In Red Baron's time

Misty morning. The wind, cold and damp, blows from the North. I button up the leather jacket and fit the gloves. The boots step onto the grass, still wet. I get to the dirt road. On the track, the triplane, now painted in red. A last check. The usual touch on the wings. I slip into the cockpit and put the goggles on. Engine running. The bird trembles and advances, preparing for the flight. Could be just another training session, or a weekend flight over the green fields. I sigh. We're in 1917, and the world is at war.   

“If I should come out of this war alive, I will have more luck than brains”, Manfred von Richthofen, aka the Red Baron.

This is a game that recreates the aerial battles of World War I.  No board, no parts, no maps.

Ace of Aces uses only two small books, one for each pilot, filled with images that show the views from the cockpit.

And adopts an ingenious system of cross-references, allowing to connect the pages of both books, and so to keep the reciprocal views of each plane on the other, whatever the maneuvers performed.

In the simplest version of the rules, needing no notes or records on paper, it's a perfect game to play when travelling.

With different levels of complexity, and optional rules, is suitable for different tastes and an episodic or systematic approach.

A must have game, if only for the originality.

View point from an Allied plane. In front, on the left, the German triplane.

Below the cockpit, the entire range of possible maneuvers, since simple turns to aerobatics or even stall; from low speed to full throttle.

And an indication of the page references to use, in conjunction with the one of the opponent, to determine the new relative position of the aircrafts and, hence, the new book page.

In line of sight. Firing.

Scoring a hit!

Being hit!

After the introductory game it is time to move to the next level: simulation of combat aboard some of the planes at the time.

A dozen models to choose from, each with different maneuverability abilities and speed allowances!

On one side, the choice lies between the Nieuport (11, 17, 28) and the Sopwith (Triplane, Camel, Snipe). On the other, between the Fokker (D III, DR I, DV III) and the Siemens-Shuckert (D I, D III, D IV).

It's a whole new learning, in that the choice of an action is limited by the previous manoeuvre and speed. Banking the plane to the left, for example, prevents to immediately follow it with a right turn. If you stall, it is not possible to perform a subsequent manoeuvre at high speed.

But that's not all.

For those who are keen for more complexity, there are also advanced rules. Adding the vertical dimension, with climbs, dives and the recording of the aircraft altitude. Or where it is necessary to determine the consequences of each shot: damage to enemy weapons, hindering the ability to manoeuvre, causing a fuel leak, hitting the pilot. 

And then there's still the campaign mode, in which each player leads a flying squadron, with named pilots, evolving throughout the campaign in accordance with the results of each dogfight. It's time to call von Richthofen, Georges Guynemer or William Barker.

Now, just clouds.

Tomorrow will be a brand new day.

Leonardi, Alfredi, Ace of Aces - Richthofen, Manchester, USA, 1986: Nova Game Designs Inc. Emithill Limited.