From: Mike Nagel <mpnagel@PLUTO.NJCC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Down in Flames

Frederik

At 08:17 PM 3/2/96 +0100, you wrote:

>I would be glad if anyone could send a review or just a short note about 
>Down in Flames (GMT?). I have understood it's a card based game, and that 
>could mean anything as far as actual gaming quality goes, from the better 
>games (IMHO) á la Up Front and Jyhad (yes I know, it's a CCG, I confess I 
>play them now and then, but it has got some real depth and lots of 
>options/tactics for the players) to the worse like Spellfire/Magic (well 
>maybe Magic wasn't really bad, rather quite shallow, Spellfire though, ouch! 
>Still IMHO)...

 The quality of DiF, IMHO, is second only to UP FRONT which says a lot! ;)

 There are two basic ways in which you can play the game: the dogfight, or
the campaign (the latter being the preferred method).  In any case, you get
a couple of planes (pilot and wingman) whose quality determines how many
cards you can hold/refresh during a turn.  The action cards include
maneuvers (Barrel Roll, Sissors, etc) or Fire cards ("In My Sights/Out of
the Sun") which are played to shoot at your opponent.  Maneuver cards are
played to get a better position on your opponent, which in turn allows you
to use better Fire cards.

 When a maneuver or fire card is played, your opponent gets to play a
maneuver card which will counter it.  Then, you get to play a card to
counter his maneuver.  This card play continues until one of you cannot play
any more cards in which case the maneuver or attack either succeeds or is
foiled.  Play continues until six turns have been completed or one side's
planes have been shot down.  That's how the dogfights work in a nutshell.

 The campaigns provided add other elements to the game like bombing,
strafing, flak guns, pilot quality, etc), as well as a specific number of
missions which need to be flown.  The player who scores the most points is
the winner.

 The first module for the game (the one you must buy to play the game at
all) is Rise of the Luftwaffe.  The second module (which requires ownership
of the first) is 8th Air Force.  In tandem, these two titles cover all the
aircraft used in the European Theater (including jets!).  Although I own
both, I still haven't had my fill of RotL, a game which can be played again
and again!

 -- Mike
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  Michael P. Nagel        |  "In the whole range of human activities, war
  Editor, Relative Range  |   most closely resembles a game of cards."
  mpnagel@pluto.njcc.com  |                             -- von Clausewitz
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