STAR WARS ARMADA: LEARNING CURVE.

No Wednesday game this week. The previous two Wednesday night games have seen Derek and David being introduced to Star Wars Armada.

The first game was a simple battle between an Imperial Raider and a Rebel Nebulon B frigate, to get used to the rules. David took the Imperials and Del the Rebels. This game was played without upgrades, so we could concentrate on the basics. This ended up being a simple battle, with lots of combat and not too much manoeuvring. 

The Imperial Raider in combat with a Nebulon B frigate. Big fighter dogfight going on in the foreground.

The Imperial Raider having been destroyed, the Imperial fighters are out for revenge on the remaining rebel ships. 

The second game saw David taking a Victory class star destroyer with screening fighters against Del's Rebel force consisting of a Nebulon frigate and a Corellian corvette, with a force of fighter bombers. I added some upgrades to show how they can change the game. There was a bit more tactical use of fighters and more manoeuvring. There was plenty of ship to ship combat. The Nebulon Frigate was destroyed and the other ships were down to one hull box.

The rebel ships manage to co-ordinate an attack and cause heavy damage. The Nebulon frigate is destroyed in the exchange.

The fighter battle around the star destroyer.

The star destroyer limps away, crippled, after the battle.

The boys enjoyed the game. I found that adjudicating the rules, without having to concentrate on playing, allowed me to pick up little things that I had been missing or doing wrong. Highly enjoyable. Hopefully we can use the Corellian Campaign, when it comes out, to play games.

KICKSTARTER UPDATE: QUARTERMASTER GENERAL 1914.

 I backed the Plastic Soldier Company's recent Quartermaster General :1914 Kickstarter. I like the way PSC do Kickstarter projects. They tend to be very focused and produced within a very tight deadline.

Here are some photos of the game, which arrived yesterday.

                                A full report will follow once I have managed a game or two.

ABERDEEN MODEL RAILWAY CLUB EXHIBITION 2016.

The 2016 Aberdeen Model Railway Club exhibition was held at the RGU sports hall. I only attended on the Sunday. I was only there for an hour or so and spent too much of the time speaking to friends, limiting my time for taking photos.

                         Aberdeen Modellers Club had their usual display of completed kits.

A selection of Sci-Fi models.

More modern subjects.

Iain's Spitfires are at the front of this selection.

A selection of vehicles.

Aberdeen Wargames Club put on a display game of Napoleonic naval combat using Osprey's Fighting Sail rules.

The AWC Bolt Action 2 display game was set in the Pacific, with John Wayne leading the Marine attack.

a 7TV game of Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

Raquel Welch is somewhere in this camp.

Peter Cushing leads the exporers.

This brought back memories as one of the first electric train sets I had was the Pullman.

A nice display.

Lego!

                                       

Another busy display.

                                     RAF Kinloss Model Railway Club had a good display.

SKELP 2016.

I have been to Skelp 2016, Angus Wargames Club's annual show. The show had an enforced hiatus last year, as the venue, the Reid Hall in Forfar, was being refurbished. It was a dreich, wet day, as myself, David and his two sons set out. We arrived just before opening time. After dropping off things to sell on the bring and buy, and painting competitions we had a look around the show.

David and the boys had a go at the 'Custer's Last Stand' participation game, run by Jed and the rest of the Leuchars Veterans. This was also at Carronade and Claymore earlier in the year.

David and sons playing Custer's Last Stand, by The Leuchars Veterans.

Another view of the game.

The monastrey where the French are trying to move supplies to. To escape the English raiders.

The French peasants try to remove food and animals to the safety of the monastery, to keep them safe from the English

The French troops attempt to hold off the English.

A convoy of supplies can be seen en route to the monastery.

Another view of the monastery.

Kirriemuir Wargames Club ran a demonstration/participation game using Lion Rampant rules. The scenario saw an English raiding force trying to find supplies and a way across the Meuse. The French peasants were trying to rescue the supplies from a farm and move them to a monastery while the men at arms held off the English.

The Geek Room ran a Warzone participation game.

A view of the hall.

Falkirk and District Wargames Club ran a novel Blood Eagle participation game based around longships. 

South East Scotland Wargames Club put on a Samurai demonstration game. 

                                 Some of the entries in the painting competition.

David's AVP figures, which earned him 2nd place in the open competition.

Matthew's winning Iron Man figure. 

The Bring and Buy was reasonable, with quite a few tempting potential purchases. I largely managed to resist. I got all the items that were on my list and made a bit of cash on the bring and buy, to balance the books.

The show is not really big enough to spend a whole day at it. We were tied, due to b&b and painting competitions, to staying to the end. The weather put paid to going for a walk to fill time. That said, there was plenty of time for a good chinwag with the traders and exhibitors. A good day all in all.