Stuka Leader
Stuka Leader Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Game Components
- Campaign Sheets
- Tactical Display
- Pilot Cards
- Target Cards
- Weapon Counters
- Site Counters
- Bogeys, Bandits and Bombers
- Event Cards
- Campaign Setup
- Bail Out!
- Player Log
- Sequence of Play
- Pre-Flight
- Target-Bound Flight
- Over-Target
- Dogfighting
- Air-to-Ground Attacks
- Sites and Bandits Attack
- Home-Bound Flight
- Debriefing
- Optional Rules
- Aces Expansion Rules
- Appendices
Game Components
Sheets
- Campaign Sheets show the information used for each Campaign. The numbers on the maps are Target numbers that correspond to the numbers on the Target cards.
- Key Terms Sheet lists the Key terms and Definitions found throughout the game.
- Dogfight Sheet contains all the information needed to resolve your Dogfights.
- Tactical Display Sheet is used to resolve the Over-Target step of each Mission. This sheet shows the Sequence of Play and has areas to organize your cards.
- Pilot Skills Sheet lists all the Pilot Skills presented in the game.
- Player Help Sheet has helpful reference charts and general information you will need to play the game.
- Turreted Bomber Attack Sheet contains all the information required to Attack Turreted Bombers.
- Player Log: Record your Campaign and Pilot information on the Player Log. The information recorded on the Player Log is used to track and determine Pilot Promotion, Special Option point expenditures, Target Status, and the Campaign outcome. This sheet can be downloaded from www.dvg.com
Cards and Dice
- Pilot Cards represent your Pilots. Each Pilot has 6 different Skill levels on three double sided cards. This card represents the aircraft the Pilot flies. The Pilot will always fly this Aircraft type. The Pilot card may also be interchangeably referred to as an Aircraft card.
- Event Deck: When you are directed to draw an Event card, draw a card from this deck. These cards represent the events happening during a mission.
- Target Deck: Target cards detail your Mission Objectives and their defenses.
- The Die: Whenever a die roll is called for in the game, roll a 10-sided die (D10). This will generate random numbers from 1 to 10. Some dice have numbers ranging from 1 to 10, others range from 0 to 9. Treat the die's "0" face as being a "10".
Counters
- Aircraft: Each counter has a Low Altitude side (L) and a High-Altitude side (H). The names on the counters correspond to the names on the Aircraft cards.
- Air-to-Ground Weapons (AtG): These weapons are used against Sites and Targets.
- Sites: These counters are double-sided. They have a Site on one side and a Bandit on the other. Sites with a red background are ground based enemy guns that Attack your Aircraft. Use the Sites with gray backgrounds for Naval Target cards. These counters have the same Site information on both sides.
- Bogey: Draw this counter for each Bogey specified on the Target card.
- Bandits: These are enemy fighters that Attack your Aircraft.
- No Site: Count as a Site draw but are removed after all Sites have been drawn.
- No Bogey: Count as a Bogey draw but are removed after all Bogeys are drawn.
- Bombers: Enemy aircraft that appear on some Target cards. It is your job to shoot them down.
- Stress: Used to record the amount of Stress suffered by each of your Pilots. When a Pilot suffers Stress, immediately place a Stress counter on that Pilot's Aircraft card.
- Situational Awareness: Used to record the Situational Awareness points each Pilot has during a Mission. Flip and swap counters as needed.
- Medic: Used to relieve Stress and heal Wounds.
Campaign Sheets
- Campaign Title: Name of the Campaign.
- Year: The Year during which the Campaign takes place. The Year limits which Aircraft you can fly. This also specifies which Bandits will be present. You may only select from the Aircraft types listed on the Campaign Sheet and which have a Service Year range that includes the Year of the Campaign.
- Skill Level: There are four Levels of Campaign difficulty. From easiest to hardest, they are: Introductory, Standard, Skilled, and Expert.
- Mission Stress / Fuel Colors: Shows the Stress suffered, and Fuel used by Pilots when flying Missions in the respective Colors. Green = No Stress / Fuel. Yellow = 1 Stress / Fuel. Red = 2 Stress / Fuel.
- Selectable Aircraft: Use the Aircraft specified in this list for the Campaign. Expansion Aircraft may be used if they match the year of the Campaign.
- Reinforcement Pilots: This notes the Skill Level of Pilots joining your Squadron mid-Campaign and the number of Pilots available.
- Target Numbers: Lists the Target cards that are part of the Campaign.
- Background: A summary describing the historical background of the Campaign.
- Starting Adjustments: Campaign-specific changes made to normal starting conditions.
- Medic: Specifies the number of Medics you can activate per day.
- Notes: Where Notes in a Campaign conflict with the Rulebook, the Campaign's Notes take precedence over the Rulebook.
Tactical Display
- Turn Counter: You have five Turns to Destroy the Target.
- Target Deck: Each Campaign will use different Targets. Place them here, face down in a deck.
- Event Deck: Shuffle the Event cards and place them here, face down in a deck.
- Target Card: When you fly a Mission, place your chosen Target card in this area.
- Ambulance: Place Medic counters here.
- Fuel Depot: The area to keep all your Fuel Barrel counters.
- Supply Dump: The area to keep all your SO counters.
- Fuel/Mission Stress: The color of each dot reflects how much Fuel is used and how much Stress it costs.
- Sequence of Play: This highlights each step in the game.
The Tactical Display is divided into one Center Area, four Approach Areas, and eight Pre-Approach Areas. Always use the shortest path when calculating the Range for an Attack or Movement.
- Center Area: Also known as the Target Area. The Areas adjacent to the Center Area are the four Approach Areas.
- Approach Areas: The Areas adjacent to the Approach Areas are: the Center Area; the two Approach Areas that touch the current Approach Area; and the three Pre-Approach Areas that touch the current Approach Area.
- Pre-Approach Areas: The Areas adjacent to them are: the two Pre-Approach Areas that touch the current Pre-Approach Area; and the Approach Areas that touch the current Pre-Approach Area.
An Area may be occupied by any number of Aircraft, and any Aircraft may occupy any Area.
Pilot Cards
Each Pilot card represents an individual Pilot and the Aircraft flown. Each card has two sides that show different Experience Levels for the Pilot. The six Experience Levels for a Pilot span three cards.
- Pilot Name: Pilot names are for reference purposes only.
- SA - Situational Awareness: The Pilot's Situational Awareness value.
- C - Cool: Pilots with Cool recover from Stress faster.
- Stress: Pilots suffer Stress when they fly Missions.
- Status: A Pilot's current Stress Level may be one of Okay, Shaken, or Unfit. A Shaken Pilot's AtA and AtG stats are reduced.
- Okay: If a Pilot's Stress value is in the "Okay" range, use the stats in the Okay row on the card.
- Shaken: If a Pilot's Stress value falls into the "Shaken" range, use the stats in the Shaken row on the card.
- Unfit: A Pilot becomes Unfit when the Pilot's Stress value exceeds the highest value listed in the Shaken range. A Pilot who is Unfit cannot perform Maneuvering, Attacks or Suppression, although he may still attempt to Evade.
- Pilot Promotion Number: The number of Experience points the Pilot must earn to be promoted to the next higher Rank.
- Pilot Experience Level (Interchangeable with Rank): From lowest to highest, the Pilot levels are Newbie, Green, Average, Skilled, Veteran and Legendary.
- HO - Horrido: The number of Horrido uses that a Pilot has.
Target Cards
- Title: A brief description of the Target.
- Hits: The number of Hits needed to Destroy the Target.
- Maximum Aircraft: This number designates the maximum number of Aircraft you can send on this Mission. You can choose to send fewer Aircraft, but not more.
- Sites: This shows the number of Site counters drawn for each of the Approach Areas, and the Center Area.
- Bogeys: This shows the number of Bogey counters drawn for each of the Approach Areas, and the Center Area.
- Key Terms: Some Targets have Key Terms that affect your Mission. The rules and effects for each Key Term are found on the Key Terms Sheet.
- Target Number: Each Campaign uses a series of different Targets. The unique reference number of each Target in a Campaign is shown on the Campaign Sheet.
- VP - Victory Points: The number of Victory Points you gain if you Destroy the Target.
- Recon: The number of steps you move your Recon counter to the right on the Campaign Sheet if you destroy the Target. If you are attacking two Targets on the same Day, do not move your Recon counter until both Missions are completed.
- Intel: The number of steps you move your Intel counter to the right on the Campaign Sheet if you destroy the Target. If you are attacking two Targets on the same Day, do not move your Intel counter until both Missions are completed.
- : Some Targets have the Zeal (Z) notation. Pilots with expended Zeal counters replenish them if this Target is Destroyed, even if they did not participate in the Mission.
Weapon Counters
These counters represent Air-to-Ground weapons. They can Attack Sites and Targets, but not Bandits or Bombers.
- Weight Points: The Weight points of the Weapon. This is used to determine the number of Weapons carried on an Aircraft.
- Weapon Name: Aircraft can only be equipped with certain Weapons. If the Aircraft does not have a Weapon listed on its card, it cannot be equipped with that Weapon.
- Attack Number: Each counter can have up to four Attack Numbers, indicating how many Hits can be inflicted on the Target per Attack. The smallest Attack Number is the minimum that the modified D10 Attack roll must reach to score a Hit. The Attack roll may have modifiers such as Pilot skills or Event cards.
- 1 Hit: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the first number but less than the second number, one Hit is scored. Some Weapons, as well as an Aircraft's Gun, only have one number, thus they either inflict zero Hits or one Hit per Attack.
- 2 Hits: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the second number but less than the third number, two Hits are scored.
- 3 Hits: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the third number but less than the fourth number, three Hits are scored.
- 4 Hits: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the fourth number, four Hits are scored.
- Note that not all weapon counters have multiple Attack Numbers, such as the 50kg bomb.
- If a Weapon has a "-" for an Attack Number, it cannot score that number of Hits.
- Example: When using a Fritz X, it cannot score 1 Hit. If your modified Attack roll is 1-7, you Miss. A modified roll of 8 scores 2 Hits. A modified roll of 9 or 10 scores 3 Hits. A modified roll of 11+ scores 4 Hits.
- Example: When using a 250kg, if your modified Attack roll is 1-6, you Miss. A modified roll of 7-9 scores 1 Hit. A roll of 10+ scores 2 Hits.
Site Counters
Sites
Sites are enemy anti-aircraft artillery that Attack your Aircraft. A Site which suffers at least 1 Hit from a Gun or Weapon attack is Destroyed.
- Soft: All Sites are Soft. Some Weapons gain a bonus when attacking a Soft Target.
- Site Name: The weapon type or caliber of the Site.
- Attack Numbers: The numbers the Site must roll to respectively inflict a Minor, Major, or Destroyed result on your Aircraft.
- Low Altitude Indicator: The Site can Attack Aircraft at Low Altitude.
- High Altitude Indicator: The Site can Attack Aircraft at High Altitude.
- Maximum Range: Sites with a Range greater than 0 have a notation of their Range.
Naval Sites
If the Target card has a "Naval" Key Term, it is a ship. Draw the gray Naval Sites counters for the Mission. These counters have the same Site information on both sides of the counter. Treat these Sites as having the "Naval" Key Term.
Special Sites
Some Site counters give a special effect instead. Rather than being enemy gun emplacements, they are tactical opportunities you can use to your advantage during the Mission. The effects of Special Sites are explained on p.36.
Example: When drawing Sites for the Target, I draw the "Special SITE Indicator" counter. After placing the rest of the Sites, I draw a Special SITE at random and replace the "Special SITE Indicator" counter with a Special SITE counter.
Bogeys, Bandits and Bombers
Bogeys
Bogeys are enemy fighters that have not been identified. Bogeys become BANDITS when engaged by Friendly fighters or when Attacking Friendly Bombers.
Bandits
Bandits are enemy fighters that Attack your Aircraft. These counters have yellow stripes as a visual reminder that they can only be Attacked by Guns. A Hit from a Gun Attack will Destroy a Bandit.
- Name: The military designation for the Aircraft.
- AtA Modifier: Use this modifier when the Bandit is performing a Dogfight Maneuver, attacking one of your Aircraft, or when being Maneuvered on or attacked by one of your Aircraft.
- Attack Numbers: The numbers the Bandit must roll respectively to inflict a Minor, Major, or Destroyed result on your Aircraft.
- [*] Gunner: Some Bandits have FF Guns AND a rear Gunner. If a Bandit has this notation, the rear gunner uses the FF to hit numbers, -1.
- Skill Rank: If the Bandit is a Veteran or Legendary, once it is Destroyed, remove the counter from the Campaign.
Bombers
Bombers are enemy Aircraft that only appear as Air Objectives for certain Targets.
- Name: The military designation for the Aircraft.
- Attack Numbers: The numbers the Bomber must roll respectively to inflict a Minor, Major, or Destroyed on your Aircraft when it is under Attack.
- MN Modifier: Use this modifier when you are maneuvering against this Bomber.
- Bombers Defensive Fire: Bombers can perform Defensive Fire AFTER a fighter (Friendly or Bandit) maneuver, but before the Attacking aircraft fires. Modifiers are Attacking Aircraft AtA and Friendly Robustness.
- FF Guns: Some Bombers also have FF Guns. These are for AtG use only. EX: Ju 87g has FF Guns. These were 37mm cannon used to destroy tanks, not for AtA.
- Gunners: Bombers with numbers in [ ] brackets may only make a Gun Attack at Aircraft that are Advantaged or Tailing the Bomber.
- Turrets: Bombers with numbers in [ ] brackets and black background may make a Gun Attack on any Aircraft attacking the Bomber from any direction.
Event Cards
You will draw Event cards three times during each Mission.
- Title: A brief description of the Event in both German and English.
- Target-Bound Event: Look at the top section of the card during the Target-Bound step.
- Over-Target Event: Look at the middle section of the card during the Over-Target step.
- Home-Bound Event: Look at the bottom section of the card during the Home-Bound step.
Apply the effects on the respective section of the Event card for that step. All effects occur immediately, unless stated otherwise on the card.
Campaign Setup
"Superior technical achievements - used correctly both strategically and tactically - can beat any quantity numerically many times stronger yet technically inferior." -- Adolf Galland
To begin a Campaign, select the Campaign Sheet you would like to play. Introductory Campaigns are the easiest to play, and Expert Campaigns are the hardest.
Campaign Duration
Next, choose the Duration (number of Days) of the Campaign you wish to play. Most Campaigns have a Short, Medium, and Long duration.
Example: If you fly the "France 1940" Campaign with a Medium Duration, you will fly eight Days, receive 32 initial SO points, 27 Fuel points, and need 33+ Victory Points to achieve a "Great" Campaign Evaluation.
Campaign xx/xx/xx Notation: Throughout the game, you will see this notation for various SO point and VP costs: xx/xx/xx. This refers to the costs that must be paid for a Short / Medium / Long Campaign, respectively. Example: The Promotion SO point cost of a Newbie Pilot is 2/4/6 SO points. This means it would cost 2 SO points in a Short Campaign, 4 SO points in a Medium Campaign, and 6 SO points in a Long Campaign to promote the Pilot.
Campaign xx-xx-xx Notation: Throughout the game, you will see this notation for the availability of various items: xx-xx-xx. This refers to the availability of various items for a Short - Medium - Long Campaign, respectively.
Campaign Tracks
Campaign Tracks record damage inflicted on the enemy's strategic resources by your Squadron. Place the Recon and Intel counters on the corresponding Campaign Tracks. Place counters on the farthest left space.
When referencing the tracks, read the result to the immediate right of the counter.
- Recon (Reconnaissance): This track represents your knowledge of enemy operations. As you find out more of the enemy's plans, you can draw more Targets each Day. Draw each card one at a time. Any Target cards already in play (such as Improvement Targets) do not count against the daily Recon quota.
- Intel (Intelligence): This track represents the enemy's ability to anticipate which Targets you might attack, and to position their defenses in their vicinity. As the enemy's intelligence abilities are degraded, the number of Sites and Bandits placed to defend a Target are reduced.
SO Points
Each Campaign Sheet specifies the number of Special Option points available. This is the total number of SO points available throughout the entire Campaign. SO points are difficult to replenish during a Campaign, so you will need to spend them carefully. You can purchase Skills, Fuel, Schnapps counters, Special Weapons and Priority Options with your Special Option points. The Priority costs are found on the Player Help Sheet. Non-Special Weapons do not cost SO points.
Example: Rockets weigh 1 WP. You must pay 1 Special Option point for every Rocket counter you equip per Mission. Any Rockets not used are removed from the Aircraft at the end of the Mission like any other Weapon.
Out of Special Option Points
Some Event cards and Target cards will force you to pay Special Option points. If you are required to spend Special Option points and you cannot, you immediately end the Campaign with a Dismal Evaluation. Some Event cards give you an option to suffer a penalty rather than pay SO points. If you choose not to (or cannot) pay the SO, suffer the penalty.
Tactical Display Setup
Place the Tactical Display and your chosen Campaign Sheet in front of you.
Shuffle the Event card deck and place them face down in the appropriate area of the Tactical Display. During the game, when you need to draw a card and no cards remain in the deck, shuffle the discards to form a new deck.
Place all Bogey / No Bogey counters in a cup. You will draw from these to determine exact number of Bogeys on this Mission.
Each Bandit counter has a Year printed on it. Each Campaign lists the Year and Bandit types present in the Campaign.
Place all the Site / Bandit counters that are of the same Campaign Year in a second cup. You will draw Bandits and Sites from this cup during Missions.
Example: The France 1940 Campaign lists D.520, MS.406 and Hurricane as the Bandit types. When drawing Bandits, only count these types of Bandits as draws.
Place all the gray Naval Site counters in a third cup.
Place the called for number of Fuel Barrels in the Fuel Depot on the Tactical Display.
Place the called for number of SO Points in the Supply Dump on the Tactical Display.
Target and Event Decks
Look through the Target cards and find the Targets with the same Target numbers as those listed on the Campaign Sheet. These cards will form your Target deck for this campaign. You will not need the other Target cards in this campaign.
Shuffle the Target deck (using the Target cards shown on the Campaign Sheet) and place them face down in the appropriate area of the Tactical Display.
Selecting Squadron Pilots
Select Pilot cards based on the duration of your Campaign to make up your Squadron.
Squadrons shall consist of 8/10/12 Pilots.
Reinforcement Pilots: This notes the Skill Level of Pilots joining your Squadron mid-Campaign and the number of Pilots available.
Legendary: When a Pilot accumulates enough XP to promote to Legendary, immediately decide whether to keep him or "trade" him for a Newbie and gain +3 VP.
The makeup for your squadron is typically:
1936 - 1941
- Rank Levels for a Short Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 3 Average, 1 Skilled and 1 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Medium Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 5 Average, 1 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Long Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 6 Average, 2 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
1942 - 1943
- Rank Levels for a Short Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 4 Average, 1 Skilled, 0 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Medium Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 5 Average, 1 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Long Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 6 Average, 2 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
1944 - 1945
- Rank Levels for a Short Campaign: 1 Newbie, 3 Green, 3 Average, 1 Skilled, 0 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Medium Campaign: 1 Newbie, 3 Green, 4 Average, 1 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Long Campaign: 1 Newbie, 3 Green, 5 Average, 2 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
1946 - ????
- Rank Levels for a Short Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 4 Average, 1 Skilled, 0 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Medium Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 5 Average, 1 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
- Rank Levels for a Long Campaign: 1 Newbie, 2 Green, 6 Average, 2 Skilled, and 1 Veteran.
Example: I choose the following Pilots:
- Newbie - Gruber (Me-109e)
- Green - Von Konczal (Me-109e)
- Green - Hecht (Me-110)
- Average - Broeker (Me-109e)
- Average - Krautner (Me-110)
- Average - Heitmeyer (Ju-87d)
- Average - Puffer (Ju-87d)
- Average - Rosmanitsch (He-111)
- Skilled - Steinbacher (Ju-87d)
- Veteran - Drexler (He-111)
Record the Pilot Names, Skill Levels, XPs needed for Promotion, Cool and Zeal on the Player Log.
Pilot Skills: You can purchase up to two unique Skills for each Pilot. Each Pilot Skill costs 1/2/3 SO points, depending on your Campaign duration. Skill availability is not restricted by the number of Skill counters available. There is no limit to the number of Pilots that may have a particular skill.
Record the Skill's SO point cost on the Player Log Sheet and record the Skill under the Pilot's name. This is the only time you can purchase Skills for Pilots. Skills cannot be transferred between Pilots during the Campaign.
Ace Pilots may receive up to two additional skills beside their included one.
Pilot Promotion Priority: After you choose your Campaign length, you can use the Pilot Promotion Priority option. This allows you to immediately Promote one or more of your Pilots to the next higher Rank Level by paying SO points. You can Promote a Pilot more than once. This is the only time you can purchase the Pilot Promotion option for Pilots.
Pilot Promotion Costs: Based on Skill and Campaign Length: Newbie = 2/4/6, Green = 3/6/9, Average = 4/8/12, Skilled = 5/10/15, Veteran = 6/12/18.
Example: I am playing a Medium Length Campaign. I want to Promote one Average Pilot to Skilled. I pay 8 SO points. I want to Promote him a second time, so I pay 10 more SO points to make him Veteran.
Medic: After you choose your Campaign, you place the number of available Medics in the Ambulance box. Medics cost 2/4/6 SO each to activate (use).
Fuel: After you choose your Campaign, you may purchase additional Fuel Barrels. Fuel Barrels cost two SO for three Barrels.
Bail Out!
A Pilot may Bail Out of their aircraft at any time.
When a Pilot attempts to Bail Out, whether they are successful or not, the Aircraft is destroyed.
If a Pilot is unsuccessful on their Bail Out attempt, they are KIA and removed from the campaign.
To attempt a Bail Out, roll D10.
- A modified roll of 2- is UNSUCCESSFUL
- A modified roll of 3+ is SUCCESSFUL
Modifiers:
| Condition | Mod |
|---|---|
| Pilots with Miss One Day Wounds | -1 |
| Pilots with Miss Two Days Wounds | -2 |
| Aircraft Damaged | -1 |
| Aircraft Destroyed | -2 |
Any Pilot that performs a Successful Bail Out is returned to the Squadron with +2 Stress and a new Aircraft.
Player Log
Record your Campaign and Pilot information on the Player Log sheet.
The information recorded on the Player Log is used to determine Pilot Stress, Experience, Kills, Promotion, as well as Special Option Point expenditures, Target Status, Victory Points and Campaign outcome. Record any Optional Rules purchased in the Campaign Notes area. This Player Log is included in black and white so it can be printed, photocopied, or downloaded from www.dvg.com for personal use.
Sequence of Play
"'He who wants to protect everything, protects nothing,' is one of the fundamental rules of defense." -- Adolf Galland
PRE-FLIGHT
- Draw Target cards
- Select Target
- Determine and Place Sites
- Assign Pilots
- Prepare for Mission
TARGET-BOUND FLIGHT 6. Draw Target-Bound Event card 7. Place Aircraft and Choose Altitude 8. Remove proper number of Fuel Barrels 9. Determine and Place Bogeys 10. Intel Air Defense Adjustment 11. Draw Over-Target Event card 12. Place Turn counter in "1" Box
OVER-TARGET (5 Turns) 13. Dive Bombers Dive to Low 14. Fast Pilots Attack 15. Sites and Bandits Attack (One Pilot may Suppress; Pilot under Attack may use Evasion; Pilot may attempt to Bail Out) 16. Slow Pilots Attack 17. Aircraft Move 18. Bogeys / Bandits Move 19. Advance Turn counter
HOME-BOUND FLIGHT 20. Draw Home-Bound Event card 21. Pilots and Damaged Aircraft roll for Safe Landing
DEBRIEFING 22. Record Mission Outcome, Victory Points, Adjust Recon and Intel counters, and Special Option points 23. Add Target card Stress to Pilots 24. Pilot Stress Recovery (All Pilots) 25. Record Pilot Experience and Stress 26. Pilot Promotion 27. Activate Medic to heal Pilots
Pre-Flight
"Today it is even more important to dominate the . . . highly sophisticated weapon systems, perhaps even more important than being a good pilot; to make the best use of this system." -- Adolf Galland
1. Draw Target Cards
Refer to the Campaign Sheet's Recon track for the number of Target cards you may draw for the Day.
Draw one Target card at a time. You may choose to conduct a Mission with the drawn cards or draw another Target card, until you reach the maximum number indicated on the Recon track. If you draw a Target with the Key Term "Scramble", stop drawing Target cards, and immediately carry out this Mission as your Primary Mission.
If there are other drawn Target cards with the Key Term "Secondary", you can select one of them as the Target for a Secondary Mission for the Day.
If you already have other Target cards in play prior to the Day's draw, they do not count against the Recon number of cards you may draw for the Day.
Recon Priority: After drawing your maximum Recon quota of cards for the day, you may choose to purchase the Recon Priority option with your Special Option points. Recon Priority allows you to spend 1/2/3 SO points to draw one more Target card. Add the card to those already drawn and select your Mission for the Day. You can repeat Recon Priority as many times as you like, unless you draw a Target with the Key Term "Scramble", which will immediately become your Primary Mission.
Special Targets
Escort Mission: Some Targets are Escort Targets requiring slightly different rules.
- Place called for generic Bomber / Transport counters in the East Pre-Approach area. These are not Bombers from your group, they are just generic Bomber / Transport counters.
- Place the Aircraft you have chosen to use as escorts in any of the East Pre-Approach areas. (IE: The Northeast, East, and Southeast Pre-Approach areas)
- Draw and place the Bogeys as directed by the Target card.
- Your Objective is to protect the Bombers / Transports.
- Additional Target Bogeys appear in the West Pre-Approach, not the Center area.
- Move the Bombers / Transports one space every turn towards the West Pre-Approach.
- Every Bomber / Transport that exits the West Pre-Approach of the Tactical Display is +1 VP.
- When a Bandit attacks a Bomber, the Bomber has a -2 Maneuver and Gunner: [9].
- When a Bandit attacks a Transport, it has -1 Maneuver and NO defensive ability.
- If a Bandit scores a Minor result on a Bomber / Transport, treat it as No Effect.
- If a Bandit scores a Major result, that Bomber / Transport immediately turns around and attempts to exit the East Pre-Approach.
- Bombers / Transport that exit the East Pre-Approach do not count towards VP at all.
- If a Bandit scores a Destroyed result, the Bomber / Transport is Destroyed, and Player suffers -1VP.
- Generic Bombers / Transports do not suffer Wound or Stress results.
Intercept Mission: Some Targets are Intercept Targets requiring slightly different rules.
- Enemy Bombers to be intercepted start in West Pre-Approach.
- Interceptors start on any of the East, Pre-Approach areas. (IE: The Northeast, East, and Southeast Pre-Approach areas)
- Bogeys doing Escort are drawn and placed as shown on Target card.
- Enemy Bombers move East one area per turn.
- Enemy Bombers must exit the Tactical Display through the East Pre-Approach.
- All other rules of Movement and Dogfighting remain.
Dogfight Missions: Some Targets are Dogfight Targets requiring slightly different rules.
- Friendly Aircraft are placed in any of the East Pre-Approach areas. (IE: Northeast, East and Southeast Pre-Approach areas)
- Bogeys will start in random Approach or Center Area.
- Roll for each Bogey to determine where it starts. Roll D10. 1-2 is West Approach Area. 3-4 is North Approach. 5-6 is South Approach. 7 is East Approach. 8-10 is Center Area.
- Unlike previous Leader series Dogfight Missions, the Bogeys move per the rules, toward unengaged Friendly Aircraft.
- All other rules of Movement and Dogfighting remain.
2. Select Target
Primary Mission: Select one Target card as the Primary Mission for this Day. Place it in the Center Area of the Tactical Display Sheet.
Secondary Mission: In addition to flying the Primary Mission each Day, you can select one available Target card with the "Secondary" Key Term and fly a second Mission during the Day.
When you select the Primary Mission for the Day, you must decide if you also want to fly a Secondary Mission. A Pilot can fly in either a Primary or Secondary Mission, but not both.
Carry out the Mission steps including placing Sites, Pilot and Aircraft selection, equipping Weapons, assigning SA, Zeal and Horrido counters, the Target-Bound Flight, Over-Target, Home-Bound Flight, and Debriefing the Primary Mission. Complete the Primary Mission, but do not move Intel or Recon counters until after the secondary Mission. Then repeat those same steps for the Secondary Mission and complete the Secondary Mission.
You can use a Target with the "Secondary" Mission Key Term as your Primary Mission.
Reshuffle any unselected Target cards, except for Target cards with the "Improvement" Key Term. Target cards with the "Improvement" Key Term remain in play and are available for Mission selection, until attacked and destroyed.
Down Time: You can choose not to fly a Mission for the current Day. A "No Mission" Day still counts against the number of Days you have for that Campaign.
If you choose this option, move the Intel and Recon counters one space to the left. Then go to the Mission Debriefing and carry out those steps.
3. Determine and Place Sites
Each Target card shows the number of Sites drawn for each Approach Area (Appr), and a second number showing the number of Sites drawn for the Center Area (Target). Unless otherwise stated, you do not have to destroy the Sites and Bandits to destroy the Target.
Example: For this Target, place two Sites in each of the four Approach Areas and two Sites in the Center Area.
Randomly draw the stipulated number of Site counters from the cup. Place the counters, with their Site side up, in the Approach Areas and Center Area on the Tactical Display.
If the counter reads "No Site", remove it from the Tactical Display and return it to the cup. The remaining counters represent the enemy Sites defending the Target.
4. Assign Pilots
You must now decide which Pilots to send on the Mission. Each Target card indicates the maximum number of Pilots that can participate in the Mission. You may send fewer Pilots on a Mission, but you may not exceed the listed number of Pilots.
Select the Pilots from your Squadron who will fly this Mission. Pilots that are Unfit may not be assigned to a Mission.
If you are performing a Secondary Mission, repeat the above steps to assign the Pilots for the Mission.
You may not select a Pilot who has already been selected to fly in one Mission (whether Primary or Secondary) to fly in another Mission on the same Day, even if the original Mission was aborted.
5. Prepare for Mission
Allocate Weapons and Drop Tanks to each of the Aircraft selected for this Mission. Place each Weapon counter on or next to the Aircraft card you wish to assign it to. The specific ordnance you choose will depend on the combat role you expect each Aircraft to perform during the Mission. The number and types of Weapons your Aircraft can carry is limited in several ways: Weight points per Aircraft, the Weapon list on the Aircraft card, the Weapon list on the Campaign Sheet, and any Special Option points required to be spent on Special Weapons. Non-Special Weapons do not cost SO points.
When planning which Weapons to equip your Aircraft with, it is worthwhile to think ahead to where the Aircraft will begin on the Tactical Display in the Over-Target step, as well as the locations and capability of the enemy Sites.
Once your Aircraft are equipped, record the number of SO points you have spent on the Player Log.
Situational Awareness: Place Situational Awareness counters on the Pilot cards that have Situational Awareness points.
A Slow Pilot can spend one Situational Awareness counter to perform an extra Attack in the Fast Pilot Attack step. The Pilot can still Attack in the Slow Pilot Attack step, as normal.
A Fast Pilot can spend one Situational Awareness counter to perform an extra Attack in the Slow Pilot Attack step, even if the Pilot has already performed an Attack in the Fast Pilot Attack step.
Spending a Situational Awareness counter only affects the Pilot's Attack for the current Turn.
The Pilot can only use Situational Awareness to gain the extra Attacks. Situational Awareness cannot be transferred to other Pilots.
Remove the counter when the extra Attack occurs.
Situational Awareness is renewed after each Mission.
Zeal: Place Zeal counters on the Pilot cards that have Zeal points.
You may expend a Zeal counter to instantly remove 1-2 Stress.
Expended Zeal counters are replenished when a Target with the Zeal Keyword is destroyed, even if a Pilot was not on the Mission.
Horrido: Place Horrido counters on the Pilot cards that have Horrido points.
You can expend a Horrido counter to do any one of the following:
- Treat an Unfit or Shaken Pilot as being Okay for the current Mission.
- After suffering a Minor Hit, Major Hit, or Destroyed result, treat it as a No Effect.
- Instead of rolling for an Attack, treat the Attack roll as being a "10", before applying modifiers.
Pilots do not recover expended Horrido points until you Destroy a Target with the Horrido and / or Pilot notation. Once you Destroy a Target with the Horrido and / or Pilot notation, all Pilots in your Squadron with Horrido points MAY regain all their expended Horrido points, including those who did not fly in the Mission.
Medic: Place available Medic counters in the Krankenwagen (Ambulance) Area.
Target-Bound Flight
This step represents the time from when your Aircraft take off until they reach the Target.
6. Draw Target-Bound Event Card
Draw an Event card and resolve the Event in the top section.
Aborting a Mission: After the Target-Bound Event is resolved, you may decide to Abort none, some, or all the Aircraft on the Mission.
Aircraft that Abort do not gain Experience points but do suffer Target Stress as normal. If all Aircraft Abort, go directly to Home-Bound step. Aircraft that do not Abort must continue with the Mission and participate in the Over-Target and Home-Bound steps.
7. Place Aircraft and Choose Altitude
Place each of your Aircraft counters in one of the Pre-Approach Areas. More than one Aircraft may begin in an Area. Also, select the initial Altitude for each Aircraft counter.
Keep in mind that unlike some other Air Leader games, you may not change the Altitude of your Aircraft during the Over-Target steps, except when performing a Dive Attack.
8. Remove Correct Number of Fuel Barrels
Remove the directed number of Fuel Barrels per Aircraft per Target Fuel Costs this mission. If an Aircraft Aborts, the Fuel is still lost.
9. Determine and Place Bogeys
The Target card shows the amount of enemy fighter cover over the Target and Approach Areas. The exact number of Bogeys present is not known until you reach the Target. The exact Aircraft type and skill level of a Bogey is not known until you engage them.
Draw the stipulated number of Bogey / No Bogey counters from the Bogey cup at random. Place the counters in the Approach Areas and Center Area respectively as indicated on the Tactical Display.
Example: For this Target, draw 2 Bogey counters for the Center Area and 1 Bogey counter for each Approach Area.
If the counter reads, "No Bogey" remove it from the Tactical Display and return it to the cup. The remaining counters represent the enemy fighters defending the Target.
When a Bogey Counter is Engaged by a Player's Fighter, or maneuvers against a friendly Bomber, draw an Actual Bandit from the Bandit/Site cup. Replace the Bogey Counter with the Actual Bandit. Return Bogey Counter to its cup.
Bandits do NOT revert to Bogeys.
Every Bandit has a Year noted on its counter. Only use the Bandits with the same Year as the Campaign.
Bandits have different Skill Levels. From lowest to highest, they are Newbie, Green, Average, Veteran, and Legendary.
Example: The France 1940 Campaign lists D.520 and Hurricane as the Bandit types. When drawing actual Bandits, only count these types of Bandits as draws. Any other Bandits do not count and are set aside until you have drawn the prescribed number of the correct Bandits, then return them to the cup.
10. Intel Air Defense Adjustment
Consult the Intel track to determine whether any Site or Bogey counters should be added or removed.
If the Intel track indicates a removal of Sites or Bogeys, select the counters you would like to remove and put them back into the cup.
If the Intel track notes the addition of Sites or Bogeys, draw, and place the extra required counters in the Center Area.
If the track notes "No Change", then no Bogey or Site adjustments are required.
11. Draw Over-Target Event Card
Draw an Event card and resolve the Event shown in the middle section.
12. Place Turn Counter in "1" Box
Place the Turn counter in the "1" box on the Tactical Display. You have five Turns to complete your Mission.
Over-Target
The Over-Target step is divided into 5 identical Turns. During each Turn, resolve the combat and movement on the Tactical Display. Use the Turn counter to keep track of the current Turn.
When attacking Enemy Turreted Bombers, use the Turreted Bomber Attack Sheet. The order of Attack is the same as Attacking Bandits and Non-Turreted Bombers. Choose your Attack Pass and roll a D10. This will give you the modifiers to your Attack and the Bombers Defensive Fire. The sequence of action is the Bomber performs Defensive Fire, then the Friendly Escort performs its Attack.
13. Dive Bombers Dive to Low
If you have an Aircraft with the "Dive" Key Term and you want it to perform a Dive Attack this turn, flip the Aircraft's counter from High to Low.
The Aircraft will perform a Dive Attack later in the Turn during its Attack step.
14. Fast Pilots Attack
Perform Dogfight Maneuvering and resolve any Attacks for your Fast Pilots during this step.
Pilots can expend Weapons to Attack the Target, Bombers, or Sites.
Each Pilot Attacks individually and may only Attack one Target. Declare and resolve the Attack for one Pilot before declaring an Attack for another Pilot.
A Pilot is limited to which enemy units it may Attack based on its current position, Altitude, and Weapons load.
Each Turn a Pilot may declare one enemy (Target, Site or Bandit) to Attack:
- Attack the Target with one or more Air-to-Ground Weapon counters, provided they are in range of the Target and the Aircraft is at the proper Altitude.
- Attack the Target with a Gun Attack if the Aircraft is at Low Altitude, has FF Guns, and is in the Center Area.
- Attack one Site with one or more Air-to-Ground Weapon counters, provided the Site is in the range of the weapon and the Aircraft is at the proper Altitude as indicated on the weapon counter.
- Attack one Site with a Gun Attack if the Aircraft is at Low Altitude, has FF Guns, and is in the same Area as the Site.
- Attack any one Bandit with a Gun Attack if the Aircraft is in the same Area as the Bandit. Bandits are always at the same Altitude as your Aircraft.
- Attack any one Bomber with Air-to-Air Weapon counters if they are in range and at the same Altitude.
When a Pilot is ready to Attack, declare the Target of the Attack, as well as whether it will be attacked with Weapon counters that need to be expended, or Guns.
The number of Hits needed to Destroy a Target is listed on the Target card.
Example: You must inflict 3 Hits to Destroy this Target.
15. Sites and Bandits Attack
Sites and Bandits act during this step. See the Dogfighting and Air-to-Ground Attack rule sections for details.
Bail Out: A Pilot may Bail Out of their aircraft at any time. See the Dogfighting section for details.
16. Slow Pilots Attack
Slow Pilots act during this step and use the same Maneuvering and Attack rules as Fast Pilots.
17. Aircraft Move
During this step, you may move your Aircraft from their current Area into an adjacent Area or leave your Aircraft in the Area it is currently in (Escorted Bombers must move). EXCEPTION: Jets may move two adjacent Areas.
Unlike some other Air Leader games, you may not change the Altitude of your Aircraft, except as previously noted for Dive attacks.
Example: I have an Fw-190a-8 at High Altitude in the North Approach Area. It can move to any of the following Areas: the Center Area, the East or West Approach Areas, or any of the three Northern Pre-Approach Areas.
Movement when you are Engaged: (The rules of Engagement are covered in the Dogfighting section below.)
- If you Move your Aircraft and it is Neutral, Advantaged To, or Tailing a Bandit, break the Engagement and Move your Aircraft as normal. The Bandit does not Move with you.
- If you Move your Aircraft and it is Disadvantaged or Tailed by a Bandit, Move your Aircraft as normal. The Bandit also Moves with your Aircraft and maintains its Position.
- If your Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing, you may break the Engagement and remain in the same Area. You may then create a new Engagement.
- EXCEPTION: Jets may break Engagement at any time, from any position and move without being followed.
18. Bogeys / Bandits Move
After your Aircraft move Bogeys / Bandits move in this step. Each Bogey / Bandit may move one Area each Turn but is not required to move. Bogeys / Bandits do not use Altitude. Use the following rules to determine if and where a Bogey / Bandit moves:
- If there are one or more Unengaged Player Aircraft within the Bogey's / Bandit's range, the Bogey / Bandit does not move.
- If no Unengaged Player Aircraft are within the Bogey's / Bandit's range, move the Bogey / Bandit one Area closer to the closest Unengaged Player Aircraft.
- If there are two or more Unengaged Player Aircraft at the same distance, randomly determine which one the Bogey / Bandit moves toward.
Example: During the Bandits Move step, a Bogey is in the Center Area, and Pretsch is in the South Pre-Approach Area. The Bogey moves into the South Approach Area.
However, if Pretsch is in the South Pre-Approach Area and Faber is in the West Pre-Approach Area, there is an even chance that the Bogey will randomly move into either the South or West Approach Area.
19. Advance Turn Counter
Advance the Turn counter to the next box on the track. If the counter is already in the "Turn 5" box, end the Over-Target step of the Mission, and go to the Home Bound step.
Dogfighting
Dogfighting occurs when friendly Aircraft and enemy Aircraft occupy the same Area and attempt to shoot each other down.
Positioning: An Aircraft or Bandit is always in one of the following Positions when Engaged in a Dogfight:
- Tailing - Your Aircraft's nose is pointed at the Bandit's tail. Your Aircraft has a very superior position.
- Advantaged - Your Aircraft's nose is pointed at the Bandit's side. Your Aircraft has a superior position.
- Neutral - Your Aircraft's nose is pointed at the Bandit's nose. Neither Aircraft has a superior position.
- Disadvantaged - The Bandit's nose is pointed at your Aircraft's side. Your Aircraft is in an inferior position.
- Tailed - The Bandit's nose is pointed at your Aircraft's tail. Your Aircraft is in a very inferior position.
Place the two counters in a Neutral Position when they first Engage each other.
Any Player Aircraft that are carrying 0 Weight points (other than Drop Tanks) and do not have an "[ ]" AtA rating, are Escorts.
During each Over-Target turn, an Escort with Neutral Position may Engage one Neutral Bandit before the Bandit rolls to determine which Aircraft it will Engage.
Friendly Bombers: A Bomber is a friendly Aircraft that is carrying 1 or more Weight points, excluding a Drop Tank and Rockets. Aircraft with the "Large" Key Term are always treated as Bombers, even if they are carrying 0 Weight points. Bomber also refers to enemy Aircraft counters that have their Attack numbers in brackets "[ ]".
Engagement: If, at any time, there are unengaged friendly Aircraft and Bogeys in the same Area, determine which of your friendly Aircraft the Bogeys will Engage. Determine the Engagement for each Bogey in the following order:
An Unengaged Escort may Engage one Unengaged Bogey before the Bogey rolls to determine which Aircraft it will Engage. (This will prevent the Bogey from choosing to Attack your Bombers or an Escort that you do not want Engaged.) You may Engage one Unengaged Bogey with one Unengaged Escort of your choice.
If a Bogey is not Engaged by an Escort, it is free to maneuver against and attack a friendly Bomber without Engagement.
If all Player Aircraft are Engaged, do not Engage the Bogey. If all the Bogeys are Engaged, you may Maneuver against and Attack any Bomber without engagement. If all Bogeys are Engaged, do not Engage any remaining Player Aircraft.
A friendly Aircraft or Bandit cannot be Engaged against more than one Bogey or friendly Aircraft at a time.
When a Bogey is Engaged, Attacks or is Attacked replace it immediately with a randomly drawn Bandit counter.
Fast Pilots Maneuver and Attack: Perform Maneuvering and Attack for your Engaged Fast Pilots.
Reference the Maneuver section at the top of the Dogfight Sheet and select one of the Maneuvers for your Pilot to attempt. (You may choose not to perform a Maneuver if you are satisfied with your position.)
Damaged or Unfit Pilots (if engaged by a Bandit) may only select Tight Turn for their Maneuver.
In My Sights and Out of the Sun can only be attempted if your Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing.
To attempt the Maneuver, roll a D10, add your Pilot's AtA stat, the Aircraft Maneuver value, and the WP Penalty. Subtract the Bandit's AtA Skill.
WP Penalty: Aircraft receive a -1 penalty for each WP of Rockets or Drop Tanks carried.
Maneuverability (MN): Add this modifier to the die roll.
- Use for Offense during: Maneuver Success roll
- Use for Defense during: Bandit Maneuver Success roll
Each Maneuver shows 4 possible results, based on a modified D10 die roll. The die roll result ranges are: 2 or less, 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 or higher.
Using the selected Maneuver roll, refer to the Dogfight Sheet for one of the following results:
- NE - No effect. The Maneuver did not change the Aircraft's Position.
- +1 Pos - Adjust the Aircraft Position by 1 Toward Tailing.
- +2 Pos - Adjust the Aircraft Position by 2 Toward Tailing.
- +4 Pos - Adjust the Aircraft Position by 4 Toward Tailing.
- +1 Atk - If the Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing after this Maneuver, add 1 to its Attack roll.
- +2 Atk - If the Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing after this Maneuver, add 2 to its Attack roll.
- +4 Atk - If the Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing after this Maneuver, add 4 to its Attack roll.
- -1 Pos - Adjust the Aircraft Position by 1 Toward Tailed.
- -2 Pos - Adjust the Aircraft Position by 2 Toward Tailed.
- -1 Atk - If the Aircraft is Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing after this Maneuver, subtract 1 from its Attack roll.
- Td/D -> N - If the Aircraft is Tailed or Disadvantaged, change its Position to Neutral.
- D -> A - If the Aircraft is Disadvantaged, change its Position to Advantaged.
Example: You are Neutral to the Bandit. You get a "+4 Pos" result. Adjust your Aircraft to Tailing the Bandit and ignore the third and fourth Position adjustments.
Rotate the two counters to show the new Positions of the Aircraft and Bandit.
Next, perform an Attack for the Aircraft if it completes the Maneuver in a Neutral, Advantaged, or Tailing Position.
If the Aircraft is Disadvantaged or Tailed after performing their Maneuvering, they cannot perform an Attack.
In air combat, Gun Attacks are used to Attack Bandits in the same Area as the Aircraft.
Gun Attacks and Rockets may also be used to Attack Enemy Bombers.
To Attack a Bomber, the Aircraft must be at the same Altitude as the enemy Bomber.
Attacking: Roll a D10 for the Gun Attack, adjusting for any applicable modifiers. You Destroy the Bandit or Bomber if the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the Aircraft's Gun rating.
Modifiers: To perform an Attack roll a D10, add your Pilot's AtA stat and subtract the Bandit's AtA skill.
Add +1 to the roll if your Aircraft is Advantaged. Add +3 to the roll if your Aircraft is Tailing.
If a Hit is achieved, the targeted Bandit or Bomber (except for the B-29 which requires 2 hits) is Destroyed and removed from the Tactical Display. Place the Bandit counter back in the cup, unless it is a Veteran or Legendary Pilot, which is removed from the Campaign.
Example: When DeRuyter (as a Newbie Pilot) has 0 to 2 Stress, he uses his Okay stats. He is Slow and has +0 Air-to-Air Combat and -2 Air-to-Ground Attack modifiers. When he has 3 to 4 Stress, he becomes Shaken. He remains Slow, and his modifiers decrease to -2 Air-to-Air Combat and -4 Air-to-Ground Attack. When he has 5 or more Stress, he is Unfit, and can no longer make any Attacks.
Example: When DeRuyter Engages a D.520 Bandit, also at Newbie Skill Level, the Bandit Attacks before he does, because DeRuyter is Slow. DeRuyter is Attacking the D.520 with a Gun Attack. I roll one 10-sided die for the Attack. I add +0 to the Attack because they are neutral to each other. I also add my Pilot's AtA Skill to the die roll (+0) and subtract the D.520's AtA Modifier (-3). The D.520 will be Destroyed if I Hit it. I roll a 4. The modifiers change the die roll to an 7, which is equal to or higher than the Attack Number (7) for my Guns. The D.520 is Destroyed.
Veteran / Legendary Bandits: When a Veteran or Legendary Bandit is destroyed, remove that counter from the Campaign and place it in the "Enemy Bandit Veteran/Legendary Kills" area of the Dogfight sheet. These counters will not appear again during the Campaign.
Destroying a Legendary Bandit counts as 2 victories.
Aces: Each time a Pilot Destroys a total of five enemy counters, whether Sites, Targets, Bandits or Bombers, the Pilot is an Ace. A Pilot can earn Ace status up to 2 times throughout a Campaign for every five Sites, Targets, Bandits or Bombers Destroyed.
If a Target has been hit by different Pilots, the Pilot making the final attack that achieves the required Hits to destroy the target earns the credit for that victory. Destroying a Target counts as 2 victories.
Make a note of each counter Destroyed by marking the Star in the "experience" area for each Pilot.
When a Pilot becomes an Ace (5 victories), the Pilot receives their choice of a +1 AtA or a +1 AtG counter at the end of the Mission. Place this counter on their Pilot card during the Debriefing stage as a reminder of their ace status.
If a Pilot becomes an Ace and survives the Campaign gain +1 VP.
Pilots from the Aces Expansion DO NOT gain Ace status for five more victories.
- A.) A Pilot scores one victory every time an enemy counter is Destroyed.
- B.) Destroying a Legendary Bandit or scoring the final hits that Destroy a Target counts as 2 victories.
Example: Wolf Destroys five enemy counters during the Campaign. Wolf earns +1 AtA or +1 AtG. At the end of the Campaign, gain +1VP if Wolf survives.
Friendly Bomber Rules: Bombers cannot initiate a Dogfight with enemy Bogeys, Bandits or Bombers. If a Bandit does not attack them, they do not participate in Dogfighting or initiating an attack for the Turn.
Aircraft with "[ ]" AtA may only perform AtA Suppression Attacks against Bandits attacking other Aircraft with "[ ]".
Bombers may perform AtG Suppression against Sites by dropping ordnance.
Return any Aircraft or Bandits to Unengaged following their Attack on a Bomber or Large Aircraft.
Enemy Bombers: Enemy Bombers have an Altitude designated on their counters. Bombers begin the Mission at the noted Altitude and remain at that Altitude throughout the Mission.
To Attack them, friendly Aircraft must be at the Bomber's Altitude.
Site, Bandit, and Bomber counters have their Attack Numbers across the top of their counters.
A Bomber has their Attack values in "[ ]". This means they can only Attack enemy Aircraft when they are Engaged as Defensive Fire. They cannot initiate an Attack.
Gunners (Hit numbers in "[ ]") may only fire at Attacking Aircraft that are Advantaged on or Tailing them.
Turrets (Hit numbers in "[ ]" with black background) may fire at any Attacking Aircraft.
Bombers perform their Defensive Fire attacks AFTER a Fighter (friendly or Bandit) maneuver, but before the Fighter Attacks.
Treat each Bomber as an individual Target that must be Destroyed like a Bandit.
Example: Target #20 specifies the Objective: five medium Bombers. To Destroy the Target, you must Destroy the five medium Bombers.
Unengaged Escorts and Bogey: Perform an Attack for each Unengaged Escort or Bandit.
Do not roll for Maneuvering when Attacking an Engaged aircraft. They Attack from the Neutral Position.
Example: You have four Escorts and there are three Bogeys. Your extra Escort may Attack any remaining Engaged Bandits from a Neutral Position after your Aircraft Attack.
You may choose any enemy Bogey for your Escort to Attack. You may also choose to Maneuver against and Attack an enemy Bomber.
When selecting a Target for an unengaged Bogey, they will first Maneuver against and Attack a random Bomber. After this Attack they return to Unengaged. If there are no Bombers, they will Attack a random Escort. This Attack is an exception to the Engagement rule about only Engaging one Aircraft at a time. This Attack is not considered an Engagement for the purposes of that rule.
Example: You have two Escorts and two Bombers facing five Bogeys. After assigning your two Escorts to the Bogeys the Unengaged Bogeys will randomly Maneuver against and Attack the Bombers.
Air-to-Ground Attacks
Guns: In addition to the Weapon counters you load on the Aircraft, some Aircraft are also equipped with forward-firing (FF) Guns.
In Air-to-Ground combat, only FF Guns may be used to Attack the Target or a Site in the same Area as the Aircraft.
The Aircraft must be at Low Altitude. Use the Pilot's Air-to-Ground modifiers when making the Attack roll.
Weapon Counters: When you expend Air-to-Ground Weapons to Attack the Target or a Site, you may score one or more Hits. Roll a D10 for each Weapon expended and look at the Attack Number(s) on the weapon.
If one or more Hits are inflicted on a Site, the Site is Destroyed and removed from the Tactical Display. Place the Site counter back in the cup. Record the Site as a victory on the Pilot Log.
Example: I drop a 250kg Bomb on the Target and roll a die. My result is a 10. The Target suffers two Hits. I place a "2 Hits" Damage counter on the Target card.
A Target is Destroyed if it suffers the number of Hits equal to or greater than the number listed on the Target card. You do not have to Destroy the Sites and Bandits to Destroy the Target.
Whichever Pilot scores the final Hits that Destroys a Target receives credit for 2 victories on the Pilot Log. Destroying the last Objective on an AtA Target does not receive 2 credits.
You do not have to inflict Hits against a Target that does not have a Hit rating, such as enemy Objective Bombers. Do not modify the Hits needed to Destroy a Target card that does not have a Hits rating.
Example: Target #15 "Medium Dogfight" does not have a Hit rating. Regardless of Event cards or intel modifiers, you only need to shoot down all the Objective Bandit counters.
Special Weapons:
- Rockets: AtA Rockets have a range of 1 and may only be used against Bombers. There is no need to Maneuver to launch Rockets. If the To Hit Number is rolled, the Bomber is destroyed.
- Rockets: AtG Rockets have a range of 1 and may only be used in ground attacks.
- HS293 Radio Control and Fritz X Radio Control: These are NAVAL only weapons. They have a range of 1 and may only be used against NAVAL Targets.
- NUKE: This is the ultimate special weapon! Release in Target area to destroy entire Target Area and everything in it! Lose 5VP for using this weapon.
Target Damage: Use the Target Damage counters to record the Hits inflicted on the Target.
Spill Over Damage: Damage never spills over to another Target. Extra Hits inflicted on a Site do not carry over to another Site or the Target. Likewise, extra Hits scored against the Target do not affect Sites in the same Area.
Sites and Bandits Attack
After your Fast Aircraft Attack, all surviving Sites and Bandits Attack.
A Site is limited to which Aircraft it can Attack based on the Aircraft's Altitude and Range to the player's Aircraft.
A Bogey may only attack an aircraft in the same Area.
Each Site or Bandit Attacks individually and may only Attack one Aircraft. Resolve the Attack for each Site or Bandit before starting an Attack for another Site or Bandit. You may choose to resolve these Attacks in any order.
A Site or Bandit automatically Targets the closest Aircraft.
If there are two or more Aircraft at the same distance from the Site or Bogey, randomly determine which one the Site or Bandit Attacks.
Bandits Maneuver: Bandits Maneuver using the same rules as your Fast Pilots.
The Bandit will attempt a Maneuver based on its Position.
On the Dogfight Sheet, there are four columns for Bandit Maneuvers:
- "Tg" is for Tailing
- "A / N" is for Advantaged or Neutral
- "D" is for Disadvantaged
- "Td" is for Tailed.
Roll a D10 and refer to the appropriate column to determine which Maneuver the Bandit will attempt. Add the Bandit's AtA Skill and subtract the Friendly Aircraft's MN.
Maneuver Success: Once you determine which Maneuver the Bandit is attempting, roll a second D10 to determine the level of success. Add the Bandit's AtA Skill, and subtract your Pilot's AtA stat, your Aircraft's MN stat and any WP penalty.
Bandits Attack: Use the modified roll to determine the result of the Maneuver. Adjust the counter Positions and perform an Attack as detailed in the Fast Pilot rules, with an additional modifier.
This modifier is the ROBUSTNESS rating of your Aircraft and may be a positive or negative modifier.
Example: An He 162 has a Robust rating of -1. If a Site or Bandit is Attacking an He 162 it adds +1 to their Attack rolls.
Roll a D10 for the Bandit to resolve the Attack. Add the Bandit's AtA Skill, and subtract your Pilot's AtA stat, and your Aircraft's Robustness stat.
- Missed - If the modified die roll is less than the first number, there is no effect on the Targeted Aircraft.
- Minor - If the modified die roll is equal to the first number but less than the second number, draw a YELLOW Wound counter and apply the effect.
- Major - If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the second number but less than the third number, the Target Aircraft is Damaged. Damaged Aircraft receive a -1 to their Robustness rating. The Player then pulls a RED Wound counter from the Wound Cup. If an Aircraft receives a second Damaged result, it is Destroyed. Damaged Aircraft are automatically repaired overnight.
- Destroyed - If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the third number, the Target Aircraft is Destroyed. The Pilot may attempt to Bail Out. If unsuccessful, remove the Pilot from the game.
Bombers Defensive Fire: Bombers perform their Defensive Fire attacks AFTER a Fighter (Friendly or Bandit) maneuvers, but before the Fighter Attacks. Modifiers are Attacking Aircrafts AtA and Friendly Robustness.
Gunner / Turret Attacks: Gunners (Hit numbers in [ ]) may only fire at Attacking Aircraft that are Advantaged or Tailing. Turrets (Hit numbers in [ ] with black background) may fire at any attacking aircraft.
Range: The counter's Range (if any) is in a black circle. If a counter does not have a Range number, it can only Attack Aircraft in its same Area.
Example: The 4" has a Range of 1 and can attack both High and Low Altitudes. It is in the Center Area, and one of your Aircraft is in the East Approach Area. As the Areas are adjacent, which is a Range of 1, your Aircraft is in range of the 4", and can be attacked regardless of its Altitude.
Site Altitude Notations: The H or L indicates its ability to Attack Aircraft at High or Low Altitudes respectively. It is possible for a Site to have both Altitude indicators.
Example: Faber is flying at High Altitude in the same Area as a Lt MG. The Lt MG can only target Low Altitude Aircraft. Faber cannot be targeted.
All Sites have an "S" in the top-left corner to indicate they are Soft Targets. Some Weapons get a bonus to Attack Soft Targets. The bonus modifier is shown on their Weapon counters.
Range 0 Sites: These Sites can only fire at an Aircraft in their same Area.
Example: Both the 20mm Site and Pilot Pretsch are in the East Approach Area. Pretsch is at Low Altitude, so the Site can Attack Pretsch during its Attack Step.
Range 1 Sites: These Sites can fire at an Aircraft that is at both Range 0 and 1.
Special Site Counters
Each Special Site counter represents a condition that must be met to gain its benefit.
- Target of Opportunity: If you Destroy this Site, gain 1 VP.
- Photo Recon: If you have an Aircraft in the same Area as this Special Site at the end of any Turn at Low Altitude, shift the Recon counter by 1 to the right at the end of the Mission.
- Fire Director: If you Destroy this Site, all Sites suffer -1 on their Attack rolls during the Over-Target step.
- Diversionary Attack: If you Destroy this Site, move all Bandits 1 step toward or into the Area where the Site was Destroyed, during the next Bandit Move step. This overrides the usual Movement rules for Bandits for this step only.
- Radio Coordination: If you have a friendly Bomber or "Large" aircraft in the same Area as this Special Site at the end of any Turn at High Altitude, gain +2 on all AtG Attack rolls for all Aircraft until the end of the Mission.
Aircraft Reactions
After the Target of a Site or Bandit's Attack is determined, you may have your Aircraft react to the Attack. You can first attempt to Suppress the Attack. If you choose not to Suppress, or it fails, you can attempt to Evade.
Suppression: An Unengaged Aircraft may perform a Suppression Attack against the Site or Bandit. Specify a Gun Attack or the Weapon counter(s) to be expended. Apply all Attack modifiers to the Suppression rolls as normal. If the Suppression die result indicates that a Hit is inflicted, the Site or Bandit Attack is cancelled out.
Bombers can only perform AtA Suppression Attacks against Bandits attacking other Bombers. Bombers may perform AtG Suppression against Sites by expending Weapons counters.
When an Aircraft attempts a Suppression Attack, place a +1 Stress counter on its card, whether the Suppression was successful or not.
The Site or Bandit does not suffer damage from the Suppression Attack. If the Suppression attempt fails, the Aircraft cannot try again for that Attack, but it can try to Suppress future Attacks in other Turns.
Example: Harig has been targeted by a Light Machinegun Site. Krebs, also in Harig's Area, drops a 250kg Bomb in a Suppression attack, hitting the Light Machinegun. The Light Machinegun Attack against Harig is cancelled, but the Site is not destroyed.
Evasion: The Aircraft which is the Target of an Attack may choose to go Evasive to reduce the chances of being hit. When an Aircraft goes Evasive, place a +1 Stress counter on the Pilot. When rolling for the Site or Bandit Attack, roll 2 dice, and use the lower result of the two Attack rolls.
Example: Bernbaum has been targeted by a 5.25" Site. He chooses to go Evasive and rolls two dice for the 5.25" Site's Attack. The rolls are 9 and 3. Using the 3 results, Bernbaum suffers a Minor Hit from the Site, in addition to +1 Stress from performing the Evasion maneuver.
Evasion can be used for Site and Bandit Attacks while an Aircraft is Over-Target, or when reacting to an Event card where weapon counters can be expended to reduce the number of Event Attacks.
An Unfit Pilot can perform an Evade maneuver, at the cost of gaining another +1 Stress.
Attack Resolution: Roll a D10 for the Site counter and apply Robustness modifier to resolve the Attack.
- Missed: If the modified die roll is less than the first number, there is no effect on the Targeted Aircraft.
- Minor: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the first number but less than the second number, Draw a YELLOW Wound counter from the Wound Cup. Apply its effects.
- Major: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the second number but less than the third number, the Target Aircraft is Damaged. Damaged Aircraft receive a -1 to their Robustness rating. Draw a RED Wound counter from the Wound Cup. If an Aircraft Receives a Major Hit a second time during a Mission, it is Destroyed.
- Destroyed: If the modified die roll is equal to or greater than the third number, the Target Aircraft is Destroyed. Remove the Destroyed Aircraft from the Mission. The Pilot may attempt to Bail Out (see page 19).
Example: The P-47 (+0 AtA) performs a Maneuver which has the Bandit Neutral to Protz who is +0 AtA. The P-47 is about to perform an Attack. Protz does not Suppress or Evade. I roll once for the Bandit. If I roll a modified 2 or lower, the attack fails, and Protz suffers no effect. If I roll a modified 3-5, Protz draws a YELLOW Wound counter. If I roll a modified 6, Protz draws a RED Wound counter, and his Aircraft is Damaged. If I roll a modified 7 or higher, Protz's Aircraft is Destroyed. Protz may choose to Bail Out.
Mission End: A Mission ends when either Turn 5 ends, or when all Friendly Aircraft are in Pre-Approach areas. Friendly Aircraft that fail to enter a Pre-Approach Area or exit before the end of turn 5 must roll a D10.
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 3- | Out of Fuel. Aircraft crashes and is lost. Pilot may attempt a Bail Out. |
| 4+ | Aircraft has sufficient fuel remaining. Proceed to the Home-Bound step. |
Home-Bound Flight
20. Draw Home-Bound Event Card
Draw an Event card and resolve the Event shown in the bottom section.
21. Wounded Pilots and Damaged Aircraft Roll for Safe Landing
Pilots suffering miss xx Day Wounds and Damaged Aircraft must roll D10 for Safe Landing.
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| 3- | Crash. Aircraft is destroyed and Pilot is killed. |
| 4+ | Safe Landing. |
Debriefing
If the Target was Destroyed during the Mission, set the Target card aside until the Campaign is over. If the Target was not Destroyed, shuffle it back into the Target Deck.
If the Target was Destroyed, refer to the Target card to determine which Intel and Recon tracks are adjusted, and by how many steps.
Move the Intel and Recon counters to the right along their tracks, by the number of spaces equal to the number found on the Target card. A counter is never moved to cover the last space on the track.
Example: If I Destroy this Target, I do not move the Recon counter or my Intel counter.
If the Target was not Destroyed, do not adjust the Campaign tracks.
If a Target is not selected for that days Mission, reshuffle it into the Target deck.
Zeal: If the Target was Destroyed and has the "Zeal" notation, all Pilots in your Squadron regain their Zeal uses that have been expended.
HO OR Pilot: If the Target was Destroyed and has the "HO OR Pilot" notation, all Pilots in your Squadron regain any Horrido uses that have been expended, OR you may choose to add a Pilot of the specified Skill to your Squadron.
HO AND Pilot: If the Target was Destroyed and had the "HO AND Pilot" notation, all Pilots in your Squadron regain any Horrido uses that have been expended, AND you may choose to add a Pilot of the specified Skill to your Squadron.
Reinforcement Pilots: The number of Reinforcement Pilots for each Campaign will be listed on that Campaign Sheet.
Reinforcement Pilots are used to replace lost Pilots during your campaign.
The Skill Level of the Reinforcement Pilot will be specified on the Campaign Sheet.
Reinforcement Pilots can be any type of Aircraft, but cannot have the same name as the Pilot they replace.
When you run out of Reinforcement Pilots, replace losses with Newbie Pilots.
Damaged Targets
If you inflict at least one-half of the Hits needed to Destroy a Target (rounded down), but less than the total number of Hits needed to Destroy the Target, you have Damaged the Target. Note on your Player Log the number of Hits you scored on the Target. You score one-half of the Target's VPs, rounding down, and shuffle the Target back into the deck.
If you draw the Target again, it retains the Hits you previously inflicted on it. If you Destroy the Target on the second attempt, gain one-half the Target's VPs, rounding up, and apply its normal Intel and Recon track adjustments.
22. Record Mission Outcome
Record Mission outcome, Victory Points and Adjust Recon, Intel counters. Adjust Special Option points.
23. Add Target Stress
After the Mission is over, each Pilot that flew the Mission also suffers Stress based on the Target's Dot color on the Campaign Sheet or the Target card. This may be reduced by 1 Stress if the Pilot carried a Drop Tank throughout the Mission. (If it is a 0 Stress Target, the Pilot still receives a -1 Stress)
24. Pilot Stress Recovery (All Pilots)
After the Target Stress points are applied to each Pilot, reduce the total Stress points for a Pilot by the Cool number shown on the Pilot card.
Example: This Pilot had 3 Stress going into the Mission. The Pilot suffers +1 Stress from an enemy Site, and later, suffers +1 more Stress from the Target Stress points, before a -1 Stress due to the Pilot's Cool Rating of 1. The Pilot's Stress total at the end of the Day is 4.
When a Pilot does not fly during a Day, the Pilot recovers Stress equal to the Cool Rating + 2 and removes one day of Wounds.
Example: A Pilot suffered 7 Stress during the last two Missions. The Pilot is Shaken and will not be flying a Mission today. At the end of the Day, the Pilot will recover 1 Stress due to Cool, and 2 more Stress because the Pilot rested during the Day instead of participating in a Mission. At the beginning of the next Day, the Pilot will have 4 Stress and be able to use the Okay stats.
Priority R&R: Once after every Mission you may spend 5/8/11 SO points to remove Stress equal to 2 plus each Pilot's respective Cool rating, from every Pilot in your Squadron.
Schnapps Counter: Purchase each counter for 3/6/9 SO prior to beginning the campaign. Discard after any Mission to remove 2 Stress from every Pilot in the Squadron.
25. Record Pilot Experience and Stress
Give each Pilot that flew the Mission +1 Experience point in the XP's Gained column on the Player Log.
If the Target was Destroyed and no friendly Pilots were lost during the Mission, each Pilot that flew the Mission gains +1 additional Experience point. You can also gain additional Experience from Target cards, Target Range or Event cards.
Ace Status: When a Pilot becomes an Ace (5 victories) they receive their choice of a +1 AtA counter or a +1 AtG counter during debriefing. The player gains +1 VP at end of campaign if the Ace is still alive. (Pilots from the Aces expansion do NOT gain Ace status.)
A Pilot scores one Victory every time he Destroys an enemy counter. Destroying a Legendary Bandit or scoring the final hits to destroy a Target scores as two Victories.
26. Pilot Promotion
Check for Pilot Promotion after resolving all Mission Stress. If the Experience point total for a Pilot is equal to or greater than the Promotion number for the Pilot, the Pilot is promoted. Promotion consists of switching the Pilot card for the next higher Rank Level and noting this on the Player Log. Pilots are Promoted from: Newbie to Green, Green to Average, Average to Skilled, Skilled to Veteran, and Veteran to Legendary. When a Pilot accumulates enough XP to promote to Legendary, immediately decide whether to keep him or "trade" him for a Newbie and gain +3 VP.
Example: A Pilot has just completed a successful Mission. This has earned the Pilot two more Experience points, bringing the new Experience total to 12. The Pilot is Promoted from Skilled to Veteran.
Also, check to see if the Pilot's Cool rating has changed and record the new Cool on the Player Log as required.
A newly promoted Pilot reduces their Experience point total by the amount equal to the Promotion number for the new Level. If there are any leftover Experience points, they are kept toward the next Promotion.
Also, record the Promotion number for the next level, which is the number of Experience points needed to be Promoted.
Example: A Newbie pilot with 4 Experience points has just returned from a Mission, earning 2 Experience points, giving a total of 6 Experience points. To promote to Green requires 5 Experience points, so the Pilot is promoted to the Green level, with 1 Experience point carrying over toward promotion to the next level, Average.
When a Pilot is promoted, usually one or more of the Pilot's stats may increase. In some instances, a Pilot may also go from Slow to Fast, with a decrease in one or more stats. This is not an error, but rather to reflect that gaining Fast is a significant tactical advantage, balanced out by a temporary stat decrease.
27. Use Medic to Heal Pilots
Medic: You may choose to spend two SO to activate the Medic Skill. Use Medic to treat a wounded Pilot. A Medic can do one of the following when activated:
- Remove two Stress from one Pilot.
- Remove a Miss One Day Wound Counter from one Pilot.
- Replace a Miss Two Day Wound Counter with a Miss One Day Wound counter.
Campaign Outcome
If this Mission was the last Mission of the Campaign, find your Campaign result on the Campaign Sheet. Compare your total Victory Points to the numbers listed in your Campaign's duration.
Example: If you were playing a Short, France 1940 Campaign, and earned 16 or more VP over the 4 Day period, you have earned a Great Campaign Victory outcome.
Optional Rules
At the start of a Campaign, decide which Optional Rules you want to use, pay the SO costs, and record them in the Campaign Notes section of the Player Log.
Flying 1 Fewer or 1 More Aircraft
You can take 1 more Aircraft than the Target card specifies, but you lose 1 VP from the mission. If you take 1 fewer Aircraft than the Target card specifies, and still Destroy the Target, you gain 1 extra VP from the mission. If you select this option, pay 3/6/9 SO.
Random Squadron Selection
Instead of selecting your Pilots, choose the number of fighter aircraft and bomber aircraft you wish to have in your squadron, then randomly determine your squadron composition. Place all selectable Pilot counters in a cup. Randomly select the counters from the cup for each given Level. Draw the required number of Pilots for each Skill Level, before you draw for the next Level. Gain SO points as normal for the Aircraft drawn. If you use this option, gain 6/12/18 SO.
Example: I am preparing my squadron for the Short France 1940 Campaign. I place my Pilot counters in a cup and choose my first selection to be a "Newbie". I select one counter and add him to my Squadron roster. I then draw two more counters for my Green Pilots, and so on, until I have selected the required number of Pilots at each Skill Level.
High Stress Attacks/Suppression
Before any Pilot performs an Attack or Suppression for the Turn, you can choose to add +1 to all his Attack and Suppression rolls for the Turn. The Pilot suffers +1 additional Stress point each Turn this is used. A Pilot may only do this once per Turn. If you select this option, pay 3/6/9 SO.
Using Expansion Targets with Core Game / Other Expansions
Using Expansion Targets outside of their Expansion presents one major problem. That problem is the grading system. These Targets are not figured into the Campaign results, so they will increase the chances of a better score. Because of that, the cost of this Optional Rule is 5/8/10 SO.
If you choose to use this rule, simply add the chosen targets to your Target deck. Any Target chosen will be a yellow dot. 1 Fuel and 1 Stress.
Using Expansion Aircraft / Bandits / Bombers with Core Game / Other Expansions
If you wish to use Expansion aircraft in either the Core game or other Expansions, go ahead. It can be more historical if you add the Me-109f or the B-24 to the Core game. (Try the Battle of Britain with Italian Aircraft... Fun!)
Aces Expansion Rules
These Aces cards are not included in the Stuka Leader core set, but they are found in the "Stuka Leader Aces Expansion Pack" (available at DVG.com.)
After choosing Pilots for a Campaign, you may replace any Average Skill Rank Pilot with an "Ace" Pilot.
Cost: Upon replacing an Average Pilot, you must pay the SO cost listed depending on the Length of your Campaign.
Example: I am playing a Medium France 1940 Campaign. I replace an Average Pilot with "Ace" Galland and pay 22 SO points. I now use Galland as normal.
Skill(s): Some Ace Pilots have Skills. The cost of the Skills is included in the Pilot's cost. When you pay the cost of the Ace, place their Skill counters on their card and record the Skills on the Player Log. Some Aces have no Skills, some have one Skill, while others have two or more.
Leadership: Aces do not use Experience. All Experience earned by an Ace is instead given to any other Pilot who flew on the same Mission.
Example: Ace Galland finished a Mission with 2 other Pilots. They Destroyed the Target and no one was Shot Down, so every Pilot earns 2 XP. Galland's 2 XP is distributed to the other Pilots. He can either give the two other Pilots 1 XP each, or one Pilot his 2 XP.
Example: Ace Galland has the Honorable Skill. He gains 1 XP for every point of Stress he suffers from a Bandit or Site Attack. He suffered 4 Stress during the Mission, so he gains 4 XP to give to the other Pilots who flew on the Mission with him.
Ace Counters: The counters for the Aces Expansion Deck are included as part of the core set's counter sheets. If you do not have the Aces Expansion, put these to the side, as they are not used for any of the Pilots found in the core set.
Appendices
Source note: Appendix A (Axis Aircraft, historical descriptions of the aircraft types) and the Appendix B (German Aircraft) and Appendix C (Enemy Aircraft) per-Campaign availability charts of the printed rulebook are not reproduced here; the aircraft available in each Campaign are listed on the Campaign Sheets.