Ace of Aces Balloon Busters
WWI Air Combat Game

Robert Bodine

Reviewed by Andrew Greenberg


Designed by Alfred Leonardi and Hal McKinney
Nova Game Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 1178, Manchester, CT 06040
Catalog No. 014
Price: $14.00
Complexity: Beginner-Advanced
Solitaire Suitability: None
****

Balloon Busters is the latest addition to the Ace of Aces series and, like its predecessors, is a well-researched and developed game. In it, one player takes the role of the allied fighter pilot and the other plays the part of the German anti-aircraft gunners.

Balloon Busters comes with two booklets, one Allied and one German, Firing Position cards for the German gunner, firing charts, and Maneuver Cards for the different types of planes in World War I. The rules are included in the booklets.

For those who have never seen or played Ace of Aces, the booklets are your pilot's view of his environment and opponent. The pages are detailed views of what you would see if you were actually flying the planes. Combat is resolved by comparing your opponent's maneuver against your own to determine the next view and, at times, machine gun damage.

The views are drawn well and fun to look at. Illustrations of real World War I balloon busters are an additional nice touch. Finally, the historical data on strategy, airplanes, and anti-aircraft weapons (Archie) give an added sense of realism.

Balloon Busters is more complex than the first set of fighter versus fighter sets that Nova Game Designs Inc. produced, but it is still easy to learn. Instead of having two fighters shoot it out, the Allied player tries to destroy a German observation balloon while the German anti-aircraft gunner tries to shoot him out of the air or make him abort his mission.

The German player has five different maneuvers he can do with his gun, all of which involve anticipating which way the Allied flier will turn. The Allied flier must try to line up the balloon in his gunsights while avoiding the German fire and keeping his distance from the exploding balloon.

The game comes with three sets of rules-basic, intermediate, and advanced. The basic rules are easy to learn and for many people there will be no need to go beyond this level. Compared to the original Ace of Aces game, these basic rules involve more chance and luck than the old rules do. Unlike the earlier sets, both sides have to roll for hits and damage.

The intermediate rules allow for changing altitude, different makes of planes, and varied sorts of ammunition. These add realism to the game as the Allied player has to avoid crashing into the cable used to raise and lower the balloon, control his altitude so that he is harder to hit yet can still attack the plane, and both players have to try and avoid gun jamming.

Finally, the advanced game places added restrictions on the pilot's ability to maneuver, gives rules for different types of balloons, both Allied and German, and allows the pilot to take the role of an actual World War I Balloon Buster. Optional rules give ideas for campaign games involving the other Ace of Aces games.

As the game becomes more complex, the tactics used by both players change but the strategies stay the same. The pilot wants to keep on a course to constantly aim at the balloon while the anti-aircraft gunner wants to do the same to the plane. The tactics become more complex as rules are added and players have to keep track of their constantly changing status. Still, these rules help to ensure that every game will be different and exciting.

A very enjoyable addition to the Ace of Aces series, Baffoon Busters is highly recommended for anyone who has played and enjoyed Ace of Aces in the past.

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© Copyright 1985 by Dana Lombardy.
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