Ed: Flames of War (FOW) has become a phenomenon in historical miniatures gaming. I first noticed it at ORIGINS 04 where demos ran around the clock And I’ve seen the BAYOU WARS e-group of our neighboring chapter (GULF SOUTH) turn into a predominately FOW tournament group (not related to the actual FOW site.) The game is semi-skirmish with bases containing squads or other elements. I have the impression that the New Zealand Company doing Battlefront .WWII figures and models had a deal with our past Guest Of Honor Richard Hasenauer doing the rules. But Rich got writers block, and they came up with a substitute. The result seems to both provide crossover appeal for Warhammer devotees and pique the interest of experienced historical gamers. Afrika Korps Recon Element in Flames of War If the combination of rules, figures, scenario books etc. resembles GW operations it is no accident. But the Kiwis know there are differences. GW has been able to control the influx of competing figures, so their prices to addicts are high. Battlefront figure prices are competitive with those of Old Glory Command Decision 15s. In this article one of the GM for the RECON tournament gives his perspective on the FOW phenomenon. --Pat Condray . If you have been reading the PEL for this coming Recon you may have noticed a listing for a Flames of War (FOW) tournament. Some of you are very well aware of what FOW is while others may never have heard of it. My purpose in this article is to bring all the readers up to speed with information about this up-and-coming rules set for WWII gaming. I must begin by letting you know that FOW is not, I repeat, not a combat simulation game. It actually falls more under the “historically flavored” umbrella. Flames of War is produced by a Kiwi company named Battlefront which manufactures WWII models in 15mm. You probably have seen their models packaged in a small box and cast half in resin and half in pewter. As miniature models companies have all begun to do, Battlefront wanted to develop their gaming rules to go with their product. They went to several well known game developers but were unable to make it happen. Then, it was discovered that in their backyard lived one of the more creative WWII gamers in the hobby. Phil Yates is a New Zealander who had been a GW collaborator for some time. He had developed a WWII adaptation of the Warhammer 40K game called Warhammer Panzer Battles. The neat thing about this game is that it worked so well that, in many parts of the world, 40K gamers began to play more historical games with Phil’s system. All that was needed was a further adaptation to play with 15mm scale models. The adaptation grew in scope until it became its own set of rules with only a resemblance to the GW product. The game Flames of War is now over two years old and is played in every English-speaking country as well as the entire EU. The reason for its success is a combination of excellent product and marketing. The Kiwis have followed GWs example in product development and marketing to the point that, in some places, gamers talk about graduating from Warhammer into FOW. The figurines are very well made, with great detail, by a historical miniatures manufacturer. The scope is very manageable and their publications are extremely attractive. The game’s number 1 feature is that it is a point-based system, which makes it ideal for tournaments and the like. This is what sets this game apart from so many other excellent WWII games. In FOW, you are the commander of an infantry, armor, or motorized infantry company. The setting is the European Theatre of Operations, 1942-43 (mid-war). The rules include “Intelligence Briefings” to put together German, British, American, Soviet, or Italian armies. The FOW website and some of the publications also have intel for early and late war as well as French armies. Each nationality has its own ‘special abilities’ to help give the game some flavor and balance. Scenarios and special characters are introduced with every new publication, helping keep the interest for many of us. Early War U.S. Scout Troops in Jeeps and Scout Cars The American market for the game is small, although it is growing more each year. Because of this, there is only one official distributor of Battlefront products in the USA. However, many retailers have begun to deal directly with the company, making it more accessible for us. Beyond those in the main rulebook, FOW has ‘Intel Briefings’ on several units. Diving Eagles (German paratroops, Crete), Hitler’s Fire Brigade (German armored forces, Russia), Old Ironsides (American armored forces, Mediterranean), Desert Rats (British armored forces, North Africa), Stalingrad (German and Soviet infantry, Russia), and Desert Fox (DAK and Rommel, North Africa). The next book is on Italian forces. The game also works in more historical settings where an OB is used to design the scenario played. I could run a game of the battle of Carentan after downloading the intel on US late war paratroopers and looking up the Germans in the appropriate book. However, the game does have a drawback. Because it is meant primarily to be played with the point system, the stats in some of the weapons do not equate those of similar weapons in different armies. This plays havoc with some of my friends who are used to rules where weapons have a capability based on ballistics and deployment. FOW is more a game and, as such, it takes some liberties in the interest of play balance, tactical doctrine, and historical command capabilities. The most important thing I can write about FOW is that I have had a lot of fun collecting and playing with it! Having played Battlefront WWII, Micro Armour, Mein Panzer, Spearhead, and Command Decision I can honestly say that, although I enjoy playing them, Flames of War rates higher in the old fun-o-meter. If you want to find out more about FOW or the upcoming tournament at Recon 05 feel free to contact me at espabon@hotmail.com. There is a possibility that we may run 15-minute demos at Recon, while the tourney goes on. Come check us out! I also recommend you visit FOW’s superb website at www.flamesofwar.com. There, you will find a plethora of information about the game, hobby, and WWII. Back to Rebel Yell No. 29 Table of Contents Back to Rebel Yell List of Issues Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2005 by HMGS South This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com