World War II was the largest, most destructive war in history. There are many types of tabletop games that recreate this war at various levels from individual soldiers at a tactical level to the entire war fought on a grand strategic level. While many of these games are similar, every once in a while one appears that offers something different than the rest. Aces and Armor which just launched on Kickstarter is one of those games.
What Is Aces and Armor?
Aces and Armor is a competitive skirmish game for 1-4 players, ages 14 and up, and takes about 60 to 120 minutes to play a game. Players take on the roles of one of three nations during World War II and attempt to conquer more factories than their opponents. It’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, with a pledge level of $69.99 for a copy of the game along with free shipping! Aces and Armor was designed by Philipp K. Berger and published by PKB Games.
New to Kickstarter? Check out our crowdfunding primer.
Aces and Armor Components
Note: My review is based on a prototype copy, so it is subject to change and may not reflect final component quality.
Here is what you will get in the box:
- 48 faction miniatures
- 4 faction unit mats
- 27 12-sided dice
- 1 dice chart
- 100+ marker beads
- 15 custom metal coins
- 1 hourglass
- Lots of tokens
- 1 rule book
The game comes with a total of 48 miniatures, 12 for each faction. Each miniature features two small columns off to one side. Colored beads can be placed on these columns to represent damage and experience.
The gameboard features two sides. One is the summer side while the other portrays a snowy winter. The locations of terrain and factories are different on each side. Players can choose whichever side they want to play for each battle.
Each faction has their own unit mat. These list all of the information players need to know about their units. To the left of the unit name is the number of speed points that unit has for movement. The cost of the unit in coins is shown to the right of the name. Below the name is the range of the units attacks as well as the hit numbers for their attacks based on the unit’s experience. White is rookie, yellow veteran, and red is war hero. At the bottom is the damage table.
There are 12 black dice and 12 green dice which are used by the two teams. There are also three additional red dice which are used by the attacker for attack bonuses.
The game comes with tokens used to set up the game, show occupations of factories, interceptions, and can also be used for additional units if you run out miniatures for a certain type of unit.
The included bag of beads are used to represent damage inflicted on a unit as well as its experience. Gray beads are used for damage and white, yellow, and red are used for experience.
The metal coins are the currency of the game. Players earn them for owning factories and can spend them to repair damaged units or purchase additional units.
How to Play Aces and Armor
You can download a copy of the rulebook here.
The Goal
The goal of the game is occupy 6 of the 10 factories on the map.
Setup
Players begin by forming teams and determining which factions they will play as (Germany 1, Germany 2, Russia, or the United States) and take their matching faction unit mat and their faction’s 12 miniatures. The Russian and U.S. players are a team and the two German players are the other team. Place the gameboard in the middle of the play area. The 12 grey chip tokens are shuffled and three are distributed to each player. Players then divide their miniatures into armies armies around each of their three chip tokens. They can distribute their units as they choose and not every chip has to have units assigned to it. After all players have divided their units, they each roll a die. The first player is the one who rolls the highest number. They choose one of their three chips and flip it over. They then place their units at that numbered location on the map, starting with one unit on the numbered hex and the remainder adjacent to it. The next player to the left then places one of their armies on the map and this continues until all players have placed their units. Finally players each roll a dice again to see who goes first. The game is now ready to begin.
Gameplay
Aces and Armor is played in turns with each player taking a turn followed by the player to the left. Each turn is divided into four phases: move troops, declare attacks, combat, and money transactions. Let’s take a look at each phase in more detail.
Move Troops
During this phase, the player can move any of their units they choose, one at a time. Each type of unit has a speed listed on the faction unit mats. That represents the number of speed points it can spend to move during a turn. Different types of terrain have different speed costs to enter. For example standard terrain costs 1 speed point, a forest 1.5 points, and a road only 0.5 points. Infantry units can move into a water space, but it costs a full turn no matter their speed. Also, while on a water space, they can neither attack nor defend. Players do not have to spend all of their speed points, but must complete the movement of one unit before they can move another. Moving to occupy a factory is a bit different and is covered in its own section. However, you can move units onto a factory that you own.
Moving adjacent to enemy units that can attack in close combat (at range 1) can affect movement. When this occurs, the controlling player of the enemy unit can choose to intercept the moving unit. To do this, the enemy player places an arrow marker between the two units and the moving unit ends their movement even if they have points remaining. Then during the intercepting player’s turn, the intercepting unit cannot move but must attack the intercepted unit. Once this has taken place, the arrow marker is removed. The intercepting unit must be able to attack the moving unit in order to intercept it. Artillery units with an attack range greater than 1 cannot intercept. Also a unit must be able to attack air units in order to intercept bombers and fighter units.
Declare Attacks
After a player has moved all of their units that they choose, they then declare attacks. First they must ensure that the target is in range. Most units can only attack at range one which is into an adjacent hex. Other units may attack at multiple ranges. Some also have a minimum range such as the U.S. Howitzer which can’t attack adjacent units, only those at range 2-5. In addition to deciding which of your units will attack specific targets, you also must declare the order of the attacks. Once an attack is declared it can’t be changed later. For example, if you have two units attack the same enemy target and the first attack eliminates the target, the second unit cannot switch to attack another target. This is because all attacks are essentially taking place simultaneously.
Combat
After all attacks have been declared, the player then resolves those attacks in the order declared. Each attack is conducted in 8 steps. First the attack is announced. Then determine whether the defender can shoot back. This only occurs if the attack is close combat (at range 1) and the defender can attack in close combat. Third, the attacker (and defender if they can shoot back) determine the number of dice they can roll by using the dice chart. Undamaged units roll 12 dice and the more damage a unit takes, the fewer dice they roll. Fourth, check to see if the attacker get a bonus for supporting combined arms. If the attacking unit is adjacent to the enemy, and another of the attacker’s units of a different arm (infantry, tank, artillery, aircraft) is within attack range (does not need to be adjacent), then the attacker gets to also roll 2 red dice in addition to the normal number they would roll. If the attacker has two other units within attack range and all three are of different arms, the attacker instead rolls 3 red dice. These supporting units do not have to attack that target this turn, only be within attack range. Having additional aircraft adjacent to a target aircraft can also give you a bonus red dice.
During the fifth step, the players who can attack or shoot back roll their dice and determine the number of hits they score. Locate this number on the unit mat. Rookie units use the number in the white space, veteran units the number in the yellow space, and war heroes use the number in the red. This hit number represents the number or less which must be rolled to get a hit. So if a unit rolls 12 dice and has a hit value of 3, count up all of the dice rolled with a 1, 2, or 3 on its face. Sixth, players determine the amount of damage a unit receives. Look at the damage tables of the unit that was hit on the unit mat. Some units have two hit rows. The one with a tree is used if the unit is in a forest hex. Otherwise use the other row. Find the number of hits or less and then look at the number in the damage row at the bottom. That shows how much damage that unit takes. Seventh, take one gray bead for each damage received and place it on the damage tracker on the unit’s miniature. If a unit ever has six or more damage, it is eliminated. Finally, if a unit inflicted damage on another unit, it receives an experience point. If the enemy was destroyed, two experience points are awarded. The color depends on the experience of the unit. Units get beads in this order, two white (XP 1 and 2), then two yellow (XP 3 and 4), and then finally one red (XP 5). The higher a unit’s experience, the more likely it will inflict more hits.
Money Transactions
During this phase, a player collects 1 coin for each factory they occupy. They can then use their coins to repair or purchase new units. To repair a unit, move the unit into a factory. It costs 2 coins to repair a unit. Place the 2 coins under the unit. Then at the start of your next turn, return the coins to the bank and then remove up to 3 damage markers from the unit. To purchase a new unit, pay the cost listed on the unit mat. New units can be placed on any of your empty occupied factories.
Occupying Factories
Controlling factories not only helps you get closer to victory, each fort also provides income each turn. In order to occupy a neutral or enemy fort, a player must move one of their infantry units onto a hex adjacent to factory’s hex. Then the following turn, it can enter and occupy the factory during the move troops phase. This means that it essentially takes two turns to occupy a factory. Move adjacent to the entrance on the first turn, and then occupy the factory on the second. Any enemy unit inside the factory is eliminated. The occupying player then places a flag token of their faction on top of the factory hex. It is important to note that the unit inside the factory does not get to shoot back because their is no combat in the normal sense. Therefore, if an enemy infantry unit moves adjacent to one of your factories, either eliminate that enemy or get your unit out on your turn before they occupy it. Note that units in a factory can attack, support an attack and be attacked.
Game End
The game ends immediately when one team wins by being the first to occupy 6 factories. For shorter games, players could set the victory condition at 5 factories at the start of the game.
Why You Should Play Aces and Armor
I first became aware 0f PKB Games when I reviewed one of their games that released earlier this year, Trench Club: Legacy. This took their original Trench Club and added a campaign to the game. When I learned about Aces and Armor, I expected the same game but with WWII units and factions. While there are some similarities in the two games, while Trench Club’s rules reflected the static warfare of WWI, the units and rules of Aces and Armor provide more dynamic gameplay than its predecessor. There are four factions in the game and each has six types of units. Each faction has two infantry units, one foot and one mounted or motorized. They also have one type of tank, an artillery unit, and two air units consisting of a fighter and a bomber. The two German faction, though they are from the same nation, have different units. While some of the units are similar across factions, each faction has at least one unique unit. The U.S. howitzer can attack units 5 spaces away, the longest of any unit. The Russian Katyusha rocket launcher attacks not only the unit in the target hex, but also in the six surrounding hexes. The German 8.8 Flak can attack aircraft. All of these differences can provide unique tactical opportunities for the players.
I really like the changes made to the rules to make the game more like WWII and less like WWI. The units can move farther and the interdiction rule is a great way to slow down the enemy. Placing a fighter plane along a road leading towards a factory is a great way to stop an enemy unit in its tracks. Then you can bring in your own units during your turn to attack it. That leads to the combined arms bonus which represents the blitzkrieg tactics used by the German army and the combined arms tactics of the U.S. Army. Being able to roll an additional 2 or 3 combat dice can make a difference in a battle. This rule rewards players who can maneuver their units and keep different types working together.
While the game can be played by four people, it can easily be played with three players, one of which controls two factions, or two players which is played on only half the map. Aces and Armor also included rules for solo play which can be converted for two-player cooperative games where the two players compete against two factions controlled by the rules. The solo game is fun and quick to play since the rules have priorities that the enemy units follow as to where to move and which unit to attack. There are also three missions you can choose to play instead of the standard skirmish game for any number of players.
PKB Games is known for their quality and this continues with Aces and Armor. The miniatures are detailed and sturdy and the coins for the money are made of metal rather than cardboard counters. The system for keeping track of damage and experience with the small, colored markers works great so you can see this information immediately and not need to keep track of it with counters on the board or on unit cards in front of the player. The art on the maps has some small details and the artwork on the faction unit mats is impressive. The box even includes a plastic organizer to keep all the game pieces stored neatly and ready for your next game. When you consider everything you get with this game, the price is a deal. Plus the free shipping means what you pledge is what you pay and don’t have to worry about getting charged more later by a pledge manager. For this game, shipping would easily be $15 to $20, so the free shipping makes pledging even more attractive.
I have enjoyed playing Aces and Armor. While the random setup and skirmish nature of the game is different from other WWII games, it provides different experiences each time you play and forces players to be creative with their tactics, especially if their units are scattered across the map. While playing a four-player game and being able to coordinate with your ally offers a fun and social experience, play solo or two players also provides for some quick, fun games. I like to play the solo game as an opportunity to try out the different factions and see how to use their units together. If you are looking for a fun WWII tabletop game with nice miniatures, easy to learn rules, and a fun random setup, then I recommend Aces and Armor.
For more information or to make a pledge, visit the Aces and Armor Kickstarter page!
Here is a trailer for the game.
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Disclosure: GeekDad received a copy of this game for review purposes.
