Wings of Glory: British Agent and German absent.

Another aerial game, this time set during World War I: Wings of Glory, requested by Alasdair.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Alasdair Watson, Tim Chant

1. Forces.

ENTENTE

SPAD XIII - Tim

SPAD XIII - Alasdair

DE HAVILLAND DH4 - Tim

SOPWITH SNIPE - Andy

SOPWITH CAMEL - Ben

GERMANS

FOKKER D.VII - Michael

FOKKER D.VII - Bartek

ALBATROS D.V.A - Jimmy

2. The Game.

Our game was divided into two stages: the first involved extracting the British agent on the ground, and the second focused on engaging in air combat to drive the enemy away.

Jimmy fired the first shot at Ben, and that was his only action in the game for quite some time. More on that later. The first significant duel occurred on the other side, where Alasdair faced off against Michael. Both players scored hits, but Alasdair was hit particularly hard, resulting in his plane exploding. This marked the loss of the first unit plane in the game.

Meanwhile, Tim was on a mission in his two-seater plane to pick up the British spy. He was assisted by security provided by Andy and Ben's fighter planes, as well as his own. Initially, I was alone against them, but Michael soon joined me. Unfortunately, Jimmy decided to take a reconnaissance flight around the table.

Tim successfully landed, picked up the agent, and took off. Meanwhile, Michael found himself in the back of a two-seater plane but was hit by the rear gunner, causing the vehicle to catch fire and explode. I was left in pursuit of Tim, now surrounded by four planes, while Alasdair returned with his second plane and Jimmy continued his tour around the battlefield.

Each player piloting a fighter had the option to return to our game in their original plane or choose a new one. Alasdair opted to return in the same plane, while Michael decided to stick with the Fokker D VII model but flew with a different pilot. Meanwhile, I continued to chase Tim on my own. However, surrounded and alone, I made a mistake that ultimately cost me the plane. Tim shot me down, although Andy and Ben also contributed to my defeat.

That was when Jimmy joined the game, only to be shot down by Andy. At that moment, Tim's two-seater plane left the battlefield. The Entente had won the first part of the game. Now we were entering the second part, which focused on dominating the skies. The Entente still held the upper hand in the air.

The fight erupted once more as Jimmy returned with his plane, but Michael was quickly shot down. Eager for revenge, I first shot down Andy and then Ben. Meanwhile, Jimmy lost his second plane, leaving me all alone again. Realising I had to retreat, I turned back. The victory of the Entente was complete.

Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327179552/

Conquest of the Empire.

We took a little break from our miniature games to play a board game. Mike brought back his copy of Conquest of the Empire, which simulates the civil war in the Roman Empire. This time, we had six players: I represented Italy, Mike played as Spain, Tim took on Macedonia, Jimmy was in Asia, Alasdair controlled Egypt, and Andy managed West Africa. Meanwhile, David kept watch over the bank.

As always, during the first few turns, players expanded their territories. Some reached their maximum peaceful expansion sooner than others. Most players focused on strengthening their forces, but two players deviated from this pattern. Mike concentrated on expanding his fleet, while Tim focused on building cities and developing infrastructure.

The first wars soon broke out. The initial conflict was between Alasdair and Jimm over control of Palestine and Syria, while another battle occurred between Andy and Alasdair for Libya. In the case of Libya, Alasdair successfully repelled Andy's attack. However, in the Middle East, the war continued until the game's conclusion.

Peace reigned in the European part of the empire until Andi launched an attack on Sicily and then southern Italy. I was able to retake the provinces, but concentrating my forces in the south left my northern borders vulnerable. I thought I had an agreement with Tim, but it turned out I had only imagined it. Tim attacked my territories and defeated my forces in several battles, ultimately eliminating me from the game. After that, he emerged as the leader, but he also became a target for other players, particularly Mike, who began his attack.

Mike launched attacks against Tim both on land and at sea. The advantage lay with Mike, as he had the resources to sustain his efforts. In the south, Andy was weakened from fighting, while Alasdair and Jimmy were preoccupied with each other. Soon, Alasdair and Jimmy realised that they could also become targets for Mike's attacks, prompting them to gather their forces in their respective capitals. Ultimately, we didn't complete the game, but it was evident that only a significant upheaval could prevent Mike from securing victory. It was another interesting game, and we will revisit it at a later time.

Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720327151139

Blood Red Skies: Bombing attack on Churchill's Secret Cigar House.

After the British nearly succeeded in bombing Goering's headquarters, it was time for revenge. The Germans decided to bomb the secret location where Churchill kept his finest cigars. The entire game was played using the Blood Red Skies rules.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant, Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

RAF

(Bartek, Ben, Tim)

1st Squadron (British)

3 x Mosquito (1 x 4, 2 x 3)

2nd Squadron (British)

4 x Spitfire (1 x 5 Johnson, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 2)

3rd Squadron (Polish)

3 x Hurricane (1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 2)

LUFTWAFFE

(Jimmy, Michael)

1st Squadron

3 x Focke-Wulf FE-190 (1 x 5 Marsellitte, 2 x 3)

2nd Squadron

3 x Focke-Wulf FE-190 (2 x 4, 1 x 3)

3rd Squadron

3 x Messerschmitt Bf 109 E (1 x 4, 2 x 3)

Bombing Squadron

3 x Ju 88A (3 x 3)

2. The Game.

In our game, the Germans were assigned the mission to bomb a secret location: Churchill's best cigar warehouse. We utilised beta cards from the Blood Red Skies Facebook group, which provided modifications to the planes' capabilities. As a result, the Hurricanes became a formidable weapon.

In the RAF, we had three pilots: Ben in Spitfires, Tim in Mosquitoes, and I in Hurricanes. On the opposing side, Jimmy commanded both squadrons of Focke-Wulfs, while Michael led the rest.

The first to clash were the Spitfires and the Focke-Wulfs. Despite their numerical superiority, the Germans were unable to gain an advantage. The Spitfires engaged the more advanced German aircraft, but one of the German pilots, their ace, managed to break through the British lines and reach the Mosquitoes that were attacking the German bombers. There, however, he was met with a surprise when one of the Spitfires turned around and shot him down.

On the opposite side of the battlefield, Polish Hurricanes were engaging with Messerschmitts. Initially, the Poles pressed their attack vigorously, but soon their momentum slowed. Both sides began to approach one another at a minimal speed. Eventually, the Poles accelerated, managed to position themselves on the tails of the Germans, shot down one of the planes, and forced the others to retreat.

The German bombers were left without cover. The Focke-Wulfs were too far away, and the Messerschmitts were driven off. As a result, the Mosquitoes were able to strafe the German bombers with little resistance, and soon, one bomber was shot down. Following this, Spitfires and Hurricanes joined the assault. It was evident that the Germans, being outmatched, would fail in bombing the secret cigar stash of the British Prime Minister.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720326958441