The first of many games I played at Origins 2019 was the first game of the con - RNAS to the Rescue.
The setup was that a British destroyer had been damaged and was dead in the water. The Germans were sent to sink it; the British are trying to prevent that.
The destroyer model was gorgeous. Normally I'm not a big fan of using ships in the same scale as the aircraft, since the planes would be flying high above the ships, but since the destroyer was adrift it worked well. I'm flying the Halberstadt at the lower right...
...and sitting next to Phillip "Boom Card" Marritt. At Origins 2018 he drew either 16 or 18 boom cards (he lost count). I'm really hoping his luck DOESN'T rub off on me.
And right away we have some excitement. Apparently the deck wasn't shuffled well, because we have shots on the very first turn. The player here drew a boom card - and so did the destroyer. Destroyer sinks, and we all decide to go play Battlestar Galactica. Actually, they just hand-waved it away (and reshuffled that damage deck thoroughly).
Making our run.
There's been some action on the other side of the map. I'm still trying to get to the ship. Phillip has peeled off to the left.
Finally getting close. Meanwhile, a good furball going on at the bow of the ship.
A longer view.
The ship has to come off as we start having planes flying over it. We don't have any bombers or bombs, but in addition to strafing, we can also drop grenades on the ship if one of the back corners of our plane is overlapping the silhouette.
I get to the ship and make a sharp turn to the right. While I still prefer WWII, you have to love the maneuverability of the WWI planes. My card is down, as I'm overlapped by the D8 and a British plane.
And Phillip lives up to his name, picking up right where he left off last year.
I drop a grenade to unknown effect.
There's no one to my left, so I plan to swing around to that side and make another run.
The view from my observer.
The D8 to my left is on fire. Meanwhile, the AA from the ship gets me, pulling the boom card.
Sitting out three cards before I can come back in.
Watching as the furball continues.
A lot of grenades being dropped.
Finally getting back into things.
I decide to engage the British fighters instead of heading into the ship. The AA has been taking a real toll, and I'm in an advantageous position here. Phillip is getting ready to make a run on the ship. You always want to keep an eye on Phillip...
...but you also better have your eyes shielded to protect your eyes from the flash when the inevitable happens. Boom Cards 2, Phillip 0. At this rate he will make a serious run at his record of last year.
Another view of Phillip's misfortune.
My thought here is to turn to the right and deal with the threat coming from that side.
And I draw my second boom card. This one would prove to be really frustrating...
...because I had guessed exactly what the plane who got me was going to do. I had played a stall, and he made a right turn right in front of me. The card shows where I *would* have been had I not, you know, exploded.
And for me that was it. Time ran out before I could get back into things. Not much of a showing in my first game. However, this was my first game since Origins last year, and it felt so good to get to play again. Hopefully my next battle will go better.
Note to self... don't sit near Phillip again. Whatever he has that's attracting all of these boom cards might be catching.
Bookmarks