angels five

Angels One Five

©2015 Philip Sabin & Victory Point Games

GAME CREDITSGame Design: Philip SabinDevelopment: Kevin FortunaGraphic Design: Michelle BallFine Art: Tim AllenProducer: Deon CarricoScenarios: Dave SchuelerProofreading: Barry Levin, Hans Korting,

Karen Wolterman, Leigh Toms

Table of Contents [0.0] Using these Rules .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1

[1.0] Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1

[2.0] Game Equipment . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1

[3.0] Sequence of Play .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3

[4.0] Altitude Change .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4

[5.0] Movement .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4

[6.0] Airspeed Adjustment. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6

[7.0] Firing .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7

[8.0] Map Rotation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8

[9.0] Victory .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8

[10.0] Scenarios .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 8

[11.0] Example of Play.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .10

Designer’s Notes .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .12

1

Angels One Five


[0.0] Using these RulesNew gaming terms, when initially defined, appear in purple lettering for quick referencing.

The instructions for this game are organized into major “Rules” sections as shown in large green font, andrepresented by the number to the left of the decimal point (e.g., Rule 4.0 is the fourth Rule). These Rules generally explain the game’s subject matter, its components, the procedures for play, the game’s core systems, how to set it up, and how to win.

With each Rule, there can be “Cases” that further explain a Rule’s general concept or basic procedure. Casesmight also restrict the application of a Rule by denoting exceptions to it. Cases (and Subcases) are an extension of a Rule shown in the way that they are numbered. For example, Rule 4.1 is the first Case of the fourth Rule; and Rule 4.1.2 is the second Subcase of the first Case of the fourth Rule.

Important information is in red text.

References to examples of a Rule or Case are in blue boxes.

Text in shaded boxes, like this, provides the voice of the game’s designer, who is addressing you to explain an idea or concept that is not, itself, a Rule or a Case.

[1.0] IntroductionAngels One Five is a low to intermediate complexity game covering the grand tactical level of air combat in World War 2. The game focuses on the interception of escorted formations of bombers by German and British forces during the Second World War. Two players, or teams, direct the actions of the escorting and intercepting fighters as they seek to inflict losses on the opposing aircraft while minimizing their own losses. In team play, each player controls one or more specific fighter units, depending on the number of players and the amount of time available. The game is also a good simulation and can be played solitaire to study the dynamics involved.

[2.0] Game Equipment

Parts Inventory• 3 double-sided 6”x17” Maps• 210 double-sided Game Pieces• 1 Rulebook with Player Aid• 1 Scenario Booklet (14 Scenarios)*Some slight soot and discoloration can occur during the laser cutting process. If any of these pieces are missing or damaged, please email us at [email protected]

A 6-sided die is needed for resolving combat. Two dice are needed for some calculations [6.2].

2

Angels One Five

Developed by Kevin Fortuna

Angels One Five


[2.1] The Game Map and ScaleThe game map is broken into three 6x17 hex segments and is combined into one 18x17 hex grid. This hexagonal grid is used to regulate movement and the position of the playing pieces just as squares do on a chessboard. We refer to each space on the map as a “hex.” Each map is double-sided; one side shows an overhead view of the ocean, with an overhead view of the European countryside on the other side. (Figure 2.1)

Scale: Each hex represents a quarter mile and contains four different altitude levels; Low, Medium, High, and Very High. Each altitude level corresponds to roughly 2,000 feet. Thus the entire map represents an area 4.5 miles long and 3.9 miles wide, and 8,000 feet high, wrapped around the bombers, which are themselves between 10,000 and 25,000 feet high depending on the bomber.

[2.2] The Playing PiecesPlaying pieces are broken down into two types, units and markers.

Units (Figure 2.2a)

Units represent the fighters and bombers of Germany and Britain that battled for domination of the skies during World War 2. Each bomber unit represents between six and eighteen aircraft. Depending upon the scenario these could be either twin-engine medium bombers or light bombers such as the infamous “Stuka”.

Each fighter unit represents between four and twelve aircraft. Each unit, marked with a name from its country appropriate phonetic alphabet, has eight counters for it. Each unit has two counters for each of the four altitudes (indicated by the size of the counter, with the smallest counter being closest to the ground). At each altitude level, the two double-sided counters indicate the unit’s four possible airspeeds (from 2 to 5).

There are two kinds of fighters represented in the game. Most units are standard high-performance monoplanes (such as the Spitfire or Bf-109) whose performance is roughly similar at this scale. Some units represent the clumsier “heavy” fighters, like the twin engine Bf-110. The counters show a sample of specific fighter types; this has no gameplay effect. All that matters is whether certain fighters are designated as heavy fighters in the scenario.

To designate a unit as a heavy fighter, stack the two units of the same name and altitude with the correct speed displayed on top.

Markers (Figure 2.2b)

Markers are used to help regulate game play. There are five types of markers in the game:

Abort markers are placed on ineffective aircraft to show they cannot fire. Units become ineffective by either receiving Hits or running out of ammo.

Fired markers are placed on fighters that fired during their phase.

The Sun Direction marker shows which way the sun is facing. The facing of the sun can have an impact upon firing. If a plane is facing in the same direction as the arrow, it is Up-Sun, whereas if it is facing 180° from the arrow, it is Down-Sun.

The Axis and Allied Hit markers are used to keep track of how many Hits each side has achieved. This isused to determine victory.

Rotation markers are used to keep track of the progress of the game and determine when the game ends.

Figure 2.1

Heavy Fighter

Figure 2.2a

Figure 2.2b

Angels One Five

Developed by Kevin Fortuna 3

Angels One Five


[3.0] Sequence Of PlayHow the Turns Work: Each Game Turn represents 10 seconds of real time. In each Game Turn there arefour distinct Phases, with the interceptors going first, followed by the bombers, and ending with the escorts. Each phase has a number of Steps (four for the Interceptor and Escort Phases, two for the Bomber Phase). These Steps are conducted in order for each activated unit, with each unit finishing all four Steps before another unit is activated.

Interceptor Phase

Interceptor units are activated one at a time starting alphabetically (Able, Baker, then Charlie, etc.). The Interceptors’ goal is to engage and prevent the enemy bombers from reaching their target. Which side is intercepting the bombers depends upon the scenario. Each activated interceptor performs the following steps in order before moving on to the next interceptor.

1. Altitude Change. The interceptor unit can move to a higher or lower altitude (4.0).2. Movement. The interceptor must move as many hexes as its current airspeed (5.0). 3. Airspeed Adjustment. The interceptor checks if its airspeed has changed (6.0).4. Firing. If the interceptor occupies the same hex and is at the same altitude as an enemy unit, they

fire at one another (7.0).

Bomber Phase

5. Movement. Move all bombers two hexes forward (5.0). 6. Firing. If a bomber moved into the same hex as an interceptor at the same altitude as the bomber,

they fire at one another (7.0).

Escort Phase

Escorts try to ensure that their bombers get through to the target and home safely by engaging enemy interceptors. Which side is escorting the bombers is determined by the scenario. Escort units are activated one at a time starting alphabetically (Anton, Berta, then Cäsar, etc.). Each activated escort performs the following steps in order before moving on to the next escort.

7. Altitude Change. The escort unit can move to a higher or lower altitude. (4.0).8. Movement. The escort must move as many hexes as its current airspeed (5.0). 9. Airspeed Adjustment. The escort checks if its airspeed has changed (6.0).10. Firing. If the escort occupies the same hex and is at the same altitude as an interceptor, they fire at

one another (7.0).

Administrative

11. Map Rotation Phase. If the bombers moved onto a new map sheet, the back sheet is removed and becomes the new front sheet (8.0).

This represents the movement of the bombers across the sky.

Altitude MarkAirspeed

Unit DisplayUnit Name

Very High Altitude

High Altitude

Medium Altitude

Low Altitude

4

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[4.0] Altitude ChangeWhen activated, a fighter can choose to increase (climb) or decrease (dive) its altitude by one level. There are four altitude levels in the game, starting from Low altitude (level 1), to Medium, High, and Very High (level 4).

[4.1] Increasing AltitudeIn order to climb, a fighter needs to have an airspeed greater than 2. A fighter that increases altitude has its counter immediately replaced with its next highest altitude counter having one airspeed lower.

[4.2] Decreasing AltitudeA fighter can always dive. A unit that dives has its counter immediately replaced by the counter with the next lowest altitude indicator. There is no immediate change to a fighter’s airspeed due to decreasing altitude.

[4.3] Exiting the MapIf a fighter at altitude level 1 decreases its altitude or a fighter at altitude level 4 increases its altitude, it is immediately and permanently removed from the game.

The fighters are too far away from the bombers to have any hope of catching them now before the game ends. This can be a handy way to escape tight situations or get damaged units out of harm’s way.

Example: A fighter unit is at altitude level 4 with an airspeed of 3. During its Altitude Adjustment Step itcan choose to climb to a higher altitude, stay level, or dive to a lower altitude. If it climbs to altitude level 5 it will be outside of the range of the map and will be viewed as having left the map, causing it to be permanently removed from the game. Since the unit is in perfect condition the player decides to dive to get closer to the bombers. He immediately replaces the fighter with the counter corresponding to an altitude and airspeed of 3. The player then moves on to the fighter’s Movement Step.

[4.4] BombersBombers never change their altitude; they stay at their starting altitude as determined by the scenario for the entire game.

[5.0] MovementWhen an interceptor or an escort unit is activated it must move into as many connected hexes as its current airspeed.

[5.1] Stacking A unit can move through other units, and end its movement in a hex containing an enemy unit (regardless of altitude). However, a unit cannot end its Movement Step in the same hex and altitude as a friendly unit. If such a situation ever occurs a fighter unit of the owner’s choice in violation must take a Hit and be immediately removed from play. (Figure 5.1)

It is possible for up to four friendly units to occupy the same hex as long as they are at different altitudes.Figure 5.1

Shapes in the bottom right-hand corner of the unit note the altitude.

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[5.2] TurningFighters can only move into the hex their front is facing, but upon entering a hex they can turn, changing their facing by 60° left or right (i.e., face a hexside to the left or right of its current facing), before moving into another hex. How frequently a fighter can turn is dependent upon its airspeed and if it changed its altitude;

• If a fighter has an airspeed of 4 and did not dive, it must move two hexes straight before every other turning maneuver.

Example:It is the beginning of Berta’s Movement Step and it is at altitude 3 with an airspeed of 4. He decides he wants to close with the enemy and starts turning to get there. He starts by moving a hex forward and turning 60° to the right. He wants to turn more but must fly straight for another 2 hexes. When he enters the third hex, he turns right again and moves into his final hex, where he turns right one final time.

• If a fighter has an airspeed of 5 or dived at an airspeed of 4 it must move two hexes straight before every turning maneuver.

• A heavy fighter with an airspeed of 3 must move two hexes straight before every other turning maneuver.• A heavy fighter with an airspeed of 4 or 5 must move two hexes straight before every turning maneuver.Note: Only turns made in this Phase are counted; prior Phases have no effect.

[5.3] WeavingFighters can always turn in consecutive hexes if they weave; i.e., turn in the opposite direction of their turn in the prior hex.

Note: Weaving always counts as the “other” turn for the purpose of any subsequent turn.

Example: A fighter at airspeed 4 moves a hex and turns to the left. The fighter then moves another hex and turns right. The fighter decides to stop weaving, and turns to the right again. The fighter must move one more hex and can only continue straight or turn left (weaving again).

[5.4] BombersBombers always move two hexes straight forward during the Movement Step of the Bomber Phase. Bombers will never turn.

[5.5] Leaving the MapA fighter that moves into an unplayable hex (off map or into a half-hex) during its move is treated as having left the map and is permanently removed from play.

Example: An interceptor is facing the map edge and must move. There is not enough time to turn, so it must be moved into an incomplete map edge (an unplayable hex). The fighter is removed from the game.

[5.6] Tally-hoA fighter that does not have an Abort marker can stop (after any turns) in its second to last hex of movement if there is an enemy fighter at the same altitude in the hex. This enables the fighter to move one less hex than its airspeed requires and get a chance to fire at the enemy fighter. However, a fighter that stops in its penultimate hex must use an engine thrust of zero during the airspeed adjustment step (6.1).

Example: An escort at airspeed 3 is moving. It moves two hexes forward and is now in the same hex at the same altitude as an enemy interceptor. Instead of moving a final hex, the player decides to stop the escort and fire at the interceptor.

Figure 5.2

60̊

6

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[6.0] Airspeed AdjustmentAfter moving, a fighter must check to see if its airspeed has changed. If an aircraft’s airspeed changes, replace/flip its counter with the one showing the proper airspeed (either one higher or lower).

[6.1] Airspeed CalculationAfter completing its movement, every fighter must roll a die to determine if its airspeed changes. This is modified by a number of factors:

• Before rolling, the player can decide to add up to three to the roll for engine thrust (exception, see 5.6).• The current airspeed of the fighter is subtracted from the result.• The result is reduced by the number of turns the fighter made this game turn.

Depending upon the size of these modifiers, it is possible a die will not need to be rolled, as there could only be one result.

[6.1.1] Airspeed Increase: The change in airspeed depends in part upon whether the fighter changed its altitude. (Figure 6.1a)

• If the fighter climbed or stayed level it gains one point of airspeed if the modified result is equal to “7”.• If the fighter dived it gains a point of airspeed if the modified result is equal to or greater than “0”.

[6.1.2] Airspeed Decrease: A decrease in a fighter’s airspeed is largely dependent upon whether the fighter changed its altitude. (Figure 6.1b)

• If the fighter climbed or stayed level it loses one point of airspeed if the modified result is less than or equal to “-1”.

• Fighters that dived cannot lose airspeed.

[6.2] Heavy FightersHeavy fighters with an airspeed of 3 or greater must roll two dice and use the lower of the two rolls.

[6.3] Airspeed LimitsRegardless of the result, airspeed can never fall below 2 or rise above 5.

[6.4] Bomber AirspeedA bomber’s airspeed never changes; it always maintains an airspeed of 2.

Example: An interceptor with an airspeed of 4 made two turns during the game turn and stayed level. Theplayer decides to add the full 3 possible for engine thrust and rolls a die. He rolls a 3, which is increased by 3 due to the thrust, but decreased by 6 for the airspeed of 4 and two turns. Thus the final result is “0” which means the plane barely manages to keep its current airspeed.

Figure 6.1a

Figure 6.1b

Heavy Fighters

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[7.0] FiringWhen a unit without an Abort marker ends its activation in a hex with an enemy unit at the same altitude, it automatically fires upon the unit. If the enemy is a bomber, or a fighter whose heading differs by 180° (i.e., passing head on) and does not have an Abort marker, they automatically fire back.

[7.1] Firing ProcedureThe active player rolls a die which is used by both players in the combat. The players add or subtract any applicable modifiers (see 7.1.1 below) from the die roll and checks to see what effect, if any, their fire had.

When an activated normal fighter unit (not heavy fighters) fires on an enemy, a Fired marker is placed on the fighter to mark its exposed status (it has highlighted its presence and allegiance). At the start of its next activation, the marker is removed.

[7.1.1] Firing Modifiers: The players determine which of the following Die Roll Modifiers (DRMs) are applicable to them and apply them to the die roll, generating two results, one for each player.• +2 if firing on bombers• +1 for bombers (other than light bombers) firing on fighters whose heading is within 60°• +1 for fighters firing on targets that have exactly the same heading• +1 for fighters firing on fighters whose heading is within 60° and that are exposed to attack (either a

heavy fighter or have a Fired marker)• +1 for activated fighters that dived this game turn and are facing directly Down-Sun• -1 for fighters firing on targets whose heading differs by 120°• -1 for activated fighters that made three or four turns this game turn• -1 for activated fighters that made any turns and are engaging bombers whose heading differs by 180°

(Note: Not cumulative with the previous modifier)• -1 for activated fighters that climbed this game turn and are facing directly Up-Sun• -1 for activated fighters that started the current Phase in the same hex and at the same altitude as enemy

bombers or fighters without Abort markers.

[7.2] Firing ResultsAfter applying all relevant modifiers compare the number to the following results table:• If a side gets a modified result of 5 or less, their fire has no effect.• If a side gets a modified result of 6 or 7, the enemy takes one Hit.• If a side gets a modified result of 8 or more, the enemy takes two Hits.The number of Hits each side inflicts should be recorded for use in determining victory.

[7.3] Abort MissionWhenever a fighter suffers a Hit it has ceased to be an effective fighting force and receives an Abort marker. In addition, an unmodified firing die roll of 6 results in any involved fighters receiving Abort markers (they have run out of ammunition) regardless of whether they received any Hits.

Bombers never receive Abort markers nor run out of ammunition.

[7.3.1] Abort Effects: Units with Abort markers cannot fire, though they can still be fired at and Hit.

A unit that receives an Abort marker cannot lose the marker; it keeps the Abort marker until it leaves the map.

8

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[8.0] Map RotationWhenever the bombers move onto a new map sheet (every 3rd turn) move the rear sheet to the front, removing any units that were on the rear sheet (they are out of play but suffer no additional Hits).

Note: Fighters on a half hex are also removed from play.

Place the map Rotation marker on the next number, face up, on the new rear map sheet.

[9.0] VictoryUnless stated otherwise in the scenario rules, the game ends after eighteen game turns (six map rotations) or when all the interceptor units have left the map.

Victory is determined by each side adding up the number of Hits they scored, as well as any handicap. The side with the most points wins, with the difference reflecting the degree of the victory.

If playing with teams, it is possible for all players on a team to keep track of their points to gauge their relative performance.

[10.0] ScenariosThe game comes with several Scenarios covering significant clashes of the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe. There is also a scenario generator, described below.

[10.1] Scenario GeneratorPlayers start by deciding which country is on the offensive, how many bombers are being intercepted, and how many fighters (both heavy and regular) each side has. It is recommended that each side receives a similar number of units.

The wide range in representational ratios reflects differences in the number of aircraft present in the combat and the tightness of their formations. Asymmetries between the representational ratios on the two sides are assumed to be offset by differences in pilot quality and by the greater difficulty which larger forces had in distinguishing friend from foe.

The players then decide the starting energy (airspeed plus altitude) of the interceptors. This can range from three (airspeed 2 plus altitude 1) to nine (airspeed 5 plus altitude 4). In general, the higher the starting energy the better the interceptor’s position. If players cannot agree upon a starting energy, roll a die; on a 1 the interceptors have a starting energy of three, on a 2 they have a starting energy of four, 3-five, etc.

The bombers should be deployed on the second (B) map segment in the indicated hexes. These bombers are always at Medium altitude (altitude level 2) and have a speed of 2.

[10.1.1] Up-Sun: Players then determine which direction the sun is facing by rolling a die. On a 1, the Sun marker is placed on the map with the arrow facing the bottom left hexside. On a roll of 2, the marker is placed facing the top left hexside. On a 3, the marker faces the top right hexside; while on a 4, it faces the bottom right hexside. Any rolls of 5 or 6 are rerolled (the bombers never travel Up/Down-Sun).

Figure 8.0

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[10.1.2] Bidding: After these parameters have been established, the players decide who is playing which side by bidding for control of the interceptors. The bid starts at one and each player can increase the bid by one at a time. The highest bidder takes control of the interceptors while the lower bidder controls the escorts and receives a handicap equal to the winning bid. If no one bids the sides are randomly assigned and the escort player receives a handicap of one.

Note: When using multiplayer teams the game organizer can determine the handicap level and assign sides.

[10.1.3] Escort Deployment: After the sides have been determined, the escort player(s) places their fighters. Their fighters are deployed in alphabetical order facing forward in any hex within 5 hexes of a bomber, obeying the normal stacking rules (5.1). All escorts start at High altitude (altitude level 3) with an airspeed of 2 with the following exceptions:

• After all escorts have been placed, there is an option to move escorts to Medium Altitude.• For every escort deployed at Medium altitude one can be deployed at Very High altitude.• The player can designate none, some, or all of the escorts as weaving. If the fighters are weaving, they

start with an airspeed of 3 and will be re-oriented after the interceptors are placed (see 10.1.4 below).

[10.1.4] Interceptor Deployment: Once the escorts have been placed, the game begins and the firstInterceptor Phase is spent deploying the interceptors in alphabetical order. All the interceptors are placed on a map edge determined by a die roll. On a 1-3, they are placed on the map edge ahead of the bombers.On a 4, they are deployed on the map edge to the left of the bombers. On a 5, they are deployed to the right of the bombers. On a 6, the interceptors are deployed on whichever left or right map edge is Up-Sun of the bombers.

Note: Interceptors must be placed in a full hex. When being placed an interceptor must face a hex that is not a map edge.

The interceptors can be deployed at any airspeed and altitude the player desires, as long as the average starting energy is equal to the starting energy agreed to earlier.

Example: The starting energy was set at six. The player deploys Able at airspeed 2 at Low altitude, giving a total energy of three. The player then deploys the next interceptor at Very High altitude at airspeed 3 and the final interceptor at High altitude with an airspeed of 5. Thus, the average starting energy is six (18 divided by 3).

After the interceptors are placed, a die is individually rolled for weaving escorts (escorts with an airspeed of 3). On a 1 or 2, the escort is facing 60° left. On a 3 or 4, it is facing straight forward, while on a 5 or 6, it is facing 60° to the right.

The game then continues with the bomber and escort phases.

10

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


[11.0] Example Of PlayKelly and Mark decide to play a randomly generated scenario of Angels One Five simulating the British interception of a German raid during the Battle of Britain. They agree that each side should have five fighter units, and that the Germans should have two heavy fighters. However, they cannot agree on a starting energy for the interceptors, and so they roll a die to determine it. They roll a 4, indicating that the interceptors start with an average of six energy.

They place three German medium bombers in the middle of the bottom row of the B map section and roll to determine the direction the sun is facing. Mark rolls a 5, which is forbidden, and rerolls to get a 3, meaning the Sun marker is placed with the arrow pointing to the top right hexside.

To determine who will play which side, Mark and Kelly bid for control of the interceptors. Mark believes that playing the interceptors is overrated, and so decides to try to bid Kelly up. Kelly would like to play the interceptors and bids two. Mark increases the bid to three, hoping Kelly will take the bait, which she does by bidding four. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mark declines to bid further (feeling he has bid Kelly up as high as she’ll go). Kelly will control the interceptors and Mark will have a handicap of four.

Since Mark is controlling the escorts, he sets up first. He places the Anton unit at an altitude of 3, four hexes in front of the middle bomber at an airspeed of 2. He then places units Berta and Cäsar two hexes on either side of the left and rightmost bombers, at an altitude and speed of 2 (and also designates them as the heavy fighters). He then places units Dora and Emil at altitude 4 with a speed of 2; one four hexes behind the bomber to the left, and the other four hexes behind the bomber to the right. Mark then declares that they are all weaving, and increases their airspeed to 3; after Kelly sets up, he will determine which way they are weaving.

Kelly now sets up the interceptors. She rolls a 2, meaning the interceptors are placed on the map edge ahead of the bombers. Kelly decides to fly three of her Spitfires straight at the bombers, with the other two off to the sides to protect them from the escorts. To that effect she places fighter Able in the middle of the board (directly ahead of the middle bomber) with an altitude of 2 and an airspeed of 3. She then places one fighter to either side of Able (Baker to the left, Charlie to the right). She gives these fighters an airspeed and altitude of 3. Kelly places fighter Dog three hexes to the right of fighter Charlie and fighter Easy three hexes to the left of fighter Baker. She gives fighter Dog an altitude of 3 and an airspeed of 4, while fighter Easy has an airspeed and altitude of 3. Kelly’s set up does not violate the average starting energy (30/5 = 6) and her set up (and first turn) is finished. Mark now determines which way his fighters are weaving by rolling a die for each; he rolls a 3 for Anton meaning it is facing straight forward, a 5 for Berta so it is facing right, 6 for Cäsar so also right, and 2s for Dora and Emil so they are both facing left. The setup is now complete and the game continues with the Bomber Phase.

Mark completes the Bomber Phase by moving the three German bombers two hexes straight forward. It is now his Escort Phase, starting with Anton. He decides to drop Anton’s altitude down to Medium, so he immediately swaps it with the same unit at the lower altitude and moves onto its Movement Step. It currently has an airspeed of 3 so he starts by moving it forward a hex and turns the unit 60° to the right. Mark then moves it another hex and turns it back to facing straight forward before moving it one final hex forward and rotating it another 60° to the left. He then checks to see if its airspeed has changed. He decides to use a thrust of 3 and rolls a dice. He rolls a 4 meaning his airspeed is increased by one (4 plus his engine thrustof 3 minus 3 for his airspeed and minus 3 for his three turns equals 1, which is greater than the zero he needs to accelerate). Thus, he replaces the unit with the Anton counter showing an airspeed of 4.

Since Anton cannot fire (there is no enemy in its hex) Mark moves onto Berta, which does not change its altitude and moves one hex and turns to face straight forward. He then moves it two hexes straight. During the airspeed calculation, he adds a thrust of 3 and rolls another 4 (as well as a 6, but that is ignored as it is a heavy fighter). This means its airspeed does not change (4+3-3-1= 3 which is less than the 7 needed).

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


He does the same for Cäsar, but rolls a 1 for its airspeed adjustment, which means it stays its current speed(though only barely).

Mark has Dora drop to High altitude, moves it forward one hex, turns it 60° to the left so it faces straight, and moves it forward another two. There is no way it could fail to gain speed, so Mark doesn’t roll and simply replaces the unit with the counter at an airspeed of 4. Mark ends his turn doing the same thing with Emil.

Kelly is now regretting her determination to play the interceptors; those escorts look pretty tough.

Regardless, she starts by moving Able three hexes forward and uses her full thrust during the airspeed adjustment. She rolls a 6, meaning its airspeed remains unchanged.

Baker and Charlie dive to Medium altitude and move three hexes forward. Since they dove and are using full thrust, they are guaranteed to gain an airspeed.

Kelly declares that Dog is diving to Medium altitude, and moves it forward four hexes, rotating it 60° to the right in the final hex. Since the unit dove and is applying full thrust, the plane accelerates on anything other than a 1. Much to her satisfaction, Kelly rolls a 6, so the plane accelerates to airspeed 5.

She then moves Easy forward three hexes and calculates its airspeed (using a thrust of 3). Even with a roll of a 1 its airspeed is unchanged and her turn ends.

It is now the Bomber Phase again, and they move forward two hexes.

It is now Mark’s Escort Phase and he starts by moving Anton. He decides to convert speed into altitude, and so climbs to High altitude, which immediately drops its airspeed to 3. He then moves three hexes diagonally, crossing over British fighter Baker. He would like to stop and attack it in his penultimate hex, but he cannot attack a plane at a different altitude and so must continue. Instead of attacking Baker, he decides to get behind the British to attempt to create a covering force and expose the British to attack from the rear. He uses his full thrust, and so is at no risk of losing additional speed.

Mark is distressed to see that fighter Berta is completely out of position, and as a heavy fighter it cannot even turn very fast. He decides to move it forward a hex, turns it 60° to the left, moves it another two hexes, and turns it a final 60° to the left. He now checks its airspeed, which will not change as long as he rolls higher than a one. Unfortunately for him, he rolls two 1s and the plane decelerates to an airspeed of 2.

He moves his other heavy fighter, Cäsar, forward a hex, turns it right 60°, moves it another two hexes, and then turns it 60° to the left in its final hex. Mark is relieved that this fighter doesn’t slow down with his roll of 2 and 4.

Mark ends his turn by moving both Dora and Emil forward four hexes. With full thrust and no turns, there is no way for the fighters to change speed and they remain at airspeed 4.

Things are looking much better for Kelly and she decides to hit the German bombers hard this turn. She moves Able forward three hexes into the same hex as the German fighter Julius. Before firing, she calculates the airspeed of the plane. Using her full thrust there is no way to lose speed and so stays at airspeed 3. To resolve the combat, Kelly rolls a die which she and Mark use to determine how much damage they inflict on each other. Kelly rolls a 1, which is modified by 1 for Kelly as she is attacking a heavy fighter while Mark gets no modifiers. Regardless they both miss (they would need at least a 6) and the British fighter is marked as having fired.

12

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


Cursing under her breath, Kelly tries again by moving Baker three hexes forward into a hex with a German bomber! Once again, her airspeed is unchanged and she rolls a die. This time she rolls much better and gets a 5. She adds 2 to this as she is attacking a bomber, while the bomber gets a +1 for firing on a fighter whose heading is within 60°. As a result, each side gets a Hit (Kelly barely missed 2 Hits) and Abort and Fired markers are placed on the fighter.

Kelly tries the same maneuver with unit Charlie and rolls another 5, meaning she gets another Hit, but Mark also gets a Hit and this fighter receives Abort and Fired markers as well.

Determined to do more than break even, Kelly moves Dog four hexes forward and then turns it 60° to the right before moving her last hex forward, into the third German bomber unit. She calculates its airspeed, and manages to maintain her speed of 5 with a roll of 4 and full thrust. She then rolls for the combat and gets a 4. With the modifiers it means Kelly barely misses (she gets a -1 for having made a turn and facing the bombers at 180°), but at least the bomber also misses. The fighter receives a Fired marker.

Kelly ends her turn by moving Easy forward three hexes and turns it 60° to the right. Its airspeed remains unchanged as she uses full thrust.

It is now the Bomber Phase again, and the bombers move two hexes forward onto a new map section, causing the map rotation marker to be placed on its one side and map section C to be removed and replaced ahead of section A.

With only one rotation done, the situation looks bleak for Kelly. Can she turn it around, or will this be a black day for the RAF? Thus begins another exciting game of Angels One Five.

Designer’s NotesAlmost all previous boardgames of tactical air combat focus on individual planes and try to distinguish the performance characteristics of the different types and sub-types. They also depend heavily on off-board record keeping to track the speed, altitude, and other properties of the handful of individual craft. I wanted a game which would reflect the grand tactical dynamics of entire air battles involving multiple squadrons, and I wanted it to be simple and quick enough to be played in class by my air warfare students. Hence, I designed this system in which turns represent just 10 seconds each but each counter represents between 4 and 12 fighters and all necessary details are displayed on the counters themselves.

The dominant context for World War Two daylight air combat was the escort and interception of formations of up to a few dozen bombers. Even in much larger overall bombing raids, the bombers were split into multiple separate formations which flew a few miles apart. Conversely, fighter sweeps like the RAF “Circuses” over France in 1941-42 tended to include at least a few bombers as “bait” to tempt the defenders to engage. The game hence focuses on the moving box of airspace extending for several thousand feet in each direction around an individual bomber formation.

Although air gamers have traditionally been fascinated by the technical minutiae of the contending craft, it soon became evident that more important factors at the grand tactical level were the quality of the opposing pilots and the initial positioning and energy levels of their planes. Energy is the central element of this game, and is a compound of speed and altitude. Just like on a roller coaster, altitude can be traded for speed and vice versa, but woe betide the flight which exhausts its total energy in hard manoeuvres and finds itself wallowing helplessly behind and below the bombers as it struggles to catch up. The use of dice to help determine energy changes removes the need for detailed data recording and prevents any unduly chess-like calculations in this chaotic contest.

Angels One Five


Angels One Five


The relative numbers of craft on the two sides are far less significant than early air theorist Frederick Lanchester thought they would be. One can see why this is by playing a computer game of massed air combat without using artificial target identification aids - there are so many dots milling around that it is hard to identify a few enemies sneaking in to make hay in this target rich environment. This is hard to reflect directly within a boardgame, but giving the force with more aircraft and worse pilots only the same overall number of counters (by varying the representational ratio) helps to reflect this balancing factor.

Many other air boardgames require players to write secret orders in advance for each turn´s manoeuvres, but computer games show that the reality is rather that pilots track their opponents visually and counter-manoeuvre on a split second basis. Using alternating player turns better reflects this reality, and has several other key advantages. Solitaire play is possible, and having units engage when they actually stack with enemy units in front makes it much easier for them to stay on their tails turn after turn (since they need only make exactly the same manoeuvres).

Above all, alternating player turns facilitate the use of the “covering” tactics which are so key in air combat. Flights can be positioned such that, if friends in front are attacked, the covering flight can engage the attackers on its own next move. The ultimate expression of this covering mechanism is the “defensive circle” used widely by outclassed combatants like the German Me110 heavy fighters, which can be represented in the game using three counters in a ring two hexes apart at speed 2. Covering the bombers is a key tactic for the escorts, though it exposes the covering fighters themselves to attack - hence the use of successive covering squadrons in RAF Circuses, stacked up to ridiculous extremes. The game brings out very well the alternative escort tactic of sallying forth at high speed to hunt the interceptors, with the risk that they will sneak past and hit the now uncovered bombers.

The interceptors face difficult tactical dilemmas of their own. Head-on attacks on the bombers minimize the risks from their defensive guns and from covering escorts, but it takes a long time to reposition after such fleeting attacks. There are also difficult trade-offs for the interceptors, between engaging the predictable but well-defended bombers and initiating dogfights with the escorts themselves. Overall, the game gives a good sense of the grand tactical dynamics and dilemmas in these fast-moving three-dimensional air contests, without the clumsiness, complexity, and questionable physics of most other air combat boardgames.

Sequence of Play

Interceptor Phase

1. Altitude Change (4.0)2. Movement (5.0)3. Airspeed Adjustment (6.0)4. Firing (7.0)

Bomber Phase

1. Movement (5.0)2. Firing (7.0)

Escort Phase

1. Altitude Change (4.0)2. Movement (5.0)3. Airspeed Adjustment (6.0)4. Firing (7.0)

Turning

Fighter*Airspeed 4 and did not dive: move straight 2 hexes before every other turn.*Airspeed 5 or dove at Airspeed 4: move straight 2 hexes before every turn.

Heavy Fighter* Airspeed 3: move straight 2 before every other turn.*Airspeed 4/5: move straight 2 before every turn.

Weaving* A unit can always turn in the opposite direction of their turn in the prior hex.*Weaving counts as the ‘other’ turn for subsequent turns.

Airspeed Adjustmentdie + engine thrust(0/3) - airspeed - # of turns

Heavy fighters: if speed ≥3, roll 2 dice use lowestClimbed/Flew Level: +1 speed if = 7, -1 speed if ≤ -1Dived: +1 speed if ≥0

Firing Results

≤5: No Effect6-7: 1 Hit8≥: 2 HitsUnmodified 6 = Abort

Firing Modifiers

Positive+2 if firing on bombers.+1 for bombers (other than light bombers) firing on fighters whose heading is within 60°.+1 firing on targets with the same heading.+1 against fighters with a heading within 60° and are exposed to attack.+1 for active fighters facing down sun that dived this game turn.

Negative-1 for firing on a target whose heading differs by 120°.-1 for active fighters that made 3+ turns this game turn.-1 for active fighters that made any turns and are attacking bombers whose heading differs by 180°.-1 for active fighters who climbed this game turn and are facing up sun.-1 for active fighters that started the phase in the same hex and altitude as a bomber or unspent fighter.

0 ̊60 ̊60 ̊

120 ̊ 120 ̊180 ̊

angels five

Documents