Wargames Rules for Air Combat in the Second World War
Current Edition: 1.0 (PDF); 1.0 (Print on Demand)
Recommended scales: 1:144 to 1:300; 1:72 or 1:600 possible
Complexity: 4/10
Level of detail: 5/10
Dice required: D10
A Set of Quick Reference Sheets Is Available Through the Publisher's Website
These rules are intended to allow two or more players to have a fast and simple game representing tactical air combat during the Second World War. Model aircraft of any scale from 1:600th to 1:72nd can be used. If necessary, you could also use card counters. Minimal bookkeeping is required because markers or tokens are used to indicate the status of aircraft during the game. Furthermore, you do not need to use a hex mat.
The capabilities of aircraft within the game have been calculated, taking a common aircraft type of average performance as the base line, in this case, the Hawker Hurricane. All other aircraft capabilities relate to how they compare with this aircraft. It is possible that the performance of this or that aircraft might not match your expectations based on anecdotal evidence. We make no apology for this as we are not trying to create a simulation. The resulting data has been kept to a simple format, which enables a player to control several aircraft during a game, and the overall gaming experience will be improved if multiple players attempt to "co-operate" on each side.
The abilities of pilots and crew are represented by having skill factors. These determine how well they fly their aircraft, their chances of hitting the target when shooting, and avoiding serious damage if their own aircraft is hit. Pilot skill is vitally important in air combat, and players will need to learn where to position their best pilots, as well as to protect their novice aviators. In the case of aircraft with several crew members, skill is determined for the crew as a whole. You do not need to keep track of individual crew.
To carry out any action other than level flight requires the expenditure of one or more orders, which may also require a successful skill test. Orders are generated each turn and better leaders generally mean more orders. Scenario rules are provided covering simple dogfights during an encounter, for attacking surface targets, and to represent missions where the aim is to get a force of bombers across the table.
Altitude represented during the game assumes that the main combat is taking place in roughly the same area of the sky, and it is possible to climb or dive to gain an advantage, or try to escape.
Players alternate the activation of their aircraft. Optional Tactical Cards can be used during the game to provide additional detail.
Game Data is provided for most aircraft that saw action during the Second World War. We have not included experimental aircraft or those produced in small numbers.