Not really followed this thread but on looking at the card, potentially getting 11 dice if the three SA's mentioned above are all used (AF, LD, ED) on a 42 aircraft seems a lot. I can't really recall what other European fighters around this year are getting though, so I could be wrong. Weeds comment on the AA 8 potentially being generous might be a way round it at 7.
Not really followed this thread but on looking at the card, potentially getting 11 dice if the three SA's mentioned above are all used (AF, LD, ED) on a 42 aircraft seems a lot. I can't really recall what other European fighters around this year are getting though, so I could be wrong. Weeds comment on the AA 8 potentially being generous might be a way round it at 7.
Just speculating.
Sigh. IMO you are right! But try to convince the Germany fans that their unit shouldn't be the best in the game.
The Seafire Mk III also got bumped to AA 8, but it has a 1943 introduction year and a Vital of 8. And the Seafire is 8 pts compared to 9 points here. So the Bf 109 is more powerful with Vital 9 and those SAs, but the cost is higher.
My suggestion would be to drop the Gunnery from 3 back to 2. The upgrade to a single cannon is marginal. But keep "Blockade Duty" and you get the Gunnery 3 that way. Alternatively, drop "Blockade Duty" and keep gunnery 3. What does "Blockade Duty" have to do with a German fighter aircraft anyway?
Or just leave it alone. The SA's are fairly situational.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!
I've just looked at Seafire as a comparison. I would say this is least 1.5 if not two points higher. A round down on a unit like this is not going to help but the potential power of it would still stand anyway. Certainly the year is a key and I can see those three SAs being pretty easy to use together if you bring a carrier. 11 against fighters, 10 on everything else in 42. As it stands and if it keeps the three, I will more than likely be lowering the native AA to 7.
I'm trying to think if SWO or Brigs has done a similar card and what that might look like.
So here is the problem and the reason we have not done another Bf-109 until this one. The Bf-109E that RB made was made too powerful in the first place. The 6/9/1 armor values were too high (just like on the Wildcat) and the 3 gunnery for an aircraft with only MGs was too high. He made it a "super all-war" Bf-109 so there isn't any real room to make a "better" Bf-109. Certainly not with a 1942 year. Not to mention being carrier capable.
If we want to keep this one then I suggest keeping the AA at 8 and gunnery at 3 and ditching the SAs except Escort. For a cost of 9 which puts in the same league as the Hellcat. But is not much of a gain on the 109E. Which says a lot about the 109E card! Or we drop Escort and send it in another direction like a defensive fighter. Could this thing carry bombs? Give it "Bombing Run X" like the Frank and Centauro? Maybe pick a variant that wasn't released until 1943 or later.
Even better, drop this *&((% card and replace it with a rebuild Gneisenau or Jeanne D'Arc for France which is still underrepresented.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!
So here is the problem and the reason we have not done another Bf-109 until this one. The Bf-109E that RB made was made too powerful in the first place. The 6/9/1 armor values were too high (just like on the Wildcat) and the 3 gunnery for an aircraft with only MGs was too high. He made it a "super all-war" Bf-109 so there isn't any real room to make a "better" Bf-109. Certainly not with a 1942 year. Not to mention being carrier capable.
If we want to keep this one then I suggest keeping the AA at 8 and gunnery at 3 and ditching the SAs except Escort. For a cost of 9 which puts in the same league as the Hellcat. But is not much of a gain on the 109E. Which says a lot about the 109E card! Or we drop Escort and send it in another direction like a defensive fighter. Could this thing carry bombs? Give it "Bombing Run X" like the Frank and Centauro? Maybe pick a variant that wasn't released until 1943 or later.
Even better, drop this *&((% card and replace it with a rebuild Gneisenau or Jeanne D'Arc for France which is still underrepresented.
Give it fighter-bomber and leave it carrier capable. then the germans have a basic carrier bomber and we can leave the stuka operations SA as it was.
A5 bomber is a basic fleet building neccessity and all the carrier bonus armour SAs in world don't compensate for the lack of it.
The equivalent bf109 to the T version had a field conversion fighter bomber kit.
My reference books indicate the fighter could be field-quipped with a ETC 501 bomb rack capable of carrying a 250 kg (550 lb) bomb. According to the stat guidelines that would be equivalent to the RE.2001CB which has a bomb attack of 8. We know RB rated that a bit high, but I am sure he also did it to make a competitive option for Italy. So I suggest we follow the RE.2001CB example.
So it would get a bomb value of 8 and
Mission Selection - This unit counts as either a Dive Bomber or a Fighter. (Choose the unit's role when you place during the Air Mission phase)
With the Bf 109s superior 8 AA and 9 vital compared to the Re.2001 that would give our little beastie a cost of 12.
So:
Me109 G 12 point Fighter 1942 AA 8 MG 3 Bomb 8
A6 V9 H1
Mission Selection - This unit counts as either a Dive Bomber or a Fighter. (Choose the unit's role when you place during the Air Mission phase)
This slots in under the F4U-1D Corsair at 14 pts just about right as well with the Corsairs Armor 7, AA9 and Bomb 9.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!
FIGHTER-BOMBER - When you place this unit during the Air Mission phase, declare whether this unit's type will be Fighter or Dive Bomber this turn. It can make Bomb attacks only while it's a Dive Bomber. While a Dive Bomber, reduce its Armor and Vital Armor each by 1.
The IJN Carrier Liberation Force - "Because We Care" Join the IJNCVLF. Service Guarantees Citizenship!