Well, it had to happen. I mean, I've been working at building a local playing group for five years.
Thursday, 28 December 2017, I sat down with two other players and test drove some new campaign rules. This was to be either the start of a new campaign, or a trial run. The core rules come from an undisclosed source, with some additions from other WoG rules and some other Campaigns on this site.
For the campaign, we decided to start with available models, and that let us start with some dogfighting in December of 1915. Using Fokker E.IIIs and Moraine-Saulnier N Types, we played three linked scenarios, using experienced and rookie pilots.
Scenes from the carnage provided by Shane [SkyGuy001], cause a certain Dopey Lizard forgot his phone and camera.
Using 15 December as the start date, we drew a Time Card that stated +2 Days, Change Initiative. So, Shane (flying for the RFC) passed the Initiative Token to me (flying for the Luftstreitkraft). I drew the first scenario as a Dogfight. We used two planes each, with a single ace and a rookie as pilots. My ace had Strong Constitution (drawn at random), and Shane picked Bullet Checker.
A Central Power rookie gets an RFC experienced pilot in his sights (Planes were not repainted, we just used available models):
Note: the Bullet Checker skill isn't much use in this situation.
The end of this scenario was Shane's Ace's plane being shot down but landing in his own trenches, and his rookie retreating from the play area. The Destiny Card for Shane's Ace gave the "Landing" result, and the option of landing within one ruler's distance from the point of elimination allowed Shane to just reach his trench line. No injury, so the Ace was able to fly immediately, if the next scenario ended up being the same day.
Central Power win, no deaths. A Win Token to the Luftsteitkraft.
The Time Card for the next scenario was the Same Day, Superior Initiative, so I kept the Initiative token, and drew the next scenario. This was a Trench Straff, and because we were now joined by Nikolas, we used all rookies.
This image was the lead rookie plane being shot up by infantry trench fire, and Shane's rookie. This plane received two pilot wounds and a fire special damage, so no matter what the Destiny card could say, the rules are the pilot is dead on both counts.
The RFC prevail, as both my planes went down in this scenario. My second pilot was wounded in the crash, and received a wound, that would take 11 Days to recover. Getting shot-at from planes and the ground was too much for these light planes. This scenario might need the Altitude rules to enable a win for the attacker. The Initiative token went to the RFC.
Last scenario for the day, and the RFC drew the Scenario card, and it was Same Day, Change Initiative. So, I got to draw the Scenario card again!. It was another Dogfight, and away we went. I couldn't use my previous rookie, so I needed to take a new rookie with my previous experienced pilot. Nikolas was blown out of the sky by the first exchange of fire, and his Destiny card revealed: Crash Land - Crew Eliminated. His pilot was out of the campaign. My rookie lost his rookie status with this. We may need to adjust the rules for this, as it currently doesn't specify if it happens right away, or for the next mission. The current wording seems to suggest it is immediate.
This image is my now-experienced pilot smoking up Shane's plane (next phase after the shot):
The end of this game was Shane's plane burning up and crashing, and my Ace's plane burning and blowing up. I retreated my ex-rookie plane out of the play area with lots of damage. Both pilots on the burning planes were dead.
The end result of the first day of the campaign was that we needed more pilots and more planes. I had one ex-rookie pilot and one wounded rookie. Shane lost a few planes and an Ace, Nikolas lost a pilot, and I lost three pilots and three planes.
Nasty campaign if this keeps up. The message to me would be, 'Don't get attached to your pilots.'
We'll see what happens over the next few months. The idea is that we progress by one quarter year each month, getting together as often as possible, with a minimum of once a month.
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