
2024Markus Geiger
Mainly reviews. Dockfighters: The Ale Wars is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 16 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 2 recorded sessions, 2 unboxings, and 8 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
We take you back to the year 1948, where the Second World War never happened, but the world has fallen apart. In what was Germany there are now a number of states, including Bavaria and Saxony. It is the golden age of the Planes and Zeppelins. People found it much easier to travel by air than on earth through all these splintered territories. Dockfighters comes complete with 14 magnetized aircraft and two giant airships in Dieselpunk style. Pilot experience is marked with colored rings, speed is shown by rotating discs at the hex bases and altitude is represented realistically by using magnetic height spacers. Take command of your own squadron and fly experimental aircraft nobody has ever flown before - including tiny "dockfighters" which can be "docked" on giant airships. The game comes with a Free Play competitive campaign system where each player can build their squadron through missions against any other player. You move your aircraft on a hex grid in different heights and with different speeds. Planes can be equipped with various weapons and your pilots will gather experience during each combat. Play solo or cooperate/compete with friends, in single missions or entire campaigns. -description from the designer
Dockfighters: The Ale Wars has 30 videos from 10 creators: 16 reviews, 2 how-to-play guides, 2 playthroughs, 2 unboxings and 8 other videos. They date from 2022 to April 2024.
To learn the rules, start with "DE 22:17 / 37:38 Dockfighters - How to Fly - in German" by 3DARTLAB, which runs 38 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "Previewing Dockfighters - amazing air battle, campaign-driven game!" by Weekly Game Night. 9 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "Dockfighters the Ale Wars: Playthrough Teil 1 - Bayern vs Sachsen - Mission Kampfpatrouille" by Herr der Spiele, one of 2 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Space Kraken, also by Markus Geiger, or Assault: Sicily '43 – Gela Beachhead, Lost Battles: Forty Battles & Campaigns of the Ancient World and The U.S. Civil War, which share several of its mechanics. It appears in convention videos from Spiel Essen 2023.
8 of 10
2025Wolfgang Klein, Erich Rankl
2 - 4 players60 - 180 minHeavy weight
2011Philip Sabin
1 - 4 players140 minHeavy weight
2015Mark Simonitch
2 players150 - 360 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
We take you back to the year 1948, where the Second World War never happened, but the world has fallen apart. In what was Germany there are now a number of states, including Bavaria and Saxony. It is the golden age of the Planes and Zeppelins. People found it much easier to travel by air than on earth through all these splintered territories. Dockfighters comes complete with 14 magnetized aircraft and two giant airships in Dieselpunk style. Pilot experience is marked with colored rings, speed is shown by rotating discs at the hex bases and altitude is represented realistically by using magnetic height spacers. Take command of your own squadron and fly experimental aircraft nobody has ever flown before - including tiny "dockfighters" which can be "docked" on giant airships. The game comes with a Free Play competitive campaign system where each player can build their squadron through missions against any other player. You move your aircraft on a hex grid in different heights and with different speeds. Planes can be equipped with various weapons and your pilots will gather experience during each combat. Play solo or cooperate/compete with friends, in single missions or entire campaigns. -description from the designer
Designer
Markus Geiger
Publisher
3DARTLAB
Categories
Mechanics