DVG - Phantom Leader AAR

[JudgeDredd]

As requested

War in the South - USAF 1965
Medium Length 4 Days and 4 Special Option points
Special Option Points are used to buy Priority Options and Special Weapons
In this campaign the AGM-12 Bullpup, the CBU and BLU-1 require SOs to be expended (1/2,1 and 1 respectively)

Special Rules

• Select 3 less Average pilots
• Remove all SA-2 counters
• Remove the Event cards
  • Bandits!
  • SAM Site!
  • B-52 Strike
  • Show of Force
• Select 2 less aircraft allowed to fly each mission

I've had to remove Mad Dog, Bat and Vapor from the list of available pilots and aircraft because they are in airframes with a date after 1965.

Missions
The list of available targets for this Campaign are:

• Amunition Depot
• AAA Site
• Truck Park
• Enemy Troops
• Close Air Support
• Covert Mission Into Laos
• Ground Support
• VC Build Up
• Rail Line
• Armed Recon
• Tunnels
• Supply Depot

A successful capaign will be judged thus

• Great 9+ VPs
• Good 6-8 VPs
• Adequate 4-5 VPs
• Poor 2-3 VPs
• Dismal 1 VP

The pilots I'm allowed to select are

• 1xNewbie
• 2xGreen
• 4xAverage (less 3 with the Special Rules)
• 1xSkilled

The pilots I've choosen are

• Jagger F-4 Phanton II Skilled
• Junior F-4 Phanton II Average
• Surfer F-100 Super Sabre Green (gain +2 Special Option points for this aircraft)
• Lefty F-105 Thunderchief Green (gain +1 Special Option point for this aircraft)
• Cajun F-4 Phantom II Newbie

Given the Special Rule where I take 2 less aircraft per mission and given I have 3 less pilots, I've went for pilots with (where possible) higher Stress limit values and with positive ATG AND ATA values.

This is going to be a tough Campaign with only 5 pilots and with the limitation of removing 2 aircraft from the mission specified aircraft! I often like to take at least one dedicated ATA airframe - but I'm likely not going to be able to do that.

I've decided to buy the Fly 1 More Aircraft Priority Option for a cost of 4 Special Options

Given the Special Options available in the campaign, what I received extra from the aircraft I selected and what I spent on the Priority Option, I start the campaign with6 available SOs for weapons.

[Lützow]

I'll look into Phantom Leader once the iPad version is released. Should be within next 2 weeks. [:)]

[JudgeDredd]

I played the demo of Hornet Leader for the PC - it wasn't great. The offered version just didn't convert well to playing on the computer. I guess that happens with certain boardgames.

Perhaps if they had kept the graphics from the game - I don't know. But there's something about a boardgame...setting it up, maintaining the necessary values and stats...that seems to get lost in a computerised version.

One good conversion I thought was Memoir '44 and I think it's because it stayed almost 100% faithful to the boardgame.

[wodin]

Thanks JD..Though I was asking for more boardgame conversions I think certain games are best as a boardgame..this series being one of those. I think the more complex boardgames are the ones that could really use the PC for the bookeeping and rules etc are what should be converted. Also the two playe ror more boardgames as this is where an AI can come into place.

These games though, especially this series I feel is best as a boardgame..the components and tactile nature aswell as the easy to follow rules etc don't make playing a headache and I think part of the fun is recording your campaigns.

So no I don't think this series is good for a PC or IPad conversion. I'd much rather play it as a boardgame.

Oh and I would be wary of the conversion after Hornet leader which i feel didn't do the boardgame any justice.

Thanks JD for the AAR..good stuff. Lucking forward to how it pans out..also looking forward to the other AAR's. Your a star for doing this.

[JudgeDredd]

Day One

Target List


Ammunition Depot

Details
• Location - Laos 1 Corps Area with 0 Weight Point Penalty and 1 Stress
• Tasking - 3 aircraft (modified to 2 with the -2 Special Rule and +1 Priority Option)
• Sites - 1 Site in each approach area and 2 in the target area
• Bandits - No bandits in approach areas and 1 over the target area
• Hits - Target requires 6 hits
• VPs - 1
• Politics - 1
• Recon - 0
• Intel - 2
• Special - Hit the target 7 times for overkill to move the politics counter 1 to the left

Supply Depot

Details
• Vietnam - Route Pack 6 with -1 Weight Point Penalty and 2 Stress
• Tasking - 6 aircraft (modified to 5 with the -2 Special Rule and +1 Priority Option)
• Sites - 2 Sites in each approach area and 3 in the target area
• Bandits - 2 bandits in each approach areas and 1 over the target area
• Hits - Target requires 10 hits
• VPs - 3
• Politics - 3
• Recon - 2
• Intel - 2
• Special - Hit the target 12 times for overkill to move the politics counter 1 to the left

Tough choice here. I doubt I can destroy the Ammunition Depot with 2 aircraft...but then the Supply Depot with only 5 is also a very touch mission.

I take the Supply Depot.

Recon over the site shows the following defenses

• Southern Approach - 2xInfantry
• Western Approach - 2xS60
• Northern Approach - 2xZu-23-2
• Eastern Approach - 2xZu-23-2
• Over the target - 2xInfantry + 1M1939

Looking at the defenses, a high approach initially looks like the best option. That would keep me out of all defenses except the M1939. Low level will attract all kinds of attention from everything else - including the 2 S60s which have a range of 1 - so even if I did stay high, I'll have to go low over the target and therefore I'd open myself up to them.

I could go high, approach from the West and fire a couple of AGM-12s which have a good chance of destroying the S60s...then go low into the target. If I took an extra AGM-12 with me, I could take care of the M1939...once over the target with the 2 S60s and the M1939 out the way I'd only have the infantry to worry about.

Of course I don't know what kind of bandit activity will be around...so I'll have to carry a couple of AIM-9s on a couple of aircraft.

I need 10 hits on the target - 12 to reduce the Political fallout of this mission to 2.

Keeping the Politics counter as far to the left of the track as possible is important because it affects the targets you can choose - you can only choose targets equal to or less than the number to the right of your Politics counter. The 3 on this target would push me 3 to the right - meaning next turn I would only be able to choose missions with a Politics value of 1 or less.
the Politics counter moves one to the left after each mission

Of course I could use SOs to pull Recon and get other targets presented - but SOs are like gold dust - I only have 6 for the whole campaign - and I'm already considering using 1.5 for my Bullpups.

This is the Target Area

[JudgeDredd]

No problem. Like I said - I was looking for an excuse to get these open again...and an AAR is the perfect way to make me do it.

AARs are time consuming - especially involving pictures. For a computer game it's not so bad, grabbing a screenshot and uploading...but with boardgames it's getting the camera, getting the right shot which is difficult in the evening, then attaching the camera, selecting the image with the best light and focus, resizing the image, uploading...it's a real lengthy process with a boardgame.

I enjoy doing them though...gets me playing them.

Any questions on the rules, ask away and I'll try and clear up.

[wodin]

SO far I'm on track..getting excited to see how it plays out...I appreciate the time your having to take here..thanks again.

[JudgeDredd]

Pilot Selection

Well, 5 pilots can fly this mission and I only have 5 pilots - so the choice is easy!

Aircraft Arming
The area being attacked has a -1 Weight Point. So all aircraft can carry 1 less weight point in armament. I could counter this by purchasing the Tanker Priority for a cost of 4 SOs (1-3 Aircraft = 3xSOs, 4-6 Aircraft = 4xSOs and 7 or more Aircraft = 7xSOs). Suffice to say I won't be buying the tanker priority...not with so few SOs left for the campaign.

Therefore the Phantoms can take 5WPs of weapons, the Super Sabre 3WPs and the Thunderchief 5 WPs. And just realised that as I only have 1 Thunderchief, and it's the only aircraft that can carry AGM-12s, and I only have 5WPs on the Thunderchief AND the AGM-12 costs 2 WPs - then I can only carry 2...so I'm going to have to pray at some point!

I have no idea what kind of CAP to expect - so I'll be taking along 4 AIM-9s. As mentioned earlier I'll be bringing 3 AGM-14s along to hopefully take care of the enemy sites which have range to hit me. I'll carry some rockets for suppression and the rest of the armaments will be either be Mk-82s or Mk-84s

So - Arming
Jagger F4 Phantom

• 2xAIM-9
• 1xMk-84
• 1xMk-82

Junior F4 Phantom

• 2xAIM-9
• 1xMk-84
• 1xMk-82

Surfer F-100 Super Sabre

• 1xMk-84
• 1xMk-82

Lefty F-105 Thunderchief

• 2xAGM-12
• 1xRockets

Cajun F4 Phantom

• 2xMk-84
• 1xRockets

Assuming all hits from the Mk-82s and Mk-84 are successful, then I can inflict a maximum of 21 hits on the target. That will leave the Rockets for suppression and the Bullpups for the more dangerous targets. Of course - there had better not be more than 4 bandits in the area...and with potentially 2 in each approach and one over the target, I'm looking at a possible 9!!

This is the aircraft at take off...



No ECM Pods - no space for them.

As you can see, the enemy defensive sites are set and I've moved the Politics Counter 3 to the right. It's currently pointing at 1 to it's right meaning I can only accept a mission with that Politics rating. It's to reflect feelings of the war at home.

[JudgeDredd]

Target Bound
I have to pull a Target Bound Event Card...and it's...excellent



Sierra Hotel - Good Approach : Add 1 to your Attack and Suppression die rolls.

Great news.

I can now choose to abort the mission or not...and I choose not to.

I now have to place my aircraft. I decide to approach from the West and High. This will keep me out of harms way of the S-60's. I'll strike one with an AGM-12 and keep the other AGM-12 to hit the M1939 in the Target Area.

I now determine Bandit cover by pulling (blindly) chits as required. I pull two for each approach and 1 for the centre. It's decent news - only 3 bandits are present...2xMig-19s and 1xMig-21

This is the Target Area on approach.



Next I pull an Over Target Event Card - good news



Peace Rallies : No Adjustment

Well - so far things are going well. This is probably one of the best starts to a mission I've ever had. But I still have to get bombs on targets - and there's a fair bit of danger around.

Friday - to battle.

[wodin]

Excellent AAR so far..can't wait till Friday!! Only messing, looking forward to it.

[JudgeDredd]

Club bike ride tomorrow night so don't get back until 9 and ATP Tennis Tournament at the O2 on Thursday - so I guess that will be a late night also.

Has to be Friday I'm afraid. I am worried leaving the setting out though with the cat kicking about! [:'(]

[Lützow]

Thanks for the insight. The iPad version is already released but quite expensive and since it looks rather like a card game (more cards than counters) I'm probably passing on this one.

Wisth there would be a conversion of Steel Wolves or WiF. [:(]

[JudgeDredd]

Well - the iPad version may be very well done. The Hornet Leader game wasn't (sorry to whomever created that). I'm a firm believer that a computer based conersion of a boardgame (especially a successful one) should stay as faithful as possible to the boardgame. After all, moving from a boardgame to a computer version is already going to remove elements of the boardgame (some thankfully and others not) - so they should leave as much in as possible to keep faithful to the boardgame.

I think the Hornet Leader suffered from the combat being too fast - taking away any suspense and it always seemed difficult to me to understand what was going on. On top of that - the game didn't look great. They could've made it look like the boardgame - and that is a MASSIVE part of a boardgame conversion.

So - maybe the iPad will be done properly.

[SuluSea]

Hi JD! [:)]

I'm enjoying the AAR, thanks for your time and effort. DVG owes you some store credit. I have an itchy trigger finger because of what I've seen so far and wouldn't doubt others do as well. Keep it going. [:)][;)]

[JudgeDredd]

^ That would be nice! Some store credit! [&o]

[Josh]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

^ That would be nice! Some store credit! [&o]

Yep, if anything sells it's AAR's like this.

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks for the kind words everyone.

Like I said, they are time consuming but I do like doing them and this latest request helped me get them out the box - which I kept meaning to do and just never got round to.

[wodin]

I too think JD deserves some DVG store credit..if your listening Mr DVG! The advertisement he is giving is well worth it I feel.

As he owns most of the titles..maybe send him the Phantom leader deluxe when it's finally out.

[JudgeDredd]

[:)] Keep going - I'd love to upgrade to Phantom Leader Deluxe but can't really justify replacing a perfectly good game for some extra content.

[DampSquib]

Very nice AAR JD,cheers & good luck with the P-40 btw.