This Why You Should Read the Newspaper

A few weeks ago I was reading the Classifieds when I saw an ad offering the Flames of War rule book and miniatures for $20. I called the number listed and while trying to arrange a meeting learned he worked in the press room of one of the papers to which I am the IT Manager. We arranged to meet at lunch the next day and he mentioned that he had a tin full of larger scale tanks he would sell for $10. I agreed to look at them and this is what I got; the 1/72 scale Forces of Valor Tiger I, Pzkfw IV, Sherman, and two M3 halftracks. There also enough infantry for one US Company and a below strength German infantry bn for Command Decision.
For my $20 I purchased the rules, enough US infantry for one squad, enough German infantry for a platoon, a German halftrack, and three US jeeps.

I had told everyone in my group that I wasn't going to participate in the FOW army building, and yet here I am.


My advice is to buy a newspaper and look for bargains.

First Game of Flames of War

I played my first game of FoW this weekend and really enjoyed it. To be perfectly honest, I was not expecting to like this system at all. I have played Command Decision in it's different versions since it was first published in the late '80's and it is one of my favorite rule sets. It still is for the level of play it represents, the battalion commander.
FoW on the other hand is one level lower, the company commander. It is a fun system. If you haven't played this system, don't be narrow minded as I was, play it and have some fun. Richard provided the figures and terrain (and the coffee.) We played a meeting engagement between a mobile German force and and US paratroop force supported by arty and M-10's. I used the German mobility and zipped all over the place. In the end, I knocked out all of the US tank destroyers and most of an airborne platoon. Great fun, we will be playing more of this.

Richard has already purchased quite a collection, so I have offered to paint some infantry and vehicles as my contribution to this scale. All of my WW II collection is 20mm, plastic for the most part.

Kampfgruppe Mike

M-10's appear at the top of the photo, recon leads the way.

250/9's zip over to shoot at the US arty

End of the road for the M-10's

Recon on the flank!

Our next club game will be a Command Decision game. In March we will do a FoW game for the group.