Aether Captains: Dread Supremacy (2011)

Air Pirates have gathered at the mysterious Black Canyon to decide who shall lead them next. It is trial by combat! Build the strongest ship, stock it with ammunition, a fearless crew, and a fast engine. Then engage in a do or die dogfight to see who will have supremacy over the Federation of Air Pirates.

An Aether Captains Pirate Skirmish Game
for 2 to 4 players

What's Needed to Play
the set of components in the downloadable PDF (ship tiles, 3 ship building dice)
10d6 per player
1 damage marker per player
1d12 (optional)

There are 2 phases: Build and Battle

1. Build Phase

Players take turns throwing the 3 ship building dice trying to make combinations of 2 and 3 colors. You are allowed up to 2 rolls for each throw and may re-roll 0, 1, 2, or 3 dice, as you choose, on your second roll. Each player will make 10 throws to build and stock their ships. Make your throw and pass the dice to the next player until everyone has had their 10 throws.

Different color dice combinations will allow you to activate a section of your ship (you only activate a ship section once) and then stock it with resources for the battle phase. Each activated ship section is also worth one damage rating point towards your total ship so it is advised that during the build phase to try and activate as many sections of your ship as possible. The black die icon counts as a wildcard and can be applied to any ship section or resource.

Rules include a players aid chart for resource combination.

2. Battle Phase

Once everyone has built their ships it is time to battle in a set of skirmishes between players. Each player should roll the 1d12 once at the start of the battle. Reroll any ties. Whoever rolls highest has initiative to begin the battle skirmishes and goes first.

This person is the Attacker. They must pick one person to attack who will be the Defender. Both then roll their 3d6 battle dice simultaneously, hiding one and revealing the other two.

Players may use as many resources (from the resource dice on your ship sections) as they like to get the highest possible total for the two dice showing (be strategic however, there are many battles to come and you may not want to use all of your resources at one time). If you use a resource, rotate the resource die face down one number (i.e. 3 to 2) on that ship section. If you use the last resource, remove the die from the ship section.

Then the hidden dice of both players are revealed. Whoever has the highest total is the winner of that skirmish. The loser should move their damage rating marker down one skull icon to the left on their ship. The loser then becomes the next Attacker. In the event of a tie, neither player loses any damage rating points and the Defender becomes the next Attacker.

If your damage rating marker ever is moved to the Tail Section, your ship has been disabled and you are out of the battle.

Play until one person is victorious.