Combat Box is spicing things up with some new scenarios and that has lead to some increased player numbers on the server. I decided to check them out and see what one of those new scenarios was all about. Let’s have a look!

Four new scenarios

Combat Box has focused traditionally on western front scenarios and that has provided a strong niche for the server but it’s also limited it as the series has just one western front map at the moment. When the Normandy map arrives, it should provide a wide variety of scenarios for fans of Western Front scenarios and that’s pretty exciting. But that doesn’t meant that Combat Box can’t make some eastern front maps into a suitable canvas for the Western Front and that’s what they did with one of the three new scenarios that they have released into rotation on the server.

The Channel Dash makes use of the Kuban map and its Kerch Strait for some very fun ship hunting fun. The other three use the well trodden Bodenplatte Rhineland map but in some new locations that should help keep things feeling fresh.

All of the new scenarios are based on missions run during their Friday Night Flights multiplayer server event that typically helps fill Combat Box with more objective and team based flying. Here’s what Combat Box admin and mission creator Sketch had to say on their Discord.

We have just added four new FNF maps to the main rotation of missions. These maps have been tuned to be similar to other Combat Box missions. This includes the randomized weather system, so each map will always have slightly different weather. It also includes the low population AI that many are fond of. From enemy bombers to P47 attackers to fighter sweeps to quick reaction forces and more – the low population AI will keep you on your toes even if there’s no human player to fight. Each mission has had adjustments done to it based on the feedback from the FNF and SEF events too. As an example, Gunslingers now has two airfields that are closer together than before. Furthermore, all of the missions now have proper scoring tied to them. Destroy enough objectives for your side, and your team will win the match up.

Sketch on the Combat Box Discord

As always, its good to know what’s going on and what the team at Combat Box are doing with these latest scenarios.

Here are the four scenarios with their own high resolution maps.

And now, let’s talk about the mission I flew.

Typhoon anti-ship strike

Three of us hopped onto Combat Box, read the briefing and it didn’t take much convincing on what aircraft we should fly. Three Typhoons set out from a forward base complete with a dramatically burning hangar and thick smoke clogging up part of the sky.

Once airborne with our load of 12 RP-3 rockets we headed north east to the strait (aka The Channel). We learned through Combat Box’s automated messaging on SRS that a group of ships was in sector 0410 so we headed in that direction.

As we approached the tip of the strait we were able to spot the ships. I counted at least four destroyers and about twice as many support ships. We scanned the skies spotting a couple of Mustangs heading away from us on a sweep but no German fighters opposing us. Now was the time!

I dove in and lined up one of the destroyers for a shot. I released two salvos of rockets with the first going long and just over the bridge of the ship – splashing harmlessly in the water. My aim was better with the second salvo and both rockets connected.

I broke hard left and firewalled the throttle to avoid any flak coming up at me. Meanwhile both of my wingmates were also on the attack unleashing their first salvos or rockets as well. As I pulled up and away I could see ships burning. I also saw the splash of a bomb going off as yet another destroyer erupted into flames. This one was the victim of a P-47 doing a dive bombing run.

We swept in again and I fired off my second salvo of rockets – these featured the RP-3’s that were lashed together effectively allowing me to unleash eight rockets with two presses of the release key. The ship ahead of me took the full brunt of the attack but continued to steam on. One of my wingmates hit it successfully and scored the kill.

We were running low on or out of rockets but several smaller ships presented themselves as a target and they were ripe for our 20mm Hispano cannons. Swooping in we destroyed several of these in quick succession.

We decided not to press our luck and one of the Typhoons had taken a hit in the engine causing an oil leak. We covered his retreat as we briefly made a tight evasive move against what we thought were attacking 109s… but they turned out to be overly exuberant Spitfires.

We plotted a course home and landed successfully. A really fun mission! Join in on the fun and check out the Combat Box Discord server.