Spending every 6 on the same plane, and capturing whenever you can, often sends the leader back to base. The race is about how many planes can move at once: a second plane on the ring turns the same number into a real choice. If the movement rules are still new, start with the Aeroplane Chess rules, then try them in a game against AI. Hints search at the strength you already selected.
Launch More Than One Plane
Early in the game, get at least two planes onto the ring. One runaway plane that is captured returns to base while the other three still wait for a 6. After a second plane is out, a later 6 is a real choice: send a third plane, or take six more steps with the leader.
Late in the game the priority flips. If three planes are home and one remains in base, spend a 6 on takeoff. A plane already near home that cannot use the full count should not spend the roll that could launch the last one.
Stop on Safe Squares
Takeoff squares and the four stars cannot send you back to base. Landing exactly on a star is usually safer than taking two extra steps into a one-to-six-space threat. Before you stop off a safe square, count one to six spaces back along your opponent’s path. A plane sitting there can send you home on the next roll.
Finishing requires an exact count. If you are one square short and the roll is too large, that plane cannot move. Spend the number on another plane that can leave base, sit on a star, or finish exactly.
Treat Captures as Extra Rolls
A capture grants another roll, so it resets the opponent and may let you launch or advance again. If the capturing plane then sits on an unsafe square, the opponent may send you back on the next turn. Check the landing square first, then ask what the extra roll can still do: launch, enter the home stretch, or finish exactly.
Practice One Skill
Pick one habit for a game rather than trying to remember everything at once. Ask whether a 6 can launch a new plane, prefer stars when the count is exact, or review the first time a plane was sent home. In replay, return to the first turn when that habit slipped and try another plane from the same position.
First-game checklist
- Opening: Get two planes onto the ring before stretching one leader too far.
- Middlegame: Before a capture, check the landing square; prefer a star to an unsafe extra step.
- Review: Find the first time a plane was sent home or missed an exact finish, go back one move, and compare the other legal plane.
FAQ
I have never played Aeroplane Chess. Should I start against the AI?
You can. On the home page, pick the gentlest level and use the first games to learn leaving base, safe squares, and exact finishes rather than racing to win. Hints follow that same strength; they do not switch to a hidden master setting.
Should every 6 launch a new plane?
There is no fixed answer. Early on, launching extra planes is safer. When only one plane remains in base, spend the 6 on takeoff. In between, compare a new launch with six more steps for the leader, and pick the line that is harder to wipe out in one capture.
Is the hinted plane always the best choice?
Not necessarily. The hint is a short local search at the strength you already selected, meant for comparing planes you already considered, not a proof of the best move. Choose a plane first, then see where the hint differs.
How do we avoid arguments in a same-device game?
Red always rolls first, so a fair round is two games with colors reversed. The board highlights only legal planes. Use those highlights to settle whether a 6 can leave base or whether a roll fits exactly into home, instead of arguing from memory.
