WWI Aerial War Game

Rules

by Mike Crane

I. Purpose
A. The purpose is to simulate WWI air battles with a game that is short, simple, and fun.
B. The rules are designed to be played solo or by multiple players.
C. A complete game requires three battles.
D. A battle will last until one side has shot down all opposing planes.

II. Equipment
A. The playing board is made from a regular 22”x28” sheet of poster board divided into 2” squares. The playing board is 11 squares wide and 14 squares long.
B. Small models of WWI airplanes will be needed. Single battles require 4 airplanes for each side.
C. Each side will need 2 six-sided dice.

III. Placement.
A. Place 4 German and 4 Allied planes on the short sides of the playing board at opposite ends.
B. Each side will place its planes on the half of the board to their right leaving the three files in the center section without planes from either side.
C. All planes will be placed on the first row from the edge with the leader in the square nearest the center.
D. Each plane should have an identifying color on the wings, cowl, etc. in order to determine the order of movement: red moves first, blue moves second, yellow moves third, and green moves last.

IV. Movement
A. Roll the dice to begin each battle. The side with the high roll will move first for the remainder of the game.
B. The first side moves all of its planes, resolving attacks as each plane completes its move. Then the second side does the same.
C. Each airplane will roll two six-sided dice to determine its distance of movement. The player may choose either the high die or the low die in order to make a long or short move. (This represents control of the throttle by the pilot.) The airplane will move one square forward or turn one square to the left or right for each dot on the die that is chosen.
D. An airplane must move from square to square without stopping until all movement points have been expended. It cannot remain in the original square or move back and forth between two squares.
E. Aircraft may move forward or turn 90 degrees to either side. Diagonal moves are not allowed.
F. An airplane must make a 90-degree turn into another square in order to change its facing. When an airplane turns left or right it will change its facing to the direction turned. An airplane may not move forward and change its facing to the left or right. The airplane must face the direction it moved.
G. An airplane may not move through an occupied square or end its movement on an occupied square.
H. If an airplane cannot move because all available spaces around it are occupied, it will crash into an enemy airplane and both will be destroyed.

V. Combat

    1. Combat occurs when a target occupies the square directly in front of an airplane that has completed all of its movement. Combat must be resolved immediately or the opportunity is forfeited.
    2. There are three positions from which attack is possible: side, head-on, and tail.
      1. A side attack was the most difficult since there was little time to line up a shot. Therefore, it requires a roll of 6 on 1 D6 to destroy the target. Nothing happens if it misses.
      2. A head-on attack requires a roll of 5 or 6 on 1 D6 to destroy the target. If the target is not destroyed, it will fire back immediately and destroy the attacker on a roll of 5 or 6.
      3. The tail attack allowed the longest amount of time to line up a target, so a roll of 4, 5, or 6 on 1D6 will destroy it. If the target is not destroyed, a roll of 5 or 6 will permit the target to loop immediately into the square behind the attacker and counter attack. A roll of 4,5,or 6 will destroy the attacker. (The loop is not allowed if the square behind the attacker is occupied.)

VIII. Victory

  1. The battle ends when all of the airplanes on one side have been destroyed.
  2. Victory in a complete game is awarded to the side that wins two out of three battles.

    WWI Aerial Wargame

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