The following is an excerpt from the Red Storm example of play. This one covers surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), electronic warfare, anti-aircraft artillery (AAA), and air-to-ground attacks.

This introductory scenario introduces additional rules pertaining to the various air-to-ground interactions in the game, adding to the aircraft movement and combat rules presented in “Fox 2!” Read sections 14 (Anti-Aircraft Artillery), 15 (SAMs and Radars), 16 (Air-to-Ground Ordnance), 17 (Air-to-Ground Attacks), 18 (Ground Target Damage), and 19 (Electronic Countermeasures). In this scenario the WP player controls three flights: two with MiG-27s and one with a single Yak-28PP. The NATO player only controls SAM and AAA units on the ground.

Scenario Setup

• This scenario takes place in daytime, with a layer of broken clouds at Deck/Low. Both sides have a detection rating of C.
• Place the following counters on the map: 1 x {4} MiG-27M (“Konev”) in 5522 at Deck, undetected, headed southwest, task SEAD; 1 x {4} MiG-27M (“Gromov”) in 5621 at Deck, undetected, headed southwest, task Bombing; 1 x {1} Yak-28PP (“Karpov”) in 6020 at High, detected, headed southwest, task Escort Jamming; 1 x NATO SAM Warn in 4426 (ID “a”), Radar on; 1 x NATO Artillery in 4927, Radar AAA side up; 1 x Chaparral SAM in 4925, hidden. (Normally, hidden SAM are not placed on the map; for the purposes of this scenario, place it but remember that it is considered “hidden” from the WP player.)
• Fill out the log sheets for the flights. Instead of rolling, assume the following Aggression Value results: Konev +1, Gromov +0, Karpov -1.
• Load Konev MiG-27M flight as follows: aircraft #1–1x Kh-25MP shot, aircraft #2–1x Kh-25MP shot, aircraft #3–3 points of AT CBU, aircraft #4–3 points of AT CBU.
• Load Gromov MiG-27M flight with four shots of EOGM (one per aircraft).
• The target for the WP MiG-27M flight tasked with bombing, Gromov, is the NATO artillery unit in 4927. Instead of doing a fully planned flight path, follow the one indicated in the image below by the red arrows, with a 30 degree turn in 5124, a run over the target hex, a 90 degree turn in 4828, and a 30 degree turn in 5029.

Turn 1

No random events apply in Turn 1, so the Random Event Phase is skipped. In the Jamming Phase, the WP player places a Standoff Jamming marker on the Yak-28. Referencing the USSR ADC, he notes that the Yak-28 can only place such markers in its front or rear arcs, so he places it oriented to the southwest. There are two NATO radars in this arc, the SAM Warn (sixteen hexes away) and the organic Mobile AAA of the artillery unit (twelve hexes away). The jamming strength of the Yak-28 is 3 at seven or fewer hexes, 2 from eight to fourteen hexes, and 1 from fifteen to twenty-eight hexes. He places Jamming Strength markers on the SAM Warn, showing 1, and the artillery, showing 2, as a reminder of the current effect of jamming on those units. The Yak-28 can also Spot Jam one radar in its Standoff Jamming arc, which doubles the jamming strength. The WP player is most concerned with the SAM Warn (likely a potent HAWK battery), so he places the Yak’s Spot Jamming marker there, which increases the jamming strength affecting it to 2. He adjusts the Jamming Strength marker on the SAM Warn as well.

In the Detection Phase NATO rolls for the two undetected MiG-27s, with a -4 modifier on each flight since both are in rough hexes at Deck altitude. Good rolls of 16 and 17 detect both on the C column. In the Movement Phase there is no need to draw chits or determine initiative since only the WP side has flights. The Yak-28 moves first, declaring a speed of 3, going straight ahead to 5722. The WP player notes the range to the SAM Warn is now thirteen hexes, which increases the base jamming strength there from the Yak to 2, and thus 4 with the Spot Jamming marker, so he adjusts the SAM Warn’s Jamming Strength marker to show 4. The range to the artillery is nine hexes, so its jamming marker remains on 2. Konev flight is next. It carries a pair of Kh-25MP ARM shots that can target active radars, but the range is only six hexes at Deck or Low altitude. With a max speed of 4 at Dash, Konev cannot quite get in range of the SAM Warn. Konev flight is laden and declares a Combat throttle speed of 3, moving straight ahead to 5223, staying at Deck. Gromov flight does the same, trailing behind by a hex.

The NATO player has a hidden Chaparral IR SAM in 4925, but it only has a range of two hexes, so it cannot yet fire on Konev flight, which is three hexes away. The SAM Warn represents a HAWK-D SAM. It has not yet acquired any flights, so it cannot fire normally. It does have “Lock on After Launch” capability that allows it to fire and then attempt to gain acquisition (with a hefty -5 modifier on the acquisition roll) but the range of the HAWK is only nine hexes. The MiG-27s are just inside that range, but a long range shot would have additional negative modifiers on the shot (-3 at a range of nine hexes, -2 at eight hexes) so the NATO player holds off, hoping to get a better shot next turn.

No flights recovered or used Dash throttle, so the Fuel Phase is skipped. In the SAM Location Phase, the WP player checks his flights’ Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) ratings. The MiG-27M and Yak-28PP both have B rated RWRs. Looking at Player Aid Card 2, he sees that the base range for a SAM Location attempt with that RWR is four hexes. The nearest MiG-27 is at eight hexes, so no location attempt can be made. Note that if the SAM Warn had a SAM Launch marker on it, the range would be increased by five hexes, but that is not yet the case.

In the Track Phase, both sides first check to see what flights automatically flip to undetected. As shown on Player Aid Card 4, that includes all NATO flights at Deck in Rough/Mountain terrain, all flights (NATO and WP) in/adjacent to Mountain terrain, and all helicopters/cruise missile flights at Deck in any terrain. None of those cases apply here, so no flights flip. The NATO player now rolls on the Track Table on Player Aid Card 2, rolling a 9. Cross referencing that roll with the NATO Detection Rating of C, he sees a {Spade} result. Because the result is in {} brackets, all enemy flights with that suit flip to undetected if they are at Deck altitude (anywhere), at Low altitude on their own side of the Front, or in a bloomed chaff corridor. The first of those applies to Konev flight (a Spade, at Deck), so it is flipped to its undetected side. Gromov is at Deck but is a Diamond, and Karpov flight is Heart and at High, so they are unaffected by the Track Table result this turn.

Next up is the SAM Acquisition Phase. The SAM Warn (representing HAWK-D, counter ID 28) already has its radar on, so this will be a normal acquisition attempt. Checking Player Aid Card 2, the NATO player sees the acquisition range of the HAWK-D is thirteen hexes. He would like acquire one of the MiG-27 flights, but since they are at Deck and about to move into rough terrain, he would lose acquisition as soon as those flights move. So, he makes a maximum range acquisition attempt on the Yak-28 flight at thirteen hexes. His roll of 13 would be a Full Acquisition result on the SAM Acquisition Table for a detected flight, but several negative modifiers apply: -3 for Target Defensive Jamming (the Yak-28’s onboard jammer as listed on the USSR ADC) and -4 for the Standoff Jamming strength affecting the SAM when the acquisition attempt occurs. Again the base Standoff Jamming strength here is 2 (at thirteen hexes) for the Yak-28, which is doubled to 4 since the SAM is also being Spot Jammed. The full strength of 4 applies because the NATO player’s declared 60 degree arc for the acquisition attempt includes the Standoff Jamming marker, as shown in the illustration.

So, the total modifier is -7, producing a final result of 6. Partial Acquisition is the final result. The NATO player places a SAM Acquisition marker on the Yak-28, on its Partial side. He uses the #28 acquisition marker since that matches the HAWK-D SAM’s ID. (Players may find it convenient to set up the “real” SAM counter underneath the SAM Warn counter representing it for speed and ease of play.)

The last phase is the Admin Phase. The only possible action here would be for the NATO player to switch his SAM’s radar off, but that would remove the acquisition marker just placed, so he keeps it on. The players move to Turn 2.

Turn 2

Turn 2 starts with the Random Event Phase. The WP player rolls (either player may) and gets a 14. Per the Scenario Random Events Chart on Player Aid Card 2, this is the “Direction Finding” event. The event instructs the players to roll 1d10, which the WP player does, rolling a 2. As directed by the event, the WP player selects one enemy SAM Warn marker with its radar on and locates it. He chooses the SAM Warn in 4426. The NATO player reveals that it is a real SAM and swaps in the counter for HAWK #28. No changes are made in the Jamming Phase since the WP player is already spot jamming the HAWK. In the Detection Phase the NATO player rolls to detect Konev flight; a roll of 6 fails, leaving Konev undetected.

In the Movement Phase, initiative and chit draw are skipped since only the WP side has flights. The WP player wants to fire his Kh-25MP ARMs at the HAWK this turn and then hit the organic mobile AAA in the target hex next turn with his CBUs. He declares Dash throttle for Konev flight, which allows a speed of 4 while laden at Deck. Unlike Gromov flight (tasked with bombing), Konev flight (tasked with SEAD) may move freely and does have to follow the raid flight path. For his 1st movement point, Konev moves ahead to 5124. For his 2nd point, the flight climbs to Low altitude. The MiG is now seven hexes from the HAWK. For the 3rd point it moves ahead to 5024, finally within ARM range of the HAWK-D. Before he may declare an ARM attack, the WP player must pause to see if the NATO player will attack the flight.

The NATO player has his hidden Chaparral IR SAM in 4925, just one hex away. The MiG is in range. He also has line of sight to the MiG because, even with the broken cloud layer between Deck and Low, he is within two hexes of the flight. The NATO player declares an IR SAM attack on Konev flight. This attack will be resolved before the MiG can fire his ARMs. When a hidden IR SAM attacks, it is automatically located, so the NATO player places the Chaparral counter in 4925 with a SAM Launch marker on it. For an IR SAM attack, no acquisition is needed, so the NATO player first rolls on the SAM Attack Table on Player Aid Card 2. Before rolling he also declares the Chaparral will “salvo” fire, which uses up 2 shots of ammo but provides a favorable +2 modifier on the attack roll.

The NATO player rolls a 12. Applying modifiers, he sees the Chaparral receives a +0 altitude modifier vs targets at Low, a -1 for being an IR SAM, a +2 for a Salvo Fire attack, and a -1 for a front-hemisphere IR SAM attack, for a net of +0. The final result of 12 is a Possible Hit. With the Possible Hit result, the WP player now rolls on the SAM Defense Table. Here the only modifiers that apply are the standard +3 for IR SAM attacks (representing flares) and a -1 for an IR SAM attack on a flight at Dash throttle, which is the case here. The WP player rolls a 15. Adding the net modifier of +2 for a final 17, he sees this is a Miss. The WP player breathes a sigh of relief.

The WP player then declares an ARM air-to-ground attack, declaring it is a normal (not lofted) ARM, that Konev flight is launching, and that there are two ARM shots being launched. He notes the target and the type of ARM on a piece of paper. Because Konev flight is undetected, the NATO player cannot voluntarily shutdown the radar of the HAWK (or any other radars if there were any). The WP player now announces the target (HAWK in 4426) and type of ARM (Kh-25MP). The HAWK must now take an ARM Morale Check. The NATO player rolls a 4. The only modifier per the ARM Attack Table on Player Aid Card 2 is a +1 for an undetected flight, but the final roll of 5 is still a morale check failure. The NATO player must turn off the HAWK’s radar and mark it with a Radar Shutdown marker. This removes the SAMs acquisition marker from the Yak-28PP flight as well.

The Kh-25MP ARM can still attack after a radar shutdown, so the WP player rolls on the ARM column of the Air-to-Ground Attack table on Player Aid Card 3. He first checks for modifiers. There is a +2 for a Kh-25MP shot and a -6 for the target radar having shut down, for a net modifier of -4. He rolls twice (once for each shot), getting a 5 and a 10, modified to final rolls of 1 and 6. The 1 is a miss, but he sees a 6 is a 1 success value. As this is an attack on a SAM, the damage is resolved immediately. The WP player rolls again, rolling a 10, and consults the Damage Table where he sees a 10 is a NE result on the 1 Success Value column. So, the HAWK is undamaged, but its radar is off and it cannot attack while marked with a Shutdown marker. A radar that is off cannot be jammed, so the WP player removes the Spot Jamming and Jamming Strength markers from the HAWK for the time being. The WP player uses his 4th and final movement point to move Konev ahead into 4925, making a free 60 degree turn to the left as well.

Gromov flight declares Combat throttle and a speed of 3. He moves ahead two hexes to 5124 (a waypoint on his flight path) and turns 30 degrees to the left to continue following the path. He spends the last movement point to move ahead one hex to the 5024/5125 hexspine. Because a flight on a hexspine can be attacked in either hex it is straddling, the NATO player declares a AAA attack on Gromov from the Light AAA at Bad Hersfeld airfield, which has a range of one hex. He rolls a 14, and consults the AAA Table on Player Aid Card 1. He sees that Light AAA needs a roll of 15 or more for a possible hit at a Deck altitude target, so he just missed. The NATO player does not declare any other attacks on Gromov flight, so the WP player now declares the flight will start an EOGM profile bomb run [17.2] from its present location. The WP player can do so because Gromov flight is armed with EOGMs, is three hexes from the target, is at Medium or lower altitude, and has a line of sight to the target (he wouldn’t have LOS if he were at Low or above due to the cloud deck, but at Deck he is good). The attack itself will occur in Turn 3 when Gromov enters 5025 (two hexes from the target), so for now he just marks it with a Bombing Run marker.

Karpov flight (the Yak-28) takes advantage of the HAWK being shutdown to move into a better position next turn. He declares a Combat throttle speed of 3 and moves the Yak one hex ahead to 5622. For the 2nd movement point, the WP player declares a max turn to the left of 120 degrees. The instant the Yak turns, it is required to remove its Standoff Jamming marker, which the WP player does while also removing the Jamming Strength marker from the artillery unit since there is no other source of standoff jamming affecting it. For the Yak’s 3rd movement point he moves one hex ahead to 5723, and again declares a free turn (this time of only 30 degrees to the left). This position will allow him to place a standoff jamming marker next turn in his rear arc, which will provide standoff jamming while also helping the Yak keep a safe distance from NATO air defense units.

The rest of the turn proceeds quickly. In the Fuel Phase the WP player confirms he marked off fuel for Konev flight since it moved at Dash throttle. There are no rolls in SAM Location Phase since the only SAM has already been located. In the Track Phase, Gromov flight is at Deck in rough, so it is flipped to its undetected side. The NATO player then rolls a 12, which corresponds to no effect on the C column of the Track Table. There is no action in the SAM Acquisition Phase because the lone NATO SAM is marked Radar Shutdown and cannot acquire a target. Finally, in the Admin Phase the NATO player may roll to try to remove the Radar Shutdown marker, and he rolls a 7. A 5 or more was needed, so the Radar Shutdown marker is removed. But, the NATO player decides to leave the HAWK’s radar off for now.

Turn 3

The Random Event Phase sees Mechanical Failure occur, but since there are no damaged or crippled aircraft it has no effect. In the Jamming Phase the WP player places a Standoff Jamming marker again on the Yak-28, now from its rear arc. The HAWK’s radar is off, so he cannot spot jam it, opting instead to place the Spot Jamming marker on the artillery unit to spot jam its organic mobile AAA. In the Detection Phase NATO tries to detect the MiG-27s. Konev is detected with a roll of 13 with no modifiers (now at Low). Gromov has a -4 modifier for Deck/Rough but NATO detects it as well with a roll of 18.

In the Movement Phase, the WP player will move Konev flight first, hoping to suppress AAA around the target with its 6 AT CBU bomb points. He sets Dash throttle and a speed of 4, marking off a box of fuel. The WP player decides the Light AAA at Bad Hersfeld is the most dangerous threat right now, so he uses his 1st movement point to turn 60 degrees to the left. At that moment the NATO player announces a Lock-On After Launch (LOAL) SAM attack by the HAWK. It can make this attack because its radar is switched off and Konev flight is detected and in range of the HAWK. (This situation explains why the NATO player left the HAWK’s radar off in the prior Admin Phase; with radar off during the Jamming Phase, it was not eligible for spot jamming.) The HAWK’s radar is now turned on and the NATO player declares a salvo SAM attack, marking off 2 SAM shot points. As this is a LOAL attack and he doesn’t yet have acquisition, the NATO player must first acquire Konev flight to have a chance to actually attack it—the shots are expended regardless. He rolls a 13, but there are several modifiers: -5 for LOAL, -3 for the MiG’s onboard defensive jammer, and -2 for standoff jamming, which kicks in the instant the radar is turned on. That knocks the final roll down to a 3, just barely enough for a Partial Acquisition. He then rolls on the SAM Attack table, getting a 15. Modifiers are +1 Low altitude, +2 Salvo Fire, and -1 Partial Acquisition, so the final 17 is enough for a Possible Hit.

Proceeding to the SAM Defense table, the WP player rolls a 6. Modifiers are +3 defensive jamming, +2 standoff jamming, -1 HAWK-D, and -1 for no LOS to the SAM. The final 9 is a SAM Avoid result. Consulting the SAM Avoid summary on Player Aid Card 1, the WP player sees he must spend his 2nd movement point to turn 30 degrees left or right, move ahead, and descend one altitude level. He must also roll to see if the two aircraft in the flight with air-to-ground ordnance jettison that ordnance. He rolls for each one separately, getting a 2 and 6. Those are both less than 7, so aircraft #3 and #4 dump their AT CBUs. The flight is now also at Deck altitude inside the range of the Light AAA at the airfield, which rolls a 10 to attack, missing.

Konev flight now just has its guns remaining for air-to-ground attack, but the SAM Avoid result means it cannot make any such attacks this turn. The WP player decides to get the flight out of the area, moving ahead one hex to 5026. This results in the SAM Acquisition marker being removed since the flight entered a Rough hex at Deck altitude. The NATO player makes another Light AAA attack that misses. For its last movement point, the WP player moves Konev to the 5027/5127 hexspine, where it conducts a 60 degree free turn to the left. It suffers yet another Light AAA attack, but a low roll of 5 by the NATO player is a miss.

Gromov flight will now move. It declares Dash throttle for a speed of 4 at Deck and marks off one point of fuel. The flight initiated its EOGM profile bomb run last turn. It will be able to make its EOGM attacks from a range of two hexes. The flight moves ahead one hex to 5025 for 1 movement point. Then, a lot happens.

First, the Light AAA attacks, but the NATO player rolls low and misses. Then, the Chaparral IR SAM attacks, declaring a salvo attack. The NATO player rolls on the SAM Attack table once again, but gets a disappointing 8. Modifiers are +1 for Chaparral vs Deck, -1 for IR SAM, and +2 for Salvo Fire, so the final 10 misses. Note that the -1 modifier for a front hemisphere IR SAM attack does not apply because the IR SAM is in a hex that straddles the front/rear hemisphere of the target flight, as seen on the Arc Diagram on Player Aid Card 3. The attacking player chooses which hemisphere the attack comes from when there is a choice to make and here the NATO player chooses the rear.

Having avoided AAA and SAMs, Gromov flight now makes its EOGM attack. It has 4 shots of EOGMs, so will roll 4 times on the EOGM column of the Air-to-Ground Attack Table. Modifiers that apply are -2 AAA (due to the Light AAA attack at Deck altitude during the bomb run, see the AAA Table) and -1 for WP EOGMs, for a total modifier of -3. He rolls four times, getting 7, 11, 14, and 16. With the total -3 modifier, the final rolls of 4, 8, 11, and 13 result in success values of miss, 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The artillery unit is marked with the three corresponding Attack Success markers and the WP flight marks off its 4 shots of EOGM on its flight log.

The WP bombing flight must still follow its flight path, but now wants to rapidly gain altitude to avoid more AAA and the IR SAM next turn. The WP player uses the 2nd movement point to climb to Low in its current hex, giving the Light AAA another attack, which it misses. Then for movement points 3 and 4, the flight declares a Zoom Climb to ascend to Medium altitude. The Light AAA gets one more attack but rolls a 14, which is far short of the 18 it would need at Medium. The flight is marked with a Zoom Climb marker.

At this point players should finish out four or five more turns on their own, which should generate additional SAM and AAA attacks for learning purposes, as well as some more fun with the standoff jammer. At the end, roll for the damage results on the artillery unit to see how well the WP side did.

Author: Doug Bush

I have been a gamer since the mid-1980s, when I started with Squad Leader, which of course led to a long obsession with Advanced Squad Leader. In college I was also a Harpoon fanatic, including gaming basically every naval combat from the Tom Clancy book Red Storm Rising. However, my true gaming passion has always been modern ground combat games such as the GDW Assault and Third World War series, and detailed modern air simulations like GMT's Downtown and Elusive Victory. As a former US Army armor officer, I love games that model operational level maneuver and logistics.