Aeronautica Imperialis - If it has wings I will give it a go

So I split the starter set with Paul and ................

Ok getting ahead of myself. On the assumption that some of the "History Guys" here may not have heard, Games Workshop have just released a new version of their Warhammer 40k dogfight game Aeronautica Imperialis in the usual ridiculous high production quality. Given my current love affair with Blood Red Skies, I thought it would be worth a look. Steve at the shop (Asgard Wargames, highly recommended purveyor of gaming stuff) had a demo copy and said it was a bit like BRS with hexes and Orks, and he usually has a good eye for games. Then again, he was trying to sell me it so err.......Doh! he caught me again - Kerching!!

So anyway I picked it up. Production quality is excellent. There are 4 Imperial and 5 Ork models in the box. These are plastic kits - very detailed and flexible. They're not in the same scale as the original AI models released a few years ago by Forge World in case you were wondering - they're quite a bit bigger and will match the scale of Adeptus Titanicus. The game tokens are good quality and map sheet is again good quality paper - but I suspect that will be the first thing most players will replace. The map sheet itself is a 2" hex grid which is used for movement. The rules are a starter version - so just the basics, but the accompanying hardback Rynns World source book contains ground attack and campaign rules, plus stats for a couple of more Ork and Imperial plane variants.

Assembled and painted Orks - and yes I was still in Korean War mode hence the Squig 15

So is it like BRS with Orks ? Here Steve was wide of the mark, but then again he is mainly a GW guy so doesn't have the historical background so I'll forgive him. The rules seem quite "traditional", in fact it is clearly a "homage" to such 80s classics as Blue Max, with pre plotting and hex movement. Blue Max players will be right at home. Planes are restricted to a selection of fixed manoeuvres, so for instance an Ork Fighterbommer can choose between options 1-4 whereas an Imperial Thunderbolt can choose 1-6. The manoeuvres are a bit more flexible than in Blue Max - I suspect this is partly to do with there being fewer manoeuvres available and the diagrams giving both port and starboard options on the same manoeuvre. The other change is the higher speeds mean there is no manoeuvres that are limited to certain speeds unlike in BM, and instead there is a minimum distance between direction changes. It all works, which is good, and the balance between the forces is interesting - Imperials want to fight at mid to long range to make best use of their better tech, but the Orcs like to get in close and nasty - it's a nice touch.

Blue Max 

Aeronautica Imperialis

Having had a couple of games this familiarity with Blue Max is causing me some problems. I'm sure once I can mentally replace the GW terms with something more familiar I will be able to handle the manoeuvre options better, but at the moment my planes are often ending up a bit random in their end positions because I don't connect "swoop" with wing-over (or whatever) . Other than that it seems very straightforward and simple. And quite a bit of fun.

Squig 15 FTW!

The real issue for me with AI is Blood Red Skies does the chaotic dogfight so much better. If I had not played BRS I would have been quite happy with AI. There is just a better feel to the split second decision making that dogfights should be about. AI seems too planned, like someone is ordering a battleship to steer a course, predicting where an opponent may end up in a couple of minutes time,  BRS is the seat of the pants reacting to the enemy on a moment by moment basis. Also there is no tailing as such - you cant get on the tail of an opponent and follow him, but you do get a free shot, which is something. As it is, the whole pre plotting thing seems a bit retro, like flares and mullet haircuts.

I think AI will of course do well, and that GW will continue to turn out some great models. I'm certain to pick up the Ork Heavy Bommer and if Tau happen I may grab those too - I always have a weakness for Commies.

So all in all if you like your 40K this is going to be popular, but maybe if you fancy something a bit more representative and more seat of the pants than pre planning, grab a copy of Blood Red Skies and give WW2 a go.

Incidentally, the two games are connected. Andy Chambers wrote the first 40K aircraft game "Bommerz over da Sulfur River", and he also wrote Blood Red Skies - interesting factoid.