IndySquadron
Covering Dawn Patrol war gaming, Fight in the Skies Society,
Gen Con, Whosyercon, early combat aviation
and World War I historical research
  • Home
  • Armistice Day
  • Red Baron Fight
  • WhosYerCon Open
  • House Rules
  • Indy Squadron TV
  • Downloads

Nicholson Bob Survives by Three Percent ~ Playing From North Carolina: Stephen Dale Joins the Indy Squadron via Zoom ~ SPADs and Fokkers Tangle Over the Lines ~ Rookie American Draws First Blood Over German Lines ~ Todenhofer Gains 1st Kill; Meinhart

3/23/2026

0 Comments

 
PictureEthan tries desperately to save Nicholson Bob while Cori looks on
Volume 38, Number 2 

Nicholson Bob Survives by Three Percent

Four players gathered at the home of Bob and Teresa in Thorntown, Indiana on Saturday, March 21st to play four games. Teresa spoiled us with meatballs, chicken nuggets, her legendary chips and queso, coffee and dessert. For the first time, we played in Bob's upstairs game room which was set up specifically for the day. And as described in another article in this issue, Stephen Dale gamed with us via a Zoom call and camera setup. The headline is Game 4, with our other three games summarized beneath the main story. 

Game 4 – August 1918

There are close calls, and then there is what happened to Nicholson Bob.

Ethan's Unteroffizier, an original roster pilot who entered the fight at 18 missions and 3 kills, came within a whisker of dying on his home airfield. The story of how he got there is the story of Game Four.

The Germans — Ethan "The Python" Skinner in a 200hp Fokker D.VII and Stephen Dale's Offizier Stellvertreter Otto Scheinstock in a second Fokker — started reasonably enough against two Brits. Stephen Dale intentionally drew Bob's Sopwith Dolphin toward the German side of the board, buying two turns without the Allies' second plane in the fight. But the window didn't produce a decisive advantage, and once the lines were drawn, Stephen's Sopwith locked onto Nicholson Bob's tail and refused to let go.

For four straight turns, Stephen's Captain Bretton Pyle in his 130 hp Sopwith Camel poured 17 bullets into the Fokker. Almost every single hit produced a critical. A 200-foot dive penalty. Then a critical in the left wing. Then another in the right wing. Then the tail. By the time Nicholson Bob reached the clouds, his dive rating had been hammered down by 900 feet and his aircraft was barely maneuverable in any direction. Stephen calls it the most important stretch of the game, and it's hard to argue.



Read More
0 Comments

Stephen Takes Top Saturday Score at Milwaukee Mini-Con ~ Rick Supplies Squadron With Custom Camel Counters ~ A New System for Game Reports ~ From Rookies to Contenders: The Rise of Ben and Jon ~ Film Director Peter Jackson's WW1 Treasures

3/2/2026

0 Comments

 
Picture
Volume 38, Number 3

Stephen Takes Top Saturday Score at Milwaukee Mini-Con

This report is presented from the perspective of the Indy Squadron. Subscribe to AERODROME journal for the official report from the society in an upcoming issue.


The Fight in the Skies Society's annual Dawn Patrol Mini-Con returned to the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Milwaukee Airport the weekend of April 16–19, and the Indy Squadron had a pair of representatives in the field. Rick and Stephen made the trip north to Milwaukee, joining a field of 31 competitors from across the country for four days of Dawn Patrol at one of the hobby's longest-running and most beloved face-to-face gatherings.

The Mini-Con has been a fixture of the Dawn Patrol calendar since 1990, drawing players from across the Midwest and beyond. The event runs from Wednesday through Sunday with continuous gaming, a competitive scoring format across both days of the main tournament, and the deep well of camaraderie.

Stephen posted the highest average score on Saturday. When the final standings were tallied across the full field, Stephen finished 10th overall in a room that concentrates some of the most experienced Dawn Patrol players anywhere.

Rick was in contention until his dice deserted him on Saturday, dropping him to 21st overall. Nevertheless, his presence alongside Stephen meant the Indy Squadron had two pilots in the mix at a national-level event. John Buckland scored the overall win. 

The Mini-Con remains one of the best opportunities in the Dawn Patrol world to test your pilots against unfamiliar opponents, absorb new tactical ideas, and spend a long weekend in the company of people who take the game as seriously as you do. Congratulations and thanks to George Henion for another well-run event. 


Read More
0 Comments

Train of Gold II a Disaster for Germans ~ Game Report Feb 28, 2026 ~ Historic DH 9 Restored ~ First World War in the Baltic Sea

3/1/2026

0 Comments

 
Picture
Volume 38, Number 1 

Train of Gold II 

(Game 2) The "Train of Gold" is a specially designed mission that the Indy Squadron originally held in March 2022. The scenario features a German train behind the lines, laden with gold to pay war expenses and ammunition for the front line troops. The British contingent is tasked with stopping the train at all costs. If they cannot stop the train before it arrives at its destination - a bridge over the canal - they must blow up the barge onto which the gold and ammunition will be loaded.

This episode of the mission produced one of the more chaotic opening turns in recent memory — smoking engines, burning triplanes, and a DH.9 crew already counting squares to home before the first turn was fully resolved.


Read More
0 Comments
    NEXT GAMING DAY:
    May 23, 2026
    Lewisville IN  
    Picture
    Reigning Champions

    Armistice Day Fits Tournament
    Dory Oda
    ​​​​
    Red Baron Fight
    Rick Lacy
    ​​​
    Whosyercon Open 
    Stephen Skinner

    Picture
    2026 Calendar

    February 28
    Official gaming 
    Lynn IN 


    March 21
    Official gaming
    TBA

    April 16-19
    Society Mini Con
    Milwaukee WI

    May 23
    Red Baron Fight XXXVII
    Lewisville IN

    June 20
    Official gaming

    September 5
    Official gaming
    ​
    WhosyerCon 

    October 3
    Official gaming

    November 14
    Armistice Day Fits Tournament 
    Lewisville IN

    December 5
    Official gaming

    January 1, 2027
    New Year's Day gaming

    Picture
    ISD Staff 

    Treasurer:
    Ethan Skinner 
    ​
    Editors Emeritus: 
    Brian Halberstadt
    Terry Phillips

    Editor-in-Chief: 
    Stephen Skinner

    All content is copyright IndySquadron.com and Indy Squadron Dispatch, 1989-2026, and may only be used or reprinted by permission.

    Submit product for review

    Contact the webmaster
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    May 2026
    March 2026
    November 2025
    October 2025
    September 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012

    Picture
    Click here for Indy Squadron TV
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.