My opinion of Flames of War changes from time to time. Point-based games with the artificiality of winning by taking "objectives" sometimes gives odd results. At TundraCon my Italians faced Tigers which by and large I couldn't hurt. But despite some bonehead plays on my part I was in the game till the end and always had a chance to win. In that respect it is a huge plus and the system works and works well.
Last Sunday we gathered at our favorite game shop, Adventure Games in Oshkosh for our monthly game. As you can see from the pictures they have a GREAT set up with beautiful tables and terrain. The plan was to play a 1900 late war game. I brought my Fallschirmjagers. Not world-beaters but always fun with a neat mix of equipment. Arriving I found that we were also playing an early-war game, also with Fallschirmjagers and British.
The mission randomly rolled called for the British to be deployed but with half their force off table. The Germans got to start with everything, including air support. We (I was Brit for this one) had one platoon in "ambush" mode. We chose the Vickers HMG platoon and put it forward where it would wreck havoc on the advancing Germans. Even with average or worse dice from the Brits the game was over in three turns with the near total destruction of the attacking Germans.
Even a Stuka every turn couldn't turn the tide. While the game matched up well to historic accounts I've read, it frankly wasn't much fun for either side.
The next game we rolled a different, but similar mission for the late-war versions of our armies. The British were again dug in with an ambushing platoon. Four German medium tanks represented the only armored forces for both sides. Firepower was much higher for both sides though the Germans had to navigate bocage on their right.
In the end the objective is taken and the Germans "win." Most of a large Fallschirmjager platoon have been cut down and all the MkIV tanks are wrecked or abandoned. The British reserves double-timing it forward could potentially retake the objective, but the game is over. So two games have been set-up, played and picked up in about 3 hours. But although each side won a game it felt "odd." I guess being an old-timer these rules designed with the intent of being done in two hours is just a bit difficult to get used to. I'm still of the school of thought that says, "if set up and take down take more time than the game, it isn't worth it."
Still, any day of gaming with friends in a nice environment is a good thing. Next time I'll try out a new army list of.... The possibilities are endless.
Last Sunday we gathered at our favorite game shop, Adventure Games in Oshkosh for our monthly game. As you can see from the pictures they have a GREAT set up with beautiful tables and terrain. The plan was to play a 1900 late war game. I brought my Fallschirmjagers. Not world-beaters but always fun with a neat mix of equipment. Arriving I found that we were also playing an early-war game, also with Fallschirmjagers and British.
The mission randomly rolled called for the British to be deployed but with half their force off table. The Germans got to start with everything, including air support. We (I was Brit for this one) had one platoon in "ambush" mode. We chose the Vickers HMG platoon and put it forward where it would wreck havoc on the advancing Germans. Even with average or worse dice from the Brits the game was over in three turns with the near total destruction of the attacking Germans.
Even a Stuka every turn couldn't turn the tide. While the game matched up well to historic accounts I've read, it frankly wasn't much fun for either side.
The next game we rolled a different, but similar mission for the late-war versions of our armies. The British were again dug in with an ambushing platoon. Four German medium tanks represented the only armored forces for both sides. Firepower was much higher for both sides though the Germans had to navigate bocage on their right.
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| The objective is in sight, protected by dug-in Bofors. |
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| Our token tanks lumber forward and will be ambushed by British 17pdrs. |
In the end the objective is taken and the Germans "win." Most of a large Fallschirmjager platoon have been cut down and all the MkIV tanks are wrecked or abandoned. The British reserves double-timing it forward could potentially retake the objective, but the game is over. So two games have been set-up, played and picked up in about 3 hours. But although each side won a game it felt "odd." I guess being an old-timer these rules designed with the intent of being done in two hours is just a bit difficult to get used to. I'm still of the school of thought that says, "if set up and take down take more time than the game, it isn't worth it."
Still, any day of gaming with friends in a nice environment is a good thing. Next time I'll try out a new army list of.... The possibilities are endless.
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