Luftwaffe, subtitled "The Game of Aerial Combat Over Germany 1943-45", is a board wargame originally published by Poultron Press in 1969 under a different title, then subsequently sold to Avalon Hill, who republished it in 1971. The game is an operational simulation of the American bombing campaign against Germany during World War II.
Luftwaffe is a two-player operational wargame in which one player controls American bomber and fighter groups, and the other controls German air defenses.
The game box includes: [1]
The Basic game (twenty turns) represents one air raid, and is designed to teach the game. Once players are familiar with the game, the Advanced and Tournament rules require up to ten separate raids representing a three-month bombing campaign, as well as more rules for increased realism. [2]
In the late 1960s, Avalon Hill dominated the board wargame market, producing on average, one game per year with well-produced but expensive components. At the newly founded wargame publisher Poultroon Press (later Simulations Publications Inc.), Jim Dunnigan and his design team decided to go in the opposite direction, marketing a number of very cheaply made "test games" to prove that producing many games a year could also be a viable business model. These test games featured typewritten pages with hand-drawn maps and graphics and thin paper counter sheets, packaged in a plain manila envelope. The sixteenth game in this "Test Series" was a strategic bombing game designed by Lou Zocchi and titled Twelve O'Clock High. [3] Shortly after it was published by Poultroon in 1969, Avalon Hill purchased the rights to the game. Retitled Luftwaffe: The Game of Aerial Combat Over Germany 1943-45, the game was repackaged as a boxed set with upgraded components and attractive cover art by Charles Harbaugh. It was released in 1971, and a second edition with some rules revisions was released the following year. [4]
The game proved to be a reliable seller over the next decade. According the Avalon Hill's company history, written in 1980, "Although it never really stood the hobby on its ear in the manner of a Panzerblitz [a popular Avalon Hill game], it remains a consistently good seller to this day — testimony to the importance of a dynamic title and box cover." [5]
After the demise of Avalon Hill, Decision Games acquired the rights to the game and Joseph Miranda revised the rules. The new edition, titled Luftwaffe: Aerial Combat – Germany 1943-45, was released in 2007 with artwork by Nicolás Eskubi and Joe Youst. [6]
In Issue 3 of the UK magazine Games & Puzzles, (July 1972), game designer Don Turnbull called it "a much needed air campaign game." He admitted that "Some players say the game is too long, others that it is too simple; however the majority, according to my investigations, praise it." [7] Several issues later, Turnbull warned players about the game's length, saying, "The Tournament version consists of 10 quarters, each consisting of 20 turns. It cannot, therefore, be played in one evening, or even two or three." [8]
In A Player's Guide to Table Games, John Jackson noted that "The Allies have an advantage even in the short version of Luftwaffe, and to stop them, the Germans must hit the bomber formations hard and often." Jackson found the Combat Results Table (CRT) "too unpredictable", and proposed a revision that used two six-sided dice to produce a bell curve of probabilities. [9]
In a 1976 poll conducted by Avalon Hill to determine its most popular games, Luftwaffe placed 12th out of 25 games. [2]
In his 1977 book The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming , Nicholas Palmer noted that "This attractively packaged game is unusual in that it features the American strategic air war against Germany, whereas most air games are tactical." Palmer warned the German player that "The major constraint on all fighters is fuel, and some of the best defending aircraft need constant landings for re-tanking." He concluded that "Play balance is doubtful, with an apparent Allied edge in several versions, but using the right optional rules can cure this." [2]
In the 1980 book The Complete Book of Wargames , game designer Jon Freeman commented, "Luftwaffe is the best game of its kind; it's also very nearly the only game of its kind." He noted that the game had issues, saying, "Aside from being somewhat unbalanced, the game's biggest flaws concern realism." Freeman gave this game an Overall Evaluation of "Good", concluding, "Despite such quibbles, it's a playable and challenging game." [10]
Wargame Academy felt that "The abstracted nature of combat, damage, and time detracted from long time appeal." The Academy also questioned game balance, suggesting that "The 20 turn basic game is favored to the Germans and is best played with two sequential games playing each side with the player successfully bombing the greater number of targets." [1]
In The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training, Martin Campion pointed out that "Luftwaffe contains some doubtful historical information — that bombing aircraft factories was highly effective, for example." [11]
Copies of Luftwaffe are held in the collections of:
Midway is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1964 that simulates the Battle of Midway during World War II.
B-17, Queen of the Skies is a solitaire board wargame published by On Target Games in 1981 that simulates flight missions in a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress bomber during World War II. The game was acquired by Avalon Hill and republished in 1983.
Richthofen's War, subtitled "The Air War 1916–1918", is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1973 that simulates aerial combat during World War I.
PanzerBlitz is a tactical-scale board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1970 that simulates armored combat set on the Eastern Front of World War II. The game, which was the most popular board wargame of the 1970s, is notable for being the first true board-based tactical-level, commercially available conflict simulation wargame. It also pioneered several concepts that would become industry standards.
1914 is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1968 that simulates the first few months of World War I on the Western Front.
War at Sea is a strategic board wargame depicting the naval war in the Atlantic during World War II, published by Jedko Games in 1975, and subsequently republished by Avalon Hill in 1976 and more recently by L2 Design Group in 2007.
Jutland is a naval board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1967 that simulates the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea during World War I. Upon its release, Jutland was commended for its gameplay and mechanics, but criticism surrounded the complex rules and playing time.
1776, subtitled "The Game of the American Revolutionary War", is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1974 that simulates the American Revolutionary War. Its release was timed to coincide with the bicentenary of the Revolution, and for several years was a bestseller for Avalon Hill.
D-Day is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1961 that simulates the six months of the European Campaign of World War II from the Normandy Invasion to the crossing of the Rhine. It was the first wargame to feature the now ubiquitous hex grid map and cardboard counters, and was revised and re-released in 1962, 1965, 1971, 1977 and 1991.
Afrika Korps is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1964 and re-released in 1965 and 1978 that simulates the North Africa Campaign during World War II.
Air Assault on Crete is a wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1977 that simulates the Battle of Crete during World War II.
Anzio is a board wargame published by the Avalon Hill game company first in 1969 and again in 1971, 1974, and 1978. The title is misleading as the game is not an operational-level treatment of the Battle of Anzio but is in fact a strategic level game covering the entire Italian theater of operations in World War II from the autumn of 1943 to the end of the war in Europe.
Panzer Leader is the sequel to Avalon Hill's PanzerBlitz game.
Conquistador, originally subtitled "The Age of Exploration: 1495–1600", is a board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the exploration of the New World in the 16th century. Players take on the role of European countries sending expeditions to find gold and establish colonies. Although the design uses the trappings of board wargames such as a hex map, combat is not a major part of the game.
Stalingrad is a strategic-level board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1963 that simulates the first 24 months of the war between Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II. As one of the first board wargames it was extensively played and discussed during the early years of the wargaming hobby.
Tobruk, subtitled "Tank Battles in North Africa 1942", is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1975 that simulates tank combat in North Africa during World War II.
Panzergruppe Guderian is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. in 1976 that simulates the 1941 Battle of Smolensk during World War II.
Bismarck is a board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1962 that simulates the hunt for the Bismarck.
Napoleon at Waterloo is a board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1971 that simulates the Battle of Waterloo. The game, which features simple rules, was designed as an introduction to board wargaming, and was given as a free gift with each subscription to SPI's Strategy & Tactics magazine.
Eagle Day: The Battle of Britain is a board wargame published by Histo Games in 1973 that simulates the Battle of Britain. Reviewers noted its marked similarity to previously published wargames The Battle of Britain, and Luftwaffe, but found Eagle Day to be inferior to both.