A Guide to the World In Flames Universe
Wendell
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Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
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A few months ago Bert Nedsen put together a useful list describing the expansions available for World in Flames (WIF). But as Bert said himself, he hasn't played WIF so wasn't entirely sure about all the expansions.
I've played a lot of WIF for nearly 20 years in five countries, and I've used nearly all the expansions. So I thought I'd offer up an experienced player's perspective on the WIF universe.
Edit: Some new items added.
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Wendell
United States
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All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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This is obviously the first thing you need to play World in Flames! And it is actually the ONLY thing you need -- playing WIF with just this is what wiffers call "WIF Classic".
This is a complete game and it is a very good game. The advantage to playing WIF Classic is that the game will go a bit quicker -- fewer counters to sort and move around, and fewer rules to remember.
Be aware too that the current version of WIF is actually World in Flames Final Edition (WIFFE). There are still people playing WIF5 (5th edition) and earlier editions, but I think most WIF players are using WIFFE. And that is my assumption throughout this list.
This game isn't for everybody. The full, four-map Global War campaign that covers the entire war will take a LONG time to play, and you need a LOT of room to leave this game set up. The rules are somewhat complex and there are a LOT of them. But if you have the time and space and you want to try the entire Second World War at a grand strategic scale, including the ability to try alternate strategies, this is a good way to do it. The game is not bad solo, and is good as a two-player game, but I find it much more satisfying (and quicker) to have two Axis players and two or (preferably) three Allies.
ADG also sells WIFFE as "WIFFE Deluxe", including World In Flames and several expansions -- Planes, Ships, Mech, Africa, and Asia in Flames (or Aflame). This is cheaper than buying them all separately.
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Board Game: Ships in Flames
[Average Rating:7.93 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.93 Unranked]
Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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In my opinion, if you add only one expansion, make it Ships in Flames. This does two good things. It adds the concept of carrier planes, which makes the naval wars more interesting. And it adds convoy points (the abstracted ships that move resources and oil around the world) in more denominations. Most WIFFE games include Ships in Flames. Note that the most recent version of SIF was released earlier in 2007, but the changes from the previous edition to SIF2007 were relatively minor.
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3.
Board Game: Planes in Flames
[Average Rating:7.66 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.66 Unranked]
Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Planes in Flames was the first big expansion to WIF, back in the days of the 5th edition. It is still, with Ships in Flames, one of the two most popular expansions. As the name implies, it introduces many more new aircraft to the game for all powers, major and minor. Most WIF games include PIF. Again, a new edition was released recently, but changes were minor. (Naturally, I bought it anyway!)
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4.
Board Game: Asia Aflame
[Average Rating:7.00 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.00 Unranked]
Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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WIF Classic has only corps/army sized land units. Asia Aflame is another expansion that introduces a critical kind of unit to WIF -- divisions and guns. Divisions and guns are useful because you can stack one in addition to the usual two corps per hex. Divisions in particular are useful for invasions, while the different varieties of guns -- artillery, anti-tank guns, and anti-aircraft, in various motorized- and non-motorized guises -- are great fun. It also includes a map of northern Scandinavia, which is okay if you have room but hardly essential.
The name Asia Aflame is archaic - back when this was introduced in WIF5 it included a map that gave more coverage to south Asia. But that expansion map disappeared with the advent of WIFFE, which covers all of Asia except the far frozen tundra in Russia.
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5.
Board Game: Africa Aflame
[Average Rating:6.93 Unranked]
[Average Rating:6.93 Unranked]
Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Another expansion, Africa Aflame has two major components -- a map of Africa at the Asian scale (otherwise, Africa south of the North African coast is depicted in the abstract with "off-map boxes"), and a countersheet. With the map of Africa, you can have small side campaigns. If using a popular house rule for Vichy France, you often see Italian units charging down from Libya to occupy French colonial capitals. Otherwise, the map is nice IF you have space for it, but not crucial.
The countersheet introduces several new classes of units. One is the territorial, corps-sized units that reflect local levies that are weaker than regular military units, but have some advantages when operating in their home country. Territorials are included for dozens of countries, from the Philippines to Italian East Africa to the Netherlands East Indies. The sheet also includes synthetic oil plants that major powers may build -- expensive, but often worth the cost, particularly if playing with optional oil rules.
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6.
Board Game: Mech In Flames
[Average Rating:7.34 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.34 Unranked]
Wendell
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Arlington
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All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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This expansion has changed dramatically since it came out in 1994. The current version (issued spring 2007) introduces engineer divisions (very handy in attacking big cities) and supply units. It also reprints Soviet Guard Banner Armies and some late-war corps from Leaders in Flames. Most WIFFE players like this for the engineers.
Earlier versions of MIF included mechanized and motorized corps, which were new units for WIF's 5th edition, but IMHO became obsolete when WIFFE came out, since mech and mot corps are included. The old version of MIF still has its fans - but not me.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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As the name implies, Cruisers in Flames adds light cruisers to WIF. In fact, it includes EVERY light cruiser that was around in World War II. It also provides convoy points for minor countries (some of which like Norway, the Netherlands and Greece had big merchant marines), previously represented with major power convoy points.
This adds a LOT more units to the naval mix. I like Cruisers, but it isn't essential.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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This expansion does NOT introduce carrier planes to WIF -- they are included in Ships in Flames. This expansion, however, brings in a lot more of these useful little buggers.
Doesn't add to the complexity of WIF. But not essential (although it makes life for the Commonwealth player a bit easier in the early war).
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Wendell
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All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Another naval expansion for WIF's admirals. This is an expansion for those who want to put greater stress on the submarine campaigns and the Battle of the Atlantic. It includes escort carriers, sub chasers, and specially fitted ASW aircraft (which are more abstracted in WIF Classic and Ships in Flames), and some new types of submarines such as the Schnorkel, the Walther, and Milch cows.
It also introduces German commerce raiders -- auxiliary cruisers -- which are fun. And finally, it brings in tankers, which (if you use this option) are needed to ship oil, while regular convoy points ship other resources.
This adds a bit of complexity to the naval system and (as some complain) penalizes the Allies by making them pay for what they get for free in WIF and SIF -- anti-submarine war capacity, no longer intrinsic.
I like this expansion, but again it isn't essential if you are trying to reduce complexity and time.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Politics in Flames, as the name implies, is an expansion that introduces a political element to the game. In regular WIFFE, minor countries have a fixed number of ways in which they can align to the Axis and Allies. PolIF allows the major powers to try to sway minors to join their side of the war. This is a way to allow more variety without using the much-more complex Days of Decision (below).
It also includes a countersheet that, in addition to various political markers, introduces some useful units such as extra headquarters for Germany, Russia, and the US, the Chinese Friction markers (designed to make life tougher for Japan in that theater), and "heavies" for the USSR and China.
Heavies are beefed up corps that cost slightly more than the regular variety. Heavies for the other major powers were introduced in America in Flames. But since that game assumed the conquest of the USSR and China, those two didn't get any. Politics in Flames fixed that. But subsequently, the USSR and China also got heavies in Patton in Flames.
I've never played the political system. The extra headquarters are very useful. As for heavies -- I don't like them. Not an essential expansion, although I really like those headquarters...
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Unlike most of the "in flames" items, this is actually a stand-alone game. You can use the components (counters and maps of North and South America) to play out a fantasy scenario where the Axis, having conquered the Soviet Union, China, and the non-Canadian elements of the British Empire, are now launching an attack on the Western Hemisphere. There is a political system, where the US, Commonwealth, Free France, and the Axis powers joust to influence countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile to join their side. The Axis tries to conquer the US before the US can discover the H-Bomb. A pure fantasy that Philip K. Dick might have enjoyed, but fun.
You can also use many of these components (the maps if you have room, and some of the heavy corps, planes, and ships) in WIF games, and many do.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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This is not a macabre recreation of the jeep wreck that killed General George Patton, but rather a chance to recreate a couple of what-if scenarios. What if, in 1945, Truman had listened to those who advocated fighting the Soviet Union while the US had millions of men in Europe? Or, what if the 1948 Berlin crisis had prompted a full-scale Soviet attack?
Again, there is a political system to influence minors (including, in 1948, new political entities like India and Israel) to join the Democracies or the Communists. The civil war in China continues. In the 1945 version, the Allied player controls the German remnants facing the Soviets, while the Soviet operates those in western Germany. Once those guys are disposed of, the US/British/French forces, with some Italian help, take on the Soviets. Japan, still unconquered in May 1945, joins the enemy of their enemy and allies with Russia.
This is also a stand-alone game. As with America in Flames, many of this game's components can also be used in WIF. Less of a fantasy than America in Flames, Patton in Flames is fun.
My review here: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/article/3885633
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Days of Decision III starts in 1936, with the pre-war maneuvering for power and political advantage. It can be played as a stand-alone game, or you can use it with the WIF maps and units to explore sometimes dramatically different beginnings of World War II. At the extreme, the Soviet Union and Communist Chinese could end up allying with the Axis.
This plays well as a stand-alone, I think. I played it once with WIFFE and enjoyed it although, as the German, I got outmaneuvered and was rudely surprised to face the perfidious Swedes as enemies.
Using DODIII with a WIF game will slow things down a bit, but it is a lot of fun if you like to explore what-if scenarios.
Oh -- and I must admit I'm surprised this isn't called "Decisions in Flames" or "Diplomats Aflame" or something like that! 
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Leaders in Flames introduced a new thing to WIF -- leaders. Each leader had a different set of attributes, some of which were very powerful (overstacking, railing great distances without being disrupted, boosting your naval power, etc). It also included some new late-war corps and planes for most major powers, and the very cool Soviet Guard Banner Armies, which are promotions for Soviet units that destroy German corps.
Many considered the leaders to be far too powerful and imbalancing, and I agree. The non-leader units in this set are now included in the 2007 Mech in Flames, so unless you really want to experiment with leaders, you can skip this one safely. Although the leaders do have one really good use -- I use them to represent offensive chits.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Fatal Alliances was originally developed (with permission) by the Canadian Wargamers Group before ADG took it over. It was an attempt to allow you to play the First World War (in Europe) with WIF's system. It included a map overlay of central Europe, WWI-era armies and navies (and a few aircraft), and a fairly extensively revised rule set.
Be warned - this is not a complete game, and it is not compatible with WIFFE. You need WIF's 4th-edition maps to play this. It suffered from some of the problems many WWI games face - static fronts (in this game, you gain half-hexes!) and all the rest. I played it once or twice and enjoyed it. But it's quite different from the rest of the WIF universe.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Released in early 2008, this is the latest World in Flames expansion. The name is a misnomer - this is from the 2008 WIF Annual, and includes more than just Factories in Flames.
FiF lets you add more detail to production; read my review on the FiF BGG page for greater detail. It also introduces a 3d10 combat chart designed for use with FiF that essentially introduces step losses to land combat, and an Empires-in-Arms style combat tactic selection which will modify the combat.
Other highlights include counters needed for FIF, some specialty units for various major powers, new political options and rules for Days of Decision III, and various articles about strategies in WIF.
edit for various dumb typos
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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This was part of the same manual as Factory in Flames, but since there is (unbeknownst to me until just now) its own entry, I'll add it here. Commandoes "adds a number of units and rules that can be used with Factories in Flames or with any game of World in Flames. Flak units, Road and Rail line construction, Coastal Fortifications, and of course the special forces themselves are all included."
Again, part of the WIF 2007 Annual which includes Factory in Flames, a two-fer.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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A future planned addition to the World in Flames universe... WIF Blitz!
WIF Blitz! is an army-level adaptation of World in Flames. It covers the entire globe on one 36"x22" map. It uses variable scales - the main theaters like Europe and the Pacific are covered in greater detail, while other areas like Siberia or the Americas are at a larger scale.
This is NOT an expansion; WIF Blitz! is a stand-alone game and is NOT compatible with WIF. But many of the rules and systems will be familiar to WIF players, although many are at a greater level of abstraction. It includes approximately 450 armies, air wings, and fleets for all the major combatants and many other countries plus various game markers. It plays in a fraction of the time needed for a full WIF game - estimated 3-4 hours for the Barbarossa campaign, up to around 15 hours for the full global war.
Edit: Now available for pre-order from http://www.a-d-g.com.au/
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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And now being playtested, is a new version of Fatal Alliances, based on WIF Final Edition. World War One, WIF-style. Maybe out in late 2010.
Also note the new color for Commonwealth units, much easier on the eyes than black text on dark blue!
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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And a file with FAQ, posted by Harry Rowland.
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Wendell
United States
Arlington
Virginia
All the little chicks with crimson lips, go...
Hey, get your stinking cursor off my face! I got nukes, you know.
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Just this week announced for P1000 is World in Flames Master Edition.
This is NOT an expansion to WIFFE. Rather it is a completely new game based on the WIF system, with significantly greater detail. Instead of being army/corps based (Russia/China armies, others corps), it is corps/division based. Monthly turns instead of two-month turns. Separate attack and defense values. 4800 counters, six maps, WIF on steroids.
You can see more details at http://www.gdg.de/index_alt.html; don't panic when the home page comes up in German, click on "Master Edition" and that page with description in English will come up.
I haven't played or seen this yet.
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