"Rules inquiry....larger sized battles" Topic

Fellow TMP'ers

I found my skirmish rules and now I would like to find my "large battles" rules.

Good representation of infantry and armor/combined arms (if possible)

Prefer a set of rules that can handle several regiments to battalions per side.

Can apply to any theater of WW2

Not asking for the best, but the rules you like.

Thanks!

Out of the rules that I have encountered at one point or another, the following come to my:

- Command Decision
- Spearhead
- Look Sarge, No Charts
- Battlefront WWII

Rapid Fire II – has a very skirmish like feel.

I like Krieg ohne Hass – you fight with divisions/Corps with units at Battalion level. Gives a fast game where combined arms is king!!

Blitzkrieg Commander 2 are pretty good fun and can handle a fair sized force.

The command and control system (initiative rolls) gives better forces a distinct edge – which helps a lot in games where organisation and training should count for more than machinery – in a very simple way (E.g. 1942 Russian Front, Pz IIIs Vs T34s).

I like 'em, except for the indirect fire artillery rules, but I don't like most (all?) indirect artillery rules.

Brigade Commander by Nordic Weasel Games would be my choice (though I'm planning on using them for moderns first).

Command Decision are my WW2 big battle rules of choice.

FFOT3 does WW2 as well.

I, of course, recommend Combat Command. Similar in format to Command Decision but easier mechanics. Designed to have the easy play aspects of the mass market WWII games but with a lot more WWII simulation value.

Available through WargamesVault.

TomT
(Note to Combat Command players: Doing research now on Early War: Poland to Paris hope to get supplement out before Christmas.)

I like Command Decision and Look Sarge, No Charts! as well.

I'd vote for Blitzkreig Commander myself. Play it, love it.

You could try Ostfront, quick and easy system with comprehensive army lists for 6 factions (so far)

Quick fire rules are free to try, 4 basic army lists included:
link

Main rules cover the rest, and have a map campaign system built in:
link

I would recommend Rapid Fire Rules or Blitzkrieg Commander Rules.Hope it helps.

Take care

Andy

My own Brigade Commander rules will handle a brigade per side in no time, but is intended at relatively few figures on each side.

For lots of toys, Rapid Fire gets some flak but its a very easy and straight-forward game to play.
There's a reason it's been around so long.

We play GHQ's Micro Armor The Game and a home brew 15mm platoon level game that strated out as Panzer Blitz for minis but has since morphed into something better.

I recommend Rapid Fire as well
Great fun set of rules

Spearhead. I particularly like the emphasis on planning and the way that the rules reduce the Eye of God effect. And it supports BIG battles. The megagames were an inspiration for the Battle of the Marne repro that we put on in 2014:

link

Robert

following scales

each element a platoon Blitzkrieg Commander, Spearhead, Fist Full of Tows (includes modern and WW2)

Each element a company PanzerKorps

Each element a battalion Division Commander

I like spearhead a lot but you said you wanted all theatres and nations, they are brilliant at simulating Russian front 41 to 43…elsewhere they creak considerably, and need a lot of house rules, mainly to tone down Arty's German bias and fairly poor toe research.

I can only speak to Command Decision, having played in various editions, in one case with Chadwick and Raney officiating and another playtest with Jack playing, of course, the Soviets
CD is not meant for more than 20 platoons/units per side because of the way fire and morale are handled. It is the bookeeping, of order chits, and forced back units. It is the interactive turn. Unless you like one hour plus to complete a turn or have made homebrew modifications,CD is about battalions and encounter battles, not suited for massed air or mines or artillery or defenses in depth or city figbts
The game is supposed to start after the recon is done and go a dozen turns. The middle game in chess as Chadwick puts it