Close In Counters of the First, Second and Third Kind

The first sheet of Allied aircraft….

….and the second sheet and yes, it is a duplicate of the first - there should only be a single sheet of each type!….

The third sheet featuring the Germans. Note the assorted AA weaponry (“Archie” for those in the know)

A closer look at the counters - quite happy with these, especially when they are mounted on some MDF!

Following on from my post of yesterday I have spent some more time reading through Dawn Patrol and examining the components. These are of high quality although the counters, whilst looking nice, are a little on the flimsy side. There is a good variety of types represented - certainly more than adequate for my purposes - and to be frank, I am now sold on the idea of using these rather than models.

To begin with I will certainly mount the counters - I have a supply of 1” square 3mm thick MDF bases which can be used - and indeed, I have an idea about fashioning flying bases in some fashion in order to raise the counters off the map. I need to think about his further but I can certainly experiment in the meantime.

The rules are rather good in a 1982 kind of way - meaning tables aplenty but all are quite clear. I was intrigued by the notion of using squares for an aerial game but the well written rulebook, complete with plenty of examples of how to fly a cardboard bi/tri/monoplane certainly explains away any concerns I may have had. I need to take the charts and tables apart and cut out the manoeuvre/tailing cards - somewhat surprisingly the role playing part of the game is detailed on the cards rather than being in the main body of the rules - before I can use the game so there will be an element of setting up before it is table ready. 

Not the usual depiction of the Western front during the Great War - I would have preferred to see trench lines etc but no matter.

The only thing I am a little undecided on is the map. It is nice enough but in my mind’s eye I envisaged something more akin to No man’s land with some countryside around the edges. I shall get this laminated and yes, unsurprisingly I have plans beyond WW1 aerial for this.

In closing

We are never too old to learn and so looking at aerial games using squares has certainly given me much to think about. The Dawn Patrol system in respect of flying could, with some work it must be said, be adapted for use with WW2 types. The key adjustment would be speed etc as for WW1 one square equals ten miles per hour which is all well and good for the period but would be a touch problematic for the much higher speeds of WW2. Something to think about anyway - like I need another project but hey, ho, that’s how I go!