Atkins Wargames
For those times when 100 D6 and fifty tables is too damm much
Ducks in a gallery
Date 11 Feb1942
Players 3
DUTCH PLAYER 2X B339 Brewster Buffalos
JAPANESE PLAYER 1X A6M1 Zero-Sen
In the early days of the Pacific war,
Commonwealth forces. Here a Japanese Zero finds itself outnumbered,
but this shouldn’t be a problem. The Bandits are two B339’s, lumbering underpowered machines.
It’s a head on pass with the Jap coming out of a large cloud.
The Japanese start at speed 5 height 10, the Dutch player starts at speed 3 height 12 and facing
the Japanese Front arc at Range 15”. The Zero has a 12” ovalish cloud directly behind it.
The Japanese pilot is a veteran of the Chinese war. He has the Skills Barrel roll /Rapid recovery
and Walking the shot
Dutch Heroic victory: Kill The Zero
Japanese Victory: Kill Both Buffalos
Otherwise Draw.
For a Closer game, replace the Buffalos with Dutch P36 Hawk 75N’s and the US score
a Victory
on killing the Zero, the Zero a victory on Killing a P36 and damaging another
For a game slightly tipped against the Japanese player, replace the Buffalos with P40D’s
in a standard First kill to win scenario
Escape to
17 April 1941
Over the
Players 3
YUGOSLAVIAN PLAYER 1X IK 2, 1X IK 3
GERMAN PLAYER1X BF109E
The Yugoslav government has bowed to the inevitable,
Air Force stands down all of them but a handful of pilots who, filling up their tanks to
the maximum and throwing out all unnecessary weight, take one last time into the skies to
escape to Egypt.
Perhaps the RAF will accept them?
This scenario has a couple of JAF fighters intercepted on their flight to freedom
by a ME109. The IK3 could probably handle the 109 alone, let alone with its little
IK2 mate. But they are handicapped by several factors.
1) It’s a closing pass fight
2) They have only enough fuel for 7 turns of combat before they must head towards the
opposite table edge to escape
3) The IK3 has just one burst for its 20mm cannon, the pilot saved weight by only
loading a few rounds
4) Neither JAF kite has Radios since they threw them out to save weight.
All kites start facing front arcs at range 42” Height 8 and Speed 4
The Whale and the Shark
January 1945
Over
Players 2
AMERICAN PLAYER 1X B24D Liberator
GERMAN PLAYER 1X FW190D9
A pretty typical straightforward fight. The Liberator is heading back from its bomb run
when its caught on the edge of an 88 burst which destroys the Port Inner. The fire is put
out and the crew re hoping for a boring trip back. Dropping height gradually the Lib leaves
the Bomber stream. A FW190 waits below ready to pick it off!
B24 starts at Height 8 Speed3
FW190 starts facing its Leading edge at range 20” Height 4 and Speed 6
This is a fight to the death. As the
all round gun arcs so manoeuvring isn’t going to make much difference. It’s a battle of
attrition. The one advantage you have is your Nose Turret Gunner has the Skill AirGunner
As the German player, the B24 is known for burning nicely, but don’t waste your cannons
on high angle shots, The Lib is a fat old beast and you will want your cannons to count.
Stand Still Dammit!
December 1951
Mig Alley:
Players 2
NORTH KOREAN PLAYER: 1X Po2
It’s the Korean war and Dung Chow Ping is awaiting a delivery of Chow Mein and
Prawn Crackers, arriving by P02.
The Po2 starts at height 4 speed 1 and 15” away from Pings Dispersal hut.
30” behind it in its RA is a F86 Sabre. Speed 11 height 7
its almost as if the worst possible plane was about to meet the best possible plane
in a duel to the death(of the Polikarpov).
The North Korean gets a Heroic Victory if they manage to land within 6” of the
dispersal hut.
The Australian player sort of, doesn’t lose. if they blow the crap out of the PO2. Nope
this game isn’t fair.
Struggling to Fly
Date 11 Sept 1938
Dung Chow
Players 3
CHINESE PLAYER 1X
JAPANESE PLAYER 2X
This is a hypothetical fight in the second sino-japanese war as a single
to intercept the
mighty KI 32’s with their 850HP engines and two, count ‘em two! machineguns.
The Japanese start at speed 3 height 10, the Chinese player starts at speed 3 height 12 and facing
the Japanese rear
arcs at 20” range. The Marys are 120” from an airbase protected by 2 Flack guns.
The Marys may be powerful, but they still are Bombers and the Bredas a fighter. Starting the
game by diving
might keep you ahead for a while, but you don’t want to be so low that your bombs
destroy you.
The
to catch the Marys after it
burns off the initial height advantage. Ammunition is also a real concern.
Chinese Heroic victory: Kill both Marys
Chinese Victory: Kill a Mary
Japanese Victory: Kill the
Japanese Heroic victory: Kill the
Shooting Gallery
Date 29th May 1940
Over
Players 5
GERMAN PLAYER 1X BF110c, 2X JU87 B1 with 2 x 250lbs bombs
BRITISH PLAYER 2X Defiants
On this day No. 264 Sqn claimed 65 kills, mostly Junkers Ju 87 Stukas and Messerschmitt
Bf 110c twin-engined
heavy fighters. This battle represents a portion of that days action.
The
away to their front arc
the ship can be cut out of card, and should be about 8”long. The ship is the target of the Stukas
bombing and will sink if hit.
The Defiants Begin at Speed 4 and height 13 over the little ship and with the JU’s in their
forward arc.
After 10 turns, the BF 110 arrives from the German table edge, height 14 and speed 5
with the little ship
(or its remains!) in its forward arc.
The
The Germans gain 10 victory points for sinking the ship and 5 for each defiant
killed.
The British gain 2 victory points if the ship remains afloat and 5 for each German plane
shot down
Out of the Sun!
Date August 1940
Players –2
GERMAN PLAYER BF109E
BRITISH PLAYER SPITFIRE 1b
At the height, (height…geddit? height? Sigh) of the Battle of Britain a Lone Spitfire MK1b,
almost out of
fuel is bounced by a BF109E who has just visited
buy some ice creams.
The Spitfire starts at height 9 and speed 3 with the 109 up its arse at height 13 and Speed 5
and 20” away.
The Spit can only make straight Manoeuvres or F Left/Right turns until it spots the 109
at the
Beginning of any turn by rolling a 3+. Behind the 109 place a yellow ball.
This is the sun.
No Really it’s the sun-….honest. Any kite climbing and with the sun in its forward arc
gets a -1 to hit with all weapons
The Spit has limited fuel, If the dogfight lasts longer than 9 turns, it is going to have to
land in a field.
The 109 has limited ammo since it spent all but two of its 20mm shells blowing
up a big dipper near the beach.
All pilots are bog standard with no skills.
The German gets a major victory if they shoot down the Spit. The Brits get a major
victory if vice versa
The German gains a minor victory if the Spitfire is forced off the table before 9 turns
All other results are a draw.
Von Knockwursts last flight
Battle report of a two on one fight using Blazing Skies -Fluffy Clouds:
Von Knockwurst's Purple Flopper Troutplane droned steadliy back towards base. The indignity of it all, he fumed. Taking the Jasta Kommanders Seamans Suckhard up without permission, whilst smashed out of his face on newcastle brown ale surely did not deserve a week of flying up and down the Englanders lines with a "Shoot Me, I'm Stupid" banner fluttering behind his Kite. He was a Ace with 7 kills and a moustaache that you could open bottles with. What was the German Air Service coming to?
Not far behind him however was something that was really going to ruin his day. a Soppingwet Camel Flown by Blinky Blenkinsop and a Caprioni Antipasto under the capable hands of Lt Sasperelli. The Two allied veterans spotted Von Knockwurst at their 11'0 clock at height 5. They were a couple of thousand feet above him at height 7.
Knockwurst turned to untie the banner and his sharp eyes spotted the two Bandits. The Green Antipasto monoplane and the Red Camel immediatly identified his foes as his arch Rivals from 18 Squadron. "GotterHimmell und sheissenhause!" cried Von Knockwurst , spotting the cloud at his own height not too far away at 2 o.clock he threw his crate into a standard right. The Allied planes both executed Tight rights, their speed bleeding off with the manoeuver.
Sasperelli tried a long range shot needing 5+ to hit with +1 for his "Dakka Dakkas" that he screamed as he fired. Rolling a 5 to hit followed by a 8 on Table "Ach Nein" the slugs ripped up the Troutplanes wing
Blinky opened fire too, but his tracers ripped past the Flopper, Von Knockwurst was nearly in the safety of the cloud.
The allies knew that to catch the Hun , they would need speed. Dipping their noses they both dived and their Velocicombulators rose steadily to speed 7.
Von-Knockwurst passed through the cloud and knew that his only chance was to use the cloud to his advantage. but what to do! "Curse you Englander und italianischlander scweine" he cried.
The Troutplane hauled into a Tight left to come around whilst sheilded from the allies, but Sasperelli slapped his kite into a sideslip left to counter this. Blinky Hammered in dead straight, hoping to fly through the cloud cover himself and catch the Boche for a Duffer.
Seeing the Soppingwet snarling into the clouds Von knockwurst hit on a plan….but it was a risky one. right turning he exposed his Crate to the fire of both Allies. Blinky's twin martini-spritzers hammered a burst that tore up the Floppers undercrackers. Von Knockwurst was going to have a hard job landing even if he made it back. If only his Kite would hold together a bit longer. sasperelli's Burst ripped lumps off the troutplanes tail and the controls started shaking theatrically in Knockwursts hands.
Tailing Von Knockwurst Blinky had the advantage of knowing which way Knockwurst would break. When he announced a Straight, Blinky assumed that the Jerry was running like the spineless coward he knew him to be…But The wiely Tuton had a trick up his sleeve. Discarding 1 speed and losing 4 for the manouver, the troutplane looped up and over leveling off right behind Blinky, who had gently right turned to get the killing burst in. The Hun's Twin Machinenblastens hammered and engine parts fluttered down onto the heads of the peasant masses in the trenches below.
"HAHAHAHA!!" Screamed Von Knockwurst. the manoeuver had opened his tail though for a up the arse shot from sasperelli and this time his aeilerons were shredded. he knew the game was up.
Misjudging his opponent Blinky ripped into a tight left to try and bring his guns to bear , but Knockwurst still had speed to spare and again ripped off a long burst which neatly shot off the Camels Prop. Blinky Hit the Silk witha roll of 4 and his crate plunged to the ground. all was in vain though. The antipasto tore off the Troutplanes weapon mounts and took it down to two structure points. It was time to run for home.
" NOT THIS TIME VON KNOCKWURST" Laughed Sasperelli and with a point blank shot he diddnt need to try. the troutplane fell apart in the sky, leaving the hun pedaling in mid air. ripping open his chute ,Knockwurst shook his fist at Sasperelli who flew past rolling his wings and saluting a worthy foe.
CONTACT!
From the INTRODUCTION
"Suddenly from behind screaming out of a wingunder manoeuvre the
Troutplane appeared in Stumpys vanity mirror, its machinenblastens
sparkling motes of fire. A line of holes stitched up the Soppingwets
wing and tore the aileron. “Blast you, Von Strudel “yelled Stumpy as
he realised that he had been sold a duffer and was gone for a burton.
Only one trick could save him. Feathering his Kites prop, he hit the
airbrakesand was rewarded with the bright pink Troutplane flashing
under him.
Dropping the nose Stumpy let rip a corking burst which caught the
Jerry a treat. Flames poured from the Troutplane’s Junkers Jumbo radial
engine and Von Strudel Hit the Silk. Von Strudel shook his fist as Stumpy
flashed past. “Verdammt Englander! Finish me now! The shame is too great!”
“Not a chance old pip,” grinned Stumpy; “A Englishman flies by the rules of
the game, and potting a Chap on his chute is defiantly not playing the game.”
A) Soppingwet Camel: The Camel built in 1916 by Messer’s Sopping and Wetworth was, some say, the
finest biplane of WW1. Agile and powerful it also had a decent armament. It single-handedly stopped the
scourge of “Flopper Fodder”, the name given to the phenomenon of Flopper Troutplanes wearing
nosebags filled with Funbus parts.
B) Hawker Ptooey: The Ptooey was first flown in 1915 as a “scout” plane. It was slow and fragile and its
single gun caused its Pilots to cuss and even on occasions swear. It was a damm sight better than the Funbus
though and Chaps liked its roomy cockpit which was easy to leap from. (+ 1 to hitting the silk)
C) Flopper Troutplane: The Scourge of the front, Hundreds of snarling Troutplanes made their name in
1915 to 1917 with their wicked turning and chattering of teeth and guns.
Troutplanes were a match for the Camel if a little more fragile. Most of Germanys Aces scored in the Troutplane.
out 90HP and so these are Throttle 1.
D)
twin-engined Inhimmel.
With 40 fuel, devastating defences and a large bomb-load, the Inhimmel was best loved by its pilots for the wind
up gramophone in the cockpit.
E) Vicar’s Funbus: The Funbus was the brainchild of The Reverend Charles Mindless. An Artillery spotting
and reccy plane, it was sluggish, slow and terribly underpowered. The Undercart was terrific however and all
Bumps rolls are +2.
The Funbus was also good at recovering from stalls and a stalling Funbus loses only 1 height & draws 1 card.
F) Caproni Antipasto: this machine wasn’t really a fighter, it was a civilian racing plane with a gun stuck on.
In 1914 it could fly higher faster than any other Kite and had a more powerful engine,
(the 120HP In-line Lasagne-Verde). It handled like a pig though and up until 1916 when it finally received
interrupter gear (the Caproni Antipasto MK II) it often shot off its own prop.
(Roll d6 on firing ...on a “6” treat as a hit on itself with result Propeller boss roll of 15-20.
I) Vicar’s Victim: The Reverend Mindless scored trumps with the Victim. It combined, in Early 1916, just
the right amount of utility,speed and survivability to carry the Wingco’s
airspace safely to the mess. A High flying crate,
although it struggled to reach such height, Pilots were fond of its ability to take punishment for a single Pusher
engined machine. They didn’t like the fact that if it scored less than 5 on the bump table , it pranged & flamed
automatically, due to the design fault of building highly sensitive bottles of nitro-glycerine and a large bag
of loose hammers alongside the fuel tank.
L) State Model~1337:
could never quite figure out what was going wrong. Then in ‘26 Igor Sickoreski designed the stressed skin monoplane the
State Model~1337, which could stand alongside the best of the west. The Kremlin awarded him a Hero of the Soviet people Gong
and gave him a bicycle. The 1337 had geared flaps which enable it to do up to manoeuvre difficulty 6 aerobatics, but curiously not difficulty 4 ones.
N) Knockwurst Einedicker This was the first Kite to have synchronised interrupter gear. This was achieved by linking the
propeller to conversation, then letting my Wife fire the guns. It was slow and fragile, but nimble in the air.
Some of the Upgrades availible to a Chaps Kite
|
Intimidating paint Job |
Such is the fear instilled by the paint job, bandits firing at this kite are -1 to hit it |
|
Iron undercarriage |
+1 to Bumps rolls on fitted kite |
|
Bribe the C.O |
The C.O writes a glowing report on you. +1 gong point |
|
Pints in the mess |
Everyone thinks you’re a good chap, choose your kite for the next mission out of the squadrons inventory |
|
Disposable Escape kit |
Chap automatically escapes from enemy prison |
Hopefully this will give you a flavor of the game. Its played with Cards, dice and 15mm
airplanes fastened to a Hexbase , the template for which comes with the game.
For more info check out Sales NOW!!!
Hi 2 U Flight Sergeant. Welcome to Flapsbottoms Flying Fornicators, the highest scoring outfit in the RFC.
Blazing Skies Fluffy Clouds is an air battle game for 2 + players. It's set in a slightly fractured version of the early 20th century and is a fast paced yet comprehensive thingy that will have you potting a Neiuport Poodle before breakfast. It comes with everything you need to play...umm except planes....you'll need a few 15mm planes or any plane about 6cm long. It's gotta fit on a Hex 2" across flats, other than that your sorted. Oh yeah, you'll need Dice as well. A D6 and optional d20
And whilst i'm thinking about it you will also need a pack of playing cards, but thats definatly it. Apart from cutting out the templates.
Below is a few pics of the game in action and a battle report.
ZEppilinZ
Zeppelins. Theyre just a load of Hot air...but they give a fellow a chance to win a gong the size of Wales if they manage to bag one.
Rules for Zeppilins.
VERY LARGE TARGET: +2 to hit. Max Ceiling 10
Weapons : 1 x Forward arc Machinenblasten. 2 Rear arc Machinenblastens. 2 Side arc Machinenblastens.
Zeppilins will be about 12" long in BSFC. They should be bigger , but this scale works best games wise.
Zeppilins do not manouver like Kites. At the end of a Dogfight Phase they may move 1". Once per TURN, they may make a Standard right or left turn.
Once per turn they may gain or lose one level of height.
A Zeppy has 40 structure points.
The Ach Nein table for a Zeppy is D20
1-16 Gasbag. No effect unless using inceindary bullets in which case D6 roll of 6 + Prangs the Zeppy.
17 Badly Holed! Zeppy loses one height per turn and cannot climb
18: Gondola. Destroy one gun position on the zepp
19: Engine: Zeppys have 4 engines Zeppy only moves at end of each 2nd 3rd and 4th dogfight phase if 1/2/ 3 engines are destroyed. 4 dead engines mean she will need towing home!
20 BOOOM..Ammo explodes and raging fire. Zeppy prangs.