Zirndorf Flight prepares for Prague Summer Con WGS gaming
On thursday evening I refreshed the WGS knowledge of my German Summer Con participants.
Markus & Mario will join the Con next weekend with me.
The fourth pilot was Steffanie, an WGS newbee but she was already firm with WGF gaming.
1st game: Dogfight everybody versus everybody.
We used the advanced acceleration rules without altitude. Collision was solved when the base overlapped with the other plane’s center oft he base.
We started with Gloster Gladiatiors & Falcos to get familiar with the „two arrow“ movement cards.
Markus in a Fiat Falco catched a fire damage with the very first shot and picked out a lot of 2+ A fire damages.
When he felt out oft he sky and Mario’s Gloster Gladiator was shot down we ended the first game.
2nd. game: Dogfight Gladiators versus Falcos
We now added the altitude rules but kept the slow biplanes. Collissions were more dangerous and took place when bases overlapped.
I changed my Falco for a Gloster Gladiator and joined Steffi for the RAF. She managed to hit Markus with an engine damage very fast.
Mario was a victim of my steady MG fire and the additional A damage for continuos fire.
At last both Falcos were shot down and the Gladiators left the battlefield victorious. We had a lot of fun with the last biplanes.
3rd game: Eastern Front
We changed teams & kept all rules from above. I commanded a YAK-1 with Markus in his Hurricane MK.IIB as wingman.
Our opponents were two Bf.109 E.
The first encounter was successful for my Russian plane and in a nearly parallel position I was able to hit the green Bf.109 with close range fire and the Messerschmitt wasn’t able to shoot at me.
Unfortunately I blocked Markus' line of fire in this picture.
Markus didn’t trust the 3x B damage close range firepower oft he Hurricane, but it prooved it‘s deadliness.
After a long turn with my Yak and some Immelmanns by Markus we knocked Mario’s Messerschmitt in a crossfire out oft he sky.
The remaining Bf.109 decided to leave the battlefield versus two nearly undamaged Russians.
4th Game: Axis vs. Allies dogfight with the new series 5 fighter planes
We had
- a Supermarine Spitfire MK.IX (Steffi)
- a North American P51D Mustang (Markus)
- a Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (me)
- & a Focke Wulf 190 D 9 (Mario)
Those late war fighters are real beauties. I had this nice silver KI84 "Frank" with little green cammouflage stripes on it. (…can’t wait fort he next WGS release!)
Markus continued his lucky hand series and get the first explosion of the evening.
He crippled the Focke Wulf but the German fighter stayed in the air.
The comrades really like the fast fighters and we did not end the mission. (Steffi surrendered)
If you use altidude rules it adds a lot of gaming time to the single scenarios. But without you loose a lot of feeling and tactical maneuvers. Some planes like the slow dive bombers have no real chance without altitude rules.
Here you can see my stylish canned beer, my wonderful KI84 & the nice damage counter bags my friend Cappy Tom gave to me at Origins 2014.
Thank you again, Tom.
5th game: Heavy bomber incoming.
My comrades had succesfully solved the training and now I had a special mission for them.
Each one oft hem get one Focke Wulf 190D and they had the order to intercept a heavy American bomber and it’s escort plane.
I was in command of a new WGS four engined B17G bomber and Ellington’s red tail North American P51D Mustang.
The optional rules: Extended crew damage & the heavy load rule fort he bomber were used.
Zirndorf houserule: Gunners get no aim bonus for continuos fire, only for the optional rule fire from above.
The Mustang was right beside the B17G. All planes started at altitude 4.
It was the first flight of one of my heavy US bombers. I was curious fort he performance and the firepower.
Two Focke Wulfs attacked directly, the 3rd one (Markus) dived to level 3 to be prepared when the bomber tries to fly under the attacker's heavy cannon close range fire.
But with an excepional firepower to the front, there was no need.
The German’s learned their lesson.
Here you can see Markus' low flying FW190D right behind my fortress.
The ball turret and the rear gunner position were in action with the bonus from fire from above.
Mario’s Papagei Dora left the battlefield because he misjudged the speed. He was allowed to continue his flight.
Ellington returned after a an Immelman in front of the B17G Fortress.
The moment the P51D shot down Marios Dora, Markus picked his second explosion marker out oft he A damage bag.
But Markus was able to hit the Fortess with a last farewell crew damage hit.
Fortunately only one crewman hit - unfortunately position number IX (9), the rear gunner!
Now I mad a mistake and relaesed the bombs too early.
Shame on me, I din’t even scratched the factory!
Main problem was, that I could only use the maneuvers with slow speed and couldn’t use the side slips to correct the flight route.
After the bomb drop I turned around to get home.
If the maps are arranged like this, you have no chance to completely turn around with a B17, maybe if you’re flying only slow and start the turn at the edge oft he map.
That's a factor you have to consider while placing targets on the map.
Markus opened another beer to raise the moral after his second explosion damage.
Steffi didn’t give up and followed my (meanwhile) propper damaged Fortress.
Brave Ellington did his job and shot the last FW190D out oft he skies.
Here you can see Steffi’s FW overlapping the B17’s base. (we placed her plane aside - the plane card represents her position - her miniature is positioned - at the rigth side oft the picture - maybe this is a little bit confusing, but there was only one FW in the game at this moment.)
The B17G get 41 hit points and returned to he base.
All American planes alive but the factory was undamaged.
I offered them a standoff as result.
6th game: Heavy bomber incoming II
The comrades wanted a revenge and tried a new tactic to shot down the Mustang first.
I accepted the callenge and left the Fortress for an encounter with two FW.
Ellington set Mario‘s Dora aflame and gave Markus‘ Dora an rudder damage so that he wasn’t able to turn right versus the bomber for 2 maneuvers. Took him a lot of time to get in range again.
After this double duel, Ellington’s engine was smoking and the Mustang had one hitpoint left.
The Fortress reduced altitude to score a full hit on the factory target.
My opponents didn’t expect this and were not amused.
Ellington met his fate when Steffi’s Dora shot at him. His Mustang crashed into the sea.
I felt a little bit uncomfortable without an escort now.
Mario’s heavy damaged Dora came in range and my gunners finished it of.
Like a deja vu, Mario's last salvo scored a crew damage hit. Again one crewman hit - again the rear gunner!
The remaing Doras went fort he kill, when I obliterated the target and tried to escape with a smoke trail.
I manged to left the gaming area with 48 hitpoints, defeated but still alive.
We learned a few important lessons about the heavy bombers and the posibilities of escort and interception.
Unlike a dive bomber or a medium bomber, a B17 can swallow a lot of damage. So if you play a „balanced“ (not historical) scenario like this, try to fight the attackers near to the bomber.
For a historical scenario I woud add 2 B17s and 2 P51Ds.
(…and a few Bf.109K from the next WGS series)
Let's see if my comrades will benefit from their Training in Prague.
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I really enjoyed reading those AAR's Sven especially the ones with the B17!
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