As I continue to amuse myself with Eagle Leader, I’ve been tinkering with a few house rules. This one is intended to reflect (in more narrative than simulationist tones) the advantages and risks of terrain-following flight. Aircraft eligible to use this rule are the F-111, A-7, and Tornado families (and, in Fulcrum Leader, the Su-24).
Terrain-Following Flight
During the Aircraft Move and Adjust Altitude step, an aircraft with terrain-following capability that is already at low altitude may enter terrain-following mode. Place a distinct marker next to its counter to indicate this status. An aircraft in terrain-following mode may return to low altitude during the Aircraft Move and Adjust Altitude step.
An aircraft must be undamaged, and its pilot must not be Shaken or Unfit, to enter terrain-following mode. If any of these conditions takes effect, the aircraft immediately reverts to low altitude.
The following additional rules and conditions apply to an aircraft operating in terrain-following mode:
- Aircraft Attacks – The aircraft may only attack sites and targets in its own area of the tactical display, and may use only cannon, rockets, and retarded bombs (e.g., Mk. 82 Snake Eye, M117R). It may not attack bandits.
- Enemy Attacks – Sites outside the aircraft’s own area of the tactical display may not target the aircraft, and bandits treat it as one area farther away for target selection purposes. Sites in the aircraft’s own area target it as if it were at low altitude.
- Aircraft Reaction to Attacks – When the aircraft sustains an attack, ECM and EW do not apply against attacks from sites (but they do apply against bandit attacks). The aircraft may attempt to evade or to suppress an attack, but not both. Suppression is subject to the terrain-following weapon restrictions above. When the aircraft attempts evasion or suffers a Stressed attack result, roll a die and add the pilot’s AtG skill: on a 5 or less, the aircraft immediately returns to low altitude and the pilot gains 1 additional Stress.
- Aircraft Movement and Overlying Sites – Each time the aircraft enters a new area, draw one site token for that area. Discard any result of “NO SITE” or any site with a printed range of 1 or greater. Place a site with range 0 on the tactical display in the aircraft’s area. If the newly-placed site can attack at low altitude, it makes an immediate attack against the aircraft. The aircraft’s reactions to this attack are subject to the rules above. The attack always inflicts 1 Stress, even if the die roll is lower than its normal Stressed target number.