Blood Red Skies Collection Continues to Grow

Here are some photos of aircraft that I completed since the start of the COVID 19 situation.  I have really gotten back to my hobby desk as of late and hopefully this is the first of several posts as I complete some long dormant projects and get started on other efforts.

Russian Lend-Lease Hurricanes.  Still want to add some patriotic slogans, but I may wait until they have been through a battle or two and become 'veterans.'  These appear very dark, almost black, in this photo but they are actually Bronze Green and are much lighter in person.

Bf-109's for the Mediterranean Theatre.  They will be the primary foe for the Martlett's below.

Il-2 Stormovik's ready to take on some German ground targets.  Need to work out some better bases, but for right now these will be ok.

Here are the Martlett III's to take on my Africa/Italian themed 109's above.  These are painted as 880 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm.

Good start to the year.  At the moment, I have several things on the painting table, including the other three Stormovik's.  These three will be in some form of winter camp scheme but I don't know exactly what they will end up being.

Blood Red Skies

The game system I have been working on the most lately is the relatively new WWII Aerial Combat rules from Warlord Games called Blood Red Skies (BRS).  I have played a few sets of air combat games in the past and quite frankly I found most to be 'fiddly'.

I think the cliche of a game mechanic being 'elegant' is overused recently.  But I have to say, that is the most appropriate word for BRS that I can think of as I play it.  The combination of cards, pilot skill, boom chits and plane status is simple but gives a real feel for the descriptions I have read of air to air combat in WWII.

Here is a very good summary of the game mechanics that I found on the RPG.net website here.  I think it really captures the essence of the system and I have to agree with most of his conclusions on the game.  This is a relatively easy review, however, having been done in November, 2018.  In December a full BRS Rulebook titled Ground Attack (yeah, I don't get it either but that is Warlord Games for you!) is due out.  The new book will bring all rules together in one place - not three - and will incorporate all of the FAQ comments and addendums that have come out over the past couple of years.  Sort of like a Version 2.0 of the rules without the fanfare.  Ground Attack will also introduce rules for bombing (including dive-bombing) and strafing.  These were major components of the air conflict in WWII and so it will be beneficial to have these aspects addressed with official rules.

Like all modern gaming systems, BRS has wealth of social media support including the Facebook Page called the Ready Room.  If you use FB, look at the Ready Room and you will find some really neat ideas and supports for the game.

So one of the best parts of the game is that it has given me the opportunity to collect and paint new forces for my game room display!  Here are a few of the planes I have painted and there are several more on the painting table as I write this so stand-by for more!

Hurricanes attack a flight of Do-17's during the Battle of Britain.

A pair of Me-110 Night Fighters on patrol.

A close-up of the Nachtjagers preparing to hunt some British intruders!

Me-109's dive into the Hurricanes to save their bomber comrades!

British P-51 Mustangs of 200 Squadron RAF

A BRS 'Squadron' of British Mustangs.  Each aircraft will receive a pilot skill level tab on its base for the game.  For most games this would be the maximum number of aircraft that a single player would control.  In most games that I have played in, players have controlled between 2 and 4 aircraft comfortably even if they were new to the game.  Games I have played averaged about an hour to complete.

Mustangs prepare to escort a flight of Allied bombers to target and back.

The dogfight continues.

Another aircraft falls burning from the sky!

So that is my introduction of the new game system.  I hope to host a couple of games at Adlernest Hobby Store on November 9th so be on the lookout for a battle report or two in the coming weeks.

Bood Red Skies Premiere at the New Aldernest Gaming Cafe Location

Our friend Gordon and his lovely bride, Denise, have moved their super hobby store from Western Manchester, NH to a new location in the great town of Merrimack, NH.  The new diggs are a 1000% improvement over the Manchester location.  Store size and location as well as parking, location, etc. are all vastly superior to the former store.

I stopped by the store this afternoon and got to host a game and play a game of Blood Red Skies.  It was an excellent time!

Here are some photos of the action in the game that I played in.

Hurricanes engage a Do-17Z.

German close escort take on the attackers!

The German bombers on their way to the target!

The jig is up as Top Cover descends on the attackers!

It was a great game with one German bomber shot down for the loss of one Hurricane.  The British were driven off, but a second German bomber was a 'probable' with an engine shot out and several crew down.  The target would not get a bad pasting!  So, as the British player I claim a moral victory even though I lost in game terms!