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"15mm rules for WW2" Topic


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Comments or corrections?

tsofian28 Dec 2019 6:04 p.m. PST

Is there a set of rules that simulates WW2 combat with a one to one figure/vehicle ratio that simulates the decisions of company/battalion commanders well? I've seen World in Flames played and don't think it meets these criteria.

Suggestions

tsofian28 Dec 2019 6:04 p.m. PST

Is there a set of rules that simulates WW2 combat with a one to one figure/vehicle ratio that simulates the decisions of company/battalion commanders well? I've seen World in Flames played and don't think it meets these criteria.

Suggestions

jdginaz28 Dec 2019 6:33 p.m. PST

Sounds like "I Ain't Been Shot Mum" will fit what your looking for At company level.

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toofatlardies.co.uk

saltflats192928 Dec 2019 9:25 p.m. PST

5core company commander

MajorB29 Dec 2019 2:01 a.m. PST

Crossfire.

martin goddard Sponsoring Member of TMP29 Dec 2019 2:04 a.m. PST

There is a whole raft of them.
That should give you plenty of choice. Maybe too much?

You might consider PBI.
PBI is very much an infantry game.
PBI gives each player about 3 platoons and a couple of vehicles initially. Not a game for "clash of the tanks" fans.
Then the scenario generator alters one player into the defender and the other into the attacker.
PBI is not a clash of equals.

peterpig.co.uk/infopbi.html


Best wishes n your search
martin

PS Nice to see that no respondents have put their personal choice as "the only one worth considering because it is what they play at their house".

Martin Rapier29 Dec 2019 2:34 a.m. PST

As noted there are dozens of them (although good luck trying to run a whole battalion at 1:1 unless your figures are based as elements).

It depends what you are looking for in a game really.

Are there any criteria to help narrow it down more? Battalion Commanders mainly allocate missions, resources and reserves. It is a very different activity to running a rifle company.

blacksmith29 Dec 2019 3:12 a.m. PST

Battlegroup

Dexter Ward29 Dec 2019 4:41 a.m. PST

Battlefront:WW2 for that scale – not 1 to 1 for figures or vehicles though. A battalion a side is too much for 1:1 scale really

VonBlucher29 Dec 2019 6:18 a.m. PST

Battlegroup- plus very active Facebook page. Where if you have a question, the answer will be forthcoming pretty rapidly. Probably has attracted the greatest number of EX-FOW players as no need for rebasing.

Caddis31 Dec 2019 1:44 p.m. PST

I'm a big Fireball Forward fan. It works well at the company level. Battalion might push it a bit much though.

Something to consider at least on your list…

Levi the Ox06 Jan 2020 10:03 p.m. PST

Be aware it might be difficult to get both a 1:1 figure ratio with 15mm figures and company- to battalion-level decision-making in a playable game, due to the physical constraints of space and time. A WWII battalion, even with a company off-table in reserve, probably means 200+ figures on the table.

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For the command level you're looking for, Crossfire by Arty Conliffe is fantastic! Its activation system heavily emphasizes terrain and tactical decisions around its use. A company-size game lasts about an hour, a battalion game about 4, including teaching new players.

A typical player force would be one Company HQ, 3 Platoon HQs, 9 rifle squads, possibly a light mortar stand aggregating the platoon mortars, and a couple of attached support assets like MMG squads, Forward Observers for off-table mortars, or the occasional infantry gun or AFV.

Each of these units is a single stand, so you're looking at ~15 "pieces" in 3-5 groups, since each platoon stays mostly together. The combat mechanics have no technical minutiae, with the only distinctions being training, SMGs, MMGs, AT weapons, engineer equipment, and AFV gun/armor stats.

It is not a "tournament-style" game, the activation mechanics not being well-suited to the sort of symmetric meeting engagements you usually see in other systems. It is prime for attack-defense scenarios, though.

I play it in 6mm at a 1:1 figure ratio, and a company-level actions fits on a 3'x3' card table, with a battalion-level game closer to 6'x4'. Playing it with 15mm figures might mean accepting a 1:2 ratio for infantry to fit in a reasonable area.

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If your priority is individually-based miniatures, I'd recommend Chain of Command by Too Fat Lardies. It's a platoon-level game emphasizing the positioning and actions of leaders at that level. It plays in 1-2 hours, with the rules for company-size engagements going 3-4.

A platoon in CoC would be 1-2 senior leaders; 3-4 squads each consisting of a junior leader, a 3 figure gun team, and a 4-9 figure rifle team; and 0-6 support elements consisting of additional squads, support weapons, observers, guns, or AFVs.

Each miniature is tracked individually (although you can multi-base them and most people do so for support weapons), so that's 30-60 "pieces" in 3-15 groups. Most weapons are just a range and a firepower stat, and most weapons in a given category have the same stats, so again it's fairly accessible, although there are some more complex charts for close-combat and morale.

As far as gameplay, Chain of Command is equally well-suited to either pick-up games (with a clever pre-battle phase), scenarios, or full-on campaigns.

I play in 15mm, and a platoon-sized game has lots of room on a 6'x4' with realistic-ish spacing between figures and units. Two platoons apiece (or playing in 28mm) starts to get a little cozy, anything larger definitely needs more space.

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Also, the 5Core system is worth a look. It handles each level of combat with a module based on the same core mechanics. Very accessible, albeit somewhat generic.

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In short, there are some great options out there, so consider which factors you listed are most important. Good luck in your search!

Warspite115 Feb 2020 5:45 a.m. PST

I have been using Bolt Action in 15mm and I am quite happy with it.

B

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