Indy Squadron House Rules 

Instant Start Rules

All house rules have been passed by majority vote at an official squadron gaming day. The date and vote count is listed where known.

Critical Hit Tables 
The "Dawn Patrol 8th Edition Critical Hit Tables," 3rd draft dated July, 1996 as released in AERODROME, are officially adopted as the critical hit tables used at the Indy Squadron. Upgraded from experimental status, passed by 3-1 vote, January 1, 2003.

Victory Credit/Cuts for Kills 
Any player who scored one or more hits on a target on the turn that the target became a kill may participate in a card cut to determine which pilot gets credit on his mission/kill record. If the target plane was not hit on the turn in which it became a kill, victory credit goes to the last player(s) to have scored a hit factor in the target plane. 
Revision passed April 16, 2022

Championship Eligibility
To be eligible to compete for the title of “Indy Squadron Champion” in the Armistice Day Fits Tournament, a player must either:
  • Have participated in an official Indy Squadron game in the same calendar year, not including the Armistice Day Fits Tournament, OR
  • Establish lifetime eligibility by having previously won an Indy Squadron championship title.
Passed by 6-0 vote, Feb 18, 2012

Targeting
Targeting (the act of aiming a gun) and shooting (the act of firing a gun) are not synonymous. Declaring a target does not mandate that a player fire on that target. All other standard targeting restrictions remain unchanged. Passed by a 5-0 vote, March 23, 2002.

Artillery Spotting
Observer operates wireless set; aircraft must fly straight and level entire turn for wireless operation. Observer signals artillery unit to commence firing, with a 5% chance for the first, unguided salvo to hit (rolled at end of firing phase). Every successive signal to artillery results in a 10% increase for the next salvo to hit. Spotting aircraft must end turn within 10 squares of ground target in order to observe results. Artillery will fire only one salvo after each wireless message it receives. Once a hit is achieved, spotting aircraft must send a final message to "fire at will," after which target is destroyed. Final wireless message may be sent after escaping from combat, or at any distance from target. Observers may not perform any other duty while operating wireless, but are not required to announce their intentions until all movement is completed. Any conscious observer may operate wireless. Passed May 19, 1990.

Observer's Defense Rule
Observers may under certain circumstances fire on enemy aircraft as it approaches its target during the movement phase. Observer may stop an attacker in any square and declare his intention to fire on that attacker in that square (usually marked with a die). Attacker is already assumed to be at his final intended altitude, and all standard blind spots and firing procedures remain in effect. Observer's fire takes full effect prior to attacking aircraft's shot, including checks for critical hits. Observer may declare an unlimited number of shots on an unlimited number of attackers, and does not select a final target until all movement is completed. Passed May 19, 1990.
Addendum: The Observer's Defense Rule may be employed against targets which are in the act of attacking A) the observer's own aircraft, or B) any friendly aircraft currently in a declared formation in which the observer's plane is also flying (see “Formation Flying” house rule). Passed by a 4-0 vote, April 18, 2015.

Light/No Effect Wound Adjustments
  • Lightly wounded pilots who land successfully add 10% to their survival chances. 
  • Pilots with No Effect or Light Wounds who roll unsuccessful landing #5 add 5% to their survival chances. 
  • Pilots with No Effect or Light Wounds who roll unsuccessful landing #6 add 10% to their survival chances. 
  • Unwounded pilots who roll unsuccessful landing #6 automatically survive. 
Passed 4-0, November 17, 2007
Addendum: Unwounded pilots who roll unsuccessful landing #5 add 10% to their survival chances. Passed by a 3-0 vote with 1 abstention, April 17, 2015

Formation Flying
Formation flying is executed by taking tailing position behind the flight leader, with tailing range expanded to 500'. The flight leader need not be in the firing range of the wingman. Wingmen do not roll for movement order, but declare their formation flying intentions prior to rolling initiative. Flight leaders then execute a specific maneuver, then stop as wingmen repeat it, then finish movement, again followed by wingmen. Formation flying is not permitted if you a) are tailing an opponent, b) intend to fire on an opponent who is being tailed by your flight leader, c) broke formation with that same flight leader on the prior turn, d) cannot duplicate your flight leader's maneuver, or e) rolled for movement order. Wingmen may stay in formation while their flight leader tails an opponent, but may not fire on that opponent in that turn. Wingmen must break formation if they end their turn outside their flight leader's 500' tailing zone.

Point Blank Range
All shots from 50-foot range are considered point blank, and one hit factor is added to the total damage inflicted.

Aircraft Movement Rules
Once an aircraft counter has been deliberately moved into a square on the game board, it may not be moved back. In the case of an illegal move, three options are possible: the player may reroute his aircraft to arrive at the same final square, the player may re-maneuver his aircraft to arrive at that same final square (using only the maneuvers in his deck if the player is involved in tailing), or the player's aircraft may fall out of control. Correction of an illegal move does not "stop the clock" on a player who is being timed. Passed by majority vote circa 1989. Re-affirmed by 4-1 vote with one abstention, January 17, 2004.

60 Second Rule
Any player at the table may at his/her discretion put any other player on a 60 second time limit to complete their movement by verbally informing the player who is moving. It then becomes the invoking player's responsibility to time the moving player, and to regularly post them on the time remaining. The 60 second rule may be invoked to time movement (during tailing, the maneuver phase and the post maneuver phase are timed separately) or choosing of tailing cards. Altitude may be announced after the time limit has expired, and the clock may be stopped for rule interpretations. Failure to finish movement within the time limit results in the plane stopping (if it has already moved 6 or more squares), or finishing the remainder of it's movement in a straight line. In either case, there is no gain or loss of altitude.

Hidden Damage
Attacking player informs the player receiving damage how many hit factors they receive. Player receiving damage rolls secretly to determine where hits occur, and if pilot hits are possible, informs attacker of the number of chances. Attacking player rolls pilot hit chances secretly; pilot hits must be witnessed by a wingman. Passed by majority vote, circa 1989. 

Head-On Pilot Chance Reduction 
All "probable" pilot hit opportunities described in 7th edition rules are hereby considered "possible" pilot hit opportunities. Standard adjustment for pilot experience levels remain unchanged. The "non-deflection" head-on rule that results in shifting up one table on the hit chart is hereby eliminated. Passed 2-0 with two abstentions, October 13, 2018. 

Two Seater Mission Credit
It is not necessary for two seaters to fire or be fired upon in order to receive mission credit. Mission credit is obtained via participation in the game. Passed by majority vote, circa 1993.

Grounded Balloon Rule
Balloons that have been winched down to ground level are still viable targets and, if destroyed, may be claimed as victories. Passed by 4-1 vote, 9 September 2006.

MG Pilot Wound Chances
When firing at airplanes from a head-on angle, ground machine guns must roll double "1's" to score a pilot hit. Passed 8-1, November 11, 2006.

Tournament Ammunition Limitations
All pilot-operated guns in the Indy Squadron Armistice Day Fits Tournament, Whosyercon Open and Red Baron Fight are restricted to 25 rounds of ammunition. Passed by majority vote, November 3, 2013.

Indy Squadron Tournament Scoring System
  • +2 for each hit factor scored on an enemy aircraft
  • +30 for shooting down an enemy aircraft. Kill points are split equally among any pilot who hits the same area that caused the plane's demise on the turn that it goes down, regardless of the number of hits. If a pilot hit is the cause of the plane's destruction, then in order for another player to split the kill, he/she must have also a) scored a pilot his (regardless of wound type), or b) reduced some area of the plane to zero, or c) inflicted a critical hit that would also have resulted in an indisputable kill.
  • +6 for an assist; scoring hits on an enemy aircraft on the turn that it goes down (but in a different area of plane).
  • +15/10/5 for surviving combat with aircraft in flying condition/surviving combat and returning to own lines (prisoner escapes fall in this category), surviving as prisoner for duration.
  • +10 for forcing an enemy to escape via normal escape rules or any other de facto means. Principle: was the escape made following damage inflicted by the plane in question for the purpose of avoiding an attack or potential attack on the following turn?

Lewis Gun "Raking Rule"
Any aircraft with a Lewis wing gun that can defend from top attacks can also attack an aircraft from the bottom (with just the wing mounted Lewis gun) while remaining level ("raking") and achieve an advantage. If both aircraft end the turn in level flight with identical directional facings, the attacking Lewis gun bumps up one table in addition to any other potential advantages or bonuses. The attacking plane may not attack another target with its deck gun. Passed by 6-0 vote, July 10, 2004.

3rd Man In
When determining eligibility for a third attacker on a single target, firing range brackets will be used to calculate distance, rather than the distance of the shot. Therefore, a 50-foot shot is treated the same distance as a 100 foot shot for calculating “3rd Man In” eligibility, because they are in the same firing range bracket. The bracket ranges for firing are the sole determinant for the “equal or closer to” calculation. (The Point Blank Range rule cannot be used to determine any "equal to or better shot" consideration).

Card Restriction Rule
When seventh edition rules mandate the use of maneuver cards, a player may not exceed the restrictions on the cards and must execute the maneuver exactly as described. If the player fails to execute the maneuver properly or abide by the card restrictions, his plane is moved backwards and the move is corrected. This constitutes an exception to the Aircraft Movement Rule which prohibits backwards movement. Passed by 4-0 vote with two abstentions, January 17, 2004.

Aircraft Groupings
At their option, players may use the latest aircraft groupings published by the Fits Society, or they may use the official 7th edition aircraft groupings and simply add an "Early War Fighter" group for each nationality. Players opting to use 7th edition charts may absorb newer planes into existing aircraft groups using their own judgment. Such additions should be consistent with the existing aircraft groups in chronology and type and style of aircraft. Passed by 4-0 vote, January 1, 2003.

Mercedes DIII Engine
By a 4-0 vote the Indy Squadron adopted the Mercedes DIII High Compression by Scott Campbell on January 1, 2003. This site is unable to support tables; see Indy Squadron House Rules .PDF document on the "Downloads" page for details of this house rule. 

Revised Albatros Statistics
Any player flying a non-high compression Albatros D series fighter may, at his/her option, use the traditional Albatros stats, or the following revised stats generated by Mike Vice. This site is unable to support tables; see Indy Squadron House Rules .PDF document on the "Downloads" page for details of this house rule. 

Condensed Alternative Collision Chart
When a potential collision occurs, each participant draws cards according to 7th edition rules. If a collision takes place, each participant then rolls on the table below until a valid result is achieved to determine the severity and results of the incident. This site is unable to support tables; see Indy Squadron House Rules .PDF document on the "Downloads" page for details of this house rule. 

Pilot Wounds
Players may use either the standard 7th edition wound charts or the Pilot Wound Percentile Table below. Medium Wounds have not been adopted by the Indy Squadron. This site is unable to support tables; see Indy Squadron House Rules .PDF document on the "Downloads" page for details of this house rule. 

Snipe Rotary Right
Sopwith Snipe aircraft may perform rotary rights in accordance with 7th edition rules and disregard later rulings to the contrary. Passed 6-0, 22 July 2011.

Short Burst Gun Jams
When a gun jam occurs as a result of firing a short burst, 1 hit factor is inflicted by the attacking player. This supersedes the 7th edition rule stating that no hits are scored in this situation. Passed 5-0, 30 March 2018 

Movement Order Mistake Resolution
When a player moves out of turn (i.e., not in accordance with correct initiative sequence) but the error is not discovered until later in the game turn, that player is not permitted to declare a target in that game turn. The player moving out of turn may only be targeted by opponents who should have moved after him according to correct initiative sequence and would have been able to target him under normal circumstances.

This rule is designed to correct a situation in which a player moves out of turn and then another player moves prior to the mistake being discovered, creating a difficult "Fits Lapse" situation regarding targeting. Deliberately remaining silent so as to allow a player to mistakenly move out of turn violates the spirit of this rule. Any player who recognizes that a plane is being moved out of sequence is obliged to speak so that correct movement order is preserved. ​

Kill Confirmation Adjustment for Gliding Airplanes
Claimants may add +50% to the final calculation on the Kill Confirmation Chart when a gliding plane escapes into the clouds under the following circumstances, 1) the claimant fired on the gliding plane on the turn before its engine stopped, 2) the claimant "escorted" the gliding plane to the clouds, which is defined as follows: ending in a firing position within 700' of the gliding plane on the turn prior to its entry into the clouds. Declaring or taking the shot is not necessary to receive the bonus. This rule is not retroactive. ​Passed 5-0, May 8, 2021

Aircraft Damage Index for Campaigns Engine Damage 
Engine Damage: Engine critical hits #3, 5, 11, and 12 (any combinations that result in these hits) require automatic engine overhaul. Two engine criticals taken in a single mission require automatic engine overhaul. Three or more engine critical hits taken in a single mission, any engine seizure, or engine's hit capacity reduced to zero destroys engine. If engine catches fire and is exstinguished, there is a 45% chance that it is rendered unusable and destroyed. Engine overhaul: pilot flies substitute a/c for one mission. Engine destroyed and replaced: pilot flies substitute a/c for two missions. 
Other Damage: If specific area of a/c takes over 75% of total damage it can absorb, extensive repair is required. If aircraft takes 50% or more of the total hits the entire a/c is capable of absorbing, a/c is damaged beyond repair. If burning a/c is landed but not extinguished, a/c is damaged beyond repair. Extensive repair: pilot flies substitute a/c for one mission (effects are cumulative; two areas of extensive damage - pilot flies substitute a/c for two missions). Damaged beyond repair: aircraft is scrapped; pilot must access another aircraft on next mission.

Obsolete/Repealed Rules
All of the following former house rules were rescinded by majority vote.
  • The Evasion of Capture rule originally passed in 1990 (which gave downed pilots a 5-10% chance of evading capture) is no longer necessary now that most of the society uses a similar rule. Indy's original Evasion of Capture rule was rescinded on Jan. 1, 2003 in favor of the generally accepted society rule that is nearly identical. 
  • Increased Parabellum Drum Capacity: Indy's 1989 house rule expanding the ammunition in Parabellum ammo drums from 10 to 20 rounds became unnecessary when the society officially adopted a rule which increased the Parabellum's capacity to 25 rounds. 
  • Single Gun Firepower Effectiveness: Indy's circa 1989 house rule that bumped single deck guns one table higher on the Firepower Effectiveness table became obsolete when the society adopted an identical rule. 
  • Rear Fuselage Critical Hit Table: Indy's house rule creating rear fuselage critical hits (passed May 19, 1990) was rescinded six years later when the Fits Society incorporated a nearly identical rule into its new critical hit charts. 
  • Pilot Hit Points: The Indy rule that assigned a hit point capacity to each pilot personality was found to be undesirable and rescinded by majority vote. 
  • Two-Seater Mission Incentive Rule: Passed May 19, 1990 to promote flying two seaters, this rule was deemed unfavorable and rescinded by majority vote.