"Flames of War 28mm" Topic

I started FOW when it first came out, and ran many games for a the Adventure Game Store in Davie, Florida to get interest up.

Eventually, I sold off all of my 15mm armies, and focused on 28mm scale for which I had also a large investment.

Now, as some of the new players seem interested in FOW, I have thought about using my large collection of 28mm WW2 for the new Battlefront 4th ed. FOW rules.

I have fire-team and squad magnetic stands so this would be easy to do, with metal bases figures. I literally have more 28mm troops than I actually had in 15mm when I did FOW before. I can generally run a company of tanks and or infantry for most Theatres.

Has anyone used 28mm for FOW? Any suggestions? Feedback or thoughts. Any thoughts on adjusting ranges and so forth, templates, and the like? I was thinking of doubling everything for ranges.

I have a 10 x 6 table for gaming, so space is not an issue.

Anyone interested in working on FOW in 28mm?

I live in Homestead, FL, so I would be looking for players.

Wowzers!
That's impressive.
I'd compare the size of your 28mm stands to the FoW stands and increase template and ranges etc accordingly

If you like it, you have the room and figures, go for it!

I use 20mm for gaming FOW. With basically no Ver3.0 rule changes for the larger miniatures. The only major change was I increased the basing for infantry teams, for a better look and avoid cramming the 20mm (1/72) plastic miniatures on the original size FOW bases.

Typical infantry 4-5 miniature team based on 2.5" wide and 1.75" deep base with rounded corners (not square cut). Smaller teams, command, light or medium mortars, and machine guns all based on small base of 1.75" by 1.5" deep. Vehicles are based to protect the fine plastic kits and ability to handle the miniature with fingers. Guns based on base size need for scale cannon and their crew with some barrel overlook.

For tables.. never a problem. I can use the basic 6x4 all the way up to 6x20 feet. Convention scenarios tend to the larger scaled games for player teams. But I prefer to play with the 6' depth for almost all games (not 4 feet) and artillery often off board (separate small table) only subject to air power bombardment or AOP directed counter battery. Unobserved counter battery rules are homemade and simple… roll a six (+1 to roll if enemy battery fired last phase) allows counter battery with medium to larger cannon (25pdr or large, no mortars). Place template and then roll 2x d6 and direction arrow dice to shift the final target bombardment center point. Determine teams affected normally.

Many photos of 20mm FOW games and these team bases on blog Wargamerabbit: link

The real issue is not figures but ranges and speeds. At 12" a tank takes 6 turns to cross your 6' table which means you get 6 shots at him until he reaches you. Now you only get 3. Takes a lot of sting out of an 88.

Ditto for ranges. Your basic team use to fire 16" of the 72 table width (about 22%). Now it reaches out 44%. Assuming both sides get 6" of deployment space, you're in small arms range on turn one.

Try it and see.

Scale creep is a Bitch.

I have a large amount of moving bases in varying sizes, so using the smallest bases with fire-teams and the like, and 1/56 scale vehicles with original ranges…..or print custom templates and tape measure with 50% increase…

As long as everything is the same scale.

I'd want to use 6x8' tables as a minimum for that, just because the tank and gun models are so much bigger.

Pistol and assault rifle ranges will definitely look funny, though.

My table is 121" x 73 1/2"

For the example of an 88mm ATG firing -An 88mm only historically had very long shots in open terrain such as the Steppes or Open Desert, and that's if the ground is flat. The Table is big enough. Most combat ranges are up to a few hundred yards with the above exceptions due to terrain, and elevation changes.

A 1/56 scale tank is 2-3 inches longer and 1-2 wider than 1/100, infantry stands would have to be slightly larger, but do not have to have 4-5 figures but three, which fit on a large FOW sized base instead of a medium. Movement and ranges could conceivable stay the same or adjusted with custom rules for 50% increase (or even leave the same), and blast template increased 50% to compensate for increased size of stands or vehicles.

It's just a game, that some people like, and are familiar with the rules. Sometimes playing that game to get people to have fun is the point.

FOW is not as realistic as other games, but it's quick and easy to learn, and they're a lot of players. I bet some of them would have a blast with 28mm.