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Enemy Action: Kharkov
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RAF
1986
Rules assistance for RAF
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 180–600 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for RAF
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
RAF is a board game released in 1986 for 1 player, 180–600 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John H. Butterfield and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Simulation.
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About the game
This solitaire game of the Battle of Britain is card-driven with card decks covering Events, Attacking Forces and suspected targets. Game mechanisms deal with Radar warning(and lack of), weather and observer corps. The cardstock map covers southern England with graphics for airfields, industrial sites and ports. You control British, Commonwealth, Polish and Czech Air Force Squadrons, positioning the day's patrols where you believe the Nazis will strike. Day after bloody day, the RAF must rise to battle the modern fighters of Luftflotte 2 and 3 while Nazi bombers pound England into ruin - and submission. You must intercept German bombers, sacrificing dwindling men and equipment to halt the German war machine. The game system controls the Luftwaffe, directing a coherent bombing campaign against targets vital to British survival. A unique card system hides the strengths, compositions, and targets of the German strikes until after you've decided where your squadrons will patrol, and which raids you'll intercept. You make the decisions that could save democracy. RAF offer three scenarios. The Hardest Days, The Thin Blue Line, and The Battle of Britain cover the entire struggle from beginning to end. The game is playable in as few as 3 hours or as many as 10. RAF includes: One full-color 22" x 34" map of southern England 160 full-color counters 134 target, event, and force cards (the rules correctly indicate 134 playable and numbered cards. There are 3 blanks in each set that are not used in the game bringing the physical count to 143 - 144 including dummy "title" card.) 16-page rules book One six-sided die Counter tray with lock-on lid Game scale is Gruppen and Squadrons with one-day turns. For one player. Three to ten hours to play. Ages 12 and up. (from the back of the box and user's description)
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Hobby Japan
- West End Games
Questions and answers
RAF supports 1 player 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 RAF is 180–600 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 RAF 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.
RAF has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
RAF belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Aviation / Flight. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, 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 RAF are: John H. Butterfield. 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 RAF 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.