2015-05-31 Conwy Wargames Club 1/72 WW1 Air combat

For the monthly Conwy Wargames Club in May new member Chris volunteered to put on a WW1 air combat game using 1/72 planes. We were warned they were simple rules designed for kids, and in fact he'd played them with kids he taught. Sounds ideal for an afternoon gaming, easy to pick up rules with the focus on fun.

The rules Chris used can be found here: WW1 Air combat rules

We used these for the first 2 games then we moved to the advanced rules developed by Chris but not yet tested. We played the advanced rules in 2 scenario based games.

Game 1 - 2 players squared off in a dog fight. Since there were 6 of us this was actually 3 games on 3 tables.
Game 2 - The players from 2 tables joined each other for a mass dog fight, shortly joined by the final 2 players once their dogfight had concluded on table 3.
Game 3 - Hunt the Red Baron. A British squadron tries to intercept the Red Baron caught  on his own behind his lines.
Game 4 - A Russian  Alexander Kazakov must ram the German planes as his machine guns are jammed. A British squadron comes to his rescue


What great fun we had. The landlord of the The Anglers popped in because we were laughing so much at each others misfortune and the tall tales being told he thought he was missing out. The joy of simple rules is that they allow more chatter. We also met a prospective new member who popped in to say hello and who had timed it perfectly to join the start of Game 4.

Teaser pictures from the games with follow up posts for the After Action Reports as quick as I can write them.

Game 1

Yours truly against Tony

Dave and Pete rewrite the history of the Third Reich

Pete and Dickey duke it out

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Conwy Wargames Club game this Sunday

I can't make Partizan this year so I'll console myself by popping over to the game on Sunday. I am quite intrigued as it will be 1/72 WW1 fighter combat using home grown rules.

Sheffield Triples loot

Since I didn't go with a list I wasn't sure if I what I would buy. At no point did I consider not buying anything. I did manage to curb the retail urges to games I am actually playing, plus one new game.

I didn't see much Blitzkrieg era figures and models for sale, I was looking for French and Polish. I did see lots of Barborossa period Soviets and picked up 3 x BT7s, and Kursk period 2 x Matilda's, 1 x Grant, 1 x SU100, 1 x SU152 all in 20mm ready painted for £5 each. They were decast models and I felt I'd got a bargain.

Just before going home while my compadre tried to make up his mind about a jetty to use in this summers big game - which is a WW2 Pacific island assault game in 20mm, I wandered off and picked a T-35 kit from Plastic Soldier Company.

The big splurge was taking the plunge and buying Star Wars Armada. A lot of traders had the wave 1 releases on show which looked nice, but pricey in my opinion. Equally a lot of traders were selling Armada. The very last stand I got too was selling it for £50, well I'd never seen it so cheap and the little voices in my head were unanimous 'get it, get it', 'if you walk away you won't get it this cheap again'. £50 later, I now own it and it looks very nice. Definitely different from X Wing. For starters there are a lot more rules.

At the same stall I picked up a Decimator for X Wing. I originally wasn't bothered about this model until I read a review that mentioned it was Mara Jades ship, the future wife of Luke Skywalker. I then remembered readying about it in the novels, and with that connection I had to have it.

Spent up, with change to return home and say 'look I didn't all my money' I smugly headed for the rendezvous to get my lift home.

Bonus time was Mel giving me his copy of Saga so I didn't need to pick one up. I like to have the rules being played in the club and my first run through left me with the need to read through them. Mel decided the rules weren't his cup of tea, and I only want them for club games rather starting my own collection and games.

As I write this a couple of days later I still have that smug glow of having got a bargain.