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First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18
2009
Rules assistance for First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 240 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.4/5
Rules assistant for First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 is a board game released in 2009 for 2 players, 240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Joseph Miranda and Ty Bomba and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
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About the game
Strategy & Tactics magazine #255 First Battle of Britain (1BoB) is a two-player wargame of intermediate complexity covering the 1917-18 German bomber offensive against England. The objective is to score more morale points than your opponent. Historically the bombing inflicted little real damage on British cities in general or industry in particular. The attacks' psychological impact, however, was enormous: the campaign demonstrated Britain was vulnerable to outside invaders for the first time in a millennium. Victory is therefore determined based on the German player's ability to panic the British populace. Each air unit represents a flight or squadron of aircraft. Each hexagon represents five miles from side to opposite side. Each "operational turn" represents one month. Each "flying turn" represents 20 minutes of flying time. 1BoB has three scenarios. Scenario 1 covers the situation in 1917, with both sides racing to build up their airpower. Scenario 2 covers 1918, with both sides at full strength. Scenario 3 covers the entire campaign from 1917 through 1918. Players who want to get right into a head-to-head contest of strength in the skies over England are advised to begin with Scenario 2. Experienced players will need about four hours to finish one of the yearly scenarios, while the campaign game will take about eight hours to finish. Units include bombers and fighters, both carrier and land based, as well as Zeppelins, Royal Navy seaplane tenders and aircraft carriers, anti-aircraft artillery, aerodromes, civil defense and early warning. German formations and aircraft types included in the large-size iconic counter-mix (176 total), by famed artist Larry Hoffman, include the following: Albatross D-I, Fokker D-VII and Pfalz D-III fighters; the elite "England" and "Kagohl 3" bomber squadrons; along with plenty of Gotha and Riesen bombers. On the British side there are: Avro 504, Be-2, Be-12, Fe-2, Sopwith Camel, Sopwith Pup and Se5A fighters; along with DH-4, Handley Page and Strutter bombers. All planes are rated for air-to-air combat, pursuit, bombardment and speed.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 is 240 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 First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 for ages 12 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.
First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 has a complexity rating of 2.4 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light 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.
First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Aviation / Flight, and World War I. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid. 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 First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 are: Joseph Miranda and Ty Bomba. 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 First Battle of Britain: The Air War Over England, 1917-18 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.