Wings of War : Dawn of War

 
"Wings of War : Dawn of War" takes the innovative and entertaining "Wings of War" dogfight system and applies it to the era of the Battle of Britain.
 
This is a stand-alone and not an expansion - You do not need to own the first game to play this system.
 
Game play is extremely simple, utilizing small playing cards, counters, and the largest table-top or floor space you can find.
 
Each play takes a card showing (literally) an aerial view of an early-era WW2 plane (various Spitfires, Messerschmitt and others). Each plane has a corresponding deck of manoeuvre cards' (classed A,B,C, or D), with arrows drawn on to the card showing the direction of a manoeuvre the plane can make (i.e., banking to the left, the right, a steep bank, flipping over in an 'Immelman turn', stalling (very short forward movement), going straight, etc.).
 
During play, axis and ally planes are placed on the tabletop. Each player has a manoeuvre card selected and placed face-down for their first move. Players then select their next move and place that card face down. They then flip their first move card over simultaneously, then take the card, line up the back edge of the movement arrow with the front of the plane card, pick up the plane, and place it down again with the back of the plane card lined up to the front edge of the movement arrow.
 
Combat follows logically from this. When planes have moved, if you can reach from your plane's firing cone to an opponents plane by using the small rulers provided, they're hit, and they take the damage chits corresponding to your plane's firing power.
 
And that's the game in a nutshell. There are optional rules for varying speed, altitude, fuel, pilot special skills, and more, but with the basic game you will have your planes zipping around and blowing each other out of the sky in no time.
 
Wow:DoW (which acronyms very nicely), is a fast and fun game. The art on the cards is top notch, and there is a hell of a lot in a little box, representing extremely good value for money. Up to six players can play at once, although the base set has only a limited number of each manoeuvre deck, so if you want to fly more than one spitfire, for example, you'll need to either buy an expansion set, or write down the card number for your manoeuvre and share a deck (which isn't quite so much fun). The game needs to be played on a table cloth, or ideally felt, and needs a large playing space (at least 3' by 3', preferably bigger) for your planes to have room to manoeuvre. There are model planes available as an expansion if you want to get flash, but the cards are really neat.
 
-Disclaimer : I am not a 'real' wargamer, and know very little about the 'technical manual' side of WW2. This review is from the perspective of what is probably WoW:DoW's largest (but not the only) target audience : somebody who wants to play at flying around war planes, whilst calling out "D-ga-d-ga-d-ga-d-ga-BOOM!" "Eat hot lead, Fritz!" "Die, Englischer pig-dog!", etc.