Sorry for the delay in a reply but I did not realise that Wargames Vault would post the release of Action All Fronts on TMP. I wrote the rules and may be I can help answer your questions. BTW there is a Yahoo group for AAF where the beta test rules are available for free download. They are very similar to the finished rules.
Chain of Command is quite a different set, as basically it is a reinforced platoon force. In AAF the basic fighting unit would be a company. Perhaps 2-3 infantry platoons and a company HQ. Each platoon HQ can add support units but tanks don't get introduced until you get up to company HQ level. You need at least 2 platoon HQ to get a company HQ and the company HQ allows one artillery support plus either; another artillery support, a company support unit (which tend to be platoons) or an AFV.
Activation very similar to Bolt Action except that it is not random. In AAF a unit can perform; moving, shooting, recon and charge, all as standard without requiring orders to do so. Orders can be issued and remain in place until the order is changed or the unit is pinned. Having orders allows a unit to modify its actions when activated, for example a unit with a Move order can move 3 times but not shoot, recon or charge.
Perhaps the real difference is the requirement to spot your targets before you shoot at them. Although you as the player can see the enemy (provided that they are not using the Hidden rule), you cannot shoot at them until spotted. As another example, a tank has a spotting distance (the distance it can be seen at) of 72, an A/T gun 30. So all being equal the tank could be spotted before it could spot the A/T gun. Stick the the A/T gun in ambush, in cover and it would be seen at 7.5. Once the A/T gun opened fire it would still only be seen at 15. So a tank going forward on its own would be very vulnerable to being ambushed. In practice it means that the first turns of the game things can move quickly as they have still to be spotted. Once spotted, you have to be careful with your movement, as you are vulnerable to over-watch fire. Perhaps this is similar to the Patrol phase in CoC but using units instead of markers?
Heroes. I did not come across the rules for heroes in BA. But I can explain how they work in AAF. Each hero has a number of hero points to expend. Each hero point can be used to make a failure a success or a success (usually being shot by the enemy) a failure. Lets take the example of Lt. J. R. Fox Medal of Honour (posthumous) winner at the battle of Sommocolonia, December 1944.
"During the preceding few weeks, Lieutenant Fox served with the 598th Field Artillery Battalion as a forward observer. On Christmas night, enemy soldiers gradually infiltrated the town of Sommocolonia in civilian clothes, and by early morning the town was largely in hostile hands. Commencing with a heavy barrage of enemy artillery at 0400 hours on 26 December 1944, an organized attack by uniformed German units began. Being greatly outnumbered, most of the United States Infantry forces were forced to withdraw from the town, but Lieutenant Fox and some other members of his observer party voluntarily remained on the second floor of a house to direct defensive artillery fire. At 0800 hours, Lieutenant Fox reported that the Germans were in the streets and attacking in strength. He then called for defensive artillery fire to slow the enemy advance. As the Germans continued to press the attack towards the area that Lieutenant Fox occupied, he adjusted the artillery fire closer to his position. Finally he was warned that the next adjustment would bring the deadly artillery right on top of his position. After acknowledging the danger, Lieutenant Fox insisted that the last adjustment be fired as this was the only way to defeat the attacking soldiers. Later, when a counterattack retook the position from the Germans, Lieutenant Fox's body was found with the bodies of approximately 100 German soldiers. "
So under the rules Lt Fox would be allowed to convert failed requests for artillery fire support into successes (using hero points) and keep up a steady fire on the advancing enemy. And of course by varying the number of hero points, you can make a figure a greater or lesser hero. We played the the Tiger tank scenario from the film Fury (Tiger in ambush getting the first shot, against 4 Shermans at 800 yrds range). We played it through around 20 times. Without a hero, all the Shermans are destroyed, no contest. With a hero (with 2 hero points) in command of the Sherman 76, the Tiger gets killed with one, sometimes two Shermans surviving.
There are no review copies out. Its so new that I have not yet received any hard copies myself to send out for sale or for review. And I don't even know where you would send a set of rules to be reviewed. We are still waiting for Figures in Comfort to produce the artillery templates. So my aim (when ready) would be to send a set of rules and an artillery template so that a reviewer could play a test game.
demonstrates how anyone can get in on sculpting for fun...