2 players, ages 12+, 30-120+ minutes
by Forsage Games
In this game, planes from the First World War meet in a battle. Simple rules of movement and firing include all the most important features of the aircraft of the time: speed, agility and firepower. Battles are lead at five different altitudes, so there are differences between the planes in terms of climbing and descending speeds. Some specific characteristics were also taken into account, such as gyroscopic effect, which gives some aircraft exceptional maneuverability. Wind influences movement and the position of the sun affects firing accuracy, so these factors are also taken into account. A plane under attack can escape into the clouds and thus hide from the enemy. Most of the pilots are average, but there are also rookies and aces.
The game contains as many as 54 plane pieces belonging to three countries: France, Germany, and Great Britain. Each country has 6 types of aircraft (3 pieces each) from different war periods.
In the initial period of WW1, most planes were single-engine two-seaters whose primary purpose was to observe and photograph enemy positions and background, but they also dropped bombs and fired at enemy aircraft when meeting in the air. As early as 1915, specific aircraft with special tasks appeared: fighting, reconnaissance, and bombing. Accordingly, there are three basic types of warplanes in this game, and their characteristics can be described as follows:
FIGHTERS are small, fast, and agile single-seaters. They can accelerate rapidly and they are armed with fixed machine guns that shoot straight forward in the axis of the aircraft. There are exceptions, however - two-seaters with additional dorsal machine guns (Bristol F.2 Fighter and Hanriot HD.3).
SCOUTS are single-engine two-seaters, their primary task is to photograph enemy positions, which is why they have cameras. They also have fixed and dorsal machine guns, so they can fight as well, but they can't accelerate abruptly. They can also carry one bomb.
BOMBERS have two engines and carry two or three bomb markers. They also have flexible nose and dorsal machine guns, which can only be used defensively.
The expansion includes aircraft from other countries participating in the war, a total of 27 types (54 pieces).
