"Simple WW2 Rules?" Topic

Hello

I am looking for some simple ("beer and pretzels" type) WW2 land warfare rules. "Simple" because my damaged brain won't cope with anything complicated and I have very little knowledge of WW2 tactics, doctrine, etc. I will be using 20mm stuff.

Any suggestions?

Thank you

Bolt Action is pretty simple and popular so you can find players.

Crossfire is an infantry game with no charts and no rulers. GREAT game. Simple but different, and you need lots of terrain.

These rules summaries may also help you decide:

link

If you want simple then Rapid Fire has to be the most simple rule set out there. The latest version reloaded is only £5.00 GBP and you can get it as a pdf…..all the vehicle stats are free to download.

link

FUBAR. You can Google it. It's free. It's a lot of fun. One page of rules. Lots of tactical decision making without fiddly or confusing rules.

Rapid Fire Reloaded with its additional rules. Fast and simple,still giving good WWII representation.

Thank you for the suggestions.

Another vote for Crossfire.

"Fast Rules" maybe? I think that a new edition was recently published.

FUBAR is about as simple as it gets for skirmish
link

We like Rapid Fire for battalion level games

Crossfire!
Extra Crispy's got it right: company level and you can play a game in an hour. There's a Book of Faces page to get you started.

Thank you. Crossfire appears to be primarily aimed at infantry actions, so I think that I'll have a look at Rapid Fire first.

I had to find a simple set of rules because I needed to attract new players. In the end I went with a figure game version of a SPI Boardgame, but the scale is each element equals a battalion so may not be the scale you are after.

This video provided a brief overview:
youtu.be/lkg0iUueQkc

For other rules, the key factor is how long is the rules. If there is too much tore ad it just becomes too difficult. Saying that many skirmish scale sets of rules are reasonable simple: This video list a number of them: youtu.be/VeP5J7wEvSk

Once we move to squad scale the complexity does go up. MeinPanzer may be one of the simpler modern rules available. This is a list of rules: youtu.be/K8puyPOefo0
At platoon scale I would consider spearhead or rapid fire. Spearhead has reasonably short rules. youtu.be/7Rz2klk5_HE

In the company, battalion and regimental scale I would try KISS, MegaBlitz or rules based on a simple boardgame, such as Neu-Schwerpunkt.

Bolt Action:

1) Good Market share
2) Army creation rules / points
3) Competitive events
4) Simple rules

What's not to like!

@Mr Elmo.
For a start "competitive", means it's probably a gift for "rules lawyers". It is played quite a lot in our club, but I was put off when an mg team, behind a stone wall at the edge of a dense wood,were deemed to be visible to a tank that had its barrel peeping out from behind a house. [and the preferred figure scale is for 28mm figures, so you have a total disconnect between figure scale and ranges and I only have 6mm, 1/144 and 20 mm WW2 forces:) ]
Much prefer Chain of Command and Blitzkrieg Commander.
Have to say I like the sound of FUBAR, my old wargaming group had a principle of trying to play with rules that fitted onto a single sheet of A4 paper.

When your goal is to fit rules onto a single sheet of paper you obviously lose a lot. I found FUBAR to lack any depth or nuance between sides. Very unsatisfying.

I was put off when an mg team, behind a stone wall at the edge of a dense wood,were deemed to be visible to a tank that had its barrel peeping out from behind a house

Things like happen all too frequently: gamers form a negative opinion about a game over something the game is not. In Bolt Action measurements from vehicles are to a "core part" generally defined as the hull. I don't know what your group was playing but it wasn't Bolt Action.

This is not a Bolt Action thing go to a Con and some crusty old guy will be railing against the rules because they don't allow him to form emergency square under a waxing gibbous moon and EVERYONE KNOWS armies trained for this.

Ok, you don't like the rules, fine but let's play them or go find a different game.

"Simple" because my damaged brain won't cope with anything complicated and I have very little knowledge of WW2 tactics, doctrine, etc.

Bolt Action should work for you on both counts. Mechanics are straightforward Warhammer 40k style and to be honest the rules bear about as much relevance to WW2 as the 40k rules, so your lack of knowledge of the period is no hindrance, in all honesty, it's probably a help.

I would recommend Fire Fight by Warwick Kinkaide