6mm and other questions

[Vermis]

(This is probably just thinking aloud 'cos I'm already very likely to buy the rules - it's Agis! - but anyway...)

I've been thinking of getting back* into WWII with ViDe, and I might like to try it with 6mm minis: Epic:A was my intro to gaming outside 40K; I've been looking for an excuse to buy GHQ; and I don't disagree with Peter Berry's rants. But while I know that 6mm is possible with the rules (hints and advice in ViDe:FuCo etc.) I haven't seen too much talk about it. Or maybe I'm just blind? How do the mechanics, ranges etc. handle at that size? In an old topic Agis said:

... the standard ViDe game is one Infantry Platoon  plus some tank support against another Infantry force.

How well does it handle up to company level, or even higher? Any slowdown?

* I have just a couple of sad, neglected boxes of 15mm and 1/72 on the shelf, along with a honkin' big copy of Battlegroup Kursk. But the novelty of big, glossy, hardback flagstones for rules has worn off (It wore off when I tried jamming that thing in my bag for a flight back from Salute) and don't want to buy too many more that are only supplements for the first. For a campaign that they don't cover anyway.

Which brings me onto my second question: if I wait for ViDe North Africa field guides, what to look at in the meantime? German and British manuals with a bit of research for organisation and equipment?

Last question, not about ViDe: what's there for 6mm infantry? I'm not convinced by GHQ's accompanying 10mm figures**, or Magister Militum's range. Or would I be better off building on that one box of 15mm Panzers I have, given the support of the scale by Battlefront and PSC?

** Edit: 'ang abaht, why does GHQ's infantry measure 6mm here? Has Magister Militum been telling porkies? That might be the third question answered, anyway.

[grant]

I play Battlegroup with 6mm, and it works great, which is a shame, as the fun-ness and playability of the rules is seriously hampered by the bigger picture.

I also heartily agree about the size and the business model. The idea of a 2kg book housing the rules, and a massive amount of army lists etc, was a bad one. Now that the book is out of print, they aren't going to reprint it, and are only offering the small rulebook and a pdf (I HATE pdf, I bought it, it didn't change my mind) ref: http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=308&t=38607&start=25

And now they seem to be going further down the GW model of book + supplement + add-on, their upcoming Bulge book will need Rules + Overlord + Bulge book. SERIOUSLY? Insane. And then knowing that books won't be reprinted means that it will be impossible to sort this stuff out. Awful.

I've all but given up them as a company as they seem to be broke (no money to reprint), not interested (we'll just keep going down this path), and am looking to other rules for WW2.

Maybe let me know what comes of your Victory Decision 6mm foray. I would be very excited for something better. Anything better, frankly.

(in the meantime, I'm going with GHQ's Micro Squad to try it, haven't yet, but once I figure it out it should be fine).

[Vermis]

Now that the book is out of print, they aren't going to reprint it, and are only offering the small rulebook and a pdf (I HATE pdf, I bought it, it didn't change my mind) ref: http://www.guildwargamers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=308&t=38607&start=25

And now they seem to be going further down the GW model of book + supplement + add-on, their upcoming Bulge book will need Rules + Overlord + Bulge book. SERIOUSLY? Insane. And then knowing that books won't be reprinted means that it will be impossible to sort this stuff out. Awful.

I've all but given up them as a company as they seem to be broke (no money to reprint), not interested (we'll just keep going down this path), and am looking to other rules for WW2.

While I was drifting by the PSC site earlier, looking to see if there was a North Africa book, I saw the mini book was out of stock too. Blimey! Not to draw out the discussion of another ruleset in this sub-board - even about it's drawbacks - but that's one serious hole they seem to have fallen in. I didn't mind most of the rules too much, and I know this isn't helping their situation much, but looks like it really is time to look elsewhere.

Maybe let me know what comes of your Victory Decision 6mm foray. I would be very excited for something better. Anything better, frankly.

Still might be 15mm at this point, depends on the kind of answers I get.

[grant]

While I was drifting by the PSC site earlier, looking to see if there was a North Africa book, I saw the mini book was out of stock too. Blimey! Not to draw out the discussion of another ruleset in this sub-board - even about it's drawbacks - but that's one serious hole they seem to have fallen in. I didn't mind most of the rules too much, and I know this isn't helping their situation much, but looks like it really is time to look elsewhere.

Still might be 15mm at this point, depends on the kind of answers I get.

Definite apologies to Agis - I won't go any further on the BG discussion either.

Still would like to see your progress, in 15mm or 6mm. Always been tempted by AB figures, so could maybe swing out to 20mm 

[Vermis]

But while I know that 6mm is possible with the rules (hints and advice in ViDe:FuCo etc.)

Finally looking back at the multibase rules in ViDe:FuCo, I think I answered my own questions. Casualty removal or health tracking... hmm. Sounds like what BGK and IABSM have going on too, and while it might be fine at 15mm (I might get a platoon for that anyway) I dunno if it's what I want for 6mm.

[Agis]

Hi Vermis, I just saw your topic today. (Sorry)

Well ViDe is basically a platoon size game.
Everything else is possible but needs a bit more effort, as you said damage tracking tec.
However I hade some very nice and big 15mm games with multibased infantry.

The game is fast enough, the rule that you always have to remove full stand whenever possible helps a lot!
Maybe try it out.

[Vermis]

For what it's worth, I bought a copy of ViDe WWII anyway and haven't ruled it out, after looking at another few sets of WWII rules. (even some specifically for 6mm) I guess I was looking around for something like Epic: El Alamein, which was my mistake. 

the rule that you always have to remove full stand whenever possible helps a lot!

I think I might've missed that one - is it in the books or a house rule? Myself, I was wondering about meeting somewhere in the middle with stands of 5 figures at HP/2. Room for different weapon attacks, and it might be easier following stands with  small beads or something than with dice.

[Agis]

For what it's worth, I bought a copy of ViDe WWII anyway and haven't ruled it out, after looking at another few sets of WWII rules. (even some specifically for 6mm) I guess I was looking around for something like Epic: El Alamein, which was my mistake. 

I think I might've missed that one - is it in the books or a house rule? Myself, I was wondering about meeting somewhere in the middle with stands of 5 figures at HP/2. Room for different weapon attacks, and it might be easier following stands with  small beads or something than with dice.

See P. 19 "Exception: If enough unsaved hits are caused on a Group- or Multibased Infantry unit or vehicle unit to remove a model with the HP/X ability (or Structure Points), you have to remove that model."

So most of the time you can remove full stands, it speeds up gaming enormously!

BTW - What armies do you want to play in the Desert? There might be all available already...
Germans: German Early-Mid War Infantry Field Guide + German Technical Manual
British: British Infantry Field Guide + British Technical Manual

The books even feature a lot of Desert units fully painted.


See:
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/british_field_guides.html
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/british_manual.html
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/german_field_guides.html

http://www.adpublishing.de/html/german_manual.html