Your notion of the "fragility" of the single seat fighter is spot on. The reality was very, very few of the Luftwaffe single-seat fighter pilots survived WW2, and especially making daylight sorties against US bomber streams after late '43. Once the drop-tanked P47 and P51 fighters started escorting all the way to the target, what had been a merely dangerous game of attacking heavily armed boxes of bombers became practically a no-win situation. Once the escorts learned their business, being a "Defense of the Reich" pilot was a short term proposition at best. A lot of Luftwaffe pilots got shot down multiple times and lived to tell about it. A lot more did not. Most of those who survived were assigned to training duties, and thus out of combat, or were too badly injured to continue flying. The odds would eventually catch up to them, and the more they flew, the smaller the chances got that they would survive. This game seems to have taken this to heart.

@finriltiengou7172

4 жыл бұрын

I'll completed some of your information there. Single seat fragile...depend on the plane. The Bf-109 was a bit fragile for sure. But the sturdy Fw-190 was not. It could whistand some heavy punishement. it's not late 43 that the job get bad for german pilot. It's in february-march 1944 during the Big Week that the Luftwaffe was bled to death by the escort. Not the drop tanked P47 (you also forget the P38 which have a longer range on drop tank even if most of them were send to the Pacific). It was just the arrival of the P51 which reversed every thing. That plane really get the 8th and 15th Airforce bomber all the way escort. it was not the case for far target such as Berlin or Munich before its arrival Not true about the survivors going to training duties. The german pilots never got any form of retirement from front duty (but being disabled physically or mentaly or being killed). The fact that expert pilot never passed on in flight school their knowledge was one of the many reasons the Luftwaffe novice pilot getting less and less efficient during the war.

I was expecting that one so muuuuuuuuuuuuuch. With it I could fly my favourite german airplane (Fw-190) starting from Vannes Meucon. Vannes is my birth town and I lived near the small village of Meucon (10 kms north of Vannes) for a decade. I even used to ride horse near the runways of the old german base there. So flying on FW-190 starting from home....quite a dream coming true and a lot to add to a narrative. I bought it, play it....and get disapointed. I love Greg game (Nightfigther being my favourite) in general. I've played Night fighter, hunter, hunted, Zeppelin, the WWI Submarine (based on his system) and I love them all. But on this one...don't know. Many things seems odd to me. There's way too many escort in 1943, seems very odd to being able to intercept a raid on Bremen starting from Meucon (it's way beyond the range of the FW-190). And I was dissapointed to chase only B-17 or B-24 (where are the Typhoon, the B-25, the A-20, the B-26 we should be able to intercept?). I'm also very disappointed by the wingman rule. That guy is useless to said the least. He barely could hit anything and he get shot very easily. And when he's gone (very quickly most of the time) you've just had to abort your mission (too suicidal to continue). The fighter vs fighter rules don't appeals to me. It's too bidimensionnal to feel real to me. I was also disappointed to see that some planes were totally similar. What's the point of that? Buying a new plane with prestige point to see afterwards that it's the very same plane? Finally I never finished my campaign and stopped it in November 1943 after being shot down 8 times, wounded three times and having 20 victories (14 Viermot). I was quite frustrated by the game and no longer the desire to end the campaign. On the same subject I prefer Skies Above the Reich which is more tense and more fun with easy to play mechanism (even if it's far from perfect) Well now I'll be waiting for the "beneath the Med" next Greg game. Rare subject to be sure. But a refreshing one no doubt.

Great Review! The way you explain things in detail and depth is wonderful! You do an excellent job, especially when comparing similar games, provided that you’re familiar with them. You always seem to answer questions I have about a game in your review! That’s a huge key factor in any review!! Grant as well. Both of you guys..... excellent work!

This is my favorite one from Greg so far. I actually made it through the entire time frame and lived to tell about it. Had several injuries which forced me to sit out some missions while recovering which helped my longevity. The combat against fighters is really well done. Everything plays a factor in trying to gain position: speed, agility, engine boost, quality of enemy pilot, etc. Because of the limited amount of damage that you can sustain, it makes for a pretty quick encounter. Many times I was tailing my foe, and chose to disengage because I was low on ammo, or 1 wing hit away from being shot down. Great game and I immediately called it quits after my pilot made it through, as there's no way I'd be that lucky again! Would hate to invest too much feeling towards a pilot knowing he's 1 roll away from disaster!

@lennoxkayson1018

2 жыл бұрын

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@terrellkristopher3091

2 жыл бұрын

@Lennox Kayson Instablaster =)

@lennoxkayson1018

2 жыл бұрын

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@lennoxkayson1018

2 жыл бұрын

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@terrellkristopher3091

2 жыл бұрын

@Lennox Kayson happy to help :D

Alexander... Love the shirt, at least you're wearing one! Thanks for the highlight on this game! Another great vid from the Player Aid guys!

Love this game, deffo one of my favs. Nice review!!

Think I will buy this !

After JK review and yours i am picking this one up

I would have gotten this but I already have Skies Above the Reich, which teaches the same lesson about history. That being how impossible the mission of the German pilots was.

@ThePlayersAid

4 жыл бұрын

Fair (I am equally bad at that game too, in that my casualty rates are appalling).

@finriltiengou7172

4 жыл бұрын

That marvellous game is just painfully historic. The Reich Defense pilots were slaughtered in flock

@kronos77

4 жыл бұрын

@@ThePlayersAid Same for everyone. My strategy after a year or two (in game years), is just to have my pilots make a quick run and hopefully get home. Put on a good show for the Generals, show off the damage in your aircraft and try to survive.

@michaelstearnesstearnes1498

4 жыл бұрын

@@ThePlayersAid I can readily empathize. On my 1st mission of a recent game I was KIA on my initial pass on a B17. The return fire found its mark. The game is sitting on my shelf awaiting further consideration. I also died on my 1st mission of Target for Today. A 109 detonated the bomb load in the 2nd box. I'm staying inside this weekend.

@ThePlayersAid

4 жыл бұрын

@@michaelstearnesstearnes1498In TfT I'm much more forgiving, sometimes you get bad luck. In this one EVERY mission is a coin toss away from death.

Great shirt! I want one!

I recently picked this up. I knew this one was going to be much harder to survive than Nightfighter Ace when in my very first sortie of my first game, my pilot got killed on my second damage roll of the first round of attacks. My next one made it to the last mission of the first page before dying, but only because he had a fifth class wound badge and had lost several planes to damage. I do wonder if I will ever top his 24 bomber kills (31 kills overall) since that seemed exceptionally lucky and relied on getting two different high firepower prototype replacement fighters with lucky rolls on that chart.

Just got this recently. Definitely hard to stay alive, even without the escorts just attacking bombers you can get shot to pieces. Several of my campaigns I was losing one aircraft shot down or written off due to damage for every two missions I flew, and I was "retired for the good of the service" LOL. I wish they had done a little more work tightening up the rulebook before publication, but with BGG it's easy to get clarification on rules questions.

Alexander, after a few plays of Int,Ace I found that the only way to survive is to receive a serious wound in which recovery takes me past the time frame of the game. Maybe this is why I prefer NF Ace. There is a better chance of living. Thanks for the review and best wishes.

@ThePlayersAid

4 жыл бұрын

Survivability is not something this game is known for, you are correct. I would say that makes the others better too.

@michaelstearnesstearnes1498

4 жыл бұрын

I preordered Western Front Ace. Guess I'm just a glutton for punishment. Till then I will "relax" with a few missions of Target for Tonight

As a matter of fact, that shirt is describing my X!!!

Hey Alexander..great review as always. I have to ask you: where can I get those awesome looking German cross dice?

@riff2072

4 жыл бұрын

Link is to some all black dice. www.g2ch.com/collections/dice/products/german-iron-cross-6pc-dice-set Happy Rolling.

@thomasjay4207

4 жыл бұрын

Riff thanks but i need the cross for the 6 spot .. these are on the 1

@ThePlayersAid

4 жыл бұрын

These particular ones are are from "Flames of War" which you can search for on amazon or ebay, they come with a bunch. I have Roundels, Hammer & Sickles, American White Stars and these. They even have some divisional specific dice - 101st, 82nd, desert rats, DAK etc.

Thx Alexander! Great job as always. Cheers mate, Mike D. Denver, CO. You, Grant and all might also enjoy this German aircraft video shot just a couple of months ago: RARE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE AIRCRAFT IN SEATTLE | Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum kzread.info/dash/bejne/eHltkpWqaJfQk8Y.html

Didnt find this as good as Hunters or Nightfighter ace. Missing finding enemy and this will be just i fire them and they fire at me all the time.

Youre damn shirt keeps describing my X.,..

LOL!!! Jokes on you Alexander!! Most of my days I wake up and say... |"I don't even know..." Then I realize thaT IT'S JUST lIFE,