miniatures vs. cards
I want to learn to play and purchase the game. I watched a game Sunday at the local store. they were playing with miniatures but I'm sure I won't be able to purchase those right away. Does the game still play OK with the cards that come in the game?
What should I purchase to get started?
Hello Rick. The game plays just fine with the cards that come in the basic sets. The miniatures came out years after the card versions.
If you are really wanting to play with miniatures (I highly recommend it!), your best bet is to order a Deluxe Set. Are you wanting to play the WWI or WWII version of the game to start with (either way, you will end up playing them both! lol). Knowing that will allow me to point you in the best direction as far as your first purchase.
I would like to play with miniatures but thought it might be a bit too pricy. I'd prefer WWI I think because it seems to me that those air battles were a bit more flavorful.
For WWI miniatures, you very best bet is to order the Deluxe Set out of Canada. I ordered mine from the site I just linked to and had a good experience. The WWI Deluxe Set was not released in English, so you have to order it from outside the States.
The deluxe set contains four of the Series I miniatures as well as all the counters, rulers and such that is need to play the game. It basically has every thing Famous Aces has, minus all the card plans and maneuver decks for said planes.
At $68 dollars US, it's the best bang for your buck if going the miniatures route. The rule book will be in French, so you will need to download the official rules for free.
If you do go this route, you will not have a lot of the maneuver decks that come in Aces (since you will not have the card planes either), BUT you will have a double A damage deck AND a B damage deck. The only way to get the B Damage deck is to also buy Watch Your Back. So basically, you will have damage cards from two of the basic box sets (two from Aces and one from Watch Your Back). That alone would run you about $120. Add in the four miniatures you just got, and you are at a value of about $180 for only around $70!
Yeah, right nowe the only thing I'm not liking about what I heard about the game is the scarcity of maneuver and damage decks. I'd think it is a bit limiting to have to choose your matchups so that you don't have two planes that use the same maneuver decks.
The maneuver decks are not hard to come by at all. Each of the three main box sets, Famous Aces, Watch Your Back and Burning Drachens, as well as the many boost card expansion packs all come with lots of maneuver decks.
Also, if you are playing with miniatures, each one comes with it's own maneuver deck. So, you should never run out of those. Damage decks are an uglier story. For 1-4 players, you will only need one damage deck for each type that is in the game. Most planes use damage deck A, so you would only need on type A deck. If you have a plane with B damage, you would then need one B deck. That's one of the things that makes the Deluxe set such a great deal. You can play up to 7~8 type A planes and up to 4 type B planes with out running out of cards.
Oh, and if your friend is playing as well, you guys are set for very large games if he has one of the basic sets.
I thought each of the expansions just had maneuver decks of different letters. I thought it was still not possible to play planes that had the same letter of maneuver deck.
Here is a list of what is in every box set and booster pack...
Wings of War Product Contents
Famous Aces (Boxed Game)
A Maneuver
B Maneuver
C Maneuver
D Maneuver
A Damage Deck
SPAD XIII Captain Edward Vernon Rickenbacker 94th Aerosquadron U.S. Air Service (USA)
SPAD XIII Capitano Fulco Ruffo di Calabria 91^ Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
SPAD XIII Capitaine René Paul Fonck Spa 103 Aviation Militaire (France)
SPAD XIII Capitaine Georges Guynemer Spa 3 Aviation Militaire (France)
SPAD XIII Maggiore Francesco Baracca 91^ Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Albatros D.Va Leutnant Ludwig Weber Jasta 84 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Albatros D.Va Leutnant Hans Böhning Jasta 79b Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Albatros D.Va Oberleutnant Ernst Udet Jasta 37 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Albatros D.Va Vizefeldwebel Kurt Jentsch Jasta 61 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Sopwith Camel Oberleutnant Otto Kissenberth Jasta 23 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Sopwith Camel Flight Sub-Lieutenant Aubrey Beauclerk Ellwood 3 Naval Royal Naval Air Service(UK)
Sopwith Camel Lieutenant Stuart Douglas Culley Martlesham Heath Royal Air Force (UK)
Sopwith Camel Major William George Barker 66 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (UK)
Sopwith Camel Lieutenant Jan Olieslagers 9me Escadrille de Chasse Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Fokker Dr.I Rittmeister Manfred von Richthofen Jasta 11 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Fritz Kempf Jasta 2 Boelcke Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Arthur Rahn Jasta 19 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Werner Voss Jasta 29 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Sopwith Triplane Captain Robert Alexander Little 8 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Major Roderic Stanley Dallas 1 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Collishaw 10 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Flight Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Grey Culling 1 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Promotional Card:
A Ufag C.I - Flick 66/K - Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria), pilot and gunner unknown.
The first print run, by mistake, contained three copies of the Ufag above and two copies of the "Lightning Bolt"
SPAD XIII of Captain Harvey Weir Cook, 94th Aerosquadron U.S. Air Service (USA).
Another promotional card has been added since December 2005: Nieuport 17 of Maresciallo Ernesto Cabruna,
80a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy) - color scheme identical to another Ni.17 in Burning Drachens.
Watch Your Back (Boxed Game)
E Maneuver
F Maneuver
G Maneuver
H Maneuver
B Damage
Target cards
Nieuport 11 Leutnant Gustav Leffers Jasta 1 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Nieuport 11 Adjudant Abel Louis Camille Fernande De Neef 1čre Escadrille Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Nieuport 11 Capitaine Armand de Turrenne 48me Escadrille Aviation Militaire (France)
Nieuport 11 Sous Lieutenant Jean M.D. Navarre 67me Escadrille Aviation Militaire (France)
Nieuport 11 Sergente Alvaro Leonardi 80a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Nieuport 11 Tenente Alessandro Buzio 75a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Nieuport 11 Polkovnik Alexander Kazakov 19-yj Korpusnoj Aviacionyj Otriad Imperatorskij Voenno-vozdusnyh
Flot (Russia)
Hanriot HD1 Tenente Silvio Scaroni 76a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Hanriot HD1 Tenente Mario Fucini 78a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Hanriot HD1 Sergente Antonio Bogliolo 81a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Hanriot HD1 Lieutenant Jan Olieslagers 9me Escadrille Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Hanriot HD1 Mayor Willy Coppens 9me Escadrille Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Halberstadt D.III - Kampfgeschwader II Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Halberstadt D.III - Kampfgeschwader II Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Halberstadt D.III - - Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Halberstadt D.III - - Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Ufag C.I - - Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Ufag C.I - Flik 23/D Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Ufag C.I - - Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
AIRCO D.H. 4 - - American Expeditionary Force (USA)
De Havilland D.H. 4 Major Egbert Cadbury & Captain Robert Leckie 212 Squadron Royal Air Force (UK)
De Havilland D.H. 4 Second Lieutenant Alfred Clayburn Atkey 18 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (UK)
Siemens-Schuckert D.I Hauptmann Hans von Hünerbein Jasta 5 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Siemens-Schuckert D.I Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Promotional Card:
The "Lightning Bolt" SPAD XIII of Captain Harvey Weir Cook, 94th Aerosquadron U.S. Air Service (USA).
Burning Drachens (Boxed Game)
I Maneuver
J Maneuver
A Damage
C Damage (Anti-Aircraft)
D Damage (Rockets)
Nieuport 17 Sous Lieutenant Charles Nungesser 65č Escadrille Aviation Militaire (French)
Nieuport 17 Sergent Gervais Raoul Lufbery 124č Escadrille "Lafayette" Aviation Militaire (French)
Nieuport 17 Captain Albert Ball 60 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (UK)
Nieuport 17 Sottotenente Giannino Ancillotto 80^ Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Nieuport 17 Caporale Attilio Imolesi 79^ Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Nieuport 17 Plutonier Aviator Ioan Muntenescu Escadrila Nieuport N. 11 Corpul Aerian Roman (Romania)
Nieuport 17 Unteroffizier Paul Bäumer Fliegerabteilung 7 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Nieuport 17 Vecihi Hürkuţ - Kuvva-i Havvaiye (Turkey)
Nieuport 23 Kibanov 22-yj Korpusnoj Aviacionyj Otriad Imperatorskij Voenno-vozdusnyh Flot (Russia)
Nieuport 23 Lieutenant Edmond Thieffry 5č Escadrille de Chasse Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Albatros D.III Hauptmann Godwin Brumowski Flik 41J Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Albatros D.III Oberleutnant Ludwig Hautzmayer Flik 61J Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Albatros D.III Leutnant Werner Voss Jasta 2 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Pfalz D.III Leutnant Fritz Höhn Jasta 21s Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Pfalz D.III Leutnant Hans Klein Jasta 10 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Pfalz D.IIIa Vizefeldwebel Max Hotlzem Jasta 16b Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Cardboard Balloons:
A German Parseval-Sigsfeld
A British Parseval-Sigsfeld
A French Caquot M
A U.S. Caquot M
Two German Achthundert English Ae 800
An Austrian Achthundert English Ae 800
An Italian Avorio-Prassone AP
Recon Patrol (Booster Pack)
D maneuver deck
K maneuver deck
Target/trench card
Sopwith Triplane Flight Lieutenant Harold Thomas Mellings 2 Wing Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Flight Lieutenant Forster Herbert Martin Maynard 1 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Flight Lieutenant Charles Dawson Booker 8 Naval Royal Naval Air Service (UK)
Sopwith Triplane Quartier-maître Henri Le Garrec Dunkerque escadrille Aviation Maritime (France)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Lothar von Richthofen Jasta 11 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Werner Steinhauser Jasta 11 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Hans Kirschstein Jasta 6 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Leutnant Rudolf Klimke Jasta 27 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker Dr.I Vizefeldwebel Paul Bäumer Jasta 2 "Boelcke" Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Breguet BR.14 B2 - BR 107 Aviation Militaire (France)
Breguet BR.14 B2 - BR 129 Aviation Militaire (France)
Breguet BR.14 B2 - - Kuvva-i Havvaiye (Turkey)
Breguet BR.14 B2 - 96th Squadron American Expeditionary Force (USA)
Breguet BR.14 B2 Locotenet observator Dumitru Bădulescu & Plutonier Iliescu Teodor Leu Escadrila F.4 Corpul
Aerian Roman (Romania)
LFG Roland C.II Leutnant Manfred von Richthofen Kagohl 2/Kasta 8 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
LFG Roland C.II - Kagohl 2/Kasta 8 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
LFG Roland C.II Leutnant Richard Seibert & Hauptmann Arthur Pfleger Feldflieger Abteilung 5b
Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
LFG Roland C.II Vizefeldwebel Fritz Gustav August Kosmahl & Oberleutnant der Landwehr Josef Neubürger
Feldflieger Abteilung 22 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
LFG Roland C.II - - Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
RAF R.E. 8 Lieutenant John Longton & 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Long Carson 4 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
(UK)
RAF R.E. 8 2nd Lieutenant Gerald William Ferguson & 2nd Class Air Mechanic Fry 16 Squadron Royal Flying
Corps (UK)
RAF R.E. 8 Lieutenant Henry Neilson Wrigley & Lieutenant John Riggal Blair 69 Squadron Australian Flying
Corps (Australia)
RAF R.E. 8 - - Aviation Militaire (Belgium)
Pomilio PC Capitano Luigi Bourlot & Tenente Aldo Magistrelli 131a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Pomilio PC Sergente Rachele Mori & Tenente Domenico D'Alessandro 131a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Pomilio PC Sergente Mario Canova & Capitano Pietro Rocca 132a Squadriglia Regio Esercito (Italy)
Promotional Cards:
SPAD XIII Captain James Fitz-Morris 23 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (UK)
Nieuport 21 Kapitan 2 ranga Aleksandr Nikolaevich Prokof'ev-Severskiy
2 stanciya aviacii Baltiiskogo morya Imperatorskij Voenno-vozdusnyh Flot (Russia)
Albatros D.III Feldwebel Eugen Bönsch Flik 51J Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen (Austria)
Top Fighters (Booster Pack)
L maneuver deck
M maneuver deck
Fokker D.VII Oberleutnant Ernst Udet Jasta 4 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker D.VII Leutnant Hugo Schäfer Jasta 15 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker D.VII Offizierstellvertreter Willi Hippert Jasta 74 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker D.VII Oberleutnant Hermann Göring Jagdgeschwader 1 Luftstreitskräfte (Germany)
Fokker D.VII Leutnant zur See Gotthard Sachsenberg Marine Jagdgruppe Flandern Marine Fliegertruppe
(Germany)
Fokker D.VII - - Lithuanian Karo Aviacijos (Lithuania)
Fokker D.VII Kapitan Stefan Bastyr III Grupa Lotnicza Wojska Lotnicze (Poland)
Fokker D.VII - 8 Vörös Repülocsapat Vörös Légjárócsapat (Hungary)
Fokker D.VII - 8 Vörös Repülocsapat Vörös Légjárócsapat (Hungary)
Fokker D.VII - - Ceskoslovenske Letectvo (Czech Republic)
Fokker D.VII - 2 Istrebitel'nyi Aviaotryad Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Raboche-Krest'yanskoi Krasnoi Armii
(Soviet)
Fokker D.VII - Getmanat and Directroija Povitrovvi Fl'ot (Ukrainia)
Sopwith Snipe Major William George Barker 201 Squadron Royal Air Force (UK)
Sopwith Snipe Lieutenant E. Mulcair 43 Squadron Royal Air Force (UK)
Sopwith Snipe Captain Thomas Charles Richmond Baker 4 Squadro Australian Flying Corps (Australia)
Sopwith Snipe Lieutenant Clement Verner Ryrie 4 Squadron Australian Flying Corps (Australia)
Sopwith Snipe Kapitan Grigoriy Stepanovich Sapozhnikov 1 Istrebitel'nyi Aviaotryad Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily
Raboche-Krest'yanskoi Krasnoi Armii (Soviet)
Sopwith Snipe - 2 Istrebitel'nyi Aviaotryad Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Raboche-Krest'yanskoi Krasnoi Armii
(Soviet)
Sopwith Snipe Major Alexander Kazakov Slavo-British Air Detachment British Joint Military forces (UK-Russia)
Promotional Cards:
Sopwith Camel - - Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Raboche-Krest'yanskoi Krasnoi Armii (Soviet)
Breguet BR.14 A2 Kapitan Jerzy Kossowski & Sous Lieutenant Julien Grand 39 Eskadra Breguetňw Wojska
Lotnicze (Poland-France)
Nieuport 23 N. A. Jakovitsky 1-yi Morskoi Istrebitel'nyi Otryad - Severnyi Gidroaviadivizion Voenno-
Vozdushnye Sily Raboche-Krest'yanskogo Krasnogo Flota (Soviet)
Immelmann (Booster Pack)
G maneuver deck
P maneuver deck (x 2 copies)
Fokker E.III Oberleutnant Max Immelmann Feld Flieger Abteilung 62 Luftstreitskräfte
Fokker E.III Unteroffizier Ernst Udet Kampfeinsitzer Kommando Habsheim Luftstreitskräfte
Fokker E.III Hauptmann Hans Joachim Buddecke 6 Bölük Kuvva-i Havvaiye
Fokker A.III Leutnant Ludwig Hautzmayer Flik 19 Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Luftfahrtruppen
Fokker E.III Poruchik Marko Parvanov Aeroplanno Otdelenie Vazduhoplavatelno Otdelenie
Fokker E.IV Leutnant Max Immelmann Feld Flieger Abteilung 62 Luftstreitskräfte
Fokker E.IV Leutnant Oswald Boelke Feld Flieger Abteilung 62 Luftstreitskräfte
Fokker E.IV Leutnant Otto Parschau Kampfgeschwader I Luftstreitskräfte
RAF D.H.2 Major Lanoe George Hawker 24 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF D.H.2 Captain John Oliver Andrews 24 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF D.H.2 Captain Robert Henry Magnus Spencer Saundby 24 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF D.H.2 Leutnant William George Sellar Curphey 32 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
Morane Saulnier Type N Adjutant Jean Navarre Escadrille MS 12 Aéronautique Militaire
Morane Saulnier Type N Sergent Eugčne Gilbert Escadrille MS 23 Aéronautique Militaire
Morane Saulnier Type N Sergent Jean Chaput Escadrille N 31 Aéronautique Militaire
Morane Saulnier Type N Sergeant Tone Hippolyte Paul Bayetto 3 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
Morane Saulnier Type N Podporuchik N.P. Kisilevich 8-oj Aviatsiyonnyj Otryad Istrebitelej Imperatorskij
Voenno-vozdusnyh Flot
Halberstadt D.III Leutnant Otto Bernert Jasta 2 "Boelcke" Luftstreitskräfte
Maneuver deck notes: These planes are less than usual since the booster includes 3 maneuver decks instead
of the usual 2: a G for the E.IV (Parschau's is a rare 3 MG version), the D.III (a rare 2 MG version) and the
D.H.2, and two copies of the P for the E.III/A.III (A.III being the Austrian code for the E.III) and the Morane
Saulnier Type N ("Bullet" for the British).
Dogfight (Booster Pack)
N maneuver deck
O maneuver deck
RAF S.E.5a Captain William Avery Bishop 85 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Major Roderic Stanley Dallas 40 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Second Lieutenant P. D. Learoyd 40 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Captain James Thomas Byford McCudden 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Lieutenant Richard Leighton 56 Squadron Royal Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Captain Cecil Arthur Lewis 61 Squadron Royal Air Force
RAF S.E.5a Captain R.G.Holt 61 Squadron Royal Air Force
RAF S.E.5a Captain Andrew Frederick Weatherby Beauchamp-Proctor 84 Squadron Royal Air Force
RAF S.E.5a Major Edward Corringham Mannock 85 Squadron Royal Air Force
RAF S.E.5a Captain C.J. Truran 143 Squadron Royal Air Force
RAF S.E.5a Lieutenant George Cox 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Lieutenant Frank Alberry 2 Squadron Australian Flying Corps
RAF S.E.5a Lieutenant Joseph E. Boudwin 25th Aero Squadron United States Air Service
RAF S.E.5a Major Reed Gresham Landis 25th Aero Squadron United States Air Service
RAF S.E.5a Komandir Ivan Ulyanovich Pavlov, Tsentralnaya aviagruppa Yugo-zapadnogo fronta Voenno-
Vozdushnye Sily Raboche-Krest'yanskoi Krasnoi Armii
RAF S.E.5a Kapitan Stefan Ciecierski 7 Eskadra Myśliwska im. Tadeusza Kościuszki Wojska Lotnicze
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Oberleutnant Ernst Udet Jasta 4 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Alfred Greven Jasta 12 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Oliver von Beaulieu-Marconnay Jasta 15 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Hermann Vallendors Jasta 15 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Joachin von Ziegesar Jasta 15 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Josef Veltjens Jasta 15 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Walter Göttsch Jasta 19 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.III Leutnant Helmut Lange Kest 5 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.IV Leutnant Hermann Becker Jasta 12 Luftstreitskräfte
Siemens-Schuckert D.IV - - Luftstreitskräfte
Maneuver deck notes: An N for the S.E.5a, as fast as the A of the SPAD XIII but with a few fancier
maneuvers, and a quite interesting O for the SS D.III and D.IV.
See this is where I must be confused. How many different planes use the 'A' maneuver deck? Because I only see one 'A deck in the list of all of the releases? So it would seem to me that if there is more than one 'A' maneuver deck plane it wouldn't be possible to have them do against each other.
Actually I don't think I saw more than 1 of any letter maneuver deck. Does that mean you have to buy multiple copies of each set if you want to play an 'A' maneuver deck plane against another 'A' maneuver deck plane?
When talking miniatures, no. Every single miniature that you buy comes with the maneuver deck that it needs. If you are just going to use the card planes, then yes, you would not have enough maneuver decks to fly several of the same type of plane. Each plane type (Spad, Camel, DR.I ect.) uses a different maneuver deck (there is some overlap of maneuver decks D, H, K, and E).
For the miniatures, you should check out the very nice file that our member Seiseki uploaded.
OK. That's what I thought. I will wait on this game until I feel like I can also buy miniatures. But since I am more of a board game player who has an interest in wargames instead of a war enthusiast with an interest in board games, it seems unlikely I will take the plunge for a while.
I had hoped that I could get the full experience by just buying the Aces box and playing with cards. Then I could decide if I liked it well enough to expand it with miniatures. But I believe I counted five different types of planes in that set and only four maneuver decks.
In Aces, the Fokker Dr.I and Sopwith Triplane both use the D maneuver deck. So, you could not fly those two planes at the same time. Other wise, each plane has it's own maneuver deck.
The card only game is quite playable on it's own (the miniatures did not come out until years later) with just one box set.
There are also home made cards out there that you can print and use for any missing/multiple decks you might need.
There are printable maneuver decks available?
Yes, they are player made and not the best looking things out there. For that matter, you could photocopy any of the decks you want extra cards for. They would just not be a "card" as they would be a lot thinner. Fantasy Flight Games does make card protector sleeves for this size cards though.
For what it's worth, the miniatures really make the game, in my opinion! I really wanted to play before, and then had a hard time finding the minis (back when the set 1 was in short supply). I was only able to find 10 of the 12 in the beginning, missing Richtoffen and Barker (what were the odds). But if I had to start out, and just pick two - it would be a Dr1 and a Camel. Probably the most classic match-up of the Great War.
I find the SPAD to be a bit blocky to fly, much the same as the Albatros DVa. Certainly they have their advantages, but you put a Camel and a Dr1 on the table, everyone will recognize the Dr1, and would probably guess it's a Camel.
When I first started, I got Watch Your Back!, Burning Drachens, and the Set 1 minis.
Cheers and welcome!
But at $10-15 a pop I doubt i could afford many.
Well start with two then. Or get one and get an opponent to get the other. Pretty affordable as far as games go.Originally Posted by rickert
I have to agree. To play most miniature games these days, you have a buy in of well over $100 to really play at all. This game sets you back $15 if you play against people that also have planes. I mean, what other mainstream game GIVES their rules away for free on the internet??
cost
Hey most of the guys at the place we play only buy one plane and use our rules and stuff to play. That way they are not out much and they pick the plane they want to fly and are out only the cost of the plane. If they really like it they will get the board game later.
Tom
Yep, that's exactly how it works at our game store. I have all 4 box sets for WWI and at lease one of every plan out for it. Everyone uses my stuff to start with, but I eventually get them to buy their own plane. Playing in a campaign setting also helps limit the number of planes you feel you have to buy.
Rick, the bottom line is, I really hope you don't pass over this truly great game because you feel the initial start cost is to much. Just buy a single plane, get a friend to buy one and then download the free rules. The firing range rulers are about 8 inches long and the damage cards can be replace with a dice system (someone has already do it). We can help you out with any info you need so you can get started on the cheap. It only helps us to help you grow the game community!
If you are worried about the cost and don't mind playing with cards instead of minis (I play with cards), I'd advise you to buy a box plus some squadron pack(s). This way you will have several copies of maneuvre decks so you can play with several planes per side. When I started with this game, I bought the basic ww2 box (25€) plus the two squadron packs (around 7€ each). This way I had 4 A and 4 B decks, so I could play 4 spitfires vs 4 109s, for example. I guess that similar squadron pack exist for ww1.
I didn't see any mention of squadron packs on the FFG site. Perhaps they weren't released in the U.S. That would be a shame because that would get me to buy in right away at the costs mentioned.
To me playing with one plane, even a miniature, has two problems. The first is that it requires having someone local to me who has the game and that isn't true for me. It was my plan to spread the word among friends after I purchased and learned the game. What I was going to do was buy the WWI base game, play it with cards until I learned enough how to play. If I liked it I would buy a couple of miniatures and show the game off.
But the lack of enough components in that base set to do many matchups I'd like is putting me off and perhaps that's just me. I still don't get why FFG would package a product that limits its use in such a way. To me it would be like buying Memoir 44 but only getting enough pieces for the Pegasus Bridge scenario but then needing to spend more money on another set or two to try the other scenarios in the base set rulebook.
I'm still on the fence about what I will do in this game. If there was an inexpensive and easy way to get more maneuver decks and damage decks I think that would solve my objections.
Rick, here is a list of every thing that is out for the game today.
I'll say it again, there is more then enough stuff in Famous Aces to have you playing for a long time with just the cards. That should really not be a limiting factor in your purchasing decision. Sure, you will not be able to fly big dogfights with 4 people per side, but the game does not need that to be really fun.
Another avenue you might want to consider, talk to the people at Saltire Games. Let them know you want to run this game and build a customer base for it. Talk to them about either picking up 2 or 4 of the miniature planes to run demos in the store. Offer to buy Famous Aces and one plane if they will pick up the other 3 (go with Series I for this) and you will buy those last three from them in X amount of time for their cost if they like (at store margins, they should only have to sell 5 planes to recoup their outlay for those 3 planes). Most store owners are more then happy to help out a little to start a new line of games and players in their store. Stress to them that the entry level cost per player is very low, just $15 for a single plane (you'll already have the base rules). Let them also know that this game is a very good transition game for boardgamers to move into miniature games (that's where there big money is after card games). Even if you don't know the store staff very well, I think you would be surprised at the support they would give you.
Those are some very good suggestions. I will speak to them. They are a new store so don't know what their reaction will be.
But I want to correct one thing you wrote. I'm really not asking for enough maneuver decks to play a horde of planes at one time. I'm only asking for enough so that I might match up any plane in the game against any other plane. That would require two of each maneuver deck according to my math. I would have expected that from each and every edition of the game but obviously FFG didn't agree. Considering the cost of such decks (likely $1 or less for each to FFG), how much higher price point would that have meant to a game that many people believe is a big bargain right now?
If they are a newer store, they should be keen to this idea. The hardest part for a newer store is building a loyal player/customer base and finding what games to actually stock in. If you are willing to be the supporting fan for this game, they should snatch you right up. Print out my Knights of the Air campaign rules and show them the kind of player support this is out here and what you have the potential to do for this game in their store.
And if you have not guessed it, I used to own a game store and actively promote and support (on the business side of things) my local game store. The owner and I have become very close friends and hang out outside the store often.
If you are just wanting to play a single type of plane against any other single type of plane, that is no problem as long as you stick with just the planes in the set you buy. The only thing you could not do with Aces, would be to fly a Dr.1 and a Sopwith Triplane at the same time. No real issue there, most would rather fly the Spad or the Camel anyways (and if you go the miniatures route, there is no Sopwith Triplane as of yet).
Maneuver Decks and Mini's
Rick,
Here are two suggestions to compensate for what you are calling a lack of maneuver decks in the boxed sets. I have used both of these and they work just fine with multiple planes on one deck. The booster packs also will have maneuver decks in them and they are fairly cheap to buy as well.
Example 1: Place the maneuver deck face up at the edge of the playing surface and write down the card number that is in the lower right hand corner of the card on a sheet of paper and when it comes time to move just pick up the necessary card and play it. You can do this for every plane that uses that deck and for every turn no matter which side is using the deck.
Example 2: Fly in formation and play follow the leader by placing the maneuver card for the leader and then moving the trailing planes accordingly.
Look around at various websites and you can find the mini's for under $15 each. I currently have 76 WWI mini's and 12 WWII and most of them cost me close to $10. Some I even found for around $8. The 2 seater WWI mini's were as low as $12. You can find them if you look. The delivery times have been 8-10 work days.
Happy Hunting and Good Luck
If you just want to get Famous Aces (I paid about $23.00 on Coolstuffinc.com) I have just uploaded single page reference sheets for Maneuver Decks A through D. You can print them out and use them to decide on your moves and share one deck to make those moves. Not the best solution but it can get you playing multiple planes with one deck right off the bat.
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