New to WoG

[sniperbait]

Hey guys.
I've just ordered my starter copy of ww2 WoG.

I have primarily bought it to enable me to work it in to bolt action campaigns, but I'm sure it'll get more use than that.

I've been mostly into fantasy wargaming in the past but have really taken to bolt action recently.

For quick dog fight games (ie not bomber missions) what size table do you guys recommend?

I have a 6x4 table, but as I'm thinking of making my own painted table cloth using felt and have a 4'x4' piece left over. Could I get away with smaller, say 3x3?

I want to play the ww1 version but will start and focus on ww2 stuff.

[zenlizard]

(welcoming head bobs) to Keiran.

And honestly, 122cm x 122cm tabletop works fine for a quickie dogfight. I've done 3x3 dogfights on a 183cm x 91cm (6' x 3') table.

ETA: that's World War I, though, I don't have any experience with WGS, so I can't say if it would work in that context.

[Tonx]

Welcome to the Drome Kieran. Not to sure about WGF but for playing WGS this neck of the woods is restricted to 90 cm x 90 cm when playing at home. These recommended game minimum dimensions are as it happens the same as our kitchen table which is what sees all the action these days ... Says me who once was an avid Air Combat PC game player!

Having said that though the compact gaming environment does prove to be fun for up to four players operating single engine types. This has also frequently seen two players staging two-aircraft / three-aircraft sessions when the number of engines is added to (e g the Bristol Beaufighter which is just simply an airborne canon-monster!) The only thing not tried out in full yet within the compact gaming environment is medium to heavy bombers but that is about to change ...

New to the game: look under WW2 Missions for Circuits and Bumps which is a thread specifically aimed at learning WGS whilst picking up additional hints and tips on the way. Many experts have contributed and this may therefore be of some use to you playing both versions WGF and WGS.

Aussietonka

PS - Bolt Action is excellent. It was the first wargame I ever played in early 2015 and thus began my journey away from PC Gaming all the time! But the key difference you will find between Bolt Action and this is that both WGF and WGS are dice-free in terms of gameplay which tends to 'flow' slightly more as a result. Also scales may be something you will have to consider should you try and amalgamate WGF (mostly 1:144 Scale) / WGS (mostly 1:200 Scale) with Bolt Action (1/72 Scale was recommended to me by an expert) ... It is possible to include aircraft in Bolt Action games so I guess at the end of the day the scale of the models used really is up to you.

[Boney10]

Hi Kieran,
Welcome from here in Bristol.
For WW1 you will get away quite easily with a 3 by 3 playing surface, Evan using a couple of two seaters.
A 4 by 4 will also be ok, you can use larger surfaces but you will find that you will gravitate to a central area, unless you have a specific scenario and target.
At shows we generally use four official mats each 68 by 98 cm which work and fit 4 standard trestle tables.
Hopefully we will see you at a show at some point.
Any questions just shout and someone will have an answer.

[sniperbait]

Cheers Tonka. My tie in with bolt action would be something like a WoG game where forces fighting for an objective each send in a couple of planes for reconnaissance whereby they meet the opposition. Whoever wins would get to make a free move (steal a march) at the start of the game or perhaps have 50 points extra, something like that. So it means that scale doesn't really matter as it's not like the forces on the table would be shooting at the airborne combat above.

I'll check out that thread. Sounds like just what I need. I'll also be at salute this year so will be able to get some practice in there (whilst I'm not spending my hard earned that is).

[sniperbait]

I'm tempted by a couple of the 'official' mats, but having read one of the threads where one of the members showed a how-to do a painted mat.

[Tonx]

I'm tempted by a couple of the 'official' mats, but having read one of the threads where one of the members showed a how-to do a painted mat.

Due to the price and availability of Official Gaming Mats at the moment I went for the DIY option with very pleasing results. Definitely worth considering rather than seeing what the Official Mats are selling for on 'the E-Bay' ... and losing heart!

Also worth considering is that some model shops sell 'generic' gaming mats which feature terrain but not much else which are within specification for WGF / WGS minima and made of the same material. Source: Galactic Models, Derby.

[Flying Helmut]

Ares say they are currently reprinting the game mats, so they should remain available at RRP of around £25 - £28.

Two of these mats provide the right amount of room for a WGF dogfight - if playing a bombing mission, a little more distance there-and-back-again can be provided by a third or fourth mat.

[grumpybear]

Hi and welcome from Alberta

[Naharaht]

Welcome to the Aerodrome, Kieran, from here near Norwich.

[Guntruck]

Hi Kieran, wrlcome from Essex.

[flash]

Welcome to the 'drome Kieran, I'd go with a 4x4 mat if you have the room, or 3x4 as a minimum certain in the knowledge that as soon as you cut it down to 3x3 you'll probably regret it !

[Archidamus]

Hi Kieran - welcome to the 'drome from here in a sunny Tunbridge Wells

[BBSuds]

Welcome to the Aerodrome, Kieran.

[Willi Von Klugermann]

Welcome aboard.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I'd better add my official welcome on behalf of the U.K. Squadrons Wingman.
I hope you are finding your way around the site O.K. Kieran.
High time for that cold one in the Officers' Mess.
Rob.

[Teaticket]

Welcome to the Drome Kieran. I agree with Dave, keep your playing area at 4' x 4'. It will give you more options for missions later on when you drop Bolt Action and only play WOG!

[sniperbait]

Lol. I pretty much always use a 6x4 for bolt action and though it'd be nice to use 3d scenery for wings, I'm sure it wouldn't work as my plane would always be balancing on a hedge.

[Tonx]

Lol. I pretty much always use a 6x4 for bolt action and though it'd be nice to use 3d scenery for wings, I'm sure it wouldn't work as my plane would always be balancing on a hedge.

Attachment 162673

This creation of a gaming mat was assembled in an afternoon using N gauge train scenery and about £25 at my local model shop (Galactic Models in Derby.)

The rules are that aircraft take priority and have priority when it comes to obstructions by trees / shrubs. 3D scenery is doable and very handy if like me you like to put aircraft Miniatures through trials and making them perform manoeuvers (ground reference like circling objects and more specialist stuff like 'eights on trees' etc ...)

[Nightbomber]

Welcome from Poland, Kieran. From my experience: the bigger table, the greater fun .
We usually play on 2/1 metres table.

[gully_raker]

G'day Kieran & welcome to the 'drome on behalf of the pilots who fly in NSW down in Australia.
I find that two of the official mats are best for games. these are slightly smaller than a 6' x 4' table but give you plenty of manoeuvring space especially when you first start to play.

I bet if you start playing the WW1 version you will become completely "Hooked"

[Gribble]

Welcome, Keiran, from Kentucky and the fledgling Bluegrass Aerodrome.

Mel

[milcoll73]

welcome to the drome Kieran!!!!!!

[sniperbait]

Thanks everyone.
I'll get some photos as I go and do a wip type thread. Not that it's going to be an improvement on the threads already on here, but I might get some tips as I go.

First things first. Off to Google maps to find some good ariel shots to use as a guide.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Lol. I pretty much always use a 6x4 for bolt action and though it'd be nice to use 3d scenery for wings, I'm sure it wouldn't work as my plane would always be balancing on a hedge.

Several tricks to alleviate this problem have been mentioned on several threads in the past Kieran.

One was to place a perspex sheet over the table and fly on that. Another was to use low relief features that hardly tipped the aircraft, but the one most of us use, are sets of top down pictures of the feature which we substitute whilst the aircraft is over the spot, then replace the £D model back on top of the picture once the plane has moved on.
Rob.

[sniperbait]

Ah, cunning. I like it.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Yes Kieran.
A plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a fox.
With apologies to Baldrick and Fox.
Kyte.

[sniperbait]

So, my set turned up today, just as I was heading out the door. Typical.

I did have a quick butchers and noticed the manouver cards for 4 of the planes are the larger WoW type rather than the newer, smaller type. Will this cause any problems with fitting them in the dashboard thingie?



No, that's not the size of the mat I'm planning, just a tester. Are the fields too large? I'm thinking they should be a little smaller but I don't want to make too much work for myself.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Are you talking about the Fokker Wolf and the Spitfire etc maneuver decks Kieran?
Rob.

[Maverick]

Hi Kieran
And very welcome you are to.
Do come along at Salute and say 'high' the official Aerodrome games
are at the show, there you will see the 'official' mats which you can
also see in a significant number of the AAR's posted.

But as well as these if you take a ramble through a number of
forum posts and AAR's you will see many different and less costly
alternatives, some of which look quite superb.

Hope to meet you in the mess very soon.

May you enjoy many years of safe flying.

All the best
Maverick

[Nightbomber]

Fields? Are you talking about the fields?
For WGF I found my 2*1m table mat with that big fields drawn quite right.

[sniperbait]

I'd not thought of looking at the after action reports. I'll check them out.

Hey Rob, yeah. I have the spitfire mk.9 (Beurling) a P-51d mustang (Landers) a Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Fujimoto) and a Fokke Wolfe 190 D-13 (Götz).

They all have the large packs.

[sniperbait]

So having browsed through the aar's I'm happy with the field size. I'll be adding some trees and buildings which will help to give some sense of perspective I think.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Hey Rob, yeah. I have the spitfire mk.9 (Beurling) a P-51d mustang (Landers) a Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Fujimoto) and a Fokke Wolfe 190 D-13 (Götz).

They all have the large packs.

Those are a bit of a problem to house whichever set of cockpits you use. old Nexus or the Ares ones.
However, Kieth's Advanced WW2 Cockpits from the Aerodrome Store have slots large enough to accommodate them even with sleeves.
Rob.

[flash]

I did have a quick butchers and noticed the manoeuvre cards for 4 of the planes are the larger WoW type rather than the newer, smaller type. ..

The bigger cards are the newer WoG ones Kieran and are to accommodate the higher speeds of the particular aircraft involved, I think the 'dashboards' have yet to catch up ! See you at Salute

[sniperbait]

That makes sense. I like the advanced cockpits. I feel another purchase coming on.

So, when you get to 10 and you need a bit more. Where do you go? 11 of course.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

That makes sense. I like the advanced cockpits. I feel another purchase coming on.

So, when you get to 10 and you need a bit more. Where do you go? 11 of course.

I never quite made it that far. I have only six WW1 cockpits and two WW2 ones, but intend to get some more of them as soon as money is available.
I never fly more than six planes at a time in solo games.
Rob.