Wings of Glory Aerodrome Tournament Weekend - Doncaster - Part 2

PART 1 can be found at the link.

After the success of the Ace of Aces game and a thoroughly enjoyable meal out on the Saturday night, I started of Sunday morning controlling an Italian Regia Aeronautica SM-79 Torpedo Bomber in Operation Pedastal the return!

For anyone not aware of this WW2 Operation, it was a major convoy including the SS Ohio Tanker on its way to resupply Malta.

Attacking the rear of the convoy along with a couple of other SM-79's and a lone Messerschmidt 100 flown by Andrezj whislt protected by a single Macchi Folgore, I flanked right and attempted to pick off single merchant ships. Flak was covering the approaches but I managed to dodge the AA and loosed of my torpeodes before exiting the table to rearm.

The dangerous fish ran true and as I flew away I could see in the distance explosions and plumes of black smoke rising over the striken ship.

After rearming, once again I flew in low, dancing over the waves and lining up with another pondereous merchantman. The 110 let rip with some devestating cannon fire and I saw a small transport sink beneath the waves as I dropped my torpedoes.

Allied Swordfish, Martlets and a pair of Hurricanes were now in the skies trying desperately to defend the convoy but the Folgore dived on a lone Hurricane and sent it spiraling into the Med!

The torpedoes impacted on the starboard of the merchantman causing it to be dead in the water and it was finally finished off by the other SM-79s as well as huge explosions coming from the HMS Warspite which had also been hit.

A cracking game and as Skafloc was trying it out for the first time I think it ran pretty well.

So onto the afternoon and the biggest Aviation game I have ever played. WW2 Battle of Britain, with nearly 100 aircraft on the table.

The bombers were all mounted on perspex sheets to move in waves and the fighters (I controlled 10 Messerschmidts in 3 sqns) were moved individually against the best of the RAF's Hurricanes and Spitfires.

Unfortunately I did not get to finish the game, having to leave mid afternoon but on my side of the board my fighters had a tough dogfight against 9 Spitfires whislt trying to protect the slower Stuka dive bombers.

The Luftwaffe however must have been veterans, flying for the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War and from the Blitzkrieg in Europe as they only lost two fighters whilst downing 7 Spitfires in return

Overall a brilliant weekend. Some very good fortune and some very helpful victims throwing themselves in front of my guns.

Fly well and may your guns never jam.

Definately looking forward to 2016 now.

Wings of Glory Aerodrome Tournament Weekend - Doncaster - Part 1

As a member of the Wings of Glory Aerodrome I attended the annual tournament weekend, held in Doncaster at the South Yorkshire Air Museum. This was only the second year that this event had been held and the first time that I could attend.

I was really looking forward to a very fun filled weekend and to meet up with a the rest of the members, a few I have met at various wargames shows, but the majority I would be meeting for the first time.

I arrived at the venue in plenty of time on the saturday morning after a very uneventful journey up the A1. The numbers began to swell and the first games were set up ready for our gaming pleasure. First game of the day I had signed up for was a WW1 Ground Attack scenario ran by the previous years Ace of Aces winner - Andrzej from Poland.

I was flying a Fokker DVII of the German airforce against SE5a's of the RFC and straight away headed for the nearest ground target and destroyed it. Soon the air was filled with aircraft twirlling around in a dogfight dance. SE5a's were kindly positioning themselves in front of my gunsights and my Spandaus were red hot by the end of the game after downing 3 of the RFC's aircraft as well as destroying a few ground targets, which also netted myself an Ace skill.

Points were awarded throughout the game for such successes and after the totals were totted up I had won the scenario. Andrzej had brought a wonderful little boardgame as the winners prize and I also got to choose from the prize table which had been set up, taking a two seater Rumpler as my spoils.

Just after a very nice lunch of Stotties with peese pudding, game 2 was underway. This one was a two seater challenge. Players had to fly their two seater and uncover targets which could be a bombing mission (where you actually had to throw darts at a dartboard to simulate bombing runs) photo missions, landing to collect a spy or unfortunately uncovering flak batteries.

Again I chose to fly as a member of the German Airforce and took off in a rickety Rumpler. I decided throughout the game to ignore the targets and go for shooting down opposition aircraft, therefore allowing my colleages to fly safely. Again my deadly aim proved to much for the Royal Flying Corp and I downed a DH4, A Bristol Fighter and an RE8. Points at the end again saw my gain second place this time but I was starting to achieve a deadly reputation.

Last game of the Saturday and it was a massive dogfight with roughly 15 vs 15 players. Sides and aircraft were randomized by choosing a playing card and I started in the middle of the table flying  for the RFC. All players started off with a low class plane and each time you were shot down you got to pick a progressivley better aircraft. Red pokker tokens were given to you if you shot down an opposition plane and a Blue pokker token given if you were shot down.

Starting off I dived straight at my nearest opponent and downed her very quickly. She respawned with another plane and I downed that as well. By now a few of the other players to the left of me drifted into range and the lead was flying filling the sky. A couple more German kites where knocked out the sky and I had been shot down twice. Respawning the second time I skirted to the right and took on new opposition. Already badly damaged, it also fell under my guns.

The game ended and my tally was 4 Albatross's, 2 Seimans Schucket DIII and a Fokker DVII

Seven Red tokens and 2 Blues saw me overall winner, becoming 2015 ACE of ACES!!!!

I was gobsmacked and bloody well Chuffed to Bits! Everyone had a blast and we ended the day with a very nice meal out at a local restaurant. Sunday would see a very large Battle of Britain game and that will be in Part 2.

Pulp City AAR - A.R.C vs HEAVY METAL

My friend Ben and I have finally managed to get enough stuff organised to start playing Pulp City at our local club. To which we finally sat down and managed to have a Level 6 game the other week.

Ben decided to go with Heavy Metal taking:

Dr Mercury
Nuclear Jones
Androida
Chronin

Whilst I chose to run my A.R.C crew:

Guerilla
Red Bella
Chimp Chi
Howler

We rolled for the Plot and got Territory - this would see agenda points gained for controlling board quarters. No civilians or other Agendas were chosen as we just wanted to run through the main rules and get a game going.

After both sides deployed Ben won initiative and charged ahead with Androida who using her feats managed to dash half way across the board. Red Bella flew round to counter the speeding femdroid but was soon in a tough scrap with Dr Mercury. On the other side of the board, Guerilla and Howler were moving up in cover, taking well aimed shots at both Nuke Jones and Chronin whilst Jones was loosing Missile after Missile at the raging Apes.

Chimp Chi stealthily concealed on the rooftops, nimbly darted across them to drop down behind Chronin and with the help of Howler, took out the time manipulating samuria.

Androida had also fallen on the other Side to a well timed shot from Red Bella. Dr Mercury flailed at Bella in revenge but the lucky Ape still stood.

Back at the T-Junction Nuke Jones loosed off another Missile and took down both Chimp Chi and Howler.

With both sides depleted and darkness descending, they withdrew. The A.R.C had completed their plot for the day though and managed to gain more Agenda Points winning the encounter.

                      

                      

                      

                      

                      

                      

BloodBowl Match - Lustrian Snake Queens vs Morgs Raiders

Our wargaming club has just started its 10th Anniversary Blood Bowl League and one of the ideas was to have coaches bring back their very first team (also new and old players could just start with a new team) I decided to bring back my Amazon team - The Lustrian Snake Queens.

This 10th League was going to be a tough slog with some very high team valued Chaos and Necromantic teams, very highly skilled Elven and Skaven teams as well as some tough Human, Norse and Lizardmen teams.

My first conference game was against a brand new Undead Starter team who would be bringing Ramtut and Hack en Slash Star Players to the pitch as inducements.

The weather was nice, the fans were screaming for carnage and the commentators were ready...so lets play BLOODBOWL!!!!!

The Undead win the toss and elect to kick, and Blitz the Snake Queens straight from the off. Hack en Slash runs directly towards an Amazon Blitzer and stuns her with his chainsaw.

Recovering from the quick actions of the Undead, the Snake Queens charge into the Raiders and take out Hack en Slash in revenge. Ramtut steams downfield and covers the Amazon Thrower, a Mummy blitzes but just pushes his opponent.

The Snake Queens manoeuvre around the pitch and down a Mummy. The Thrower dodges away from Ramtut, collects the ball and launches a long pass into the waiting arms of a Catcher. The Catcher dashes in the direction of the Undead endzone. A Blitzer tries to crunch a Ghoul but double skulls and the Undead take the advantage.

A few hits go in from the Raiders but they cannot match the Amazon catcher for speed and she dances merrily into the endzone to score TOUCHDOWN 1-0 to the Snake Queens.

The Amazons kick off and the ball goes high and a Ghoul gets underneath it but fails the catch, scooping the ball up on its second attempt the Ghoul makes a move to put in a pass but realises it is out of range.

The Amazons pile into the Undead and a Wight gets taken off the pitch KO’d. A Snake Queens Catcher dashes towards the ball carrying Ghoul and Strips the Ball clear, followed up by a Blitzer who controls the loose ball.

With the Undead reeling and unsure what to do, they see one of their Ghouls taken down and CAS’d whilst the Snake Queens score again just at the end of the half TOUCHDOWN 2-0!!

Both teams run back out onto the pitch and second half is underway. The Amazons kick the ball and whilst it is in the air they set up a Perfect Defence. The Undead players smash into the Snake Queens line but only manage to push a few players around. In reply a Blitzer dodges through some Zombies and takes out a Ghoul causing another CAS.

Collecting the ball the Raiders try and cage players around the ball carrier but the Snake Queens blitz and KO the Ghoul carrying the ball. The ball bounces loose but no one can catch it and it finally comes to rest on the pitch.

A huge scum in the middle of the pitch takes place with both teams trying to get someone available to control the ball. A Zombie finally somehow comes up from the seething mass of players with the ball but its quickly loose again as the Zombie is smashed to the ground and the Amazons pick the ball up.

During the scrum a Mummy managed to KO a Blitzer but its too little too late as the Raiders watch the deft Snake ladies slither round the pitch and launch the ball downfield, again easily caught and run in again for the Snake Queens to Score TOUCHDOWN 3-0.

The whistle blows and the game is over. The Raiders have been soundly beaten and it’s been a painful lesson and welcome to the league.