Nightfighter - Luftwaffe Campaign (Part 1)

The scenarios work very well and the idea of playing them through in chronological order also works.  I wanted to try something along the later idea and the rules contain supplementary campaign rules.

The aircraft mix in your campaign squadron isn't historical per se in that you have disparate types but that generates different scenarios.  I think it would be a bit stale continuing to fly Ju-88 for example for a whole year. The rules, however, do give you the option of playing single type squadrons if you want to keep historical.  How many players are going to take the "least capable" type though.

Anyway, I liked the idea of odd aircraft coming in and out of servce and the idea of having to manage your pilot pool and keep them current on your available aircraft.  The rules allow you bring in new aircraft once a month however that needs you to send pilots away on courses as well as manage damaged aircraft etc.

My starting squadron will comprise:

1 Experte , 2 Seasoned and 9 Green category pilots. Between them they have to man four aircraft types: 1 Do-215B, 1 Me-110F-4, 6 Me-110E-4 and 2 Ju 88C-2

There are some 120 possible Raids spread over the 12 months of the campaign that you are going to play against.

So setting up the Staffel gave me (using the crew generation mechanism and my choice of aircraft)

Staffelkapitan & Crew qualified on Ju88C-2 with 23 Kills (Knights Cross)
Section Leader & Crew qualified on Ju88C-2 with 13 Kills (Iron Cross 1st Class)
Section Leader & Crew qualifed on Me110E-4 with 9 Kills (Iron Cross 2nd Class)
Crew qualifed on Me110F-4 with 2 Kills
Crew qualified on Me110E-4 with 1 Kill
Five Crews qualified on Me110E-4 with no kills
Two Crews qualified on Do215B-5 Kauz 3 with no kills

The RAF have just launched the first of the Millenium raids and are doing something different. Now is the chance for the Nachtjager to apply their skills to a new environment.

There is an opportunity at the end of June to rotate an airframe out of the Staffel. In return I can choose a new airfrome of one of the existing types or a "new" Ju88C-6. The aircraft traded out can be one under repair if desired. The Do-215B production has finished and I cannot receive new Do215B after August.

As the crews need to qualify on a change of airframe it means that I cannot simply give the Experte a Ju88C-6. He will be away for two weeks qualifying. It means that sometimes you might have to train lesser pilots on the better aircraft first.