Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Low interaction
Player-count sensitive
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Command a carrier-based F/A-18 squadron through briefing, loadout, strike, and campaign recovery in a solitaire modern-air-war system.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Scenario Campaign
Play linked or standalone scenarios with their own setup, objectives, and consequences.
Cooperative Game
Players coordinate their actions toward a shared objective and win or lose together.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Area Movement
Move pieces between connected regions rather than along individual spaces.
Paper-and-Pencil
Record choices and results directly on a personal sheet.
Read the full game description
Hornet Leader: Strike Fighter Operations places one player in command of a U.S. Navy or Marine F/A-18 squadron. Each mission begins with intelligence, target selection, pilots, and ordnance; the strike then runs through approach events, air combat, surface defenses, attack resolution, and the return to the carrier. Pilots accumulate experience, stress, and injuries across nine campaigns, making the force-management decisions between missions as important as any die roll over the target. A second player can share the squadron cooperatively.
