Blood Red Skies: How to - Defensive Tactics

 

In my opinion less popular, but very efficient doctrine. It gives opportunity to react with the just attacked airplane by turning 45° in any direction. It gives an opportunity to change tailed position into deflected one, so the increase the probability of dodging such hit.

Defensive tactics is bonus doctrine to Tigh Turn trait card, so almost every (except German and American) early war fighter.

Alternative use:

It seems that Defensive tactics is not optimal doctrine for turning fighter as it does not protect from gaining a boom chit but only from loosing advantage level. In my opinion Defensive Tactics is a great deal for multiengined fighters (while optional heavy fighter rule is not use). As those fighters are often heavy armed beasts (usually FP 3) Defensive Tactics could be used in defensive as well as in offensive way.

 

Multiengined fighters do not gain boom chit unless they are Disadvantaged. So if the multiengine fighter is at least Neutral the Doctrine could be utilized for turning into head on fight (as it is heavy armed) and (being Neutral) boom chit resistant.

Playing multiengined fighters with Defensive tactics as a Doctrine you need to:

• use deep echelon like formation to keep your back safe
• choosing non Agile fighter (i.e. Beaufighters) take rather more low skilled pilots (as those planes are immune to Outmaneuvering).
• keep close to the clouds to hide if the your planes becoming low.

 
 How to deal against Defensive Tactics:

• If you are aware your opponent will play this style you can choose Snap shot as your ace skill to prevent opponent of Deflective dodge.
• Try to attack from the rear (using high cover or repositioning Theatre cards)
• If possible keep the opponent low with the Great Climb
• Neutralize clouds with the weather cards (i.e. Clear Skies, Down Drafts, High Clouds, Storm Clouds)
  

 

Blood Red Skies: How to - Aggresive Tactics

Doctrines in Blood Red Skies give special power to this game especially those which are joined with Planes traits. The most popular way of play - in Poland - is turning fight. Let's start have a look at the different doctrines and analyse how they could be used in our game.

Why not to start with one of the most popular doctrines: Aggresive Tactics?

 

Aggresive Tactics is a bonus doctrine joined with Tight Turn or Rapid Roll traits. It means that using the trait you can utilize the text from the bonus doctrine AND the trait. So in this example player can use the trait (tight turn) card to gain bonus 45° turn (from the bonus doctrine) and then move as normal including default turn at the end (or in any moment as according to the Tight Turn text). This means that planes using aggresive tactics have much higher opportunity for tailing enemy planes (see chart below). Advantaged Spitfire being at the left forward traverse of Bf109 can tail him usinng Aggresive tactics. If the Spitfire would move though the cloud it would also tail being Neutral at the start (as the plane leaving the cloud become automatically neutral).

Which planes fit best to Aggresive Tactics?

In fact Aggresive Tactics is native for all turning fighters: most of the British (Spitfires, Hurricanes), Japaneese (A6M, Ki43, Ki84), Italian (Cr42, Mc200, Mc202, Mc205), Soviet (Yaks, I-16) some of the American (Hellcats), and some of German (Fw190A). 

How to deal against Aggresive tactics?

1. Watch your six (always have a wingman!). 
2. Establish battlefield as far as possible from the clouds, 
3. Use "hit and run" tactics.