a dogfight game based on playing cards

Dogfight Squadron v7 by Mark Ainsworth

Dogfight Squadron is a WW2 or WW1 dogfighting simple game with an ordinary deck of cards, its a two player game but can also be a Solataire game(See optional Rules at the bottom for Solo play)

you can have one or more planes in your squadron, your opponant can also have one or more planes, four is the recomended maximum squadron size.

use two decks of playing cards , one for the plane manouvers and one for cutting for hits.

each suit in a deck represent a manouver heart = Climb, Dimonds = Dive Clubs = Peel Left Spades = Peel Right

each plane can be in three states unoposed, tailing or being tailed, use a coin to represent this heads means tailing ,tails means being tailed, no coin unoposed(free).

two cards are chosen for each plane in your squadron and placed face down in front of you, your opponant chooses two of his cards per plane and places them opposing each of your planes, the position of the cards is important they have to oppose one plane by one plane. if you or your opponant have more planes then you dont oppose a plane but the plane is free to attack any plane. once the cards are chosen they cant be changed.

THE COMBAT BEGINS

1) now choose one of your planes that is being tailed and flip one card to show its manouver,heart = Climb, Dimonds = Dive Clubs = Peel Left Spades = Peel Right.

2) now the opponant flips a card of the plane oppsing you that is tailing, or he may activate a plane that has no opposing plane(free planes are not tailing or being tailed). the new free activated plane can continue the dogfight in effect gets two choices of planes to tail you.

if the cards are differrent manouvers( differrent suits) then your plane is no longer being tailed, instead your plane is now tailing the plane opposing you.

if your cards are the same repeat with the second cards in the same way as before. if the cards are differrent manouvers( differrent suits) then your plane is no longer being tailed, instead your plane is now tailing the plane opposing you.

if your opponant matched both cards it gets a shot at you, this is a high-low (but not picture cards and Ace's) cut if the opponant draws higher than you your plane is shot down, if the opponant gets the same or lower he missed, if a player draws an Picture the other plane is shot down, if both draw a Picture both are shot down. If a player draws an Ace a new plane joins your squadron next turn.

3) now do it all again for any other planes being tailed, when you have done all your planes the opponant does the same for planes that he has being tailed.

keep repeating untill one side has won air-superiority by destroying all oposing aircraft.

WIN OR LOSE

you win by having the last plane flying, or a pre-determined situation

OPTIONAL RULES

bombers have 3 cards but only two are played, but they can not tail a fighter, they can only be tail an enemy bomber, only unaposed fighters or bombers can tail a bomber.

you can have larger scale battles with fighters and bombers, if your bombers survive the dogfight, each surviving bomber gets to drop bombs on a land target, its a simple high-low (but not picture cards and Ace's) cut if the draw is higher then the bomber destroys target, if the same or lower its missed. the land targets are represented with Js(worth 1 point), Qs(worth 2 point), & Ks(worth 3 point)

Solitaire play can easily be possible , dont look and deal plane cards face down the side your playing against, now select your cards as normal, then reveal the unoposed cards of the oposing planes - this is so you can play them if its possible. now play as normal but on the oposing squadron only reveal the plane cards as you play , flip one card at a time for that plane, use an un-oposed planes cards if they would carry-on the tail, instead of the face down card. I would suggest giving the oposing squadron an unoposed plane extra than you.

CAMPAIGN GAME

the campaign use a airforce for each side, you can decide what planes are in it by spending 25 points for each side. bombers cost 3 points , fighters cost 1 point. select 5 Js 3 Qs and 2 Ks as ground targets.

each player assigns enemy ground targets placed behind the enimy planes, you can assign upto 4 targets, BUT if you fail to destroy all targets you get a penalty of - 5 points at the end of the campaign if no one won the war. if you assign no ground targets there is no penalty.

you can send upto as many planes as you have left in your airforce, you dont need to send all, place them infront of you and select there cards. if your enemy have more planes flying they will be able to tail you more easily.

resolve each wave of planes as usual, but bombers are the only planes that can destroy land targets. if you destroy all Ground targets first you win the war. if no-one destroys all ground targets after one side has won total-air-superiority count up the targets destroyed Js for 1 point each, Qs for 2 points, Ks for 3 points

NOTES

the free unoposed planes can play a card against any plane instead of the oposed plane.

in the campaign you can change the point to fit your war if you wish