Monday 25 November 2013

Bolt Action game

Played another game of Bolt action with my son, Harry on Sunday. He took the Americans again, while I had the Germans. We played 1000pts a side, I had an HQ, 4 infantry squads, Mortar, Sniper team, Artillery FO, Puma AC, Panzer IV, Medic, and MMG. He had HQ, 4 infantry squads, Sniper, Bazooka, 2 x .30 cal teams, Aircraft FO, Light Mortar, Sherman 75mm, and M8 Greyhound.

We played the Top Secret scenario, and he wiped the floor with me again, winning in turn 6, by getting off the table with the objective. It didn't help matters when my FO did a "Miscalculation" (Again!!), and Harry repositioned the bombardment, killing one squad completely, and pinning to death another 3!

Some pictures below of the early action, unfortunately I forgot to take photo's as we progressed through the game?

The Americans advance up the road, led by the M8

Looking down the road towards the advancing Americans

A glorious German advance, soon to be obliterated by a "Miscalculated" Artillery Bombardment

The Americans advance towards the Objective located near the barn

After my Puma Shot at, and missed the M8, Harry returned the favour and knocked out the Puma! What made it worse is that I'd positioned my HQ behind the Puma, so it couldn't reverse out of the way!!

Monday 21 October 2013

PBEM Rules you will need to know??

Hi Everyone,

Below are the list of "House Rules", "How to Play", and "Ace Rules" for the upcoming PBeM game;


PBeM House Rules
DEPLOYMENT:
1.        Deployment of the planes at the start of each game will be determined by a dice roll on the following table; Side of table (NSEW), Co-ordinates (Using Hexes to give starting Hex), Facing (NSEW), Starting Altitude (level 3-5)
EXPLOSION CARD
·         The explosion cards will be left  in all damage decks
MANOEUVRES
·         For clarity your planes altitude will be displayed on your planes base at all times.
·         When diving you DO NOT lose any climb counters, you simply lose a level. (If you start your dive at 3+2climb counters, you finish the dive at 2+2 climb counters)
·         IMMELMAN TURN: Straight Immelman - Straight. Gain 1 Climb counter
·         SPLIT –S is a downward Immelman turn: StallImmelman Straight. Lose 1 altitude level.
·         ZOOM DIVE: Dive - Straight + (Extra non steep card)(Allows you play an extra card after the straight card , at the same time as a straight card)
·         OVER DIVE:  Stall - Dive (lose one level) - Straight (lose another level) – you may attach a zoom dive by another straight plays as a zoom dive card.
·         LOOPS:  Straight - Immelman - Immelman - Straight. You gain no height. (Exceptional Pilots only)
COLLISIONS
·         Only occur if both aircraft are at the same level,  and either both planes have climb counters, or both planes don’t have climb counters, and the aircraft overlaps the pole (base is displaced by others pole)
·         Each plane will recieve 1 x “C” damage card of damage for each plane they collide with.
SHOOTING
·         Is from YOUR POLE to OPPONENTS BASE, overlapping stands will PREVENT shooting at that plane, but will still allow you to shoot at other targets?
·         You will always shoot at the closest enemy target, unless you can shoot at another enemy and gain the +1 advantage for shooting at the same target in two or more turns?
AMMUNITION
·         Close and Long range shots both count as a single shot
·         Magazine guns have 4 shots (Typically Rear-Gunners). It will take 3 cards to reload, during that time you cannot do Immelman’s or Steep manoeuvres.
·         Forward firing fixed guns have 12 shots and once out of ammo cannot be reloaded.
OBSERVER INCAPACITATED CARD
·         If this special damage card is drawn and you are flying a single seater your pilot will be wounded.
·         If you are flying a two-seater the damage on the pilot or observer will be randomly determined.
This special damage is kept secret. The plane can no longer fire the machine guns just after executing a steep manoeuvre, an Immelman turn, a Split-S, or a climb (see Altitude rules, pages 11-12). Unjamming machine guns takes longer: If your guns become jammed, you may not fire after the next four manoeuvres instead of the next three.
·         If a Pilot/ Observer takes a second wounded damage, he is dead!
.
BLIND SPOTS FOR REAR GUNNERS
·         The rear gunner on a 2 seater has a blind spot at the rear of the tail. Use ruler to connect 2 seater pole to target plane pole in rear arc of fire. If the first half of the ruler touches any point of target planes base, firing is not possible.
 
“SMOKE DAMAGE”
·         At the start of each turn your plane will lose One altitude of height while it smokes. If it goes below altitude 1 you will crash land. On a 5,6 (D6) you are killed. If you receive a second “Smoke Damage”, while smoking your plane will catch fire.
 
“FIRE DAMAGE”
·         Whilst on fire you may not perform any straight manoeuvres
·         At the start of each turn, for three turns, you will receive an additional “A” damage card.
 
PLAYING THE GAME
 
Orders will be twice a week unless notified otherwise, and will be required on a Wednesday and Sunday by 6pm GMT. Please submit your turn orders as follows;
 
Turn number, Pilot, Plane, Deck, Card One, Card Two, Card Three
 
e.g.   Turn 3, Biggles, Sopwith Camel, A Deck, Straight, left turn, hard right turn
 
BOARD EDGE
The game will be played on a 6 x 4 ft Hotmatz European fields hex mat (but we will ignore the hexes). If you do go off the mat then I will place you back on at your point of exit, so you will not fly off the edge, unless you want to? All planes deliberately flying off the edge of the playing area will be deemed eliminated.
 
ALTITUDE MARKERS
The number on the base of each plane is the aircrafts altitude.
 
 
Please Note
  • If you fail to provide orders I will fly the aircraft for you, your plane will perform 3 straights, if it flies off the board you are eliminated.
  • In cases of Tailing I will swap your cards as appropriate.
  • Incorrect orders, I will ask you for a correct card unless it’s a compulsory card due to a manoeuvre. Or cards can be swapped to make it a legal move.
 
Turn reports will state any damage received and from whom, and any “Ace” abilities you have received.
 
Medals:
  • Medals will be awarded to individual pilots once they score 15 points of damage to the enemy. These points are cumulative across the games.
  • Apart from “Bragging Rights” in the Mess, Medals allow a player to ignore one damage result during the course of the game.
Kills:
  • Where two or more planes shoot down an enemy in the same phase, they will share the “Kill”. i.e two planes = ½ kill each
 
Ace Rules
·         “Ace” status is reached once a pilot or observer has achieved 5 kills, each “Ace” will get the generic abilities below and will receive an additional specific ability.
·         The specific Ability will be randomly chosen from the list and I’ll let you know what it is in your turn report.
·         “Aces” will receive an additional special ability for each additional 3 kills.
Generic Abilities received by all Aces
·         An Ace can only be tailed by another Ace.
·         Aces fire before non-Aces so that, for example, if an Ace and a non-Ace were firing at each other, any damage inflicted by the Ace (including, of course, shooting the non-Ace down) takes place before the non-Ace gets to fire.
Pilots only abilities:
Daredevil:
·         Can do two steep manoeuvres in a row. Once this ability is used, it cannot be re-used for the rest of the turn.
Acrobatic pilot:
·         Can do an Immelman turn without having to do a straight after it. The straight before has to be done anyway.
Good in evading:
·         Can ignore a single damage card in all the game, after drawing and seeing it. The ignored card is put at the bottom of the damage deck.
Exceptional pilot:
·         Can use the same manoeuvre twice in the same turn.
Example: a SPAD XIII plans an Immelman, a straight and an Immelman. The plane executes an Immelman in the first phase, a straight in the second and another Immelman in the third one.
 
Pilot or observer individual abilities:
Perfect aim:
·         Once per turn, the pilot can decide to use the +1 Aim bonus even if he did not shoot at the same plane in the previous phase.
Long Shot:
·         If your plane is within ruler distance, measured from your central pole to your opponent’s central pole, you are considered to be at short range, rather than long range.
Itchy Trigger Finger:
·         Aces with this ability go before other aces that do not have this ability whenever firing is resolved.
Pilots or observer airplane abilities:
Upgraded Machine Guns:
·         A pilot or observer can take this ability to upgrade B rated guns to make them A guns instead. This ability only affects the gun associated with that ace.
Bullet checker:
·         Ignore the jamming cards with a Green Cross; the ace jams only when a card with the Red Cross is picked up.
 

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Wings of Glory Play by Email

 


Game 1; Early War

Below is a list of the flight decks; (P,T,K,R) that are required for the game, and photo's of the planes involved. You should by now have been given your plane and deck details, any problems let me know?

Turn photos will be found on the blog



First up the decks........


P Deck
K Deck

T Deck

R Deck


And now for the combatants

First up the heroic Allies (Note total lack of bias on my part!)

60th Squadron Pilot

Chaput

Andrews


Hawker

Navarre

Gilbert


Saundby

Johnson

Wainwright


And now the dastardly Boche!

Halberstadt Brown

Buddecke

Halberstadt Camo

Grey Wolf

Hautzmeyer

Immelman

 
Halberstadt Kuedell


Roland Blue

Udet

Thursday 7 March 2013

Flames of War Finns

My latest project is a Finnish tank company. Progress so far  below.....

KV1 platoon

HQ T26 Platoon

T26 Platoon

BA10 Armoured Car Platoon
Recon element

Truck for my Pioneer Platoon

The force together
Now just need some Pioneers,and T28's, and to paint up my PaK40's, and Jaalkavaki Platoon and were done. Artillery will be "Across the Volga"

Hope you like them, please feel free to leave a comment.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Wings of Glory repaints

Hi Everyone,

Having recently got some 1/144 decals of Ebay I decided to do some repaints. I had several F-Toys Albatros DIII's, and a couple of the original Wings of War Dr1's ( Rahns I think?). Pictures below. i hope you like them?
Wichards DIII
He has "Vera" on the side of his plane, presimably his girlfriend?

The Red Dr1 from "Flyboys" movie
The "Good" bad-guy?

The "Black Falcon" from "Flyboys" Movie
One of my favorite planes

Kissenberths captured Camel





Feel free to leave a comment?

Happy Gaming!

Tuesday 22 January 2013

Flames of War Greeks (and also Italians?)

 
I have nearly finished my Greek force for FoW, just need to do the mortar platoon. The good thing is they will also double as my Italian force fighting in Russia, Sicily etc.
Hope you enjoy?
 
 
 
 
HQ: 1iC, 2iC, Boyes A/T Rifle, and Mortar
Solothurn Anti-Tank Rifle Platoon
(No don't laugh, this really is the Greek A/T Platoon!)

Motosikleta Platoon
i also have the dismounted troops as well

British Carrier platoon with Greek Crews.
Command carrier has "Ochi" (Greek for "No") written on the side

Captured Italian Tankettes used by the Greeks
2 Platoon of 3

Another shot of the fearsome Greek armour!

Greek rifle platoon
I've got four of these in total

Greek HMG Platoon
I've also got a platoon of HMG nests

Well I hope you like them, please feel free to leave a comment
 
Happy gaming!