"Can You Use FoW minis to play Combat Action Command?" Topic

This is probably the number one question I get asked. The answer is a resounding YES. I have to admit I love Flames of War's (a.k.a. Battlefront) miniatures. And shhhh … don't tell anyone, but I love to play FoW and have won my fair share of tournaments and escalation leagues at local hobby shops. OK, why then you ask did I design and why do I play Combat Action Command? Because it is a completely different gaming experience.
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When I play Combat Action Command I feel like Major Winters from Band of Brothers when he was leading Easy Company or Tom Hanks when he was trying to Save Private Ryan. I love the real feel, the constant action and chaos of combat, the gunpowder smell and mud on your boots experience of CAC.
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When I play FoW, I use the time during my opponents move to wander around looking for the newest FoW minis to buy. When I play CAC, I stay "engaged" for the entire game. Just like real Combat, there is always Action and you must always stay in Command of your troops!
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But back to the original question. YES, you can use your FoW Minis and even your favorite FoW List to play CAC. Essentially you can pick up the CAC rules and play with your FoW Minis right "out of your army box". You can also do the same with your Spearhead or Command Decision armies.
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On average, it takes new players TWO turns to learn the rules. Therefore, midway through their first game they can play on their own. The secret is the Data Card for each Team. Everything is on the Data Card, once you understand the turn sequence and firing mechanics, you play right off the Data Cards. So you can grab your FoW Minis and favorite FoW List, get a copy of CAC and get right into a battle!
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Cheers! And have fun! Lee – Combat Action Command Author

But my Russian army doesn't have any Flames of War minis in it, and neither does my British 8th Army.
Can I play Combat Action Command with those armies?
This is very confusing.

Sounds like FOW HERESY to me!

Sounds like its a great fit with 15mm.

But does it work with microarmor?

Congratulation on your new rules. I hope they're successful.
But I am getting sick and tired of your constant, self-serving question and advertisements.

Er…

Oh, those are REAL "new" rules?
I thought it was a joke.
When *I* make up a fake set of rules, I put "Flames" in the title, like "Flames of Liberty", or "Flames and Gore", "Fields of Flames", etc.
"Glory" is also a good one. "Flames of Glory!"

So, I just assumed that the OP was making up a title for a fake set of rules. It cetainly follows the rules for a fake ttle, using THREE (count them, THREE!) buzz words, instead of just one or two, to make it sound totally generic.

But can I use my IABSM troops that were originally based for PBI for Flames of War? They are 10mm – does this mean their rifles are not as powerful?

Heretic! FoW miniatures are only to be used with the official, current version of the FoW rules!!!

All kidding aside, I will have to check out CAC, where do you purchase them?

You should have put "AD: " in the title.

Actually, this seems to be a common question: can I use troops based for X with rules Y. I am always asking on forums which WW II rules I use my FOW-based figures with, so it is good to know.

As for:

the gunpowder smell and mud on your boots experience of CAC.

I cry a heaping pile of road apples! Well, not unless you are having flashbacks, and if so, get back on your meds. As for me, I have a non-smoking game room and my wife will complain if I track mud in it (even though I have to clean that room myself).

Other than flexibility in basing, do you have any useful information on the game, like mechanics?

Irritating people is not a very good marketing technique.

You should have put "AD: " in the title.

Better yet, shell out for a sponsoring membership.

Jake

Stealth and marketing don't really go well together.
I'm poor as dirt and I can spring to help support this site.
So like the good Captain said…

Actually the publisher of Combat Action Command, On Military Matters, runs frequent Ads on TMP. My purpose is to explain the questions I get from gamers in the pursuit of playing. Sorry if that offends anyone, it is my intention to inform, not irritate.

Here goes at the answers to the serious questions.In Order.

You can play Combat Action Command with any 10, 12, 15, 20 mm minis based any way you like. You can also use 6mm and 28mm. Actually the scale looks even more realistic with 6mm (Micro Armor) but does not work as well with 28mm, although I know people who use them.

Your 10mm troops will work just fine. Since the Data for weapons performance is "miniature scale agnostic" you experience no loss in performance due to choice of scale.

CAC can be purchased directly from the Publisher, On Military Matters, there is a link on the Combat Action Command (.com) website. I am 100% for supporting local hobby retailers and there are many in the US and UK now carrying Combat Action Command.

I will happily answer any questions about "mechanics" that you want. It is easier to answer questions than just explain the system – which seems to "irritate" some lol.

I am not into stealth marketing. I have actually done marketing for AT&T, HP and IBM. And they will ALL tell you there is no such thing as "bad" PR. Any PR is good PR!

Cheers Lee – the author

Why not wait until someone actually ASKS that queston, before you answer it in a self-serving snarky way.

With me, all you have accomplished is to make sure that I have absolutely no inteest in buying your rules.

John were can a I get a copy of Flames of Glory and where do a send my credit card number to so you can automatically invoice me everytime a new model or rules supplement comes out?

Flames of Glory is due out in August. That will be my fake Napoleonic game that is largely copied from …other rules.
Flames of Liberty is available now. Just send me a PayPal payment of $1,475 USD and I will throw something together toot sweet. It will be at LEAST … 4 pages.
I ain't doin' no work until I get an advance.

Fields of Gore will be my WW2 game. As soon as I can figure out the differences between the various SdKfz numbers, I will write it. But I demand payment up front first. Oh, heck. I'll fake it.

Will you be issuing errata in a timely manner and will the stickers for my books be as sticky as the backs of the offical terrain pieces you are making?

Hell no.
And you will not be able to contact me for "rulings" either.

But John, no British Colonial fake rules? Now that's just not fair! Only $1,475.00 USD? At least one more zero should be in order.
Not being able to contact you for rulings makes perfect sense.
But ignoring the whole 19th century? That's just not right.
I'm going to sit in the corner and pout. Somebody pass me a Moonpie.

and will the stickers for my books be as sticky as the backs of the offical terrain pieces you are making?

LOL that is great! Makes you wonder what kind of toxic substance they are using to make their terrain.

This guy is VERY irritating. As the OFM and others have said all he has achieved with me is to ensure I never buy these rules (mind you, the terrible cover image had precisely the same effect).

If you want to do stuff like this then get a supporting membership and do it properly. People will be more inclined to buy from you when you seem less desperate to sell!

Any PR is good PR!

Dead wrong. The phrase is actually "Any publicity is good publicity." This one isn't true either.

There is a significant difference between publicity and public relations. The publicity you're generating for yourself is NOT good p.r., as evidenced by people on this thread (myself included) who have become irritated enough that we will never give your rules a shot.

I suggest it might be time for a re-think.

If anyone actually believes that there is no such thing as bad publicity, all that I can say is Gerald Ratner!

Lee, if you have really done marketing for the companies that you list, I would love to know in what capacity as your approach here is massively counterproductive. Your marketing attempts here are putting people off buying what, for all I know, may well be an excellent product.

Of the thousands of people allegedly playing these rules , I apparently know two personally. One at least seems to think highly of them.

I think they have good ideas…but they seem badly executed. In my book, that makes them unique. While my critiscism of Fow is well known, I would say they are actually an exact opposite of fow….i.e. I think fow has some poorly based ideas very well executed and even the ideas are improving on each version. I would not recommend anyone playing fow to try them. There are much better rules out there if anyone felt that incline…including the other rules with 'out the box' armies.

These are the first rules that seem to have charts for the sake of charts…..and you buy the charts seperately….sellable if you call them data cards.

Actually the number one question I get asked about Battlegroup Kursk, is can you use FOW models with it.

I aint ever played FOW so always reply with "yer.. guess so".

Thats my stealth marketing done for the day…

"Actually the number one question I get asked about Battlegroup Kursk, is can you use FOW models with it."

Hey man, you should start a thread on the flames of war page…the page specifically started to talk about flames of war rules queries and discussion.

To the author,
Why don't you start a Yahoo discussion group for your rules. Many sets have them and its free.

To players,
I have never (45 years) seen a set of rules you couldn't play in any scale you wanted. Converting for other scales is rather easy. Some look strange like 5mm skirmish, but can still be done.

Actually no one has ever asked if you can play Platoon Forward with FOW miniatures. :) You can though PF doesn't work particularly well with the rules! You really need about 3-4 leaders per side.

Cheers

Joe

Lee, to be clear, I don't think you come off snarky at all, however you do come off as extremely amateurish. I suspect this is not the reality, but it's certainly how it appears, and almost purely because of that perception, I have no interest in looking into your ruleset.

That could change in the future, but currently you're caught in my "spam filter" and it sounds like many other people feel the same way.

My recommendation, start a yahoo group and redo your website and presentation with more polish. You'll look much more professional and attract more curious players. More players is what will generate more players from then on. And soon you may have people talking about the set on this site as well as others.