Poodle Fakers, Fruit Salad and Jam Roly Polys

One thing I submitted for the Lard Mag that didn't get in was a table to randomly generate special characteristics for pilots in Algernon Pulls It Off! These are designed to give some very simple bonuses for pilots, without unbalancing the systems, as well as a bit of extra fun for the players. I've used some contemporary jargon and service speak to add some period to flavour too. I've uploaded the document to the Facebook group, so feel free to download a copy for an early stocking filler. Tally Ho!

Lard Mag Wash Up

After a lot of work, I managed to get two articles into the Lard Mag for Algernon Pulls It Off!I including the Jasta 18 one..huzzah! It's a bit of a cracker as the Raben's Ravens article and scenarios were bloody good, if I say so myself. I did also get a scenario for Bag the Hun in this year, but that was very much an afterthought, so an underserved bonus. Happy Days!

Masters of the Air

Another second hand hardback from the local charity shop in mint condition and only four quid. I have had various attempts at wargaming daylight bombing missions but never really got beyond the planning stage, partly due to the painting workload but also as it is a logistical nightmare to play solo. I think I'll read this over the holidays and see if I can finally bite the bullet.

Jasta 7 Photo Sources

As an alternative option for the black and white Fokker DVII's I'm considering painting them as Jasta 7 aircraft, which were all over black apart from white tail fins. The only problem is finding the identities of the pilots, who marked the upper wing with a large white capital letter matching their surname. Luckily, I've found a couple of photos and a key which goes some way to narrow things down. I definitely need to do some more digging, but it's a good start. 

Jasta 40 Fokker DVII's Take Off

A wet and windy Sunday meant I was able to sit down at the workbench and assemble some Tumbling Dice Fokker DVII models for Jasta 40. If I chicken out of the lozenge upper wing camouflage, which is a distinct possibility, these can double up as Jasta 7 machines, which were all black apart from white tail fin. There's an additional lone Fokker Dr.1 in the line up, which will be painted up in a matching black and white scheme. Tally Ho!

AK47 Militia Tank Unit Update

After some thought and feedback on the AK-47 group, I've reconfigured the rocket launcher tank back into a bog standard T34/85, adding a big old DSHK machine gun instead of a second crew figure. I'm happier with the end result.

Jasta 40 Fokker DVII's

It's been a long week and the weather is terrible so I'm looking forward to some quiet time this weekend, doing wargaming things. These will include undercoated the AK-47 militia T34 tanks and a little bit of Algernon Pulls It Off! stuff, perhaps involving some scenario writing. One thing I'm keen to do is to assemble and start painting a new unit of Fokker DVII scouts in 1/600th scale for Jasta 40, in the distinctive black and white scheme with lozenge pattern wings. It's about time I bit the bullet and had a go at something resembling lozenge pattern fabric, which may or may not turn out to be a good idea? I thinking of trying fine point Sharpie pens for this as a short cut cunning plan....?

Cheap and Cheerful Blue Hex Cloth

I spotted this on eBay yesterday and thought that it was a good deal. The hexes are either a bit too big or much too small but, having said that, I'm sure I can use it for something naval or aerial. My old blue Hotz mat is getting a bit tatty and faded after twenty years, which means a replacement will be very handy, especially for Algernon Pulls It Off! and the Finest Hour campaign for  Bag the Hun. Tally Ho!

AK47 Militia 'Old' Tanks

 

I can now get to my workbench after the builders have cleared their gubbins from the garage, which means I was able to make a start on the militia unit for the FB group build. So, here we have three old second hand Skytrex T34/85 tanks, two built as normal 'old tanks' and one with a surplus Peter Pig nebelwerfer rocket launcher, although it will be rated as a tank like the other two. I added lots of stowage from The Scene and Debris of War, with figures chopped about to fit from the newer Peter Pig militia range. I'll start painting them at the weekend!

 

Xmas Scenario - McCudden and the Red Baron

I was looking for a scenario to write for the Algernon Pulls It Off! group today, something suitably festive for the run up to Christmas, when I came across an account of a clash between Sgt.James McCudden of 29 Squadron and no less than Baron Manfred von Richtofen of Jasta 2 on the 27th December 1916. You can read itr for yourself here:

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/mccudden-meets-the-red-baron/

With a bit of additional research and some imagination, this would make an excellent scenario for Algy, with five Albatros D.II scouts up against three Airco DH2 'pushers'. I'd read about it before but hadn't considered doing anything with it, until the article caught my eye. The RFC pilots are all identifiable and easy to assign skill levels to, but the German pilots need a bit of guess work to be allocated to the Jasta 2 'kette'. I've got some likely candidates lined up, however, so it's really just a question of balancing the scenario set up and objectives, perhaps adding a few special rules for fun. Tally Ho!