Post by limburger59 on Jun 24, 2023 18:13:06 GMT -8
Welcome to the 509th Virtual Bombardment Group.
We welcome players flying the original B-17 Queen of the Skies, and Target for Today. Please note there are some adjustments, especially when it comes to house rules and allowed optional rules. Over the years we have flown with the 9th AF (out of Egypt), the 12th AF (based in Algeria), the 15th AF, and the 8th AF. We restarted the war in mid-2023 flying with the 15th AF - back where the 509th originally started in August 2012. Since our campaign starts in 1944 TFT players start using Table 5-3B for German resistance.
SECURITY NOTICE (actual language issued to WW II crews):
It is expected that each member of a combat crew be familiar with the procedure hereinafter set forth and the will adhere to it during his assignment to this Group.
Any failure of security in regard to a mission or a planned mission may cost you your life, and result in the loss of other crew members.
All combat personnel should be familiar with War Department Pamphlet No. 21-7 on the rights of prisoners of war.
Where am I flying? Your squadron.
When you register with your first crew you will be assigned a squadron. Any replacement crew and/or bomber will be placed into the same squadron. The reason for squadron assignments is to determine lead and tail bomber, and to fairly distribute how often you fly High, Middle, or Low. The 78th Sqdn flies B-24s, and the other squadrons fly the B-17.
What information is needed in the After Action Report (AAR)
> Some information is needed for scoring. Having it clearly available in one of the recommended format helps in that process.
> Some information assists you in managing your crew and bomber.
> Other information is just part of the narrative. Fun, but not mandatory; yet it enhances your experience.
HOUSE RULES:
Our Second Campaign begins in April 1944 – the newer B-17G and B-24J are the bombers we are flying.
You will find the older B-17F or B-24Ds in the Spare Pool.
Since our campaign starts in 1944 TFT players start using Table 5-3B for German resistance. Many players are using jasta6's tables for German Resistance found here.
Pre-Mission Steps (QOTS 5.1 or TFT 2.0) are handled by the Group Commanding Officer, or XO, based on the S-2 Reports and other After Action Reports from history. Fighter strength – both of your escort and enemy, along with Flak will be predetermined. Your squadron’s position is pre-assigned. Yes, many items that you roll for when creating a mission on your own will be predetermined so that all members of the 509th have fairly consistent flight.
A unique Gazetteer will be created, rooted in that historical mission. There will be a common Gazetteer, using 50 mile zone bands for the Mediterranean Theater. This is the distance found in both TFT and the original B-17 QOTS.
There is no need to roll for weather at either the base or target (QOTS 5.2d or TFT 6.1), or weather in each zone (TFT 4.2). There is no need to roll for Recall. If contrails are mentioned in the historical documents they may be included in the briefing so there is no need to roll for Contrails each zone.
If you are Out of Formation, just use the Escort and German resistance per the Gazetteer for the return trip. You can choose to add contrails. If you are making a run off course to Switzerland, Turkey, or Russia, roll for what you believe is appropriate German Resistance, with no escort.
Special mission related rules or die roll modifiers may be noted. The presence of: the Alps, Smoke Pots, Night Missions, Pathfinders, Tuskegee Airmen, Alternative Targets, Emergency Landing Strips, or DM modifiers due to target size is predetermined and will be in your Mission Briefing. Some missions will be straight TFT or QOTS.
TAIL & LEAD: Do not roll for Bomber Position as the Tail and Lead bombers will be assigned by your Squadron CO or XO, or volunteers may be sought. If you want to volunteer please report to your Squadron CO’s office.
TAKE OFF: Target for Today players should use Table 3-2 or Limburger's Variant for take-off. QOTS and Beery players may choose to use the variant published by Avalon Hill in “Theater Modifications” in The General Magazine Vol 24 No 6., or Limburger's Variant for Take Offs is located here.
RANDOM EVENTS: We use the Tables that came with your game (TFT or QOTS), or feel free to use Bruce Peckham's Expanded Random Event Table found on Board Game Geek.
MECHANICAL FAILURES: We use an expanded table found at this page. It has greater variety and is less deadly.
DAMAGE to your Bomber: We use Peckham Points to determine the intensity of damage your bomber suffers. Based on the time required before your bomber is ready to fly again you may need to request a Hanger Queen from the Spare Pool.
WOUNDS: There are a number of variants regarding wounds, and their recovery times, found on this website. Based on the time required before your crewmember may return to duty (RTD) you may need to request temporary replacements from the Spare Pool.
OPTIONAL RULES:
Optional rules listed both on the 509th's site, or available at Board Game Geek. Optional means optional. If you try an optional rule and it unbalances the game, we may disallow it. Options that are not allowed include using a death ray recovered from an alien spaceship that crashed in Area 51, or being escorted by F-14 Tomcats after the USS Nimitz is transported via time vortex to the Adriatic.
There are Optional House Rules regarding Lucky Charms, Promotions, Awards, Crew Chiefs, and Stress. Please do not use other optional variants or personal rules for these items.
TARGET for TODAY introduced some interesting "new" rules - a number of them having been old optional rules posted on BGG and used by QOTS players for many years. Some of these new rules are predetermined in the briefing. Unless noted elsewhere, all TFT tables, including Table 7-6 Awarding Aerial Victories, should be used by TFT players in order to sustain a balanced campaign. Do not use rules for Mission Recall, Contrails, Navigators, and Awards.
TFT tables that can be used by QOTS players include:
> those for German Fighter resistance - Table 5-3B instead of Table B-3
>> Jasta6's variant for German fighter wave placement is a better option for players.
> those for Italian, Romanian, and Hungarian fighters - Table 5-3SB - found on Steve Dixon's website.
> Damage Results against enemy fighters (5-7 A & B)
> the description of wounds (5-17 A, B, & C)
> the Location of Frostbite (5-18A).
BASE GAME VARIANTS - all can be found on Board Game Geek.
Unless noted elsewhere, if a player chooses a variant they should use all tables in that variant in order to sustain a balanced campaign.
QOTS players may use the Beery Historical Module for QOTS.
The Beery Historical Module shifts the tables, especially in the later period of the war. There is an increased chance of survival, but in exchange there is less drama as there are fewer chances of being attacked by German fighters, and as a result fewer chances to shoot them down. Odds to hit and be hit are less. Unless noted elsewhere, all Beery tables should be used by Beery players in order to sustain a balanced campaign. It also has some optional rules:
> Option you can choose – “By The Book” Bomb Run. In exchange for a +1 modifier on the Bomb Run you hold your bomber straight and level increasing your chances of being hit by enemy fighters and flak. For this campaign, increase the flak one level from the briefing.
> Option you can choose – 14.3 First Aid increases a seriously wounded crewmember’s chance to survive by assigning another crewmember to exclusively care for him.
> Do Not Use – 9.3 Experienced Gunners - all gunners in the 509th, no matter the game system used, become Aces with 5 victories.
> Do Not Use – 15.3 Evasive Action While in Formation, 6.1c to Determine or 17.1 Awards.
There are two TFT variants that are similar to The Beery Historical Module for QOTS, shifting the tables. There is an increased chance of survival, but in exchange there is less drama as there are fewer chances of being attacked and hit by German fighters, and also fewer chances to shoot them down. Unless noted elsewhere, all tables in that variant should be used by a player in order to sustain a balanced campaign. Those options are Joe Osentoski Comparison and Joe Carter's Ghost's Simplified and Less Deadly TFT Rules, found on Board Game Geek.
COPYRIGHT: We have permission to use creations and artwork from Steve Dixon, Tom Cundiff, Felipe Santamaria, Magnus Kimura, Shaun Sayer, Bruce Peckham, Jim Pink, and Lou Correia. Please do not use artwork in your AARs without permission. B-17 and B-24 art, of the plane or their noses, are a potential violation and may be removed from your reports. An artist once threatened to take down the entire site over a copyright violation so we have to take this seriously.
We welcome players flying the original B-17 Queen of the Skies, and Target for Today. Please note there are some adjustments, especially when it comes to house rules and allowed optional rules. Over the years we have flown with the 9th AF (out of Egypt), the 12th AF (based in Algeria), the 15th AF, and the 8th AF. We restarted the war in mid-2023 flying with the 15th AF - back where the 509th originally started in August 2012. Since our campaign starts in 1944 TFT players start using Table 5-3B for German resistance.
SECURITY NOTICE (actual language issued to WW II crews):
It is expected that each member of a combat crew be familiar with the procedure hereinafter set forth and the will adhere to it during his assignment to this Group.
Any failure of security in regard to a mission or a planned mission may cost you your life, and result in the loss of other crew members.
All combat personnel should be familiar with War Department Pamphlet No. 21-7 on the rights of prisoners of war.
Where am I flying? Your squadron.
When you register with your first crew you will be assigned a squadron. Any replacement crew and/or bomber will be placed into the same squadron. The reason for squadron assignments is to determine lead and tail bomber, and to fairly distribute how often you fly High, Middle, or Low. The 78th Sqdn flies B-24s, and the other squadrons fly the B-17.
What information is needed in the After Action Report (AAR)
> Some information is needed for scoring. Having it clearly available in one of the recommended format helps in that process.
> Some information assists you in managing your crew and bomber.
> Other information is just part of the narrative. Fun, but not mandatory; yet it enhances your experience.
HOUSE RULES:
Our Second Campaign begins in April 1944 – the newer B-17G and B-24J are the bombers we are flying.
You will find the older B-17F or B-24Ds in the Spare Pool.
Since our campaign starts in 1944 TFT players start using Table 5-3B for German resistance. Many players are using jasta6's tables for German Resistance found here.
Pre-Mission Steps (QOTS 5.1 or TFT 2.0) are handled by the Group Commanding Officer, or XO, based on the S-2 Reports and other After Action Reports from history. Fighter strength – both of your escort and enemy, along with Flak will be predetermined. Your squadron’s position is pre-assigned. Yes, many items that you roll for when creating a mission on your own will be predetermined so that all members of the 509th have fairly consistent flight.
A unique Gazetteer will be created, rooted in that historical mission. There will be a common Gazetteer, using 50 mile zone bands for the Mediterranean Theater. This is the distance found in both TFT and the original B-17 QOTS.
There is no need to roll for weather at either the base or target (QOTS 5.2d or TFT 6.1), or weather in each zone (TFT 4.2). There is no need to roll for Recall. If contrails are mentioned in the historical documents they may be included in the briefing so there is no need to roll for Contrails each zone.
If you are Out of Formation, just use the Escort and German resistance per the Gazetteer for the return trip. You can choose to add contrails. If you are making a run off course to Switzerland, Turkey, or Russia, roll for what you believe is appropriate German Resistance, with no escort.
Special mission related rules or die roll modifiers may be noted. The presence of: the Alps, Smoke Pots, Night Missions, Pathfinders, Tuskegee Airmen, Alternative Targets, Emergency Landing Strips, or DM modifiers due to target size is predetermined and will be in your Mission Briefing. Some missions will be straight TFT or QOTS.
TAIL & LEAD: Do not roll for Bomber Position as the Tail and Lead bombers will be assigned by your Squadron CO or XO, or volunteers may be sought. If you want to volunteer please report to your Squadron CO’s office.
TAKE OFF: Target for Today players should use Table 3-2 or Limburger's Variant for take-off. QOTS and Beery players may choose to use the variant published by Avalon Hill in “Theater Modifications” in The General Magazine Vol 24 No 6., or Limburger's Variant for Take Offs is located here.
RANDOM EVENTS: We use the Tables that came with your game (TFT or QOTS), or feel free to use Bruce Peckham's Expanded Random Event Table found on Board Game Geek.
MECHANICAL FAILURES: We use an expanded table found at this page. It has greater variety and is less deadly.
DAMAGE to your Bomber: We use Peckham Points to determine the intensity of damage your bomber suffers. Based on the time required before your bomber is ready to fly again you may need to request a Hanger Queen from the Spare Pool.
WOUNDS: There are a number of variants regarding wounds, and their recovery times, found on this website. Based on the time required before your crewmember may return to duty (RTD) you may need to request temporary replacements from the Spare Pool.
OPTIONAL RULES:
Optional rules listed both on the 509th's site, or available at Board Game Geek. Optional means optional. If you try an optional rule and it unbalances the game, we may disallow it. Options that are not allowed include using a death ray recovered from an alien spaceship that crashed in Area 51, or being escorted by F-14 Tomcats after the USS Nimitz is transported via time vortex to the Adriatic.
There are Optional House Rules regarding Lucky Charms, Promotions, Awards, Crew Chiefs, and Stress. Please do not use other optional variants or personal rules for these items.
TARGET for TODAY introduced some interesting "new" rules - a number of them having been old optional rules posted on BGG and used by QOTS players for many years. Some of these new rules are predetermined in the briefing. Unless noted elsewhere, all TFT tables, including Table 7-6 Awarding Aerial Victories, should be used by TFT players in order to sustain a balanced campaign. Do not use rules for Mission Recall, Contrails, Navigators, and Awards.
TFT tables that can be used by QOTS players include:
> those for German Fighter resistance - Table 5-3B instead of Table B-3
>> Jasta6's variant for German fighter wave placement is a better option for players.
> those for Italian, Romanian, and Hungarian fighters - Table 5-3SB - found on Steve Dixon's website.
> Damage Results against enemy fighters (5-7 A & B)
> the description of wounds (5-17 A, B, & C)
> the Location of Frostbite (5-18A).
BASE GAME VARIANTS - all can be found on Board Game Geek.
Unless noted elsewhere, if a player chooses a variant they should use all tables in that variant in order to sustain a balanced campaign.
QOTS players may use the Beery Historical Module for QOTS.
The Beery Historical Module shifts the tables, especially in the later period of the war. There is an increased chance of survival, but in exchange there is less drama as there are fewer chances of being attacked by German fighters, and as a result fewer chances to shoot them down. Odds to hit and be hit are less. Unless noted elsewhere, all Beery tables should be used by Beery players in order to sustain a balanced campaign. It also has some optional rules:
> Option you can choose – “By The Book” Bomb Run. In exchange for a +1 modifier on the Bomb Run you hold your bomber straight and level increasing your chances of being hit by enemy fighters and flak. For this campaign, increase the flak one level from the briefing.
> Option you can choose – 14.3 First Aid increases a seriously wounded crewmember’s chance to survive by assigning another crewmember to exclusively care for him.
> Do Not Use – 9.3 Experienced Gunners - all gunners in the 509th, no matter the game system used, become Aces with 5 victories.
> Do Not Use – 15.3 Evasive Action While in Formation, 6.1c to Determine or 17.1 Awards.
There are two TFT variants that are similar to The Beery Historical Module for QOTS, shifting the tables. There is an increased chance of survival, but in exchange there is less drama as there are fewer chances of being attacked and hit by German fighters, and also fewer chances to shoot them down. Unless noted elsewhere, all tables in that variant should be used by a player in order to sustain a balanced campaign. Those options are Joe Osentoski Comparison and Joe Carter's Ghost's Simplified and Less Deadly TFT Rules, found on Board Game Geek.
COPYRIGHT: We have permission to use creations and artwork from Steve Dixon, Tom Cundiff, Felipe Santamaria, Magnus Kimura, Shaun Sayer, Bruce Peckham, Jim Pink, and Lou Correia. Please do not use artwork in your AARs without permission. B-17 and B-24 art, of the plane or their noses, are a potential violation and may be removed from your reports. An artist once threatened to take down the entire site over a copyright violation so we have to take this seriously.
