Knights of the Air

About this board game

Knights of the Air is a 1987 World War I air-combat game for 1–6 players, with sessions lasting about 150 minutes. Set above the Western Front, it recreates the deadly dogfights between fragile early aircraft and the pilots who flew them.

Players learn to handle their chosen warplane through a system built around the aircraft’s controls. Speed, climbing, diving, and positioning all matter as pilots attempt to get behind an opponent for a decisive firing opportunity. Air combat unfolds through a series of maneuvers, with each pilot trying to exploit the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing aircraft.

Experience improves a pilot’s abilities. Aces can react more quickly, aim gunfire more accurately, and perform more complicated maneuvers than novices. As skill grows, pilots can add dramatic actions such as barrel rolls and loops to their repertoire.

• Historically researched aircraft with individual rates of climb and dive, maximum and stall speeds, and turning abilities.
• Six sets of maneuver cards, each showing a diagram of a specific maneuver.
• Airplane Performance Cards for the different aircraft in the game.
• A 22×32-inch full-color board depicting a section of trenchline on the Western Front.
• Hundreds of die-cut playing pieces and three six-sided dice.

The aircraft roster includes famous machines such as the Sopwith Camel, SE 5a, SPAD, Nieuport, Bristol Fighter, Fokker Triplane, Fokker D.VII, Albatros, Pfalz, and Roland. This wide selection supports a practically unlimited variety of dogfights.

Knights of the Air also includes special solitaire scenarios depicting attacks against Zeppelin airships and two-seater warplanes, giving solo players dedicated challenges alongside the head-to-head air combat.