THE GEARS OF WAR

Sturmovik Commander campaign module

This module will allow you to link your games into one campaign. The Gears of War isn't just one campaign playable by
few players, but rather a tool for customizing different campaigns, depending on the players wishes, model collections or
historical background.

The scale of a campaign

War doesn’t depend on just one plane or squadron, so the scale of Sturmovik Commander campaigns is less grander. A
campaign may concentrate around gaining local air superiority, reducing enemy industrial potential in a small region, or
helping ground units to break through the front line. The campaigns cover a time scale of a few days or weeks.

The superiority system

In Sturmovik Commander, a superiority system is used. The 'superiorities' represent the local situation at the front, above
it and behind it. This is represented by values from 1 (the lowest) to 5 (the highest) and both sides have their own values.
The played missions may change both yours and your opponents superiority values.
The starting values are determined before the campaign.

Air superiority
Air superiority represents the balance of power in the air. It is used to determine the size of the squadron, and when
determining attacker and defender.
Its changes in the following situations:
− winning air superiority in a scenario gives +1 to air superiority
− losing 50% of squadron or more (in points), in any battle, gives -1 whatever the result

Ground superiority
Ground superiority represents the strength of ground troops. It changes in the following situations:
− winning a close support scenario reduces enemy ground superiority by -1
− reinforcements +1 (check strategic superiority)
− by fighting (random, optional)

Strategic superiority
Strategic superiority represents the ability to reinforce ground troops. After each battle, roll a dice for every strategic
superiority point: on every roll of a 5+ increase ground superiority.
It changes only in one situation:
− winning a strategic superiority scenario reduces enemy ground superiority by -1

Squadrons
Compose squadrons using the normal rules, up to an agreed points value, which should be about 150% of typical one off
battle played. Before the battle you may select the planes only from the specific list used. When a plane is lost in the
battle, you may not use it in the next game (we assume that you have to wait for replacements). If the pilot is killed or
captured, any accumulated kills are lost (cross out him from the roster – you get new plane of the same type with new
pilot). If the plane is damaged during the battle, roll a D6 after the game: on a roll of 1-3 the plane is grounded for repairs
for the next battle and may not be used.
Together with this module is a campaign squadron chart, where you may note your crew progress and history in the
struggle.

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 Preparations
Before the campaign you has to to determine the following details:
1. The year of the conflict
2. Which superiorities are used. Not all campaigns use all superiorities.
3. If the campaign is balanced or not and if there is fixed attacker.
4. The deadline of campaign. There may be two variants:
− until one or more superiorities gain the determined values
− until turn limit is reached
5. Victory conditions
6. Which kinds of scenarios are played
7. Special rules

It looks complicated, but it should be simple when you look on examples.

The campaign procedure

A. Determine starting conditions, goals etc.
B. Play the campaign turn
1. Campaign roll. Both players roll D6 and add their air superiority values. The winner is attacker (randomize
attacker in case of draw) and difference determine the scenario played
2. Choose the planes to the battle. The number of points is depended on your air superiority value (check the
table).

The points which may be fielded

Air superiority value Note: these values are cumulative with normal scenario
modifications

1 80%
2 90%
3 100%
4 110%
5 120%

3. Play the battle and apply the changes of superiorities and in squadron chart.
4. Determine results of ground fighting (if used). Roll D6 for every ground superiority point. On roll 6 the enemy
ground superiority is reduced by one.
5. Determine reinforcements (if strategic superiority is used).
C. Repeat point B until deadline is archived.

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 APPENDIX 1: CAMPAIGN EXAMPLES
'Gears of War' campaign
This is an example of a balanced campaign. It may, for example, represent fighting in Russia in 1943 or in North Africa in
1942.

1. The year of the conflict is chosen by the players

2. In the campaign, both players use all superiorities, with ground units fighting and with reinforcements. Every
starting superiority value is set at 3.
3. The campaign is balanced with the attacker determined by an air superiority roll
4. The campaign lasts until the front is breached. To do this, one side must have ground superiority at least three
points higher than the enemy, for two turns in a row.
5. The side which breaks the front is the winner.
6. There are the following scenarios played:

Difference in Campaign roll The scenario played

0-1 Randomly selected air superiority scenario
2-4 Randomly selected close support scenario
Randomly selected strategic superiority
scenario, or ground superiority when the
5-6
enemy strategic superiority is reduced to
one

7. Special rules
Honourable defeat, Fatigue.

'Battle of Britain' campaign

This campaign is an example of an unbalanced campaign, based on historical factors.

1. The Battle of Britain took place in 1940

2. Both players use air superiority (starting value of 3). The RAF player also uses strategic superiority (starting value
of 5).
3. The campaign is unbalanced and the Luftwaffe player is always the attacker.
4. The campaign last 7 turns.
5. On the 7th turn, the Luftwaffe player has to have an advantage in air superiority, and reduce the British strategic
superiority to 3 or less.
6. There are the following scenarios played:

Difference in Campaign roll The scenario played

(from Luftwaffe player point of view)

Randomly selected air superiority scenario,

1 or less or strategic superiority when the RAF air
superiority is reduced to 1.
Randomly selected strategic superiority
2 or more scenario, or air superiority when the British
strategic superiority is reduced to 1.

7. Special rules
Fatigue. The RAF suffers the ‘green crews’ special rule. The RAF has also 'expert ground crews'.

We are welcome other campaign suggestions! Maybe in future will make an small compendium of them.

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 APPENDIX 2: SUGGESTED CAMPAIGN SPECIAL RULES

Expert ground crews

One or both players get their damaged planes repaired on a roll of 2+ instead of 4+.

Fatigue
If a crew takes part in two or more battles in a row, it has its crew skill reduced by one.

Green crews
Any replaced pilots suffer -1 to crew skills until they roll a 4+ after a battle (one attempt at the end of each game).

Flak concentration
One or both players may field AA guns, paying 50% of its price.

Honourable defeat
If a player wins most of his battles, but looses the campaign, count the result as an honourable defeat. He did everything
he could, but ultimately failed! We are only a small part in the gears of the war...

Lacking spare parts

One or both of the players get their damaged planes repaired on a roll of 6+ instead of 4+. May not be used with expert
ground crews.

Last stand
Once per campaign, when the campaign victory conditions are fulfilled, the loosing player may choose to play one
additional battle to save the situation. He may choose the scenario and attacker.

Night fighting
One or both players may decide to attack during the night.

Prototypes
In the region there is an elite unit of test pilots. You may use up to 2 planes which would normally be available in the next
year of the conflict. Just before the battle roll a dice for every prototype. On a roll of a 1, the plane suffers an unexpected
technical problems and has limited performance.

Shortages
You regain lost planes only after D3 turns.

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