Scramble: Dornier Do 17, New Game Mechanics

The first purpose built bomber added to the game The core of the Battle of Britain revolved around the successes and failures of bombers. The efficiency in which they could be intercepted and the damage they would dole out when they were successful was the crux of the sustained aerial campaign of Nazi Germany in their endeavor to solidify their conquest of main land Europe. A s episode 3 of the editorial video series 'A Lens On: Battle of Britain' continues to explain the complexities of this air war and the realities of living through it, players can now experience bomber raids as Scramble: Battle of Britain by Slitherine rolls out its newest updated. On June 6th, 2025, the Dornier Do 17 and some key game mechanics related to bomber raids was released: Dornier Do 17 While Scramble has had the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka in the game for some time now, this star of The Blitzkrieg was a dive bomber or by today's terminology an Attacker. The newly introduced Dornier Do 17 is a twin engine light bomber known for its high speed. When seen in Scramble, this Schnellbomber or "fast bomber" is genuinely fast for its size. When taking on this bomber in the randomized Dogfight Generator game mode, getting an unfavorable spawn with the Do 17s at distance already flying away from the players makes them nearly impossible to intercept. This especially true when they are already at top speed, flying at wave top level. This aircraft was known for this style of attack during the Battle of Britain, evading the Royal Air Force Chain Home early warning radar system, attacking costal airfields with little warning. Formation of Do 17 bombers ingressing at low altitude. Interceptors in the background. When the player's Hurricanes or Spitfires are in range, the multiple gunner stations on the Do 17 can put out a stiff amount of firepower. Even a two-ship of these bombers can bring between four to six machine guns to bear onto incoming aircraft. The volume of fire is so high, even the sturdy Hurricane would be hard pressed to engage these bombers without a strategy. In emergency situations the bombers are decently maneuverable for their size. Nothing on the level of a ME-109 or ME-110, but they are capable of one or two hard turns before losing all airspeed. Just enough to foil an incoming attack, but in turn doom the bomber to a close range engagement. Bomber Deterrence Even since the closed beta demo, Scramble: Battle of Britain has given the player points for damaging bomb carrying aircraft like the Ju 87, forcing them to drop their bombs into the English Channel and abandon their mission in hopes of returning back to their bases. While that system is still in place this update further expands on the initial concept. Example of Raid Target arrow. Bombers now have a timer that counts down how many turns are left before they leave the airspace. Their attack vector is shown as a green arrow called Raid Target (primary objective). In the mid-game user interface, players are told how many turns are left until these targets escape the combat airspace. During this time, players will need to maneuver their fighters to intercept these bombers and either shoot them down or damage them enough to force them to abort their mission. Otherwise their escape will effect the post-mission score. Deterring the Dornier Do 17 can be achieved by damaging its engines and/or causing radiator leaks or fuel leaks. Unlike the smaller Ju 87, these bombers area able to absorb more hits as they continue to try and escape. Long-ranged bursts of machine gun fire from aircraft trying to intercept these bombers can be effective. The Hawker Hurricane with its Stable Guns aircraft trait is especially effective in this role. Example of Raid Retreat arrow. When deterred, the bombers reverse course with their general flight direction indicated by the yellow Raid Retreat arrow. While these bombers are retreating they can still be completely destroyed for high points, but as with the real Battle of Britain, forcing a bomber to abandon its mission and ditch its bombs is equally as effective as shooting it down. Players can then make the decision to pursue those aircraft or shift their focus elsewhere to other still combat effective aircraft. A damaged Do 17 jettisoning bombs, abandoning its mission. Fighter Reinforcements A second game-changing feature added with this update is the inclusion of timed arrival of fighter reinforcements. Previously the aircraft present in the start of the mission were the only aircraft that would appear. Now, hostile reinforcements can arrive after a certain amount of turns have passed, further complicating the air battle. Example of red Reinforcements arrow. Both in Tactical Mode and in combat, red Reinforcements arrows on the map indicate the direction of incoming fighters. These arrows show numbers for how many turns it will take for those reinforcements to arrive, the type of incoming aircraft and the number of incoming aircraft. Extra messages in the aircraft and pilot message display in the top left of the screen also give a simple text countdown to these same actions. Upon arrival the enemy fighters appear with a message in the center screen UI and a directional bearing reference. While something like 6 turns may seem like a lot of time, do remember that each turn is only about two seconds of flight time. Luftwaffe ME 109s arrive to combat RAF aircraft. A Step Towards Channel Defense The game mechanics surrounding the introduction of the Dornier Do 17 seem to be another step towards the still in development Channel Defense Campaign; a game mode that seems to be poised to be the signature mode of this game. I continue to appreciate that Scramble: Battle of Britain is expanding on the role of bombers. The combination of deterring them being just as effective as shooting them down and players not being penalized for not shooting down every aircraft they see, Scramble provides a uniquely realistic portrayal of strategic bomber interception missions. Hit and run tactics that force bombers to abort their mission give players a new dynamic few other flight games and simulators portray. Connect with 'Scramble: Battle of Britain' Discord Steam   Website X.com YouTube About the Writer Aaron "Ribbon-Blue" Mendoza Co-founder of Skyward Flight Media. After founding Electrosphere.info , the first English Ace Combat database, he has been involved in creating flight game-related websites, communities, and events since 2005. He explores past and present flight games and simulators with his extensive collection of game consoles and computers. Read Staff Profile .