Triples: The Big Bomber Raid (or how to disguise a 1/72nd Bristol as a 1/144th 0/400

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

I knew I was early when I was the first to arrive and the bally crew were still suffering from a night on the tiles....and Heder's was supposed to be on Dawn Patrol! (I'll have to speak to the WingCo about his attitude but he's having a spot of R&R on his sailing dinjy on the Seine!)

Well we were set up and raring to go, we had blitzed the traders and spent the readies. Now to get the punters into the air and......where are they Chris? Dunno Neil it's kinda slow this year.

By 10.15 we were hard at at trying to knock each others balloons out of the sky when we were joined by a friendly brace of novice (I'm tempting fate again...shades of York coming to haunt us)...and we were off to a flying start (every pun intended).



Skafloc von Voss downs his first kill flying that beautifully painted Dr1 by Sparky.
Chris (Hedeby) heads for the CP balloon having swapped his Bristol for a RE8!


Tim, the Flying Helmet, gamely flying the Walfische; hammers the entente balloon, damages the winding mechanism, sets it on fire then gets on with shooting down planes. (Job done).


Tim, having blasted everything in sight but outnumbered succumbs to deadly fire and plummets into no mans land.

This was a short but deadly game with only 2 novices gamely taking everthing we threw at them and dishing it out some.

After a break for refreshements and more shopping we unpacked the Kickstarter boxes and laid out the Big Bomber Raid.

Target 1 the Saurkraut Works by the southern bridge.
Target 2 the Snitzel Factory by bridge 2.
Target 3 the Apfelstruddel rations being loaded onto the train at the station.

8 Handley PAge 0/400's took off and were soon deep into enemy territory. There was some confusion as Captain Hedeby, on the far right, seemed to have transposed his 0/400 for an out of place 1/72nd scale Bristol (Disguised as an HP 0/400).



With Tim von Helmet leading the CP planes they swarmed after the HP's.......there was a shock for some....



lt to rt: Harvey (Son), Darren (Dad), Rob 1, Derek, Tim, Mike, Rob 2 and Peter. Andy is out of shot and with Chris moved and fought the HP's whilst I ran the damage control board.



Young Harvey takes his role very seriously and plays the part.


Half way across the table and there is no stopping the HP's. We have CP aircraft on fire, smoking and at least 1 shot down. Hedeby breaks right and heads off on his own mission of glory.


If you look carefully, below the 2nd from right HP is Tim's Fokker Dr1! Yes he flew a Dr1 and lasted the longest before being shot down. He accumulated 14 damage cards (mostly zero's).

Part 2 tomorrow as I'm off to bed. Did the HP's get their targets? Did the CP shoot them down.....well you'll just have to wait and see!

TTFN - Neil

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

The Big Bomber Raid Part Deux:

Captain Hedeby was getting tangled up with DVII's coming at him from all directions. Gamely shooting 2 down, I think the same 1 twice. 1 of his rear gunners succumbed to wounds.



Andy split the big formation of 7 HP's and lined up for the bombing runs. The damage began to mount as 1 of the HP's caught fire.



Andy miss timed bombing run 1 and dropped those eggs short of the Snitzel Factory and bridge.



Tim von Helmet was ordering his chicks, "leave this one to me, the force is strong in this one". An HP plummetted to the ground. (and that left 7).



Bombers split left and right, like the parting of the waves as HP's tried to avoid mid-air collisions whilst still heading for the targets.



The bombers were chased all the way to the target area.



With no rear guns (1 jammed 1 gunner dead) Captain Hedeby tries to pull the DVII's away from the bomber stream.



and pays the ultimate price.....



With 1 HP remaining no one escapes the dreaded BOOM card.

"Right that's it, if I can't resurrect my 1/72nd scale Bristol I'm off to sail a few ships...hope I don't run aground" (fateful words Chris, you might just tempt fate).
Andy ponders..."Now what do I do?".


Well Andy it was disaster. Too many large aircraft too close together...and von Harvey fired the fatal shot...a boom card v a badly damaged (8HP left) HP with full bomb load.....you got it...BOOMBOOMBOOM. HP goes down! Oh no! two others are too close to escape the explosion.....another BOOM card and a 2nd and 3rd HP go down! A fourth is still badly damaged but surprisingly the HP on fire is still flying!



5 down 3 to go! and 2 targets left!


The damage so far.


Some excellent flying and dead eye bombing and the railway sation with Apfelstruddel train went up in smoke.
Now to get home! (easier said than done Andy but give it a try).

Luck and bad luck. The on fire HP succumbed and ploughed into an army barracks come arsenal on an island in the river. Big boom, boom da boom.


(The new mat was fantastic to play on, fit right on and covered with perspex (cheers Simon) played on great. Plenty of room for the HP's to turn in too without leaving the table)

Only 2 HP's left and both owned by the WingCo (and not a flame in sight...must be a first Rob).

Alas with that many adversaries it was inevitable.....BOOM card strikes again! But not for the HP....(had you going there!)





The trailing HP was not so lucky and was taken out by 2 DVII's, up close and deadly.



Can the last HP make it?......



the answer is....


NO!

Final Tally: RFC 11+2 targets CP 8 HP's shot down

Tim von Helmet was awarded a medal for services above and beyond the call of duty.


My thanks to all who took part.
Tim for leading the CP defence assisted by, von Harvey, Herr Darren, Rob, Derek, Mike, Rob (Rob, my apologies that the white DVII was a bullet magnet and for being shot down the most, boomed the most and on fire for most of the game) ,and Peter.

For Chris for taking all the flack for flying the only triple A gunned HP and to Andy for sterling work moving the remaining 7 HP's and for hitting 2 out of 3 targets.

Great game our only thoughts for future games:

1. Bring on the HP's in flights of 3, well spaced out. With a good gap between flights.
2. Don't let Chris fly a 1/72nd scale Bristol claiming it is an HP.
3. Any engine hits and a full bomb load the plane will drop bombs to lighten load, otherwise it goes down.
4. Fully loaded bomber must play a stall every other card or once in 3 cards, they were fast and hard to catch.
5. Let's play this again.....the big bombers are such fun.
6. Game time after set up 2.5 hours!

Rules:
1. We played the special fire damage rule, ie take 2A's per fire.
2. Explosion card takes half hits+1 off. (Doesnt help an HP when it takes 2 BOOM cards in 1 go though).
3. All HP's had 5 crew to make admin easier.
4. Rolled a D6 for each crew hit (6 roll again) then rolled again with the owner calling odds/evens for only 1 hit.Sorry Andy and Chris you just called it wrong. (2 gunners and 1 pilot killed)
5. Did the same for engine hits but only rolled odds/evens for 1 hit. Controlling player calling the dice.
(Only 1 HP lost and engine this way)

[gully_raker]

Great tales & photos Neil!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Superb Neil.
That fills in very well the bits I missed out on because of my Sails commitment.
Rob.

[Hedeby]

Great AAR Neil - it was an HP honest !!! I just happened to read the line in the rules about twin guns and found the pretty twin gun counters in my box - and there were three of them... seemed rude not to.

[grumpybear]

Great read and pics

[Marechallannes]

A "giant" game, Neil.

Impressive setup and result.

Great game our only thoughts for future games:

1. Bring on the HP's in flights of 3, well spaced out. With a good gap between flights.
2. Don't let Chris fly a 1/72nd scale Bristol claiming it is an HP.
3. Any engine hits and a full bomb load the plane will drop bombs to lighten load, otherwise it goes down.
4. Fully loaded bomber must play a stall every other card or once in 3 cards, they were fast and hard to catch.
5. Let's play this again.....the big bombers are such fun.
6. Game time after set up 2.5 hours!

Rules:
1. We played the special fire damage rule, ie take 2A's per fire.
2. Explosion card takes half hits+1 off. (Doesnt help an HP when it takes 2 BOOM cards in 1 go though).
3. All HP's had 5 crew to make admin easier.
4. Rolled a D6 for each crew hit (6 roll again) then rolled again with the owner calling odds/evens for only 1 hit.Sorry Andy and Chris you just called it wrong. (2 gunners and 1 pilot killed)
5. Did the same for engine hits but only rolled odds/evens for 1 hit. Controlling player calling the dice.
(Only 1 HP lost and engine this way)

Interesting experiences for further games.

Why didn't you use the standart optional extended crew damage system?

[flash]

Ahh, time for a misquote: I love the smell of burning canvas in the morning....The smell, you know that burnt dope smell.... Smelled like...victory.
Our Giants Over Aschefurt game yesterday went in similar fashion.

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Had all the bits too Sven. Just forgot to get them out, then the game was under way. Thinking on my feet quickest answer a d6.

A "giant" game, Neil.

Impressive setup and result.



Interesting experiences for further games.

Why didn't you use the standart optional extended crew damage system?

[flash]

[B][SIZE=3]

Great game our only thoughts for future games:

1. Bring on the HP's in flights of 3, well spaced out. With a good gap between flights.
2. Don't let Chris fly a 1/72nd scale Bristol claiming it is an HP.
3. Any engine hits and a full bomb load the plane will drop bombs to lighten load, otherwise it goes down.
4. Fully loaded bomber must play a stall every other card or once in 3 cards, they were fast and hard to catch.
5. Let's play this again.....the big bombers are such fun.
6. Game time after set up 2.5 hours!

We give them a mat width between waves Neil, usually the first wave goes down easy but the third seems to get through to the target.
Like the 'drop bombs' with engine hits idea at 3, and like 4 too. 5 is a must of course and the 2.5 hours at 6 was about what we did with four waves of two and six players.

[Naharaht]

Thank you for the great AAR, Neil! It looks like you all had an exciting time.

[Stumptonian]

Great stuff, Neil.
You guys managed to show the battle like a documentary with several roving reporter/photogs to make sure every angle was covered.


I can't believe all the bOOms
Rep on the way ....

[WarBoar]

Great AAR and Pictures Skafloc cheers for a most enjoyable AAR

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Follow the link to Ares facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/WingsOfGlor...Game/?ref=py_c

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Thanks for doing the PR for us Neil.
It is high time we got in on the wider publicity scene.
Rob.

[Hedeby]

Thanks for doing the PR for us Neil.
It is high time we got in on the wider publicity scene.
Rob.

I completely agree taking the proverbial on an international level is far more effective, lol

[Hedeby]

Although helping to facilitate the fun and frolics I still had time to grab a few snaps of my own from Saturday's events..



Setting up underway - doors not yet open



Over on the Sails table things were already looking ship shape and Bristol fashion (not F2B I hasten to add - another sort of Bristol, and before you mention it, NOT that sort of Bristol either)



Machinations already afoot - did I hear the occasional 'Yaarrgh' coming from the table? it seems not all was as it should be and that some dastardly pirates had arrived...



Meanwhile Neil struggles to open his coffee - not the first beverage related problem of the day - hence not regulation (back up) attire - there was a time a certain person would have been barred for less - sigh - the inequalities of rank - but one was a mere subaltern in those days, guess I had better cover up for a fellow squadron leader and not tell anyone...



My humble display - smaller than some due to complete lack of re-paints or non ARES (etc.) models - still the visitors to the table seemed to appreciate it - which was nice !

Anyway let battle commence...



Scouts and the odd two seaters take to balloon filled skies...



Flying his rather lovely, hand painted, one of a kind avatar DR.1 Neil claims the first kill of the day



The allied balloon is the first to go a victim of the Roland C.II and its ridiculous rear firing arc



A close flying Camel also feels the pain as it overshoots and gets riddled....



However the Roland had not spotted my Camel swooping in guns blazing - that's one for the RFC (you may shout 'hurrah' at this point). Overall the morning game resulted in a well fought draw, both balloons went down and honours were even. So it is on to the main event of the day the much talked about (before and subsequently) mass RFC bomber raid featuring no less than 8 HP 0/400's, most of which were still mint in box half an hour before wheels up - and what a nightmare to unbox they proved to be, didn't want to damage any before the Hun got a shot at them.



Hmmm... should have brought a bigger table.



We were much busier in the afternoon and Flying Helmut and all his little minions were ready to try and stem the tsunami of glorious British heavy bombers (although it turns out we seriously miscalculated just how many enemy aircraft would be needed to stand a chance of stopping them - well makes a change for the RFC to have the upper hand for once...)



Here we see Andy (Hawkhurst manfully conducting his orchestra of destruction - exiled from the non existent WW2 table, Andy did a magnificent job controlling so many giant aircraft)



Straight out of the box, bombs removed, extra guns added and the first heavy gunship takes to the skies to give Fritz a bally good shock)



A closer inspection of the HP Gunship !



Well that worked well, lured the enemy in close with my, ooh look I'm a straggler routine... boom one down! one shot one kill, time to move on



The crossfire of the conventionally armed HPs was also causing havoc as a D.VII bites the dust



Lets find another victim (cue the theme music from 'Jaws'' da dumm etc.)



I would appear to have picked up a tail - and with the loss of one of my gun crew I am not feeling quite so clever any more



Darth Helmut leads his wingmen into the attack "I'm on the leader"



Mannheim is in trouble the bombers have arrived - how can we possibly lose this now? (hindsight is wonderful - sigh !)



Guess I'm not bullet proof after all, but I am managing to tie up four or five of the enemy scouts at least...



Ha ha - that Roland I bagged earlier has respawned and guess what? for the second time in the same game - first card was a boom !! great shooting from my front Gunner...





So the swarms of German scouts are beginning to make a right mess of my HP, guns jammed, crew dead, smoking badly



Bombers burning, cities burning - all chaos, especially as the plane in question is just about to explode and take two of its near neighbours with it... nightmare



Bugger !!

Well after engine damage, smoke, dead gunner, dead co-pilot, jammed guns, damaged ailerons the mighty gunship meets its untimely end - ironically getting 'boomed' by the very same Roland that I had already blown out of the sky twice. Oh well there was nothing left for me to do other than sulk my way over to the sails table where hopefully (although not actually) I would have more luck... bloody scenery don't have that issue when flying planes....

[flash]

Nicely done Chris - that's quite the bat-wing shadow that Boney casts in the second picture and thanks for explaining Neil's attire ( I didn't like to ask !), I've heard it said that Geordies can't hold their drink but never believed it until now !

[Stumptonian]

Nicely done Chris - that's quite the bat-wing shadow that Boney casts in the second picture and thanks for explaining Neil's attire ( I didn't like to ask !), I've heard it said that Geordies can't hold their drink but never believed it until now !

Great response, Dave. I was going to mention the Bat Wing, and then the icing is your mention of Geordies and drink!

that's a Newcastle Brown for Neil

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Priceless Chris.
Rob.

[Hedeby]

Thanks folks, just realised I never got around to posting stuff following Hammerhead at Newark - better sharpen another quill....

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Ahem...It was brown sauce not drink that ruined the day. At elast I remembered to have my official Ares Flight Instructor T Shirt on underneath, so not quite wrongly attired.

Nicely done Chris - that's quite the bat-wing shadow that Boney casts in the second picture and thanks for explaining Neil's attire ( I didn't like to ask !), I've heard it said that Geordies can't hold their drink but never believed it until now !

[Hedeby]

My apologies it was a bacon sandwich related mishap - totally different scenario...

[flash]

Ahem...It was brown sauce not drink that ruined the day. At least I remembered to have my official Ares Flight Instructor T Shirt on underneath, so not quite wrongly attired.

Thank Gawd for that Neil - the Geordie drinking reputation is intact, I knew it had to be a lie !