Post by boomerbill on May 25, 2017 21:14:05 GMT
Here's a collection of suggested Flight Builds from the old Forum, edited for length. Format will be the name of the original poster, date, and the post. Not included are comments.
Daedalus, April 13, 2015. Favourite Nation-pure builds:
CarrierDudeCV1979, Feb. 7, 2015. My Favourite German Build:
Jcmonson, Feb. 23, 2013. 100 point US Build:
Vergilius Feb. 20, 2013. Assorted builds with Bandits High aircraft:
Inspiring Lieutenant, Feb. 21, 2013. 100 point UK build with +4 initiative:
Inspiring Lieutenant, Feb. 23, 2013. 100 point Axis bomber build:
Herky80, Feb. 29, 2012. 12 Soviet Flight Builds:
Stumpster, Feb. 29, 2012. Nine Italian builds:
Asbestos, Feb. 28, 2012: UK at 100 points; how to fit in a Typhoon
Running the numbers it looks to me that your best build option, given the UK planes, is:
Spitfire Ace
Hurricane Mk I x2 for 100 points
or perhaps..
Kosciuszko Hurricane x3 for 93 points.
I have a hard time putting in the Typhoon, except as a replacement for the Ace in the first build, but I'm not sure if I'd want to do that. You end up losing two solid SAs, Ace status, and solid Turn/Roll/Climb stats in exchange for better guns, armor, and very slightly more speed. I'm not sure if its worth it. Yes, the Typhoon is decent, but it isn't really Fw 190 decent.
Maybe Typhoon + Polish Hurricane + P-40B Rookie with the P-40B perhaps representing a RAF Tomahawk?
Capt. John Miller, Feb. 28, 2012: Builds out of the box
Germany
55 Channel Front Fw 190
44 Fw 190 Wurger
99 Points
50 Bf 109 Gustav Ace
48 Bf 109 Ace
98 Points
38 Bf 109 Freidrich
62 Bf 109 Wingman x2
100 Points
Italy
45 C.202 Folgore Ace
32 C.202 Folgore
23 Expeditionary C.200 Saetta
100 Points
Japan
99 KI-61 Tony x3
99 Points
Russia
74 Guards Yak-1 x2
22 Yak-1 Rookie
96 Points
37 Guards Yak-1
66 Yak-1 Rookie x3
103 Points
100 I-16 Ishak x5
100 Points
USA
39 F4F-4 Wildcat
35 F4F-4 Wildcat
25 P-40B Rookie
99 Points
UK
43 Typhoon Interceptor
31 Kos Hurricane Mk I
27 Hurricane Mk I
101 Points
46 Spitfire Ace
54 Hurricane Mk I x2
100 Points
Vergilius, Feb. 25, 2012: Initial reactions on the concept of squadron building
I've had a chance to play a few more games, to reread the rules a couple of times, and to build a bunch of air builds at 100 points. It seems to me that the whole emphasis we saw in the previous two miniatures games on putting together a seriously competent build is a lot less pronounced than in Angels20. There are only so many ways of putting together a squadron that still fits into the required number of points, whether we set those points at 100, 120, 150, or even 200. The emphasis instead seems to fall on using the units that you have brought to their maximum effectiveness, and the game seems to offer more tactical control to the player than what I saw in the previous Axis and Allies miniature games.
There's a little bit of build strategy in the following ways:
1. You're generally going to have a stronger plane, a Veteran or Ace, that you're intending to move last. You want to see as much of the movement picture as possible before moving this unit, and/or you want to prevent the opponent from taking any good shots on it.
2. You're generally going to have one or more planes that you're intentionally planning on moving first. This might be an extremely sturdy plane that can stand up to fire, or it might be a weak plane that is acting as bait. If you lose initiative and go first, offering a weak bait plane can give your second plane something decent to fire at after your opponent moves upon your first plane.
3. SA Synergy: I find that using your units well by looking at their maneuver scores especially tends to matter more, but some of the SAs seem designed for consideration at Squadron design phase.
A. Initiative SAs: Almost all of these have some kind of qualification that must be met:
Fighter Sweep (Bf109E): You either need to start out with more planes, or you need to shoot down an enemy plane quickly (more likely since German planes are expensive, which means you'll have fewer of them and are more likely to be outnumbered). Note that this is an SA that is more likely to kick in as the game progresses rather than appearing early in the game.
Long Odds (Matamaha): Since Finland and USSR square off in the invasion of Finland and USSR have some swarm style aircraft, this SA is useful in that context. In fact, each of the other SAs basically help the individual plane survive a swarm. I could see 3x Matimaha in a 100 point contest being a fairly effective squadron build against Russia. Note that this SA depends just as much on what your opponent brings and if you manage to get the upper hand is likely to go away.
Flight Leader (Navy Wildcat/Guards Yak-I): You must control 2 other fighters to trigger this SA. This does constrain your build if you're playing at 100 points with pure US since you'll need to use the P40B Rookie and probably the USMC Wildcat for 99 points. Russia seems made to set up a fighter swarm, so you could conceivably play a Guards Yak-I with 3x I-16 Ishak and you might preserve that initiative for several turns before the 2nd I-16 falls or retreats.
Tally Ho (Spitfire): Another SA that may only be around for a turn or two, since it goes away when you take damage or lose an aircraft.
B. Attack SAs that benefit other units or benefit from other units:
Offensive Tactics (Bf109E Ace): You really want to be able to get your second plane into a good position to fire, which can work out well in conjunction with your potential initiative bonus from Fighter Sweep. If you're playing at 120 points, you might have 3 aircraft, which makes it more likely that you can use this ability earlier.
Cover the Leader (BF109E Wingman): As a weaker plane, you might want to move this plane first, but on the other hand, the SA really benefits if you're moving a plane other than this one first and only moving the Wingman to cover it. Since it is already difficult to fit three fighters into a German 100 point build, this might be better used in builds above 100 points.
Espirit de Corps (Flying Tiger): Depends upon the enemy outnumbering you, so you might strongly consider going with a build that keeps your overall numbers down.
Swarm Tactics (I-16 Ishak): As long as you're close to a friendly fighter with this SA, you get an extra attack die. Since the I-16 Ishak is the only plane with this SA, that almost begs you to have a build with several of them to ensure you're triggering it as long as possible.
Pretty much all the other SAs are very much tied directly to the individual performance of the fighter on whose card they appear. To some extent, fighters with good defensive stats and potentially good defensive SAs are candidates for a "first move" fighter (e.g. Bf 109F Friedrich is a Veteran, which denies a +1 on the dice to everything except an Ace, and it carries Evasion). Fighters with good offensive stats or SAs that can be used offensively are good candidates for your last fighter moved.
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Daedalus, April 13, 2015. Favourite Nation-pure builds:
Axis - Germany
FW190A Afrika Korps Ace = 62
BF 109F Friedrich = 38
I really like the FW190Ace and think it's worth its points...
Axis - Italy
C.202 Folgore Ace = 45
C.202 Folgore = 32
Expeditionary C.200 Saetta = 23
It`s the classic-build, I think...
Axis - Japan
KI-61 Tony Ace = 46
KI-61 Tony Ace = 46
Allies - US
P51D Mustang = 48
P51B Mustang Ace = 47
I prefer the double-Mustang over the Lightning.
Allies - UK
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Three veterans in a 100 point-flight build are quite nice.
Allies - France
D.520 Ace = 40
D.520 Ace = 40
MS.406 Rookie = 19
Two Aces and one crappy plane to move first...
Allies - Soviet
P-39 Lend-Lease = 39
P-39 Lend-Lease = 39
Yak-I Rookie = 22
This is my favourite Allied build over all for now. The heavy cannons on the P-39s are so great.
FW190A Afrika Korps Ace = 62
BF 109F Friedrich = 38
I really like the FW190Ace and think it's worth its points...
Axis - Italy
C.202 Folgore Ace = 45
C.202 Folgore = 32
Expeditionary C.200 Saetta = 23
It`s the classic-build, I think...
Axis - Japan
KI-61 Tony Ace = 46
KI-61 Tony Ace = 46
Allies - US
P51D Mustang = 48
P51B Mustang Ace = 47
I prefer the double-Mustang over the Lightning.
Allies - UK
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Kosciuszko Hurricane MKI = 31
Three veterans in a 100 point-flight build are quite nice.
Allies - France
D.520 Ace = 40
D.520 Ace = 40
MS.406 Rookie = 19
Two Aces and one crappy plane to move first...
Allies - Soviet
P-39 Lend-Lease = 39
P-39 Lend-Lease = 39
Yak-I Rookie = 22
This is my favourite Allied build over all for now. The heavy cannons on the P-39s are so great.
CarrierDudeCV1979, Feb. 7, 2015. My Favourite German Build:
1 Bf109E Ace
1 Bf109E Wingman
1 Stuka
OR:
2 IAR
1 Romanian Bf109E Escort
1 Stuka
1 Bf109E Wingman
1 Stuka
OR:
2 IAR
1 Romanian Bf109E Escort
1 Stuka
Jcmonson, Feb. 23, 2013. 100 point US Build:
P-38J Ace - 61 points
P-51C Escort - 39 points
Both have the Boom and Zoom SA with good climb scores; decent attack scores; a speed of 2-4 and a high speed of 5-7 which makes both of them good for vertical slashing attacks.
P-51C Escort - 39 points
Both have the Boom and Zoom SA with good climb scores; decent attack scores; a speed of 2-4 and a high speed of 5-7 which makes both of them good for vertical slashing attacks.
Vergilius Feb. 20, 2013. Assorted builds with Bandits High aircraft:
Bandits High has no doubled our potential builds at any given flight level, and opened a lot of opportunity above 100 points. We still have a finite number of builds, thanks to the high point costs for planes, so I thought I would list some preliminary work I've done on 100 point, largely nation specific flights. Here are some of the new possibilities:
100 points US
P38J/Navy Wildcat
P51D Mustang/P40B/P39D
USMC Corsair/Navy Wildcat
P51B Ace, P40B/P39D
P51D/P51B
P51D/Navy Corsair
P51B/Navy Corsair
Navy Wildcat/FM-1/P39D
USMC Wildcat/FM-1 Wildcat x2
US Flights are similar in flexibility to what we saw in set I. If anything, the US flights feature a wider range of 2-plane flights than was typically possible in set I (P51Ace x2 was the only viable 100 point flight).
UK+Commonwealth
Spitfire Interceptor x2
Spitfire Interceptor/Typhoon Interceptor
Spitfire Interceptor/Spitfire Raider
Spitfire Interceptor/Spitfire Ace
Spitfire Interceptor/Kosc Hurr/Buffalo
Spitfire Raider/Spitfire Ace
Spitfire Raider/Kosc Hurr/Buffalo
Spitfire Raider/Fulmar/Hurricane
Spitfire Ace/Fulmar/Hurricane
Typhoon Interceptor/Kosc Hurr/Fulmar
Typhoon IB/Kosc Hurr/Hurricane
The UK has definitely gotten a lot better at their two-plane flights. The Interceptor and Raider give them two additional planes near 50 points, which can then be paired with each other or the Spitfire Ace from set I to create variety.
France:
D520 x2, Ms. 406 Rookie
D520, Ms 406 Rookie x3
D520, Ms 406 vet x2
The appearance of the D.520 and Veteran Ms.406 create the possibility of going pure France and playing the Battle of France against German Bf109es.
USSR
La-5, Yak Rookie x2
P39LL, Guards Yak-1, Yak-1 Rookie
P39LL x2, Yak-1 Rookie
P39 LL, IL-2, Yak-1
P39LL, Tomahawk, Yak-1
P39LL, I-16 x3
Guards Yak-1, IL-2, Yak-1
The Soviets are definitely better off at 100 points than what they were. The interesting builds I think now involve the IL-2, and there are a couple of different ways to use it. The Soviets really lack the point costs to make good use of the La-5, as I'd rather not play that with 2 Yak Rookies.
German-pure nation
Fw190A Ace/Bf109F
Fw190A Ace/Fw190D Rookie
Fw190A Ace/Bf110C
----Three builds with the new expensive Ace, all of which should prove solid in principle.
Fw190D "Dora"/Wurger---Like the old CF+Wurger, but you give up 2 points. No big deal.
Bf109e Ace/Wingman/Stuka----This one is nice from an historical standpoint and its cost fits beautifully in the 100 point scheme.
Wurger/Fw190D Rookie/Stuka---The alternate Stuka build.
The Stuka is the big addition here, as the Germans needed a good cheap plane.
Finland:
B239 Ace, Matimaha x2
For a nation-pure build, this will serve much better than the 3x Matimaha, though the Matimaha is still probably overpriced by several points. I tend to see the Matimaha as being about 27 points in value. Unfortunately, this doesn't help us create an alternative Finnish build.
Italian nation-pure:
Falco x3
Folgore Ace/Re.2001 F-B/Expeditionary Saetta
Folgore Ace/Falco/Saetta Rookie
Falco x2, Saetta x2
Folgore/ Re2001 F-B/Expeditionary Saetta/Saetta Rookie
Japan:
Tony Ace/Zero Escort/Zero Rookie----Oddly enough, the starter units add up very close to 100 points. I'd still rather have a Tony leading the Zeroes to avoid problems with the Zero fragility.
Tony Ace/Oscar/Zero Rookie
Zero Ace/Tony/Zero Rookie
Tojo/Oscar/Zero Rookie
Tojo/Tony/Zero Rookie
Zeke/Tony/Oscar
Zeke x2/Zero Rookie
In set I, Japan had only one build that added up close to 100 points. Now there are a lot more options. Most of them are still quite weak.
Now to put Bulgaria and Romania into effect by having them first assist Germany, and then Italy.
Fw190Ace/D520 Interceptor
Gustav Ace/IAR80 x2
Bf10e Ace/IAR 80 x2
Wurger/Bf109e Escort/IAR 80
Bf109e Ace, Bf109e Esc, Stuka
Wurger, D520 Int, Stuka
Bf109e Esc, Stuka, IAR 80 x2
Fw190 Ace, B239 Ace
Bf109e Ace, Matimaha, Stuka
Bf109f, B239 Ace, Stuka
Fw190D Rookie, B239, Stuka
B239 Ace, Wingman x2
B239 x2, Stuka
(Finland gets a little help here.)
Folgore Ace, D520 Int, Saetta Rookie
Folgore Ace, Bf109E Esc, IAR 80
Falco x2, D520 Interceptor
Falco, Re. 2001 F-B, D520 Int.
Folgore, D.520 Int x2
Re 2001 F-B, Bf109E Esc, Saetta Rookie, IAR 80
Finally, the US:
USMC Corsair/P40C FT
USMC Corsair/Buffalo-R/P40B-R
USMC Corsair, I-16 Abu/P39D R
P51D/Fm-1/Buffalo-R
P51B Ace/Buffalo-R/USMC Wildcat
Navy Corsair/Buffalo-R/USMC Wildcat
Navy Wildcat/P40C FT/Buffalo-R
P40C FT/FM-1 WC/P40B-R
P40C FT/P39D-R x2
P39D-r x3/Buffalo-R
100 points US
P38J/Navy Wildcat
P51D Mustang/P40B/P39D
USMC Corsair/Navy Wildcat
P51B Ace, P40B/P39D
P51D/P51B
P51D/Navy Corsair
P51B/Navy Corsair
Navy Wildcat/FM-1/P39D
USMC Wildcat/FM-1 Wildcat x2
US Flights are similar in flexibility to what we saw in set I. If anything, the US flights feature a wider range of 2-plane flights than was typically possible in set I (P51Ace x2 was the only viable 100 point flight).
UK+Commonwealth
Spitfire Interceptor x2
Spitfire Interceptor/Typhoon Interceptor
Spitfire Interceptor/Spitfire Raider
Spitfire Interceptor/Spitfire Ace
Spitfire Interceptor/Kosc Hurr/Buffalo
Spitfire Raider/Spitfire Ace
Spitfire Raider/Kosc Hurr/Buffalo
Spitfire Raider/Fulmar/Hurricane
Spitfire Ace/Fulmar/Hurricane
Typhoon Interceptor/Kosc Hurr/Fulmar
Typhoon IB/Kosc Hurr/Hurricane
The UK has definitely gotten a lot better at their two-plane flights. The Interceptor and Raider give them two additional planes near 50 points, which can then be paired with each other or the Spitfire Ace from set I to create variety.
France:
D520 x2, Ms. 406 Rookie
D520, Ms 406 Rookie x3
D520, Ms 406 vet x2
The appearance of the D.520 and Veteran Ms.406 create the possibility of going pure France and playing the Battle of France against German Bf109es.
USSR
La-5, Yak Rookie x2
P39LL, Guards Yak-1, Yak-1 Rookie
P39LL x2, Yak-1 Rookie
P39 LL, IL-2, Yak-1
P39LL, Tomahawk, Yak-1
P39LL, I-16 x3
Guards Yak-1, IL-2, Yak-1
The Soviets are definitely better off at 100 points than what they were. The interesting builds I think now involve the IL-2, and there are a couple of different ways to use it. The Soviets really lack the point costs to make good use of the La-5, as I'd rather not play that with 2 Yak Rookies.
German-pure nation
Fw190A Ace/Bf109F
Fw190A Ace/Fw190D Rookie
Fw190A Ace/Bf110C
----Three builds with the new expensive Ace, all of which should prove solid in principle.
Fw190D "Dora"/Wurger---Like the old CF+Wurger, but you give up 2 points. No big deal.
Bf109e Ace/Wingman/Stuka----This one is nice from an historical standpoint and its cost fits beautifully in the 100 point scheme.
Wurger/Fw190D Rookie/Stuka---The alternate Stuka build.
The Stuka is the big addition here, as the Germans needed a good cheap plane.
Finland:
B239 Ace, Matimaha x2
For a nation-pure build, this will serve much better than the 3x Matimaha, though the Matimaha is still probably overpriced by several points. I tend to see the Matimaha as being about 27 points in value. Unfortunately, this doesn't help us create an alternative Finnish build.
Italian nation-pure:
Falco x3
Folgore Ace/Re.2001 F-B/Expeditionary Saetta
Folgore Ace/Falco/Saetta Rookie
Falco x2, Saetta x2
Folgore/ Re2001 F-B/Expeditionary Saetta/Saetta Rookie
Japan:
Tony Ace/Zero Escort/Zero Rookie----Oddly enough, the starter units add up very close to 100 points. I'd still rather have a Tony leading the Zeroes to avoid problems with the Zero fragility.
Tony Ace/Oscar/Zero Rookie
Zero Ace/Tony/Zero Rookie
Tojo/Oscar/Zero Rookie
Tojo/Tony/Zero Rookie
Zeke/Tony/Oscar
Zeke x2/Zero Rookie
In set I, Japan had only one build that added up close to 100 points. Now there are a lot more options. Most of them are still quite weak.
Now to put Bulgaria and Romania into effect by having them first assist Germany, and then Italy.
Fw190Ace/D520 Interceptor
Gustav Ace/IAR80 x2
Bf10e Ace/IAR 80 x2
Wurger/Bf109e Escort/IAR 80
Bf109e Ace, Bf109e Esc, Stuka
Wurger, D520 Int, Stuka
Bf109e Esc, Stuka, IAR 80 x2
Fw190 Ace, B239 Ace
Bf109e Ace, Matimaha, Stuka
Bf109f, B239 Ace, Stuka
Fw190D Rookie, B239, Stuka
B239 Ace, Wingman x2
B239 x2, Stuka
(Finland gets a little help here.)
Folgore Ace, D520 Int, Saetta Rookie
Folgore Ace, Bf109E Esc, IAR 80
Falco x2, D520 Interceptor
Falco, Re. 2001 F-B, D520 Int.
Folgore, D.520 Int x2
Re 2001 F-B, Bf109E Esc, Saetta Rookie, IAR 80
Finally, the US:
USMC Corsair/P40C FT
USMC Corsair/Buffalo-R/P40B-R
USMC Corsair, I-16 Abu/P39D R
P51D/Fm-1/Buffalo-R
P51B Ace/Buffalo-R/USMC Wildcat
Navy Corsair/Buffalo-R/USMC Wildcat
Navy Wildcat/P40C FT/Buffalo-R
P40C FT/FM-1 WC/P40B-R
P40C FT/P39D-R x2
P39D-r x3/Buffalo-R
Inspiring Lieutenant, Feb. 21, 2013. 100 point UK build with +4 initiative:
Spitfire F. Mk IX Raider - 47 pts
Hurricane Mk I - 27 pts
Fulmar Mk II - 26 pts
Between the Fulmar's Observer and Spitfire's Fighter Sweep, you will probably start the game with a +4 on initiative, and a +3 on every turn thereafter.
Hurricane Mk I - 27 pts
Fulmar Mk II - 26 pts
Between the Fulmar's Observer and Spitfire's Fighter Sweep, you will probably start the game with a +4 on initiative, and a +3 on every turn thereafter.
Inspiring Lieutenant, Feb. 23, 2013. 100 point Axis bomber build:
BF109E Escort (Romanian)
RE.2001 CB
Ju87 Stuka x 2
The important thing about this build is that it can score 60 points, and win the game, solely through Dive Bomb and Close Support. Therefore, you don't have to destroy a single enemy plane.
RE.2001 CB
Ju87 Stuka x 2
The important thing about this build is that it can score 60 points, and win the game, solely through Dive Bomb and Close Support. Therefore, you don't have to destroy a single enemy plane.
Herky80, Feb. 29, 2012. 12 Soviet Flight Builds:
Part 1: Five-Fighter Flight
The only option to bring five fighters to the battle. It’s a swarm tactic.
Ishak x5 for 100 points
Part 2: Three-Fighter Flights
If you want to bring both the Tomahawk and the Guards Yak, you can only bring one other fighter and you’ll be under 100 points either way.
Option A: Guards Yak-1 plus Tomahawk plus Yak-1 Rookie gets you 95 points.
Option B: Guards Yak-1 plus Tomahawk plus Ishak gets you 93 points.
Part 3: Four-Fighter Flights
You have two options here: bring the Guards Yak-1 or the Tomahawk plus three other fighters.
Option A: Guards Yak-1
3.A.1 = Ishak x3 for 97 points
3.A.2 = Ishak x2 plus Yak-1 for 99 points
3.A.3 = Yak-1 x2 plus Ishak for 101 points
3.A.4 = Yak-1 x3 for 103 points
Option B: Tomahawk
3.B.1 = Ishak x3 for 96 points
3.B.2 = Ishak x2 plus Yak-1 for 98 points
3.B.3 = Yak-1 x2 plus Ishak for 100 points
3.B.4 = Yak-1 x3 for 102 points
The only option to bring five fighters to the battle. It’s a swarm tactic.
Ishak x5 for 100 points
Part 2: Three-Fighter Flights
If you want to bring both the Tomahawk and the Guards Yak, you can only bring one other fighter and you’ll be under 100 points either way.
Option A: Guards Yak-1 plus Tomahawk plus Yak-1 Rookie gets you 95 points.
Option B: Guards Yak-1 plus Tomahawk plus Ishak gets you 93 points.
Part 3: Four-Fighter Flights
You have two options here: bring the Guards Yak-1 or the Tomahawk plus three other fighters.
Option A: Guards Yak-1
3.A.1 = Ishak x3 for 97 points
3.A.2 = Ishak x2 plus Yak-1 for 99 points
3.A.3 = Yak-1 x2 plus Ishak for 101 points
3.A.4 = Yak-1 x3 for 103 points
Option B: Tomahawk
3.B.1 = Ishak x3 for 96 points
3.B.2 = Ishak x2 plus Yak-1 for 98 points
3.B.3 = Yak-1 x2 plus Ishak for 100 points
3.B.4 = Yak-1 x3 for 102 points
Stumpster, Feb. 29, 2012. Nine Italian builds:
Potential Flights (assuming 100 points and ignoring blatantly worse flights like 5x Rookie):
Five-plane:
- 5.1 - 3x Saetta Rookie + 2x Exped Saetta - 94
- 5.2 - 4x Saetta Rookie + 1x Folgore - 96
I don't see either of these being too useful, they rely too much on the Saetta Rookie.
Four-plane:
- 4.1 - 1x Folgore Ace + 1x Exped Saetta + 2x Saetta Rookie - 100
- 4.2 - 2x Folgore + 2x Saetta Rookie - 96
- 4.3 - 1x Folgore + 2x Exped Saetta + 1x Saetta Rookie - 94
- 4.4 - 4x Exped Saetta - 92
I think that this is where Italy hits their 'sweet spot'. At a four-plane squadron you will (probably) outnumber the opponent and you still have some good planes flying around.
Three-plane:
3.1 - 1x Folgore Ace + 1x Folgore + 1x Exped Saetta - 100
3.2 - 3x Folgore - 96
Either of these flights are also options, giving you plenty of planes and (finally) none of them being the Saetta Rookie.
Two-plane:
2.1 - 2x Folgore Ace - 90
I don't think I'd try to do a two-plane squadron, even with the Skilled Flyer ability putting it into a position for Press the Advantage to take effect, the Folgore Ace doesn't bring enough firepower to bear to take on a 2v3 or 2v4 fight.
Five-plane:
- 5.1 - 3x Saetta Rookie + 2x Exped Saetta - 94
- 5.2 - 4x Saetta Rookie + 1x Folgore - 96
I don't see either of these being too useful, they rely too much on the Saetta Rookie.
Four-plane:
- 4.1 - 1x Folgore Ace + 1x Exped Saetta + 2x Saetta Rookie - 100
- 4.2 - 2x Folgore + 2x Saetta Rookie - 96
- 4.3 - 1x Folgore + 2x Exped Saetta + 1x Saetta Rookie - 94
- 4.4 - 4x Exped Saetta - 92
I think that this is where Italy hits their 'sweet spot'. At a four-plane squadron you will (probably) outnumber the opponent and you still have some good planes flying around.
Three-plane:
3.1 - 1x Folgore Ace + 1x Folgore + 1x Exped Saetta - 100
3.2 - 3x Folgore - 96
Either of these flights are also options, giving you plenty of planes and (finally) none of them being the Saetta Rookie.
Two-plane:
2.1 - 2x Folgore Ace - 90
I don't think I'd try to do a two-plane squadron, even with the Skilled Flyer ability putting it into a position for Press the Advantage to take effect, the Folgore Ace doesn't bring enough firepower to bear to take on a 2v3 or 2v4 fight.
Asbestos, Feb. 28, 2012: UK at 100 points; how to fit in a Typhoon
Running the numbers it looks to me that your best build option, given the UK planes, is:
Spitfire Ace
Hurricane Mk I x2 for 100 points
or perhaps..
Kosciuszko Hurricane x3 for 93 points.
I have a hard time putting in the Typhoon, except as a replacement for the Ace in the first build, but I'm not sure if I'd want to do that. You end up losing two solid SAs, Ace status, and solid Turn/Roll/Climb stats in exchange for better guns, armor, and very slightly more speed. I'm not sure if its worth it. Yes, the Typhoon is decent, but it isn't really Fw 190 decent.
Maybe Typhoon + Polish Hurricane + P-40B Rookie with the P-40B perhaps representing a RAF Tomahawk?
Capt. John Miller, Feb. 28, 2012: Builds out of the box
Germany
55 Channel Front Fw 190
44 Fw 190 Wurger
99 Points
50 Bf 109 Gustav Ace
48 Bf 109 Ace
98 Points
38 Bf 109 Freidrich
62 Bf 109 Wingman x2
100 Points
Italy
45 C.202 Folgore Ace
32 C.202 Folgore
23 Expeditionary C.200 Saetta
100 Points
Japan
99 KI-61 Tony x3
99 Points
Russia
74 Guards Yak-1 x2
22 Yak-1 Rookie
96 Points
37 Guards Yak-1
66 Yak-1 Rookie x3
103 Points
100 I-16 Ishak x5
100 Points
USA
39 F4F-4 Wildcat
35 F4F-4 Wildcat
25 P-40B Rookie
99 Points
UK
43 Typhoon Interceptor
31 Kos Hurricane Mk I
27 Hurricane Mk I
101 Points
46 Spitfire Ace
54 Hurricane Mk I x2
100 Points
Vergilius, Feb. 25, 2012: Initial reactions on the concept of squadron building
I've had a chance to play a few more games, to reread the rules a couple of times, and to build a bunch of air builds at 100 points. It seems to me that the whole emphasis we saw in the previous two miniatures games on putting together a seriously competent build is a lot less pronounced than in Angels20. There are only so many ways of putting together a squadron that still fits into the required number of points, whether we set those points at 100, 120, 150, or even 200. The emphasis instead seems to fall on using the units that you have brought to their maximum effectiveness, and the game seems to offer more tactical control to the player than what I saw in the previous Axis and Allies miniature games.
There's a little bit of build strategy in the following ways:
1. You're generally going to have a stronger plane, a Veteran or Ace, that you're intending to move last. You want to see as much of the movement picture as possible before moving this unit, and/or you want to prevent the opponent from taking any good shots on it.
2. You're generally going to have one or more planes that you're intentionally planning on moving first. This might be an extremely sturdy plane that can stand up to fire, or it might be a weak plane that is acting as bait. If you lose initiative and go first, offering a weak bait plane can give your second plane something decent to fire at after your opponent moves upon your first plane.
3. SA Synergy: I find that using your units well by looking at their maneuver scores especially tends to matter more, but some of the SAs seem designed for consideration at Squadron design phase.
A. Initiative SAs: Almost all of these have some kind of qualification that must be met:
Fighter Sweep (Bf109E): You either need to start out with more planes, or you need to shoot down an enemy plane quickly (more likely since German planes are expensive, which means you'll have fewer of them and are more likely to be outnumbered). Note that this is an SA that is more likely to kick in as the game progresses rather than appearing early in the game.
Long Odds (Matamaha): Since Finland and USSR square off in the invasion of Finland and USSR have some swarm style aircraft, this SA is useful in that context. In fact, each of the other SAs basically help the individual plane survive a swarm. I could see 3x Matimaha in a 100 point contest being a fairly effective squadron build against Russia. Note that this SA depends just as much on what your opponent brings and if you manage to get the upper hand is likely to go away.
Flight Leader (Navy Wildcat/Guards Yak-I): You must control 2 other fighters to trigger this SA. This does constrain your build if you're playing at 100 points with pure US since you'll need to use the P40B Rookie and probably the USMC Wildcat for 99 points. Russia seems made to set up a fighter swarm, so you could conceivably play a Guards Yak-I with 3x I-16 Ishak and you might preserve that initiative for several turns before the 2nd I-16 falls or retreats.
Tally Ho (Spitfire): Another SA that may only be around for a turn or two, since it goes away when you take damage or lose an aircraft.
B. Attack SAs that benefit other units or benefit from other units:
Offensive Tactics (Bf109E Ace): You really want to be able to get your second plane into a good position to fire, which can work out well in conjunction with your potential initiative bonus from Fighter Sweep. If you're playing at 120 points, you might have 3 aircraft, which makes it more likely that you can use this ability earlier.
Cover the Leader (BF109E Wingman): As a weaker plane, you might want to move this plane first, but on the other hand, the SA really benefits if you're moving a plane other than this one first and only moving the Wingman to cover it. Since it is already difficult to fit three fighters into a German 100 point build, this might be better used in builds above 100 points.
Espirit de Corps (Flying Tiger): Depends upon the enemy outnumbering you, so you might strongly consider going with a build that keeps your overall numbers down.
Swarm Tactics (I-16 Ishak): As long as you're close to a friendly fighter with this SA, you get an extra attack die. Since the I-16 Ishak is the only plane with this SA, that almost begs you to have a build with several of them to ensure you're triggering it as long as possible.
Pretty much all the other SAs are very much tied directly to the individual performance of the fighter on whose card they appear. To some extent, fighters with good defensive stats and potentially good defensive SAs are candidates for a "first move" fighter (e.g. Bf 109F Friedrich is a Veteran, which denies a +1 on the dice to everything except an Ace, and it carries Evasion). Fighters with good offensive stats or SAs that can be used offensively are good candidates for your last fighter moved.
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