Luftschiff 1996

Solitaire game of German Zeppelin operations in WWI that plays like a really sophisticated side-scrolling arcade game. The board shows a side view of the airspace over war-torn Europe (or in one scenario, Africa). The counter representing your Zeppelin remains in a central "Zeppelin corridor," or column, shifting up or down as it gains and loses altitude; forward movement is marked by moving every other card and counter on the board left or right relative to your Zepp.

A typical scenario has you playing through 30 randomly dealt "Situation Cards," which represent enemy units, weather conditions, and the odd mountain encountered on the way to and from your primary target. The first 10 cards represent the trip out; the second 10, time over the target area; and the final 10, the trip home, by which point you will likely be damaged and running low on ballast and gas.

A separate "ballast sheet," or Zeppelin schematic, is used to keep track of the condition of your craft and crew. Five different Zeppelin models are provided, from the Type M converted passenger liner to the mammoth Type X "war Zeppelin."

The game's components are a step above desktop publishing quality; cards and counters must be cut apart before play. The game provides ten scenarios, plus a campaign game and variant rules for two players. An expansion set, featuring Riesenflugzeugabteilungen oversized bomber planes in place of Zeppelins, is also available. A second expansion set ZRCV which introduces US airships in the pacific as well.

Sierra Madre Games combind Luftschiff and ZRCV into a single game called Airships at War 1914-1941 as a 2nd edition of the game in 2005. A 3rd edition of the game is published by Sonic Quill Publications and is currently available for sale as of 2023 from rjwargames.com.

Expanded by

Riesenflugzeugabteilungen Airships at War 1914-1941