode, it would have exited, removing it from play for the rest of this Mission!).

2. Result: The Lethal Level in Maack's space is 4, but because Maack is Low altitude that is increased to 5. But the Fallen marker lowers that level by 1 and the Loose marker lowers it again by 1. Thus, the Lethal Level is 3, and so the player locates the result in the upper row of the 3 column and finds that Maack is not hit.

3. The player now resolves the Continuing Fire on the other fighter. He draws a card and then rolls a die (because he is directed to do so by the Event Text). He rolls a 7, which is an odd number, and so the fighter is hit by debris. He draws a Hit marker from the cup, a Wing hit, and places it on the fighter.

4. Result: Now the player determines the Lethal Level. The fighter is at Level altitude, so the Lethal Level for the space is 3, and he lowers that by 1 because the element is loose. Thus, he locates the result in the 2 column on the table, and because the fighter is in Evasive mode, the result is a Hit. He draws another Hit marker from the cup (the fighter's fuel line is hit).

Continuing Fire Example 2

During the Burst step of the Attack Phase.

1. The player draws a Continuing Fire card for Loos. The Event Text is "Slow Climb," and it applies because the fighter is climb rolling. Thus, the Lethal Level is increased by 1.

   Resolving Continuing Fire, the Lethal Level printed in the space is 2, modified to a 3 because of the Event Text, so the player must use the 3 column. He does not benefit from the Loose marker because Loos is no longer in that element. Had there been a Cohesion marker in the element he is currently in, he would have used it.

   Result: Loos suffers a Hit. The player can't cancel the Hit by using the Rotte advantage, because Loos is no longer in the element where it was earned (he passed through 3 spaces). The player draws a Hit marker and places it on Loos, and then Loos breaks away to the Tail Return Box (High).

2. Maack's turn. The player draws a card, "Hard Roll." The Event Text applies because Maack's maneuver is dive roll, so the fighter skips Continuing Fire and breaks away to the Tail Return Box (Low).

   Had Maack not dive rolled: The Lethal Level in the space is 2, modified to a 3 because the Tail position is anchored (that position box is not shown, but in this example it is anchored). The element is loose, however, so that would have decreased the Lethal Level by 1, back down to 2. This would have meant Maack suffered a Hit, except the Rotte advantage would have cancelled that Hit, had the player elected to use it.

Event Text

During the Break Away step of the Attack Phase.

We hope the directions printed on the Continuing Fire cards are self-explanatory, but in case confusion arises, a more elaborate explanation is provided here.

Bounced

This Event Text applies after Continuing Fire and only if the fighter's Maneuver marker is Dive or Dive Roll. If an Escort marker is in the Below Trailing station, it attacks the fighter. Immediately perform aerial combat (p. 21). If the result is Dogfight, place the fighter and Escort marker into the Dogfight box (if the fighter is destroyed, however, convert the D result to an S result). If the fighter does not exit due to Aerial Combat Table results, it may exit or break away to the Evasive Return Box in the Tail Position. If the Escort marker does not exit, return it to the Below Trailing station.

Confused

This Event Text applies only if the pilot has a green penalty. After resolving Continuing Fire, and regardless of the result of Continuing Fire, you must spend 1 Tactical Point. If you do not have a TP to spend (because you currently have zero TP), the fighter is Hit (place a randomly drawn Hit marker on it). This Hit may be not cancelled by an Attack advantage, and there is no way to avoid spending 1TP if you have at least 1TP to spend.

Notice the Hit pattern on the Continuing Fire Table. Your pilot may not be the only confused actor on this flying stage.

Debris

This Event Text automatically applies. Roll a die. If the number rolled is an EVEN number, draw a Damage marker and place it on the nearest bomber. If more than one bomber qualifies as nearest, choose one of them. Check for catastrophic effect in the normal way (explained on page 44). If the number is ODD, place a Hit marker on the fighter. This Hit may not be cancelled.

If a bomber is fallen due to debris, you earn 1 staffel EP, and 1 or 2 VP depending on the Mission Type (2 VP if Inbound) (zero VP if playing the Advanced Game). If destroyed, you earn 2 EP and 1 or 2 VP. If two players, only the player who drew the card gets EP and VP.

The sky is filled with bits and pieces of metal. There are fragments blasted away from bombers, and from fighters. A crewman's tool box might be torn out from his bomber. Empty casings from a .50 caliber belt of ammo whistle through the air after a gunner expends the whole nine yards…

Engine Sputter

This Event Text applies only if the fighter's Maneuver marker is Climb or Climb Rolling. The fighter exits instead of breaking away (it is still attacked by Continuing Fire). You may choose to have the fighter Break Away normally, instead of exiting, by spending 1 Tactical Point.

Fall Away

The Event Text of this card applies only if the fighter's maneuver is Dive. If in Determined mode, the fighter switches to Evasive mode (before Continuing Fire). It must break away to the Evasive Return Box. If already in Evasive mode when this card is drawn, the fighter skips Continuing Fire and breaks away immediately.

Friendly Fire

This Event Text automatically applies. Roll a die. If the number rolled is an EVEN number (such as a 2 or a 6), draw a Damage marker and place it on the nearest bomber. If more than one bomber qualifies as nearest, choose one of them. Check for catastrophic effect in the normal way (explained on page 44). If the number rolled is ODD, skip Continuing Fire (the fighter breaks away in the confusion).

If a bomber is fallen due to friendly fire, you earn 1 staffel EP, and 1 or 2 VP depending on the Mission Type (2 VP if Inbound) (zero VP if playing the Advanced Game). If destroyed, you earn 2 EP and 1 or 2 VP. If two players, only the player who drew the card gets EP and VP.

Hard Roll

This applies only if the fighter's Maneuver marker is Dive Roll. The fighter breaks away immediately and skips Continuing Fire.

Into the Sun

The Event Text applies only if the fighter's Maneuver is Climb or Climb Rolling, and the fighter is about to Break Away to the position that has the Sun marker in it. If there is no Sun marker on the formation map, this Event Text does not apply even if the fighter is climbing or climb rolling. If this Event Text applies, the fighter skips Continuing Fire.

Lucky Shot

This applies only if the pilot has one or more experte skills. Even if all the pilot's experte skill(s) have been used already this Mission, this Event Text applies. If, at the moment this card is drawn, the fighter is in a space with a bomber, that bomber is Damaged by the fighter. That is, if the fighter is in one of the four spaces occupied by a bomber, the Damage is inflicted. The bomber does not have to be in front of the fighter. Draw a Damage marker and place it on the bomber, and check for catastrophic effect. Treat this as a normal Damage result, which means that Cannon attachments and the Aim experte skill can be applied.

Pull Away

This Event Text applies only if the fighter's Maneuver marker is Climb or Climb Roll. After applying results on the Continuing Fire Table, draw another card. Ignore the Event Text of that card but apply any Continuing Fire results.

Slow Climb

This Event Text applies only if the fighter's Maneuver marker is Climb or Climb Roll. The Lethal Level is increased by 1 if Climb Rolling, and by 2 if Climbing. Also, the fighter must break away to the Tail Position (high). Mode still applies when determining where the fighter breaks away to: if Evasive mode, the fighter must be placed in the Evasive Return Box, or the Return Box if in Determined mode.

Break Away

During the Break Away step of the Attack Phase.

One by one, after Continuing Fire, each fighter in a space on the formation map breaks away.

Break Away Where?

A fighter breaks away to the position opposite its approach. For example, if a fighter approached from the Nose, it breaks away to the Tail. However, if the fighter rolled, then it goes to the position it rolled towards, as indicated by the arrow of its Maneuver marker. See page 36-37 (Engage step) for a complete schematic of break away destinations.

Climb or Dive?

If the fighter climbed, it breaks away to the Return or Evasive Return Box connected to the position's High altitude box. If it dove, it goes to the Return or Evasive Return Box connected to the Low box.

Determined or Evasive?

If the fighter is in Determined mode, it breaks away to the Return Box. If Evasive mode, it breaks away to the Evasive Return Box.

Green Penalty?

Erratic: A fighter with this green penalty must exit instead of breaking away. You may pay 1 TP to momentarily negate this penalty and allow the fighter to break away normally.

Experte Skill?

If the pilot has the Break Anywhere skill, and you elect to use it, the fighter may break away to any Return or Evasive Return Box, regardless of position, maneuver marker, or mode. A pilot may use this benefit only once per Mission. It may break away before resolving continuing fire (do not draw a Continuing Fire card).

Me262

An Me262 in Evasive mode inherently has the Break Anywhere experte skill, and may use it repeatedly during a Mission.

Mission Tally

When a Mission ends, determine what happened to fighters that were sent to the Fate Boxes.

If the Mission ended with one or more Hit markers still on fighters, perform Recovery (p. 24).

If it ends and a fighter is still in the Dogfight Box with an Escort marker, resolve Aerial Combat (p. 21).

Then, tally the number of Victory Points (VP) earned, Experience Points earned (EP) by your Staffel and its individual pilots (on your Pilot Roster), and note any Operations Points (OP) that must be deducted due to the loss of auxiliary fighters.

Two Players: Each player keeps track of their points separately, using their own Pilot Roster and Staffel Log.

Fate

Check Each Fighter

Each fighter in a Fate Box must be checked. Do so by rolling a die and noting the number rolled on the table printed in the Fate Box to get the result. With the exception of "Lands," all results require a second die roll. If the pilot earns an EP, it is awarded only to him, not to the Staffel.

Armor: If the fighter has the Armor attachment, add +2 to the number rolled when checking the Cockpit, Engine, or Fuel Fate Boxes. This modifier also applies to Bail Out checks.

Example: A Bf109 ends a Mission with a serious Cockpit hit and is in the Cockpit Fate Box. You roll a die – a 9 – and so the pilot safely lands. Had you rolled a 1, the fighter would have exploded, and you would have rolled a second die – a 6 – learning that the pilot is now dead. He could not bail out in time to save himself. However, if the fighter had the Armor attachment, the 1 would have been increased to a 3, which meant the aircraft was on fire. The second roll would have been increased to an 8, which would have meant the pilot bailed out but must be placed in the Wounded Box.

Lands

This result earns the pilot 1 EP and the pilot is available to participate in the next Mission.

Bail Out? Crash, Fire, Explode

If this result happens to an auxiliary fighter, deduct 1 EP from the Staffel and 1 OP from the next Mission during Mission Set-Up. If a Bf109 crashes, catches fire, or explodes, roll another die to determine the pilot's fate (add +2 for the Engine, Cockpit, or Fuel Fate Box if the fighter has the Armor attachment):

Bail Out: Yes

The Pilot successfully bails out. He earns 1 EP and may participate in the next Mission.

Bail Out: No

The Pilot does not bail out. He is dead. Cross his name from the Pilot Roster.

Wounded

The pilot is wounded. He earns 1 EP but is not necessarily available for the next Mission. Place the fighter in the Wounded Box (on the off-map panel). At the start of each Mission, you may check for the return of the wounded pilot ("return" means he can leave the box). Check by rolling a die: if the number rolled is a 9 or 10, the pilot returns and may participate in the Mission (and every Mission thereafter). Any other number rolled means the pilot remains wounded (and thus, unavailable). You may replace him, but if you do so you may no longer attempt to return him. A pilot that remains wounded may be checked for return at the start of every Mission (and this may continue indefinitely throughout the game).

Replacement Pilot

If a pilot dies or is wounded, you may replace him (and in the case of a wounded pilot, you relinquish the option to return him; see "Wounded" above). Cross the name of the dead or wounded pilot from your Pilot Roster. Invent a name for the replacement and write it in the space under the deceased or wounded pilot's name. Determine the replacement's green penalty (choose, or determine randomly).

We recommend inventing a name that starts with the same first letter as the pilot you are replacing. It will make identification easier as you proceed with the Campaign.

Replacing a Replacement? A replacement pilot may NOT be replaced. For the purpose of determining available pilots, an "available pilot" is one that is not in the Wounded Box nor has it been crossed off your roster (see the back of the Situation Manual).

Tallying Points

Tactical Points (TP)

Leftover TP is forfeited, not saved (but if playing the Advanced Game, it is forfeited after Pursuit, when the Mission is completely over).

Operations Points Deduction (OP)

For each auxiliary fighter destroyed during the Mission (by escort, or failed to land), you must deduct 1 OP during Mission Set-Up when you play the next Mission.

Victory Points (VP)

The back of the Situation Manual has a VP chart. See "Winning and Losing" on page 25 of that manual.

Experience Points (EP): Staffel

Note on your Staffel Log EP earned for the Mission. You should do this during the Mission itself. Staffel EP can be earned during any phase. Staffel EP are used to pay for Staffel Commands during set-up (pp.6-7).

You earn 1 EP for each bomber forced out of the formation (Fallen), and 2 EP for each bomber destroyed.

DEDUCTION: For each auxiliary fighter destroyed during the mission (by escorts, or failed to garner a Lands result on the Fate Box Table), you must deduct 1 EP.

Experience Points (EP): Pilot

Note on your Pilot Roster each pilot's EP earned for the Mission. This should be done during the Mission itself, since it may be difficult to remember each pilot's actions. A pilot may earn EP only during the Attack Phase, Escort Phase, or Pursuit (if playing the Advanced Game).

A pilot earns 1 EP for each bomber he forces out of the formation (Fallen), and 2 EP for each bomber he destroys. For the pilot to earn the EP, the event must have been a DIRECT and IMMEDIATE result of that pilot's actions.

For example, a fighter's attack results in a Damage marker being placed on a bomber, and the catastrophic effect is triggered, forcing the bomber to fall out of formation. Thus, the pilot earns 1 EP.

Another example: A fighter's attack results in 4 Damage points, and a second fighter adds another 4 Damage points. On a subsequent attack a third fighter adds 2 more Damage points, destroying the bomber. Only the third fighter earns the 2 EP.

A pilot also earns 1 EP if he survives a Fate Box (that is, if the Fate Box Table result is Lands, Bail Out "Yes", or Wounded).

EP during Blast & Flak Phase?

During the Blast procedure, effects of rockets and bombs earn the Staffel EP (if the result is Fallen or Destroyed), but individual pilots do NOT earn EP. No EP are awarded for Fallen or Destroyed results from flak (but you earn VP).

EP for Escorts?

A pilot also earns 1 EP for each "e" result in aerial combat that the pilot earned. Only one pilot may earn an EP for a single aerial combat. However, no Staffel EP is earned.

Staffel Commands

Earning Staffel Commands

Staffel Commands are earned by accumulating Staffel Experience Points (EP). Record EP on your Staffel Log.

Staffel Command Costs

You may use one or more Staffel Commands during Mission Set-Up. When using the Mission Set-Up Table (player aid folder), each command costs 7 EP. When using the Situation Manual, each command costs 7 EP. You may take as many commands as you can pay for in EP.

Effect of a Staffel Command

A Staffel Command allows you to make a selection to override the roll of a die.

For example, after rolling a die to determine the Mission Type, you note that the result is "Outbound." Not liking the result, you spend 7 EP and select "Inbound".

Experten, and Green Pilots

Experte Skills

Each skill costs 5 EP to earn (deduct the EP from the pilot's total on the Pilot Roster; that pilot may not also have a Green penalty). Once earned, the skill is permanent and may be used every Mission. Each skill may be used once during a Mission. A pilot may earn more than one skill, and may earn the same skill more than once. For example, a pilot with the Luck skill may spend 5 EP to earn it again, allowing him to use that skill twice every Mission.

Timing: Automatically Damage a bomber during the Burst step of the Attack Phase (p. 44). The fighter must be in Determined mode to use this skill.

Aim: When the fighter's attack scores a Damage result, draw 2 Damage markers instead of 1. Each counts as a separate Damage result (apply both of them). If the fighter is equipped with Cannon, draw two Damage markers for the first result (apply one marker), and then another two for the second Damage result (again apply one).

Luck: Cancel 1 Hit (Burst step of the Attack Phase, or Blast & Flak Phase, see p. 45). Does not cancel an x result in aerial combat.

Break Anywhere: Instead of passing through, the fighter may immediately break away to any Return or Evasive Return Box, regardless of mode and Maneuver marker (see p. 53). Do this BEFORE drawing a Continuing Fire card.

Green Penalties

A replacement pilot automatically starts with a green penalty. You may select it, or, select it randomly. During the course of the game, a penalty may be removed by spending three of the pilot's EP. Unlike experte skills that can only be used once per Mission, penalties must be used whenever applicable.

Erratic: When performing Break Away (p. 53), spend 1 TP. If you can't spend 1 TP, or choose not to spend it, the fighter immediately exits (remove it from play).

Panic: When Hit, the fighter immediately exits. Perform recovery immediately (for Recovery, see p. 24).

Zeal: The fighter must be in Determined mode (p. 35).

Me262

An Evasive mode Me262 inherently enjoys the Break Anywhere experte skill, and may use it repeatedly during a Mission.

Stickers

Stickers are organized by type: Bf109, Fw190, Bf110, Me262, Me410.

Two stickers go on each block, a Determined mode sticker on the front and an Evasive mode sticker on the back.

There are two color groups (Red Group, Yellow Group), useful when playing the two-player version of the game. All blocks are used when playing solitaire.

AIRPLANES: stickers on black blocks.

ALTITUDE: no stickers on blue blocks.

Credits

Designers: Jeremy (Jerry) White & Mark Aasted

Playtesting, Proofing, and Counsel: Mark Aasted, Sam Sheikh, Hans Korting, Mike McClellan, Rick McKown, Troy Nichols, Swati Chattopadhyay, Jason Crain.

Component Design & Art (except box): Jeremy White

Art Director, Cover Art & Package Design: Rodger B. MacGowan

Production Coordination: Tony Curtis

Publishers: Tony Curtis, Rodger MacGowan, Andy Lewis, Gene Billingsley, Mark Simonitch

Staffel Erosion

Use of the Staffel Erosion Table is optional. It is predicated on the idea that your staffel is doing more than attacking bomber formations, and the table is intended to present the effects of those other actions. The staffel may be attacked on the ground, or it may perform an escort flight of its own, or any number of other possibilities. Although this table will not tell you what those actions were, or what exactly has happened, continued use of the table will paint a slowly evolving picture of the Luftwaffe under siege. Use of this table makes your campaign more challenging.

Procedure: Roll a die after completing a Mission, and apply the result indicated in the Staffel Erosion Table. If you won the previous Season, add +1 to your die roll. If you aborted the previous Mission, subtract -1 to your die roll. Two Players: Each player uses the table after each Mission, each rolling his own die and applying his own result.

Losing a Pilot: If the result calls for you to lose a pilot, you MUST cross a pilot of your choice off your Pilot Roster. If that pilot was a replacement, he may not be replaced (as per the pilot replacement rule explained on p. 55). Replacement pilots are green, unless indicated otherwise.

Staffel Erosion Table

+1 if you won the previous Season; -1 if you aborted the previous Mission

die roll	1942-1943 early	1943 mid & late	1944-1945
1 or less	Pilot Killed — lose one pilot; you may replace him with a non-green pilot	Pilot Killed — lose one pilot	Pilot Killed — lose one pilot
2	Pilot Transferred — lose one pilot; you may replace him with a non-green pilot	Pilot Wounded — lose one pilot to the Wounded Box	Pilot Wounded — lose one pilot to the Wounded Box
3	Pilot Wounded — lose one pilot to the Wounded Box	Airfield Attacked — next Mission deduct 4 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission)	Pilot Wounded — lose one pilot to the Wounded Box
4	Airfield Transfer — next Mission deduct 2 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission)	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 1 TP maximum	Airfield Attacked — next Mission deduct 4 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission)
5	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 1 TP maximum	Staffel is Scattered — next Mission deduct 2 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission), and you may not use auxiliary fighters	Airfield Attacked — next Mission deduct 4 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission)
6	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 2 TP maximum	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 1 TP maximum, and you may not use auxiliary fighters	Staffel is Scattered — next Mission deduct 4 OP (if OP is reduced to zero, abort Mission); you may not use auxiliary fighters
7	earn 1 Staffel EP	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 2 TP max.	Logistical Problem — next Mission you start with 2 TP max.
8	one pilot earns 1 EP	earn 1 Staffel EP	earn 1 Staffel EP
9	one pilot earns 2 EP and you get +2 OP next Mission	one pilot earns 1 EP	one pilot earns 1 EP
10 or more	Pilot Lauded — one pilot with experte skill may not fly next Mission	one pilot earns 1 EP and you get +2 OP next Mission	one pilot earns 1 EP and you get +1 OP next Mission