Call to Arms: Aeronautica Imperialis - Its for the Greater Good

We played a second mission, this time the Tau attacking an Imperial installation. The Tau have some great looking planes and even look like a SciFi faction rather than WW1 or 2 planes with more skulls.

This is the Tau Strike Force. I was the escort command of three fighters. Its hard to escort bombers that are faster than you. The Tau have giant railguns and ion cannons. The Tau models are Alans and they look very nice.

These are the Imperials, they have loads of planes and ground defences. I was used to ground defences being a bit rubbish in first edition but these were quite dangerous. The Tau mission was to blow up two of the three buildings.

Alan's attack wing splits out to the right and drops down to altitude 1.

Zane's squad swings left and I stay high in the middle because the Thunderbolts look a bit more dangerous.

We start mixing it up with the Thunderbolts and it looks like one has already gone down.

Alan's group is engaging the Lightnings and a Thunderbolt

Zane's Tigershark is listing 

Zanes bombers have broken through and are almost in range of the base while I am tanging with the thunderbolts. I think this was the turn I shot down a plane with my defensive turrets. I was also lined up on a lighting 

Araagh, both of Zane's bombers got shot down by a combination of thunderbolts and ground fire. He managed to do some damage on the ground defences before going down. Alan is also starting his attack run. But his bombers are also taking damage.

Alan manages to get some damage on the ground defences to make his approach a bit easier, but his bombers are taking damage. The Imperials are down to only one damaged lighting, I am down to one plane, this is going to be close.

Literally with the last rolls of the game Alan manages to blow up the last building before both sides have to abort. My fighter managed to blow up a ground defence before it could shoot, "You mean Ion cannons don't roll a 6 to hit and a 6 for extra damage all the time?"

So a great game, its easy enough to pickup but it also rewards people that can predict where things are going to be in the next couple of turns.

Thomas also has a great Frontline Gaming mat. It's war torn ground with a subtle hex grid.