Undaunted: Battle of Britain review: Aerial combat handles like a dream

Combat flight simulation is a first-person game in video games. For decades, developers have focused on placing regular people in the cockpit of historic aircraft. It is the same with dogfighting game board such as Wings of War, Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game, and even Games Workshop’s spinoff Aeronautica Imperialis.

Battle of Britain UndauntedThe latest game by Osprey Games is a departure from the norm. The game simulates many of the technical details of World War II aerial warfare, but may not be easy to understand for people who don’t know much about WWII.

The following are some of the ways to get in touch with us Battle of Britain. Designers David Thompson & Trevor Benjamin have applied their award winning Unafraid The mechanics of the final air battle between the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Luftwaffe. It is different in two ways from other wargames. First, it’s a deck-building game, meaning that players must take strategic control over what cards they gather into their personal decks. Individual cards represent a singular unit on the battlefield — in this case, an airplane. The cards have multiple functions, including the activation of a particular unit. You can also find out more about the following: that unit’s hit points. This means that adding cards to your collection from any given unit will make it more resilient and powerful on the battlefield.

Image: Osprey Games

Battle of BritainTo make it even more interesting, the winning formula can be tweaked. That’s because airborne units must stay close together — within one hex — in order to retain their most powerful and synergistic abilities. This is done to mimic the use of radios and other communication methods to link ground support units with pilots during that time. The rulebook notes that this is to simulate the idea of radio and other forms of communications used by ground support units and pilots during the era.

The clever mechanic of this comms system does a fantastic job simulating historical air battles in Europe. Both sides must decide whether to combine efforts and attack high-value targets, or separate out for a wider area of destruction. It flips the script of air combat tabletop gaming, placing the emphasis on teamwork instead of individual exploits — and it does so brilliantly.

You can also contact us by clicking here. Battle of Britain doesn’t include the elaborate branching storyline or the persistence that made Unafraid: StalingradThis game is so unique that it includes 11 different missions, each covering a specific aspect of the war in the air. You’ll help evacuate the beaches at Dunkirk, fight off a brutal all-out attack on the Royal Air Force itself, and participate in the reviled London Blitz, which saw Nazi bombers attack both military and civilian targets in and around London. There’s no solo or cooperative mode, unfortunately. It’s strictly a two-player game, so someone is going to have to be the Germans.

Finaly, the document was lacking detail and context. That’ll leave it to old grognards like me to explain the finer points of the period aircraft and tactics in play. At least the 45-60 minute playtime means you won’t have to listen to me prattle on too much.

Battle of Britain UndauntedOnline retailers as well as your friendly local store carry this game.

Battle of Britain UndauntedOsprey Games provided a copy of the game for review. Vox Media maintains affiliate relationships. Vox Media earns commissions from affiliate products, although this doesn’t influence the editorial content. This is where you can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.