B-17: Queen of the Skies

"B-17: Queen of the Skies" is a strategy game which re-creates the early bombing missions and aerial combat of the B-17 (F Model) bombers of the US Eighth Air Force over Europe between October 1942 and May 1943. Movement to targets is through zones. Die rolls and game tables determine appearance, type, and position of enemy fighters. Charts are used to determine if hits are made, where the damage is located, and how serious the damage is. Game tables and die rolls also determine everything from the bomber's target and formation position to weather, flak, and German fighter opposition as the B-17 makes its way over land and sea to its target.

The game has a low complexity and typically, the playing time is generally less than one hour after your first few games.

Game components include :
- Gameboard
- Strategic Movement board
- Crew Placement board
- 5 Game Tables & Charts cards
- 88 Counters/Markers
- 16 German Fighter cards
- Mission chart pad
- 2 Dice
- Rules booklet

B-17 is designed to be primarily a solitaire game. The player controls a B-17F Flying Fortress bomber, trying to survive German fighter attacks and drop its load of bombs on the selected target, then return home safely. Optionally, a second player can control the German fighters (to some degree; their appearance is determine randomly, but successive attacks are under the control of the German player). If each player has their own copy of B-17, then they can fly their bomber while playing the German fighters in their partner's game.

GENERAL:

Some GENERAL issues have articles For B-17:

• The GENERAL Vol.20,No.6 - Defensive Fire Chart
• The GENERAL Vol.23,No.1 - 15th Air Force Variant
• The GENERAL Vol.23,No.5 - More Targets for B-17
• The GENERAL Vol.24,No.6 - Expansions and Modifications
• The GENERAL Vol.26,No.5 - YB-40 Variant
• The GENERAL Vol.28,No.2 - Tournament Scenario
• The GENERAL Vol.28,No.4 - Lancaster Variant

Other:

Microbadge:

The following is a very detailed list of references to “B-17: Queen of the Skies” that appeared in the GENERAL over the years.

Volume 20, #2 – Question Box: B-17 Errata – Six brief bits of B-17 rules errata.

Volume 20, #6 – The Lonely Numbers: Playing the Odds in B-17 (Rex A. Martin) – Analysis of many of the odds in the game.

Volume 20, #6 – The Saga of the Memphis Belle: Simulating a Survivor (Bruce C. Shelley) – Shows the 25 missions of the Memphis Belle, along with the historical results.

Volume 20, #6 – Raid On Detroit: The 1983 Origins B-17 Tournament (Bruce C. Shelley) – Description of a B-17 tournament held at the 1983 Origins convention.

Volume 20, #6 – The Rest of the Royal Family: Variant Models for B-17 (James E. Meldrum) – Description of variant models of the B-17, including the B-17C, B-17E and the B-17G.

Volume 20, #6 – Question Box: B-17 Errata – 27 more pieces of B-17 rules errata.

Volume 23, #1 – 15th Air Force: A Variant for B-17 (Lawrence Cirelli) – A variant using the 15th air force based in Italy.

Volume 23, #1 – Filling The Skies: The Woes of B-17 Addiction (Rex A. Martin) – An article detailing the experiences of many prolific B-17 players.

Volume 23, #5 – The Queen in Germany: More Targets for B-17 (Doug Bleyaert) – Adds more mission targets, especially in Germany, to the original game.

Volume 23, #5 – Question Box: B-17 – Eight B-17 questions and answers.

Volume 24, #6 – Theater Modifications: More Expansions for B-17 (John E. Ockelmann) – Some additional variations including group formations, evasive action, formation defensive gunnery, crew experience and weather.

Volume 26, #5 – Operation Porcupine: A “Killer” Variant for B-17 (Craig Posey and Gilbert DeMichele) – A variant using the YB-40 escort bomber.

Volume 28, #2 – The Target For Today Is…: Reminiscences and a B-17 Tournament Scenario (Don Hawthorne) – Don recounts two B-17 convention experiences and adds another scenario, the raid on Schweinfurt.

Volume 28, #4 – The Battle of Berlin: A Variant for B-17 (Larry Cirelli) – Variant for British night raids on Germany using the Lancaster heavy bomber.