Recording Damage

[Archidamus]

The group I play in trialled using laminated cards and dry wipe pens to record damage - the actual cards drawn are then re-shuffled into the deck at the end of every turn.

The thinking is that you don't then get the sort of thinking we had been seeing around either "thank heavens the explosion is gone, now I am safe" or, alternatively, "help, only five cards to go - I have a 20% chance of an explosion".

It did seem to all concerned that this kept uncertainty in the damage, and also gets over the fact that the odds change as the number of cards diminish - so we have decided to continue with this.

The main issue is creating screens (or some other method) to hide the damage cards so that secrecy is maintained.

[Charlie3]

You might be able to save yourself some work if you put all damage cards from a plane back into the deck when it goes down and re-shuffle the deck. Our group has done this for a long time and it works for us.

Because of the size of most of our games (8+) we use a double "A" deck and are changing from a single"B" to a double due to all of the new "B" damage planes.

When the game starts we pull the explosions and have someone cut the deck. We pick one half to be the bottom of the deck and shuffle the explosions into that half, then put the other half on top. This way the explosions do not show up right away, however as soon as a plane goes down the entire deck is re-shuffled after adding the cards from the downed plane. NOW the sweating begins! By using this system we keep all the cards in the mix for most of the game, and we have many games where the dreaded Explosion does not even appear.

Give it a try!

[Anav]

We mix in the counters/cards when a plane goes down.....if its a small game we take the explosion out.

[KiltedWolf]

I like the idea of a dry-erase sheet. Our group uses one of two damage methods. If it is a campaign scenario, then limited ammunition is used, and the damage cards are dolled out to each player before the game to be used as a shot is fired. If it is a league game, then we keep all the damage cards together in one pile where the deck is shuffled each time a card is drawn, and then the card is returned to the pile. I like using the cards with limited ammunition, but am looking to make chips (out of poker chips) for when we just take damage from the pile, so there is no need to reshuffle the deck.

Damage is kept on paper sheets I downloaded (from this site I believe). We enjoy the randomness of the explosion card, and so it is never not used. Perhaps we are move laid back, but we don't sweat "keeping the damage hidden" so no use for a screen. Our attention is on the planes, the scenario (not every mission is resolved by shooting down all the other planes), and our banter. So far, no one has shown a desire to know/keep track of other players damage.
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Cheers!

[Mac]

Charlie,
There has NEVER been a game, in which I played, that the explosion card HAS NOT turned up. I know this because I usually get it!
Jeff A had three kills in one game, all explosion cards!
To me, and this is my opinion, the lack of more "pencil and paper" is a plus, though if it works for you guys and your league with dry erase, by all means do it.

[Charlie3]

Charlie,
There has NEVER been a game, in which I played, that the explosion card HAS NOT turned up. I know this because I usually get it!
Jeff A had three kills in one game, all explosion cards!
To me, and this is my opinion, the lack of more "pencil and paper" is a plus, though if it works for you guys and your league with dry erase, by all means do it.

NEVER?? I'll have to check the memory banks on that one, but with you there it does show up for you on a regular basis but then again with all the smoke and fire you draw are you really surprised?? I think the general overall record goes to Matt B. then you by a few and then me by only one or two difference. Great fun eh??

[Mac]

Oh it does!
Usually with maybe 2-6 points damage and KER BLOOOIE

[flash]

Hi Brian - like the thinking. Why don't you create & laminate a damage card for each player that after marking they can lay face down on the control panel?

[Archidamus]

Dave,

Great idea - we'll give that a try next outing out (in about a week).

[flash]

No probs Brian - let us know how you get on.

[MayorJim]

That sounds like a great idea. The damage tally cards can just be turned over so no one can peek. We remove the explosion card as a matter of course. We also use double "A" and double "B" decks as well.