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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: meatpuppet7 on 23 April 2013, 07:07:03 PM

Title: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: meatpuppet7 on 23 April 2013, 07:07:03 PM
Hello everyone,

Longtime fan of skirmish gaming here (Necromunda, Mordheim, Spinespur, Infinity)
I have long wanted to expand the realm of my gaming to WWII, but have always been at a loss as to what rules set to use.
Does anybody know of or can recommend a rules set that is:
 28mm
 Resolves each persons actions separately (rather than as a group)
 Small scale with no more than a dozen or so men per a side
 Has rules for vehicles such as armored cars

Thank you all in advance, and sorry if this has all be brought up before,  my forum searching skill still leave much to be desired.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Sirius on 23 April 2013, 07:10:01 PM
Operation Squad? (Vehicle rules are a separate supplement...)
Point Blank by Iron Ivan? (Not sure if vehicles are included?)
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: twrchtrwyth on 23 April 2013, 07:13:45 PM
Rules of Engagement usually involve a platoon on either side, but there is no reason why you couldn't play with just a squad and each squad as individuals and it has the vehicle rules you need.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Just John on 23 April 2013, 07:22:19 PM
You could try out Bolt Action, which is a fun easy game to come to grips with.

If you want something a bit different then go to Two Hour Wargames site - they do a free introductory set called Chain Reaction 3, which is basic mechanics of their WW2 skirmish game NUTS!

Finally these also Victory Decision but I haven't played that. There may be a free basic version of that on RPGNow but I'm not 100% on that.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Burnt65 on 23 April 2013, 07:24:19 PM
There was a rule set called Tactical Commander we played years ago.
Section per side with activation by individual figures
Rules for vehicles also
Not sure where you might find it now though
Keith
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Lowtardog on 23 April 2013, 07:35:04 PM
Red Poppy white feather works a treat for small units

http://web.archive.org/web/20021017023319/http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/2541/Rules/Skirmish/Skirmish.html
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Solins on 23 April 2013, 08:29:18 PM
I will say Operation Squad too.

I m used to play Victory decision, Disposable heroes, Rules of engagement and I have read Nuts, Kampfgruppe Normandy.

Operation squad is the only of them designed for small skirmish.
Is cheap and very effective, the supplements are really useless to my opinion.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: janner on 23 April 2013, 08:31:42 PM
Another recommendation for Rules of Engagement  :)
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: meatpuppet7 on 23 April 2013, 11:14:07 PM
Well it sounds like Operation Squad or Rules of Engagement are the ones to look at.
Out of curiosity, how are people liking Bolt Action?
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Just John on 23 April 2013, 11:23:08 PM
I've enjoyed the few games I've played but it is probably more suited to a bit more than 12 or so per side. I think that there was an in depth review/AAR of Operation Squad in a fairly recent issue of WSS.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: grant on 24 April 2013, 12:28:12 AM
I'll throw a vote in for Bolt Action and Rules of Engagement.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: jp762 on 24 April 2013, 01:03:35 AM
Have to concurr with Grant. Rules of engagement and Bolt Action are firm favourates, over 25 plus years I have tried dozens of systems but these two offer me what I like in a wargame.
BA is a bit simpler but fun and fast paced. ROE allows for the more complex and involved games time permitting.
I like them anyway!
For what its worth.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: grant on 24 April 2013, 01:07:43 AM
Have to concurr with Grant. Rules of engagement and Bolt Action are firm favourates, over 25 plus years I have tried dozens of systems but these two offer me what I like in a wargame.
BA is a bit simpler but fun and fast paced. ROE allows for the more complex and involved games time permitting.
I like them anyway!
For what its worth.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Good short summary of both!
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Schogun on 24 April 2013, 01:19:01 AM
Normandy Firefight.

I haven't played it but it sounds interesting and fits your criteria.

One downside is that the rules require/recommend three figures for each combatant - one standing, one kneeling and one prone -- but you could easily use a marker to show this.

Reviews here:
http://zemjw.blogspot.com/2012/07/normandy-firefight-game-part-3.html

Available from Brigade Games in the US:
http://www.brigadegames.com/Normandy-Firefight-WW2-Wargames-Rules_p_3272.html

Other option is to wait for Chain of Command from TooFatLardies being released this summer. It looks great!

TFL has made 6 videos to introduce the game and mechanics. Part 1 is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiT70m6CJO8
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: obsidian3d on 25 April 2013, 07:10:58 PM
I own Flying Lead, which I'm planning to use to run some Stargate scenarios. It's quite a bit deeper than regular song of blades and would certainly work for WW2, and there are a few examples of US and German troops and tanks in there. I have been looking at getting Bolt Action as well. I haven't been able to find a copy locally to flip through though and so haven't been able to commit to the cost plus shipping. Bolt Action sounds like it's the best one if you want to play larger games (20+ figures).

Based on the feedback/reviews online I purchased Operation Squad and the vehicles supplement last night. The game *sounds* complicated with the declared action-reactions, but after watching a how-to-play video I really don't think it is. The size of game is smaller with Operation Squad than you'd get with Bolt Action, or Flying Lead (if you use the group activations rules). The other appeal that Operation Squad had for me, was the army lists. I don't know enough about WW2 to know what weapons or ranks should be included and the army lists are really helpful! They also have some downloadable ones for free. The only complaint I have is that the Reinforcements book doesn't seem to be available as a downloadable purchase.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: janner on 27 April 2013, 07:29:31 AM
Well it sounds like Operation Squad or Rules of Engagement are the ones to look at.
Out of curiosity, how are people liking Bolt Action?

In line with previous comments, I think Bolt Action are okay, although there have been various debates on the relative (in)effectiveness of Light Machine Guns.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Kieffer on 27 April 2013, 01:57:20 PM
Hello everyone,

Longtime fan of skirmish gaming [...]
Does anybody know of or can recommend a rules set that is:
 28mm
 Resolves each persons actions separately (rather than as a group)
 Small scale with no more than a dozen or so men per a side
 Has rules for vehicles such as armored cars

The two rulesets i would recommend are :
-Operation Squad + Vehicles expansion (http://www.torrianimassimo.it/operationsquad/html_uk/game.html (http://www.torrianimassimo.it/operationsquad/html_uk/game.html))
-Disposable Heroes: Point Blank (http://store.ironivangames.com/dihepobl.html (http://store.ironivangames.com/dihepobl.html))

The easiest to learn is Operation Squad, you are ready to play faster, but Point Blank got more depht.
You will need expansions for Point Blank to have vehicles not covered in the main rulebook.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: King Tiger on 27 April 2013, 07:10:22 PM
Operation squad.
Disposable heroes (not played point blank put the basic system is my all time fav gaming system)

Personally wouldn't bother with bolt action, its just moaning players and 40k rules.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: gorgarrak on 27 April 2013, 07:39:17 PM
Normandy Firefight should suit you, designed for 1:35 but playable in 28mm

Mike
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: z1pp132002 on 28 April 2013, 08:16:41 PM
Bolt Action
Operation Squad
Point Blank
Troops Weapons and Tactics but hang on with this one as Chain of Command might just be better. Same creators..
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: meatpuppet7 on 29 April 2013, 06:41:02 PM
I picked up Operation Squad for my skirmish game.  But I think that I might also get Bolt action for any larger games I might want to play.
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: john Hollyoak on 30 April 2013, 07:38:42 AM
If you like Op Squad they are doing a larger scale game but there are no clues as to when it will be released.
John
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: meatpuppet7 on 02 May 2013, 05:13:34 PM
Thank you everyone for all your help!  Now just a few more questions.   :)

What is in the reinforcements book for Op squad?
Is it worth getting?
I purchased the first two books as PDFs, Is third available in electronic format?
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: obsidian3d on 02 May 2013, 08:16:11 PM
I don't think the Reinforcements book is available as a PDF, although I recently emailed the creators to ask if it were in the plans. No answer yet, but that was only a few days ago.

If you want more army lists their website does have a ton of new ones to download for free. Several of them are for the four nations in the main book, but they also add some French, partisans, Japanese as well as African and Pacific front lists. I was quite impressed with them...and I'm looking forward to building some figures from those lists soon!
Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: Sirius on 02 May 2013, 11:41:21 PM
Reinforcements adds heavier support weapons (AT guns etc), and revises the original support weapon rules to allow weapons teams to activate together with a single order, much like vehicles. Includes additional lists for each of the 4 original forces. Also includes errata/clarifications/revisions for the Vehicles book (which I thought was a bit cheeky on the part of the publishers - those pages should have been a downloadable resource).

Title: Re: Please help me find a rules set that is right for me!
Post by: obsidian3d on 08 May 2013, 09:13:10 PM
For those who are interested in a PDF of the Reinforcements expansion for Operation Squad WW2, I just picked up a copy from Ganesha Games for $9.50. I'm impressed with the quality of the layouts and think the price is good. For all three books you're paying less than $30. With the free army lists and all three books you've got dozens of squads you can build and around 10 scenarios to play. I think that's more than enough variety for some great WW2 gaming.

Now I just need to finish gluing together my Russian and German squads so I can play a few games!