The Rescue of Lufthansa Flight 181

The Game is intended to be played twice (or more) with players changing sides. The “Teams” always win, they cannot lose they can only not win by very much.

A Team boarding a hijacked aircraft is almost always going to take out the Hijackers. SAS/Delta/Spetznaz vs Terrorists tends to be very one sided. That being said if killing the enemy was the only Goal of the mission then it would be a boring game indeed.

Instead the more casualties that the Hijackers can inflict on both the Teams and the Crews will adjust the final score along with things like a Hijacker slipping away with some hostages or killing people.

The Game is played on this Board representing a Generic Aeroplane.

To play the game you’ll need the board, Three Blue Tokens (The “Teams”), Four Red Tokens (The Hijackers) and Ten White Tokens (The Hostages) along with some Wounded and Seriously Wounded Tokens.

The Game is intended to be played twice (or more) with players changing sides. The “Teams” always win, they cannot lose they can only not win by very much.

A Team boarding a hijacked aircraft is almost always going to take out the Hijackers. SAS/Delta/Spetznaz vs Terrorists tends to be very one sided. That being said if killing the enemy was the only Goal of the mission then it would be a boring game indeed.

Instead the more casualties that the Hijackers can inflict on both the Teams and the Crews will adjust the final score along with things like a Hijacker slipping away with some hostages or killing people.

The Game is played on this Board representing a Generic Aeroplane.

To play the game you’ll need the board, Three Blue Tokens (The “Teams”), Four Red Tokens (The Hijackers) and Ten White Tokens (The Hostages) along with some Wounded and Seriously Wounded Tokens. You’ll also need some D6 and D12

No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy and it seems that when it comes to Modern Warfare this is very true indeed.

To Represent the Chaos, Randomness and Luck involved in storming the Aircraft one of Three Options can be taken representing different approaches different players will have to taking the Aircraft.

This Represent roughly what Occurred in Real Life. The “Teams” lit a fire which distracted the Hijackers in the Cockpit while also talking with the Hijackers while the Teams used ladders to board the aircraft.

You can do this with Either playing Cards, Tokens or a D12.

1-7: Three Hijacks Start the Game in the Cockpit

8-10: Two hijackers in the Cockpit

11 (Jack): Four hijackers in the Cockpit

12 (Queen): No Hijackers in the Cockpit and the Hijackers are Suspicious and can start the game hidden and in ambush.

This is the most random approach and the approach most reliant on Luck as any blind approach generally is.

1-3: Three Hijackers in Cockpit

4-6: Two hijackers in Cockpit

7-9 – Four Hijackers in Cockpit

10-12 (Jack to King) – No Hijackers in Cockpit

A Sniper takes out a Hijacker and the Teams Storm the Plane.

Draw Twelve Cards. When Hijacker Dies roll for them as normal. If the Hijackers are on Alert they can start the Game in Ambush which they can spring after the Teams first Movement Phase.

1: One Hijacker Dead in Cockpit, Hijackers dazed for one turn

2: One Hijacker Dead, One Hijacker moves to Cockpit and that Hijacker is dazed for D3 turns.

3-6: One Hijacker Dead, Hijackers on alert

7-12 (King): One Hijacker Wounded roll with a +2 on the Wound Roll, Hijackers on Alert

The Turn Follows this Order

1. Hijackers Ambush

2. Resolve Ambush

3. Team Checks Moral

4. Teams Retaliate

5. Resolve Retaliation.

6. Check Passenger Moral and Resolve

7. Teams Declare Actions

8. Passengers Move

9. Hijackers Declare Actions.

Moving

In the first turn of the game at least one team must enter the aircraft. The other two teams may enter or may be held in reserve. This is the turn sequence. No Passengers are Deployed in the First Turn.

All Tokens can Move a Maximum of Three Spaces per Turn and up to Three Tokens can be in a Single Square, this includes Wound Tokens. This Represents flailing wounded passengers blocking the way. If a wound token would overfill a square the Hijacker can place it in any adjacent square.

Passengers move three spaces per turn. If they’re within four areas of a team the team player can move them otherwise they’ll move away from the closest visible Hijacker and cannot leave the plane. If they come to an area with a blue triangle they use one point of movement to leave the plane. Place the passenger token in a pile. If a Team controls passengers then their firing will be effected.

Any Hijackers that can ambush may do so before anything else. Ambush may only be used against Teams.

Select a target either passengers or a team. The Hijackers Hit the Enemy on a 5+ and Teams Hit the Enemy on a 4+. If the target is in an adjacent Tile they are hit with a +1 Modifier.

If targeting passengers roll a D6

1-2: passengers in that hex must check moral.

3-4: Passengers in that area must check moral and gain a wounded token.

5: Passengers in that area must check moral at -1 and gain one serious wound token.

6: Passengers in that area must check moral at -2 and roll again on a 1-3 gain one serious wound token and on a 4-6 gain one dead token.

If targeting a Team roll a D6

1-3: No effect

4-5: Team must test moral

6: Team gains a wound token and tests moral

Passengers test moral on a D6

1-2: Total Panic. The passengers immediately move three areas away from the shooter. If they pass through any teams those teams have a -1 to hit penalty for the rest of the turn.

3-4: Make for the Exit. The Passengers move two areas towards the nearest exit. They may be halted by a team if they move into the same area. Immediately halt their movement in that space.

5-6: No Effect. There is no effect.

Teams test moral on a D6

1: Weapons Free. The Team immediately returns fire without aiming and can hit passengers in the same way as a Hijacker can.

2-5: Calm. No effect.

6: Supreme Calm. Ignore the effects of all tokens of any kind on the team and no effect.

One or more Wounded tokens confer a -1 to hit to any teams in that area or who move through that area in a turn.

Hijackers may “remove” wound tokens by ending a move in the same area as them and not firing. Add the token to a separate pile.

Teams can remove wound token by picking them up and moving them to the exit, place them in a separate pile.

Serious Wound tokens are treated like wound tokens but are placed separate if evacuated. At the end of the game roll a D6 for each serious wound token. On a 4+ the Passenger lives and the teams get the points for a wounded passenger rescued. On a 2-3 the passenger is critical and treated as such. On a 1 the passenger dies and the hijackers gain the points. If not evacuated within Four Turns of being created they roll with a -2.

All Firing has a Range of Five Squares

Teams firing at a Hijacker have two options. Controlled or Uncontrolled. If they fire controlled they may fire through up to two passenger tokens without penalty. If they fire uncontrolled then they gain a +1 to hit but if they miss then the closest passenger in their line of fire gains a wound token.

When a hijacker is hit their player secretly rolls a D6.

1-5: Tango Down. The Hijacker is Dead.

6: Playing Possum, The Hijacker is seriously wounded but not dead. Secretly place the hijacker token in Ambush, no other penalties.

Hijackers are hit on a 4+. If they are in the same area they are hit on a 3+.

Hijackers and Teams can move four areas per turn. Hijackers may fire at Teams or Passengers and always hit on a 5+. When a Hijacker fires they select a target area and one area either in front or behind (Cockpit or Tail) as their potential hit locations, this represents them firing wildly. Roll to hit all targets in all squares.

If a Team Controls a Passenger Token then

Vetting

If undiscovered a Hijacker may attempt to blend into the passengers and escape. The Hijacker player secretly rolls a d6+1. This is the number of turns until the blended hijacker leaves the plane unless spotted. Only one hijacker may be blended at one time. Any more than that and the teams would halt everyone from leaving and they would be caught. When a passenger token moves within one area of a team or vice versa they may choose to vet that token. If they do so then they can only fire aimed shots and will only hit on a 6.

The Hijacker play takes three playing cards. And arranges them in his hand. He then shows one to the Team player. The Hijacker then moves the cards around for several seconds. The Team player selects a card and if it matches then the blended hijacker has been found and considered captured.

If no hijackers are actually blending and the teams pass the test then no Hijackers may blend for the rest of the game.

Victory Points

There are 10 Passenger tokens aboard the Plane. The Game ends when the Hijackers are dead.

For every passenger token that leaves the plane the Teams score Three points.

For every wounded (including critical wounded that rolls a 4+) token the teams lose One Point.

For Every Seriously Wounded Token the Teams lose Two Points.

For Every Execution Token (a wounded token that was taken out of action by a Hijacker or a seriously Wounded Passenger that dies as a result of the Roll) the Teams lose Five Points.

In Real Life the Teams (SAS) that Secured the Lufthansa Flight 181 would have Scored a 25.

30 Points for the Passengers Escaping Minus 5 for the Five Wounded People (4 Passenger and 1 Team Member)

The Game is intended to be a sort of bragging rights type affair which is why the game gives players a figure, this can be compared at the end of a session of anywhere from 2 or More People to see who did the best or even kept as a running tally that everyone can always be trying to beat.

I’m not a good artist. I can’t draw and I don’t know how to use Photoshop so when I make a Map I do it in a 3D Design Program since that’s what I know how to use

But when @oriskany sent out his weekly Weekend Wargaming E-Mail he sent me a very nice gift.

Jim created this and sent it to me and wow does it look amazing.

A Huge Thanks to Jim for the Amazing Board