Air & Armor

About this board game

Air & Armor is a two-player simulation of near-future combat, designed for approximately 120 minutes and released in 1986. Set during a Warsaw Pact invasion of West Germany, it covers 50 miles of the inter-German border near Wurzburg and Schweinfurt in the US VII Corps sector.

Units represent companies, battalions, and regiments, supported by helicopters and attack aircraft. The game does not simply give NATO much higher combat strengths to offset inferior numbers. Instead, its central challenge comes from the doctrinal and command differences between the opposing armies, giving NATO a force multiplier through its operating system.

Each side uses an asymmetric command system, and players must get the most from the structure available to them. The design also creates a genuine fog of war environment, where deception, outguessing an opponent, and tactical surprise can pay off.

The map and turn structure establish a focused operational scale: each hex represents one mile, while turns cover two hours during the day or six hours at night. Each unit step represents one company or Warsaw Pact artillery battalion, and each aircraft step represents three to four aircraft.

• Warsaw Pact Planning Phase followed by Initiative and Mission phases
• Alternating activation of Major Formations, including Move-React-Fire sequences
• Advanced rules for maneuver jamming, air and artillery strikes, combat jamming, reserves, and engineering

In Air & Armor, command decisions, concealed intentions, and the interaction between maneuver and supporting fire define the battle. Its detailed sequence moves from planning and missions through reserves, engineering, and bookkeeping, presenting a structured simulation of a Warsaw Pact–NATO confrontation.