Flames of War with Micro-Armor

[Extra Crispy]

I have been looking at GHQ models for a while, and thought of doing a scaled down FoW game in Micro-armor as a kind of "traveling" set. I can take a small game mat (3x5) and two big armies, and a box of terrain and it all fits in one small file box with room to spare.

So I'm replicating my Russian and German armies for FoW using half-size bases. I'm basing vehicles on 1" x 1/2" steel bases (I sell magnetic transport boxes). My armies are 3000 points each which is big enough for my club (we usually have 3 players per side). My Russian figures in 15mm cost me about $300-400, the Germans slightly cheaper (more vehicles). Meanwhile I can do both armies in Microarmor for $300 with plenty of leftover bits.

My plan is to make rules marked off in half-inches and play my usual "doctored" FoW (I'm adding house rules for non-sequential movement and opportunity fire).

I've just started painting my first vehicles - T-34s. All green, easy. I'm working on pinning the turrets with round head pins. Just thought I'd pass this along and let you know how things are going. I will start adding pages to my hobby web site (DeepFriedHappyMice.com) as time allows.....

Cheers.

[BooneC]

Fancy meeting you here.

Try using 1cm to 1". Easier than 1/2" and you might like the small reduction in movement rates.

[1ComOpsCtr]

There is another option...

Leave the measurement rate the same. That means you have to make a slightly larger terrain mat but it gives a really good scale representation and looks more realistic when the bases are smaller but the movement and range are the same. That's what we have used in our experiments. It gives a sense of space to the game that FoW does not have stock...

By the way, the figures really look good on the scaled down bases with the vehicles. For some reason the standard FoW bases looked too crowded in 15mm scale, but the 1/285th figures don't seem to be too close and look better to me anyway...

Will
ComOpsCtr

[dougeagle]

I would keep the measurements for moving the same, as well as the ranges for shooting.
Here's another question, say I choose to use the 1:5 ratio to create a battalion sized army, how would the shooting work?
Would you use the same ROF?

Eg: Panzer III J (long 50) has a ROF of 3, moving is 1. Using the 1:5 ratio, would the stand that represents the platoon still retain its ROF 3 if stationary.

[Extra Crispy]

Hi Guys:

I have a very small house and no permanent gaming space. So I tend to make "play test" armies for each period I play. Usually I'll convert from inches to centimeters but for FoW I decided on half-scale (I already have plenty of half-scale rulers). Then I can play solo ona 2x3 table and put it on top of some bookcases when I take a break. But I also want to run a game converting to centimeters, playing on a 4x6 table and leaving lots and lots of room for maneuver. My bases just arrived and I've got plans to get my infantry done soon (I'll send some out and do the rest myself).

But I will use the same bases for full-scale Blitzkrieg Commander and for bigger FoW battles where I want a sense of more space.

[Its me]

Hi guys,

I joined the forum this morning after seeing this topic on the newsletter very,very interesting. Having a quick read you have all given me some ideas I haven't thought about so thanks for that now where to from here.

To give some history I have been involved with FOW since alpha test days and had a sojourn to the team in Auckland before real life needs (aka baby) caught up so I have been thinking about this for awhle and now that verison II is out well maybe I'm still too attached to Version I anyway my driver for doing micro has been the selling of all my 15's travelling and moving a lot, dabblling with 20's by adding 50% to all movement and distances rest of core rules the same, now time, space money and the desire to play really big ** CENSORED ** looking games is more important, plus I have always wanted to convert the Spearhead scenarios so micro has been the option I have started experimenting with which is enhanced by the terrain maker system just cool even if it costs an arm and a leg to ship down under the results are too cool not to.

Well I digress what to do my initial thoughts at this stage are to half all distances and sizes. All teams are based on the small BF bases and dustances look right on a 6x4 my normal gaming table now, however the desire to play on 8x6's is still there personally i think thats where the focus of BF of 1500pt games on 6x4's is flawed I have always championed 2000pts on 8x6's gives for a better game and more room to zoom around, now in Micro well too cool but thats a project for another day 6x4 first and gor from there.

Seeing the suggestion for cm's hadn't thought of that so might have a try. If you are playing a stand = a platoon (which I am experimenting with at the moment) then yes I agree all ROF's and basic rule systems stay the same otherwise I repsectively suggest if you start fiddling with these you may get in trouble. The other option you might try is to blend old TTG's Korps Kommander of OMG concept of a stand=platoon but have strength points like in a boardgame so i.e. a 3 tank platoon of PzIV's is represented by a single model of a stand but its known as three tanks so therefore you roll 6 dice, all hits rolle for etc. As with the TTG rules this will require a bit of book keeping or a way of keeping track of attrition (they use numbers at the base of the stand, for me thats too fiddly) or just accept its a local action thing and stuff its getting balsted or take it the other way and scale it down as Phil suggest in Version II to acheive what you want as per the normal rules.

Well its all thoughts and I am playing around with some other experimental stuff like card based initiative to take the control away from the player (a variant of the cohesion concept in GHQ's rules) causing things to happen in a random timing to reflect the local commanders action under pressure rather than the I go you go concept which drives me potty, plotting of artillery and air strikes in a similar manner to the GHQ rules so much better and a few other things like that.

Thats about it all comments ideas and suggestions welcome and as for me well been gaming seriously for 23 yrs, been in all the comps won a few, hosted a few, served as an infantryman, now I am interested in having fun chilling and making the hobby a spectacle with games that look good and sort of reflect what happens in the real world and remove the I am god and lets line them up and charge concepts.

Well better run fatherhood and a trip to a playground call catch ya all later, take care and have a great day, cheers Rex

[Its me]

Firstly sorry for the bad grammar and spelling my fingers have a mind of their own this morning and too lazy to proof read it

Forgot to mention the biggest challenge I have with my Micro project is the old do I base the vehicles or not argument. Allows for easier handling and IDíng of units but on a road with a grass base arghkkj%$%*$^%$$!!!!

Thoughts and comments appreciated.

[Its me]

Hi guys just a quick thank you for the help yesterday, I spent most of the day fiddling around with the ideas and very happy with the results.

Using cm's instead of inches for micro is a spot of genius not too much lost and opens vast tracts of the table for manouvre.

Basing have moved to infantry, support and gun sections on medium size bases and vehicle platoons (3 per base) on large base. Acheives the goals of playing at that level and makes it more visually appealing than one tank = 5

So thanks again lads I will put up some eye candy in a couple of weeks when I have rebased my Russians and finished my terrain

Cheers Rex

[paloalto]

when the people I play FoW with laughed at me taking up microarmor one gent said exactly what this thread is about. I haven't been exactly happy with FoW with 15mm but this sounds really interesting. I'm going to play the flames rules with this scale. GHQ models with flames rules could be very economic.

Also, newbie question: Are turrets supposed to be glued or should they just be placed in the hole so they can be turned?

Thanks

[armypainter]

Ttats what I play with M.A,
I just do half of everything.

[Its me]

hi ya re gluing turrets interesting debate to play FOW properly turret facing is important particularly when being engaged from multiple points so in that sense no, if like now I am doing platoons of multiple vehics on a large base i probably not going to worry about and glue them as they keep falling off an old gripe of mine with micro armour but what works for you, as a suggestion thought do it initially with PVA (woodworking glue) as it will do less dmaage if you want to revert later on.

Cheers Rex

[tstockton]

Hey, guys...

Re: do I glue on turrets?

There is another thread here on the GHQ Message Board you may not have noticed:

Temporary Basing, and Rotating Turrets

You might want to read through it -- I think it's a great alternative to the "to glue or not to glue" debate. I just "pinged" it, to bring it back towards the top...

Regards,
Tom Stockton

p.s. It might also "solve" the basing question... you could make "multiple" bases -- some with grass, some with roads, some with "what-have-you"... and if the bases were metal, the magnets mounted in the micro armor would probably hold them to the "appropriate" base. Of course, this offer is null and void when used with individual figures... As with almost everything else -- nothing is perfect!!

[Extra Crispy]

I "pin" all my turrets so they can rotate. I assumed if it matters in FoW it matters in lots of other games. But I also mount my vehicles on individual steel strips for storage and transport. in fact I mount all my figures on steel or magnets for storage and transport.

[Extra Crispy]

Here is a picture of my first infantry base. That's Soviet infantry on a half-size FoW base (I had some custom made out of steel so they can be carried in my magnetic box):

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/groups/g_10844 ... FB0mJQ4XjE

I still need to touch up the base edges. Okay, the paint job is nothing special, but I'm happy with them since they are my first ever in this scale. Well, I have done a bit of 6mm but of the over-proportioned kind for Horse & Musket....

[paloalto]

I am astounded by the amount of people who paint these tiny minis and make it look good. You guys MUST be ruining your eyesight painting hands on rifles. How is it done???