Nightfighter - Anyone wanna play?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I'm setting up in hex 1515, facing NW.

OK.  Here's your starting position.

You can move and then select a hex for your first radar search.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Forgot to mention, when I enter a bomber onto the map, it costs 1MP to enter and then moves.  I can vary the MP moved on the 1st turn only so on the turn the bomber enters, I can use from 1 to 3 MP.  I must use all 3 MP for the B-17s on every turn after that.

[Staggerwing]

Move 2 and turn right.

I'm a little fuzzy on the Radar. Does my choice of hex mean there is now an actual radar installation there? Does that unit later move to another location? Or are there are a number of installations scattered around the map, not actually shown by counters or other graphics, and I'm just telling them to sweep their array one at a time?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

The ground based radar is pretty abstracted.  You have one Tachi 6 radar array and its coverage encompasses the entire map.  The chit doesn't mark the location of the radar dishes but is meant to signify a single search cone.   The array is assumed to be constantly sweeping for contacts (that's what the sweep marker indicates) but your placement of the radar search chit is meant to indicate the radar operator focusing on a specific area and trying to obtain a lock within the cone of the beam.

I've moved your plane into hex 1314 and have it facing north. Is this correct?

[Staggerwing]

Yes, thanks. I'm selecting 1104 for my first radar search.  I've no idea if this is a good place to start but the Fortresses couldn't have gotten in too far, assuming they have entered the map at all.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

There are no contacts within your search cone. 

If there is a bomber on the map, I have to place the sweep marker in a hex next to your search chit and it must be placed so that it is the fewest number of hexes away from the nearest bomber.  In cases where the distance to the nearest bomber is the same from more than one hex next to the radar search chit, I get to choose which of those hexes to place the sweep marker in.

In cases where there is no bomber on the map, I can place the sweep marker in any of the six hexes adjacent to the search chit.




There's no possibility of a tally at this stage, so we'll move on to turn two.  I've done my bomber movement and map entry for turn 2.  You can move your fighter and select a hex for the radar search.  This is an even turn number so your fighter can move up to 4MP (2MP minimum).


Here's the map for turn 2 (I will move bombers off the map for these screens).

[Staggerwing]

Move 1, turn left, move 3. I should be hex 1011 after that.

0907 for next radar search.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

OK.  Your radar picks up one contact within the search cone.

You're not in tally range so I'll advance to turn three and do my bomber movement and map entry.

You can move your fighter and conduct another radar search.



Here's the map at the start of turn 3.

[Staggerwing]

Thanks for including the fullsize map attachment. It helps me keep oriented. I'm moving to 0710.

Does the radar only tell me the contact is somewhere in it's 3 hex zone or can I surmise that the contact is in the direction of the sweep counter from before?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

The sweep counter indicates that a contact is outside of the current search cone's coverage and is in the general direction of the sweep marker.  As your first search marker's western most boundary was column 8.  The search marker has to be placed so that it's the least number of hexes away from the contact as possible.  If you look at your initial search, you can see that the contact must be west of column 8 or in hex 0801 or 0901.

My bombers must move 3MP each turn after they enter the map and they must fly in a straight line until they are alerted to your presence (which only has a chance of occurring after you've attacked).  Your next search has a contact within its cone.  Due to the placement of the sweep marker from the previous search, you can eliminate columns 10, 11, and 12 so on your turn 2 search the contact must have been somewhere in row 6, row 7, or in hex 0804 or 0904.   Remember it will have moved 3 spaces on the bomber movement phase on turn 3.


On turn 3, I have your fighter in hex 0710 facing NW.



You can conduct another radar search now.

[Staggerwing]

OK. I'm searching 0708.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

You have a contact in your radar search area.



If you want to, you can try a tally roll so see if your crew can spot anything.  You can do this each turn on the tally phase at your discretion.  I skipped this for the first two turns as there was no possibility of you being in range at the time.  Now that you know you're in the general area, you might want to make a roll.  With no moon, you have to be in the same hex as the bomber to have a chance of spotting but I don't have to tell you if you are in the same hex or not.  The rolls are your choice.


If you want to roll, you get 3 dice and one of them needs to match the number on the bomber's chit.

   

[Staggerwing]

Why not?

[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 4, 6, 1, total 11[/blockquote]

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

No tallies.

On to turn 4.  I've moved my bomber.  You can move your fighter (up to 4 MP this turn) and reposition your radar search.


Here's the map at the start of turn 4. 

[Staggerwing]

 Move 1, turn R, repeat three more times to end up in 0611, while also concentrating radar in 0612.