Wild Blue Yonder: Plane Vs Plane Air Combat 1939 - 1945

Wild Blue Yonder is an entirely new game building upon the classic Down in Flames series, covering the war in the ETO from 1940-1944. The basic mechanics of the Down in Flames system remain virtually unchanged. Individual aircraft are represented on the table by cards, which players maneuver with respect to one another both horizontally and vertically by playing from their hand of action cards. Players also fire their guns by means of these card,with intended targets attempting to avoid attacks against them using a classic back-and-forth card response mechanic.

Beautifully rendered aircraft cards represent 118 different types and models, including British, German, Soviet, Italian, USAAF, Hungarian, and Romanian planes. Many have never before been rated for Down in Flames, while some others have had their ratings refined based on extensive research. The action card deck has been expanded from 80 to 110 cards and includes four new card types: Chop Throttle, Clouds, In My Sights (Cockpit Hit), and In My Sights (Engine Hit). Each side has its own functionally-identical deck to mitigate the luck factor between opponents and reduce the need for reshuffling in larger missions.

Campaigns add bombers and rules for conducting historically representative missions such as reconnaissance, air transport, and strikes against land and naval targets. Some of the 13 campaigns cover the same subjects as those in The Rise of the Luftwaffe, 8th Air Force, and various C3i Magazine Modules. These are not simple reprints of those campaigns, however, but benefit from additional research and refinement. Half of the campaigns are totally new, including two in North Africa, the massive air battles over Kursk, and a completely re-worked Battle of Britain. A solitaire campaign with its own unique mechanics allows players to defend England against the V-1 attacks of 1944.

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