The CanCon report thread

[Zoe Brain]

Day 1 - an all-day continuous game in Early 1918 - "Snoopy and the Red Baron" with an all-US cast. Many photos were taken by bystanders, many questions asked about the photoblanket play mat, and there were many inquiries about where to get the game.
Aircraft - Albatros D.Va, Fokker Dr.I, Pfalz D.III, and AEF Sopwith Camel, Spad VII, Spad XIII, Nieuport 28.

Although adults were the main players, at one stage there were 8 children playing, all between 7 and 9.

Day 2 - Morning "Jan 23rd, 1916", featuring Albatros C.I, Gotha G.I, Fokker E.III, Fokker D.II, and a mix of French, Belgian and RFC Morane N, Nieuport 11, and FE2b

Day 2 - Afternoon "The Last Battle" November 1918 AKA "The German Secret Weapons", featuring Junkers CL.I, Junkers D.I, Fokker D.VII, SSW D.III, vs RAF Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Snipe, Bristol F2b, SE5a, and a Sopwith Buffalo on a bombing mission.

Day 3 - Morning October 1916, featuring Albatros D.II, Halberstadt D.III, SSW D.I, Roland C.I and RFC and French Nieuport 17s, and RFC DH2, RE8 with Albert Ball's Nieuport 17.

Day 3 - Afternoon February 1917 "Balloon Busting" including Albatros D.II, Albatros D.III, Rumpler C.IV, SSW D.I, vs RFC Sopwith Triplane, Nieuport 27, Sopwith Pup, RE8 and DH2 providing cover for a French Task Force Nieuport 16 (with rockets) and Nieuport 17 (with incendiary bullets)

The AA got 3 Entente and 4 Luftstreitkrafte kills. There were no Entente survivors, the N16 managing to cause the "balloon to go up" explosively while directly above it - as was an Albatros D.III.

Pictures to follow.

[Zoe Brain]

Day 1

[Zoe Brain]

Day 2

Morning - after initially spurning them, one player tried a 2-seater and decided even a slow Albatros C.I was really deadly in the right hands. After an unfortunate BOOM card (but not before accounting for 2 enemy) she took the Gotha G.I with even greater success. The Entente never did get the hang going behind and below this "Battleplane" acting in a Fighter role.




Afternoon - the Buffalo managed to avoid most fire until it had lined up with the target Chateau, then dived 1500 ft (20 pegs) before making a strafing run to suppress the MG defences, followed by another, bombing run at 150 ft when correctly lined up. The others kept the Germans busy so only a single SSW D.III followed the Buffalo down, and that got there too late (and with an SE5a on its tail). Barker's Snipe accounted for 3 kills.

[Zoe Brain]

Day 3

Morning

Albert Ball's Nieuport 17 racked up 3 victories - though usually of targets that had been "softened up" by an RE8 flying well below and with an observer using the enemy circling above for target practice (a consequence of the simplified altitude rules). Tackling a 2-seater from behind and below is relatively easy, trying to do so at the same altitude, more difficult, and trying to dogfight it from above guarantees some holes in the old crate - which may not be immediately fatal, but means a predatory fighter has a much easier task.

A Roland with a broken fuel line (forced down) tried to land in a field... but ran out of altitude so it ended up in the trees.



One of the Ball/RE8 partnership's victims



And another (though the Halberstadt did eventually get a long range shot before the tables were turned...




Afternoon

What a difference just a few months made, with Albatros D.IIIs doing great execution, though the AA did even more.
Any plane within 1 ruler of the balloon base at the end of the turn (after 3rd card played) took a C card from the unaimed but very thick barrage. Only if the aircraft peg overlapped the balloon base was it safe (at high level - lower it would have to contend with MG fire..)

The Observation balloon started at height 36 - a 20 "base" plus 16 pegs, corresponding to just under 2500 ft. (720 metres). It went down at 1 peg per card, but only if threatened. The RFC planes below it were no threat, it was only when French planes at high altitude were spotted (they came in very late in the scenario) was the winch started up.



Just 8 turns after the French were first spotted, the balloon was down to altitude 12 - 4 pegs and a base of 8 (as opposed to 20). So many aircraft, which had been at altitude 24 (20 base plus 4 pegs) were now at 17-20 (8 base plus 12 pegs) and diving to get to the Nieuport 16 that had come through the AA relatively unscathed.



Shortly after this picture was taken, the French N17 (to left) was hit by 2 AA cards for 18 pts...the (damaged) halberstadt was set on fire by AA and succumbed to the flames, the N16 (see card on balloon base) managed to do a steep dive followed by a straight as the rockets left the rails... and both it and the Albatros D.III attacking it were directly above the balloon when it exploded ... a phyrric victory.

Tackling a balloon using the simplified altitude rules takes careful planning, a strong "interference" to keep enemy fighters away, nerves of steel to make your way through the barrage, proper equipment - incendiary rounds or rockets - and not a little luck.

Not for the feint-hearted.

[Geoff Kirby]

Great photo's Zoe.
Geoff

[flash]

That was a busy three days Zoe - I'm exhausted & I wasn't there !

[Zoe Brain]

The altitude and AA rules gave results similar to this footage (best viewed with sound muted) -

UntOff. Hans Heinrich Marwede
1) Got hit by an AA barrage and had a BOOM card - fuel line, controls, engine stoppage...
2) Went into a spin
3) Then went out of control
3) Did a mostly successful landing, only hitting an obstacle in the "stall" phase, leaving his aircraft upside down, but mostly intact

Landing
Dive – Straight - Stall
To land successfully, you must be at level 1 or 2, with no ground obstructions anywhere in the move.
.
Forced Down
As soon as the aircraft is “forced down” (by a BOOM card, or exceeding its points) it must go out of control, but may go into a spin first – followed by going out of control when the spin stops.

Spin :
Turn(any turn card) - Reversal(lose 1 peg) – Dive(lose 2 pegs).
Retain these 3 cards. Draw from A deck at end of turn. If not 0 damage, play the same cards next turn, Ignore the damage - including special damage – regardless, and put the drawn card at the bottom of the deck.

Out of Control
If Out of Control the aircraft may not fire except observer's guns, It is set to have 0 damage points, and of the three cards selected each turn, one must be a stall, another a dive. Do not tell opponents that you're forced down, just do the moves. Also note – you'll have to play consecutive steep maneuvers, taking an “A” class damage each time. Go over the aircraft's points and the aircraft breaks up in mid-air.

[STEPHEN NAPIER]

Looks great Zoe,
Well done. Love the maps......
We have a few club players at CANCON this year. Look out for them in their "Napoleonic Wargaming Society" club shirts. Stephen

[Mike George]

Nice work looks like fun for all!

[matt56]

Great reports from "The Front", Zoe! Love the pictures, too - glad you were able to steal some time away and enjoy some gaming...

All the best,
Matt

[clipper1801]

Brilliant Zoe! Love to see the kids engaged to the game. Well done. Hope you are finding strength in these days of service.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Superb commentary and pictures Zoe.
Thanks for posting.
Rob.

[Hedeby]

Great stuff Zoe - blimey it was busy - and absolutely adore the photo mats - really really want one (or two, lol)
Thanks for sharing with us stuck half a world away

[Flying Helmut]

Super AARs Zoe!

Many thanks for posting.

[gully_raker]

Another wonderfully successful Cancon thanks to your efforts Zoe.
Really "P'd" off I could not make it due to my Qld. commitments.

Rep sent!

[Baxter]

Beautiful report and map Zoe. I wish I could have been there too

[fast.git]

Fantastic report, Zoe! A great event!

[Zoe Brain]

For those who couldn't make it - there's always Wintercon in 6 months.

[Stumptonian]

Great reporting and superb photos.
Those mats of yours are to die for.

[Zoe Brain]

Great reporting and superb photos.
Those mats of yours are to die for.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...t-customisable

Cost is about $70 US for it. Including postage. I'm sure you can get similar deals in the US.

Here's one - http://www.snapfish.com/photo-gift/a...ails#!/pdpview

[Stumptonian]

Thanks, Zoe.

I do remember your initial post.
Now I just have to figure out how to order with the proper photo resolution etc.
I'd hate to spend all that and mess it up ....

[Zoe Brain]

Thanks, Zoe.

I do remember your initial post.
Now I just have to figure out how to order with the proper photo resolution etc.
I'd hate to spend all that and mess it up ....

Thanks to the tireless work of lingster, he's done the hard work for you. http://johnnylingster.blogspot.com.a...-my-wings.html

I've made his map available as a convenient 13k x 11k 35MB jpeg at https://www.dropbox.com/s/klvqs1x739...pe%5D.jpg?dl=0

That's the file I used, so I know it works.

[Stumptonian]

Thank you so much, Zoe.

I hope to try it out this weekend.

[Zoe Brain]

Cancon in the news...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-2...nberra/7110432

[gully_raker]

Cancon in the news...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-2...nberra/7110432

Great to see Gaming being portrayed in a positive & family orientated light.

[Teaticket]

Thanks for the great report and photos Zoe. Looks like a great show.

[Stumptonian]

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...t-customisable

Cost is about $70 US for it. Including postage. I'm sure you can get similar deals in the US.

Ordered from Shutterfly. $65.98 including shipping.

Thanks again, Zoe

[Slexlaw]

Great report and pictures, Zoe.
I nearly flew down from BrisVegas to have a look, but had other commitments that weekend.
Kind of a pity the Giants didn't show up in time, but soon...