I've been really interested in reading about dogfights and such from WW2, but most WW2 tabletop games I've heard of are focused on land battles.
I see WWII aerial battles as one of the last instances of 'dueling' in war where individual skill could really shine.
Any good wargames with WW2 era aerial battles?
Moderator: Moderators
- OgreBattle
- King
- Posts: 6820
- Joined: Sat Sep 03, 2011 9:33 am
Any good wargames with WW2 era aerial battles?
Last edited by OgreBattle on Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- deaddmwalking
- Prince
- Posts: 3642
- Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 11:33 am
I've never played it, but Crimson Skies has been recommended to me in the past. It's described as a board game, but maybe this would work for you?
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3855/crimson-skies
Edit - I think I misunderstood which war you were asking about. I'm sure it could be converted, but maybe there is a better option.
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/3855/crimson-skies
Edit - I think I misunderstood which war you were asking about. I'm sure it could be converted, but maybe there is a better option.
Last edited by deaddmwalking on Sat Jun 21, 2014 1:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
- angelfromanotherpin
- Overlord
- Posts: 9745
- Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm
-
- Prince
- Posts: 2606
- Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:43 pm
Wings of Glory WW2:
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1071 ... tarter-set
If you can find WW2 Wings of War that's an option too, but that's out of print now.
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1071 ... tarter-set
If you can find WW2 Wings of War that's an option too, but that's out of print now.
- TheNotoriousAMP
- Journeyman
- Posts: 170
- Joined: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:59 am
- Location: St. Louis
Re: Any good wargames with WW2 era aerial battles?
There are a few boardgames which replicate aerial combat, but its really a genre that's best suited for computer games.OgreBattle wrote:I've been really interested in reading about dogfights and such from WW2, but most WW2 tabletop games I've heard of are focused on land battles.
I see WWII aerial battles as one of the last instances of 'dueling' in war where individual skill could really shine.
As for the reality of dogfighting, the real stuff was uglier than its namesake. Jim Dunnigan, who basically wrote the layman's guidebook to modern warfare (How to Make War) estimates that about 75% of aerial kills in both WW2 occurred without the downed pilot even knowing he was spotted. Most of the rest can be attributed to ground fire. It was mostly a matter of ambush, surprise and fatigue, not twisty turny time. And even when it was time for twisty turny time, enemy aces rarely clashed. The basic rule is 10% of your fighting men (on the ground, in the air, ect) will cause 50% of all casualties. So most of air combat was hoi polloi emptying their ammunition in the air, out of an unwillingness to take a life or just to try and intimidate people, while a small minority of men knocked them out of the air.
A great example of aerial combat in WW2 is the battle of midway, which mostly consisted of waves of ambushes, as Japanese fighters got the drop on the torpedo squadrons, killing all but 3 out of the 60 original men, and then American bombers came out of the clouds and hit the carriers, while the fighters were to low to climb up and catch them.
Last edited by TheNotoriousAMP on Mon Jun 23, 2014 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
LARIATOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
-
- Master
- Posts: 206
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:26 pm
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1216 ... -angels-20
Reasonably simple, fairly quick to play. Down side is that you need a bunch of expensive minis. Still fairly fun to play.
Reasonably simple, fairly quick to play. Down side is that you need a bunch of expensive minis. Still fairly fun to play.
Last edited by Hadanelith on Mon Jun 23, 2014 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
no game outside of a video game can doe aerial battles right. Babylon 5 game wasnt half bad, but any tabletop game will lack the 3rd dimension required for it. you cant play flying on a 2d surface.
Play the game, not the rules.
good read (Note to self Maxus sucks a barrel of cocks.)
Swordslinger wrote:Or fuck it... I'm just going to get weapon specialization in my cock and whip people to death with it. Given all the enemies are total pussies, it seems like the appropriate thing to do.
Lewis Black wrote:If the people of New Zealand want to be part of our world, I believe they should hop off their islands, and push 'em closer.
-
- Prince
- Posts: 2606
- Joined: Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:43 pm