Battle Over Britain
Battle Over Britain is a board wargame published by the
Description
Battle Over Britain is a two-player game that simulates air combat in the skies of Britain that took place in August and September 1940.[1] The game can be played on three levels:
- Strategic game (15 hours)
- Full campaign (several days)
- Tactical combat game (several hours)
In the Second Edition published by PSC Games in 2017 and retitled Battle of Britain, the scenarios of the strategic game are reduced to 1–2 hours each, and the full campaign can be completed in 3–4 hours.[2]
Components
- two 22" x 34" maps of Britain and northern France. These can be used individually or joined together to form a master map, depending on the level of game being played.
- 800 die-cut counters
- rule book
- 20-sided die
- counter tray
- British Airfield Display
- dividing screen, to keep the British Airfield Display secret
Gameplay
The German player plans day or night raids and which bomber and fighter forces will be used. The British player lays down hidden fighter factories and command centers, and deploys
Victory conditions
To prevent either player from holding back forces until the last turn and then unleashing them in an all-out effort, the game has a variable end of game so that the players do not know when the game will end. When the game does end, the player with the most Victory Points wins.[3]
Publication history
In 1982, as wargame publisher Simulation Publications, Inc. (SPI) struggled with debt, John H. Butterfield designed Battle Over Britain. When TSR acquired the assets of SPI in 1983, the game was almost ready for publication, and was released under the TSR trademark.
In 2017, PSC Games acquired the license to the game, and produced a second edition, featuring streamlined rules for dogfighting, fuel, and ace squadrons.[2]
A single plane-versus-plane tactical wargame titled Battle Over Britain: RAF vs Luftwaffe, Summer 1940 published by Minden Games in 2013 is not related to the original TSR/SPI game.[4]
Reception
In Issue 14 of
Other reviews
- Strategy & Tactics #91 (Winter 1983)
- Fire & Movement #42 (Winter 1984)
- Fire & Movement #72 (march/April 1991)
- The Grenadier #21 (1984)
- Simulations Canada Newsletter #13
References
- ^ a b c O'Toole, Peter (May 1984). "Game Reviews". Imagine (review) (14). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd.: 42–43.
- ^ a b "Battle of Britain (2017)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "Battle Over Britain (1983)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "Battle Over Britain (2013)". boardgamegeek.com. Retrieved 2021-04-19.