Blue Max General Information
Brief Description: A set of rules to simulate air to air combat of world war I.
Period: 1914-1918 World War I (The original boxed edition of Blue Max only covered the latter portion of the war from 1917-1918. The new Miniatures rules cover the entire war and can be used alone or as an expansion module to the boxed set.)
Scale: 1:1 - each counter/model represents one plane. Each turn
represents approximately 3-4 seconds of time - ground scale is abstracted by
representing plane speed in hexes: One hex of movement=85/95mph then goes up by
5mph per hex. (85mph for early war / 95mph for late war)
Basing: For miniatures play most players use
a hex shaped base of aircraft plywood with telescoping antennas to allow for
the different altitude ranges the game can represent. The most popular scale
is 1/72 scale plastic models but 1/144 scale lead miniatures can also be used.
Contents: Miniatures Rules include 16 page booklet with
expanded campaign, altitude and optional rules, 140 counters for damage
allocation and tailing, Combat chart, Aircraft record sheets, Flight log
and 44 Aircraft Maneuver Schedules covering aircraft for the entire war.
Game Designers: Phillip M. Hall
(e-hall1@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu or
sundown@prairienet.org)
and Allan Wright
(aew@unh.edu)
Publisher: GDW Games / ISBN 1-55878-194-3
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1646 / Bloomington, IL 61702-1646
Blue Max uses 'plotted' movement in turns with simultaneous
movement followed by combat for that game turn. Damage is allocated with a
unique system of damage chits that have color coded sides to represent
different levels of damage. Players keep track of the status of their
aircraft, ammunition supply and maneuvers on specially designed easy to
use record sheets. The scale of the game allows for players to
control their planes maneuvers on a turn by turn basis.
The Game Turn Sequence
- Tailing step.
- Maneuver selection step.
- Fuel Expenditure step.
- Movement step.
- Combat step.
- Damage step.
- Recovery step.
- Problem step.
- Fire damage step.
- Fire/smoke extinguishing step.
Corrections / Updates
The game has been released in 2 boxed editions (1 and 2) with a 3rd edition Rulebook,
Aircraft maneuver schedule and record sheets being released to correct some
minor problems with the second edition. The most recent release of
Blue Max is as a set of miniatures rules. The rulebook, new aircraft and
new damage allocation chits are all compatible with the boxed edition of the
game however and make a good 'expansion module' for the boxed game.
The Blue Max Miniatures Rules inadvertantly got shipped without the
aircraft availability chart, and with an incorrect combat chart. The correct
version of both may be downloaded from the
Additional Aircraft and Charts page.
- From: WMcharg@ix.netcom.com (William McHarg)
- I'm glad to see that other people are [using Blue Max for miniature
wargaming] too. I was introduced
to WWI air with miniatures by Charlie Clay, from Memphis. We have a group
of about 12 of us that are playing a campaign. We've done charts for the
early planes, mostly by just "dumbing down" the earlier planes, and trying
to come up with progressively better planes when they come along.
If you would like to add your opinion here, send email to the
maintainer listed below.
Blue Max page written and maintained by:
Allan Wright (aew@unh.edu)
If you have additional information or corrections, please e-mail me.
Last update: December 7th 1995
