Dogfight

Async WW2 air combat with secret maneuver dials. Two squads, one tabletop, no pilots to spare.

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The maneuver dial open over a plane on the tabletop mat
Planning a move: every plane gets a secret dial, and you only see the maneuvers it can fly right now.

How it plays

Two squads of WW2 fighters meet over a tabletop mat. Every turn you secretly dial a maneuver for each plane, the moves play out in initiative order, and anyone with an enemy in their sights gets a shot.

  1. Setup. Each side places three clouds, then deploys its planes.
  2. Planning. Pick a secret dial and elevation for every plane. A stressed pilot loses their hard maneuvers.
  3. Movement. Lowest initiative moves first, and an unstressed plane can take an action afterward.
  4. Attack. Highest initiative fires first, if an enemy is in its arc, range and elevation.
  5. Repeat until one side has no planes left, or the clock runs out.

Fly under clouds at low elevation to stay clean, or hide behind them to blunt incoming fire. The side that spent fewer points on its squad gets first player: it places clouds first and wins initiative ties.

Build your squad

The squad builder showing a Spitfire Mk I with its stats and maneuver dial

Choose a nation (RAF, Luftwaffe, IJN / IJA or USA), hire pilots within a points budget and fit upgrades. Every plane has its own dial, stats and abilities, and your aces are one of a kind.

Squads save on your device and carry into every match.

Ways to play

  • Practice against a bot. A first match walks you through it.
  • Same device for two players taking turns.
  • Online with a friend through an invite link, or let others watch.
  • Works in the browser, on a phone held either way up.
Burning wrecks on the mat while a lone P-51 Mustang plans its next move
Turn 10: three Hayabusas down, and the last Mustang lines up its next move.

Where it came from

Dogfight comes from a love of X-Wing, the tabletop miniatures game: the template-based movement, the range bands, the secret dials and the action flow. It has its own WW2 setting and its own rules, and it isn't affiliated with any other game.

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