This scenario is the biggest in the series and is actually too big to work smoothly, if I'm being realistic, given the large numbers of aircraft and cards (36!) in the deck. However, it is typical of many of the aerial dogfights that occurred in the conflict and, in fact, is probably on the smaller side of a typical mass aerial clash. The objective for both sides is simply to shoot down as many enemy aircraft as possible before running out of ammunition, which is pretty limited to start with!
The scenario is set on 24th June 1939 over the Buir Nuur Lake, with two squadrons of Soviet fighters, one of I-15bis and a top cover of I-16's both of the 70th IAP, clashing with two Chutai of Ki-27's, the first from the 24th Sentai and the second from the 11th Sentai. This adds up to seventeen Soviet fighters and nineteen Japanese fighters, even with the numbers reduced to manageable proportions, so a lot to handle unless a multiplayer game for four players and an umpire.
The Soviets enter the table from the Western short edge on Turn 1 and Turn 2, with the I-15's in the lead at ALT 2 and the I-16's following on at ALT 3. The Japanese fighters of the 24th Sentai, 1st Chutai enter on Turn 1 from the Eastern short edge at ALT 3. The 11th Sentai, 4th Chutai fighters enter from the Northern long table edge from Turn 5 onwards, on a successful die roll of 5-6 on a D6, at ALT 3. The exact entry point is up to the player involved, so there's room to position the 11th Sentai fighters to advantage.
The Soviets have a Junior Ace and a Top Ace as squadron leaders, Major I Lakeev and Captain Y.Stepanov respectively, both Spanish Civil War veterans. The Japanese also have a Junior Ace, Captain Saiji Kani, as CO of the 24th Sentai, 1st Chutai. This seems a little unfair but the Japanese pilots are, on average, more experienced than the Soviet pilots and also have a slight numerical advantage. I've deliberately left out any bogeys, as it would make a big game even harder to manage, but they could be used for the 11th Sentai for an additional element of surprise.
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