GHQ Models Forums

Anyone have experience with these rules? If you do, can you give your input, good, bad, ugly? I found them years ago, read through them back then, but never played them. Is there something better available now?

No one?

I've played Close & Destroy quite a few years ago. I felt that the way the rules are set up it made it extremely difficult to kill a Soviet tank but was way easier to kill a M1. It just didnt feel "right" to me. I also own Combined Arms and Tactical Command. Never got around to playing either but have read thru the Combined Arms numerous times. I think where Close & Destroy is 1 to 1 based, Combined Arms is more 1 to 5 or something like that. I cant tell you to much about Tactical Command. As for Tacforce there is a gentlemen that visits here often and he has re-released a new Tacforce version all on his own. He is the resident expert on Tacforce as far as I know. He also has his own company for producing buildings and terrain in multiple scales. Sorry I couldnt be more help. Best advice I can give is study each rule set and decide to just set up a quick game and play each. Years ago I played the dunn Kempf at Ft Hood and I also had a copy of Engage & Destroy which I liked very much. Now I personally like Modern Spearhead and Force on Force.

Thanks for taking the time! Very helpful information.

I’m aware of the updated rule set that was created. Sounds like he has done a really good job bring the rule set to a current level. He’s also done some really nice stuff with his company. The buildings are amazing!

rdenman62 wrote:I've played Close & Destroy quite a few years ago. I felt that the way the rules are set up it made it extremely difficult to kill a Soviet tank but was way easier to kill a M1. It just didnt feel "right" to me. I also own Combined Arms and Tactical Command. Never got around to playing either but have read thru the Combined Arms numerous times. I think where Close & Destroy is 1 to 1 based, Combined Arms is more 1 to 5 or something like that. I cant tell you to much about Tactical Command. As for Tacforce there is a gentlemen that visits here often and he has re-released a new Tacforce version all on his own. He is the resident expert on Tacforce as far as I know. He also has his own company for producing buildings and terrain in multiple scales. Sorry I couldnt be more help. Best advice I can give is study each rule set and decide to just set up a quick game and play each. Years ago I played the dunn Kempf at Ft Hood and I also had a copy of Engage & Destroy which I liked very much. Now I personally like Modern Spearhead and Force on Force.

Tac Air: used the board for an Operation/Strategic game, then use the rule set Combined Arms for the tactical game. Each hex was represented a mile (2 or 2.5 feet).
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Sand, Oil & Blood: played some 2.5 decades ago. Dont remember much.
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Close & Destroy: were going to play it, so very detailed as I recall.
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Combined Arms: played this a bunch. Each figure represents a platoon. We adjust the rules a bunch, then more adjustments. Using same or adjusted armor data and missile mechanics. Changed rate of fire. Tried to arrange for 1 to 1 games. Played a bunch in the 1990s and early 2000s.

I use a modified set of TACFORCE rules. I have used them for over thirty years and they work fine.

I still use Challenger 2000. Very detailed and for a new user it is complicated. But once you get acclumated with the rules functions. It is fun. My armor group out here did a redue of the rules adding additional vehicles and some updates to the rules.

Another rules sets i use is Jim Days MBT by GMT Games. Converted the hex equal 100 yards to miniatures aspect. GMT Panzer is great for ww2 miniatures game play. Both rules have a great support and is refered to the living rules due to updates you can download from MGT Site.

Even the older versions of Avalon Hills MBT and IDF. Works well for miniatures play.

The only one of these that I have used was Command Decision. At the same scale I prefer Cold War Commander or Fistful of Tows 3. At the scale of Command Decision choosing ammo type and ordering individual platoons was too fine grained for the level of command intended for the rules.

Thanks for the input! When I’m ready, think I’ll work with Tacforce and it’s update that’s available. Close and Destroy I and II will be my secondary choice. Can anyone point me to some current TO&E’s. I’d prefer the ones that show the vehicles? Much easier for me to understand.

What time frame and countries and types of units are you looking for? We can probably cover just about everything between all the members of this forum! There's also a FaceBook group called "Modern Military TO&E's (WW2 and Later)" that has some pretty good information.

A really nice TOE for US forces is fksm 71-8. Great info and nice eye candy in regards to vehicle pictures. It may be a few years old. I think the one i have is dated May 2010.

I love the modern stuff. Late Cold War to current time. I just recently joined that group. Was able to find some good stuff there.

redleg wrote:What time frame and countries and types of units are you looking for? We can probably cover just about everything between all the members of this forum! There's also a FaceBook group called "Modern Military TO&E's (WW2 and Later)" that has some pretty good information.

Check this website out as well. it has a lot of detailed info about the US Army units for that time period. No pictured though, just straight TO&E documents:
https://fas.org/man/dod-101/army/unit/toe/

cama wrote:I wish someone would revise the GHQ rules like the WW2 set and bring them into the 21st century. The new WW2 rules are a refreshing re-write of good core rules. I normally like 1:1 scale, but can live with the 1:5 scale, and the occasional anachronism such as 1-2 Firefly tanks being in a Sherman troop in 44/45.

Wasn't this a topic sometime back? I think that there was a crew here on the forum that was doing an updated version of the moderns. I think that Red Leif was one of them, maybe? Is there any update on these? I have been looking forward to them for a long time!

I have taken over revising the modern rules for GHQ. Some big changes coming. Looking for some help out there for updated TO&Es s well as new weapons stats.There have been a lot of new weapons and TO&Es appearing since the publication of the first edition. I can probably tackle those two tasks myself but it would dramatically effect the publication date.
-George Chrestensen (WWII Microsquad designer)