MODDER FOKKERS

Our Modder Fokker WWI air wargame is best played with 6 players.  Tonight we had six coming, so we dusted off the old planes.  Jim, Mark & Steve flew for the Kaiser, Mike, Mitch & Nick flew for the King.

Game 1: Early War
The Germans flew 2 Fokker III's & an Albatros II. The Brits had 3 DH2's.

A dogfight with 3 a side is a scary place.  The players below are concentrating hard, plotting their move for the next turn on their magnetic consoles before we do simultaneous movement & shooting.

It's been a long time since we did early war & were soon reminded why.  The planes are not very manouvreable & apart from the Albatros II only have 1 machine gun.  So the game is slower & less decisive than later periods.  Jim's Albatros copped engine damage with Mike's first shot at it which limited his speed & climb so much he never got to fire another shot.  The Germans never recovered from this.  Eventually with the damage level getting dangerous, the Albatros fled the field & his comrades had little option but to follow.  So no kills, but a British victory.

Game 2: Late War
This time 3 Fokker DVII fought 3 Camels

The difference made by the better speed, manoeuvreability & firepower of the late war planes was very obvious.  The game went much quicker & the damage quickly accumulated in the whirling dogfight. 

Mitch's Camel was badly damaged by Mark & Steve & it tried to head for home with Fokkers on its tail.  It dived away from Mark & Steve, but Jim cut in & finished it off.  Then Jim & Steve combined to shoot down Mike's Camel.  Nick's undamaged Camel had to fight his way past the 3 Fokkers to get away.  He shot down Jim's already damaged Fokker then dived for the British lines with 2 Fokkers on his tail.  Damage mounted, but no critical hits & he got away. 

It was a fun night ending in a win for each side.