The thing that always stopped me playing flames of war are the tank parking lots and a unit of tanks moving in a Napoleonic-esque line. It's completely immersion breaking. I have been looking into maybe adapting Bolt Action for 15mm though.
If painting infantry is a worry for you, lots of players are using contrast paint to great effect. And for infantry and guns, a little extra work on the basing with static grass and tufts goes a long way as it is the base you will see most on the tabletop.
As you said I like 15mm for company sized battles. You can't really play that size tank battles with Bolt Action. I have some Bolt Action and 40k 28mm models, but I used to play Command Decision with 6mm tanks, so 15mm seem large. I generally like FoW, but I don't like "I go you go" systems. Watching teams move from cover through open terrain back to cover without opportunity fire drives me crazy. Therefore I play FoW with Bolt Action activation dice and with opportunity fire and overwatch. I find it fun and easy to adjust play with both players always engaged and not taking a nap when its not their turn. I also don't play tournaments, so house rules aren't a problem.
Thanks for your interest in my "house rules" and I'd be interested in any recommendations. 1. Set up teams on the board as normal, except "Ambush" units are handled as Hidden units with their positions on board written down during unit deployment. 2. Both players go through the normal Starting Step. Units in Overwatch are marked with a Bolt Action die showing "Ambush" (I'm going to 3D print some custom dice.) Overwatch units can not move, but they can pivot and fire at any time during the turn including when the other player moves a unit. 3. For each remaining unit (including artillery, but not Hidden Units) put a Bolt Action die in a bag and draw one die (just like Bolt Action). That unit can shoot, or move and then shoot using normal FoW rules. Mark units that Dash with "Run", units that move using Blitz can fire as normal or Opportunity Fire (mark as Ambush") later. Units moving at Tactical are marked with "Advance". Once a unit shoots change the die to "Fire". A unit that does not shoot leaves the die as "Ambush" (units that Blitzed using Halted ROF) or "Advance" (moving ROF) and can fire as Opportunity Fire later in the turn like Overwatch. 4. Hidden Units are concealed and revealed when within 4" of an moving enemy unit or at any time by the owning player (even when their opponent is moving a unit). They are placed on the board in Overwatch, or announce they will Assault, or they may move doing a Dash or Tactical move to avoid an enemy unit. If they move they are subject to receiving Opportunity Fire. If they Assault the unit assaults immediately. (need to play test this more) 4. Artillery is kept off board unless it is a mortar unit or a unit the player wants to use for direct fire at some point. A die drawn from the bag can be used to shoot or move that artillery unit as normal. 5. When all dice have been selected and played, units that have not fired need to do so before the Assault Step. 6. Play the Assault Step as normal. Concealed Infantry and then Armored Tanks assault first. Units that were in Overwatch can't assault. Defensive fire and Counterattack work as normal. 7. Pick up all the Bolt Action dice and begin a new Stating Step. Other ideas: 1. Veteran Units: I believe that Veteran units would be more accurate and have a higher ROF than just being harder to hit than just trained units. I want to play test adding +1 ROF to both Halted and Moving ROF. I also think Veteran units should get a -1 to the Hit Number. This would make Veteran units much more powerful and may require adding some more points to the cost of a Veteran unit. Based on looking at unit card options this may just be 2 points, but it would require some play testing. 2. I'm think about using split-fire for using part of your ROF on different targets, or using a reduced machine gun ROF for the hull machine gun against infantry while the turret fires on a different target (tank). 3. I plan on using Building Destruction rules I found at "mostlytanks.wordpress.c o m/2015/03/19/flames-of-war-house-rules/". I put spaces in the .com because I have had TH-cam delete posts were I have a real link. 4. This doesn't change the game, but the "Bailed Out" term bugs me. A crew isn't going to jump out of and back into a tank like a Jack-in-the-box. Except for the "Gentleman's War" early in N. Africa, crews bailing out were machined gunned. Soviet crews were told not to bail out unless the tank was on fire and could be shot if they disobeyed. Late German crews were told to do the same thing. What makes more sense to me is that the crew is "stunned", having received some damage or minor injuries, and they can't move or shoot until they recover. Sorry for the long post , but I wanted to explain what I'm doing. I am open to any suggestions or additions.
15mm is a great scale to wargame in,I am having a hard time finding opponents though so for now I’ll keep playing myself
The thing that always stopped me playing flames of war are the tank parking lots and a unit of tanks moving in a Napoleonic-esque line. It's completely immersion breaking. I have been looking into maybe adapting Bolt Action for 15mm though.
Check out "O group" by too fat lardies
I've heard good things about O group.
Yeah, it can end up car parky. Its not for everyone. :)
You don’t really need to do anything to play BA in 15mm. The weapon ranges are far more ‘in scale’ for 15mm than 28mm.
If painting infantry is a worry for you, lots of players are using contrast paint to great effect. And for infantry and guns, a little extra work on the basing with static grass and tufts goes a long way as it is the base you will see most on the tabletop.
That's a very good point! I should really get on and base all my infantry!
As you said I like 15mm for company sized battles. You can't really play that size tank battles with Bolt Action. I have some Bolt Action and 40k 28mm models, but I used to play Command Decision with 6mm tanks, so 15mm seem large. I generally like FoW, but I don't like "I go you go" systems. Watching teams move from cover through open terrain back to cover without opportunity fire drives me crazy. Therefore I play FoW with Bolt Action activation dice and with opportunity fire and overwatch. I find it fun and easy to adjust play with both players always engaged and not taking a nap when its not their turn. I also don't play tournaments, so house rules aren't a problem.
That actually sounds quite interesting. I'd love to know a little more about how you've integrated that.
Thanks for your interest in my "house rules" and I'd be interested in any recommendations.
1. Set up teams on the board as normal, except "Ambush" units are handled as Hidden units with their positions on board written down during unit deployment.
2. Both players go through the normal Starting Step. Units in Overwatch are marked with a Bolt Action die showing "Ambush" (I'm going to 3D print some custom dice.) Overwatch units can not move, but they can pivot and fire at any time during the turn including when the other player moves a unit.
3. For each remaining unit (including artillery, but not Hidden Units) put a Bolt Action die in a bag and draw one die (just like Bolt Action). That unit can shoot, or move and then shoot using normal FoW rules. Mark units that Dash with "Run", units that move using Blitz can fire as normal or Opportunity Fire (mark as Ambush") later. Units moving at Tactical are marked with "Advance". Once a unit shoots change the die to "Fire". A unit that does not shoot leaves the die as "Ambush" (units that Blitzed using Halted ROF) or "Advance" (moving ROF) and can fire as Opportunity Fire later in the turn like Overwatch.
4. Hidden Units are concealed and revealed when within 4" of an moving enemy unit or at any time by the owning player (even when their opponent is moving a unit). They are placed on the board in Overwatch, or announce they will Assault, or they may move doing a Dash or Tactical move to avoid an enemy unit. If they move they are subject to receiving Opportunity Fire. If they Assault the unit assaults immediately. (need to play test this more)
4. Artillery is kept off board unless it is a mortar unit or a unit the player wants to use for direct fire at some point. A die drawn from the bag can be used to shoot or move that artillery unit as normal.
5. When all dice have been selected and played, units that have not fired need to do so before the Assault Step.
6. Play the Assault Step as normal. Concealed Infantry and then Armored Tanks assault first. Units that were in Overwatch can't assault. Defensive fire and Counterattack work as normal.
7. Pick up all the Bolt Action dice and begin a new Stating Step.
Other ideas:
1. Veteran Units: I believe that Veteran units would be more accurate and have a higher ROF than just being harder to hit than just trained units. I want to play test adding +1 ROF to both Halted and Moving ROF. I also think Veteran units should get a -1 to the Hit Number. This would make Veteran units much more powerful and may require adding some more points to the cost of a Veteran unit. Based on looking at unit card options this may just be 2 points, but it would require some play testing.
2. I'm think about using split-fire for using part of your ROF on different targets, or using a reduced machine gun ROF for the hull machine gun against infantry while the turret fires on a different target (tank).
3. I plan on using Building Destruction rules I found at "mostlytanks.wordpress.c o m/2015/03/19/flames-of-war-house-rules/". I put spaces in the .com because I have had TH-cam delete posts were I have a real link.
4. This doesn't change the game, but the "Bailed Out" term bugs me. A crew isn't going to jump out of and back into a tank like a Jack-in-the-box. Except for the "Gentleman's War" early in N. Africa, crews bailing out were machined gunned. Soviet crews were told not to bail out unless the tank was on fire and could be shot if they disobeyed. Late German crews were told to do the same thing. What makes more sense to me is that the crew is "stunned", having received some damage or minor injuries, and they can't move or shoot until they recover.
Sorry for the long post , but I wanted to explain what I'm doing. I am open to any suggestions or additions.
Dude. You missed the obvious reason: MORE TOY SOLDIERS in EVERY GAME. 😂
Good point :D