Bouncing with Otto und Lothar Again !

[flash]

Decided I had time to squeeze in another solo game of 2v2, Albatros D.III v RAF SE.5, further testing my Fr deck solo chart and tweaking the scenario mechanics for a livelier outcome than the previous outing:
https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...to-und-Lothar-!
This time I used a similar set up but the Albatrii got to bounce the SE's from the 5 o'clock.
Again I started the Albatrii within gun range as they were against faster opponents but this time I set them a shade further back so that the ruler just covered the aircraft name on the base and it seems to have worked.
I selected straights and sideslips for the SE's first manoeuvre then shuffled them up and selected one card blind so I wouldn't know their exact first moves. For the next two cards of their first game turn I used the first two cards of the selection from the AI chart from the relevant zone on their dice roll. As it was they rolled the same.
I used my own altitude rules for this game again & applied some OTT solo rules.
All but one machine were AI.

So here it is:

Frank managed to get down in one piece just inside their lines last time but it was a bumpy landing and he knows he was lucky. A few days later Billy & Frank are remounted, they think they've learnt their lesson....Little do they know Otto & Lothar are up to their old tricks again...


The Albatrii swoop in guns blazing, both score and both jam a gun... Verdammt !!
(Maybe the manoeuvre caused a miss feed by moving the belt ? +1 for shooting from a dive).


Both SE's react instantly - they had learned their lesson - each turning right but Otto manages to keep Billy in his sights for a moment longer as both machines climb. Frank's sharp turn shakes off Lothar and as he has no shot he goes to work on the jammed Spandau.
(As Billy's blind sideslip was a steep he couldn't turn hard right as it's also a steep so I had to sub in a normal turn& play the sharp one second)


All machines have made climbing moves when the SE's turn in sharply spoiling to get some payback, Otto clears his gun ready for action.


Seeing the threat Lothar reverses as Otto continues his climbing turn, they may yet have the upper hand.


But No ! The SE's turn again and catch Lothar at close range as he recovers from the Immel, peppering his Albatros with holes and damaging his controls. His own response goes wide of the mark. Otto curses as they slip past and can only watch in frustration.


The turning/climbing fight continues and they eye each other warily


Billy heads for the roof with a climb - altitude is key he feels - the others continue to look for position.


Moments later things come to a head. Climbing from below Lothar rinses Frank's SE with a withering close range burst, even as he's clobbering Otto, jarring something loose in the engine that will send him home. Billy drops his nose to intercede but his long range effort did not put Lothar off his deadly aim.


Billy manages a close range effort on Otto moments later but is not rewarded for it as nothing vital is damaged at all.


Turning sharply back after their foe Frank squeezes a long range shot past Billy's tail that damages Otto's controls as he heads for home.


His follow up shot near wrecks Otto's Albatros and Billy's close range effort on Lothar also scores well - they could do this !


Otto takes his destiny in his hands and dives away just avoiding further attention from Frank as he noses down sharply after him.
Lothar turns after them as Billy reverses behind him - things could get tricky here for the young German !


Drama shot !


Holding his turn as he noses down Lothar gets a bead on Frank and damages his controls with a long range effort - that may just save Otto's neck.


Severely damaged Franks takes a leaf from Otto's book and dives for safety, avoiding further attention from Lothar for the moment.


Otto looks to be free and clear as Lothar angles after Frank's SE, he must be careful though as Billy turns in after him !


Lothar takes the plunge and dives into the attack but Frank hauls his machine around and avoids the contact. Billy eyes the situation from above.


Deciding he cannot catch the SE now running for home Lothar turns his attention to the one loitering above... he begins to climb...


Billy keeps his cool, allowing the remaining Albatros to circle up towards him.


Then, at what he judges the right moment, he pounces but his close range effort stutters to silence as both his guns jam. His opponent shows he is no slouch as his accurate return fire rips through the Billy's SE...


Working quickly on his Vickers as he turns Billy sees, to his joy, the Albatros is diving away for his lines leaving him alone as King of the skies - he must've caused him more damage than he'd thought.... I might claim that he grins...



Butcher's Tally:

The Victors:

Frank FRTB- Damage
Billy RTB

The Runners Up:

Lothar FRTB - Damage
Otto FRTB - Engine


The changes I made to the scenario set up worked out well enabling the rapid reaction of the SE's, so I will use that again, and my Alt rules got a bit more of a workout too. Oddly there was a lot of similar rolls made, Otto spent half the game flying in circles and the Tommy's were not far off him either but all in all another fun game and a reasonable result.
I flew Lothar again and just got away with it !

Maybe it will be Billy and Frank's turn to be bouncers next time...

[gully_raker]

I enjoyed that return match Dave!
Look forward to further encounters.

[Stumptonian]

That was another really entertaining matchup, Dave.


Felt like I was watching Aces High - the moves looked terrific.
(Do you glue any of your pegs together? Was looking pretty 'spindly' towards the end.)

No REP this time - not enough posts to spread it around these days - but definitely deserved.

[flash]

Thanks chaps - had to be done and went much better second time round !
No glue involved Pete so can be a little precarious - a way around it when it starts to get a bit silly is to is to take pegs out of all the other models so the climber gains his position relative to them but that may look odd over a series of pics ! Nice to get the perspective though.

[Flying Helmut]

Super stuff, Dave!

Thanks for posting your revised set-to!

I fully agree with the perspective comment - I love to see planes flying higher or lower than each other,
I have pegs glued together in batches of 5, with the top one being one of the 'bootleg' pale blue ones from years back - that way you can stack 15 pegs without scattering them, and can count easily and quickly in batches of 5, plus up to 4 singles.
The photos look so much better than everyone on 4 pegs, representing 1 -> 16!

[flash]

Thanks Tim, I did get the local lads at Entoyment to play my alternate alt rules one night and they worked pretty well but it's so much quicker to play without. Glued pegs are grea but I need singles for the slight climbs and dives I do. Wish I'd grabbed those blue ones when they were about though.

[mikeemagnus]

Nice Dave, very tasty Thanks for sharing

[flash]

Thanks Mike, it does help hone the skills for OTT !

[Vagabond]

Great action Dave. Do you think it would have been much different if you used DVa's instead of Dlll's, I'm not sure how much faster they are or did you feel speed was not particularly important in this game?

[Baxter]

That was a good game with some great moves in there.

[flash]

Great action Dave. Do you think it would have been much different if you used DVa's instead of Dlll's, I'm not sure how much faster they are or did you feel speed was not particularly important in this game?

It ties in historically with the SE's introduction John, if using SE5a then the D.Va would be appropriate - the speed difference in that case would be about the same, using them with the SE5 would match the speeds.

[Vagabond]

It ties in historically with the SE's introduction John, if using SE5a then the D.Va would be appropriate - the speed difference in that case would be about the same, using them with the SE5 would match the speeds.

Having been playing the game for about 3 years I've still only ever played solo and mainly the OTT scenarios. Still have to get much grasp of the correct tactics, especially where speed is concerned. I flew a Spad Xlll once against a Fokker Tripe and could hardly get a shot in, I just kept overflying it
Thanks for the feedback.

[flash]

...Still have to get much grasp of the correct tactics, especially where speed is concerned. I flew a Spad Xlll once against a Fokker Tripe and could hardly get a shot in...

That's a hard ask against a plane with little more than half the speed, you'll not out turn it, of course, so the old hit and run / Immel tactic is the obvious one. To moderate speed you have to drop in a stall occasionally, especially when running up on a target. You can try a sideslip before making a turn in the opposite direction after a target, that can help set you up but the only real answer is practice & experience.

[Windy Jack]

Thanks for the great AAR, Dave.
Using altitude rules and the pegs certainly gives the pictures an air of realism. I can feel the action. (Says one who doesn't play using altitude.)

[flash]

Thanks Doug, I treat it more as a skirmish scale event and allow long range shooting between the levels which makes it quite hairy at times ! I may tinker more with it in the future.