I love list building for games. It is a weakness of personality I know, but there it is.
Blood Red Skies is a fantastic sandbox for list builders like me. The standard 500 point Squadron size is almost a perfect challenge. That will get you six planes like a Spitfire II or Bf109E with a reasonable mix of pilot skills. The reason for this is the base points calculation for a plane in BRS is simple - Agility plus Firepower multiplied by Speed. You then factor in any special Traits, but the basics are there. A Spitfire Mk II for instance is 31 points - Speed 8, Ag 2, FP1 plus 3 pts for the Tight Turn trait. Six of those is 186 points leaving some scope for a reasonable mix of pilots. Pilots cost 25 points at Level 2 (Rookie) and go up in 25 point increments to Level 5 (Ace). So far so good. If however you want a better plane it rapidly becomes obvious that something has to give - you either get fewer planes or poorer pilot quality, and both those options have some serious drawbacks in Blood Red Skies.
Fewer planes means you have less capacity to absorb boom chits and losses, and fewer outmanoeuvre attempts and shooting opportunities.
Worse pilots will mean you will be at a disadvantage when outmanoeuvring and in initiative. Additionally each level of Pilot Skill is a die rolled in a shooting attack or dodge attempt. The difference of a single die can be quite important.
Also a bit of spare "change" in points can be used to get some equipment - not usually something to build a list around, but nice enhancements nonetheless.
So what makes a good plane for Blood Red Skies lists?
For me, it is balance. I like a plane with a reasonable balance of Speed, Firepower and Agility. I think Speed 8, Agility 2, Firepower 2 is the sweet spot. Before Traits that is 32 points.
Let's take a look at the runners and riders that fit the bill.
Starting with the Germans, we have the Bf109G. These come in at 36 pts due to their Great Dive \ Great Climb Traits. The Gustav is a very solid performer and the Traits give you access to some really interesting Doctrine cards such as High Altitude Performance, Dive Away or Slashing Attack. This is a plane for an player who likes to keep his Advantage and dictate when and where the fight happens. In the hands of a good player this is a monster to play against.
The British have the Mustang 1a, which is worth a look if you fancy something with Great Dive - a rare Trait for the RAF. It also has Heavy Hitter (quad 20mm cannons) and "benefits" from a discount because it has the Poor Quality trait so is only 36 points.
Before I go any further I should explain Poor Quality. This is a Negative Trait that impacts your starting Advantage level. In some scenarios this can be fatal, but most scenarios the initial debuff will have been fixed before you get too close to your opponent. I think it is a great option.
The other RAF contender, and it is quite possibly THE contender, is the Spitfire MkIX. For 37 points you get Great Climb and Tight Turn, possibly the best combination of Traits for a dogfighter in the game. The Mk IX can compete both in turning fights and in energy fights.
Over "The Pond" our next entry is the P38J - but only if you are using the optional "treat as single engine" rule - check with your Tournament Organiser. The Lightning has Great Climb and Deep Pockets. It's not a "meta" choice of traits and at 39 points its starting to be expensive, but it certainly can work and Deep Pockets gives you some very interesting options to outlast opponents. Without the "single engine" all the P38s are just too expensive to run with in tournaments.
The P38L is also a possibility - faster than the J but still Speed 8, and with Rapid Roll rather than Great Climb. This is down to preference and playstyle.
Switching to the Pacific we get the Hellcat. This is a brawler, with Rapid Roll and Robust, the only issue I see is the speed is on the low side of Speed 8 (380mph) so may lose initiative to some other planes listed here. On the plus side Robust is a very useful trait which strips your opponent of one Firepower die. I think the Hellcat is possibly the best all rounder on this list.
Next the F4U-1 Corsair. This has Great Dive and Robust and is probably one I will be looking at closely as Great Dive on a Speed 8 plane gives you a lot of "threat range" and also with the right Doctrine allows you to get in, or out of a fight mostly at your choosing. It is slow however, or rather at 388mph is slower than...........
The F4U1-D Everything the F4U-1 does but faster (within Speed 8). The down side is 40 points so there is no way you are getting six of these with reasonable pilots.
Passing mention to the F4U-1C which drops Great Dive for Heavy Hitter - I don't think this works and at 42 points it is starting to look too expensive. It's a great Fighter Bomber but not so good as a pure fighter.
On the opposite side the Imperial Japanese Navy get the J2M Raiden. Great Climb and Heavy Hitter plus the Poor Quality "discount" make for a potent package at only 36 points.
The Japanese Army also get in on the game with the Ki-61-II. The Tony in BRS is pretty much a cookie cutter Bf109G. It would be my choice for a Japanese fighter if only for.........
The Ki-84 Hayate. Great Climb, Tight Turn and Poor Quality - this is basically a Spitfire MkIX but with a marginal speed advantage and cheaper due to Poor Quality. Only 34 points if you like a turning fighter this has to be looked at.
The Soviets have a couple of possible contenders.
The La5FN is a single trait (Rapid Roll) entry with Poor Quality - meaning it costs only 31 points (!) making it the cheapest plane on this list. Unlike many of the others you can actually take six and not have to drop Pilot Quality. Being a single Trait plane however has drawbacks in that there are a limited number of Doctrines that fit Rapid Roll. It's big brother the La7 gets Great Climb to add to Rapid Roll and is only 33 points, which certainly puts it into the top tier on this list.
The last Soviet is the Yak 9U. Again like the Spit IX and Ki84 this has the Tight Turn \ Great Climb combo, and you get it for 37 points.
Last on our lists are a pair of Italian "5" series fighters, the Macchi C205 Veltro and the Fiat G55 Centauro. The G55 is the better of the two in my view, another Great Climb \ Tight Turn entry at 37 points. The C205 like the La5FN has a single positive Trait, in this case Tight Turn, and Poor Quality and as a result is the second cheapest on this list at 32 points. It makes it a "one trick pony" turn fighter, but it is a very good trick!
So which is "The Best"? The answer has to be, "It Depends".
It depends on your play style and how you tie in your Traits and Doctrines. If you like a turning fight then you will really find it difficult to find a better choice than a Macchi C205. Are you a pure "Energy Fighter"? The 109G or Ki 61 could be for you. If you prefer a mix of both the Spitfire IX, G55 or Yak9 are all good choices. Fancy hitting like a train then diving away? Corsair is your baby. What about if you like a bit of staying power or all round versatility, the Hellcat is probably best for you.
In truth all the fighters on this list are tournament "Tier One" and all have their strengths (and weaknesses). I'd be very careful if I ran into any of them across a table.
So what do you think? Is 8-2-2 the place to be or do you think you can do better with something slower, or prefer something harder hitting?
Let me know in the comments
