Whats Wings of War board game like?

sightreader · 25 August 2009, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fokker Ace

It's lite. Period.

Enjoy it for what it is or it won't be what you want.

Yeah... what he said.

Desaix · 25 August 2009, 09:16 PM

Ok, to give you some context, I am a wargamer like you, grognard type...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

I'm really interested in Wings of War but I'm wondering if it's a true wargame an old timer wargamer will like or is it more of a "lite" wargame?

Is is definitely a lite wargame that plays like an eurogame and that you can play with absolutely anybody as it takes 3 minutes to explain the basic rules to someone...
It is a perfect game for initiation as it is very nice looking with the miniature, fast paced and fun... a game is around 30 minutes...
Do the aircraft perform differently enough that one will notice differences?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

How much detail is there?

In fact more that it seems at first sigth when you play all the rules...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

Can guns jam?

Yes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

Are there clouds?

No, not really (an option in the rulebook and some home made rules on the web)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

Are there unique rules for certain aircraft, i.e. Fokker DVII's hanging on their propeller or SE-5's that can fire their Lewis gun upwards?

No, each aircraft have different characteristics (speed, maneuverer, climb, damagee, arcs of fire etc.) but they all follow the same ruleset...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kirk

I'm attracted by the color and presentation of the game, but I'm wondering if having played WWI aviation wargames like Richthofen's War and Dawn Patrol will leave me disappointed in the gameplay itself.

You probably will be disappointed if you are looking for a real wargame ... Many wargamers just use the miniatures to play Canvas Eagle for example...
But as an introduction to lite wargame/euro air combat game, it is absolutely stunning, the best introductory game I have seen...

Kirk · 26 August 2009, 12:07 PM

I'll probably go ahead and buy it. I just wanted to be prepared for what I'd be getting. Chances are I'll really enjoy it and it's relative simplicity compared to other more detail oriented games may offer me more opportunites to actually play it.

Desaix · 26 August 2009, 03:03 PM

Yes, you will play it for sure...
I advise you skip all the card game boxes and to buy right away the Delux box with the 4 figurines... This is all you need to start...
Once you have player with miniatures you cannot play again with cards hehe...

Kirk · 26 August 2009, 03:34 PM

I guess your comment leads to my next question; In what order do I need to buy things? I'm really interested in the game with balloons and the one with two seaters, but do I need to get others first? I've played WWI games all my life and I'm sorta tired of the standard Fokker Triplane vs. Sopwith Camel scenarios. Should I get the deluxe game and then the Drachens and then the two seaters? I'm also interested in the early planes such as Eindekkers and DH-2's and saw something available for them. Are there miniatures to go along with them?

Fokker Ace · 26 August 2009, 04:09 PM

All the sets are complete games. They stand alone or will add on to the sets you already own.

'Burning Drachens' would be best to start with if you want more depth right off the bat. I just got my copy today, in fact. I started with 'Famous Aces' and it's mostly limited to dogfights between Camels and Tripes. 'Drachens' will add AA, balloon busting, rockets, and ground attack.

If you want 2-seaters, 'Watch Your Back' will include the "B" damage deck needed for that aspect but you can still use 2-seaters with any set. 'Famous Aces' comes with a 2-seater promo card you can use right away by following the direction on the Wings of War website.

I did get the 'Top Fighters' supplement that added the Snipe and DVII and was dissapointed getting only two new fighters and their movement decks when the same thing came along with the miniatures I bought.

I will have to disagree a little about the miniatures. While I own six of them now - Camel, Snipe, Dr.I, DVII, RE 8, and UFAG C.1 - we prefer to play with the cards as it's so much simpler to move the cards, figure out shooting angles, and deal with overlaps. The minis do look fantastic and while playing I keep them close to the action, but I find the altitude pegs both fragile and somewhat unstable and in general don't think the altitude rules add too much to the game play.

If you get one set and enjoy the game I'm pretty sure the others will follow.

Desaix · 26 August 2009, 04:19 PM

In fact they are two separate lines of game if we can say...

The one where you play with cards composed of :
* Wings of War - Watch Your Back!
* Wings of War - Burning Drachens
* Wings of War - Recon Patrol Booster Pack
* Wings of War - Top Fighters Booster Pack
* Wings of War - Dogfight Booster Pack
* Wings of War - Immelmann Booster Pack

And the one where you play with miniatures composed of :
# Wings of War - Deluxe Set
# Wings of War - Miniatures Airplane packs

You have no need of the elements of one game line to play the other, they are of not much use...

Therer are way more planes represented in the card series than planes available in miniatures. Represented planes are listed here (miniatures at the end):
(w)ww.boardgamegeek.com/thread/158240

For the balloons, for now they are only in the card series but I guess you could have a mix of miniatures (Deluxe box) and card balloons (Burning Drachens)...
But the next miniature box, planed to be released before Christmas, will have a miniature balloon, so I would just go miniatures but that is my preference...

Desaix · 26 August 2009, 04:26 PM

I must disagree with the Fokker Ace hehe...

Miniatures are so much nicer and they allow a better altitude game... And altitude is mandatory imho otherwise the 2-seaters rule the game as maneuverability differences disappear...

Most wargamers will play it with altitude I think as it is more realist and stay almost as simple...

Fokker Ace · 26 August 2009, 08:48 PM

At its best WoW is a fast action card game requiring a little strategy and a bit of luck. Two players can have a fun dogfight that lasts about 30 minutes. Let each player control two airplanes, or better yet add a couple more players, and you've got a big furball with lots of excitement. I play with my girlfriend who knows little about aviation yet can beat me about half of the time - just about anyone can join in.

While the optional rules (and to an extent the minis) can make for a deeper playing experience, there comes a point where the quick pace starts to lag and the lack of precision due to the card based movement becomes problematic. At that point I'd rather be playing something deeper like Dawn Patrol.

All that's really needed to have fun is an aircraft card, a maneuver deck, and a damage deck. The aircraft boards, and even the counters, aren't madatory and in fact we never bother with the boards and use only some of the counters. That's the beauty of the game - you can throw some cards in your pocket and play just about anywhere for a quick WWI fix!

By the way, you might be able to get the deluxe set on eBay but I'm not sure if it was offered in the U.S. or contains english rules. You may want to check into that if you think you want that one.

Kirk · 27 August 2009, 05:06 AM

I've found lots of places to buy the basic games, but nobody seems to have the deluxe minis game. I couldn't even find one available on eBay. I did see one available from a place overseas, but they wanted a lot for it. I'm thinking what I might do is buy the basic games and then add the minis as I go. Coolstuffinc has almost everything WoW (except the deluxe game) at very reasonable prices so I may order from them.