Still, made it down to Imagine Games and Hobbies and came across Dave Violago looking for a victim for the World War I game of "Wings of Glory" (formerly "Wings of War").
The game is quick and fun to play. Moves are plotted 3 "phases" at a time. Each phase, a plane moves based on a pre-plotted move card (selected by the pilot). If you guess right and there's an enemy in your gun arcs, you can shoot each phase. Damage is allocated based on drawing cards from a special shuffled damage deck with different damage values. When you take enough damage to match the aircrafts' point value, you're shot down. After all 3 plotted moves are all done, you plot another 3 phases.
It's a great beginner's game or collectable miniature game (miniatures are not required).
Dave's mission for me (the Allies) was to fly an Observation Plane (2-seater BE2 Biplane) to a "dropped Package from Santa", photograph it and return with the photos. For escort, I had a DH2 (British Pusher biplane) and a French Morane (Monoplane).
Of course, the Germans were not going to make it easy. Dave would be flying 3 Fokker E1 "Eindeckers", coming in for a Head-to-Head pass. I was truly facing the "Fokker Scourge" this time out.
First couple of turns, Dave and I just closed in on each other. I placed the DH2 on the left of the BE2 and the Morane on the Right. Beginning of the 3rd turn, we were pretty much going in for a Head-to-Head pass, guns blazing. Except I discovered the BE2 only had a rear firing Machine gun!
Oops! :-}
Dave's Eindeckers all fired at the BE2 - ignoring the Allied scouts. In an un-repeatable stroke of luck, all the shots from the first volley caused - 0 DAMAGE! All the cards were Zeros!
The DH2 fired on the Eindecker in front of it, hitting it but jaming his guns in the process. The next 3 phases, I would have great position, but be unable to fire! The Morane also fired, hitting another plane.
The BE2 threw iself to the left side-slipping, throwing off the aim of all but 1 Eindecker for the next 2-3 phases, Again, minimal damage.
Sliding back to the right, the BE2 was able to spoil the shooting of the other Eindeckers by flying so close to the Green Eindecker. Constantly Jinking, turning and Side-Slipping, the BE2 flew closer towards the objective...
Finally, the BE2 made it to the Objective and successfully took the picture. By this point, the BE2 had suffered 10 out of the required 13 damage points required to shoot it down and the Observer was out, meaning he had no defensive capability at all! The Green Eindecker flew off the board (in error, but we agreed it "Chickened Out") and the DH2 fiinally shot down a 2nd Eindecker! Unfortunately, it was during a head-on-pass and the Eindecker got a lucky shot that caused the fuel tank of the DH2 to explode!!!
Sadly, the Morane was badly out of position and couldn't save the BE2 from the remaining Eindecker who successfully tailed and shot at the BE2 for the next 2 turns. The final damage point caused a fire as the plane tumbled to a smoking crater in No-Man's Land...
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Great Game! Dave and I were having a wonderfull time with this one! We were both taking pictures almost every phase after the initial Head-On pass (Sorry - my Phone Camera sucks - these were probably the best of them) and pretty much laughing throughout the game!
I didn't expect the BE2 to last so long. All 3 Eindeckers concentrated their fire on it (when they could). When it was finally shot down, I had taken 6 or 7 "Zero Damage" cards - it had no right to be flying before I got to the Objective!
The DH2 was undamaged and I was counting on it to escort the BE2 back home when it caught that lucky shot into the fuel tank. Totally unforseable, but that's what happens with random chances...
Dave's Green Eindecker flying off the table was an accident - pure and simple. He concentrated on the BE2 and where he thought it was going to go. He then missed one card and it flew to a position where he couldn't play another card without going off the table. The other two Eindeckers were damaged, but not enough to cause them to fail their mission. Both sides suffered from gun jams (though I think I got the worst on that one).
I did use a couple of "Mulligans" (you got "Do-Over" tickets if you donated something to the foodbank - Neat Idea!) because I kept mixing up the flight cards of the BE2 and the DH2 - they both used the same maneuver deck, are the same colour so I kept swapping cards between the two by mistake (BE2 moves on the DH2 and visa versa). Next time, my planes all need to be VERY different! ;-)
Thanks again Dave!
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