I'm using Plastic Soldier Company stuff in 15mm for Chain of Command and I'm pretty happy about it. I base every single mini in individual round DM bases. 15mm diameter for troops (including BAR and bazooka teams), 20mm for officers and 40mm for the MG and mortair teams that are designed to be built together. Then if a MG team has a crew of 5 and the mini shows 2 guys, I'll just use a d6 to count them from 5 to 1. I think it's pretty simple and leaves all the head scratches for the game itself!
I like playing 28mm games at 15mm with individual bases. it gives it most times such more tactical variance and options, also the range are then slightly more realistic. This basicly aplies to most 28mm wargames :)
I've always been fascinated by the breadth of ww2; from the widely varied landscapes and environments, to the number or armies involved, the rapid advance of weapons and vehicle technology, etc... After watching a few BoW vids, I started buying into Bolt Action and 4Ground buildings (love their stuff)...but something has never felt completely right with the 28mm scale and vehicles/weapon ranges. I started looking into 15mm and came upon FoW and now I find myself buying into that range too. I like that I can model a larger town and outskirts in 15mm OR play a smaller skirmish on a 4x4 table. The models aren't as detailed (or at least not as easy to paint the details that are there) but armies go together quickly! The 4Ground 15mm stuff is also cheaper and still looks amazing. Now I'm looking at different rulesets than BA too, in particular CoC, but I'm a little concerned the rules might be a bit more heavy than BA / FoW for playing with my kid.
We play NWE in 20mm because we started off playing IABSM in that scale and already had terrain and minis. For North Africa and French Indochina we went 28mm because of the wonderful figure ranges (Perry and FNG respectively) and because we had to get new terrain anyway. The game itself works equally well in both scales.
I have a vast and beautiful 20mm WWII collection- lots of AB, Elhiem, Blitz, TQD, Battlefield, plus a lot of high quality vehicles...but we played CoC in 20mm and then just thought..."You know what? Its great BUT we want to do it in 28mm" why? just because there are some fabulous ranges out there. Currently working up from early war stuff...Germans, Soviets,French and BEF nearly all finished Using Warlord and Black Tree designs with a few Crusader. Vehicles from Warlord, Blitzkrieg and Rubicon. Looking forwards to Fallschirmjager and the desert and getting the Perry stuff.
Chris Cornwell - Ha ha, still building my 20mm armies. But yes, those beautiful 28s are sure tempting! Perhaps I'll try them next but for another period?
15mm Plastic Soldier Company and and Zvezda for early war. Then 28mm mainly Warlord for late war. I used to play Bolt Action. ...then I got introduced to CoC and have not really bothered with Bolt Action since......although I do miss pulling the order dice out of the bag....Cheers, I enjoyed the vid.
I had 28mm, I have 15mm for modern CoC (homebrew rules), I'm eyeing up 20mm for WW2 CoC and I'm getting together forces for 6mm IABSM. Vive la difference!
I've got quite a bit of 28mm but 1/72 is becoming more appealing to me partly for the benefits to the play area and partly for the utter ease of obtaining infantry, armor and scenery in considerable variety and very affordably.
@@HeadHunterSix - With you there in 1/72 scale, although 28mm is steadily gaining popularity and is now probably easier to source than 20mm. The big names like Italeri are even starting to produce tank kits for 28mm. (Still waiting, however, for Airfix to jump aboard the bandwagon.)
Here in Hawaii we almost all play 15mm the price point when using FoW minis (some use those bases others use pennies) is unbeatable. I understand the argument for 28mm but the tipping point for me at least is the battlefield pre painted terrain ease of storage and playability.
I’d dearly love to use 28mm, the figures are so much prettier, and you can add so much more uniform/insignia detail and human character. But as a perfectionist I doubt I’d ever get enough figures painted up to field a decent force! Plus terrain storage would be a nightmare. At the other extreme there’s 15mm, which I once used for ancients, but now find just too small to enjoy. So, I’m stuck in the middle using 1/72 (=23mm roughly). Currently building 1939 German and Polish armies using the wonderful First to Fight range made in Poland. At about £5 per AFV model or pack of 20-40 infantry figures they’re pretty good value. The range is expanding at one new model per month, and stuff that’s not yet available you can generally fill in from other manufacturers (except Polish cavalry, bizarrely, but that’s promised for some time in 2018). Best of all I get to reuse many of my old Airfix/Matchbox/Hasegawa kits and buildings, and also die-cast AFVs from Deagostini and Hobby Master.
Late to the party here but I don't think you would find painting 28mm that much more taxing for Chain of Command. 1:1 small scale skirmish. I do understand what you are saying though, as I am working on some mass 28mm armies and they are a heavy lift compared to 15mm.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 I'd hate to go back to 1:72. I really would. But, they are cheap, they are light, and if that is what they are using, it is that or paint both sides. Personally I would rather paint both sides. If I try to follow what is going on around me, I find myself pulled in all kinds of directions with minimal appeal and random duration. Good luck! I'd play you a game if you were nearby.
Interested in people's thoughts on the degree of historical accuracy required in the figures and armour used. Is the criticism for example that the Sherman version I am used was not present in Normandy, or that it is not painted with the correct US olive drab ? Don't get me wrong, generic INF and armour should be accurate but it is only a game.
Historical gamers and tabletop wargamers are two very different things... many historical guys will play a battle out as it was in history... Wargamers will play it based on "wing it" tactics lol
@@insomniacbritgaming1632 - Dunno if I’d agree with that. There are many different types of gamers who play historical games. Some demand absolute historical accuracy down to the correct unit insignia, others are entirely happy with a tank of vaguely similar type even if it’s painted up for North Africa instead of Normandy (“A Sherman’s a Sherman, innit?”). Some heretics don’t even get round to painting up their tanks... and are happy to play on a bare pingpong table with unpainted cardboard cut-out roads.
15mm is affordable and a lot of fun. 28mm prices make me cringe. It would cost about the same to buy and build 1/35th scale models and use the back yard.
Dropped Bolt action as it just didn't feel like a WW2 game it was more like a 40k game, add to that the nationalities and it's weapons didn't feel right also. Not tried version 2 of that set but we switched over a while back to IABSM and have never looked back, now we are playing gritty WW2 games that feel right. Fantastic set of rules.
Can't imagine why anyone would want to play Bolt Action after a game of Chain of Command: it's like cheap supermarket beer compared to single malt whisky.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 Mostly because it's nice not to have to spend a lot of time working out your deployment zones, dealing with all the different interactions of the dice and needing a ton of accessories to play. Bolt Action is super easy to learn and plays very quickly. It's fun - and isn't that the point of a game? Some people enjoy crunchier stuff but that doesn't make it better. The most entertaining gatekeeping comes from civilians who've never served and maybe have never even used a firearm - so what would they know about the reality of combat?
@@HeadHunterSix - The deployment points in CoC actually speed the game considerably. They mean you don’t get unrealistic situations with both armies lined up along the opposite table edges and can get into action almost immediately; they also simulate hidden movement. As for accessories, well you don’t need expensive special dice and indeed can improvise almost everything - pebbles or beads instead of shock markers, a mini whiteboard instead of a Force Morale scoreboard, coloured tiddlywinks to mark Overwatch, Pinning, etc. Bolt Action is, I admit, good for beginners as an intro to historical gaming, but once you have a little experience, CoC wins my vote every time.
I'm using Plastic Soldier Company stuff in 15mm for Chain of Command and I'm pretty happy about it. I base every single mini in individual round DM bases. 15mm diameter for troops (including BAR and bazooka teams), 20mm for officers and 40mm for the MG and mortair teams that are designed to be built together. Then if a MG team has a crew of 5 and the mini shows 2 guys, I'll just use a d6 to count them from 5 to 1. I think it's pretty simple and leaves all the head scratches for the game itself!
I like playing 28mm games at 15mm with individual bases. it gives it most times such more tactical variance and options, also the range are then slightly more realistic. This basicly aplies to most 28mm wargames :)
I've always been fascinated by the breadth of ww2; from the widely varied landscapes and environments, to the number or armies involved, the rapid advance of weapons and vehicle technology, etc... After watching a few BoW vids, I started buying into Bolt Action and 4Ground buildings (love their stuff)...but something has never felt completely right with the 28mm scale and vehicles/weapon ranges. I started looking into 15mm and came upon FoW and now I find myself buying into that range too. I like that I can model a larger town and outskirts in 15mm OR play a smaller skirmish on a 4x4 table. The models aren't as detailed (or at least not as easy to paint the details that are there) but armies go together quickly! The 4Ground 15mm stuff is also cheaper and still looks amazing. Now I'm looking at different rulesets than BA too, in particular CoC, but I'm a little concerned the rules might be a bit more heavy than BA / FoW for playing with my kid.
We play NWE in 20mm because we started off playing IABSM in that scale and already had terrain and minis. For North Africa and French Indochina we went 28mm because of the wonderful figure ranges (Perry and FNG respectively) and because we had to get new terrain anyway. The game itself works equally well in both scales.
I have a vast and beautiful 20mm WWII collection- lots of AB, Elhiem, Blitz, TQD, Battlefield, plus a lot of high quality vehicles...but we played CoC in 20mm and then just thought..."You know what? Its great BUT we want to do it in 28mm" why? just because there are some fabulous ranges out there. Currently working up from early war stuff...Germans, Soviets,French and BEF nearly all finished Using Warlord and Black Tree designs with a few Crusader. Vehicles from Warlord, Blitzkrieg and Rubicon. Looking forwards to Fallschirmjager and the desert and getting the Perry stuff.
Chris Cornwell - Ha ha, still building my 20mm armies. But yes, those beautiful 28s are sure tempting! Perhaps I'll try them next but for another period?
What range of vehicles do you use for your 20mm range?
I use 28's. I like the look and I agree with Richard For skirmish personalities are key.
15mm Plastic Soldier Company and and Zvezda for early war. Then 28mm mainly Warlord for late war. I used to play Bolt Action. ...then I got introduced to CoC and have not really bothered with Bolt Action since......although I do miss pulling the order dice out of the bag....Cheers, I enjoyed the vid.
I went thru plastic soldier company and most of the allies stuff was late war. Was there a reason you don't use them for late war?
I had 28mm, I have 15mm for modern CoC (homebrew rules), I'm eyeing up 20mm for WW2 CoC and I'm getting together forces for 6mm IABSM. Vive la difference!
I play bolt action in 20mm or 1/72.
Works great.
I've got quite a bit of 28mm but 1/72 is becoming more appealing to me partly for the benefits to the play area and partly for the utter ease of obtaining infantry, armor and scenery in considerable variety and very affordably.
@@HeadHunterSix - With you there in 1/72 scale, although 28mm is steadily gaining popularity and is now probably easier to source than 20mm. The big names like Italeri are even starting to produce tank kits for 28mm. (Still waiting, however, for Airfix to jump aboard the bandwagon.)
Awesome rule set would love to get a updated list for Afrika 42-43 or beyond for Alt History!
Here in Hawaii we almost all play 15mm the price point when using FoW minis (some use those bases others use pennies) is unbeatable.
I understand the argument for 28mm but the tipping point for me at least is the battlefield pre painted terrain ease of storage and playability.
Hi. I'm new to this hobby. You mean you can find prepainted decors in 15 mm scale but not in 28 mm ? Painting decors seems like a chore to me :)
I’d dearly love to use 28mm, the figures are so much prettier, and you can add so much more uniform/insignia detail and human character. But as a perfectionist I doubt I’d ever get enough figures painted up to field a decent force! Plus terrain storage would be a nightmare.
At the other extreme there’s 15mm, which I once used for ancients, but now find just too small to enjoy.
So, I’m stuck in the middle using 1/72 (=23mm roughly).
Currently building 1939 German and Polish armies using the wonderful First to Fight range made in Poland. At about £5 per AFV model or pack of 20-40 infantry figures they’re pretty good value. The range is expanding at one new model per month, and stuff that’s not yet available you can generally fill in from other manufacturers (except Polish cavalry, bizarrely, but that’s promised for some time in 2018). Best of all I get to reuse many of my old Airfix/Matchbox/Hasegawa kits and buildings, and also die-cast AFVs from Deagostini and Hobby Master.
Late to the party here but I don't think you would find painting 28mm that much more taxing for Chain of Command. 1:1 small scale skirmish. I do understand what you are saying though, as I am working on some mass 28mm armies and they are a heavy lift compared to 15mm.
Another factor: where I live almost no one uses 28mm; it’s all 1/72. Not that I’m getting any 1v1 games with the bat flu still around.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 I'd hate to go back to 1:72. I really would. But, they are cheap, they are light, and if that is what they are using, it is that or paint both sides. Personally I would rather paint both sides. If I try to follow what is going on around me, I find myself pulled in all kinds of directions with minimal appeal and random duration. Good luck! I'd play you a game if you were nearby.
I do same. See my channal!
Bat flu😋 mate please see my channal.
Besides CoC, I want to use the same armies to play I Ain't Been Shot Mum, which doesn't really work in 28mm. So, 20mm it is...
Interested in people's thoughts on the degree of historical accuracy required in the figures and armour used. Is the criticism for example that the Sherman version I am used was not present in Normandy, or that it is not painted with the correct US olive drab ? Don't get me wrong, generic INF and armour should be accurate but it is only a game.
Historical gamers and tabletop wargamers are two very different things... many historical guys will play a battle out as it was in history... Wargamers will play it based on "wing it" tactics lol
@@insomniacbritgaming1632 - Dunno if I’d agree with that. There are many different types of gamers who play historical games. Some demand absolute historical accuracy down to the correct unit insignia, others are entirely happy with a tank of vaguely similar type even if it’s painted up for North Africa instead of Normandy (“A Sherman’s a Sherman, innit?”). Some heretics don’t even get round to painting up their tanks... and are happy to play on a bare pingpong table with unpainted cardboard cut-out roads.
I use 20mm from AB and Elhiem in metal and some PSC plastic.
See my channal mate
Peter Pig or Skytrex for 15mm, but I admit I enjoy the cartoony but characterful sculps from Artizan and Crusader in 28.
15mm is affordable and a lot of fun. 28mm prices make me cringe. It would cost about the same to buy and build 1/35th scale models and use the back yard.
Not quite... a 28mm Tiger is around £20... a 1/35 Tamiya Tiger is around £30/35....
Whereas a 1/76 Airfix Tiger will set you back about £5 to £9.
Every Marine a Rifleman! One shot, one kill. This is my rifle! There are many like it but this one is mine!=D
Private joker... heck you can come over and...
Dropped Bolt action as it just didn't feel like a WW2 game it was more like a 40k game, add to that the nationalities and it's weapons didn't feel right also. Not tried version 2 of that set but we switched over a while back to IABSM and have never looked back, now we are playing gritty WW2 games that feel right. Fantastic set of rules.
Can't imagine why anyone would want to play Bolt Action after a game of Chain of Command: it's like cheap supermarket beer compared to single malt whisky.
Carabus 03 What‘s IABSM?
"I ain't been shot, mum." by Too Fat Lardies.
@@sirrathersplendid4825 Mostly because it's nice not to have to spend a lot of time working out your deployment zones, dealing with all the different interactions of the dice and needing a ton of accessories to play. Bolt Action is super easy to learn and plays very quickly. It's fun - and isn't that the point of a game? Some people enjoy crunchier stuff but that doesn't make it better.
The most entertaining gatekeeping comes from civilians who've never served and maybe have never even used a firearm - so what would they know about the reality of combat?
@@HeadHunterSix - The deployment points in CoC actually speed the game considerably. They mean you don’t get unrealistic situations with both armies lined up along the opposite table edges and can get into action almost immediately; they also simulate hidden movement. As for accessories, well you don’t need expensive special dice and indeed can improvise almost everything - pebbles or beads instead of shock markers, a mini whiteboard instead of a Force Morale scoreboard, coloured tiddlywinks to mark Overwatch, Pinning, etc. Bolt Action is, I admit, good for beginners as an intro to historical gaming, but once you have a little experience, CoC wins my vote every time.