"Sci-Fi Flames of War?" Topic

I've always felt that Flames of War would make a great Sci-Fi game, so…I'm looking for a rule set that is similar (as similar as possible)to FOW for use with 15mm figures/vehicles.I own Wildfire by Fire Ruby, Alien Squad Leader, Stargrunt 2, and FAD. Here are my criteria:

1) Reinforced company level actions w/possible air assets.

2) Infantry squad/half squad basing.

3) Moderately detailed vehicle stats (similar to FOW).

4) Artillery can be represented on board, or left off.

5) Can be alternating activation or IGOUGO.

6) No issuing orders for movement(the one thing I disliked about Wildfire).
7) Command and Control…no preference, I do like Stargrunt 2's rules though…

Any suggestions? Be gentle I'm fragile. :)

Edit: Spelling = fail.

Why not just use the FoW rules and make up stats for the vehicles you want, the infantry you want, etc., and go from there? We do it all the time. It's easy.

With that small a game desired, why do you want fireteam basing?

A platoon is ~4 squads (in current US Army terms) with an HQ section riding with Weapons squad. Do you really want to only have 6xInf+HQ+2xMG+2xAT teams and 4 vehicles?

Your company could be as much as 12 squads of infantry, a Gun platoon, a mortar section, a sniper section, and the company HQ.

I haven't found a really good game engine for that size engagements. Reinforced Company clashes are easy to do with FoW or Epic:Armageddon (fireteam basing), and understrength-platoon clashes seem to work best with Ambush Alley/Force on Force (individual basing).

If you really are set on a game like FoW, take a look at FoWModern.

In most FOW tournament armies, vehicles are over represented and there is nary an infantry man in sight.

Whatever you do: call your game BIG SEXY TANKS and forget infantry. Nobody wants to paint them anyway.

@ Jovian1 : I could, but I was looking to see if there were any commercial sets available first.

@ Lion in the Stars: My mistake, I was trying to think along FOW lines (its been a while since I've played) so a reinforced company would be what I am after. Fixed in the post, thanks. I'm really not in favor of individual infantry basing for 15mm…I just don't like the idea of moving 40+ little figures around and checking for squad coherency, line of sight etc. from each little dude.

Isn't scifi FOW Warhammer 40k?

E

agreed with ejacobs !

I agree with dwight shrute about agreeing with ejacobs. ;)

If you really want to play SciFi FoW, why not just choose nationalities and stats as per the FoW books and use scifi models you like to represent the forces? FoW is pretty "history-lite" for a WWII game in the first place, so there's no real stretch of the imagination playing it as a scifi game.

I use FAD with 15mm in company-sized games. When I move, I measure the leader's movement and then place the rest of the squad anywhere 2" around him. When I shoot, I measure (and check LoS) from my squad leader to the enemy leader. It's as fast and simple as FoW but it allows individual casualties.

If you really want to play SciFi FoW, why not just choose nationalities and stats as per the FoW books and use scifi models you like to represent the forces?

Plus you could easily pinch special Sci Fi weapon and equipment data from Stargrunt (for instance) and drop it into FOW for more Sci Fi flavour.

Cheers
Mark

Future War Commander is a great alternative. It has some aspects of FOW in its mechanics.

Good idea. In a similar vein, I had also wondered why Too Fat Lardies hadn't made a sci-fi game. Their stuff would work well for that IMO.

We've got pretty much exactly that on deck for next year sometime. Stay tuned. ;)

You could use the soviets for some low / middle tech fanatical religious zealots for example…

Future War Commander is a great alternative. It has some aspects of FOW in its mechanics.

Matches most of the critera as it's flexible enough for infantry bases to be considered half teams. It lacks something in 15mm unless you have more space than I do.

But, for the money, I'd rather customise FOW.

Cheers
Mark

You could use the soviets for some low / middle tech fanatical religious zealots for example…

How dare you talk about my Sci Fi Soviets like that Piotr! link

LOL!
Mark

Sorry Mark ! I am using those same packs to create a low tech Jihad Liberation Front force. Waves upon waves of religious fanatics…

Great! Aren't they!

I bought the battalion box set and found that I had more than enough for WW2 AND retro Sci Fi.

Cheers
Mark

I was thinking about the Lizard war in Harry Turtledove's unending serials.
Early on, you would have T-26s knocking out King Tigers by being sneaky Commies and shooting the Tigers in the belly as they went over a berm. Crafty bastards…
It is difficult to get your opponent to admit that a head on shot is a Top (Bottom) Armor versus a Front Armor shot, though.

@ TheDreadnought: I look forward to picking it up once released.
@ The OFM: Never read any of Turtledove's stuff, though I've seen many a post about his books here. If I do ever get around to reading them, I've already got Garn for lizard stand ins.
Thanks for the suggestions all. It appears that Ambush Alley games might have what I'm looking for in their upcoming SciFi rules set, so I may just wait and see if that meets (or exceeds) my needs.:)

I've been pondering adapting I Ain't Been shot Mum for 15mm SF too. But I think FoW would work too and many of the 'gamier' elements like too much armour or air support for an infantry company in WW2 can be explained away by the SF backstory.

Just need something for smarter weapons and sensors and drones etc.

Jamesonsafari,

I Ain't Been Zapped, Mum! :)

I'm doing FWC armies using FoW basing. I know you mentioned not liking the issuing of commands, but I think that it is a much better system than the UGOIGO hit-save-wound of 40K/FoW. I also like the opportunity/suppression fire aspect.

I play SG2 and Command Horizon and I feel that FWC does a good job of combining the 2.

I'm using 15mm minis, of which there are many to choose from. I really like that there are many alien races to chose from, instead of doing human vs human all the time.

"Just need something for smarter weapons and sensors and drones etc."

This was a concern of mine as well when converting FOW over to SciFi, as well as on station air support (hovering gunships and the like).

I'd suggest that you rep King Tigers with my Pelagic Dominate Man of War MBT, and Hummels with my Man of War SPA. Other company's vehicle kits can rep early war Italian tanks.

Rothgar: "I'm using 15mm minis, of which there are many to choose from. I really like that there are many alien races to chose from, instead of doing human vs human all the time."

Yep, I just ordered $350+ of 15mm aliens, humans and vehicles and looking forward to ordering even more when certain companies release them.I'll have a look at FWC, but I'm really not a fan of the issuing orders mechanic. Alternating activation or random activation (i.e. drawing chits) would be fine also.

@ the evil morlab: Only if I get to rep JagdTigers with my CMG heavy grav tanks, and the SS with my Garn.:)

Fine with me Moon, Khurisan is my manufacturer so I like that garn idea! But what's all this jagdtiger business? ;)

Don't worry the evil morlab, the Pelagic MBT's are on my list. So are Top Gun Ace's tanks.;)

It might be an idea for you to come and join our forums Moonbeast we are working on some rules you may want a look at when we open up playtesting next year.

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Craig @ Crtical Mass Games.

It may interest some of you to know that our forthcoming Christmas Special will include a set of Sci-fi rule amendments for IABSM written by international playboy and some-time space traveller, Robery Avery.

It should be available in early December.

Moonbee:

"NOOOOOO!!!"

What fun is it being the panzer commander if everyone can have king tigers? I want them all to myself!!! ;)

Keep your King Tigers. I'll have a unit of SSTs led by their overly cheerful (and orange) leader, King Tigger.

"On the bounce, boys! On the bounce!"

@ Craig@Critical Mass Games: I'm very interested in checking it out, thanks!

@TFL: I don't own IABSM and the addition of a Scifi amendment might be the incentive I need to pick a copy up.

@ Fartsar: Ha, classic! With that image firmly planted in my brain, I will now always picture Tigger with a hand flamer and backpack mounted mini-nukes.:)

So . . . could the FOW SU880 Sniper set be used as human scavengers on an alien desert planet?

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