Down in Flames, Volume Two
GMT Games (1995, $35.00)
Designed by Dan Verssen
Players 2 or more
Period World War II ETO Scale
Tactical Turn not specified Map N/A
Unit individual aircraft

Box 9"x13" thin bookcase box
1 20 page rulebook
1 20 page campaign booklet
128 die-cut counters
1 32 playing cards
5 campaign map cards
4 target area cards
1 11"x17" resources card 1 campaign log sheet
1 player aid card
ziplock storage bags

Counter Manifest
46 pilots
30 hit markers
13 full throttle
10 drop tank
8 player order
6 altitude
5 ace ability
4 rockets
4 no support
1 attack angle
1 axis/allies

Card Manifest
4 action cards
128 aircraft cards
66 Allied aircraft
62 Axis aircraft

GMT says

“A fast action card game that allows players to experience the tension and thrill of aerial combat over Europe during World War II ... Included are six new Air Campaigns from the early U.S. Army Air Force Daylight Bombing missions of 1942 to the Royal Air Force Night Bombing Missions of 1944. Also, four famous Air Operations: The British Damn Busters Raid of 1943; The German 1942/43 Stalingrad Airlift; The 8th Air Force Schweinfurt Raids of 1943; and Operation Blue Monday, the destruction of the V-1 and V-2 Rocket launch sites.”

The reviewer says

“Eighth Air Force is the second module in the Down in Flames series that GMT launched with The Rise of the Luftwaffe. The system uses cards, like Avalon Hill’s Up Front or Naval War. Avoiding both the former’s rule excesses and the latter’s trivialization of history, the Down in Flames series provides a clever, fast-paced flavoring of World War II dogfighting ... Eighth Air Force needs a shade more work to make it excellent, but as is, it’s easily worth the money.” Dave Townsend in Paper Wars 22.

Comments

Down in Flames is the name of GMT’s series of fast moving, easy to play card games of World War II air combat. As one might expect from such a system, the emphasis is on flavor rather than simulation. Nonetheless, the attention to historical detail and entertaining gameplay make the games attractive to nearly anyone interested in the era covered. Eighth Air Force, the second game in the Down in Flames series, is an expansion module which requires The Rise of the Luftwaffe to play.

Collector’s Notes

As with many newer games, expect a buyer’s market. Boone lists low/high/average prices of 1/3/2.20 at auction and 5/12/7.00 for sale, and GMT is still selling the game on its web site (www.gmtgames.com) for only $20. Replacement decks for the Down in Flames games may also be purchased from GMT.

Other air combat card games

Fox One (One Small Step); Rise of the Luftwaffe (GMT); Twelve O’Clock High (Wild West).

Introduction
Eagle Day Battle of Britain 1940
Eastern Front Tank Leader World War II
Eighth Air Force: Air War Over Europe, 1942-45
Escape From Altassar Sci-Fi POW
Europe Aflame World War II