Wings of War - Aces Falling

The WWI display at the Wings & Wheels show fired me up to get my Wings of War game out of storage. Rereading the rules took all of ten minutes and I was ready. I always play the game in its simplest mode since, in my opinion, extra complexity adds nothing to the realism of the game particularly but does impede the smooth flow.

I reverted to type as Rittmeister of the German air arm against my regular opponent Captain Shaun of the RFC.

We used a scenario of my own devising. You pile all the allied plane cards you have into one pile and all the German into another and shuffle. Then you deal one of each and dice for where they come on: repeat for the next two turns. The scenario simulates the sort of large chaotic battles that occurred at the end of the war.

The first photo shows the position on Turn 4 when all the planes are engaged (in combat, not nuptials).

C - Camel

A1 & A2 - Albatross DV

N - Nieuport 17

S - Spad XIII

F - Fokker VII

The first victim was one of the Albatri. The Nieuport was shot to pieces in return but somehow stayed in the air. Note the Fokker VII turning in behind the hapless Frog.

And the Fokker's guns jammed.

And jammed and jammed.

But it couldn't last and eventually the gallant avieteur was caught in a crossfire and blew up.

The Camel was the next victim.

The Spad lined up a perfect shot on the Fokker - and his guns jammed!

At that point the surviving allied pilot upon reflection considered discretion the better part of valour and legged it.