Sababa / Front Porch Bookshelf Sortie Board Game

by Sababa Toys

Product Features

• 'A fast paced WWII themed aeroplane dog fight game
• Comes with 6 die-cast airplanes, 6 game board pieces, 1 flying ace metal and 100's of playing cards
• 'Bookshelf Edition Sortie comes packaged in an antiqued wooden book, making it a stylish decor piece
• Simulate the thrill and exhilaration of a World War II dog fight
• This is a wonderful game for 2 to 6 players

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.8 x 11 x 11 inches ; 4.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000NE2N2G
• Item model number: BS10065
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 years and up
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,623 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The year is 1943. From China to England and all places in between, Axis and Allied pilots put their daring, skill and nerve to the test in a fight for air supremacy; the prize is nothing less than the fate of the world. In Sababa's / Front Porch Classics Bookshelf Edition WWII Aerial Dogfight Game Sortie, players simultaneously play cards that authentically simulate the thrill and exhilaration of a World War II dog fight. Cast metal planes, a segmented wood playing surface and over 100 playing cards combine to give you a taste of what it was like behind the cockpits of the fighting machines of yesteryear. This deluxe board game comes in a handsomely crafted all wood book style box.

Product Description

Maneuver, dodge and attack opponents in his WWII aerial dog fighting strategy game. Features cast metal planes, segmented wooden game board and custom playing cards.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent game!, February 17, 2008

By 

E. H. Anderson "music lover" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Sababa / Front Porch Bookshelf Sortie Board Game (Toy)

I've just spent an enjoyable weekend at my friends' house, and we played this game about a dozen times. I'm hooked! We played with as few as two players (though the game recommends a minimum of three) and as many as five players, and it was always fun and balanced. The players varied in sex and age: boys and girls both, from five to forty-five. Everyone had a great time!

Each game lasts from ten minutes to thirty minutes, and the game permits a wide ragne of styles from aggressive to defensive. When you've mastered the strategy of the basic game, you can make it harder by choosing particular planes play with (actualy historical WWII fighters), each one adding individual special abilities. Not only does that provide you with an advantage, but if forces you to think about your opponent's advantages.

Game play is a mixture of strategy and guesswork. There are no dice, so there's no random chance, but you don't know which maneuver cards your opponents have, and how they'll move. You're forced to make guesses about what's most likely. That adds quite a fun mix to the challenge of forumulating your own strategy given the maneuver cards you've drawn.

I also like the high quality of the game board, game pieces, and cards. The instruction manual was well written, too, and it didn't take very long at all to figure out how to play.

All in all, an absolutely fantastic game! Highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Excellent game from Front Porch, March 31, 2011

By 

Darragh V. Metzger (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sababa / Front Porch Bookshelf Sortie Board Game (Toy)

I'm an aviation geek, daughter of two pilots, a bit of a WWI buff, and bought this game for my nieces and nephews based on how much we all loved Front Porch's pirate games. I have not had the chance to play the game, but my nieces and nephews all rave about it. They are all aviation buffs too, and nuts about planes and aviation history (my eldest nephew plans on being a pilot in a few years), so this is right up their alley. Every time I talk to them, I hear about how much fun this game is, how many hours they spent playing it the night before, which if their friends they've taught to play it, who won or lost, and they always drill me on the various historical tidbits they pick up from it. Also, my brother and sister-in-law tell me the game is beautifully put together and packaged. They were deeply impressed by it.
I can't wait to play it myself!

5.0 out of 5 stars Play the advanced version!, August 17, 2009

By 

C. Husted "G. Husted" (East Hartford, CT) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sababa / Front Porch Bookshelf Sortie Board Game (Toy)

This is an excellent game. Buy it while you can. The planes are metal and really cool. The board is thick and durable. The cards are well done. The rules seem complex, but the game mechanics are actually quite easy. Try playing a few turns with open hands to learn how to play. Once you have learned the mechanics, that becomes the easy part. Trying to out think your opponent's strategy and tactics is a real challenge.

We decided that altitude should be a factor in determining shoot down range, and so we added once "hex" of range per 2,000' difference in altitude.

I plan on buying or making card holders so that altitudes are readily viewable. That should enhance the game play.

Great game. Fun game. Thinking game.