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View Full Version : Doncaster 2019 AAR: The Last Hurrah of the Golden Phesants



Guntruck
09-30-2019, 06:25
The premise of this game was that in the last few days of WW2 a number of senior Nazi officers (the 'Golden Pheasants' of the title) have gathered in Northern Italy with the intention of escaping over the Alps to Switzerland with a hoard of Reichsbank gold and works of art. The allies get wind of the plan and inform the Swiss, suggesting they may wish to stop the attempt, otherwise the Allies might just keep rolling across the Swiss border. The Swiss comply.

The German side must fly a selection of bombers and transports (Ju52s, Condors and Heinkel 177s) loaded with a cargo worth a varying number of points over the Alps to the Swiss side, the Swiss must stop them getting there. If the Swiss shoot down a transport they get the cargo points value; if the Germans make it and they get the points. The winner is the side with the most cargo points value at the end of the game. See here (https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/album.php?albumid=4406) for the cargo cards.

Behold the magnificent Alps, the peaks poking above 10/10 cloud. The Swiss side (Andy (Hawkhurst) and Daniel (Dan-Sam)) discuss tactics

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275739&d=1569843092

Their German opposite numbers (Marian (Deadly M) and David (Naharat) prepare to fly

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275740&d=1569843094

Both Germans kick off with a Heinkel 177 apiece, escorted by a FW 190D and a Ta152.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275741&d=1569843096

The Swiss respond with a mixed bag of Me109s, Mustangs and Moranes.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275742&d=1569843098

Deadly M was off to a good start, crashing into two mountain peaks in two cards, copping a C damage for each. Having straightened up she is now heading for the Swiss border with an FW190 running interference.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275744&d=1569843101

Dagga,dagga - the Swiss and Germans swap damage cards

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275745&d=1569843104

Meanwhile Naharat and Dan-Sam fire at each other, with the 177 coming off worst

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275746&d=1569843106

The Swiss come back for another go at Deadly M

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275747&d=1569843109

and within smelling distance of the fondue Marian hits another mountain!

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275748&d=1569843110

Coming in for the kill....

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275749&d=1569843112

Naharat claims a Mustang

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275751&d=1569843119

and the Swiss get Deadly M's 177 and claim a randomly picked cargo card - some gold courtesy of the Reichsbank.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275752&d=1569843121

On t'other side of the Alps, Naharat's 152 takes on Dan-Sam's Mustang

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275753&d=1569843123

and wins the argument while his 177 limps towards the border.....

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275755&d=1569843127

…..only to be picked off by one of Andy's Mustangs. He could almost taste the Toblerone

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275756&d=1569843129

Second time round, both Germans choose to fly Condors and a Junkers 52 which, owing to a misunderstanding of the movement rules for slow transports, moved a helluva lot faster than it should have done and hit the back of the Condor a couple of times. More collision damage

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275757&d=1569843131

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275758&d=1569843132

A 152 takes on a Mustang and comes off second best

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275759&d=1569843134

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275760&d=1569843136

The Swiss claim one of the Condors

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275761&d=1569843138

Near the end of the game the desperate Germans try their luck with a Condor, Ju52 and a 177 at the same time. Crossfire takes down a Morane

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275765&d=1569843149

But the Germans are up against it. Does that Ju52 look a little close to a mountain?

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275767&d=1569843153

Yep! Another No Claims bites the dust

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275768&d=1569843155

Airspace is getting a bit crowded, and time is called on the game at that point.

https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=275769&d=1569843157

Another 15 minutes and at least one of these three may have made Switzerland. The end result was a win for the Swiss who managed some cargo points, whereas the Germans couldn't claim any. And somewhere in the Alps lies a transport with a valuable work of art (American Gothic by Grant Woodent) awaiting someone to find it.

By popular demand (there was a table spare and Hedeby wanted a go) we had a re-run. This time the Germans managed to get over the border with a couple of planes, but still lost because the Swiss built up a greater value of cargo points.

Hedeby
09-30-2019, 07:57
What a great game it was, thanks Steve

Future Pilot
09-30-2019, 10:03
That's a very unique scenario!:sAprvd: Thanks for posting!:sAprvd::sAprvd:

mikeemagnus
09-30-2019, 10:41
Nice one Steve :)

Flying Helmut
09-30-2019, 16:02
Looks grand! :clap:

I'd love to give it a go sometime.

Stumptonian
09-30-2019, 21:33
Really interesting scenario. Nice to see the planes you posted on the workbench in action.
Love the Works of Art cards.
:D
Rep incoming (if it can make it through the mountains)
;)

hawkhurst
09-30-2019, 22:11
really enjoyed this game was full of fun and needed skill to plan around the mountain tops :sAprvd:

Blackronin
10-01-2019, 03:51
I really enjoyed this scenario. Thanks Steve! REP shot at you. :)

tikkifriend
10-01-2019, 04:01
Loved Tims F1 DVII. Race of death.:sick: Even though future Ace Of Aces Mike shot me down when I had Dan tje lead plane in my sights as he approached the finish
:guns::crash::erk:

Naharaht
10-05-2019, 12:42
Thank you for a very enjoyable game, Steve. :thumbsup:

In retrospect, shooting down the Swiss defenders is not always a good idea because they re-spawn and put in a new line of defenders to pass.