Spitfire Ace: Daylight Air Defense Over Britain: 1940 is a solitaire, tactical level game which places you in command of a Royal Air Force fighter during the Battle of Britain. Each turn consists of a sortie in which a contact interception mission will be flown from one of many bases in South-East England, attempting to destroy incoming German. Spitfire Ace is based on the popular, action-packed Nightfighter Ace / Interceptor Ace game system by Gregory M. Smith with a strong narrative around the pilot as you look to increase your prestige, earn skills, and rise in rank through promotion (if an officer) and receive awards.
The objective of the game is to conduct numerous sorties in the role of an R.A.F. fighter pilot and rack up kills. Pilots may use the experience gained to improve their odds of success by purchasing skills. As their prestige increases, they may pull strings to arrange a transfer to other fighter bases in an attempt to get "closer to the action" or use their influence to adopt more effective tactics. Awards and ace status help to narrate the player's eventual goal – to become the bomber killer of the Battle of Britain.
Where many air combat games focus on accumulating hardware, the emphasis in this game is on developing the skills and tactics that will enable you to (a) survive and (b) shoot down enemy aircraft. Your approach in the game is characterized by various skill and benefits including Pilot skills, Wingman skills, tactical changes, and Prestige Level.
Game play moves quickly, following a set sequence of events that are repeated until the end of the game. Once you have your initial pilot, squadron and aircraft type, play proceeds by checking for incoming raid information. Play proceeds by flying to the area you expect to intercept the German raiders. As location boxes are entered, you will roll for possible intercept in which combat may ensue. Combat may consist of numerous rounds after which returning to base and landing operations occurs, with the possibility that your airfield may have been bombed while you were engaging the enemy. When the mission is completed, you will ascertain any awards, Prestige points, or Experience points gained prior to you next sortie. Here you can also spend Prestige and Experience points if desired to gain skills, request a change of tactics, or request a change of base. You will repeat this process by going to your next sortie until shot down and killed, or until end of October 1940 should you make it through unscathed.
Product Information:
Complexity: Medium
Time Scale: 3-4 days per turn
Map Scale: abstract
Unit Scale: individual aircraft, weapon systems, crew members, ammo rounds
Players: 1 (with option for 2 or more)
Solitaire: High
Playing Time: 2-3 hours
—description from the publisher