Overview

Blue Max is a multi-player board game of World War I aerial combat over the Western Front during 1917 and 1918, published by Game Designers’ Workshop (GDW) in 1983. Each player is a fighter pilot of the British, French, American, or German air service. Each game represents a single dogfight in which players attempt to shoot down as many enemy planes as possible without being shot down themselves.

Components

• Hexagonal game board representing an area of sky
• Aircraft record sheets for tracking damage and characteristics
• Maneuver charts for each aircraft type
• Aircraft counters
• Combat Results Table
• Dice
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Each player selects a nationality (British, French, American, or German) and chooses an aircraft type appropriate to that nationality and the chosen year (1917 or 1918).
2. Each player takes the corresponding aircraft record sheet and maneuver chart for their plane.
3. Players place their aircraft counters on the hex board at designated starting positions.
4. Determine altitude for each aircraft as specified in the scenario being played.

Turn Structure

Each turn is divided into phases that are resolved simultaneously for all players:

1. Planning Phase: Each player secretly selects their next maneuver from their aircraft’s maneuver chart by recording the maneuver code. The maneuver chart shows which maneuvers are available based on the aircraft’s current speed and the previous maneuver performed.
2. Movement Phase: All players simultaneously reveal their chosen maneuvers and move their aircraft counters on the hex board accordingly.
3. Combat Phase: Players whose aircraft are in firing position resolve attacks using the Combat Results Table.

Actions

Maneuvering:

• Players choose from available maneuvers on their aircraft’s maneuver chart each turn.
• Available maneuvers depend on the aircraft type, current speed, and the maneuver performed in the previous turn.
• Maneuvers include straight flight, turns of varying degrees, climbs, dives, sideslips, Immelmann turns, and other aerobatic moves.
• Altitude changes are tracked on the aircraft record sheet.

Firing:

• An aircraft may fire its machine guns at an enemy aircraft that is within its firing arc and range.
• A combat value is determined by adding together modifiers for range, deflection angle, target aspect, and other factors.
• The combat value is cross-indexed with a die roll on the Combat Results Table to determine hits.
• Damage is recorded on the target aircraft’s record sheet and may affect the aircraft’s speed, maneuverability, structural integrity, or pilot.

Fuel Management:

• Aircraft have limited fuel reserves tracked on the record sheet.
• Certain maneuvers consume more fuel than others.
• Running out of fuel forces the aircraft to glide and eventually land.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Players earn points for shooting down enemy aircraft. The pilot who accumulates the most aerial victories (kills) wins the game. A pilot whose aircraft is shot down or forced to land due to damage or fuel exhaustion is eliminated from the current dogfight.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Altitude: The rules account for altitude differences between aircraft, which affect combat and maneuvering. Aircraft at different altitudes cannot fire at each other unless within a specified altitude band.
• Aircraft Differences: Different aircraft types (e.g., Sopwith Camel, Fokker Dr.I, SPAD XIII, Albatros D.Va) have distinct maneuver charts reflecting their historical performance characteristics including speed, climb rate, and turning ability.
• Tailing: An aircraft directly behind an enemy at the same altitude gains a significant combat bonus.
• Simultaneous Resolution: Because movement and combat are resolved simultaneously, it is possible for two aircraft to shoot each other down in the same turn.
• Scenarios: The game includes multiple scenarios representing different dogfight situations from 1917 and 1918.

Player Reference

Aircraft Type	Nationality	Speed Range	Notes
Sopwith Camel	British	Variable	Highly maneuverable
SPAD XIII	French/American	Variable	Fast, less maneuverable
Fokker Dr.I	German	Variable	Excellent turn rate
Albatros D.Va	German	Variable	Good all-around

Turn Sequence:

1. Plan maneuver (secret)
2. Reveal and execute maneuvers (simultaneous)
3. Resolve combat (simultaneous)
4. Record damage and fuel usage