GrogHeads Forum

Tabletop Gaming, Models, and Minis => Wargaming => Topic started by: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 17, 2016, 03:44:20 PM

Title: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 17, 2016, 03:44:20 PM
Anyone tried this game out?  I got a line on a used copy but it's pretty expensive.  It looks like it'd take up a lot of space too.  I watched Marco's review of it and he was gushing over it (but he gushes over most games, especially those covering WWII air combat). 
Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: GJK on June 17, 2016, 08:30:51 PM
Marco gushes over "toys"....he doesn't play "wargames".   :buck2:
Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Nefaro on June 19, 2016, 05:34:50 PM
I thought it looked interesting, but not enough to track it down & splurge on it. 

Already had a few hex-based air combat games I hadn't fully explored.  And I still have plenty of Check Your Six minis to mount & paint.  It's Blue Max-derived system should be good enough to cover the "lite" end of the spectrum (where this one sits IMO) for me.   

Edit:   Shit... speaking of Blue Max systems, I still have an unopened copy of the Blue Max remake to check out too.
Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 19, 2016, 05:45:27 PM
Thanks. I might just grab one of their older minis rulebooks like Red Sun/Blue Sky and see if I can combine their formation and alt rules into Wings of Glory.

I looked at Blue Max but I know I'd never get played in my group.  They're not fans of history.  I pulled out Bloody April once and they just stared at it in confusion as WWI might as well be some esoteric 16th century war as far as they're concerned.  They'll play WWII stuff thanks to War Thunder and World of Tanks as they recognize many of the planes from those games.  Until WWI gets an HBO miniseries or a major video game (maybe Battlefield I?), they won't be aware of its existence.


Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Nefaro on June 20, 2016, 07:20:13 AM
I just happened upon that FFG holiday sale, a year or two ago, where Blue Max was half off & grabbed it.  Impulse buy.

The easiest rules I have are for Check Your Six! Jet Age.  That would be the first I'm breaking out, given the opportunity.  The Vietnam and Arab-Israeli air wars are more appealing to me (Korea.. so-so) and it's lighter than the old Blue Max system.  Not sure if it's ligther than the new one, though.

Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on June 20, 2016, 06:18:06 PM
I've played Check Your 6! a few times at one of the local gaming events.  The minis were nice.  They used 1:285 or 1:300 scale models for Coral Sea and Guadalcanal scenarios and placed each one on a telescoping pointer/car antenna type apparatus to indicate altitude.  I think it's an interesting system but I'm not a fan of all the bookkeeping you need to do for each plane.  I hope the digital version they are planning on bringing out will be good.

As for post WWII jet stuff, it's just not my thing. I can't explain why but it just doesn't fire the imagination like the WWI and WWII era stuff does.
Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: acctingman on June 21, 2016, 01:14:51 PM
I was stoked to hear about the digital version of CY6. It's made me hold off on buying mini's for the game, that and I don't have a group to play it with (and the lack of painting skills required  :-\)
Title: Re: Black Cross/Blue Sky
Post by: Ravensworth on July 03, 2016, 09:20:19 PM
If you can find an old copy of his original Game Squadrons it is VERY easy and beer and pretzels WWII air combat. The rules for most of his other books and games are based off of that and in my opinion all he did was make it more complicated without any additional resulting interesting gameplay.