"6mm Rules.." Topic

Which rule set would you recommend for 1=1 scale WW2, something like FOW but in a real scale, where it does not look like WW2 Warhammer 40k

Most 6mm rules use platoon bases (or squad bases) for infantry. 1=1 is a bit hard in 6mm because it's so difficult to distinguish the individual kit (and just too fiddly).

I think "Microarmor the Game" has a 1=1 variant.

I like Blitzkrieg Commander II, you can organize it as squad bases and individual tanks.

Also, while I'm not a fan of FOW, FOW actually plays better in 6mm than in 15mm (ducks for cover) and might give you what you're looking for. Play it straight, don't change the ranges or anything, just use smaller infantry bases. It actually takes the game from being tolerable to, says grudgingly, pretty decent (though still too many special rules, etc.).

Why not take a look at "Micro Squad: The 1:1 Scale Game – WW2" from GHQ, available for FREE at the Wargame Vault:
link

Not written as 6mm rules, but both "I Ain't Been Shot Mum" and "Crossfire" if used with 6mm figures will give you a game with the same ground and figure scale.

IABSM is 1 figure = 1 figure. Crossfire can be with minor fuss.

I think I miss wrote, I like vehicle 1=1 and infantry in squads, similar to FOW but would FOW work in 6mm?

but would FOW work in 6mm?

Most rules are not size specific. FOW would probably work better wth 6mm than it does with 15mm!!

I recommend the TFL I Ain't Been Shot Mum rules also. They work out to 1/300 so work perfectly with 6mm. Great yahoo group support for newbies. And because they are geared more towards scenarios and not points, you can spend time playing the game and not researching rules that come up odd rationalizations for their play. Best set of rules I've come across in the 4 decades I've been playing with tiny tanks.

The whole Flames of Warhammer problem is not with the rules. It's the army lists. When you try and put 38 tanks on a 6' table you get silly results.

I play FoW in 15mm and 6mm. For 6mm I cut all measurements in half (I made a 50% scale ruler so I don't have to do any math). It plays great. But the problem still holds. Put 293 micro-armor tanks on the table and it will look like….40k again.

I like FoW in 15mm but I play scenarios, not points.

I also would also recommend IABSM for 6mm as it's ground scale is near enough exact for 6mm scale. For some seriously fabulous eye candy for IABSM in this scale check out Mark Luthers 6mm wargaming Flickr site:

6mm Gaming

Wonderful stuff!

For 6mm I cut all measurements in half (I made a 50% scale ruler so I don't have to do any math). It plays great. But the problem still holds. Put 293 micro-armor tanks on the table and it will look like….40k again.

But I think that's where the problem lies. Use 6mm models but do not chnage the measurements. That way the models will naturally appear more spread out. If you mount each model tank on a 30mm wide base, you will not be able to physically cram them all together into the FOW tank park!

Mein Panzer 2

As above, just play any old tactical set with 6mm stuff and leave the ground scale alone. Plenty of one base is one section or team sets, fow, iabsm, mein panzer, bkc in some variants, or older sets like firefly, Cambria to Sinai or wrg 1925 to 50.

Many of the older sets favour 1mm to 1m.

Same as Bez, Mein Panzer or Schwere Kompanie.

Can't believe I'm recommending FOW but it sounds like you already have it so I'll reiterate my opinion.

FOW plays better in 6mm than it does in 15mm. There's no need to change the measure distances. Honestly, it looks visually better if you leave them alone.

I agree that the problems with FOW are more about army lists and point systems but, if you game it in 6mm it's all really under your control. It's not like you're going to find an FOW tournament in 6mm.

Yeah just forget about all the silly special rules and the the game mechanics are pretty good. I agree about not changing the ranges except maybe movement as would look masive for 6mm vehicels. I'd try by halving the movement and keep the rest the same.

Cheers
Kieran

I'll triple (quadruple) the IABSM recommendation. Ground Scale and Figure scale in 6mm would be nearly identical, and seeing just how empty a battlefield can be is an eye opener.

Another recommendation would be Fireball Forward. Use 6mm troops in place of the 15mm recommended (I think) figure size and once again the ground scale and figure scale are nearly identical. (Ground scale is not specifically noted in FF but it is close to the IABSM ground scale going by weapon ranges)

I agree about not changing the ranges except maybe movement as would look massive for 6mm vehicles.

Why would the existing movement rates look massive for 6mm models? I don't believe the rules specify a time or ground scale?

Reducing the movement distance without changing the ranges would result in units potentially being fired upon more often in a close to contact and therefore suffering abnormally high casualties.

> Schwere Kompanie

I play SK and love it BUT… At 50 meters per inch it has the same "problem" as 15mm games like FOW – just in a smaller footprint as it were. (Many 15mm games average 100 yards per foot in game scale).

Ditto on not halving movement. Movement looks massive at first but it quickly starts to feel normal.

Thanks guys I do have the FOW rule book and some of the Eastern Front books.

I'll look at doing some testing when I get home in a outlet of weeks

Thanks for the help

There are hundreds of rules sets that have come out over the years. Usually it's pretty easy to do the modifications to any rules if they are written for a specific scale that is different from the one that you would like to use. As previously mentioned, we have our own rules for WWII for both 1 vehicle = 1 vehicle, and for 1 vehicle = 5 vehicles. The 1=1 are available for FREE at the Wargame Vault. They are not a watered down version, they are the full version that has rules and data for everything- tanks, infantry, artillery, armoured cars, APCs, AA guns, AT guns, etc. We also have a re-write of the 1=5 that will be available very shortly (within a couple weeks), also for FREE on the Wargame Vault.

It's a great way to try the rules without making a financial commitment. If you like them, then great! Feel free to print them out and put them in a 3-ring binder, or just leave them on your computer. If you would like to buy a bound version of them, then stop by our website, place an order, and we will send it out to you.

On the topic of using FoW rules with 1/285th, or 6mm, miniatures, a ton of people do it. We hear from new customers all of the time who tell us that is what they are doing. As has already been noted a few times, many people just like the look of the game without the "parking lot" effect. Many others enjoy the cost savings. You can deploy your 1/285th, or 6mm, army for about 20% of the 15mm stuff.

At this point there doesn't seem to be an absolute consensus on how people like to use the FoW rules with our miniatures. Some like to leave the rules exactly the same, some like to change inches to centimeters and double the firing range. Those seem to be the most popular ways, but there are others that we have heard of too.

The truth is that no matter what rules are used, over the years most people like to have their own "house" modifications that they like to use to counter any inaccuracies that they feel are written into the rules.

Thanks,
GHQ

I too recommend I Ain't Been Shot Mum! It is a very good and fun system…works well in 6mm and 15mm, though 6mm suits the game play better. It's not your typical I Go You Go set of rules like GW or other rules, as it is card driven. The mechanics of it are simple too understand.

"Why would the existing movement rates look massive for 6mm models? I don't believe the rules specify a time or ground scale?"

Personally I think that a 6mm vehicle moves 12" in one turn is a lot (up to 16" for fast tanks like the cromwell). I know what you mean about more shooting though and I haven't tried this.

Fistful of Tows III. Excellent!!

Kampfgruppe commander is a good set of rules for 6mm

Get a set that at least has the unit frontages right and doesnt skimp on the artillery, nor has every scenario a meeting engagement
Command Decision has lousy frontages, never corrected--here they are--one inch stands square, and for double sized units one and a half inch, each inch equaling fifty yds, with a platoon of troops on a stand--fifty men in fifty yds? where did Chadwick get this? and a platoon of vehicles in the same or similar space--five tanks in fifty to seventy five yds? a parking lot?
Many years ago on the old CD website there was discussion regarding this, to include a zone of control around the stands--no joy
And there are all too many troop and vehicle types----as if it is important the difference between a Panzer Mk3 J or K
or a T 34 B or C, while some other differences amongst infantry and support weapons are not addressed
But CD isn't played much compared to FOW or Battleground or even Bolt Action
Who can blame them-- the amount of data, the choices of tank ammo and shots is enough to drag the game down
I know, I played a demo game with Chadwick and Radey the "umpires" it was a disaster