Four on Four
Although I have played Squadron Commander before, it's been a while since I last played so we are starting a fresh.
Keeping it simple, we opted for Four fighters each with an equal points value, no missiles were chosen as this was a back to basics game.
Drawing my own 'cover' picture due to the lack of Squadron Commander pictures I can find.
The Scene
The Varyag Class Battle-carrier burst from hyperspace at the systems outer edge, its huge shape dwarfing the two Stoykiy Class destroyers.
Within minutes flights of Sokol Interceptors were launching and fanning out into the system on Recon orders as the big ships scanned what they could on passive sensors while on silent running.
Captain Dupont sat in his Comete's cockpit, full attention on his crafts sensors. Scan-Sats on the systems edge had detected what seemed like a hyperspace wake, which could mean something had left, arrived or it was a false reading. Over the last few weeks ghost readings had become more common and merchant men had reported ghost ships that would appear and suddenly disappear.
The rumours increased tenfold when a light freighter had drifted in system with no damage but all its crew missing.
He hated search and recon sorte's, he had been a combat pilot for nearly five years and lived for the thrill of combat, not as a sensor operator.
Within minutes flights of Sokol Interceptors were launching and fanning out into the system on Recon orders as the big ships scanned what they could on passive sensors while on silent running.
Captain Dupont sat in his Comete's cockpit, full attention on his crafts sensors. Scan-Sats on the systems edge had detected what seemed like a hyperspace wake, which could mean something had left, arrived or it was a false reading. Over the last few weeks ghost readings had become more common and merchant men had reported ghost ships that would appear and suddenly disappear.
The rumours increased tenfold when a light freighter had drifted in system with no damage but all its crew missing.
He hated search and recon sorte's, he had been a combat pilot for nearly five years and lived for the thrill of combat, not as a sensor operator.
Neo-Soviet
-Sokol Interceptor
Captain Barinov
Skill: 12
Marksman
-Sokol Interceptor
Lieutenant Dobrow
Skill: 8
Poor Scanner Operator
-Sokol Interceptor
Lieutenant Poletov
Skill: 8
No Ability
-Sokol Interceptor
Lieutenant Mikhailov
Skill: 9
Marksman
Euro-Fed
-Comete Light Interceptor
Captain Dupont
Skill: 11
Poor Scanner Operator
-Comete Light Interceptor
Lieutenant Dufort
Skill: 4
Poor Shot
-Comete Light Interceptor
Lieutenant Boisseau
Skill: 5
No Ability
-Comete Light Interceptor
Lieutenant Gion
Skill: 6
Poor ECM Operator
Set-Up
The Euro-fed won the set-up roll, so they have managed to sneak up on the Neo-Soviet fighter group.
The Game
TURN 1
Dufort comes up behind Peletov's fighter, laser shots stabbing out, he scores a hit penetrating the sheilds and causing some minor engine damage.
Boisseau & Gion come up behind Dobrow, laser shots mauling the Sokols engines.
Peletov and Dobrow bank right.
Mikhailov performs a barrel roll as Dupont comes in firing, raking Barinov's fighter, laser shots rake the engines, weapons and cockpit wounding Barinov.
Barinov performs a barrel roll.
TURN 2
Dufort opens up on Barinov as he makes his turn, miraculously he hits, beams peppering the engines and cockpit.
Boisseau continues hammering Dobrows fighter and takes out the Neo-Soviets scanner, Gion follows him in destroying the Soviets decoy dispenser.
Dobrow and Peletov start barrel rolling round, Mikhailov heads for Boisseau with cannons blasting, the rounds tear through the light Interceptor ripping holes through the craft before detonating its fuel tank, Boisseau fails to eject and dies with his craft.
In retaliation Dupont rakes Mikhailovs fighter taking out his decoy dispencers.
Barinov finally comes round to bear, and opens up on Dupont, cannon rounds shake the fighter but the cockpit is hammered by rounds leaving Dupont seriously wounded.
TURN 3
Dufort continues his fullisade of gunfire on Barinov, lasers hammer his craft until it ruptures the fuel tank, Barinov manages to eject.
Gion damages Dobrows engines further as he swings his craft round and returns fire, slamming cannon rounds into Gions structure.
Peletov follows up on Dobrows attack, Gion ejects as his craft comes apart.
Dupont rakes Mikhailov as he speeds past, Mikhailov ejects as laser fire tears his fighter to pieces.
TURN 4
Dufort starts turning to re-engage, but Dobrow comes round first, the Euro-fed interceptor and its pilot are shredded by heavy calibre rounds.
Peletov starts a wide turn as Dupont decides that getting a report back to base was more important.
Dupont makes a sublight disengagement.
AFTERMATH
-Euro-Fed-
Captain Dupont: RTB (wounded)
Lieutenant Dufort: KIA
Lieutenant Boisseau: KIA
Lieutenant Gion: Rescued
-Neo-Soviet-
Captain Barinov: MIA
Lieutenant Dobrow: RTB
Lieutenant Peletov: RTB
Lieutenant Mikhailov: Rescued
Captain Dupont landed his Comete light interceptor on hanger 2 of Halo station, the landing was rough because despite the auto sealing suit and medical drugs that were pumped into him, his focus was off due to the wounds he had sustained.
He docked the craft on PAD-7 before popping the canopy as ground crews ran to him, removing his helmet first before passing out.
When he awoke, he was in a hospital bed, they had to operate on him after removing him from his fighter. He had been out for six hours, two hours after that Wing Commander Lavigne came to see him.
They had studied his Interceptors recorder, and had launched a system wide sweep.
One of the Sweep groups had rescued Gion.
Ten hours later he heard they had found three ships running for the jump point, bomber groups were being launched, hopefully they could disable or destroy the ships, until Euro-Fed warships caught up.
