Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: nap on 13 April 2016, 02:32:32 AM
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Hi, we are reading rules for "real skirmish" games in WWII. We would like to use 5 to 15 miniatures per side and one vehicle (sometimes) and play missions.
We tested Point blank, it is a good game but we are looking for something with more individual character, experience, etc. Now we are testing Nuts but the chain reaction is not our cup of tea. What rules are you using or do you recommend us?
Thanks
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Slightly larger than your stated preference for size, but I can't recommend Chain of Command (by TooFatLardies) highly enough. Basic forces are an infantry platoon (so in the region of 30 chaps) plus some support options (a tank, a sniper, some engineers, etc) dependant upon the scenario.
The game, in general, encourages tactics that mirror those used historically but it manages to stay exciting rather than a dry exercise in research. The mission part of what you want might be fulfilled by the different scenarios (attack on an objective, patrol, etc.) but even more so by the "pint-size campaigns" which are tremendous value for money and add a hugely enjoyable extra dimension to the combat encounters.
If you want to learn a little more before buying, there are a few Youtube videos and some blog posts which talk about how the game plays and the tactics.
Youtube (videos starting here): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiT70m6CJO8
Blog on tactics (multiple articles starting here): http://toofatlardies.co.uk/blog/?p=3282
Edit: thinking about it, although the game is intended to concentrate on a platoon, there's really nothing to stop you playing with reduced numbers. In fact, in a campaign, that's exactly what happens in later games after casualties have started to mount.
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After playing Pulp Alley i think with a few minor tweaks it could easily be used for what you are after. I have wanted similar too but havent tried it with Pulp Alley.
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Rulesets that use such small forces are hard to find (I've looked!), but the only one which comes to mind designed specifically for squad scale actions is 'Operation Squad' by Torriani games I think, but available in the UK via Warlord Games ( here's a review http://skirmishwargaming.com/operation-squad-rules-introduction-review/).
Alternately you could try the Pulp Alley rules, which work pretty well for 5 or so minis a side (& there's a book which covers vehicles & support weapons) or Sally 4th's 'Combat Patrol' - though this uses slightly larger forces.
Finally there's I-48 Combat (if it's still around) which has profiles/cards for individual soldiers & is for 5 or so a side, hope that helps a bit!
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Panzerfauste used to work quite nicely.
They are a fantasy set (but so are Bolt Action :~}) but have/had some interesting mechanisms.
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Try these
http://fivemennormandy.blogspot.co.za/
http://www.wargamevault.com/product/131040/Five-Men-in-Normandy-WW2-skirmish-campaigns
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/165738/5-men-normandy
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/131502/Riflemans-Guide-A-supplement-for-Five-Men-in-Normandy
http://www.wargamevault.com/product/132045/FiveCore-1st-edition-Skirmish-Gaming-Evolved
http://www.wargamevault.com/product/144009/FiveCore-2nd-edition-Skirmish-Gaming-Evolved
This might just be what you are looking for.
Cheers
Greg
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Another vote for Operation Squad. I love this game, very cat and mouse. It was played a ton at our club until (to my dismay) Bolt Action took over. The new version is Operation Squad Evolution available in pdf for the princely sum of $12.99 from Wargames Vault.
John
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Normandy Firefight is designed for exactly this level of gaming. Superb but sadly ignored set of rules from Warwick Kinrade.
http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4300 (http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4300)
Nominally designed for 54mm figures but works superbly well in 28mm and 20mm. Really good run through of a game on Warwicks site:
http://warwickkinrade.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/firefight-at-white-hart.html (http://warwickkinrade.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/firefight-at-white-hart.html)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuxTSA2NSTc/T2x6J-Lx7XI/AAAAAAAAAXs/UdY5PhIHW6A/s400/2012)
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Another vote for Operation Squad
I played a couple of games recently and they were good, tense affairs using only a few miniatures each side.
There are AARs over on my blog:
http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Operation%20Squad
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NUTS is my choice at that scale, but I'm reading through write-ups of Five Men at Kursk these days as well. Slightly bigger scale, Too Fat Lardies CoC rocks.
Normandy Firefight is designed for exactly this level of gaming. Superb but sadly ignored set of rules from Warwick Kinrade.
http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4300 (http://www.northstarfigures.com/prod.php?prod=4300)
Nominally designed for 54mm figures but works superbly well in 28mm and 20mm. Really good run through of a game on Warwicks site:
http://warwickkinrade.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/firefight-at-white-hart.html (http://warwickkinrade.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/firefight-at-white-hart.html)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuxTSA2NSTc/T2x6J-Lx7XI/AAAAAAAAAXs/UdY5PhIHW6A/s400/2012)
Gorgeous!
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You could give Final Combat at try. Britton Publishers puts them out. Very detailed and character driven.
Jim
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An old free set I used to enjoy red poppy white feather by phil yates
http://web.archive.org/web/20021017023319/http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/2541/Rules/Skirmish/Skirmish.html
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You could do worse than go 'old skool' and take a look at the rules in Donald Featherstone's 'Skirmish Wargaming'?
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I had to stop by and recommend Brink of Battle ( you can get it on Lulu.com ).
It fits what you requested, 5-15 models with almost roleplaying style characterization of each individual model. Although no vehicles... so 95% there ?
You can customize each guy dramatically... We create individual cards for each model, with name and all the individual stats for each guy...
It plays as a very tactical game, almost like a chess game. Last time we played we maneuvered for at least 4 turns before any shots were fired because we were trying to get each model into a good tactical position, based on their individual skills, before the firefight. This is possible due to an effective set of rules for sneak actions.
I started playing brink of battle because the CC mechanics were really original and unique for ancients/dark ages, but then we tried it for black poweder and finally for XXth centriury ( WWII and falklands ) and I was impressed. I had looked for a set like this before, I liked point blank and operation squad, but this one took it the extra mile by how much you can customize the individual models. Each period truly feels different although grounded on common operational mechanics, so the multiperiod portability is not achieved through abstraction or generic mechanics.
Have a look at a recent battle report and see if you think it might fit what you've been looking for http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=87059.0
The rules are pretty chromy, and it takes a some time to incorporate all the mechanics, so I created some QRS that go beyond the one in the book to make it easier for my group https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m2bsljdzl70nyss/AABTzHCB8yqnRUShY-8Td3Spa/QRS%20v2.pdf?dl=0
If the learning curve appears to steep for what you are hoping for then I give a +1 to operation squad, the models will be more generic than BoB but it is still a fun system.
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/12717329_10207577610054982_1604412263718149738_n.jpg?oh=0c08e82aad936b12a145636712811558&oe=572F0074)
You can find more about the game here https://www.facebook.com/groups/276411602433983/ and here http://www.brinkofbattle.com/
cheers..
Francisco