''Sopwith'' is a

board wargame A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board game, board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military ...

published by Gametime Games in 1978 that simulates aerial dogfights during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Description

''Dogfight'' is a wargame for two to six players in which each player controls an airplane and attempts to be the final survivor of six-way combat. The hexagonal hex grid board features the landscape of no man's land. Six different airplanes of the war are depicted on round counters. Tracks along the sides of the board are used to monitor damage and ammunition for each plane. Each player has a landing strip in one of the six corners of the board, where only the owning player's airplane can refuel and take on more ammunition. Before the game begins, a number of storm clouds are placed on the board, which diminish combat damage and can damage airplanes that fly into them. Storm clouds are moved randomly each turn.

Gameplay

Airplanes can move straight ahead, turn left or right, or sideslip, maintaining the same direction while moving sideways to the left or right. Each turn is divided into three segments. All players reveal their movement simultaneously for the entire turn, as well as whether they are firing. If an airplane is directly in front of a firing aircraft, a fixed amount of damage is done; the closer the target, the more damage is done. An airplane that runs out of damage points is destroyed. Airplanes can also fly off any edge of the board, removing themselves from combat. The final player on the board is the winner. After several victories, a player may earn the title of "ace". This allows the player to do more damage, as well as gaining the ability to complete more difficult maneuvers.

Publication history

''Sopwith'' was designed by David Dyer, and published by Gametime Games, a division of

Heritage Models Heritage Models was an American game company that produced role-playing games, metal miniatures, and game supplements. Wargaming and fantasy miniatures Heritage Models, a manufacturer of metal miniature wargaming soldiers, was founded by Jim Oden ...

, in 1978. The company went out of business in 1983, but by that time, ''Sopwith'' had become a popular play by mail (PBM) game, especially after a British wargamer named Tom Tweedy published a sub-zine within the pages of ''

Chimaera Chimaeras are Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous fish in the order (biology), order Chimaeriformes (), known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish (not to be confused with rattails), spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last two names are also applied to B ...

'' titled ''Dib Dib Dib'' that was dedicated to ''Sopwith'' as a PBM game. (Tweedy later published ''Dib Dib Dib'' as a standalone zine.) In 1985, David Dyer formed a new company, Gamer, in order to continue to publish ''Sopwith''. In 1987, Gamer published a revised second edition of ''Sopwith''.

Reception

In Issue 33 of the British wargaming magazine '' Perfidious Albion'', Charles Vasey and Geoffrey Barnard discussed the game. Vasey commented, "This is a very elegant piece of design work, of interest to anyone working on aircraft games. The plot method is fast, simple and effective. The available maneoeuvres handle the whole matter very well." Barnard agreed, replying, "This game is a masterpiece of simplicity, as it has almost no rules, is great fun and yet contains almost everything anyone but the most die-hard air-fanatic could possibly want from an air war game." Vasey concluded, "An excellent game for playing at a convention." Barnard concluded, "Massive congratulations to the designer ... this one will give hours and hours of good, clean fun." In ''Craft, Model, and Hobby Industry Magazine'', Rick Mataka noted, "''Sopwith'' is a simple boardgame simulation of tactical aerial combat during WWI ... it can be recommended to beginners." In the January 1985 issue of the British game magazine '' Imagine'', Brian Creese commented, "''Sopwith'' is, in many ways, an ideal game. Its rules are simple, and indeed the whole idea is very straightforward, and yet the resulting game is fiendishly difficult. There is also scope for many different styles of play." Creese pointed out that for PBM players, "By post it is an undemanding game. There is no pressure of time forcing you to make decisions, and you can analyse the various possible moves at your leisure." Given the excellence of the game, Creese was surprised that Gametime Games had gone out of business, noting, " It seems slightly astonishing, nevertheless, that a game whose popularity has increased dramatically over the past few years should have been unavailable during all that time."

References

{{reflist Aerial board wargames Heritage Models games Wargames introduced in 1978 World War I board wargames