Tag Archives: Battle Over Britain

Battle Over Britain – Iraq 1941 Campaign

Boardgames

 

Too much time on my hands, so I started working on some variant rules for a Habbinaya campaign. Here’s a general outline. Overarching idea is to add a bombing option without layering on too many additional rules, chrome, or charts.

Aircraft Pool – Similar to BoB. Iraq pool includes German/Italian after “x” number of rounds (role for intervention each “turn”?).

Morale Points – Each side receives points which are reduced by successful bombing attacks. British morale roughly 2 times that of Iraq.

Bombing – Targets are either Iraq ground units, Habbinaya, or either side’s aircraft. Bombing resolved on fire combat table’s one resolution line using six-sided die. For aircraft hit role die for type destroyed. Ground unit/installation hit, reduce morale by “x” point(s). If bombing at Diamond altitude, get +1 on die roll.

Flak – Role six sided die on fire combat table’s one resolution line. If target at Diamond altitude get +1 on die roll. If hit, role on fire combat table’s eight resolution line.

Air Combat Rounds – This is where it gets real sketchy….critical to keep track of ammo use/short burst optional rule.,

Mission lasts “x” card plays.
Determine if mission is escorted or not escorted.
Determine if mission is intercepted or not intercepted.
Defender must disengage from escort in order to attack bomber.
Bomber must survive “y” of “x” mission card plays in order to bomb.

I’ll keep fooling around with this until I return home and can do some research on OB.

Battle Over Britain – Iraq 1941

Boardgames

Still playing Minden Games’ Battle Over Britain. After several solo plays, decided that a campaign is the best way to enjoy the game. Similar to B-17, where the “one-of” games are fun, but a couple in a row get boring.

Along those lines, I put together aircraft ratings for the 1941 air campaign over Habbinaya, Iraq for those aircraft not available in the Battle Over Britain series. I’ve always been fascinated by that campaign and the use of antiquated aircraft to defend the RAF base.

I don’t have access to a word processing program that constructs a grid, so the ratings will be linear in the following sequence. Speed, Agility, Fire/Fire Rear, Performance and Damage.

These ratings are based on aircraft data from various sources, and comparisons of ratings in both the Minden game and Perry Moore’s Sonderkommando, an interesting simulation of the campaign.

Northrup A-17 1,1,-1/-2,1,10
Hart/Audax 2,2,-2/-2,2,8
Oxford 2,1,-2/-2,2,11
Vincent 1,1,-2/-2,1,8
Breda 65 2,1,-1/-2,1,10
DH 84 2,1,-1/-2/2/10

The next step will be to come up with the campaign parameters.

Battle Over Britain – Minden Games

Boardgames, Review

Been messing around with Minden Games‘ Battle Over Britain (BoB) the last few days. This “Tactical Plane vs Plane Air Combat Game” is designed by Gary Grabner, who also owns Minden Games, and publishes both Panzerschreck and Panzer Digest.

I’ve always liked Gary’s games, and the BoB series is no exception. First published in Panzer Digest as Faith, Hope & Charity – Air Battles Over Malta, 1940-41, the series now includes Battle Over Britain, Flying Tigers and a Solitaire Module.

What attracted to me to the series is its use of a wide variety of early war aircraft. These include CR-42s, Gladiators, a Polish P-11c, a Dutch Fokker D.XX1, and a German HS-123.

As with many Minden Games, the action is generated by the use of a deck of playing cards. These cards are used to establish each aircraft’s altitude and firing position on a Dogfight Display. This display is a simple grid using card suit and value.

Each aircraft counter has a top-down view of the aircraft, along with its Speed, Agility, Fire Modifier, Performance, and Durability Ratings. Speed indicates the number of cards in the player’s hand, Agility determines how many new cards can be drawn if the player “Yanks The Stick”, Performance rating differentials allow players to disengage from combat, and Durability is the number of hits an aircraft can take before being destroyed.

He’s incorporated a lot of chrome in both the basic and optional rules. These include ammunition, rear fire, a tailing bonus, ace status, and bailing out. The latter can be used in a campaign game. Several ideas (which Gary refers to as “abstracted”) are included in the rules.

The components are basic, but get the job done. I can see using a small terrain map with the grid superimposed, along with Tumbling Dice 1/600 aircraft to create a nice visual effect.

Gary designed this as a “fast and furious” card game with high replayability. He achieved these goals. It’s a lot of fun!