The sample models from the new Tumbling Dice French WW1 range have been painted up and I think they came out looking okay. The Nieuport 24 scheme in Warpaints Gorgon Hide is definitely better than using metallic aluminium, so I'll be sticking with that approach for the rest of the squadron. The SPAD VII looks the part but I'm not sure about the sculpt itself which, unlike most TD models, hasn't really captured the shape of the actual aircraft. A bit of a shame but it will have to do. Tally Ho!
An unexpected day off work due to the ridiculous heat meant I could crack on with the French aircraft for Algernon Pulls It Off! and other WW1 rules today. The Breguet XIV flight is almost ready for an ink wash, while two test models of a SPAD VII and Nieuport 24 are also moving along nicely. If the latter turn out well I'll add more of both to fill up my storage tin as well as some early war Morane Saulnier N 'bullets' and some perhaps a few observation machines.
I used some cheapo decals from eBay for these, which are good enough in 1/600th scale to be passable but not as crisp as the usual sheets that I use from Flightdeckdecals or the old Doms Decals range. I think it's the heat but my painting isn't quite up to scratch at the moment either, although these three seems to have turned out okay. It's back to the French now, which are easier to paint and for which I have some proper decal sheets, so I'm hoping for better end results.
I finished off the decals on a Tumbling Dice Nieuport 17 (upper wing pinched from a Nieuport 11) and an Albatros CIII this afternoon, the former based on one of Albert Ball's scouts in mid-1916. This turned out okay but I think was less successful than my earlier Breguet XIV paint job, mainly due to the decals being a bit cramped. Tally Ho!
I've been busy over the last week so nothing has been achieved as far as painting goes, but I have been sorting out some resources for Algy games including an improved version of the manoeuvre charts from the rules. I've added a colour coding system for Easy. Hard and Tricky manoeuvres, as well as notes on pilot skill tests, climbing and diving, so a one stop shop for players to refer to. I've also corrected a couple of points and added a missing bit about losing altitude in a hard turn. It's a available to download from the Algy FB group if you are interested.
Despite having a bout of man flu, in June of all months, I've bumped along the 1/600th scale Rolands, Albatros and Nieuport to the ink wash stage, ready to be cleaned up with highlights and detailing. They look pretty grubby at the moment but will be much better after some highlights and touch ups, which don't take long to do but really make a difference. I should get these finished at the weekend.
I'm thinking of devising a mash up of the dogfight game generator I designed a few months ago with the balloon busting rules (Section13 p31), to create a simple system for balloon busting sorties in Algernon Pulls It Off!
The initial ideas include a random number of balloons (1D4+1) placed by the defender, within certain restrictions, each defended by an Archie zone (6 hexes in radius)
There will also be defending fighter aircraft, again generated by die roll (1D6), which begin off table. They will enter individually after the attackers but will have to roll to do so each turn, possibly using a countdown mechanism of some sort.
The number (1D4) and skill level of the attackers will be randomly generated as well. Attacking aircraft will choose a high altitude or low altitude approach when entering the table. Attacking aircraft may be fitted with rockets and may also have incendiary ammunition.
All pilots on both sides will be Junior Ace, Veteran or Regular. No Top Aces (too sensible or too valuable to be risked) or Sprogs (too inexperienced to be permitted). I'm thinking of limiting the number of Aces to probably a maximum of one Junior Ave per side, so as not to imbalance the game.
One thing I might include is a chance that one balloon may be designated as a decoy, possibly on a die roll made by the defender. This will explode when the attacking aircraft is within 3 hexes. The attacker will then have to roll on the exploding aircraft table (10. 1.8) but modified to cause (2C) damage. The identity of the booby trapped balloon will be kept hidden until it goes boom!
I'm starting painting the 1/600th scale Roland C.II models but have decided to deploy exactly the same paint shades that I used for the Airfix 1/72nd scale equivalent, one of which I painted many years ago for wargaming. The shade of choice is a very old pot of Citadel Horizon Blue, which I bought in The Works after Games Workshop ditched the old range of Warhammer paints, I reckon about twenty years ago. It's still going strong and is the perfect shade of light blue!
A wet and windy afternoon better spent at the workbench rather than outdoors. Here we have three 1/600th scale Tumbling Dice Roland C.II two seaters, an Albatros C.III observation machine and Albert Ball's Nieuport 17, the latter a Tumbling Dice Nieuport 17 with the upper wing pinched from a Nieuport 11 model. I'm away tomorrow but hope to start painting these after the weekend.
I was looking for a potential scenario for Algy today featuring the Roland C.II, when I stumbled across this rather unusual action from September 1916, as illustrated in a painting by Michael Turner. Here are the notes accompanying the painting:
Rocket Man
In late afternoon on September 15th 1916, Captain Albert Ball took off alone on patrol to seek out enemy observation balloons, his Nieuport 17 armed with Le Prieur rockets mounted on its interplane struts.
Sighting a German patrol of three Roland C11s, he approached unnoticed from behind and below, and fired a salvo of all eight rockets into their formation. Completely taken by surprise, the enemy aircraft scattered in alarm, and Ball promptly shot one of them down.
I think this would make a great scenario, especially as it includes the very unorthodox use or Le Prieur rockets and a famous RFC ace to boot! It will take some further research and some rule tweaking to set up, but I reckon it would make a brilliant solo or two player game. I happen to have the 1/600th models I need for the scenario in the bits box, so I'll see what I can get sorted over the weekend.
I'm starting to get myself organised for the club Algy game in a couple of weeks, the Digger Dogfight scenario from the Jasta 18 Lard Mag scenarios, by editing and printing off the aircraft sheets and the card deck. I'll get these filled in, cut out and assembled at the weekend, which theoretically puts me in a position to paint up some 1/300th scale aircraft, if I don't get distracted by the other things in the next ten days or so? If not, this will be played out in glorious 1/600th scale, as I have all the models ready to go!
