Replacement Rules for FOW

[Mr. Peabody]

Well, we are certainly spoiled for choice! I do love a game of Battlegroup at about 350 to 400 points. Fast, fun and wonderfully unpredictable. Points-based, for easy pick-up games, but not a tournament system like Flames.

If you have a large and varied collection to draw from, then you will be spoilt for choice when assembling your forces and will likely be able to play with all your toys in time.... The online force-builder makes it very easy to get your ducks in a row.

Joroas, let us know how you get on. I'm sure you will find the game that is right for you. All the options provided so far have been quality ones.

[Ragnar]

I would suggest the Battlegroup series as well.  The rules are quite intuitive, have a bit of an old school feel with some fresh ideas and once you have played a game or two flow well and easily.  You may need to rebase some of your Germans (LMG teams) or you can just use 'gentlemen's agreements' to fit them in.

[Too Bo Coo]

There's quite an extensive list on TMP: LINK.
If that's no help: my recommendation from first-hand experience would be "I Ain't Been Shot Mum" by TooFatLardies. Company-level as well, no need for rebasing, and the rules are not that hard to understand (once you get your head around certain concepts). No beer & pretzel, but if you've mastered FoW you should be fine.

Thanks for the info Mad Doc, I had the very same question.  I've heard great things about TFL's stuff. Cheers!

[Sendak]

I was in a similar spot a year ago.

Friendly games were rare and an enjoyable game almost never 'happened'. The situation had not always been so. Something was lost in the swelling involvement and the organized play. Neither involvement nor organized play can be faulted, there is no fault with either of those two.

Not trying to find fault, but I must go on, next. I missed the 'good old' days of camaraderie and the 'good times' as one particularly easy-going fellow often replied.

I changed two approaches to FoW. In the first, I changed my choice of co-players (or the other gamers). We started small but we had a 'group', had to build it up from zilch.

Next, we forgot about 'points'--f'gitabotit. Axis player played what he liked. Allied player did the same.

Then, the group experimented with 'stipulating' classes of units, for example, armored cars, light tanks, and infantry would be our game. We have 'massive' and vast quantities of FoW figures too.

I don't mean to be 'cheeky' here; I saw competitive spirit as good as far as it meant the other gamer was playing his best and 'in the game'. Competitive spirit can become 'bent' and perhaps become the goal rather than the 'means' of the game.

I chose people, all ages, built a group, that holds on to the values that support a good game, i.e. the sense of fun, dedication to fair-play,and good humor (in any eventuality).

How we cooperate with 'stipulating' units makes our group work better together and it gives us something to look forward to when we get together. FoW, any game, is competitive, we can be engineers for making it cooperative also, while still winning, trash talking, and pursuing the elusive 'fun' factor in gaming.

Rules changes probably won't solve the issue, because, perhaps, the root cause of the "problem" is social, not so much rules.

I have had marbles and checkers (draughts) ruined by 'those people'.

Hope you're having fun, and more of it!

Sender

[NTM]

Some good options offered but does really depend on the type of game YOU want.

The following list is of games I own and play (I could post an even longer one of those I own and no longer/have never used)

Blitzkrieg Commander 2

Battlegroup Series

Battlefront WWII

IABSM3

Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier (new Deluxe edition coming soon)

The reason for some many is largely because I can't make my own mind up on what I want and the fact that they all offer a different experience and work better for differing game levels.

[Captain_Hook]

Rapid Fire is also a good set of rules. Fairly easy to learn, and there are no points involved.

[pixelgeek]

I'd suggest checking out some AAR and battle report posts on various blogs and see if the games that they discuss appeal to you at all.

[V]

Rapid Fire is also a good set of rules. Fairly easy to learn, and there are no points involved.

It does have points.

Check out the Normandy book released last year for a selection of balanced armys.

[V]

Couple of hundred Battlegroup AARs here,

http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=311


You might also want to consider what game will be easiest to find new opponents if thats a concern.

A few listed here...

http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=336&t=29191

[Vermis]

Convenient topic! I've started collecting 15mm Germans to play against a guy's Russians. He uses his own rules (with an interesting custom dice mechanic) but I'm thinking of picking up a backup set. At the mo I'm torn between Battlegroup, IABSM (like the sound of the cards and blinds) and ViDe. (pretty impressed by ViDe FuCo) More so the latter two, although I have a feeling I'll end up like NTM. 

Did I see a topic in passing about printed copies of ViDe? PDFs are fine, but I'm still a fan of the oldschool dead-tree format. Especially since it'll take a while to replace me broken tablet...

[Agis]

Convenient topic! I've started collecting 15mm Germans to play against a guy's Russians. He uses his own rules (with an interesting custom dice mechanic) but I'm thinking of picking up a backup set. At the mo I'm torn between Battlegroup, IABSM (like the sound of the cards and blinds) and ViDe. (pretty impressed by ViDe FuCo) More so the latter two, although I have a feeling I'll end up like NTM.  

Did I see a topic in passing about printed copies of ViDe? PDFs are fine, but I'm still a fan of the oldschool dead-tree format. Especially since it'll take a while to replace me broken tablet...

Well ViDe WWII is already available as print on demand:
http://www.wargamevault.com/product/91776/Victory-Decision-World-War-II?manufacturers_id=2468
Softcover Colour (Standard) for $20.68.   Hope that helps!

ViDe FuCo will also soon be available as print on demand (May or June).
Best thing - ALL ViDe lists are fully compatible, so if you want your brave WWII US troopers face Martian invaders, or Zombies, or Combat walkers - all there!  

[Elbows]

My vote would be for Fireball Forward.  I'd argue that the mechanics are definitely a bit of a learning curve, but FOW basing could easily work.  It's a great game, most of its strength coming from accurate and fun historical based scenarios (no tournament play etc.).  Definitely worth a look.

[joroas]

Thanks for all of that input chaps, I am somewhat overwhelmed by the choice, so will take a look around.  Since so many of these would fit my 28mm EW and desert figures, I am also quite tempted to ditch my 15mm FOW and upscale..........

[Mr. Peabody]

Mate, if they are painted and ready to play with... Get them on the table and have a fun game with your close friends.

Do not start again if it means you won't be playing games for another year or more...

Although I love my 20mm collection, I would have no regrets if I had started in with 15mm WWII. It's a perfectly wonderful scale for gaming.

[fastolfrus]

I introduced someone new to PBI last week. He normally plays Bolt Action along with a large number of friends.
He was a bit sceptical at first, but by the end of the game he thought it was great. No measuring for ranges or movement, so no question of "is he just in range or not?", if there is terrain in the square, everyone is in cover so no question of "is he under cover from here?", and troops moving from cover use more action points because they are unwilling to leave a good position.
Casualty markers affecting morale were a novelty too, he compared them to a soft minefield (area to be avoided).
And the end of game was another interesting one - the game ends when you reach a "countdown" total and then check VPs to see who won.