Doncaster - Day 2

So, the second day at Doncaster and after a lovely breakfast we closed up at the air museum for more games. I played Chris Haigh's "Frigate race" game, pitting my HMS President against four other ships in what was supposed to be a race around all the islands but ended up rather shorter than that.

Other games included an Operation Pedestal WW2 game and a WW1 seaplane game with the Germans trying to sink a British submarine.

The lurgy did its best to kill me off during the morning so I called ENDEX and headed home at lunchtime, but I did manage to finish off the Vulcan part of my weekend with a visit to the aircraft's hangar at Robin Hood airport for some happy snaps :)

Doncaster - Day 1

This weekend I am at the Wings of Glory weekend at the Doncaster Air Museum. I came last year and was struck down by a particularly nasty bug and sod it, its happened again. So as I write this I have a temperature of lots and I'm dosed up on Beechams.

This has of course put  a bit of a downer on the gaming side of the weekend, but regardless today has been a rather lovely day.

The first game at the event that I played in wasn't Wings of Glory, it was Sails. A "fleet action" (actually four ships, one first rate and three 74s a side) where a late call to go independent spelt disaster for our RN squadron. Fortunately some deft manoeuvring (after piling into each other) and some lucky chit draws had my 74 force three of the Frenchies to strike and in so doing won us the game - and me the prize (which was coincidentally the same kind of ship as I was driving in the game). Alas I wasn't in a photography mood so no pics.

Game #2 was a WW1 two seater bash. But I dipped out of this to head over to Robin Hood Airport to see the Vulcan depart for her display today at Southport. As many readers will know this is the last year that the Vulcan will be flying and we missed out on seeing her at Old Sarum when she suffered a fuel leak last weekend. So it was basically see her today or never again.

What a sight!

Well worth bunking off the game for. And having seen her go I was on the verge of heading back when the nice old chap with the lovely daughter to whom I was chatting said "wait until she returns, it'll be worth it"

How right he was, as the Vulcan made her approach the went back to full power, gear up and away for a fast pass across the airport and around again. And the second time a "bolter" as she touched down and then back to full power and back into the skies again to come around for her third circuit, anding and back to the hangar. Apparently this extra "mini display" happens rarely, if ever, and I felt quite privileged to see it. And it brought a tear to many viewers' eyes.

Saying my goodbyes I returned to the air museum where a massive WW1 dogfight was taking place (nearly 30 players, "respawning" aircraft and the biggest single game I've played in). Unfortunately the room was baking hot - one of the younger players keeled over with heat stroke - I was going downhill fast and I never really got into the action, so it wasn't as much fun for me as it should have been, but the others had a great time and everyone won a prize

So now off to bed and Beechams, hoping tomorrow is another - and rather less germ-ridden - day!

A Short Time Ago....

.. at a supermarket not far away...

Just back from the weekly grocery shop at Tesco where I discovered that the old Star Wars Micro Machines have been spruced up and reissued as Episode 7 models. I understand there are at least 2 sets out there but the only sets available at the time contained two TIE Fighters in the new black/dark grey and pale fins scheme and two of the new model X Wings. I think the other set includes two X Wings, a Y Wing, TIE/Adv and a TIE fighter, presumably the original models (as it is entitled "Trench Run").

As before the models fit very well with FFG's X Wing range, and thanks to FFG's policy of putting just about everything son their website to download it is possible to get everything you need to play these ships with the game. They don't come with flight stands but the undersides of the models have the holes from the originals so they are easy to stick on whatever stands you have to hand, As with the originals the lasers on the X Wings are a bit bendy but I think the application of some hot water should sort them out nicely.

Also included are a couple of pilots (one Imperial, one Rebel, and a Stormtrooper "skiff" thing with a heavy laser or similar "50 cal"ish weapon. Ideal for SW skirmish gaming or, if you aren't into this, for general 15mm skirmish gaming as they look like they'll make ideal downed pilots and recce units.

Not bad for a tenner and it would seen that Clubcard holders might get something more off them as I got a £3.19 voucher for my next shop :)

Targets

Its just over  a month until "Stingray" gets its next outing, this time at Blast-Tastic in Bristol. The Thornbury game went well but an annoying (and, on reflection, rather obvious) "feature" of the games was how they all ended up with a furball in one part of the table as the Terror Fish tried to catch the escaping civilian submarine. To try and get around that I've knocked up some Terranean seabed structures, aka "targets"

As with many things that I construct these days handy household items and bits of rubbish have been pressed into service. I won't say what these structures are made up of just yet, see if you can work it out for yourselves :)

The plan with the Blast Tastic games is to use these as objectives, key Terranean structures to be defended or destroyed, and distributed around the table so as to make it more of a game of manoeuvre. Fingers crossed we'll end up with more fluid games :)

The Plan - Mid(ish) Year Review

As the half way point of 2015 has come and gone I thought it would be good to review "The Plan".

Everything seemed pretty straightforward in January, little was I to know that life would be thrown upside down only a few weeks later, and the turmoil has continued pretty much constantly since then. That said wargaming has proven to be a good occasional therapy, so lets see how we are doing.....

1) Project X - I will get phase 2 sorted out by the Summer.

"Phase 2" was to get my medieval naval rules done, dusted and published. This happened at the beginning of August so that's a "yes". Now thinking actively about Phase 3 :)

2) Engage! - I'll renovate my FASA Star Trek fleets, sort out the various unpainted ships that I have to hand and will put together stat sheets for all the models.

I had a big push on this in January so I have stat sheets done for most of the ships in the FASA fleet books. Model renovation hasn't started yet and I still have to do stat sheets for the non-FASA ships in my Star Trek collection. So this is a work in progress, but there has been considerable progress so far.

3) FLoB - Yes, get those fleets renovated like I was supposed to do last year, and expand the 1/450 fleets for the Adriatic campaign (which means a few galleys needed)

Nothing on this yet. galleys are the big problem.

4) Burma Skirmish - I've been picking up odd bits and pieces for this for some time. 20mm "retro" gaming, going back to my wargaming roots in the 1970s and 80s. I'll put together at least a platoon's worth of troops for each side (and possibly some US as well, especially if I can track down a 20mm LVT(A) somewhere)and get some games in. "Operation Warboard" likely to be the rules in use to complete the whole retro thing :)

Getting there - my Japanese troops are painted and need basing, my Aussies and Gurkhas stalled but hopefully kicking off again now that I've found some older models where the pastic used was much more pleasing to the eye - and not requiring so much in the way of paint. I found some LVT(A)1s at a show in February for a very reasonable price. Overall - fair progress made, but still can't actually play a game with these yet.

5) Mad Max - Inspired by the new film coming out later this year I've always had a hankering to do some sort of "road warrior" gaming. I have an idea about some rules, and there are so many handy Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars that I think will be ideal for kitbashing.

I now have a box full of cars, trucks and other vehicles, some bikes to paint up and some useful figures for foot-sloggers. Rules still need thinking about. But doing well here.

6) BASF - Bolt Action Sci Fi. We've tried this a few times at BV. I have a pile of stuff to sort out for this. Fun to do.

Mostly done, I still have a small pile of figures to paint up. so again, decent progress.

So, despite the upheaval of the last 8 months I've actually achieved quite a bit, Things are in the doldrums at the moment at least as painting is concerned as my new wargames HQ is without power and lighting, or a decent painting table all of which are planned but taking an age to sort out) but with luck they'll be sorted in a month or two and then its full steam ahead :)

Stingray Wins at IPMS Avon

Just back from the IPMS Avon Show at the Thornbury Leisure Centre where "Stingray" won the award for Best Participation Game. I'm particularly chuffed as this is the third time in the three years of the show that I've won this award (the previous two games were both Wings of Glory). First off I must say a very big "thank you" to Stuart and Gareth for helping out with running the game. Your efforts and enthusiasm were greatly appreciated.

The whole thing nearly fell apart at 0815 this morning when I discovered that the sound effects for the game weren't going to be available (tablet with movie file left at home, file successfully downloaded to phone but then bluetooth speakers died). And then to cap it all the box containing the models fell from the table to the floor, scattering models all over the place and smashing a few.  So a very hurried half hour sticking things back together again and improvising where necessary. And so by 0930 as the show opened we were up and running.

The calm before the storm.....

In all we got through five games during the 6 hours of the show, thus meeting the "game in an hour" criterion (we had a long lunch break!). Each game featured a civilian submarine carrying secret documents, equipment or personnel that had to escape from the table, the WASP players escorting it, the Aquahibians seeking to destroy it. Honours were just about even with Titan's Terrors (the Aquaphibians) and the Accursed Terraneans (WASP) winning two games clear. The fifth and final game went down to the wire with the civilian sub crippled but just making it off whilst in the middle of the table Stingray was blown out of the water (this was the only game where this happened - the whereabouts of Troy Tempest and Phones is currently unknown!). We called this a marginal WASP victory, but the Aquaphibians claimed the moral victory having despatched the Accursed Tempest to a watery grave!

We had a great time running the game and with just one exception** everyone who played it enjoyed it too. We had one youngster play it three times and he was most upset that we couldn't run a 6th game after the show closed. having his dad thank us for giving his son such a  good time was icing on the cake of a good day.

Even though all went well there's still some room for improvement. The rules are, I think, just about there now. Some variation in scenarios is needed and I'm now looking at making some undersea mining installations and bases for the next outing, which will be Blast-Tastic in early October.

Just to finish off, it was also a lovely opportunity to meet some old friends and make new ones. It really was a lovely day out and away from the stresses of everyday life.

One Hour Wargames - Pike and Shot Additions

A few people have asked me here through comments or via email what additions I've made to the Pike and Shot rules in "One Hour Wargames". Here's a summary:

Added Artillery, Shock Cavalry and Dragoon troop types

Artillery - move 4" (or optionally, position at start of game and they remain immobile). Range 18", unit rolls 2 dice for casualties, roll for out of ammo as normal. May not enter any terrain features, may not move into contact with enemy, only causes half number of casualties in hand to hand (round down)

Dragoons - move 10" , may shoot at end of move, may only charge into combat if out of ammo, shooting range 10", half casualties when engaging Cavalry, Reiters or Lobsters (round in favour of attacker)

Shock Cavalry (inspired by Haselrigg's Lobsters) - move 10", may not end move in a town, roll 2d6 for casualties on first turn of hand to hand combat. Swordsmen only inflict half casualties on Shock cavalry in hand to hand

Withdraw from Melee -Cavalry, Reiters, Dragoons  or Shock Cavalry can withdraw up to 12" but end their movement  facing away from the enemy when doing so. Enemy Reiters, Dragoons and Infantry who are not out of ammunition may also get a free shot as they withdraw.