Unit Card:
Set - Number
Angels 20 - 29/31
History:
Vergilius
The Hawker Typhoon was originally conceived as a successor to the Hurricane, and intended to be a medium to high altitude interceptor. The plane suffered an overly long gestation period, followed by being rushed into service before the bugs could be properly assessed and addressed. This led to one of the worst reputations among all the fighters in WWII in the eyes of the pilots who attempted to fly the Typhoon. Despite the shortcomings at high altitude, the Typhoon Interceptor was one of the few planes capable of catching the Fw190 at low altitudes, and was therefore shifted in service into a low altitude interceptor. The Fw190 was clearly superior to the Spitfire Mk V, and therefore the Typhoon was required to counter the threats posed by the Fw190. It also succeeded in fighter-bombing and ground support roles.
Reviews:
Vergilius
The Typhoon Interceptor in Angels20 is an extremely sturdy and well-armed plane. The defensive line of 4-7-3 brings the incredibly powerful 4 armor into the UK and Allied arsenal. A main gunnery line of 8-6-4 is among the most impressive armaments in the game, while a speed range of 2-4, and a high speed of 5-6 matches many of the best planes in the game and ensures that the Typhoon can move to meet an enemy. Add a Veteran pilot to this offensive mix and you’ve got a deadly weapon on your hands that can vital enemy fighters with ease. The Typhoon is not without some glaring weaknesses, however. Turn, Roll and Climb all stand at a paltry three. Basically you cannot fight a turning game, nor can you fight a vertical game. Whether you can maneuver on a given turn to reach optimal firing position is a wild guess. These weaknesses are amplified by the Poor at Altitude SA. Chances are that you won’t reach altitude 5 or 6 most games, and if you do, you hopefully dive the next round. But above altitude 4, your already low maneuvering abilities become much worse. The Typhoon benefits slightly when performing a Split-S maneuver through the Powered Roll SA. Unfortunately, when your base roll is a three, that extra one point is a small comfort. Thankfully, Steady Shooter matches well the low maneuvering values, since you’ll generally want to avoid difficult maneuvers and just take the best shot available with the increased die that Steady Shooter provides.
Flight Builds and Tactics: The Typhoon Interceptor is a good plane, but not a great plane. The guns are downright scary, which makes the Typhoon a good fit for the kill plane that moves last in your sequence. Alternatively, the four armor and lower maneuvering rolls make it a good fit for an early plane in your build, where you might not need to maneuver and are simply taking the best shot available regardless of angle. The Typhoon is cheaper than the typical Aces and other high end planes, but still quite expensive at 43 points compared to the other Veteran pilots in the game. This means that you’re often forced into hard choices over whether to include the Typhoon, or one of the other high quality allied planes that could fit into your build. In higher point games, this is less of a concern because you can bring an Ace with your remaining spare points, but it does pose a problem in the lower point levels because it actively competes with the Spitfire Ace. The Spitfire Ace can generally be maneuvered more carefully and can often land ideal shots from turn to turn, with a bonus even against opposing Veteran pilots. The Typhoon Interceptor will rarely be able to make as many quality shots as the Spitfire Ace. The sturdiness of the Typhoon Interceptor might provide a few more rounds of playing in some match-ups. Since you lack maneuvering ability, you’ll want to be very careful how you position your Typhoon Interceptor since any planes that get onto its tail may prove extremely difficult to shake. At this point, much of the selection is going to come down to playing style, with those that opt for more finesse and art picking up a more maneuverable ace while those that simply wish to cram power down an opponent’s throat with no pretext for subtlety picking the Typhoon’s guns and armor. Thankfully at 120 points, a pure UK build has the convenient option of a Spitfire Ace, Typhoon Interceptor, and Koscuisko Hurricane bringing the best of both worlds into a game that is only modestly more expensive than the standard 100 point contest.
Plastic Figure Notes:
