Wings Of Glory Campaign Book

**Thenur** · 06-25-2021 21:55

Hi all, now that the reprinted mats and duel packs are hitting the shelves does this mean that Ares is still interested in WOG? I remember reading around a year ago that a campaign book was in the works and I’m curious to know if anybody knows the status of it, is it still planned and if so is there any idea of a release date. Also it seems Ares is interested in the game so does anybody know if reprints of the rare planes or balloons are an option. I’ve been putting off an order to Shapeways since I much prefer to have official planes and all the accessories that come with them. If anyone has any info I’d be grateful to know.

**Flying Helmut** · 06-25-2021 23:12

I believe OldGuy59 (Mike) has been playtesting some aspects of the Campaign book in Canada....might be mistaken, though.

If Ares continue to follow their Reprint pattern, the next Series should be the Eindecker/DH2/Halberstadt/Morane - no idea when this might happen, though.

**flash** · 06-25-2021 23:49

There has been talk of the campaign book for many, many years but it has still yet to appear. Roberto mentioned that he's planning to have early duel sets last year so that suggests that series 5 will be reprinted but there are no dates suggested or given.
It is the tenth anniversary of Ares WoG release next year, so maybe they're planning for a big release event. We can but live in hope.

**Hedeby** · 06-26-2021 01:03

I’ll add that to my ‘hope list’.... endless sunshine, freedom, friends, shows, Doncaster event, lottery win, Kate Beckinsale....

**Mike George** · 06-26-2021 11:15

I would love to see this.

**Dawn Patrol** · 06-26-2021 12:12

Ares doesn’t have a whole lot of full-time employees, so their pace of production is slow. They have indicated that Series 5 is on the reprint schedule, we just have no clear idea when, and clearly production schedules have been disrupted by the pandemic. So, at the very best, very late this year. Until they announce that, there are still planes on my buy list, so maybe one day I can get all caught up.

**Diamondback** · 06-26-2021 19:11

I've actually been trying to sell them on not just one, but a *series* of campaign books based on individual squadrons... Actually, I'm starting a conceptual prototype based on the 325th FG "Checkertail Clan"--I have close ties to the postwar 318th FIS through my grandfather and one of my college professors who was Squadron CO, and I have ties to postwar 317th and 319th veterans through the F-106 Delta Dart community (more 319th; the 317th disbanded in the '60s) and I'm trying to see if I can get them all together for a team effort on "these are the fights that established our traditions, as selected by the heirs to that legacy." Sadly, my prof's health is failing; otherwise, it woulda been interesting to see what a fighter pilot who's played For Real Marbles thinks of the game system.

What I'd like to see in both WGF and WGS is a series of paired books, two squadrons from opposite sides that fought each other regularly. Eventually, I'd also like to see campaign books based on the careers of notable aces, from first time up to last mission. Sadly, I think these projects would take a LOT more "historian horsepower" than I have to offer--what we really need is several somebodies at AFHRA, NHHC and the various similar service history offices around the world who are also wargamers and would be up for diving into the data to make this kind of "interactive storytelling" possible.

A large part of the historical research for both Wings and Sails is on the shoulders of several folks here including myself; for the most part it's been doldrums for about a year now even when I had suggested we try to use the forced slowdown/shutdown for Advanced Research to get multiple future releases "in the can" so all they need is cash flow and market conditions to start cutting the 3d models, drawing up the artwork and getting things into the Production pipeline.

**Thenur** · 06-28-2021 04:18

Thanks everyone for the response! It would be great if Ares released something new or at least reprint some of the hard to get planes for the 10th anniversary. If there isn’t constant availability of at least the basics parts of the game it will die out. New players have nothing to buy and will move on to new games that are actively promoted by their makers. I think a campaign book would give players something new to do. Of course one off games are great to play but they don’t hook you in like a campaign, at least to me. This game is lots of fun to play, easy to learn, and has great looking models to play with and I feel it’s a shame of the state the game is in now. I think the biggest thing limiting it is that it’s based upon history opposed to some huge property. Games like X-Wing are way more popular because everyone knows Star Wars and came name many characters in the movies but how many people, who aren’t always on this website at least, can name a famous ace from WW1 or WW2. It is what it is, I just hope the recently released reprints sell well to show Ares there still are fans of the game.

**Flying Helmut** · 06-28-2021 05:12

I gave up waiting for the Campaign Book, so wrote my own.
Playtesting now...

**Thenur** · 06-28-2021 07:49

I’ve wanted to play a campaign and was going to go through the different home made rules sets and pick what I liked best. If you need any help play testing I’d be more than willing Tim.

**OldGuy59** · 06-28-2021 08:37

I have playtest material, but being in the back-of-beyond, and locked down for a year, I haven't been able to give the rules a thorough work-out.

There is a current playtest being conducted, with permission of Andrea, the Designer, but I don't know how that will affect any potential publication date, if there is one set.

The current version I have is very flexible, and it allows for picking any start/end date, and playing through a series of missions. It is very generic, allowing for the selection of time-period appropriate planes. For an example, my buddy and I decided to start at 1916, and go to the end of 1918. I don't have many early planes (using official Nexus/Ares planes I have available. I don't have any 3D printed planes, and only a few metal/paper models. But, even those model are late period.), so we restricted missions to small dog-fights and a few two-seater photo-recce or bombing runs. As we get further along the timeline, games can expand to much larger events. If there were a few more local players with planes, bigger games could be had.

The format for the campaign allows for guests to join in casually, without affecting the campaign or the main players' pilots progression (other than providing targets for victory counts, or being shot down by guests?). There are options for introduction of planes earlier than normal operational dates, if a player has selected a campaign-specific Ace Skill (provided in the playtest material).

Buy the planes you want, and plan for the campaign you envision. If the rules don't change substantially, you will have a lot of flexibility do do as you please. Pick specific squadrons on each side, collect the appropriate planes that were part of their orders of battle through their operational history, and you will be ready when the rules are published.

**flash** · 06-28-2021 08:47

Originally Posted by Thenur

.. If there isn’t constant availability of at least the basics parts of the game it will die out...

Hence the latest series of 1 reprint, the RAP & mats recently. What's needed is a little love for the veteran fliers and newbies alike with a brand new series of models rather than the same old models reprinted but lets not go down that rabbit hole again. The campaign book is, supposedly, also introducing some new rules (or, making them 'official'), consolidating updates, ace skills & optional rules, so, it should be quite a thing when it's finally landed. If that coincides with a reprint of series 5, all the better.

**Von Scharf** · 06-28-2021 10:43

My bet is on Tim finishing first.

Though I gave some of my money to Ares for the last reprints (No Man's mat and some planes) to show my support for continued releases, more content etc.

I was quick to shout that if Ares would simply offer some product, I could stop buying from third parties at outrageous prices. Had to walk the talk. I've now progressed to the stage where I've just begun to create what I want.