Crimson Skies: A Game of Aerial Combat [Box-Set] [Englisch] [Spiel]

The game details pulp fiction style action and adventure air combats between airplanes of quasi-futuristic (for the 1930's) design and heavily armed "carrier" zeppelins. Where dashing good guys duel with bloodthirsty air pirates. Where gorgeous women fly planes with deadly accuracy and daredevil pilots make the near impossible seem mundane.

The mechanics of realistic 3D air combat are shed so that the game is fast and fun paced so if you're one of those charts and graphs and reality loving wargamers then this game may not be for you. However if you love pulp action comics, campy adventure flicks, and/or wild and wacky aeronautical action then this is your game!

Fly for the oh-so-sophisticated Empire States, or take to the skies to defend the Republic of Texas. The air pirates of Appalachia are a plague for both the Confederacy of Dixie and the mid-West's Industrial States of America. Other nations include the Christian Communists of the People's Collective, Free Colorado, Utah, Navajo Nations, Arixo, the glamorous nation of Hollywood, Pacifica, and more.

Or forsake nationalistic fervor and take to the skies for your own profit as an air pirate or privateer. Fly with the cold and cunning Johnathan "Genghis" Khan, or the beautiful and deadly Black Swan, or even start a pirate band of your own.

If you're a fan of FASA's classic Renegade Legion: Interceptor then you'll love this game, it uses the same armor templates, but with a simpler system for internal damage. Crimson Skies has the same fast fun paced feel of Interceptor, without the complex and time consuming internal damage flowchart.

This game is lots of fun and easy to learn. The flavor of the game permeates the rulebooks which are in the format three issues of Air Action Weekly, the first detailing the rules of air combat (rules of the game), the second covers the popular planes of the skies (details on the planes you can fly and how to design your own), and the third briefly covers a history of the breakup of the USA and it's component nations as well as spotlights on some of the more famous and notorious personalities that you will see in the skies.

The boxed set contains 24 full color cardboard cutouts to use and Ral Partha is releasing a line of metal miniatures that you can paint up in your own colors and use as playing pieces for the game.

So what are you waiting for? Get this game and start flying today! Happy hunting and watch your six!

This game combines an interesting alternate history background with simple but fun air-to-air combat. The game comes with colorful 3-D cardboard counters, but Ral Partha sells miniatures also (not cheap though, $5-8 each).

There are several add-ons available, including Wings Over Manhattan (which comes with additional urban-landscape maps), Behind the Crimson Viel, and the Aircraft Manual.

CADET, an excellent PC application available free on-line ............................. is a must-have. It allows you to make up new aircraft and pilots and print out the aircraft sheets (even better than the ones that come with the game).

My biggest complaint is that the publisher (FASA) does not provide aircraft counters with any of the add on modules. Miniatures are expensive and time consuming to assemble and paint.