Masters of the air tells the story of the Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group, also known as the Bloody Hundredth, which used its fleet of B-17 heavy bombers to wreak havoc from the English Channel to Berlin during World War II. The nine-part Apple TV Plus miniseries, which airs its final episode on Friday, is basically everything baby Charlie (his nose pressed to the pages of obscure history books throughout high school) could ever hope for. But now that it’s over, I think I’ve found a way to extend the experience just a little bit further thanks B-17 Flying Fort Leaderan excellent solitaire board game from Dan Verssen Games.
Scoff if you will, but solitaire board games are hot right now and a vocal minority are making solo modes a highly desirable focus in almost every new crowdfunding campaign, regardless of platform. Dan Verssen Games has been active in the solo business for years, with games like Phantom Leader – Deluxe, which recreates some of the most interesting air-to-air and air-to-ground combat of the Vietnam War. And what’s so interesting about each of the titles is how the company uses the same set of simple, easy-to-manufacture components – namely playing cards and small, square cardboard cards – to create incredibly different experiences.
A game of B-17 Flying Fort Leader starts with the huge, 83 cm wide game board built to resemble the layout of the pre-flight briefings shown in Masters of the air. There you will place cards representing the target of the day, any secondary targets that might be an option for your crews, and the current lineup of enemy airbases that you will need to take into account along the way. From there, it’s a fairly simple process to launch your bombers, take on enemy fighters, smash through the anti-aircraft wall, and land your payload on the target – all with nothing more than a few cups filled with random counters and a some 10-sided death. The action is fast and decisive, making it feel like it’s equal parts roguelike and alternate history. In fact, it is an excellent companion for the history book of the same name by Donald L. Miller on which the Steven Spielberg-produced series was based.
You can complete a mission from B-17 Flying Fort Leader in about 30 minutes, but it’s the setup that really rewards your time at the table. Players must choose from one of 11 different campaigns, each with different objectives, restrictions and goal sets. You then build your bomber formation from the game’s many historical bomber groups, personified by cards featuring the Bloody Hundredth, the Memphis Belle, and others. More skilled versions of those crews cost more points, but they can reward you with improved effectiveness and special rules that can only be used once per mission. Choose a target, load the planes with an assortment of different munitions (including incendiaries and… bunker-busting ‘Disney’ bombs), and you’re off to the races.
Players can also plan the route their bombers take to the target, meaning that, with enough range in your tanks, you can even try to outwit Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe by taking strange routes, conducting diversionary attacks or simply explore ahead with a reconnaissance aircraft. . The game is extensive enough to even include the same kind of long-distance shuttle missions shown early on in the miniseries, including flights to North Africa and beyond. The planning aspect provides a powerful sandbox aspect to the game, giving players a taste of the difficult decisions the series’ narrator, Harry Crosby, must have had to consider during his time as a group navigator.
Dan Verssen Games offers a number of different solitaire experiences for fans from different theaters including Captain leader that should appeal to anyone who enjoyed 2022 Dedication starring Glen Powell. You can find them all on the website Dan Verssen Games website, online at places like Amazonor your friendly local game store.
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