Small Footprint Solo Skirmish Down Mexico Way

The Warbases free postage offer at the weekend got me thinking about a small scale solo skirmish project again. The last iteration of this was the Ravenfeast Viking era rules bounced back to the eight century, using the exceptional Wiglaf Miniatures 18mm figures for Wear Saxon and Mercian raiding forces. I really love the scale and scope of the rules, while the figures are packed full of character, some of Mark Copplestone's best work I think. 

This is very much still on the cards but I'm also tinkering with a Wild West alternative, again using free rules , a small figure count and a minimal footprint. The rules are Ruthless from Little Wars TV and are just two sides of A4, so definitely concise and fast play enough. The figures would be from Peter Pig, of which I have a small stash, or from Check Point Miniatures, which have a small but very characterful range...

...as always, it's just an idea at the moment but there's an order in with Warbases for some Wild West buildings, so watch this space. The idea is to fit everything into a single 4 or 5 litre RUB for portability and storage, terrain, figures, rules, the lot. I have a whole stack of Wild West terrain in 28mm but it takes up the boot of the car when I use it at the club, not to mention the figures and rules. In 15mm and with some careful organisation, it should all fit in one box that I can easily carry under one arm. Result!

Over The Front Back Issue Bargain

The back issues of the Over the Front journal are available as Amazon print on demand or in pdf digital format, the latter costing only $9.99 for four issues. This is an absolute bargain and gives you access to some invaluable information for air wargaming projects, including my Algernon Pulls It Off! article, where Volume XIII includes an issue on The Forgotten Fronts. This should help to fill in the details I need for the German units on the Palestine Front, which would otherwise be very difficult to track down. Talky Ho!

Algy Flies Down Under

I was planning to go to the Colours wargaming show up the road in Newbury yesterday but, unfortunately for me, my daughter decided she was going to move in to her new student accommodation in Exeter, so I was down there shifting boxes instead. I like Colours as a show and a venue and I'm a bit miffed to have missed it for a second year in a row, but needs must. At least it saves me from spending pocket money on things I don't really need!

In more positive news, I've had a thumbs up from Nick for the Lard Mag Palestine article, which is great as I can now crack on, the next couple of days being a good time to get stuck into the scenario short list. In a turn up for the books, the Facebook group poll has also bowled a googly and my original title for the project came out as the popular choice. I've tweaked it a little to match the previous Lard Mag content, so it's now officially going to be Algy Flies Down Under.

...that's going to need some explaining!

A 'Bloody Paralyzer' in Palestine

I've discovered that No.1 Squadron AFC operated a single Handley Page 0/400 bomber from September 1918 to the end of the campaign in Palestine. I'd like to feature it in a fictional action and have some ideas for a potential scenario, with it used as in the transport role with an escort of a couple of  Brisfits. 

According to Aeropedia:

"Although used for bombing operations by No 1 Squadron AFC, it seems after arriving in Heliopolis, in Egypt, as well as attacking Turkish means of communications between the Turkish Headquarters and the 7th and 8th Armies, one of the principal tasks of C9681 in the Middle East was to transport supplies to the advanced airstrip at Azrak in Jordan to assist Lawrence of Arabia in his activities, these including fuel, oil and spare parts for the Bristol Fighters operating in the area. It seems a number of flights were made carrying supplies'

A bit different and hopefully good fun.

Algy Goes Out in the Midday Sun

I wasn't particularly happy with the title for the Lard Mag article, 'Algy Goes Down Under', as it caused no end of confusion about the focus of the project. After a bit of head scratching I came up with half a dozen alternatives and put them to the popular vote on the FB group in a none too serious poll. 

'At 12 noon, the natives swoon and no further work is done. But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.'

The top option was 'Algy Goes Out in the Midday Sun' to paraphrase Noel Coward, so that's what I'm going with from here on. I did consider 'Algy and the Flying A***holes', which is what observers were nicknamed by the Aussie pilots on account of their insignia, but I thought that might be a bit too risqué, even for the Toofatlardies readership!

Sabotag3d Aircraft for Algy Goes Down Under

We've had friends staying over the weekend so I've not been at the workbench at all. Before they arrived, however, I cleaned up,q magnet based and undercoated some 1/300th scale Sabotag3d aircraft for the Algy Goes Down Under Lard Mag project. I was a bit miffed to have to get the polarity right for the magnets, as I don't usually have to bother, but apart from that it wasn't too much of a faff. There are six F2B Bristol Fighters and a single RE8 to paint up over the undercoat of Army Painter German Field Grey, which was all I had in the rattle can collection. Next, will be the PC10 for which I'll use the usual Foundry Phlegm Green Shade, perhaps lightened a touch with some Phlegm Green. 

Farting about with Firing Arcs for Algernon Pulls It Off!

Revised Firing Arc Diagram 

Ring and Rail Mount Flexible Gun Arcs

Fe2b/d Observer Pintle Mount Gun Arcs

Oblique Left or Right Fixed Pilot Gun Arcs

Be2c/d Bar Mounted Observer Gun Arcs 

Something that has caused quite a lot of confusion for players of Algy are the firing arcs for different aircraft, mainly because the diagram in the rules was lifted straight from Bag the Hun and doesn't correspond to the real thing or the aircraft data tables. I've been tinkering about with it and have modified the diagram by adding the blind spot for observers due to the tail, as well as rewriting the descriptors. The latter needs some tweaking but makes more sense than the existing text. I've also been experimenting with arcs of fire for particular aircraft and armament, using the diagram to mark out what can be targeted in each case. 

It seems to work with the caveat that the aircraft data tables for the RFC / RAF have to be ammended to match (they didn't make sense in the first place and don't correspond to the German equivalent either). I've posted some illustrative diagrams on the FB group but, this far, no one has made any comments, no doubt because it's a bit abstract and boring, unless you have actually uky tried to use the rules as they are for a game. Anyway, it's all useful stuff and I may well incorporate it into the Lard Mag article as a rules option.

1/300th 3D Printed Brisfits and a Harry Tate

                  

On the work bench now are some very nice but also scarily fragile 3D printed F2b Bristol Fighters and a single RE8, destined for the skies over Palestine in 1918. These were printed for me by Paul Edwards at Sabotag3d and they're super models but give me the fear as they're a little delicate. I've already snapped an RE8 so I'll have to be extra careful with the others. The paint scheme for the Brisfits is also a challenge as they were often given white panels to keep the crew from overheating, so some careful brush work will be needed I think! 

Chocks Away!

I'm just starting the background research for the Lard Mag Algy article on No.1 Squadron Australian Flying Corps in Palestine c1917-18.

It turns out that there is a lot of potential for some good Algy games, primarily featuring the Brisfit, but also the Be2c, Be12, RE8 and Martynside G100 Elephant, for the AFC.

The Germans will be able to deploy Rumpler and AEG 'C' type two seaters, escorted on occasion by Albatros DIII, Albatros DVa and Pfalz DIII scouts.

The decision I have to make now is on a scale for play testing. I usually opt for 1/600th for cost/time reasons, but I'm also considering 1/300th, as I have quite a lot of what's required already in the 3D printed pile from Sabotag3d. 

It's a toss up between being able to paint up almost everything I need quite quickly and having more detailed models that might be good fun to paint, albeit at a slower pace. I'd also need to order some more 3D printed models to cover the earlier phase of the campaign.

May be I should just flip a coin?! 

Algy Lard Mag Plan B

After reading up on the Paraguayan Civil War for potential Algy scenarios, it is looking a bit of a stretch, although a couple of actions could be turned into workable games with a bit of imagination. So, to cut to the chase, I'm now going back to an idea I had months ago instead, focusing on No.1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps during the latter stages of the campaign in Palestine. There's enough in this to create at least half a dozen decent scenarios, with most of the aircraft readily available in different scales. It's early days but I'll get started next month on the preliminary reading and research.