214:, David Bieksza and Karl Wiegers agreed that "the outcome of any particular matchup in a dogfight is always very much in question, as it takes a skilled player to properly exploit the strengths of his own aircraft and the weakness of his opponent." They concluded, "The diversity of scenarios, both solitaire and competition, and the virtually limitless possible combination of fighters in dogfights ensures that it will provide many hours of enjoyment, as well as a deeper understanding of tactics in the air in World War II."
223:, Rob Gibson called the game "easy to play and, what is more, fun to play." Gibson's only complaint was that only one of the many scenarios provided was based on an actual historical occurrence. Despite this, Gibson concluded, "Having played World War Two air combat with miniatures and spent hours clambering wearily over the numerous tables to determine a microscopic non-vital hit, I strongly recommend to any air war fanatic."
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The board consists of six geomorphic mapsheets. Aircraft and ships are represented by 375 die-cut counters. The game uses a simultaneous movement system in which players log planned maneuvers and then simultaneously reveal them. The players use airplane data cards that list aircraft performance based
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lets you fly a plane in combat almost like on a flight simulator. And herein lies its only weakness. The game is dated in that it was designed before the arrival of the home computer. To go through all the necessary plotting, moving, checking, die-rolling, cross-indexing, bookkeeping, etc., and be
193:. Part of Zucker's revision was to replace the numerical data on the airplane cards with colored diagrams. It was a controversial change, although some reviewers noted there were both advantages and disadvantages to the new cards. The new edition featured cover art by Joe DeMarco.
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The rules are divided into a Basic Game and
Advanced Game. The Advanced Game adds rules for spotting, non-plotted movement, bombing and rocket fire, training and experience, blind spots, and bailing out.
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is a tactical wargame for two or more players. One player or one team controls Allied aircraft, and the other player or team controls
Japanese aircraft.
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still fills a unique niche today. It remains the most comprehensive tactical treatment of
Pacific Theater air warfare found in a boardgame."
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In 1990, 13 years after the game's publication, Friedrich
Helfferich and Joseph Miranda wrote positively about
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sure not to forget any modifier or prohibitions takes quite a bit of time, and today that puts
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Helfferich, Friedrich; Miranda, Joseph (November–December 1990). "Looking back at
Dauntless".
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at a disadvantage compared with computer games that can do the same thing much faster."
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system remained the undisputed king of WWII air combat board gaming for over a decade.
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that would add airplanes from the
Russian Front was promised but was never published.
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that produced various games in the 1970s. In 1976, Battleline game designer
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and republished them under the Avalon Hill marque. They did the same with
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Bieksza, David; Wiegers, Karl (April–May 1978). "Battleline in the Air".
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Each plane may attempt to fire at the end of every
Movement Phase.
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in 1978, Avalon Hill immediately bought it and republished it.
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Smith, K.A. (September–October 1980). "Improving Air Force".
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Gibson, Rob (March–April 1978). "Air Force & Dauntless".
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Avalon Hill's revised edition with artwork by Joe deMarco
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became an expansion, and players now needed a copy of
135:Avalon Hill often bought Battleline games such as
84:Second Movement Plotting Phase and Execution Phase
87:Third Movement Plotting Phase and Execution Phase
81:First Movement Plotting Phase and Execution Phase
376:Albrecht, Norman (1982). "Norm Albrecht Adds".
217:In Issue 12 of the British wargaming magazine
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42:in 1977 that simulates aerial combat in the
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297:Scoleri, Joseph (April 2000). "Dauntless".
242:In a retrospective review in Issue 7 of
77:The sequence of events in each turn is:
25:First edition Battleline box cover, 1977
382:. Vol. 1, no. 18. p. 13.
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396:Hind, Jim (1982). "Achtung, Zucker!".
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90:Adjustments and Changes Plotting Phase
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448:"Index to Game Reviews in Magazines"
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246:in 2000, Joseph Scoleri noted, "the
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124:but set in the Pacific Theater.
102:Battleline was a subsidiary of
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155:, republishing them in 1977.
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486:Battleline Publications games
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158:When Battleline released the
16:WWII air combat board wargame
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491:Wargames introduced in 1977
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321:. No. 12. p. 6.
144:Wooden Ships and Iron Men
177:for Avalon Hill, making
160:Dauntless Expansion Kit
65:Components and gameplay
44:Asiatic-Pacific Theater
40:Battleline Publications
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196:An expansion titled
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269:Fire & Movement
165:Three years later,
98:Publication history
353:"Air Force (1976)"
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48:World War II
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54:Description
480:Categories
362:2022-01-18
299:Simulacrum
277:References
244:Simulacrum
466:Dauntless
256:Dauntless
252:Dauntless
248:Air Force
237:Dauntless
232:Dauntless
228:Dauntless
204:Reception
198:Sturmovik
191:Dauntless
187:Air Force
183:Dauntless
179:Air Force
175:Dauntless
171:Air Force
153:Dauntless
149:Air Force
122:Air Force
118:Dauntless
113:Air Force
59:Dauntless
31:Dauntless
169:revised
110:created
338:Phoenix
318:Phoenix
220:Phoenix
46:during
416:Moves
211:Moves
173:and
151:and
141:and
469:at
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