Aces High: War in the Air 1914 – 1918

About this board game

Aces High: War in the Air 1914–1918 is a 1–2 player aerial combat game with an approximately 30-minute play time, placing players in the cockpit during the First World War.

Originally published in issue 12 of The Wargamer Magazine and later released in a box, Aces High uses simultaneous movement. Players plot their aircraft’s movement, then carry out those plans while trying to outfly an opponent and achieve the triumphant cry of Flamer!

The game includes data for 72 different aircraft types. Each aircraft is described through details such as speed, flying qualities, armament, and its ability to absorb punishment, giving the aircraft choices a distinct character.

• Rules for stalls, spins, unreliable engines, aircrew quality, spotting, and anti-aircraft fire
• Missions including photo-reconnaissance, balloon busting, and bombing
• Movement based on banks, turns, sideslips, and half-loops

The maneuver system is limited in scope, but familiar aerial actions can still be represented. An Immelman is performed through a half-roll followed by continuous banking from inverted flight back to upright, while a barrel roll combines banking and altitude changes during forward flight.

A distinctive ace-pilot rule lets an ace withhold some movement points instead of plotting the entire move immediately. After non-ace pilots complete their plots, the ace finishes the movement and can react to those actions. The amount withheld depends on pilot grade: a grade 5 pilot withholds none, while a grade 1 pilot can withhold three points.

Although less detailed than Wings, Aces High combines aircraft data, flight hazards, varied missions, and pilot skill into a focused simulation of air war from 1914 to 1918.