Air Wargames - Somewhere over the English Channel

For a Christmas present to myself I picked up the Airfix Blood Red Skies starter set, which includes two Spitfires and two Messerschmitt Bf 109s Airfix kits in 1/72 scale. It was very much an off-the-cuff purchase as I thought it would provide some quick Air wargames. The Airfix version of the game appears to differ from the Warlord Games release, in that it uses the same rules but provides four aircraft in 1/72 scale rather than 12 aircraft in 1/200 scale that come with the Warlord Games version.

Another wargaming project begins.

A Christmas present to myself (which seems a long while ago).

The game system is based around the concept of aircraft being in a state of Advantage, Neutral, or Disadvantaged, representing relative altitude of the aircraft. These states are used to drive the game’s activation order and aircraft activation options. In the standard rules this is shown by tilting the aircraft nose up, level, or nose down on their stands. While I imagine this works well with the smaller 1/200 models, it looks rather awkward with the larger Airfix aircraft and can create practical issues when models are close together.

Aircraft nose up indicates advantage.

Aircraft nose down indicates disadvantage.

Aircraft level indicates neutral.

I remembered in my old battered copy of Donald Featherstone’s “Air War Games” there was a chapter where altitude was shown by mounting aircraft on telescopic car aerials that could be raised or lowered. This seemed like a much better solution. 

A battered copy which was once a library book which I bought secondhand a few years back.

Not wanting to purchase car aerials (do they still make them?) I did a bit of searching for a cheap alternatives. I eventually found and purchased a pack of six telescopic back-scratchers for $24. Removing the handles and ends left me with the telescopic shafts. These slot neatly into 18mm MDF square bases drilled with a 10mm hole in the centre. The aircraft slot into the top via a toothpick fixed into the fuselage. I used a little masking tape wrapped around the toothpick to increase the diameter to prevent them from inadvertently spinning around during play.

Telescopic backscratchers. On the right one with the plastic handle cut off and end removed.

A square base mad from 19mm thick MDF (leftover from making shelves). A 10mm hole is drilled for the telescopic bit to slot into.

A toothpick is attached to the model and slots into the telescopic stand. To stop the aircraft spinning, masking tape is wrapped around the toothpick to increase the diameter.

These new stands are easily adjusted up or down to give three clear height levels for Advantage, Neutral, and Disadvantaged. I can also make minor height adjustments so aircraft can be positioned close together, as often occurs during dogfights. A secondary advantage is that clouds do not have to be cut-out pictures, they can instead be made from soft-toy stuffing (easily obtained from craft stores). I have yet to make models of barrage balloons to replace those cardboard cut-outs.

The three heights indicating Advantage, Neutral, and Disadvantage.

Minor height adjustments allow aircraft to be close together in dogfights.

Cut-out clouds used in scenarios.

The telescopic bases allow for toy-stuffing clouds.

With the aircraft painted and mounted I have played a few introductory games to learn the rules. However, it was not long before I began looking at how to modify the rules to be suitable for a hex-grid, which was something I always had in mind when I made the bases so they fit neatly into a hex on my blue cloth. This rule modification reduces some of the finer differences in aircraft movement distances. On the other hand it does speed up play, which I hope suits the fast and chaotic nature of aerial combat.

One of the advantages of using 1/72 scale models is the ready availability of kits in model shops here in New Zealand. This means I avoid the expensive international postage costs. There are a couple of shops within a reasonable drive, so I collect models in person, though my browsing while at the shop often leads to a few extra purchases.

Next models to add to the game.

I am now adding two Hawker Hurricanes, a Dornier Do 17, and a Heinkel He 111. After that I may include a couple more Messerschmitt Bf 109s and perhaps a Bf 110, which should see this project wrapped up as I am not looking to play large games, but ones with a handful of aircraft. That said, air wargaming shares some of the same temptations as skirmish gaming, in that there is always another model that would add variety to future scenarios or add interest to a campaign.

One last comment. I have found the Facebook group “Blood Red Skies Ready Room” along with the Warlord Games website useful sources of aircraft statistics, scenarios, solo suggestions, and FAQs.

Gaul army gets to the tabletop for a game

Having recently completed some additional bases for my Gaul army, it did not take long for me to get them on to the tabletop for a game. Here the scenario and a quick battle report.

Background

The Gauls have been raiding Roman-controlled settlements. This has prompted the Romans to assemble a force to deal with the threat. The bulk of the Gauls have taken up positions on a line of hills. One warband may emerge from any of the three wooded areas on the table, provided the wood is not already occupied by a Roman unit.

Order of Battle

Gauls:

• 4 Warband units (one is waiting in ambush)
• 2 Chariot units
• 1 Cavalry unit

Romans:

• 4 Heavy Infantry units
• 2 Light Infantry units
• 1 Cavalry unit

Rules Used

The game uses a modified version of One-Hour Wargames (OHW). Some of the variations include:

1. Gauls are treated as warbands and roll D6 + D3 in combat, but are not treated as armoured or formed infantry.
2. Roman heavy infantry roll D6 in combat and halve all hits inflicted against them.
3. Combined chariot and skirmisher units may operate as skirmishers shooting D3, moving 12", or fight as cavalry when engaged in melee.

The tabletop all set up for a game.

The game is using chance cards with each having army a tailored deck to reflect its character and random battlefield events (such as Gaul warbands emerging from wooded areas).

Gaul Chance Cards

2 × Initiative – allow one unit an extra action

1 × Rally – remove D3 hits from D3 units

1 × Ambush – a warband may appear from any of the three woods, provided it is not already occupied

1 × Enemy Panic – an enemy unit within 12" takes D6 hits

1 × Panic – the unit with the highest number of hits takes D6 additional hits

2 × Confusion – no movement this turn. Units may only pivot

2 × Fatigue – on the first card, all units with hits suffer +1 hit; on the second card, +2 hits (maximum hits before elimination increased to 17 instead of the OHW standard 15)

1 × Uncontrolled Advance – all Gaul units must advance at least 6" towards the enemy

Roman Chance Cards

2 × Initiative – allows one unit an extra action

2 × Rally – remove D3 hits from D3 units

1 × Enemy Panic – an enemy unit within 12" takes D6 hits

1 × Panic – the unit with the highest number of hits takes D6 additional hits

2 × Confusion – no movement this turn. Units may only pivot

2 × Loss of Formation – Heavy infantry roll 2D6 and select the lowest score.

Gaul chance cards.

Roman chance cards.

For this battle report I used ChatGPT to convert my game notes into a report as if it were written from the Roman commander's perspective.

Battle Report

When our forces advanced, we observed that the Gauls had drawn up their forces upon the high ground. Suspecting ambushes from the surrounding woods, I ordered the skirmishers forward to screen the advance, while the cavalry secured a small hill on our right flank. As our line pressed on in good order, the Gauls, unable to maintain discipline, advanced rashly and without command. Most of their warbands surged toward our left flank, moving around the central wood.

The heaviest fighting took place on our right flank, around the small hill held by the cavalry. The Gallic horse advanced boldly and clashed with our heavy infantry, but after testing our strength they withdrew prudently. Our light infantry, however, were unable to withstand the assault of the enemies chariots and warbands and they were soon driven from the field.

As the battle began there was an uncontrolled advance by all Gaul forces.

The Roman cavalry have seized the hilltop and are supported on either side by Roman infantry.

Roman cavalry holding firm on the hilltop.

On our left flank, the enemy chariots were used to delay our advance of a single cohort of heavy infantry, preventing it from threatening the rear of the main Gallic force by advancing around the central wood. Meanwhile, on our right flank, on both sides of the hill held by the cavalry, the Gallic warbands and Roman heavy infantry became locked in stubborn combat.

Gaul chariots attempt to delay the Roman advance on the other side of the central wood.

Gaul warbands and Roman infantry slog it out on the Roman right flank.

Gauls are gradually gaining the upper hand.

As the struggle continued, the enemy chariots on our left were being gradually forced back. At this moment, a Gallic warband emerged suddenly from the woods on our flank and fell upon the heavy infantry, who were taken by surprise. At the same time, the main engagement on the right had worn both armies down, with the opposing commanders and their troops facing one another. The Gauls now held the advantage, for their cavalry, which had earlier withdrawn, returned to the field and threatened our flank.

Gauls launch an ambush from the woods.

Seeing that the position could no longer be held without undue risk, I ordered a withdrawal. Thus the Gauls remained in possession of the field, claiming victory, while our army retired in good order.

The Gaul cavalry return to threaten the Roman flank.

Wrap up

Overall, this was a most enjoyable game, and it was good to see the newly completed Gaul army perform well and give a good account of itself on the tabletop. As a solo wargamer, I always enjoy using chance cards for the twists they can introduce into a game and the way they help shape the unfolding narrative. The tailoring chance card decks for each army is particularly effective in helping to reinforce the character of the one or other force. The use of chance cards is something I will continue to use and will expand the chance events on the cards so the deck can be more randomly selected.

The last few Gaul units are painted

Over the past couple of weeks I have been steadily painting most days and have now finishing painting and basing my remaining unpainted Gaul figures. This meant I was able to set up a quick game on the tabletop. I always want to get the newly completed units into a game as quickly as possible and see them get pushed around the tabletop (hopefully giving good account of themselves).

A Gallic Warband appear from the woods.

The tabletop set up for a game.

I am currently trying out using larger unit sizes for my Ancient armies, where infantry, warbands and cavalry have four bases (rather than two bases). With the newly painted Gaul bases I can now field four warband units each of four bases, two cavalry units of four bases, two chariot units of two bases, and three skirmisher units of two bases. 

The Gallic force using larger units for warbands and cavalry.

The same force using two bases for all units.

The Gallic force is a mix of HaT and ESCI 20mm plastic figures, all painted simply with minimal detailing. My choice of soft plastic figures in my Ancient armies is partly driven by cost, speed to paint, and also by nostalgia. Back in the early 1970s, when I was in my early teens, I was inspired to collect Roman and Carthaginian forces after reading "Introduction to Battle Gaming" by Terry Wise, with its wonderful approach of using cheap Airfix figures and advice on how to convert them. As an aside, some of these classic figures are set to be relaunched by Airfix in 2026, including the Romans, Ancient Britons, Robin Hood, and Sheriff of Nottingham sets.

My first book on wargaming - which I still own.

I may have overdone it slightly with painting up four bases worth of chariots, but I have always liked chariot units. Along with elephants, they are among the more interesting units to have on the tabletop, adding both character and visual interest to an army. I did have one spare chariot, which I incorporated into a warband base to identify the commander.

One of the two chariot units.

The commander base is identified with a chariot.

My current painting effort has been now turned to some Star Wars Legion miniatures that arrived at Christmas, which seems quite a while ago.

Wargaming a small English Civil War action

Since returning from holiday (and catching up on some of the inevitable backlog of gardening tasks) I decided to try playing a few small English Civil War (ECW) actions. The idea is to use these actions as lead-in games to a larger battle, with any success in the smaller actions providing advantages in the larger game. This is an approach I am considering using in a future ECW campaign which is one of my goals later this year.

English Civil War game underway.

Before any small action game is played, both players select one option from the following tactical list:

• Skirmishing – In the main battle, the player may choose the table edge they deploy from.
• Foraging – In the main battle, once terrain is known, the player may swap one unit type (for example, exchange an infantry unit for cavalry, or vice versa).
• Seek Out Battle – In the main battle, the player may deploy after their opponent.

The winner of the first small action keeps their chosen tactic. (In the case of a draw neither player gets a tactic.) Both players then select again from the remaining options for the second small action. Once both preliminary games are completed, the main battle is played with the tactical advantages.

The smaller actions are played on a 4 x 4 foot tabletop, using the following sequence.

1) Decide Forces

Using the One-Hour Wargames (OHW) approach, each player rolls a D6 on a Force Selection Table to randomly generate a force of five units. If both players roll the same, then re-roll until they differ.

A force selection table that determine a 5 unit force composition.

Each force includes a commander, who may be used once per game to rally a unit removing D6 hits. I am using a variant of the OHW rules for my games.

2) Decide Terrain and Objectives

Rather than rolling dice to determine terrain and objectives, I made six tabletop setup cards showing terrain layouts and objective locations. The cards are shuffled and one card is drawn at random.

The winner is the player holding the most objectives at the end of the game.

The setup cards were quickly put together. If they prove successful, I plan to add a few more cards to the deck each time I use them. Over time, this will allow me to tailor the card decks to reflect the terrain the armies are marching through.

3) Decide Deployment Edge

Both players roll a D6. The higher scoring roll chooses their preferred table edge and becomes the defender. The other player is the attacker and deploys from the opposite edge.

Setup the tabletop.

4) Defender Pre-Action Events

The defender rolls a D6:

• 1, 2, or 3 - One unit is bogged down and does not appear.
• 4, 5, or 6 - Two units are delayed and arrive on turn 5.

Units are selected using the following priority order: 1) Artillery, 2) Infantry, 3) Cavalry, 4) Dragoons.

5) Attacker Pre-Action Events

The attacker rolls a D6:

• 1, 2, or 3 - One unit is delayed and arrives on turn 5 (use the same unit priority list as above).
• 4, 5, or 6 - One cavalry or dragoon unit must be deployed within 9 inches of an enemy unit.

6) Defender Deployment

The defender deploys first, placing all units within 12 inches of their table edge.

7) Attacker Deployment

The attacker then deploys any infantry within 9 inches of their table edge and cavalry and Dragoons  between 9 and 18 inches.

Note: Attacker pre-action events may override these restrictions for one unit.

8) Start the Game

The defender activates first.

Example Game Setup

Both the Parliamentarians and Royalists selected the Skirmishing tactic, each hoping that success would give them the advantage in the main battle by allowing them to choose the most favourable table edge for deployment.

The forces for this small action were determined by rolling on the Force Selection Table. Parliament rolled a 4, giving them an initial force of two infantry and three cavalry units. The Royalists rolled a 3, resulting in two infantry, two cavalry, and one dragoon unit. These initial force selections can still be adjusted with the pre-action events causing units to be delayed or unavailable.

Dice rolls for the force selection (Royalist red and Parliament black). 

The six tabletop setup cards were shuffled and one was drawn at random. A dice-off determined that the Royalists would be the defenders, allowing them to choose their preferred table edge. The 4' x 4' tabletop was then set up accordingly. In this scenario there was a single objective - control of the crossroads.

The Royalists won the dice off and as defenders chose the table edge to deploy (red circle).

With the deployment areas confirmed, the tabletop was set up.

Next, the pre-action events were resolved. The defending Royalists rolled a 3, meaning one infantry unit was either bogged down or too far away to join the action. Parliament rolled a 1, so one of their infantry units will be delayed and would arrive on turn 5.

Deployment followed. The Royalists placed their units within 12 inches of their chosen table edge. Parliament as the attacker then deployed, with their cavalry positioned 9 to 18 inches from their table edge and their infantry following up behind, within 9 inches.

With forces deployed, the game was ready to play with the defending Royalists moving first.

Both forces are deployed.

Game Report

The Royalists, having sighted Parliament’s cavalry, moved forward quickly to meet the threat. On their left flank the dragoons advanced and took up a strong position behind a hedge. One Parliamentarian cavalry unit dashed forward to engage the opposing Royalist horse, while the remaining Parliamentarian cavalry and infantry were slow to respond. After an initial exchange of musketry, the Royalist dragoons were charged. The lone Parliamentarian cavalry unit which found itself engaged by two Royalist cavalry units in a fierce melee was hoping support would arrive quickly.

A lone Parliamentarian cavalry unit bravely charges forward.

The remaining Parliamentarian units are slow to engage to defending Royalists.

The Dragoons are putting up a good fight from behind the hedge.

After a brief fight, the dragoons, secure behind the hedge, forced the Parliamentarian cavalry to withdraw and regroup, only to find themselves now confronted by advancing infantry. On the opposite flank, the first Parliamentarian cavalry unit was routed, and a second cavalry unit was committed to the fight.

The Dragoons drive off Parliament’s cavalry who retire and regroup. While the cavalry melee continues as a second Parliamentarian cavalry unit engages.

Parliament’s cavalry are driven off.

The Royalist forces having held firm after the cavalry onslaught were confident of their position. By this stage of the action both commanders were heavily involved in rallying wavering units. Then a fresh Parliamentarian infantry unit arrived on the field. Seeking to capitalise on their cavalry’s earlier success, the Royalists advanced their horse. The last remaining Parliamentarian cavalry unit, which had previously regrouped after attacking the dragoons, charged the advancing Royalist cavalry. After a short melee it was routed, leaving the Parliamentarian position untenable, and they chose to retire from the field.

Fresh troops arrive for Parliament.

With their cavalry lost, Parliamentarian forces opt to retire.

A small victory for the Royalists, earning them the advantage of choosing their deployment edge in the upcoming main battle. But first, another small action must be fought out on the tabletop.

Painting and Gaming Plans for 2026

There has been no wargaming for me over the past couple of weeks, as we have been travelling to Seoul, South Korea for a family wedding, and as I write this post (on my iPhone) resting up for a few days in Singapore. The break from painting and gaming has given me a chance to gather my thoughts on what I would like to focus on wargaming-wise in 2026, which will be my second year of retirement.

Projects to complete or finish off

• Gaul army using 20 mm HaT plastic miniatures, currently about two-thirds complete.

• Star Wars Legion, finishing off a couple of models that are still sitting in the plastic pile.

Adding to or enhancing existing periods

• Napoleonic armies, with the addition of artillery, cavalry, and officers with standard bearers.

• English Civil War, adding two cavalry units and some dragoons.

• WWI, strengthening my British army for the Mesopotamian front forces with more Indian troops and cavalry. The HaT 20mm miniatures are already in the plastic pile.

New projects

• Revamping my Warhammer 40,000 terrain, which is currently rather bulky and not well suited to gaming on square or hex grids.

• Battle of Britain / Blood Red Skies, a small project of four aircraft to try my hand at air wargaming.

Campaigns

• Gauls vs Romans, most likely a mini-campaign of about 3 to 5 tabletop battles, though the how I will run it is still to be decided.

• English Civil War campaign, smaller in scope than the one I ran between December 2018 and February 2020, which involved over 30 tabletop battles (original campaign posts start here). This will again be an area-based campaign, but with far fewer regions to control.

• WWII desert campaign, using a board game as the campaign map and guide to drive the tabletop battles.

Anyway a few things to get going with, which will no doubt change once I am back at the painting table. 

That is it. It is hard writing a post on an iPhone. But here are some more photos of the changing of the Guard Korean style…