Luftschiff

About this board game

Luftschiff is a solitaire game for 1-2 players about German Zeppelin operations in World War I, with games lasting about 60 minutes. It plays like a sophisticated side-scrolling arcade game as your airship crosses the airspace over war-torn Europe—or, in one scenario, Africa.

The board presents a side view of the airspace, while your Zeppelin remains in a central Zeppelin corridor. You shift the craft up or down as it gains or loses altitude, while forward progress is represented by moving the other cards and counters left or right relative to the Zeppelin.

A typical scenario uses 30 randomly dealt Situation Cards, representing enemy units, weather conditions, and occasional mountains. The first 10 cards cover the outward journey, the second 10 represent time over the target area, and the final 10 depict the trip home, when the airship may be damaged and running low on ballast and gas.

• A separate ballast sheet, illustrated as a Zeppelin schematic, tracks the condition of the craft and crew.
• Five Zeppelin models are included, from the Type M converted passenger liner to the massive Type X war Zeppelin.
• Ten scenarios, a campaign game, and variant rules for two players are provided.

Luftschiff includes components that must be cut apart before play and is noted for quality above typical desktop publishing production. The game was later combined with ZRCV as Airships at War 1914-1941, a 2005 second edition from Sierra Madre Games. A third edition was published by Sonic Quill Publications and was available from rjwargames.com as of 2023.