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First playthrough of Air War C21 is complete – using the first scenario presented in the Operation Corporate Falklands 1982 campaign booklet.

This was less a dogfight than a collection of drunken cats trying to fight their way out of a barrel of peanut butter – no fault of the game system at all – just me learning how the system works.

The system seems actually pretty great, really challenging the player to consider when he should take gambles, especially with his maneuvers.  It also teaches some real flying fundamentals, like never forget to apply power before a difficult maneuver because whether the maneuver succeeds or fails, you’re losing speed and if you come out of the maneuver in a stall …

One things for sure … Argentinian fighters like guns.  British fighters like their American-made AIM-9L “Sidewinder” SR AAMs.  This results in a classic “high tech guys want to fight at long range, more numerous guys want to get into choking distance” dynamic.

The scenario sheet from the Operation Corporate campaign booklet:

 

The wide-angle of the whole 72″ x 36″ map. The British roll 8 for entry zone. The Argentinians roll 11. The Argentinian Mirages than roll great on initiative, and the British are mostly caught flat-footed. The Mirages are very fast (in a straight line, they’re not very maneuverable) and zoom in very hard from the northwest. The lead Sea Harrier tries a hard break to port, fails it, and goes into a stall.  By the way, this break turn was unnecessary, the Sea Harrier can make this angle with normal turns (slower but MUCH more maneuverable than Mirage IIIs) – I also didn’t know to apply thrust at the beginning of movement before trying a maneuver card, so not only did my lead British pilot try an unneeded risky maneuver, but I then did it improperly, then whiffed the roll. Like I said, learning the game.

 

Sea Harrier 02 tries to cover his leader, but earns two sustained bursts of cannon fire from two of the Mirages. Fortunately they’re at extreme range, so little damage is done. Control surfaces are damaged, however, leaving the Harrier less maneuverable. He also slings a Sidewinder back at the Mirages, scores a hit (the Mirage fails his Break turn), but on a 1d10 damage roll, only rolls a 2. The Argentine pilot is WOUNDED, however. No more high-G turns for him.

 

Lead Sea Harrier fails TWO more checks trying to recover that stall, finally making it at the end of Turn 2. By then, however Sea Harrier 02 has two Mirages on his six, who put two EXTENDED cannon fire bursts into his tail at medium range (burning through most of their ammo). It’s enough to cripple Sea Harrier 02, which means the max safe speed for the craft is now down from 13 to 7 (half). Too bad he’s moving at 10, putting him at VMAX exceed of +3 = 3 more points of damage. The Harrier literally flies apart, and the pilot does not survive the ejection.

 

Lead Sea Harrier finally starts to get his shit together, accelerating full-power and executing an Immelman maneuver, doubling back to face the Mirages. The third Mirage actually goofs a little here and after failing a maneuver check, actually flies off the table and inadvertently disengages. Sea Harrier 01 gets an IR lock and slings out a Sidewinder. Both Mirage 02 and 03 would love to shoot back, but their R.550 Magic IR SRAAMs can only lock on from BEHIND their target (Sidewinders can engage from any target aspect, some weapons have to be in target rear 180 arc, really poor missiles have to be in target’s rear 60 arc). Their longer-ranged (but less accurate) R.550 Mystra SARH (semi-active radar homing) missiles can get a lock from any aspect angle, but they must use the Mirage’s onboard radar for that, which isn’t great. Only one gets a lock, and fires.

 

Sea Harrier 01 executes a double-break S-Turn, first to port and then starboard, sidestepping the incoming R.550 Mystra. The missile missiles. Mirage 02 tries to cut inside the Harrier, fails, and takes the Sidewinder to boot. The plane explodes, but the pilot punches clear. Further back (and having won initiative) Mirage 03 goes head-to-head with the Harrier, hoping to dump the last of his ammo into the Harrier’s canopy. He hits, but doesn’t do enough damage. Meanwhile, the Harrier’s guns fire back, hit as well, and leave the Mirage crippled. Fortunately, the Mirage is only moving at 8, less than the new VMAX of 10 (these Mirage III EAs start with a 20). So with one damage point left, AND a wounded pilot, this Mirage is still in the fight.

 

The last Mirage is desperate to get off the southern end of the board and disengage. He is helped when Harrier 01 fails an Immelman maneuver, trying to double back at the Mirage as he breaks southwest. The game ends at the end of Turn 05, with one Sea Harrier shot down, and one Mirage III shot down. Given than the whole British task force only has 20 Harriers, and the Argentinian Air Force and Navy have 200 combat aircraft between them, they can afford to trade the British 1-1. As reflected in the published scenario victory conditions, the game result is actually a partial Argentina Victory.