Down in Flames (by Dan Versenn Games) is a series of card games that
re-create aerial combat during World War II (although there are versions for
other eras). I owned the original version of the game, which came out in the
90s, but I got rid of it after I bought a PlayStation and started playing aviation
video games. Now that I am eschewing electronic games in favor of some old
school fun, I recently purchased Down in
Flames – Aces High, the first game in the new edition.
Players “pilot” one or more planes, which
are represented by aircraft cards. Movement is handled abstractly; instead of
plotting on a hex map or board, the relative positions of the aircraft are
represented. For example, if I make a successful maneuver and find myself
tailing my enemy, my aircraft card is placed behind the enemy’s, with my nose
facing its tail. There are 5 positions: neutral (facing each other),
advantaged, disadvantaged (the advantaged plane faces the side of the
disadvantaged one, tailing, or tailed (tailing is behind the tailed).
For each plane, players draw a hand of action cards,
which they play to maneuver or to shoot at the enemy. Cards can also be used to
react to an opponent’s card, negating their attempted maneuver. A player needs
the right card to be able to shoot, so you may be tailing your opponent but
still may not be able to line them up in your sights.
The games is quick (a 1 vs. 1 dogfight only takes a few
minutes to play) and fairly simple. Yet it still manages to create the feel of
a chaotic dogfight. You may make a maneuver (play a card), but then your enemy
responds with a maneuver of his own, however he fails to counter your next
maneuver! You have him in your sights – fire away! The give and take is quick
and exciting. One possible drawback of the game is that, like all card games,
you may find yourself without a card you need. Hand management is a big part of
the strategy of the game. Knowing when to use your cards and how to bide your
time until you get the card you want is key. In a sense, it seems realistic.
Fighter pilots are trained to manage their aircraft’s energy to make effective
attacks or defenses. In this game, cards represent energy. Note that, like real
life, you will gain energy (cards) when diving and lose it while climbing.
The game includes bomber cards, but they serve best during
the included campaign scenarios. Each scenario (such as the Battle of Britain
or Midway) involves a series of missions. Players choose the specific target
and the resources (e.g. aircraft, anti-aircraft artillery, etc.) committed to
each mission. The mission is played out using the dogfight rules. Unlike the
older edition, flak and bombing are not random but are based on chosen bombing
and artillery patterns. This is designed to remove lucky draws from impacting
the campaign results. I haven’t tried a campaign with this edition yet, but it
also seems that the new rules will speed up the game (I remember getting bogged
down drawing cards to resolve AA and bombing when I played the older version).
One other improvement is that the new version includes
aircraft and campaigns from all theaters of the war. The original edition only
covered the Battle of Britain. Later expansions added the late war Allied
bombing campaigns and the Pacific War. If you wanted to jump around, you needed
the expansions. Now, you only need one set (although they do have expansions
that add more planes; but it seems that all the most popular planes are in Aces High).
After getting it, I have played 2 games with my wife
Elizabeth. Both were 1 vs. 1 dogfights. In the first, her Messerschmitt flamed
my Spitfire but I retaliated in the second when my Messerschmitt shot down her
Russian fighter (I wish I could remember which one it was). I remember playing
the original version solo, and that is my plan. I also began one of the campaigns. Overall, this is a clever game that replicates
the feel of a dogfight. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 4.5/5
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