Moshe Callen
Israel
Jerusalem
I like to exchange ideas but I have no interest in a pissing contest.
If you want me to review your game, just GM me and send me a copy. Abstracts, wargames and euros equally welcome. No party or dexterity games please.
-
1. Introduction
I first heard of this game as a boy. My older sister's copy of the American Heritage game Skirmish advertised the others in the series via a pamphlet included in the game. One may be able to deduce the date of my sister's copy from the fact that the pamphlet claimed to advertise the whole series but only listed four games. Thus, until recently I did not know that the game Hit the Beach even existed. Of the four in the series I knew about, my sister owned only Skirmish, whenever I brought the subject up to her or others I was universally assured that Battle-Cry was a good game by all accounts but that this game under review Dogfight and Broadside were not-- without further comment. Of course, even as a boy, I was not inclined to simply take other's opinions without justification, but there was nothing in this case I could do and so I let the matter rest for about thirty years. Yet, when recently I had the good fortune to see a copy of this game being practically given away in a Geeklist auction, I put in a bid and was fortunate enough to win the item. As per the description, the box is beat up but the game is complete and in pretty good condition. So, even though the other items I received are all reputed better games, this was naturally the first one I had to play. My conclusion is that I am glad I did not find this game as a boy precisely because I like the game, but if I had encountered this game as a boy, I would never have immediately seen how to play this as a strategic game nor continued to play it often enough to learn to do so.
2. Equipment
In describing the components, I have two aims. One is to explain what a purchaser of this game can expect but the other-- since this game has become rare—is to explain for those interested in a DIY version of the game what they need. I'm extremely glad I own a copy and would recommend to anyone who can to buy one just because it really is cool but not everyone can do so. Of course, a DIY version will not get the booklet about WWI flying aces that came with the game nor the other components of the game which would in today's terms be deemed "dripping with theme" for those who care about such things.
The tri-fold board depicts a WWI landscape on either side of the front and the perimeter of the board depicts planes of the era in combat. Yet fundamentally the board is a 10x12 grid of squares with each of the four corner squares removed. The longer side of the board extends from one layer to the other. Although one can play with 2-4 players, this is really intended as a two-player game. In lieu of a corner space on each of the four corners of the board, one has a emblem taken from an actual WWI flying squadron, being at one side of the board two German squadrons [the10th and 11th Jagdstaffel] and naturally, since this is an American Heritage series game, the other two squadrons at the corners of the opposite side of the board are American air squadrons [the 95th and 96th]. (One normally places the stand for planes "in flight" when not in use where a corner square would be. Strictly speaking, the game can be played without these however, as will be explained below.) Through the middle of the board, i.e., between the sixth and seventh row of squares extends a thin black double line. Trenches are depicted on either side of it. Finally, the three spaces at each corner, i.e., those that would be adjacent on all sides to a corner space if there were one, depict a plane and of the five squares adjacent to these all but the middle one, which is only diagonally adjacent, have a dot in the square. For a DIY version, a grid of squares with a line across the middle, the dots marked on the squares mentioned and the planes' starting squares-- which are red and yellow for the Germans and green and blue for the Americans so that each corner area is a different color-- are all that are needed for play as far as the board itself is concerned.
Associated with each of the four squadrons is its own deck of 16 cards. All decks are identical in content but the backing is unique to the associated squadron; it shows the matching emblem and colors, crosses for the Germans [two different kinds] and for the Americans an Uncle Sam-style hat in a black hoop-like ring and a kicking donkey. (As I said, all are taken from actual WWI squadrons.) Each deck has eleven "burst" [as in "burst of fire"] cards with the numerals 1-5 on them. Except for 1 which has three cards, all other numbers have two burst cards each. The other five cards are purely defensive, three "barrel-roll" cards[marked as defending from side attacks only] and two "loop" cards [marked as defending from tail attacks only].
Each squadron has in its own color four anti-aircraft markers, two marked hit and two marked miss. These with be played on the four squares with dots at the appropriate corner, as explained below.
Each player has six identical planes, three for each squadron. The stands are needed to distinguish which plane "in flight" uses which cards but this could always be done by other means. The planes are red plastic biplanes for the Germans and green ones for the Americans. By today's standards, these look cheesy, and indeed once I was old enough to be collecting die-cast cars, planes, etc., I probably would have looked askance at them, but they distinctly remind me of planes I played with as a smaller boy.
Six red crosses and six green circles, each with holes in the middle for fitting on the plane's stand, are also included.
The game included cardboard holders for the cards but these are not strictly needed. Finally, the game uses a pair of standard 6-sided dice, which are red with golden colored dots and seem a bit under-sized exactly like the single battle-die in Skirmish.
3. Rules
The object of the game is to shoot down all six enemy planes. The play to do so wins the game. Draws are not possible.
Quote: For a 3 or 4 person game one or both sides are split between two players who play as partners and who then roll a single die but otherwise play exactly as in the 2-person game.
At the start of the game, each player places the four anti-aircraft markers as he chooses on the four squares with dots by each squadron. That player should not let his opponent see which two squares are marked then as hits and which two as misses, and the markers cannot be moved or changed during the game. He does the same at both corners. Then the planes are placed on their starting positions, three in each squadron on the squares marked with planes.
The players roll the dice to see who goes first, the person rolling higher deciding. Play thereafter alternates in turns.
At the start of a turn, a player rolls the pair of dice. Only planes "in flight" may move from their starting position. Only one plane front each squadron may be "in flight" at any given time so that usually each player will have two planes in flight. However a player may choose to only put one plane into flight. Nonetheless, once a plane is "in flight", it must move. A plane "in flight" is placed on the appropriate squadron's stand. The player may choose which plane moves which number of spaces but each plane in flight must move exactly the number of spaces rolled on a single one of the two dice. Rolls cannot be combined or split. If only one plane is in flight, a player has a choice of the two dice rolled but still cannot use both. Quote: The rules do not say, but I assume this still applies if a player only has one squadron left with planes. When moving, a plane can change direction so long as the plane does not double-back (i.e., move from a square onto the square the player moved to that square immediately from) at any point. Thus ,a player could move in a circle back to the position he started from with a roll of 4 or even 6 but not a roll of 2. A plane must move the exact number of squares rolled except when landing and may move between squares horizontally or vertically in any direction from square to square but not diagonally. Only one plane may occupy any given square at any one time; this includes during the course of movement. Friendly planes may freely fly over anti-aircraft guns but a plane may land only in its own squadron. If an enemy plane flies over or stops on a square with an anti-aircraft marker, the marker is revealed. If the marker says "HIT" then the plane is shot down before it can fire; if not, the plane proceeds as usual. If an enemy plane passes over more than one anti-aircraft marker, then each is revealed in the order of movement until either the plane is shot down or no more anti-aircraft markers remain which were passed over. At the end of a move, a plane must be faced in a direction horizontally or vertically, not diagonally; one positioned, the direction cannot be changed. If a plane ends a move so that the plane is facing an opponent's plane in an immediately adjacent square (not diagonally), a dogfight occurs.
When a plane becomes "in flight", the player controlling that plane initially draws four cards. These cards may be put in the holder but need not be. Cards used are not replaced. The plane must land to replenish the hand of cards. On landing a plane may discard any or all cards in the associated hand or keep those desired. A plane cannot land until it has either engaged in a dogfight or passed the black line in the center of the board. In a dogfight, cards are used for both attack and defense. Three types of attacks are possible: tail attacks, side attacks and front attacks. To attack, a player plays a burst card. If the player does not have the appropriate defense card, the plane attacked is shot down and removed from the board, discarding the cards in hand for that plane. Only when the stack of cards for a particular squadron is exhausted is the associated discard pile reshuffled.
One should note here that when a plane shoots down an enemy plane, a marker (a red cross for a German plane shot down and green circle for an American plane shot down) is associated with the plane which did the shooting down of the enemy plane-- but only up to two such markers may be gained by any plane. A plane with one such marker is an ace and when next it takes off draws six instead of four cards. A plane with two such markers, a double ace, draws eight cards. The additional cards are not drawn until the plane lands first and then takes off again. The additional cards apply only to that specific plane.
Finally, one needs know the use of the cards and the details of combat. Initially each squadron's deck is shuffled. Each deck is used only for that one squadron. Cards are not again shuffled until are cards in the deck have been played or discarded. Cards can be discarded when a plane returns to any unoccupied square marked with a plane [the plane's starting squares] of its own squadron. A plane must have an enemy plane in the square immediately in front of it to shoot and the player must play a burst card to do so. If the defending plane's hand is out of cards or does not have the appropriate defense, it is shot down and removed from the board. If a plane attacks from the side, the defending plane [to anthropomorphize for convenience] must play a barrel roll card to escape or is shot down. The attacking plane cannot then play another card. The dogfight is over. If a plane attacks from the tail, the defending plane must play a loop card if it can or is shot down. If a loop card is played, the two planes exchange positions so that the plane previously attacked can then attack if it has a burst card. The originally attacking plane must then play a loop card or be shot down. The originally attacking plane in this case can attack again by playing another burst card and so forth. This is the only case where the same plane may attack more than once in the same turn, although two planes may attack the same plane and when a player has two planes attacking (whether the same or different planes being attacked) the player chooses which order his planes attack in. Finally, if a plane attacks from the front, he plays the highest number burst card he has. If the defending plane has an equal valued burst card, the attack is cancelled and neither plane is shot down, but if the defending plane plays a burst card of a higher numerical value the attacking plane is shot down. Plane on the ground can be attacked and cannot shoot back. Only the anti-aircraft guns represented by the makers defend planes on the ground.
4. Game-play
This game is deceptively simple-looking. Admittedly, it is not a pure abstract strategy game and via cards drawn and dice rolled has an element of luck, but the game is by no means all luck nor even mostly luck. When a player puts a plane into flight, he first looks at the cards drawn for that plane and should form a strategy suited to this hand. The player should also remember which cards have been played for enemy planes. A basic tactic, far more easily said than done, is to linger just beyond the point where an enemy plane can reach or is likely to be able to reach but where the enemy plane's mandatory movement will bring it within range. Attacks should be chosen according to the likelihood of success. Side attacks cannot produce counter-attacks, but have three defensive cards. Tail attacks have the least cards which can be used in defense but can produce counter-attacks of the same kind. Head-on attacks work well if one has burst cards with high numbers, especially a 5.
Likewise, tactics come into play. One can attempt to devastate squadrons on the ground but this tactic is extremely risky due to anti-aircraft guns. Similarly one may take that risk in order to attack ace or double-ace planes on the ground. In the same vein, one a plane shoots down an enemy plane, one will likely want to land that plane as soon as possible in order to increase the cards in the associated hand.
What this means is that this is a game about hand-management as well as out-maneuvering the enemy. Of course the use of dice in the key element of movement does mitigate the strategic depth of this game. Nonetheless, it’s a fun game. Besides, no better alternative can be suggested because moves of a definite amount would too likely lead to the game devolving into a chase about the board without engaging in combat. Yet again, strategic play can take into account the probabilities of dice combinations. This game looks to be without much strategy at first glance perhaps, but that perception is not accurate and each game played with make that more and more obvious.
-
Derwood Willard Tripp
United States
White Trash
Idaho
-
Moshe ~ Thanks for the nice review.
Dogfight was the first game I ever bought with my own money. I pegged it at about 1962-63 era. I read about it in the ad section of a comic book and figured out how to get the $5 it cost back then.
Couple things... and since I haven't played it for over 25 years my memory may have faded. Either my copy suggested that each hit removed a piece of the airplane... first the prop, then the top wing and finally the fuselage for the killing hit, or I added that as a house rule.
Play it that way and it makes for a lot better a game.
In the early 70's I acquired two copies of the game and then made a double-size board. By adding the extra decks and squads I ended up with a larger scale 2-player game or a game compatible with four players.
Lastly, it is my contention that Dogfight is the origins of the CDG. I was unsuccessful in finding an earlier game using similar card-driven tactics. Maybe someone else knows better and can shed some light. I never thought of this game as a dice fest at all and when I play C&C:A or BattleLore I still feel like I'm playing a souped up, chromed out, sophisticated evolution of Dogfight.
I may just have to get this one again and use it when my little boy gets a bit older to test the waters game-wise with him.
* Maybe I grafted the remove-a-piece rule over from Broadsides. In that game each hit removes a sail until just the hull is left, after that the ships sinks.
-
Moshe Callen
Israel
Jerusalem
I like to exchange ideas but I have no interest in a pissing contest.
If you want me to review your game, just GM me and send me a copy. Abstracts, wargames and euros equally welcome. No party or dexterity games please.
-
DW:
That's a house rule but definitely an interesting sounding one. I'll have to try it out.
As for the rest-- cool.
-
Rolling bad dice in wargames since 1977
United States
Austin
Texas
-
Wow! Love for an old-school, Milton Bradley game with a war theme and proto-CDG mechanics? On BGG???
...Well, it is a bit chilly in Texas this evening!
I have a fondness for all the American Heritage games that Milton Bradley produced in the early-mid 60's and republished around the time of the Bicentennial (adding Skirmish to the stable formed by Dogfight, Hit the Beach, Broadside, and Battle Cry.) Of them all, Skirmish and Broadside are my two favorites.
-
Paul O'Connor
United States
San Marcos
California
-
Played this one as a kid, I'll have to take it down and try it with my boys. Thanks for jogging my memory about this one.
-
Rod Batten
Canada
St. John's
Newfoundland
Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing. --R.E.Howard
-
Awesome review of a forgotten classic. Thanks, Moshe!
-
Marc Pavone
United States
Saugerties
New York
-
wow, you wrote a review longer than the rules!
-
|
|
