British Tank Ace: 1940–45 is a solitaire tactical-level wargame designed by Gregory M. Smith that puts you in command of a British tank and its crew during the Second World War. Beginning in North Africa and continuing through Italy and the European theatres of operation, you will face a succession of missions while attempting to keep your crew alive, build experience, earn promotions, and eventually survive the war.
Your career begins in June 1940 with one of the tank models then available to the British Army. From there, you will be assigned missions based on the current tactical situation, including attacks, defensive actions, and movement-to-contact operations.
Each mission presents a fresh tactical challenge. Enemy forces are randomly generated and can range from lower-quality formations to dangerous SS and Fallschirmjäger units, ensuring that no two careers develop in quite the same way. Axis tanks, self-propelled guns, and anti-tank weapons are all serious threats, and a single mistake can bring your campaign to an abrupt end.
Combat goes beyond simply finding and firing at the enemy. Terrain, weather, and smoke can affect the battlefield, while the position and orientation of your tank matter throughout an engagement. You will need to consider hull-down positions, manage the facing of both hull and turret, decide when your crew should button up, and make effective use of artillery or mortar support when it becomes available.
Despite this level of tactical detail, individual missions are designed to move quickly and can be completed in as little as 10–15 minutes.
Surviving the battle is only part of the challenge. After each completed mission, your commander can gain experience, receive awards, and potentially earn promotion.
Experience can be used to purchase skills that improve your chances in later missions, while growing Prestige can eventually provide access to more capable tanks. If your current vehicle is lost and you have earned sufficient Prestige, you may be able to request an improved model rather than simply returning to battle in another starting vehicle.
Promotion brings benefits of its own, including access to artillery and mortar support. Together, these systems create an ongoing career narrative as your commander and crew develop from one operation to the next.
A complete career runs from June 1940 through April 1945, but shorter games can be played by concentrating on a single theatre of operations.
The game includes 22 different British tank models, represented across 11 double-sided Tank Display Mats. These displays track the condition of your vehicle and its individual systems, including weapons and ammunition.
Available tanks include:
Cruiser A9, A10 and A13
Crusader I, II and III
Matilda II
M3 Stuart and M3 Grant
Valentine II and V
Sherman I, II, II (76), III and V
Sherman VC Firefly
Churchill
Cromwell
Comet
A30 Challenger
Solitaire tactical tank combat covering 1940–1945
Command a British tank through North Africa, Italy, and Europe
Career system covering the war from June 1940 to April 1945
Attack, defend, and movement-to-contact missions
Randomly generated enemy forces for varied campaigns
Detailed tank and crew status management
Experience-based skill development
Prestige system providing access to improved tanks
Awards and commander promotions
Artillery and mortar support
Terrain, weather, smoke, and random battlefield events
Hull-down positioning and separate hull and turret orientation
22 different British tank models
Short individual missions with the option to play a complete career
Additional cooperative and competitive multiplayer options
Players: 1 or More
Complexity: 4/10
Solitaire Suitability: Designed for Solitaire Play
Playing Time: 10–15 Minutes per Mission; approximately 4–5 Hours for a Full Career
Time Scale: Semi-Abstract — Individual Missions, 8 per Month
Map Scale: Abstract
Unit Scale: Individual Tanks, Crewmen, Enemy Vehicles, Anti-Tank Guns and Ammunition
Recommended Age: 14+
Two and a Half Sheets of 9/16" Counters
Eleven Double-Sided Tank Display Mats covering 22 Tank Models
Eleven Double-Sided Player Aid Cards
Three 8.5" × 11" Battle Boards
Three Operational Displays
Rules Booklet
Three Mission Logsheet Pads
Eight Sequence of Play Cards
One 10-Sided Die
Two 6-Sided Dice
British Tank Ace: 1940–45 combines quick tactical engagements with a longer career system in which the consequences of each mission carry forward. Your crew can improve, your commander can rise through the ranks, and increasingly capable tanks can become available — but only if you survive long enough to use them.
From the opening campaigns in North Africa to the final fighting in Europe, every mission brings another opportunity to build your reputation — or see your career brought to a sudden end.
British Tank Ace: 1940–45 is a solitaire tactical-level wargame designed by Gregory M. Smith that puts you in command of a British tank and its crew during the Second World War. Beginning in North Africa and continuing through Italy and the European theatres of operation, you will face a succession of missions while attempting to keep your crew alive, build experience, earn promotions, and eventually survive the war.
Your career begins in June 1940 with one of the tank models then available to the British Army. From there, you will be assigned missions based on the current tactical situation, including attacks, defensive actions, and movement-to-contact operations.
Each mission presents a fresh tactical challenge. Enemy forces are randomly generated and can range from lower-quality formations to dangerous SS and Fallschirmjäger units, ensuring that no two careers develop in quite the same way. Axis tanks, self-propelled guns, and anti-tank weapons are all serious threats, and a single mistake can bring your campaign to an abrupt end.
Combat goes beyond simply finding and firing at the enemy. Terrain, weather, and smoke can affect the battlefield, while the position and orientation of your tank matter throughout an engagement. You will need to consider hull-down positions, manage the facing of both hull and turret, decide when your crew should button up, and make effective use of artillery or mortar support when it becomes available.
Despite this level of tactical detail, individual missions are designed to move quickly and can be completed in as little as 10–15 minutes.
Surviving the battle is only part of the challenge. After each completed mission, your commander can gain experience, receive awards, and potentially earn promotion.
Experience can be used to purchase skills that improve your chances in later missions, while growing Prestige can eventually provide access to more capable tanks. If your current vehicle is lost and you have earned sufficient Prestige, you may be able to request an improved model rather than simply returning to battle in another starting vehicle.
Promotion brings benefits of its own, including access to artillery and mortar support. Together, these systems create an ongoing career narrative as your commander and crew develop from one operation to the next.
A complete career runs from June 1940 through April 1945, but shorter games can be played by concentrating on a single theatre of operations.
The game includes 22 different British tank models, represented across 11 double-sided Tank Display Mats. These displays track the condition of your vehicle and its individual systems, including weapons and ammunition.
Available tanks include:
Cruiser A9, A10 and A13
Crusader I, II and III
Matilda II
M3 Stuart and M3 Grant
Valentine II and V
Sherman I, II, II (76), III and V
Sherman VC Firefly
Churchill
Cromwell
Comet
A30 Challenger
Solitaire tactical tank combat covering 1940–1945
Command a British tank through North Africa, Italy, and Europe
Career system covering the war from June 1940 to April 1945
Attack, defend, and movement-to-contact missions
Randomly generated enemy forces for varied campaigns
Detailed tank and crew status management
Experience-based skill development
Prestige system providing access to improved tanks
Awards and commander promotions
Artillery and mortar support
Terrain, weather, smoke, and random battlefield events
Hull-down positioning and separate hull and turret orientation
22 different British tank models
Short individual missions with the option to play a complete career
Additional cooperative and competitive multiplayer options
Players: 1 or More
Complexity: 4/10
Solitaire Suitability: Designed for Solitaire Play
Playing Time: 10–15 Minutes per Mission; approximately 4–5 Hours for a Full Career
Time Scale: Semi-Abstract — Individual Missions, 8 per Month
Map Scale: Abstract
Unit Scale: Individual Tanks, Crewmen, Enemy Vehicles, Anti-Tank Guns and Ammunition
Recommended Age: 14+
Two and a Half Sheets of 9/16" Counters
Eleven Double-Sided Tank Display Mats covering 22 Tank Models
Eleven Double-Sided Player Aid Cards
Three 8.5" × 11" Battle Boards
Three Operational Displays
Rules Booklet
Three Mission Logsheet Pads
Eight Sequence of Play Cards
One 10-Sided Die
Two 6-Sided Dice
British Tank Ace: 1940–45 combines quick tactical engagements with a longer career system in which the consequences of each mission carry forward. Your crew can improve, your commander can rise through the ranks, and increasingly capable tanks can become available — but only if you survive long enough to use them.
From the opening campaigns in North Africa to the final fighting in Europe, every mission brings another opportunity to build your reputation — or see your career brought to a sudden end.
