I mentioned last week that I had an eagerly awaited package on the way. Well, yesterday I received it and proceeded to dig into my new acquisitions - a set of titles from the Wings of War series. Wings of War is a card game that simulates World War I fighter combat. Actually, it's not entirely fair to call it a card game - it's really more of a miniatures game played with cards, which has the advantage of being extremely cost-effective while allowing some interesting mechanics that you usually don't get with a typical miniatures game.

Ok, a pause here for those of you who aren't into games - if you're still reading, you're probably wondering what the heck a miniatures game is, right? Picture a game played entirely with small models of things - it could be tanks, it could be infantry, it could be starships, it could be orcs and dwarves. Basically, the miniatures represent units that move around the board and have specific abilities and ways to attack. Miniatures games care a lot about where pieces are, how far they can move, what direction they're facing, and what the terrain looks like along the way. All of those things play into whether a given unit will be successful at attacking another unit. And yes, they're pretty much entirely wargames - I can't think of a single miniatures game that isn't, although it's possible that there might be one out there somewhere. (But it would probably suck ;).

So - Wings of War. The cards, in this game, represent the airplanes in your squadron. They also represent the maneuvers that the plane can do - which immediately struck me as both a brilliant and elegant mechanic. The game plays in turns of three maneuvers per plane. In a nutshell, each maneuver card has a blue arrow printed on the card. Each player moves his or her plane by taking a maneuver card, placing it at the front of the plane, and then positioning the plane at the end of the arrow. Each plane uses its own maneuver deck, which represents all of the maneuvers that a given plane is able to accomplish. This allows the game to represent more agile and less agile planes by including different cards in the maneuver deck. A heavily armed two-seater, for example, might not have a maneuver card for a ninety-degree turn - but a lighter recon plane would. The basic point is to use the available maneuvers to get close enough to your opponent's plane to fire on it, causing him or her to draw cards from a damage deck. Each card in the damage deck represents a specific amount of damage, along with special conditions such as smoke or fire. When a plane takes more damage than it is able, it is considered to be shot down. Last one who can field planes wins - or scenarios are also available, with specific goals to accomplish (such as a recon target, destroying enemy balloons, etc.).

I purchased the Burning Drachens set, along with two expansion decks (Top Fighters and Recon Patrol). I wanted enough cards to give me a sense of the game while keeping my investment light in case it wasn't my cup of tea. Well, I played a few rounds with my boys last night - this game is a blast. We played with one plane each to get the hang of things, but I can imagine a game of three or so planes per player would be just crazy (in a good way). The rules are simple and intuitive, but the strategy is definitely present. It has a baseball-esque strategic element - in other words, you're trying to second guess what your opponent will do and plan accordingly. You need to think two steps ahead and try to guess where your opponent's plane will be at the end of three maneuvers from now; if you're wrong, you'll be giving him or her the opportunity to outmaneuver you. I think with more planes the options would open up a bit - can you use one plane to box your opponent in, while bringing your other around for the kill?

This is a great light wargame that can be enjoyed by almost anyone - my seven year old son picked it up in no time, and my six year old was mixing it up too. I can't wait to introduce it to my gaming buddies - it will make a great opener to get the juices flowing. I'll definitely be picking up the other two sets (Famous Aces and Watch Your Back!), and I'll be anxiously awaiting the release of the WW2 edition Dawn of War.

My copy of Tide of Iron is due to arrive on Thursday - I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas. We have a session planned for July 4 where ToI will be the main event. Can't wait!

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