Bag the Hun Malta Game [4]

I spent some time today working out what I'm going to do for the Bag the Hun 2 game at the club in a couple of weeks. This was supposed to be a North Africa game but, after a bit of a think, I've decided to switch the action to Malta in October 1941. There's a lot of potential in the Malta option and I reckon it could be a solid basis for a series of campaign games.

This is for a number of reasons. Firstly, my Hawker Hurricanes are a spot-on match for No185 Squadron aircraft including the single letter fuselage codes. Secondly, I have some lovely Museum Miniatures Mc200's and Mc202's that I can use, the latter making any dogfights a little less one sided. Thirdly, I only have a blue hex mat, so any scenarios would need to be over the sea to look right.

After reading through some of my various reference books and doing some inevitable googling, I've identified at least four potential scenarios that would work well for the number of players that have signed up for the game. From this shortlist,  I've chosen an engagement on the 1st October 1941 between eight Hurricane IIA's of No185 Squadron and seven Mc202's of No73a Squadriglia, the first action in which the new Italian fighters were deployed over the island:

On the morning of 1 October 1941, the 9o Gruppo undertook its first sorties over Malta with its new aircraft, seven MC.202s from 73a Squadriglia led by Capitano Pluda taking part. Partaking pilots were Capitano Carlo Ivaldi, Tenente Pietro Bonfatti, Sottotenente Giuseppe Oblach, Sergente Maggiore Enrico Dallari, Sergente Santo Gino and Sottotenente Alvaro Querci (Querci was however forced to return due to problems with his oxygen supply).

At 11:50, eight Hurricanes from 185 Squadron scrambled after the incoming ‘bandits’, climbing to 24,000 feet. At this height, 30 miles north-east of the island, they were jumped by the Macchis and 24-year-old Squadron Leader Peter ‘Boy’ Mould (RAF no. 33414) (Hurricane Z5265/GL-T) was shot down and killed (at this time Mould was credited with 8 and 3 shared victories).

Capitano Carlo Ivaldi, Tenente Bonfatti and Sergente Maggiore Dallari claimed two Hurricanes shot down and two probables between them in this first pass; Bonfatti reported that he saw his opponent to jump and parachute (according to some sources the Italian pilots claimed three victories).

Sergeant Ernie Knight got in a shot at the attackers, obtaining hits on Ivaldi’s aircraft (MM7723), which he claimed damaged. The Macchi had been hit in its main fuel tank, and with all fuel drained away, was obliged to force-land on a beach near Pozzzallo, on regaining the Sicilian coast.

As you can read for yourself, this provides plenty of detail for a cracking interception scenario including some specific characters cards, a couple of junior aces and the opportunity to deploy some Italian bogeys to introduce another element to the game. I think it'll be quite balanced as well, giving both sides the chance to achieve some success.

I'll have a crack at writing something up tomorrow and will get some turncards sorted, once I've worked out exactly what I need. I also need to tart up the Mc202's with some theatre bands, tail insignia and fusealge codes, if they're to look the business. This shouldn't be too difficult and will add a little extra 'ooh shiny' factor to the game.

SFSFW

I decided to sign up with the Society of Fantasy and Science Fiction Wargamers the other day, which is something that I've always meant to do but somehow never got round to. 

My interest  is down to the fact that I have a pretty good collection of Aeronef and ran a Scramble for Africa campaign at the club a few years ago, since when the fleets have been gathering dust which is a bit of a shame. In addition I have a small but perfectly formed gang of diecast Hotwheels conversions for Mad Max style post-apoc road warfare, that has only been used once or twice for lack of a decent set of rules. 

Then there's the Iron Cow ONESS battlegroup that I started on earlier this year and which only need a few extra bits to be ready for deployment. If I add this lot to the, as yet untouched, 28mm Tomorrow's World Future FFL and Full Thrust fleets in the leadpile, it gives me plenty to get my teeth into that fits the remit of the SFSFW. I think it'll definately be worth it, especially if it gets me to use some of these long lost models and get some new mini-projects off the starting block.

In fact, I've promised myself a solo game of X Wing this weekend as a reward for good behaviour.

:O)

SAGA West Saxons

I found a box set of Gripping Beast plastic Saxon Thegns on Ebay a few days ago, so put in a tentative bid. As a result, I now have the aforementioned box sitting on my workbench, which is both a good thing and a bad thing depending on your point of view. I have a handful of GB metal Saxons in the leadpile that I aquired years ago for WAB, after using a skirmish variant of the rules at the club for a few games.

These had been set up and umpired by Dr Ryan Lavelle, who is a bit of an expert on all things to do with early medieval warfare, to say the least. The series of games that we played were a lot of fun and made use of some particularly effective shower curtain terrain that Ryan had invented, alongside some very effective scratchbuilt mid-Saxon timber buildings.

Here's his rather useful review of the plastic Saxon figures:

http://www.wargamesillustrated.net/Default.aspx?tabid=289&art_id=2506

Anyway, that was a long time ago, but the idea of a ninth century West Saxon project has long been simmering away in my subconscious and has now ben re-ignited by the advent of SAGA. If I can get the Norse done this month, I quite fancy putting together a small West Saxon force, based on the plastic figures and the additional metal fyrd figures that I have in the ever expanding leadpile.

BKC Aegean Campaign Update

The Italians have triumphed yet again in the on-going BKC Aegean campaign, with a truly stunning raid on the Soviet fleet that has effectively knocked Ivan out of the campaign in one audacious move. Yet again, the elite X-MAS Italian special forces have used subterfuge, guile and skill to penetrate the enemy defences and blow things up in great style, before slipping away into the night*

Bravissimo!

This has earned some valuable political points for General Robusto Gorgonzola, as well as some useful new assets that will be deployed against the perfidious British in the on-going battle for Mikonos. I already have some 'cunning plans' for the next turn of the campaign but these will have to wait until I've issued my latest press release, courtesy of Tenente Berlusconi and his typewriter.

*General Gorgonzola regrets the unfortunate 'friendly fire' incident and hopes that Kurt, Heinz, Rudi and Max are making a full recovery.

Maurice

I had a cracking introductory game of Maurice at the club this evening, with Mike as the umpire and Paul as the opposition. Mike provided the excellent figures and ran the game really well. I took the defending British side and Paul the attacking French, with an equal number of units for each army. The card based mechanics were very effective and made the game very tactical. In the end, it was a bit of a draw, with the French getting a bloody nose at the expense of crumbling British morale. A really enjoyable and fast moving game, which played well and looked fantastic!

Bag The Hun 2 North Africa Game [3]

It was back to work today and, as usual, I had to hit the ground running and haven't really stopped until now. I have had a few moments to think about the turn cards for the BTH2 North Africa game, however, and have had a quick look at what I've already got on the laptop. I have several sets of cards that I produced for use with the first edition of Bag the Hun, which could be used for BTH2 with minimal alterations.

I knocked these rather basic but functional cards up for the last game desert game a few years ago but I think they're a bit too rough and ready now. I'm going to try to produce something less rudimentary and a bit more inspiring, if I can work out how and if I have the time. I may end up with some good old fashioned cut and paste but, at the very least, it'll look better than these old school versions. I'll see if I can find some decent colour images to use for a start, which is harder than you might think.

SAGA Vikings [6]

To give my SAGA project a bit of a kick start, I thought I'd add a unit of hairy hearthguard beserkers to the existing four point warband. I'll use these as a seperate unit to swap out for another four hearthguard figures or a unit of eight bondi warriors. I considered adding a second bondi unit of eight warriors, to make the raiding party up to a standard six points but, as this month is going to be stupidly busy at work, I thought it better to stick with a basic four point warband in the hope that I'll actually get it finished by the end of November??

Bag The Hun 2 North Africa Finished

I finished off the Blenheims today then painted all of the bases to complete the Bag the Hun North Africa project, at least for now. The Martin Maryland ended up in the scrap pile, as I wasn't happy with the end result, but I have now got a decent RAF force to use for the game later in the month and for future scenarios in the early desert war. I've enjoyed this project, even if the end result isn't really up to the usual standard, but it's definately time for a break from tiddly planes nonetheless!

SAGA Vikings [5]

We got home from Cornwall this evening, after a seemingly never-ending traffic jam punctuated trek up the A303. They really need to do something about that road. Anyway, while trundling along in the linear car park, I decided that November will be SAGA month and that I will finish the longboat load of hairy Viking types that I started on back in June.

The thinking behind this is that: a) it's a bit of a change from tiddly planes, b) it shouldn't take too long (?), c) it's already a quarter done, and d) I have a potential opponent lined up for a game. I haven't ditched the PITS project, on the contrary in fact, but will move it on to 2013 as one of my big projects to complete rather than try to squeeze it into the dying days of 2012.

In the meantime, I still need to finish off the stuff for Bag the Hun over North Africa, including the Hurricane bases and the details on the Blenheims, but I'm hoping to get these wrapped up over the weekend. I need the planes for the game on the 27th, so the sooner I get them finished the better, as I also need to work out the scenario and knock up some turn cards to match.

More Oink!

Those very nice people at Peter Pig have given me a 20% discount voucher for services rendered. I'm not  sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, it reminds me of a visit to the Peter Pig stand at Warfare a few years ago, when I was greeted by the slightly disturbing but nonetheless apt comment: 

'Ah, Mr J...,you're our best customer'.

Oh dear.

This should have sent alarm bells ringing in the local branch of my ever tolerant bank, but I managed to shrug it off with some ACW ironclads and some extra bits for AK47.

Ha Ha!

Anyway, this much appreciated gesture may result in some superfluous bits for PITS including some bashi basouks for the dervish and perhaps a few additional packs of fuzzy wuzzy fanatics to bulk out a second, earlier force for dangerous but no doubt sporting patrols in vicinity of Suakin.

More Oink to your elbow, as Osman Digna would probably say..

...or possibly not?