21 Attachment(s)
Doncaster 2019, Saturday WGF Table Game #1 - Protect the Balloon
Game designed and run by Reg (Rebel)
Germans attempt to shoot down an artillery-spotting balloon, which is directing fire onto two targets.
RAF (plus a Belgian!) try to stop the Hun.
British AA try to stop EVERYBODY! :eek:
There are 4 German players already :(, so I opt for the Belgian Camel, rather than a British one.............
The map, seen from the Entente lines. Where am I?
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There I am! Extreme right, trying to get behind the Huns, rather than the more usual flying-straight-at-them-while-exchanging-fire-and-trusting-to-luck tactic.
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The tactic works out brilliantly - I repeatedly leather Paul's (Tikkifriend) candy-stripe 'Udet' D.VII, without receiving a single shot in return!
2 x 'A' damage cards.......
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2 x 'A' damage @ '+1'
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Two Germans brave the FlaK and attack the balloon
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Meanwhile, 2 more 'A' damage cards @ '+1' on Paul......
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The balloon has barely been scratched......
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<<In this photo-less gap, I lost Paul, then reacquired him for a single 'A' damage>>
Paul finally breaks free from me, thanks partly to the interjection of 'Goring', who delivers to me the only 2 damage cards I received in the entire game (one manoeuvre card prior to this photo) - a '5' and a '5 + Pilot Wound'!!!!!!
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Aside from Paul's cripple, no-one else is threatening the balloon
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Now the "Archie" flayed the Germans............
TWO AA hits on 'Goring' took him down!
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....and a hit on 'Udet' robbed me of a well-deserved 'kill'
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The far column are all '+1' hits, and all 14 points were inflicted by me, without reply - THEN ARCHIE STOLE MY VICTORY! :mad:
At some point earlier, Doug's RAF Camel had been shot down by his own AA, so he had respawned.
Around this time, the almost pristine balloon takes a lucky 'fire' damage card, and is thus written off as lost.
Now that I was carrying 10 damage points there was a very strong chance that I could be shot down by just a single AA hit, so the only sensible course of action was to get as far away from that bl00dy AA as possible (otherwise I would be simply gifting Victory Points to the opposition!)
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In my haste to escape, I almost collide with 'Saschenberg'!
I can't help myself, and get drawn back into the melee, again scoring hits without receiving any, but am lucky that the AA picks closer targets than me!
'Saschenberg' has been shot down as well, so respawns near the Hun lines (top).
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I damn-near collide with the respawned 'Goring'!
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I get a shot into 'Goring', but his plane is fresh, and doesn't fall.....
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The "Archie" continues to kick everyone's bottom!
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I pursue 'Goring' a little too closely, and an overlap prevents another shot.
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My cripple flees for the corner, as Paul's comparatively-fresh 'Udet' respawn comes looking for payback!
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"Run Away!"
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The German respawns nail an RAF Camel, and the Game is called.
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The balloon was lost, and only one of the two bombardment targets was destroyed, so a German Victory was declared.
From a pilot's point of view, it felt like an Entente victory - the Germans were slaughtered! However, the feeling was a hollow one, since the vast majority of the kills were scored by that bl00dy AA!
It was a very good, well-thought-out, balanced scenario, but on the day outrageous luck skewed the result.
The AA hit on a D12 roll, of 9 or higher - I watched in horror as Reg rolled 4 times, scoring 9, 11, 10 and 11! :eek:
The balloon could have lasted much longer, but for the lucky 'Fire' card hit.
I did my best flying of the whole weekend, all 5 games, was hit only once, and finished with absolutely nothing to show for it - no 'kills', and on the losing side.:(
Ho hum - I guess that's what happens when I am forced to fly for the Bad Guys!
