ConsimWorld Expo 2010 Down In Flames Debriefing Report
This year 41 players, with 14 first time players, participated in the ninth ConsimWorld Expo DIF Aces' Campaigns by flying in at least one mission. As with previous years, I was unable to post any reports during the con as I was very busy updating the various theater kills sheets and running the missions. I usually stayed awake until 2 AM each night, getting 4 hours of sleep before waking up for breakfast.
This year the Eastern Front covering the summer of 1943 was the popular campaign with 22 missions being played. Right behind was the 1944 Pacific Theater campaign with 20 missions.
ACE OF ACES 2010:
Greg Smith (Ephrata, PA) won his second straight Aces of Aces
championship and was
declared the 2010 Aces of Aces competition winner with 39.5
points with a 21-13-8 record in games played. Coming in second & third
were two first-time players, Chris Taylor (Lake Forest, CA) with 23.5 points and
Joe Gandara (Hereford,
AZ) with 19.5 points.
DAILY MISSION TOTALS:
In addition to taking his second Ace of Aces title Greg for the second straight year played in the most missions with 42 out of total 73 missions possible. Thursday and Saturday were the busiest days with 17 missions each. Missions would start right after breakfast, around 8 AM, and continue late into the night, usually stopping at 2 AM. The exceptions were the first day (set up day starting at 4 PM) and the last day (playing stopped at noon). During the 6-days of aerial mayhem fest, 328 aircraft were lost (32.2% loss rate). A total of 250 fighters (32.5% loss rate) and 78 bombers (10 light bombers, 59 medium bombers and 9 heavy bombers for 31.5% loss rate) were shot down from all nations.
Tuesday - 7 missions played
CAMPAIGN THEATERS MISSION TOTALS AND W-L RECORDS
The 73 missions covered 4 separate campaigns:
1941 North African Front - 19 missions, the Italians and their German Allies won over the RAF with 9-to-4 with 6 ties with a score 367-to-262
TOP 10 PLAYERS IN THE ACE OF ACES COMPETITION:
Players who achieved 5 kills or more by one pilot during the EXPO:
A FEW HIGH & LOW LIGHTS OF CSW 2010's ACE OF ACES CAMPAIGNS:
Six players earned the new version of the ACE PILOT t-shirts. In order of award: Greg Smith, Rob Schroeder (Rio Linda, CA), Jack Beckman (Sterling Heights, MI), Mike Lam (SJ, CA), Ian Schofield (Regina, CAN), Nick Markevich (San Bruno, CA).
Twelve (12) new aces were earned with 4 aces from previous conventions being lost, all belonging to Greg Smith. One of Greg Smith's aces lost was the top Soviet LA-5FN ace Pavel Havlik. Havlik was shot down and killed-in-action and his career ends at 21 victories.
Greg Smith earned the very first Bf-110 ace at CSW with 6 career kills. Greg was awarded the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Book#10, Messerschmitt Bf-110 Zerstorer Aces of WW2 by John Weal. Greg was also awarded the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Book#13, Japanese Army Air Force Aces 1939-45, by Henry Sakaida for having the top Japanese Army pilot with 5 kills.
Greg Smith shot down the most medium bombers (8) and one (1) light bombers throughout the convention
Nick Markevich shot down the most heavy bombers with 3.
In the 1941 North African campaign, the "Italian Mafia Squadron" of Rick Young (Durham, NC), Jack Beckman, Greg Smith and Mark Yoshikawa (Covina, CA) flew in 5 missions, compiling a 1-1-3 record with a combined scores of 73-to-82. The Mafia Squadron record after 4 conventions now stands at 10-6-3, shooting down a combined 28 medium bombers and 11 fighters, while losing 35 fighters and 6 bombers they were escorting. In their 4 years of campaigning, they have outscored the RAF 433-to-397 while losing 3 aces.
Ian Schofield after trying for 6 years finally earned ace hood with one of his pilots named Sergeant Major (Hellcat pilot) in the Pacific campaign. His pilot shot down 4 Japanese aircraft in one mission, just missing trying the record for most kills (5) on 1 mission by 1 pilot by 1 hit point. Ian just needed to score 1 hit on a Ki-67 (Peggy) bomber to shot it down but ran out of bullets. Ian said he's been trying for 7 years but according to my records it was 6. It just felt longer to Ian. Six years, 51 missions and 14 lost pilots later, Ian won his coveted Ace Pilot t-shirt. Ian also was awarded the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Book#10, Hellcat Aces of WW2 by Barrett Tillman.
Ian Schofield's Hurricane pilot had the 'dubious honor' of being shot down by Mark Yoshikwawa's Bf-110 REAR GUNNER in one of the North Africa missions on Thursday.
Eight-year old Adam Wildeman (Fountain Hills, AZ) may have been the youngest player at CSW to play in the Aces' Campaigns. (I don't recall the age of Hendrick Koopman when he first played in 2005). Adam had the top Soviet pilot with 3-kills during the Expo and was awarded the Osprey Aircraft of the Aces Book#74, Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces of WW2 by George Mellinger.
With 78 bombers shot down, the bombers also proved that they could give back a little with 6 fighters shot down. The US 8th AF heavy bombers with their 4-to-6 defensive hand draws claimed two Luftwaffe Fw-190As (played by Rick Young and Devon Keenom). Over North Africa, Luftwaffe bombers, a Ju-88 and a He-111, each shot down 1 RAF Tomahawk-II (P-40C) fighter (played by Greg Dewan & Chris LeFevre). In the Pacific, a USN TBF light bomber shot down an N1K1-J, George fighter (played by Charles Ryder) while an Imperial Japanese Navy G4M2 (Betty) shot down a USN F6F (Hellcat played by Mark Yoshikawa). In an amazing stroke of luck, at least 4 times during the Expo medium bombers saved themselves from the dreaded "Exploding Fuel Tank" by drawing a 'spoiled attack' card (a 20% chance of that occurring; 16 out of 80 in their card deck) as their only drawn card that they were allowed to make.
HAT TRICKS (3 or more planes shot down in one mission by 1 pilot):
The "Hat Trick" was achieved 4 times during the convention. The best mission was by Ian Schofield's 4-kills by his Hellcat pilot. Also accomplishing the 3-plane "Hat Trick" were Adam Wildeman's P-39 Soviet pilot (3 Bf-109s downed), Jim Jones' (Merced, CA) P-38 Pacific pilot (3 Ki-84s) and Kevin LeFevre's (Mesa, CA) Bf-110 pilot in North Africa (2 Blenheims & 1 P-40C).
FOR 2011:
Major Changes to scoring format. In order to equalize the scoring opportunities, each player will have their first 20 missions (not counting any 8th AF missions) counted towards being the top player. After a player has reached 20 scoring missions, further missions won't be counted and those players will be playing for fun and to increase their pilots kill scores.
The 1941 Western Front will return replacing the 1943 Western Front for the Aces scoring. The 1943 Western Front will still be available but not for scoring in the competition. These 8th AF missions will be played late at night during the Expo or by mutual agreement by the players.
John Kranz has given his full support to have this event again in 2011,
in Tempe once again. For any DiF players, if you like playing DiF all day like I do,
consider making the trip next year.
I hope everyone enjoyed it and had fun learning how to play and playing DIF. I
hope to see everyone again as well as some new players for more aerial mayhem in
2011! As an added bonus, the 2011 Expo begins on Monday, so that will mean
about another 15 more missions will be played.
Mike Lam, The ConsimWorld Expo DIF Flight Coordinator