Simple Arc of Fire Air Support Rules

The following air support rules came to me whilst I was out walking the dog the other day. I think they'll be helpful when running the kind of larger Arc of Fire game we tend to play at Crisis Point.

Random Air Support

Each player starts the game with an Air Support card that they can play on any unit that is subject to a random event, before the die roll has been made to determine the nature of the random event. Once the card is played it is used and cannot be played again.

The unit on which the card is played is subject to an air attack and must make a Tac roll. The result of this Tac roll is as follows:

Example: 

Andy, Bruce and Catherine are playing a game using the alternative activation system where each unit rolls a D6 at the start of the turn to determine its Activation Number.

The first card drawn is the Black Joker. This is followed by Black 1. Only Andy has a unit with an Activation Number of 1 so he activates that unit.

Next the Red Joker is drawn.  Because the Black Joker has already been drawn this turn there will be a random event and it will affect the unit whose card comes up next. The next card drawn is Red 3 - all units with an Activation Number of 3 may activate (including, because it’s a red card, wounded figures). All three players have a unit with Activation Number 3 so we quickly dice-off to see which unit is affected. It turns out to be Bruce’s squad of Andreivian Turk militia crossing a stream.

Before the Random Event can be rolled for, Catherine (running an Italian NATO detachment) declares an air attack on the Turks. 

Bruce’s Turks are Tac 7 so he needs to roll a D10 and get 7 or more to succeed with his Tac roll. He rolls a 4 and fails. Each figure in the Andreivian Turk squad must make an immediate Morale Roll. 

Later in the game the NATO headquarters unit is the subject of a random event and Bruce decides to get his own back. He plays his own Air Support card on Catherine's HQ.

The NATO HQ is Tac 5 and with a roll of 10 it seems that either they are very well camouflaged or the local NATO air defences are on high alert. Catherine's second Tac roll is an 8 so it seems it's the latter. The Andreivian Turk aircraft is shot down and the game continues with the NATO HQ taking its turn.

That's it then; an attempt at a set of air support rules that will give us an excuse to get the nice aircraft models onto the table without too much risk of an unlucky die roll completely unbalancing the scenario.

Obviously variations are possible. If one side has overwhelming air superiority, they'll be the only ones with Air Support cards. If a force has plentiful AA-capable elements we might allow them an increased chance of a shoot-down result.

Please let me know what you think.