There’s been a bit of talk going around campus about the “new” game… Snoopy vs. the Red Baron. And since several students have expressed interest in playing the “new” game, I thought it might be good to post the rule book and some pictures for those interested in giving it a go.
First a few pictures to give you the idea.
Me at work.
Smoking Allied Planes--both of which are mine!
Snoopy in action
Another Snoopy pic... Amelia must've been taking the pictures!
Enemy fighters at 12 o'clock!
See, Amelia really likes Snoopy.
Fokker VII with color design by Hunter
You can tell this plane is going very fast by the stress on the upper wing.
And now for the rule book.
Historical Background:
During World War I the airplane became an important weapon of war. At the start of the war the planes were unarmed and were used for scouting. Soon the pilots were taking weapons with them on their flights. These early efforts were crude, but Dutch inventor Anthony Fokker eventually succeeded in synchronizing a machine gun with an engine so the weapon could fire through the propeller. This led to the “Fokker scourge” as the Germans used the new invention to dominate the skies. The Allies soon followed suit and battled the Germans for control of the skies. Successful “aces”, like the Red Baron, were lionized by the press and became living legends. By the end of the war the airplane’s role in combat had expanded to include reconnaissance, artillery spotting, trench strafing, and bombing.
Rules
Each Student gets:
1 airplane token
1 maneuver sheet (and pencil with eraser)
The Board: The game is played on a 4′ x 6′ mat with a 5″ hex pattern. At least 5 (five) six-sided dice (d6) are needed.
Maneuver Sheet: Each student gets a maneuver sheet from which he can choose his moves for the turn. The sheet names each maneuver, illustrates how to move the plane, and describes it in words.
Deployment: The Germans and Allies start on any whole hex facing each other but at least 6 Hexes from an enemy plane. Planes should be positioned so the nose of the plane points at a hex side, NOT a hex corner.
Sequence of Play: 1. Choose three moves from the Maneuver Sheet.
2. Play the first move.
3. Resolve shooting.
4. Play the second move.
5. Resolve shooting.
6. Play the third move. 7. Resolve shooting.
Choose Moves: At the start of the turn each pilot must select three maneuvers from his/her maneuver sheet. Note that maneuvers on the top row maybe used multiple times during a turn, while maneuvers on the bottom row may not be used more than once each per turn. However, the pilot may choose all three maneuvers from the bottom row, but any one maneuver may only be used once. The pilot should try to anticipate the maneuvers of his opponents and plan accordingly. At the start of each new turn the three maneuvers will be erased and new ones chosen.
WW1 Aerial Maneuver Sheet
Move Planes: Each turn has three rounds of movement. When all players are ready, everyone reveals their first maneuver. Each player moves his plane as indicated on his/her sheet. All moves take place at the same time. Planes should always end their move facing a hex side. This procedure is repeated for the second and third maneuvers after shooting is resolved.
Planes in the Same Hex: Sometimes two planes will end up in the same hex. Planes in the same hex MAY NOT shoot at each other, they are assumed to be flying at different altitudes. Do your best to put both planes in the hex without losing track of which way they are facing. The problem will resolve itself when the planes make their next move.
Resolve Shooting: Planes may ONLY fire at enemy planes that are in the line of hexes directly in front of their nose, they may not fire off to the sides or at an angle. Pilots must fire at the nearest enemy plane, and may ignore any friendly planes that are in the line of fire. If the target is one hex away the pilot rolls five dice, two hexes away roll four dice, and so on. Targets six or more hexes away are out of range. Hits are scored on rolls of 4-6. The target puts a check mark in one circle on the Damage section of their Maneuver Sheet for each hit received. When a plane has taken six hits it is shot down and removed from play, until then it may be flown normally. All firing is assumed to take place at the same time.
| Range |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6+ |
Hits on roll of 4-6 |
| Dice |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Crash Landings: When a plane is shot down the pilot may be able to survive by landing the plane safely. Roll one die – on a roll of 1-4 the pilot survives, on a roll of 5 or 6 the pilot is KIA (Killed in Action). If a student’s pilot is KIA they lose all their victories and must start over again with a new airplane. However, the student must switch teams.
Victories: The pilot that shoots down an enemy plane is credited with a victory. If two planes hit a target on the turn it is shot down the victory is awarded to the player doing the most damage. If both players inflicted equal damage they each roll a die, high roll gets the victory (re-roll ties).
Aces: When a pilot gets 5 victories they become an ace. Ten victories is a double ace. When a pilot becomes an ace they get to throw one extra die each time they fire at an enemy plane.
Leaving the Board: If a pilot’s plane has received 4 or more damage points he/she may escape combat by flying off the map. If he/she succeeds in getting off the map all his damage points are restored and he/she may return to combat at the start of the next turn.
Returning to Combat: A pilot that has survived being shot down or left the map voluntarily may return to combat at the start of the next turn. Their plane will start the turn undamaged. They must place their plane on any whole hex on any edge of the mat that is at least six hexes from the nearest enemy plane. This is to prevent them from flying in right behind an opponent. The hex where they start should be indicated to the other pilots before they select their maneuver cards for that turn.
Altitude: Altitude is measured 1 – 10 and is represented by various length rods (chopsticks) each altitude level is approximately 2 inches in height.
Climbing and Descending: At the beginning of every move a pilot may choose to change altitude either 1 or 2 levels. Changing the length of the rod does this. Changing altitude by one level is considered a shallow climb or descent. Changing altitude by two levels is considered a steep climb or steep dive.
Altitude and Shooting: A pilot may shoot at any plane in range and at any altitude. Shooting at planes that are at 1 altitude level above, the same altitude, or one level below gives no advantage or disadvantage while shooting. However, if the target is above or below, the attacker must change his altitude at the beginning of the next move. Shooting at targets that are 2 or more levels below adds 1 on the attack roll, meaning the attacker may roll one more dice than usual depending on the range. And the attacker must change his altitude 2 levels down at the beginning of the next maneuver. Shooting at targets that are 2 or more levels above subtracts 1 from the attack roll, meaning the attacker must roll one less dice than usual depending on the range. And the attacker must change his altitude 2 levels up at the beginning of the next maneuver.
Collision: two planes entering the same hex at the same altitude have a chance of colliding in mid-air. Two pilots roll to d6 dice. If the results add up to the same number the planes collide, and the pilot each roll a single d6 to determine how much damage is done to their plane.
Zeppelin Variation: Zeppelins were used by the Germans for extensive bombing campaigns in England. In this scenario, Zeppelins fly through the map on their way to England. The allied planes must try to shoot them down, while the German planes must attempt to protect them. The Zeppelins move forward one space per maneuver. They may shoot in any direction up to 2 spaces and always roll two attach dice. They take 20 points of damage to destroy. However, whenever they are fired upon, the attacking pilot must roll a fire die (a smoke colored dice will be provided). If the attacker rolls a 6 on the fire die, the Zeppelin catches fire and takes 5 points of damage per maneuver until destroyed.
Credit where Credit is Due: These rules were compiled and adapted from Matt Fritz and Pete Pellegrino and their Fast Play Rules for Students with inspiration from the advanced game rules of Blue Max and Canvas Eagles. Students wishing for a more realistic simulation are encouraged to download the free rule book from this website.
