Crimson Skies

Air Action Complete Rules
This Is Crimson Skies: Air Action!
The year is 1937. Air pirates raid giant zeppelins that serve as the lifelines between the interdependent countries of the nowfractured North America. Air militias have formed in every nation to fight the piratesand each other. In this world, planes are faster, engines are bigger, guns are more powerful and the adventures are more lethal. These are the heady days of heroic air combat in the deadly crimson skies. Crimson Skies: Air Action is a fast-paced game of tabletop aerial combat played with collectable Crimson Skies figures. Each figure is painted, assembled, and ready to play! All the game information you need is contained on the base of the figure and within its unique combat dial. Some terms in these rules are printed in italics. These terms are described in the Crimson Skies: Air Action Glossary, p. 21.
Take a look at the pilot and his or her plane. Although the plane is important, its the pilot who makes the difference. Figures are uniquely identified by their pilots. In addition to the plane figure, youll notice all the game information on the base of the playing piece. You wont need any charts or tables to play the Crimson Skies: Air Action game. All the information you need is right on the base. Notice how the base moves. Click the base and youll see that the numbers in the L-shaped slot change. As your plane takes damage during the game, youll turn, or click, the combat dial clockwise to show damage. The new numbers are used to determine the success or failure of your maneuvers and attacks. See how some of the numbers appear in colored blocks? Those are skills of the pilot and equipment of the plane. Skills and equipment are the little things that give your pilots an edge over the competition or make one plane better than another in a certain category. Check out the Crimson Skies: Air Action Skills and Equipment Card to see what the colors mean. All skills and equipment are in effect as long as they appear in the stat slot. If a skill or equipment is marked as optional, it is in effect unless it is canceled. You may cancel one of your figures skills or equipment at any time, in which case it remains canceled until the end of the turn. At the beginning of the next turn, whether yours or your opponents, this optional effect reactivates. Youll also notice a spindle next to the L-shaped window. This is the speed dial. It tells you how fast your plane is going. It also provides other information, which will be described later. Just like the combat dial, the speed dial has colored squares on it indicating speed effects that limit the pilots abilities. The individual speed effects are described in detail on the Skills and Equipment Card. There are also other pieces of information on the base.

Pilot and Plane

Point Value

Collectors Number

Silhouette Front Range Rear Range Pilot Name
The base has seven combat values on it. Four of these values (the ones on the combat dial) can change during the game: maximum speed, front gunnery, rear gunnery, and piloting. The fifth, sixth, and seventh values are silhouette, front gunnery range, and rear gunnery range, which never change and are printed on the base. Each value appears next to its symbol.

Maximum Speed

Front Gunnery

Piloting

Squadron Symbol

Rear Gunnery

Current Speed

Front Gunnery effects

Rear Gunnery effects
Take a look at the spindle, or speed dial. There are times when a pilot needs to speed up or slow down to make the plane execute a maneuver. To increase a planes speed, click the speed dial counterclockwise; this is called throttling up. To decrease a planes speed, click the dial clockwise; this is called throttling down. The speed dial tells you how far your plane must move each turn and the effect the current speed will have on the pilots gunnery skills.
During the game, your success or failure rests in the capable hands of your planes pilots. A pilot check is used to see if your pilot is skilled or lucky enough to perform an assigned task. To make a pilot check, roll 2 six-sided dice, add them together, and compare the result to the piloting value shown on your planes combat dial. If the result is greater than or equal to the piloting value, the pilot check is successful. If the result is less than the planes piloting value, the pilot check is unsuccessful. The consequences of failing a pilot check range from minor to catastrophic. The reason for performing the check will dictate the consequences in each case.

Pilot Checks

Once all players have selected navigation cards for their active planes, its time to resolve the movement.

Movement

Starting with the aggressor, each player reveals his or her navigation cards and states the maneuvers his or her active pilots will perform. Before each active pilot may execute a maneuver, however, players must check the speed dials of their active planes to determine if there are any speed effects present or if the pilot is redlining the engine. If a speed effect occurs in the maximum speed location on the speed dial, resolve this effect as indicated in the speed effect description on the Skills and Equipment Card. Modify the active planes speed and take any necessary clicks of damage as indicated by the speed effect. Check an active planes current speed on the speed dial against the maximum speed on its combat dial. If a planes current speed exceeds its maximum speed, the pilot is redlining the engine. Make a pilot check for each pilot who is redlining the engine. If the check is successful, your pilot manages to maintain his or her current speed. If the pilot check is unsuccessful, give the plane 1 click of damage by turning the combat dial clockwise once, and turn the speed dial until the planes speed matches its maximum speed as listed on the planes combat dial.

Create a Squadron

All players in the game should agree on a build total for each players squadron. Build totals are always in multiples of 100 points. A standard Crimson Skies game is played with a build total of 200 points, so each player will have a 200-point squadron. Select planes that add up to, but do not exceed, the agreed-upon build total. You may not have two or more planes flown by the same pilot in your squadron. It is okay if one of your figures also appears in opposing squadrons during a game.

Hit the Skies!

Clear a 3 x 3 area to represent the wild blue yonder that you and your opponent will use for the engagement. Turn the combat dial of each of your planes until a green triangle shows between the rear gunnery value and the piloting value. This green triangle is your planes starting position. Each player rolls 2 six-sided dice. Reroll ties. The player with the highest roll is the first player. The first player places each of his or her planes on a movement marker no more than 3 away from his or her edge of the play area. After the first player is finished placing all of his or her planes, the player to his or her left does the same thing. Continue placing planes around the play area until all players have placed their planes. Place all your navigation cards and movement markers in a pile to one side. Youll use these to plan and execute your moves during the game. Crimson Skies is played in a series of turns. On each of your turns, youll get to do several things. Most of the time, you and your opponent will alternate actions, but sometimes youll both act at the same time. In this way, youre never far from the action!

Because this plane is trying to move faster than recommended, its pilot must make a pilot check for redlining the engine.
Lay out markers in order to execute the move.
The player with initiative is the aggressor for the turn. The aggressor sets the speeds of his or her planes first, places navigation cards next to his or her planes first, and shoots first. At the beginning of each turn, determine initiative by having each player roll 2 sixsided dice and add the results. Reroll ties. The player with the highest total has won initiative and is the aggressor.
Determine Initiative Set Throttle
Now set your speed. Speed determines which planes move first and which maneuvers your pilot can perform. At the start of the game, set the speed of each of your planes to any value on their speed dials. Rotate the speed dial until the speed you want is showing. This is the planes current speed. Once you start playing, you can safely throttle up or throttle down only one click each turn, so youll need to plan ahead. Managing your speed is one of the keys to victory! You may not turn the speed dial past the red line on the dial. You may make a pilot check to see if your pilot can throttle up or throttle down two clicks in a turn. If the pilot check succeeds, you may change the speed dial by two clicks. If the pilot check fails, the speed cannot be changed this turn, and give the plane 1 click of damage by turning the combat dial clockwise once. After all speeds have been set, resolve which planes move first by determining which planes are moving the fastest. To do this, start counting down from tenone number at a timeuntil a player announces that he or she has a plane set at the announced speed. Planes at the announced speed are active planes. All other planes are inactive planes. Players with one or more active planes then prepare to move those planes.
Once speeds have been checked, players move their active planes at the same time. Using movement markers, lay out your planes movement based on the flight path shown on its navigation card. Your plane will proceed to the point on the maneuver equal to its current speed. If your planes current speed is faster than the highest number shown on the flight path, your plane ends its movement on the highest number on the flight path. Place your plane on the final movement marker of its flight path and pick up the rest of the markers. During a move, if any part of one of your planes movement markers overhangs the boundary of the play area, the plane is considered to have left the engagement. Remove this plane from the game; it cannot reenter the game.

Collisions with Other Planes
While completing a maneuver, the movement markers of opposing planes are permitted to overlap. If two or more planes end their maneuvers with their final movement markers overlapping, however, a collision is possible. A plane can collide with other planes only once during a single maneuver. Planes in your squadron that share the same squadron symbol cannot collide with each other. If your plane completes its maneuver overlapping the final movement marker of an opposing plane, players make pilot checks for the overlapping planes. If a pilots check fails, give that plane 1 click of damage. If any pilot check is a critical failure (a roll with a total of 2), a serious collision has occurred. Give each plane involved in the collision 1 click of damage and see if any plane has been destroyed. If so, remove the destroyed plane from play. If not, give each plane another 1 click of damage, and check again to see if any are destroyed. Repeat this process until only one plane involved in the collision remains in play, or all planes involved in the collision are simultaneously destroyed with the same 1 click of damage. Once any collisions resolve, combat occurs.

Navigation

Now you need to plan your move. Take a look at your deck of navigation cards. Each player has his or her own deck. The twelve cards in the basic deck are two Cruises, two Glides, two Turns, two Tight Turns, one Snap Roll, one Side-Slip, one Wingover, and one Half Loop. If you are using one or more Ace planes with their own navigation cards (for example, Loyle Crawford or Charlotte Steele from Ace Pack 1), you may add to your basic deck two additional navigation cards corresponding to each of the Aces used in your squadron. Navigation cards show one or more flight paths, and represent maneuvers a plane can perform. Each increment of the flight path is represented by an octagon-shaped movement marker. When you move a plane, place movement markers on the play area in the sequence shown on the navigation card to complete your maneuver. The card you select for each turn is based on your pilots current speed. Your speed must equal or exceed the speed rating on the navigation card you select. The speed rating is shown on the navigation card beneath the symbol. Plan your move by selecting a navigation card and placing it pointing directly toward your plane, face down. For a card with multiple flight paths, place the card pointing to the left, right, or directly toward your plane to indicate the path you have chosen.

With his move planned out, this pilot is ready for action.

Combat

Each plane may take a shot once during a turn. After moving, check to see if an opposing plane is within range. If so, your pilot may take a shot. To determine if a target is within range of the front firing arc of your plane, check its range value. The range value is the number of movement markers at which your pilot can shoot an opposing target. Place a number of movement markers equal to the range of the plane within the firers weapon arc. If the markers overlap an opposing planes final movement marker, you may shoot at the target. If the markers overlap the movement marker of another plane besides the target, the shot is not blocked. A plane with a non-0 rear gunnery value has a rear gunner and weapons that can fire through the rear arc of the plane. An active plane with both non-0 front and non-0 rear gunnery values can take a shot with both weapons each turn. The player must choose which weapon to use for a shot

Firing Arcs

Front Arc Rear Arc
If you have more than one plane moving at the announced speed, select a navigation card for each plane. Each active plane must have its own navigation card. When a new speed is announced, reconstruct your deck by adding to it the navigation cards used for the previously announced speed.
Firing from behind and at point-blank range, this pilot gets a double bonus! Rear Arc
at a single target. When it is the players turn to take another shot, he or she may choose to take a shot with the weapon not already used this turn. The rear firing arc of a target plane is also used to determine if another plane gets a bonus to fire at it. If a plane is attacking a target plane from behind, and the entire movement marker of the firing plane is within the rear arc pattern of the target plane, add one attack die to the attack roll. Once all active planes have moved, the aggressor selects one of his or her active planes to take a shot at a single target. First, determine whether the active plane has any gunnery speed effects at the current speed. If it does, resolve this speed effect as indicated in the speed effect description on the Skills and Equipment Card. Modify your gunnery value and the targets silhouette value if necessary, as indicated in the speed effect.
Each of your friendly planes that remains on the play area at the end of the game is worth a number of victory points to you equal to the planes point values. If all of your figures are Shaken, however, add no points. To summarize, your victory point total = (shot down opposing plane points times 2)+ (enemy planes removed from play) + (remaining friendly plane points). If the victory point totals of two or more players tie, the winner is the player who shot down the most planes. If this total is tied as well, the winner is the player who built his or her squadron with the fewest build points. If this total is also tied, roll a six-sided die to determine who wins. After the game, all players retrieve their planes.

Disengaging

During your turn, before the game ends, you may flee the sky. Some call this disengaging. Real pilots use less-friendly words. You must announce that you are disengaging. When disengaging, all your remaining planes must fly off the play area. None of your pilots may take a shot when disengaging. When moving your planes, you may choose only Cruise or Glide navigation cards. Once all your planes have left the play area, the game ends. Score victory points as normal for a game in which you disengage. Remember, you score no points for friendly planes remaining in the play area if you end the game by disengaging.
To resolve a shot, roll a number of attack dice equal to your pilots gunnery skill modified by his or her gunnery effects on the speed dial. If your target is within one movement marker of the firing plane, reduce the targets silhouette value by 1. If your targets modified silhouette value is greater than 6, its silhouette is considered to be 6. If an attack die result is greater than or equal to Being lucky is the modified silhouette value of the target plane, you got a hit! Your better than being opponent must click the targets combat dial clockwise once for each hit. good. A near-perfect shot dishes out 3 When three bullet hole symbols appear on a planes combat dial, clicks of damage to stop applying hits to it. This plane has been shot down. Remove it from the enemy target. the game. Some planes have special weapons and ammo. Check the Crimson Skies Skills and Equipment Card for these additional special effects. Continue resolving attacks one plane at a time clockwise among players until every active plane has fired or passed the opportunity to fire. Once combat is resolved for the active planes, continue play by announcing the next lowest speed value. Reconstruct your deck, place navigation cards, move active planes, resolve any collisions, and take shots for these active planes before proceeding to the next speed value. Once all planes have had the chance to move and fire, the turn is over. Determine initiative, and all players set their pilots speeds for the next turn as previously described under Set Throttle.

Target

Using Crimson Skies: Aces Characters in the Crimson Skies: Air Action Game
The Aces from the Crimson Skies: Aces game can be used when playing Crimson SkiesAir Action. A plane flown by an Ace is even more powerful than before! If using Aces in a game, the build total for each players squadron should be at least 300 points. If your squadron contains a plane that has a corresponding Ace figure, you may use the Ace as a pilot of his or her plane. When selecting your squadron, count the point value of the Ace figure in addition to the point value of his or her plane. During the game, keep your Ace figure off the play area but close by in order to refer to its combat dial. In Crimson Skies: Air Action, only the attack value and fate value on the combat dial of the Ace is used. Talents and abilities listed on the Ace combat dial do not apply.

Attack Value Fate Value

Your character is destined for greatness. The fate value of your Ace indicates how important he or she is or just how lucky he or she is. Using fate can save your Aces skin, but its not free.
In Crimson Skies, planes can battle each other high above the clouds or get down and dirty close to the deck! Wherever you choose to conduct your dogfights, there may be large objects you must avoid running into, called obstacles. Some examples of obstacles are buildings, mountains, and zeppelins. The use of obstacles is optional and must be agreed upon by all players. Obstacles block a plane from taking a shot at a target. If a movement marker overlaps an obstacle when determining range to a target, then the shot is blocked and may not be made. A collision with an obstacle means destruction for all but the most talented pilots. A plane has collided with an obstacle when one of its movement markers overlaps an obstacle at any time during a maneuver. If a collision occurs with an obstacle, stop the maneuver and resolve the collision. To resolve the collision, make a pilot check for the colliding plane. If the pilot check is successful, the plane takes 1 click of damage. If the pilot check is unsuccessful, the plane takes clicks of damage equal to its current speed. If the plane is not destroyed, rotate its last movement marker 180 degrees and slide the marker forward such that it is no longer overlapping the obstacle. Reduce the planes current speed by 1, and its maneuver is over.

Obstacles

Fate may be used either offensively or defensively. At the end of an action in which you use fate, click the combat dial of your Ace clockwise once. Each Ace can use fate only once per turn. To use fate offensively, declare that you are using fate prior to taking a shot. Add a number of attack dice to the roll equal to your Aces fate value. For example, Loyle Crawford takes a shot against a plane with a silhouette value of 5. Loyle decides that its very important that he hits, and hits well. His attack value is 3 and his fate value is 3, so he rolls six dice and counts his hits normally. After resolving the shot, click Loyles Ace combat dial clockwise one click for using fate. To use fate defensively, declare that youre using fate after the shot on your Aces plane has been rolled. Your Aces fate value must be greater than 0 to use fate defensively. Fate prevents all hits unless the hit rolled is a natural six. Using fate cannot prevent taking a natural six hit. At the end of the action in which fate is used, click the combat dial of your Ace clockwise once. For example, Charlie Steeles plane has a silhouette value of 4. Her opponent takes a shot at her, rolling 4, 4, 5, and 6 for a total of four hits! Instead of taking all these hits, Charlie uses her fate value of 2 defensively to prevent three of the hits; the 6 hit cannot be prevented by fate. Charlie clicks her planes combat dial clockwise one click. After the action is resolved, Charlies Ace combat dial is clicked clockwise once for using fate. Fate can also be used defensively to allow an Ace to avoid a serious collision. If your Ace is involved in a collision in which any pilot rolls a critical failure on his or her pilot check, you can use fate to have the Ace avoid all collision damage to his or her plane. If only two planes were involved in the collision, the collision is completely avoided. Otherwise, determine damage to the other planes as normal. If an Ace has a fate value of 0, he or she may still use fate offensively. Doing so will have no effect on the number of dice rolled, but you still give the Aces combat dial a clockwise click. In this manner, you can get your Ace to a point on the dial where his or her fate value is greater than 0.

Ending the Game

The game ends when any of the following conditions is met: 1. Only one player still has pilots on the play area. Pilots with the Shaken skill showing do not count for this purpose; OR 2. A predetermined time limit for the game is reached; OR 3. All remaining players agree to end the game.

Victory!

At the end of the game, all players tally their victory points. Whoever scores the most victory points wins the game. Here is how you score victory points. Each opposing plane that is shot down by a shot from one of your pilots is worth a number of victory points to you equal to twice the opposing planes point value. These points are scored as soon as a plane is shot down. Each opposing plane that is removed from the play area by another means (moving off of the play area, collisions, failed speed effects, for instance) is worth a number of victory points to you equal to the planes point value.

Performing a Daring Feat

An Ace figure may have an opportunity to perform a daring feat. Daring feats range from the mundane (pulling a handgun from a flight jacket and taking a shot at a nearby plane) to the extraordinary (wing walking and throwing an enemy pilot from his or her plane). After making a move, if an Aces final movement marker is overlapping the final movement marker of an opposing plane and there is no collision, the Ace can attempt a daring feat. To attempt a daring feat, roll 2 six-sided dice and add the Aces attack value.
Compare the total result to the Daring Feat table below to determine the outcome.
The pilots experience level will affect his or her chance of successfully bailing out. Apply the following modifiers to bail out rolls made by pilots at the following levels: Veteran and Ace pilots: add 1 Double Ace pilot: add 2 Legend pilot: add 3

Daring Feat Table

You may choose to have your pilot perform a final heroic act as he or she bails out. These acts make bailing out more difficult, but gain experience points for the pilot if the bail out is successful. Before making a bail out roll, a pilot may choose any one of the following heroic acts to perform: Grabbing one memento: add 1 to the bail out value and gain 25 experience points if successful. Grabbing two mementos: add 2 to the bail out value and gain 50 experience points if successful. Piloting the plane to a safe crash site: add 3 to the bail out value and gain 100 experience points if successful.

Heroic Acts

Crimson Skies can be played in a Campaign setting that allows pilots to gain experience and increase in skill. Even when their planes are shot down, pilots can attempt to bail out and survive to fly another day! Check out our website at www.wizkidsgames.com for exciting scenarios depicting Campaign play. All Crimson Skies planes can be played at multiple experience levels. To start a Campaign, begin with a squadron of planes, with each pilot at the Rookie experience level.
Playing a Crimson Skies: Air Action Campaign

Crimson Skies Etiquette

Miniatures games lack the restricted environments of board games and card games. This is good because you can use your imagination to develop unique strategies and formations. On the other hand, situations may arise that are not covered by these rules. While we have attempted to write explicit rules, players will eventually disagree about who can do what. To avoid or resolve arguments, we suggest the following points of etiquette. 1. Players should never spin combat or speed dials during the game unless planes take clicks of damage or are throttled up or down or fate is used. At those times, players should click the dials only the required number of times in the proper direction. In other words, dont click through dials just to see whats coming up. Players should spin only their own units combat or speed dialsnever someone elses, unless asked to do so. 2. A planes movement marker serves to note the planes location on the play area at all times. You will constantly be picking up your planes during a game to adjust their combat dials and execute moves. Be diligent in avoiding nudging movement markers when returning planes to their correct locations. 3. When planning a move, do not lay out movement markers to determine if a particular maneuver is possible. After all, real pilots must make snap decisions in combat. In the spirit of the game, judge the best maneuver based solely on the diagram on the navigation card and give it a go! 4. Ambiguous situations will arise. For example, a shot may or may not nick a target planes movement marker. Players will reasonably disagree in situations like these. In all such instances, roll one six-sided die. On a 1, 2, or 3, the order is not allowed; on a 4, 5, or 6, the order is allowed.

Experience Multiplier

Gaining Experience
In addition to the normal victory conditions in Crimson Skies: Air Action, pilots in a Campaign game gain experience for their heroic activities in the game. Pilots collect experience for shooting down enemy planes, surviving serious collisions, performing daring feats, and successfully bailing out. Gaining experience allows pilots to acquire new skills and better equipment for their planes. These features are depicted on the combat dials of the planes. For a pilot to advance to the next level, he or she must accumulate experience equal to one hundred times the value of the pilots experience multiplier. For example, a Veteran needs to accumulate 400 experience points (experience multiplier of 4 times 100) to advance to Ace. Record and accumulate experience for each game the pilot participates in. Pilots gain experience points as follows: Each enemy plane that is shot down by the pilots shot earns 100 experience points. Successfully bailing out earns 25 experience points. Remaining on the play area at the end of a game and winning the game earns 25 experience points. Performing a Winged Em daring feat earns 10 experience points. Performing a Timely Distraction daring feat earns 15 experience points. Performing an Enjoy the Ride daring feat earns 50 experience points, plus 100 points as if the commandeered plane were shot down.

Bailing Out

Even when his or her plane has taken a beating, a Crimson Skies pilot can still attempt to bail out in order survive and continue participating in future Campaign games. When a plane is shot down in a Campaign game, the extent of the planes destruction dictates how difficult it is to successfully bail out. Every click of the combat dial that shows three bullet holes has a corresponding bail out value. If three bullet holes appear in the stat slot of a plane in a Campaign game, continue assigning clockwise clicks to the target plane until all hits have been assigned or until the black structural limit line appears on the combat dial of the plane. The pilot of the plane that is shot down gets a chance to bail out. To bail out, roll 2 six-sided dice and compare the total to the pilots bail out value. If the result is greater than or equal to the bail out value, the pilot has successfully bailed out of his or her plane and survives the battle. Otherwise, the pilot perishes in a burning wreck. Do not continue accumulating experience for this pilot.

Structural Limit Line

Bail Out Value
active plane: a plane with a current speed equal to the announced speed. aggressor: the player who sets his or her current speed first, places his or her navigation cards next to his or her planes first, and who shoots first. bail out: a pilots attempt to survive when his or her plane is shot down in a Campaign game. basic deck: the twelve navigation cards required for each player in a Crimson Skies: Air Action game, namely two Cruises, two Glides, two Turns, two Tight Turns, one Snap Roll, one Side-Slip, one Wingover, and one Half Loop. build total: the limit of the point value of a squadron. This limit can be equaled but not exceeded. click: a clockwise spin of the combat dial or speed dial resulting in a single audible sound. combat dial: the rotating disc under a units base containing variable combat values. current speed: the speed value of a plane used for moving this turn. daring feat: an action performed by an Ace when the movement marker of his or her plane is overlapping the movement marker of an opposing plane. experience multiplier: the value used to determine the amount of experience a pilot needs to accumulate to advance to the next level. heroic act: a final deed performed by a pilot after his or her plane is shot down. inactive plane: a plane with a current speed not equal to the announced speed. movement marker: an octagon-shaped token used to perform maneuvers and to indicate the location of a plane on the play area. navigation card: a card showing a specific maneuver a pilot can perform. natural six: a result of 6 on a single die roll. obstacles: large objects such as buildings, mountains, and zeppelins that limit movement and combat on the play area. pilot check: a dice roll compared against the piloting value of the pilot to determine the success or failure of an event. shot down: a condition under which a plane is eliminated and removed from the play area. speed dial: the rotating spindle on top of a planes base. speed effect: a modifier to a planes performance due to excessive speed. squadron: a group of planes used by a player in a game of Crimson Skies: Air Action. starting position: the combat dial location where each unit begins the game, identified by a green triangle that appears in the stat slot between the rear gunnery and piloting values. structural limit line: a line on the combat dial indicating the planes capacity for damage. throttling down: decreasing the speed of a plane, indicated by clicking the speed dial of a plane clockwise. throttling up: increasing the speed dial of a plane, indicated by clicking the speed dial of a plane counterclockwise.
Crimson Skies: Air Action Glossary

Crimson Skies

Aces Complete Rules
This Is Crimson Skies: Aces! Aces and Character Tokens
Crimson Skies: Aces is a fast-paced game set in a time of planes, air pirates, and heroic adventure. In this game, you play the Aces and other characters who fill this aviation-dominated world, and you and your opponent take turns moving and attacking. Some terms in these rules are printed in italics. These terms are described in the Glossary for Crimson Skies: Aces, p. 21.
Take a look at an Ace playing piece. In addition to the figure itself, youll notice all the game information on its base. You wont need any charts or tables to play Crimson Skies: Aces. All the information you need is right on each figures base. Notice how the base moves. Click the base and the numbers in the L-shaped slot will change. As your Ace takes damage during a fight, youll turn, or click, the combat dial clockwise to show damage. The new numbers are used to determine the success or failure of your attacks and defenses. See how some of the numbers appear in colored blocks? Those are the talents and abilities of the Ace. Talents and abilities are the little things that give your characters an edge over the competition, or that make one better than another in some way. Check out the Talents and Abilities Card to see what the colors mean. There are also other pieces of information on the base. Point Value Squadron Symbol Speed Attack Collectors Number Range Ace Name Defense Starting Position Range (Pistols represent the number of ranged attacks.)

Stat Slot

The base has five combat values on it. Four of these values (the ones on the combat dial), can change during the game: speed, attack, defense, and fate. The fifth value, range, never changes and is printed on the base. Each value appears next to its symbol.
Before beginning play, each player must recruit a team. Once this is done, the players hit the deck by choosing a map and setting up their characters.

Characters and Setting

Aces vs. Character Tokens
When recruiting a team, youll notice that the point values of Aces are far more expensive than that of character tokens. This is because Aces have a combat dial that goes beyond just a single click. Character tokens have only one click, and are easily removed from the board despite some of their abilities. Aces allow you to have characters that will be on the board for a while, whereas character tokens allow you to swarm an opponent. Your recruiting strategy will influence how you play.

Recruitment

Each player creates a team by choosing up to 100 points of characters. Each Ace and character token has a point value listed on it. Add together your characters point values until you reach 100 pointsor as close as you can get without exceeding 100 points. This is called your build total. Recruiting your team can be as simple as choosing two Aces or adding together a mob of weaker character tokensor a combination of the two. The only limitation is that only one of any particular Ace may be on any one team. Two Aces may be on the same team, but they must be different Aces. The same Ace may appear more than once in a game, though only once per team. For example, Kim is recruiting a team. First she decides to use an Ace, Charlie. After that, she chooses 51 points of character tokens in order to add some variety to her team. She looks over the character tokens and chooses the Vigilante (11 points), the Sergeant (10 points), the Tail Gunner (9 points), the Soldier (8 points), the Trusty Sidekick (7 points), and the Ruffian (6 points). With exactly 100 points, she has plenty of characters to use throughout the game.

Hit the Deck!

Pull out the map included with these rules. Each side represents a location you and your opponent will use for your encounters. Each map includes an airfield bar and a zeppelin deck. Each player rolls two dice and adds the results. Reroll any ties. Whoever rolls the highest result is the first player. The first player chooses the map you will use to play. The next player to the left chooses which starting area he or she will use. The starting area for each player is along the narrow edge of the map. The starting areas extend three squares away from both ends of the map and at least two squares away from the edges. See the image on this page that highlights the starting areas. Starting Area Guidelines Turn your Aces combat dial until a green triangle shows between the defense value and the fate value. This green triangle is your Aces starting position. Character tokens are automatically in starting position because they have only one set of combat values. The first player places each of his or her team members in his or her starting area, followed by the next player to the left. Continue around the table until everyone has placed their characters. Scenarios are short plots that provide a goal other than having characters simply beat the tar out of each other. Scenarios may outline which characters should be used as well as which map to use and how the characters should be placed on the board. Find sample scenarios at www.wizkidsgames.com.

Turns and Actions

Give an action to one of your characters every turn. You may not give an action to the same character two turns in a row. If you have only one character left on the map, you must pass the round after taking an action. Beginning with the first player, and proceeding to the left, each player may give an action to one of his or her characters. With this action, the player may move one of his or her characters and attack with that character. The player currently taking a turn is called the aggressor. During his or her turn, the aggressor may assign a single action to one character he or she controls. The following are the options available to the character: Move up to its speed value. Move up to its speed value and make a ranged or close combat attack. Use Second Wind (see the Talents and Abilities Card). Escape: A character that successfully escapes may be given another action that turn, as normal. You may give this action only to a captured character. Pass: This character neither moves nor makes an attack.

Once youve resolved your action, the turn passes to the next player to the left. Play proceeds with each player taking a turn and assigning an action to one of his or her characters.

Important Game Concepts

Characters
Before describing all of the actions outlined under Turns and Actions it is important to understand some concepts that will be used , throughout the game.
Character and characters are terms used to refer to any Ace or character token.
Friendly characters are Aces or character tokens that you control in the game, or figures that are controlled by a teammate. Enemy characters are any Aces or character tokens controlled by an opponent.
Friendly and Enemy Characters

Adjacent Squares

Adjacent squares are all the squares on the map that touch one particular center square. If there are no terrain features in any of the squares, this means that a center square has eight adjacent squares (unless the square in question is on the edge of the map). Characters occupying adjacent squares are adjacent to each other. Characters on opposite sides of blocking terrain are not adjacent.

Talents and Abilities

Look at a characters combat values. Some of them are in colored squares. These colored squares are keyed to the combat value printed in them, and represent a characters special ability. Abilities come and go as an Ace takes clicks of damage and healing. The Talents and Abilities Card describes every ability. Talents and abilities may be used as long as they appear in a characters stat slot. If an ability is described as optional on the Talents and Abilities Card, the controlling player determines whether the ability is being used on any particular turn.

X = Adjacent Square

Movement
Your characters current speed value is shown in its stat slot. This is the maximum number of squares you may move your character when you give it an action. Moving zero squares is a valid move. You may move a character in any direction you want, as long as you follow the rules regarding terrain and characters. A character can move through a square occupied by a friendly character, but cannot move through a square occupied by an enemy character. Characters must end their moves if they enter a square adjacent to an opposing character. If a character moves so that it would end its movement in the same square as another character, that character must instead end its move before entering the occupied square.
Show-stopper successfully breaks away from Charlie Steele and can move in any direction.
If a character is adjacent to one or more enemy characters, and you want to move that character away, you must make a break away roll. Give the character an action, then roll 1 six-sided die. On a result of 1, 2, or 3, the character fails to break away and may not move, though he or she may still attack, if possible. On a result of 4, 5, or 6, the character succeeds in breaking away and may move away. A character that successfully breaks away may make an attack after completing its movement. Only one successful break away roll is needed for a character to break away from all adjacent enemy characters. Once a character has broken away, it may move through squares adjacent to every enemy character from which it made the break away roll. If your character enters a square adjacent to any new enemy characters, however, it must end its move as normal.

Breaking Away

Show-stopper Clear Line of Fire
Characters can take two kinds of combat actions: ranged combat and close combat. Each character may make either a ranged combat or close combat attack once during a turn in which it has been given an action. Move your character if you choose to. After moving your character, check to see if an enemy character is adjacent to the character or within range. If an enemy character is an adjacent character, your character can make a close combat attack. If an enemy figure is within range, your character may make a ranged combat attack. A character may not target a friendly character with a damaging attack. In addition, a character may not target itself with an attack.

Combat

Charlie

Ranged Combat

To determine if a target is within range of your character, check your characters range value. The range value is the number of squares away from which your character can shoot an enemy character. If the range value is greater than 0 and your character is not adjacent to any enemy character, then the character may make a ranged combat attack. A character can attack in any direction, regardless of the direction it is facing.
Genghis Charlie has a clear line of fire (solid line) and is within range of Show-stopper (shaded squares). The wall blocks Charlies line of fire (dashed line) to Genghis.
Before making a ranged combat attack, you must determine if the attacker has a clear line of fire to the target and if the target is within range. To determine if there is a clear line of fire, draw an imaginary line from the center of the attackers square to the center of the targets square. The line of fire is blocked and the attack cannot be made if the line passes through a square that contains a character other than the attacker or the target character, or if the line of fire crosses blocking terrain. If the attacker has a clear line of fire, count the shortest route to the target in squares using the imaginary line as a guide.
Do not count the square the attacker is standing in for purposes of determining range. You may check distance and line of fire to a target before declaring your characters action for that turn. You may use a ranged combat attack to target an enemy figure that is adjacent to a friendly character. If your character has more than one pistol printed next to its range value, it is able to affect two or more targets with a single ranged combat attack. The number of pistols is the maximum number of different targets your character may affect with a ranged combat attack. You must be able to draw an unblocked line of fire to each target. A character may never target the same figure more than once during a ranged combat attack.

Targeting Multiple Enemies

Genghis

4 Show-stopper

Close Combat

Close combat represents fisticuffs and melee weapon attacks. Your character must be adjacent to an enemy character in order to perform a close combat attack.

Resolving an Attack

Tim gives Charlie an action and makes a ranged combat attack. If Charlie had two pistols next to her range value, Tim could target two enemy characters within Charlies range, because he can draw a clear line of fire to both targets. Charlie has an attack value of 3. Tim rolls 3 sixsided dice, with results of 2, 3, and 5. Tim assigns a 5 to Show-stopper so that he takes one hit. Neither the 2 nor the 3 hits Genghis.
To resolve an attack, roll a number of dice equal to your characters attack value modified by any talents and abilities. If a targets defense value would be greater than 6, its defense value is considered to be 6. Each die that is greater than or equal to the modified defense of the target is a hit. Your opponent must click the targets combat dial clockwise once for each time it is hit. When three KO symbols appear on a characters combat dial, the character has been knocked out and should be removed from the game. If a character token takes a single click of damage after any talents and abilities are applied, then it should be removed from the game. When a character makes a ranged combat attack against multiple targets, resolve the attack normally, but then assign a die to each one of the target characters. Each target successfully hit by its assigned die takes 1 click of damage. The target of a multiple attack may never take more than 1 click of damage from that attack. Once combat is resolved for the active character, the turn passes to the next player.

Capturing

You may use a close combat attack to capture an enemy character instead of damaging it. You must declare a capture attempt before rolling the close combat attack dice. When you make a capture attempt, your characters attack value is reduced by 2, so you roll two fewer dice than normal. Resolve the attack normally; if you hit with any of the dice, the attacking character captures the target figure, but does not damage it. A captured figure is called a captive. A captive may be given only pass or escape actions. A character may have only one captive under its control at any one time. Show this by keeping the two characters adjacent at all times. No characterfriendly or enemymay target a captive for any purpose. A captive never takes damage from any source, though a captives combat dial is still turned once clockwise each time that character uses fate. A captive always moves with its controlling character, using the lower of their two speed values. The controlling character may use its speed talents and abilities (if any) for both figures. The player of the controlling character always determines the captives location. The controlling character may only move or passit may not attack. The controlling character may not be the target of an enemys capture attempt or ranged combat attack, though it may be the target of a close combat attack, as normal. If a character with a captive is eliminated, the captive is no considered captured and may act normally. If a character is captive at the end of the game, it is worth more victory points.

Escaping

A captive may be given an escape action. When an escape attempt is made, the captive and the controlling character each roll a number of dice equal to their attack values. For each character, count the number of dice that are greater than or equal to the defense value of the other character. If the captive has a greater number of hits than the controlling character, it escapes. A captive that successfully escapes may be given another action on the turn it escapes.
Your character is destined for greatness. The fate value of your Ace indicates how important he or she is or just how lucky he or she is. Using fate can save your Aces skin, but its not free. Character tokens cannot use fate. Fate may be used either offensively or defensively. At the end of an action in which you use fate, click the combat dial of your Ace clockwise once. Each Ace can use fate only once per turn. To use fate offensively, declare that you are using fate prior to taking a shot. Add a number of attack dice to the roll equal to your Aces fate value. For example, Louis Wild Card Thibodeaux is making an attack against a character with a defense value of 5. Louis decides that its very important that he hits, and hits well. His attack value is 3 and his fate value is 2, so he rolls five dice and counts the hits normally. After resolving the attack, click Louis combat dial once clockwise for using fate. If Louis had used Old One-Two to attack twice, he could have used fate twice to add dice to both attacks. At the end of the turn, his controller would have clicked his base twice clockwise.
During an escape attempt, fate may be used only offensively. To use fate defensively, declare that youre using fate after the results of an enemy characters attack on your Ace are known. The Aces fate value must be greater than 0. If it is, fate prevents all hits unless the hit rolled is a natural six. Using fate cannot prevent taking a natural six hit. At the end of the action in which fate is used, click the combat dial of your Ace clockwise once. For example, Charlie Steele has a defense value of 4. Her opponent rolled 4, 4, 5, and 6. Normally she would take 4 clicks of damage. But she has a fate value of 2, and uses fate to negate the hits that resulted from the 4, 4, and 5. She cant do anything about the hit that resulted from the 6. After the attack, Charlies combat dial is clicked once for the hit and once for the use of fate. Using fate defensively against a capture attempt works the same way as outlined aboveany hits except a natural six are negated. If the number of hits is reduced to zero or lower, the capture attempt fails. If an Ace has a fate value of 0, he or she may still use fate offensively. Doing so will have no effect on the number of dice rolled, but you still give the Aces combat dial a clockwise click. In this manner, you can get your Ace to a point on the dial where his or her fate value is greater than 0. Character tokens may not use fate, but they may have fate talents and abilities.

Terrain

Terrain is any object, wall, or feature on a map. There are three types of terrain. (Examples of these are found on p. 20.)

Clear Terrain

Clear terrain is open space with no objects or obstructions. Characters can move and fire through clear terrain without penalty to speed or attack values.

Hindering Terrain

Hindering terrain is any feature made of thin lines. Hindering terrain includes items such as furniture, plants, and planes. A character that enters hindering terrain in which it did not begin the turn must end its movement. If a character begins a turn in hindering terrain, reduce its speed by half (round up). A line of fire between two characters that passes through any square or squares containing hindering terrain, including the square the target occupies, adds 1 to the targets defense value. This hindering terrain modifier is added only once, regardless of the number of squares of hindering terrain the line of fire passes through. If an attacker is in a square of hindering terrain, and its the only square of hindering terrain between the attacker and the target, however, the target does not get a bonus to its defense value. Close combat attacks are not subject to the hindering terrain modifier.

Blocking Terrain

Straight Diagonal
Blocking terrain is any feature on the map that is made of, or outlined by, thick lines. Blocking terrain includes items such as walls and crates. Blocking terrain blocks any line of fire drawn through it. Characters cannot move into or through blocking terrain. Blocking terrain does not block movement or any line of fire that is on a straight diagonal. Characters on opposite sides of blocking terrain are not adjacent, may not make close combat actions against each other, and do not need to make break away roll.

Show-stopper

Withdrawing
During your turn, before the game ends, you may flee. This is called withdrawing, and it happens automatically. Simply declare that your team is withdrawing. If you withdraw, score victory points as normal (see Victory!, below), except that you score no points for friendly characters remaining in play.
Charlie Charlie may draw a straight line of fire to Show-stopper on a diagonal. This shot does not cross hindering terrain or blocking terrain because it is a straight diagonal.

Ending the Game

The game ends when any of the following conditions is met: 1. Only one player still has characters on the map; OR 2. A predetermined time limit for the game is reached; OR 3. All remaining players agree to end the game.

Victory!

At the end of the game, all players tally their victory points. Whoever scores the most victory points wins the game. Here is how you score victory points.
Every enemy character you eliminate during the game is worth a number of victory points to you equal to its point value. These points are scored during the game as soon as a character is knocked out. Captives at the end of the game count for double their point values. If an Ace is removed from the game because it used fate while on its last click, the opposing player is awarded the victory points. If there is more than one opposing player, the points are split evenly among them. Every friendly character that remains at the end of the game is worth a number of victory points to you equal to its point value. To summarize, your victory point total = (eliminated enemy character points and captive points) + (remaining friendly character points). If the victory point totals of two or more players tie, the winner is the player who recruited his or her team with the fewest points. If this total is also tied, roll a six-sided die to determine who wins. After the game, all players retrieve their characters.

Examples of Terrain Types
Glossary for Crimson Skies: Aces
Ace: a Crimson Skies: Aces playing piece that is made of a figure and base. adjacent squares: all the squares on the map that touch one particular center square. aggressor: the player currently taking an action. attack: the act of rolling a number of dice equal to your characters attack value and comparing each die to the targets defense total. base: the plastic disc to which an Ace is glued. break away: attempting to move a character that is adjacent to an enemy character. build total: the limit of the point value of a team. This limit can be equaled but not exceeded. captive: a captured character. capture: a close combat attack that makes a character a captive. character/characters: any Ace or character token. click: a clockwise spin of the combat dial resulting in a single audible sound. close combat: a melee or hand-to-hand attack. combat dial: the rotating disc under a units base containing variable combat values. enemy characters: Aces or character tokens controlled by an opponent. escape: an action a captive character takes to become uncaptured. first player: this player chooses the map, sets up his or her characters first, and takes the first turn of the game. friendly characters: Aces or character tokens that you or a teammate control. hindering terrain modifier: a +1 modifier to a targets defense that results from a line of fire from an attacker passing through any hindering terrain. hit/hits: any die rolled during an attack that equals or exceeds the target characters defense total. Each hit results in 1 click of damage. hit the deck: choosing a map and setting up characters. line of fire: a line drawn from an attacker making a ranged combat attack to a target character. natural six: a result of 6 on a single die roll. optional: an ability (see the Talents and Abilities card) that the controlling player must decide if he or she is using on a particular turn. pass: choosing not to use your action this turn. ranged combat: an attack that uses missile weapons. recruit a team: choosing characters whose point values do not exceed your build total. scenarios: short adventures with predetermined set-up and victory conditions. starting area: a rectangular section along your edge of the map in which your characters start the game. starting position: the combat dial location where each character begins the game, identified by a green triangle that appears in the stat slot between the defense and fate values. turn: the period in the game used by one player to give an action to a character and resolve it. victory points: the points you add up at the end of the game to determine who wins. withdrawing: leaving a game before it is over.