The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Not since Earthdawn has FASA released an original product. They sure saved up for a doozy.

Set in an alternate 1930's with highly developed aircraft and Zepplins, Crimson Skies has a charming setting to fly in. Teh United States is split into regional countries and the rest of the world may be no better. FASA has picked a winner of a setting.

The rules are pretty straight forward, so far as airplane games go. After reviewing the rules, we did not have to do many rule checks. The back of the aircraft's sheet tells you what manuvers your aircraft may perform. Just follow it. Of course it is not JUST the air craft you have to fallback on.

Sure its a board game. But it just would not be like FASA to not have a role playing element in one of their products. But the pilot rules accually work. It makes two players in the identical aircraft quite different due to the pilot behind the stick. You can be a wiz at manuvers and quick on the draw, or maybe a dead eye and tough as nails. But that is certainly not the limit of choices, or what you r pilot must become as they accrue experience.

The game plays very simply and my group was playing a scenario inside of 15 minutes. Of course much of this was due to the fact that the game plays exactly like the old airplane games Blue Max and Top Gun. This is not a knock. As far as table top aircraft games go, these are two of the best.

The damage somewhat resembles Battletech in principal, but when played it has a more Car Wars feel. With a plastic template provided in the game, different guns deal out differing numbers and placements of boxes on the target aircraft. Then of course there are different ammo types, just to throw in a kink. Do you choose armor piercing hoping to nail internal components quickly? Or how about dum dum rounds to deal out damage over a wide, yet shallow area. better yet phosperous rounds...which burn baby burn (and rather bad for fuel tanks...BOOM). You just lay the template on the aircraft then fill in boxes: simple and fun.

The rule books are very well done and very campy. Set in a style of 1930's magazines, they convey the rules in an engaging manner. The maps could have been better, but for a basic game they worked well enough. The paper cut-out counters for planes look beautiful, until you punch them out. Serveral were not die cut well and all were not easily portable, nor sturdy. I for one am curious as to what the miniatures are going to look like.

In a time where gaming seems stagnant, Crimson Skies is a breath of fresh air.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Crimson Skies
Author: FASA Category: Miniatures Rules Company/Publisher: FASA Cost: $35.00 Page count: n/a Capsule Review by Wes Johnson on 02/07/99. Genre tags: Historical	Not since Earthdawn has FASA released an original product. They sure saved up for a doozy. Set in an alternate 1930's with highly developed aircraft and Zepplins, Crimson Skies has a charming setting to fly in. Teh United States is split into regional countries and the rest of the world may be no better. FASA has picked a winner of a setting. The rules are pretty straight forward, so far as airplane games go. After reviewing the rules, we did not have to do many rule checks. The back of the aircraft's sheet tells you what manuvers your aircraft may perform. Just follow it. Of course it is not JUST the air craft you have to fallback on. Sure its a board game. But it just would not be like FASA to not have a role playing element in one of their products. But the pilot rules accually work. It makes two players in the identical aircraft quite different due to the pilot behind the stick. You can be a wiz at manuvers and quick on the draw, or maybe a dead eye and tough as nails. But that is certainly not the limit of choices, or what you r pilot must become as they accrue experience. The game plays very simply and my group was playing a scenario inside of 15 minutes. Of course much of this was due to the fact that the game plays exactly like the old airplane games Blue Max and Top Gun. This is not a knock. As far as table top aircraft games go, these are two of the best. The damage somewhat resembles Battletech in principal, but when played it has a more Car Wars feel. With a plastic template provided in the game, different guns deal out differing numbers and placements of boxes on the target aircraft. Then of course there are different ammo types, just to throw in a kink. Do you choose armor piercing hoping to nail internal components quickly? Or how about dum dum rounds to deal out damage over a wide, yet shallow area. better yet phosperous rounds...which burn baby burn (and rather bad for fuel tanks...BOOM). You just lay the template on the aircraft then fill in boxes: simple and fun. The rule books are very well done and very campy. Set in a style of 1930's magazines, they convey the rules in an engaging manner. The maps could have been better, but for a basic game they worked well enough. The paper cut-out counters for planes look beautiful, until you punch them out. Serveral were not die cut well and all were not easily portable, nor sturdy. I for one am curious as to what the miniatures are going to look like. In a time where gaming seems stagnant, Crimson Skies is a breath of fresh air. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)