There
is a printable version of these rules in the PDF file attached this page (link at the bottom).
Overview
This campaign is fought as a series of run-wutcha-brung dogfights
using Check Your 6! Jet Age. These rules are designed to generate
scenarios based on a randomized selection of available planes, so
that a dogfight can be played no matter who shows up for the game.
Each player is given an incentive to use his own planes by having
personal named pilots who gain experience as the campaign progresses.
Players
Campaign Players. The core players of the campaign are called
campaign players. Campaign players are expected to own the
rules and bring the 1/300 scale model planes, hex mats, stands, plane
rosters, dice, pencils, etc. needed to play.
Guest Players. Other players are called guest players.
Anyone who shows up just to play a fun dogfight game once in a while
but has no interest in owning, collecting or painting planes is a
guest player.
Pilots
Each player has up to four named pilots active in the Pilot Roster.
As long as a named pilot stays alive, he participates in every
dogfight his squadron attends, gaining experience and skill levels. A
named pilot can never change what type of plane he flies, but each
named pilot can be assigned to a different type of fighter so that a
player can rotate what planes he plays in each game. Named pilots
can't fly bombers, but may be assigned to fighters normally used for
ground attack (propeller fighters, Thunderjets, Shooting Stars,
Meteors, Panthers, etc.). A player may have named pilots on both
sides of the conflict.
Extra planes not containing named pilots are filled by guest pilots
(who have no pilot roster entry).
Pilots are ranked by experience, and the highest ranked pilot in each
flight must be in command of it.
Pilot Experience
Pilot experience is measured by the number of missions in
which the pilot achieved at least one hit:
A Green
pilot has completed less than 6 missions.
A
Skilled pilot has completed 6 or more missions.
A
Veteran pilot has completed 12 or more missions.
An
Expert pilot has completed 24 or more missions.
Each kill counts as 1 extra mission of experience.
New named pilots start as Skilled
with 6 missions completed (and 0 kills). A named pilot can become an
ace
on paper by
shooting down 5 or more enemy aircraft during the campaign,
but only gains the CY6 Ace skill level by becoming an Expert
with 24 or more missions of experience. This is to keep pilots
from advancing too quickly, and prevent leapfrogging
experience levels.
To determine guest pilot experience, roll 2d4 for Chinese and
Koreans, 2d6 for UN and Soviet pilots. If the experience roll for a
UN or Soviet guest pilot (or bomber crew) shows doubles, roll an
extra d6 and add all 3 together. If the total is 15 or higher, the
guest is an Ace. There can only be one Ace guest pilot per
side - once the first Ace is generated, stop using a third
die to find Aces.
Losing Named Pilots
Anytime a named pilot is shot down, determine whether he survives and
returns to base using the Crew Survival rules from the rule book. If
he fails to return from a mission, change his status from Active to
KIA, MIA, POW, etc. as appropriate, and replace him with a new named
pilot before the next mission.
Planes
Personal Flight: Each campaign player brings a
personal flight of four fighters in similar
squadron markings to each battle. Flights of MiGs may have up to six
planes (MiGs typically operated in 3-pair groups). At least one plane
in the personal flight must be piloted by one of the player’s named
pilots. Personal flight planes that are shot down are assumed to be
replaced with more planes of the same type (manned by replacement or
recovered pilots), so there will always be 4 (or 6) available for the
next mission.
Auxiliary Flights: All flights in play that are
not personal flights are called auxiliary flights.
Flights of fighters or fighter-bombers (such as Shooting Stars,
Panthers, Thunderjets, Meteors, Corsairs, Mustangs, Yaks, etc.)
should be given to guest players.
Bomber Flights. Flights of slow, clumsy, heavily
loaded bombers (B-29s, B-25s, A-26s, Tu-2s, IL-10s, Skyraiders, etc.)
should be run as non-player entities by one or more players. Do not
plot moves for these planes - after all movement plotting is done,
just move them as desired.
Mission Profile
Each dogfight has a mission profile which defines the goals of
the players and the set up. If somebody has bombers or
fighter-bombers they want on the table, the mission is a bombing
mission. If there are only fighters, the mission is a fighter
sweep. The host gets the final say in the type of the mission.
Bombing Mission
Planes.
Add 3-12 bombers in 3-ship flights or ground attack planes in 2-, 3-
or 4-ship flights. Assign a player to run the bombers.
Each campaign player brings his own fighters; guest players run
auxiliary planes given to them. Each player may have a single flight
of 2-4 fighters with one flight leader, or 2-6 MiGs organized in
leader/wingman pairs. Escorting players declare the number of planes
first.
Altitude. The bombing player picks two adjacent CABs as the
altitude. There is no middle CAB boundary. If the bombers are B-29s,
the CABs are High and High-Top, otherwise any 2 neighboring CABs from
Medium-Top on down can be chosen.
Table Edges. The long edge spanning sectors A-C-E is friendly
to the side with the bombers; all other edges are unfriendly.
Bomb Load. The bomber player decides whether the bombers are
armed at half-load or full load.
Bombers Set Up First.
Bombers set up at TAL6 in sector C. Each flight must be in a vee
formation, its planes in adjacent hexes or 1 hex apart. The bombing
C-in-C must be lead plane of the lead flight (at least 1 hex farther
forward than all other flights). After setup, roll for straggling: if
2d6 plus the bomber C-in-C crew skill bonus is less than the number
of bombers, the rearmost flight is straggling by 1d6 hexes, and if
the roll is also doubles, the second rearmost flight is also
straggling. A flight that straggles off table enters on turn 1.
Escorts Set Up Second.
Escorts set up second, at any TAL and maximum distance 10 (TALs +
hexes) from a bomber flight. Each player's fighters must be in
formation together.
Interceptors Set Up Third.
Interceptors set up at any TAL, in any sector except C, minimum
distance 8 (TALs + hexes) from enemy planes. After all interceptors
are set up, each player makes a crew check with his lead pilot:
Success: no effect.
Success on doubles: may move after all enemy on the first
turn.
Failure: Move 2d6 hexes farther from all enemy planes. If
this puts any planes of a flight off the table, that flight enters
the table at that point on turn 1.
Failure on doubles: Roll 2d3 to determine maximum starting
TAL.
If all interceptors fail,
then the interception is tardy (after the bombing run). Modify the
scenario as follows:
The bombers are at light load, and roll before the game starts for
ordnance delivery VP.
All edges of B, D and F become friendly to the bombers and escorts.
All edges of A, C and E become unfriendly to the bombers and
escorts.
Unreliable Jets. After all planes are set up, each player
commanding jet fighters rolls for mechanical difficulties. If the die
score on 2d6 is less than the number of planes in his flight, remove
one of his jet fighters from the mission.
Victory Points. Subtract 1 VP for each fighter brought to the
fight (even jets that aborted with mechanical difficulties).
Each side gains VP for damaged/destroyed enemies as per section A6.1
BASIC VICTORY POINTS.
Bombers can also gain VP by completing the bombing run after the
dogfight is over. Each bomber which exits the table edge of sector D
must pass a crew check to successfully deliver its ordnance:
Full load: VP = bomber's full ("Destroyed") VP value
Half load: VP = ½ bomber's full ("Destroyed") VP
value
Success on doubles: target hit extra hard, x2 VP for that
bomber
Fighter
Sweep
Planes. Each campaign player brings his personal flight; guest
players run whatever auxiliary planes are given to them. Each player
may have a single flight of 2-4 fighters with a flight leader, or 2-6
MiGs organized in leader/wingman pairs. The side with more players
declares the number of planes first. If the number of planes is tied,
the jumped side declares first.
Initiative. Each player rolls 1d6, then all dice for each side
are added up. The side with the highest total score “got the jump”,
the other side is “jumped”. The Communist side wins ties.
Altitude. The jumped side picks two adjacent CABs as the
altitude. There is no middle CAB boundary. Both CABs must be within
the service ceiling of all planes in play.
Friendly Edges. The jumped side counts the A-C-E long edge as
friendly, the other side counts the B-D-F long edge as friendly. The
short edges and bottom are friendly to the side that got the jump if
it has fewer planes, otherwise to the jumped side.
Setup. The leader of each flight makes a crew check, then
setup happens in four stages:
Failed, jumped: Set up in sector C, flying toward the far
edge of D, TAL 6.
Failed, got the jump: Set up anywhere in sectors B, D, or F,
any TAL, min. distance 8 (hexes + TALs) from enemy planes.
Passed, jumped: Set up anywhere, any TAL, min. distance 8
(hexes + TALs) from enemy planes, flying toward long edge spanning
sectors B-D-F.
Passed, got the jump: Set up anywhere at any TAL, or declare
entry hexes on any CAB edge (including top or bottom of CAB) and
enter on turn 1, min. distance 8 (hexes + TALs) from enemy planes.
Unreliable Jets. After all planes are set up, each player
commanding jet fighters rolls for mechanical difficulties. If the die
score on 2d6 is less than the number of planes in his flight, remove
one of his jet fighters from the mission.
Victory Points. Subtract 1 VP for each fighter brought to the
fight (even jets that aborted with mechanical difficulties).
Each side gains VP for damaged/destroyed enemies as per section A6.1
BASIC VICTORY POINTS.
