- BGG rating
- 8.2
Birds of Prey: Airborne Alert
- 1–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,132
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age
2008
Rules assistance for Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 120–480 min
- 14+
- Complexity 4.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age is a board game released in 2008 for 2–8 players, 120–480 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Tony Valle and Philip A. Markgraf and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.7
Birds of Prey: Reinforcement Pack A – Interceptors and Aggressors
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2010
- BGG rating
- 8.8
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 1
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Birds of Prey: Fighter Sweep
- 1–8 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 4.0/5
- 2014
- BGG rating
- 8.8
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 2
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2016
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 3
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2017
- BGG rating
- 8.8
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 4
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2018
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Birds of Prey: Missile With A Man In It
- 2–8 players
- 120–480 min
- 2019
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 5
- 2–8 players
- 120 min
- 2021
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 6
- 2–8 players
- 120–480 min
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 8.3
Birds of Prey: TOPGUN
- 1–8 players
- 120–480 min
- 2023
- BGG rating
- 9.0
Birds of Prey: Airbattle RAG 7
- 1–8 players
- 120–480 min
- 2024
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About the game
Birds of Prey - Air Combat in the Jet Age is a revolutionary jet dogfighting game, simulating flight with unprecedented precision and engrossing play. The Birds of Prey flight mechanics allow freedom in three dimensions without requiring special maneuver rules. Physics-based systems model aircraft performance differences correctly and simply through the use of only two elegant playaids; graphical computers known as nomograms. Missiles fly out towards their targets without player intervention, using proper kinematics from launch and flowing seamlessly into the underlying flight engine. The core of Birds of Prey is the PHAD - the Pitch, Heading, and Attitude Display, a simple tool allowing players to track their the orientation of an aircraft in three dimensions. The PHAD makes it trivial to find the relative position (bearings) and relative motion between maneuvering aircraft. It also makes figuring blind spots where you can't sight other aircraft a trivial exercise, regardless of whether the aircraft is flying straight and level, has its nose pointing straight up, or is in the middle of a wingover. The lavishly illustrated Birds of Prey tutorial guides you through learning the game solo, while the rulebook is a reference for rules questions only. The play aids are built to keep the rulebook in the box during play. Laminated play-aids use a system of hints that lead players through flight and eases return to play. Full-color box-miniatures are placed on tilt-blocks and stacking tiles showing altitude, pitch, roll and heading and bringing the three-dimensional fight to life.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Ad Astra Games
Questions and answers
Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age is 120–480 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age has a complexity rating of 4.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age are: Tony Valle and Philip A. Markgraf. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Birds of Prey: Air Combat in the Jet Age as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.