Blood Red Skies over Korea

Funny what a special offer can achieve.  Initially when Warlord Games made a half price deal on some of their Blood Red Skies plane sets I wasn't that bothered, but having bought the MIG Alley set I realised I could add some of the WW2 aircraft that fought in the Korean war.  A box of six P51 Mustangs followed,  along with a mixed set of Russian planes.  To mix it up I added some vintage Japanese Zeroes.

I've played Bag the Hun quite a bit. (And Algy more)  Can't say I like hex games though, and it seems to me that dogfighting aircraft just didn't perform immelmans, snap turns and wing overs for turn after turn as happens in some of my games.  Reading of the encounter between Lanoe Hawker and Von Richthoven it is nothing like an Algy game would be.  So maybe time to look anew.

Thing is the MIG Alley planes need a lot of table for dogfighting. Perhaps more than I have as I discovered when I played it.  For WW2 though I've had some good experiences with Warlord's rules and 1:200 planes.  Over in Cyprus I have some good looking Desert War WW2 planes, so the Pacific war and Korea is a nice diversion from that.

The Blood Red Skies planes come with an adjustable flight stand.  That intrigued me enough that I downloaded the rules (they are free) The stands show the tactical state of the aircraft, advantaged, normal or disadvantaged.  Broadly these reflect height, but may also be showing the energy in the plane as it zooms and manoeuvres.  It's simple but more subtle than it appears.  Generally to shoot at an enemy you must be at a higher advantage level, and part of the game is to outmanouevre and force disadvantage on an enemy.

Planes move in a straight line and then turn up to 45°.  Some planes buck that by being tight turn aircraft who can turn and then move.  A pilot can burn advantage, turning 180° at any point.  They may dive adding to move by using advantage and end a turn either shooting, outmanoeuvring an enemy to drop their advantage,  or regaining advantage by climbing.

Each time a hit is scored the victim takes a boom chit.  Collect more boom chits than you have planes and your squadron bugs out for home, handing victory to the winning player.  It's perfectly possible to lose the game without losing a single plane, and many dogfights could end that way.  

Pilots come as novices, trained, veterans or aces.  Pilot Skill and aircraft speed (top trumps anyone) determine activation order.

Looking at it on table my P51 Mustangs have encountered the North Korean Airforce, actually a mix of Russian planes and pilots.  It's four on four since the Mustang is a faster plane but less agile.  The slower Russian Migs and others can tight turn.  My Glorious Koreans are defending the homeland so I will give them the deep pockets trait, but the some of these aircraft also have the Vulnerable trait.  Its an even(ish) fight.

The Koreans have an ace in the hole, two MIG 15 jets that may or may not come down to play.

USA P-51D Mustang

1944 Speed 9  (443mph) Fire 2  Agility 2 Great dive,  Deep Pockets

Russian MIG -3 Speed 7 fire 2 Agility 2 Tight turn, deepic pockets-Vulnerable 

Poliarkov I-16  Speed 6 fire 2 Agility 1 Tight turn deep pockets -Vulnerable 

MIG -15 Speed 13 fire 2 Agility 3  jet.

 

The P51s come on in pairs

The Korean planes do the same

The I--16 lines up a deflection, but misses

The slow moving Koreans turn inside.  The I--16 only moves 6 inches to the Mustangs 9.

Even so the Yanks get first kill

A busy melee.   Enjoyable game. 

The i-16 quick turns into the Mustang veteran. And tailing puts the American into disadvantage.

Another Boom chit to the forces of the capitalist west.

I was enjoying the Melee here, planes twisting everywhere.

The quick turning little I-16 has a great game.  Yet another tailing boom chit on the Mustangs.

So far it's even.  Four each, but the Yanks are about to get a surprise.

Two MIG 15 swoop down.  Moving at 13 inches they are a class act.

Working as a pair the Mig 15 outmanoeuvre the Americans.  

The Americans run for home with more boom chits than aircraft

With the Mig 15 still circling.  Game over.

I really enjoyed this one off game.  It worked well as a solo too.  Maybe a scenario game next time.