The Day the Baron Died Wargame Report

The line up for Scenario #1 is Richthofen vs. Brown, an attempt to simulate the Red Baron's last engagement on the morning of April 21, 1918. This is also the only scenario I ever remember playing as kid, and it was only ever the Basic Level, just two planes involved, the Captain and the Baron. We are going advanced level which gives each side a couple of wingmen, six planes engaged in all! 

Just to reiterate, I am using the "Flying Lesson" variant with the the "Unexpected Manuevers" variant bolted on. The two evenly matched squads close quickly and manuever to get a killing shot. Side note, I wouldn't have been able to keep track of all the details without some sort of log to record the manuever choices at the begining of each turn. Once again the Board Game Geek website is your go to for fan-created play aids. I downloaded the log and start recording turn actions. 

First three turns have been run through and it appears as if the first clash is a high-speed fly by. Capt. Brown was able to get a shot at the Baron but missed. The Baron, being shot at has the option of pulling a maneuver and goes for a 2-hex loop (costs 6 MP). Capt. Brown can react but will not know what the Baron picked. Both have advantage so it cancels out. Brown picks a Loop maneuver as well but blows the roll to because of the close 2-hex range. Even as an Ace, by rolling a 6 (6-3=3). I move the Sopwith Camel 6 hexes forward straight as it blows by the looping Baron.

This is where mashing two variants gets tricky. There are intersections of the rules which leave for vague interpretation. Here is how I’m playing it. The Baron is pulling a Loop so sets his controls appropriately. This will be the maneuver the bright red, triple-winged Fokker will take for it’s the upcoming game turn. The opposing Sopwith, not knowing what the Baron is planning climbs hard, banking right. 

The Sopwith on the Captains wing shoots at his target at a range of 5, scoring a single hit. The Fokker elects to choose an Unexpected maneuver, a Nose Dive! The Sopwith makes their roll to follow and makes a Barrel Roll right in reaction. I’m going to see if the Allied fighter can “sit” on top of the diving Fokker. Who knows, he may get a great view of the Fokker’s wings rip off as it takes this hazardous maneuver! With the conclusion of the 1^st game turn (yes, clashes out of the gate!) the pilots set their controls for turn 2. Two of the Fokkers have committed to their move. The third decides to fly straight through the scrum and looks to jump on his commanders wing next turn.

The Fokker pulling the nose dive makes their Overdive roll and successfully drops 500m. The baron completes his loop and takes the last movement point straight ahead because he has to. The Sop which started on the east side of the board has been flying straight at full throttle to catch up with his mates flies right past the Baron. Brown has turned his plane around and looking to get on the Baron’s six. Good luck with that!

Turn 3 and the Baron is going to lose altitude to 2700m and bank left towards Brown. Fokker #2 is going to climb and bank left. Fokker #3 maintains altitude of 3300m, opens up the throttle to top speed and turns right. This puts the German on Sopwith 3’s tail! Twin Vickers are depressed and a stream of bullets flash out of the muzzles. The Sopwith Camel takes 2 points of damage. The Fokker is only two hexes away, but due to the altitude difference the attack is at a range of 4. None of the allied planes have a target for defensive fire so we go for another unexpected maneuver. Sop #3 needs to shake the tri-plane on his tail. He is going to abort to a 4 MP Loop. The Fokker is going to try and follow. It needs a 4 or less to be successful. 5-2=3 (for the plane’s maneuver schedule). Success. The German knows the Allied plane is going for a Loop so can adjust his controls accordingly for the upcoming turn. Now here the rules are really not meshing. I have no idea when or how the Fokker is supposed to follow its prey. Does all these special maneuver happen now in the Sops defensive fire phase? I’m assuming the Sop just gets the opportunity to choose an unexpected maneuver for its upcoming move?

Turn 3 Allied move. Sop 3 pulls the Loop. This effectively leaves the plane in its same spot. Moves 1 back for the loop and with 1 MP left must move 1 forward, back where he started! I have know idea if this is going to helpful or not. Allied Ace Brown pulls his plane around and is flying head on at two Fokkers 6 or 7 hexes distance. Sop #2 going flat out banks sharply left ending up at the same altitude as Fok #3 one hex away on the German’s 11 o’clock. The Sop fires. The roll is shit, causing 1 point of damage. Focker #3 opts for an U.M. for turn 4. A Barrel Roll Right.

Turn plays out and Sop3 ends up with Fok3 still on its tail. The German is two hexes back and altitude difference add 3 to the range for a final of 5. Two points of damage to the Camel. Sop3 commits to an Immelmann Turn for Turn 5. The German sees what the Sop is trying to do so picks the same manuever.

Turn 5 Germans make their maneuvers. Fok2 ends up on Brown’s seven one hex away, same altitude and fires. Brown is an Ace so the Fok2 suffers a minus 1 to the roll. 2 points of damage.

Turn 5 for Sop3 is going to suck. The pilot, in a panic, opened up the throttle when making this Immelmann Turn and ends up in Fok3’s 12 o’clock again. But wait, Capt. Brown has maneuvered up on Fok3. If he can shoot the German down before the German gets defensive fire he may save one of his men. Sop2 is able to get on Fok2’s tail so let us see if we can bring some planes down! Brown is at a range of 2 and gets a +1 for Ace status. 10, the Fokker is lit up for 5 points of damage! Sop2 has a range of two as well. Rolling a 10 we know what that is, 5 points to the German plane! Now for the German defensive fire, an 11 for 4 points damage. At the conclusion of Turn 5 we have two Fok’s down to 4 damage points left, same for Sop3. Hard to tell which side is getting the better of it, a couple more turns though may decide this engagement.

I have to call it here because the variants together, while giving exactly what I want, a whirling dog-fight with fast, desperate maneuvering, are not clear on how they mesh. This is obviously because each is written by a different person. But Mike has the burden of making it work because he is adding the Unexpected Maneuvers to his flight control variant. Players will have to come to a consensus how to play before the start. My verdict is, while an attractive combination, Flying Lesson’s with the Baron needs to be played by itself. The features of this variant being locking in your flight controls at the start of the turn and positioning for advantage so your opponent has to show you what they are setting their controls at for the next turn. This creates a situation where it is harder to get an enemy off your tail than the RAW.

The additional counters on the ASP to set flight controls is a BIG leap up on the fun factor. If I can get sorted on how to correctly apply the UM variant the game certainly has climbed measurably in enjoyment.