Windows 8 recovery drive

In windows 7 you were ask to make a repair CD or DVD. in windows 8 I was ask to make a flash drive as a repair drive. It stated that it was not a complete replace of windows 8.
Since I have read your blog about File History and turned it on.
Do I need another repair disk or will it do a complete recovery, from that flash card?
my file History in on a external hard disk drive.
In windows 7 I did not have to turn on file history, it just make a backup and ask to make a repair disk CD or DVD.

Claude