Thinking about a WW2 Squad level campaign game.

[TJSKI]

Morning folks from the Valley of the Sunstroke, Phoenix AZ, its been a long time since I last posted here.

Anyway as some may remember, I am the guy who wrote for Warhammer Historical (LotHS) and I am thinking about doing a set of rules for WW2 Squad level gaming having the campaign element much like the Legends books from WHH. Would there be any sort of interest in anything like this? I have always wanted to recreate Saving Private Ryan on the tabletop and when I watch the movie it plays out very much like a small campaign story.

Interested in hearing your thoughts.

Tim Kulinski

[robh]

........I am thinking about doing a set of rules for WW2 Squad level gaming...

"Squad level" as in a players total force is a single squad? , same level as Warwick Kinrade's excellent "Normandy Firefight" or Bennett Lacy's "Final Combat"?

If so yes, absolutely interested, especially if the campaign could be ported to French Indochina and Vietnam wars.

[TJSKI]

"Squad level" as in a players total force is a single squad? , same level as Warwick Kinrade's excellent "Normandy Firefight" or Bennett Lacy's "Final Combat"?

If so yes, absolutely interested, especially if the campaign could be ported to French Indochina and Vietnam wars.

Good to know, I was not aware of the other two rules.

And my idea would revolve around you using a squad of your soldiers, following their injuries, KIAs, experience and such through a campaign setting. Very much like the Legends format of books from Warhammer Historical or similar to what the old Necromunda/Mordeheim used.

And yes it could easily be used for other periods, the campaign elements would be tweaked for certain periods, and would use the same core mechanci for rules.

[robh]

Sounds interesting. I look forward to seeing how you propose to approach it.

I don't think it would work as a Mordheim/Necromunda styled "Warhammer WW2" type thing as a historical soldiers abilities would be unlikely to change during the few days of a game campaign.  After fighting his first skirmish there is no way to justify an individual soldier overnight becoming 33% more proficient with his rifle (a WS3 to WS4 stat increase) or being instantly able to cut 3.2 seconds off his best time for the 100m sprint (unless he does it like Justin Gatlin of course).

Hard to identify what "progression" there could be at an individual level apart from fieldcraft and courage, mostly it would revolve around the squad leaders command and control abilities.

[mkultra99]

Hells yes

[mkultra99]

Patrol WW2 is very similar to what you describe.
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/96867/Patrol-WWII?term=patrol

[Captain Darling]

I’ve not played these but want to one day...obviously they have a bit of Hollywood feel with stars in your cast (hero’s in our squads? Just reduce their number). Includes campaign and solo rules. Also they’re free so you have nothing to lose.

https://freewargamesrules.fandom.com/wiki/Combat!_Starring_Vic_Morrow!



Cheers!

[SBMiniaturesGuy]

Always interested in WW2 Skirmish rules. I've played pretty much all of them, my current favorite is the NUTS! WW2 system from Two Hour Wargames that has a built-in campaign progression system. Most games do feel like you're playing an episode of Band of Brothers, Combat, or a movie like Kelly's Heroes or Saving Private Ryan. The same mechanics have been extended to both Vietnam ("FNG" game) and the Korean War.

https://sbminisguy.wordpress.com/2019/01/10/nuts-for-ww2-skirmish-gaming/

[Hacksaw]

It would be interesting if you could pick and/or roll for certain specialties or skills for each (or at least some) squad member(s). A friend and I had brainstormed about something like this but have not yet done it.

It would be things like:  "Brawler" - character gets a bonus in hand to hand, "Ratatat" - character gets a bonus with smg's...all the way to things like driving, lockpicking, whatever might suit a mission and squad type. Obviously a group of OSS and Maquis would have some different specialty skills than a typical rifle squad.

Another thought would be to emphasize the leadership abilities of whomever is in charge, for good or ill.  Anyway, just some ideas we were spitballing.  Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[vodkafan]

Our group has had fun with the Panzerfauste fantasy skirmish rules but playing with normal historical miniatures- it worked well. I think they have brought out a mechanised warfare add-on now too.

[Easy E]

I’ve not played these but want to one day...obviously they have a bit of Hollywood feel with stars in your cast (hero’s in our squads? Just reduce their number). Includes campaign and solo rules. Also they’re free so you have nothing to lose.

https://freewargamesrules.fandom.com/wiki/Combat!_Starring_Vic_Morrow!

Cheers!

Thanks for the shout out!  If you have questions about these rules let me know.  I wrote them!


Anyway, I think this WWII Squad based game has a lot of legs.  I have also toyed with the idea of going back to the theme and making it less "WWII TV" as it is the type of game I would want to play in WWII.     

I think in today's day and age you must have some Solo/Co-op element to the rules.  It almost makes more sense than a player vs. player set up as the enemies would be changing as well. 

[mweaver]

Oh, yes - I would be extremely interested.  Mordheim remains my favorite miniature skirmish game ever (we still play it), and I enjoyed Legends of the Old West the few times I was able to play it.

For me, any miniatures game I am going to return to needs a robust campaign system. 

The games we play are almost always collaborative, so I second Easy-E's suggestion that if possible you work some rules in to make that style of play easier (with Mordheim, we generally just move the enemy by consensus). 

-Michael

[robh]

(with Mordheim, we generally just move the enemy by consensus).

Slightly off topic but the Gothic Horror "Akeo Obskura" rules have a superb AI system that can be adapted for collaborate or solo play with Mordheim type games. NPC actions are based on a simple set of situation and player action criteria and generally produce plausible enemy responses.

[mweaver]

Thanks, robh.

I should add that the number of excellent multi-part plastic kits for WWII is increasing, and such kits work well for making more individualized troops for skirmish games. 

-Michael

[robh]

Patrol WW2 is very similar to what you describe.
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/96867/Patrol-WWII?term=patrol

This one is included in the Wargame Vault summer sale currently.
The campaign aspect looks fairly standard but the mission selector alone makes it a very useful purchase.