The Commander Series Forum

For the SOTCW game at Carronade in May we’re going to try a variation on the usual air support rules. Our game aims to be accessible as possible to new players. This include people who may want to try CWC for few turns or people who just fancy spending 10 minutes launching an air strike. In the latter case, rather than risk the player not having anything to do I’ll probably allow them to “buy” a success on their command roll by making a small donation to charity.

Aircraft will not be included in the two sides’ force listings. Instead, we’re going to make air support available randomly at the start of each player turn.

Each side will have a simple table listing the air support available that turn. The table will reflect the models available and may be modified on the day if any additional forces arrive. Items 1 to 4 on each table will be the straightforward stuff – Jaguars and Harriers for the RAF; Su-25s, MiG-27s and Hinds for Warpac.

Item 5 on each table will be an aircraft that comes with specified special munitions. This way each side gets the possibility of using cluster bombs or perhaps PGMs.

Item 6 on each side’s table will get the player a reroll on the “unusual and improvised support” table. This will include oddities such as a Belgian F104 Starfighter for the NATO side and for the Warsaw Pact side a Mil Mi-14 Haze carrying a couple of Naval Infantry Spigot ATGW teams!

Finally, I’m going to make sure that each air support item has a printed out sheet with all of the stat lines and rules needed to resolve the attack.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Agreed. I regard the CWC basic attacks as being a typical bomb load.

I don't want to use too many special munitions as I fear they might unpredictably skew the scenario - it's pretty demoralising to have your painstakingly developed plan ruined by an opponent's lucky die roll (albeit this is probably true to the cruel nature of real warfare!).

Can I ask what stats you used for the F104 Starfighter I've got a number of these models. Bruce Rea-Taylors list/ rules used to give the West Germans a 25% chance of getting one of these on a successful ground attack request.

I'll check - wait one Hits -3, save 4, Loads - most bombs, 5, few ICM -6 all in a zone hit on 4.

Richards our current random deck is based on the loads from BGMR lists. Just delete all the ICM and stand off stuff.

IanS