A Wargamer in Cyprus: MIG Alley

Somewhere over the Yalu river Buzz Aspirin and his wingman Neil Arsewrong encounter the Rooskies.

When Warlord's MIG Alley set came out a couple of years back I was in two minds. It's one of those miniatures collections that I've always fancied painting rather than gaming. Something about those elegant silver 1950s aircraft is just appealing, but I had no expectation of actually using them in a game.

Part of my inspiration is a favoutite book of mine, James Salter's novel "The Hunters" written in the 1950s as a direct result of his time as a sabre pilot during the Korean War. I saw the movie (and Both Mitchum and Wagner are great in it) before I read the book, but both are cracking stuff.

This was a war in which many of the Moon landings astronauts fought as fighter pilots. Neil Armstrong ejected from his aircraft after hitting a wire strung across a valley as an anti aircraft measure. Buzz Aldrin shot down two MIG 15 in his F 86 Sabre.

What's in the box?

This isn't a stand alone set. To play MIG Alley Warlord's in-house Blood Red Skies the WW2 base set is necessary. The Lardies Bag the Mig is a real alternative of course. Maybe one for the future.

For my sixteen quid Mig Alley has four metal aircraft, two Mig 15, two Sabres. The articulated flight stands look excellent, as do the decals necessary to complete the planes. The box also has the tokens and cards for Blood Red Skies.

The MIG 15 outperformed the aircraft that the US started the Korean War with. When the Americans reacted by using their new Sabre aircraft the balance became more even, so much so that pilot Skill became the main difference. The era of the air to air missile was in the future and these aircrraft are gun armed, and pilots had to get close, making this is a classic dogfighting period.

Painting the planes

My paint collection has no silver as such. Gunmetal or chainmail no problem, but not a white silver colour. A visit to the model shop and some Vajello silver was the answer. And of course, should I need to paint any more I now have the necessary paint. Weak argument!

Some shading and a mix of Gunmetal and blue for the cockpit bubbles were pretty quick to do. I'm still left with getting the red noses on the Migs but otherwise pretty much there. The decals, particularly on the Sabres, look excellent.

Once painted up these lads are just the bees knees.

Lt. Buzz Aspirin

Table One : Personality Generous, Table Two - Motivation and Interest Engineering. Combat Skill Element Leader, Ave. Special Skill, Eagle Eye. Background, college football.

Lt. Neil Arsewrong.

Dull. Seeks promotion. Wingman Rookie, Background Midwest Farmer's boy

My reserve pilots

Steve Austin

No matter how many times Austin is shot down the Mash unit rebuild him and send him back up. Scuttlebut has it that he is more metal than man these days and that his medical bills have cost the USAF something like six million dollars.

Micheal Column

Glenn John

Fighter Sweep

In Mission A you are tasked with providing fighters to sweep along the front line looking for any enemy attempts to fly over our forces. It is suggested that you send one flight of planes on this mission, however you may choose to send more. Pre‐flight checks:

1. Pick your force

2. Check for weather, clear.

3. Check for any in‐game event, none

Enemy forces encountered