Airborne Commander

About this board game

Airborne Commander is a solitaire World War II deck-building game for one player, with sessions lasting about 30 minutes. Set during the 101st Airborne Division’s actions in support of the D-Day landings, it challenges you to build a fighting force from a starting deck of only a few men, a couple of non-commissioned officers, and a lieutenant.

Face the German deck while recruiting cards from the drop zone to strengthen your force. Assign airborne cards to the Battleground, Support Area, or Reserve, then weigh the value of buying time with your troopers against suffering reverses that can cost cards and dilute your deck with disorganized troops.

Combat offers a broad range of options, including small arms fire, suppression fire, bazookas, Gammon grenades, anti-tank guns, indirect artillery support, and air strikes. German cards portray forces and terrain associated with the campaign, while objective cards represent assigned locations such as causeways, locks, artillery positions, and headquarters, each with features unique to that objective.

• Earn points by defeating enemy cards and taking objectives.
• Recruit from the drop zone to improve your force and equipment.
• Choose between powerful options, such as taking a mortar for its firepower or a high-ranking officer for additional actions.
• Manage the tension of a deck that can grow stronger, suffer losses, or become disorganized.

Airborne Commander presents its campaign through two full-color decks, with illustrations depicting men in action, equipment, and locations. The first printing includes 40 original paintings, while the second printing includes 44, including four stretch-goal cards from the Kickstarter campaign. Every decision rests with the airborne commander.