Aces of Valor

About this board game

Aces of Valor is a solitaire World War I campaign game for one player, with missions designed to take about 30 minutes. Command a fighter squadron on the Western Front and pursue victory across a campaign of 8, 12, or 16 missions.

Choose to play as the Germans or one of the Entente powers: the British, French, or Americans. Your squadron can contain up to eight aircraft counters, with each counter representing both a pilot and an aircraft. A semi-historical, gridded map of the Western Front sets the stage for each flight.

At the start of every mission, draw a card to determine your objective. Missions can include patrols, trench strafing, photo reconnaissance, artillery spotting, balloon busting, and bomber escort. Anti-aircraft fire is heaviest near the trenches, but enemy territory can be dangerous anywhere on the map.

• Dynamic air combat: Aircraft move to an Initiative Track for up to three rounds, where pilot skill, aircraft performance, and luck determine the outcome.
• Multiple ways to score: Destroy enemy aircraft and ground targets, or escort bombers and two-seater aircraft during successful bombing, photo reconnaissance, and artillery support missions.
• Squadron management: Convert mission points into victory points, or spend them repairing and replacing aircraft and upgrading to newer, better models.

Every sortie forces you to weigh immediate mission rewards against the condition and future strength of your squadron. When the campaign ends, your total victory points determine whether you achieve a minor, major, or strategic victory.

With its campaign structure, varied objectives, and focused solitaire command decisions, Aces of Valor offers a compact way to experience the risks and rewards of leading a fighter squadron through the Great War.