I actually am expecting French Resistance of some kind in the D-Day set. They’d probably have stats as bad as the ones the Soviet Partisanss get, but I tend to field armies for flavor as opposed to “L33T-P0WARZ”, so I’m not going to be too broken up about that. I’d love to be able to recreate several battles from the movie The Longest Day, so so having some Resistance blow out some train tracks would be sweet.
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@Der:
At the beginning of your move phase you may replace any number of your MG42s with Sandbagged MG Teams, and vice versa.
That’s along the same thinking I’ve been doing.
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Also, how long do the games run?
The AH site says 30-90 minutes, but for what size battle is that?If you don’t count the time to formulate your armies, games rarely last only 30 minutes. 30 minutes is usually for a scenario that gets you into the action right away. Tournament games usually last between 60 and 90 minutes. Recreational games can last up to 2 hours if you’re taking your time. You’re first few games will probably last 2 hours.
Not for what point total he wants to play. It’s usually 45 minutes-1 hour/ 100 points you do. At 250 point armies, which is reaching the limit for point totals maintaining game balance (post 300 you’ll see huge balance issues), expect to play and hour and a half- 2 hours, maybe more in the beginning as you learn the rules. It also depends on the scenario you’re playing.
What size is the standard playing surface?
Well, normally it’s the 2x2 maps they give you. But you won’t be able to play on that surface with the point totals you want to do. You’ll need at least one more starter set to have the ability to play on 4x2 maps or 3x3. Hell, I sometimes consider getting a third starter set for even more maps, as sometimes I feel like 4x2 isn’t big enough. I play 150-200 point battles.
Is there good after market support for terrain and miniatures?
The terrain are maps that come with the game. Some people eventually play using 3-d terrain, but then you have to either play using houserules, or go out and buy hex-terrain, which is a whole new set of expenses.
What scale is 15 mm anyway?
Basically 1:120. It’s more like 1:121, but 1:120 is the accepted number for buying terrain for the game.
Are these plastic minis easy to mod and repaint?
Yes.
I would like to have the ability to field a 250 point army
That’s like fielding a 6,000 point army in Warhammer: it’s really big and might make the game take longer than you want. Before making any army goals, play the game a few times. Having a crapload of miniatures to choose from for army building is sweet, but actually fielding 250 points might be hefty for you, since you mentioned that your kids impede gaming somewhat. 150 points is usually big enough to have alot of fun and see lots of units, but small enough that the game doesn’t last forever.
Welcome aboard. May you make every cover save and ignore enemy Superior Armor… :)
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15mm is 1:121.92 in size, so 1:120 is the way to go.
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Yea, the hero thing is probably going to suck. Maybe, just maybe they’ll do it cool; afterall there’s hero characters in Flames of War and they don’t throw balance off. But then again, FoW is a different scale game.
The “Dug In” SA should have been a tactical option for certain units rather than a special unit. Why can’t all MGs and Artillery dig in? Infantry and vehicles could too, but for the sake of game balance and time, let’s pretend they can’t. But Artillery and all MGs should be able to. Either that or change the deployment of the game. If units can deploy differently, then maybe the Dug In MG will be useful, but as it stands it’s useless to me. We play on 4x2 and 3x3 maps, so this unit won’t work. And I know from reading this forum and the other A&AM forums that I’m by far not the only one who plays this game on a larger scale.
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Erm, iut’s also worth noting that the game’s balance goes out the window in “last man standing” in some regards. The game is designed around limited turns, so that’s what is used when models are playtested. It’s alot like Warhammer, where with no limited turns you see some units turn into real monsters. It doesn’t matter how good a unit is: if you only play 7-10 rounds (as per the rules) that monster of a unit can only kill a certain amount of things. But with no objective and no turn cap it just keeps going and going. The game isn’t balanced that way. And game-balance is already shaky in this game sometimes (like in our 300 point games I notice it isn’t as balanced).
two-cents
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This is actually one of the tanks I mentioned wanting to see in the D-Day set. The French have been out long enough that they should be fieldable on their own without having to use the same build. Variety makes nations fun to play.
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Yea, an all infantry build versus anyone playing Axis would be a turkey hunt… assuming that the Axis player has the units he needs. What units is the Allied player fielding against you? And what units do you have available for Axis that you can choose your units from? Although collecting random boosters is part of the fun of this game, it’s also nice to have some standard units to choose from. So, you might want to consider nabbing some units off of eBay or other online stores that sell singles.
Heck is correct: you need SS-Panzergrenadiers! You need Brumbars and Stug IIIs for their nasty habit of blowing an entire hex to smithereens, or at least Disrupting everyone in it so that the SS-PG special ability can kick in.
Also things you might want to list here so people can help you make a better build:
-How many point games are you playing with? The standard 100 or bigger?
-Are you playing standard timed games (7-10 turns) or playing a “last man standing” thing?
-Are you playing “nation pure” armies, as in historical armies only (ie: Russians can’t team up with Americans, Germans can’t team up with Japanese, etc)?
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I voted Pak 40, but eh… people shoot the crap out of Pak 40s for some reason. Maybe because they’re so big they’re just too tempting as a target or something. But mine never lasts that long unless I plop that Romanian Commander down that grants +1 cover to artillery. Maybe I need more than one to see it survive. I dunno. But I have 7 8-pdr and only 1 Pak 40, so maybe my 8-pdr only survives because I field 4 of them when I expect tanks?
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Dude, neither did I. Speed 4? About time. I know I gripe about it often, but it seems like the Germans aren’t quite up to par with “blitzkreiging” (yes, I know: I made the word up) with those lightning quick Americans and British…
:roll:
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Yea, I’m house-ruling the British Para down a few points. There’s no reason to take him as is, when for 1 point you can get a better Paratrooper… unless you’re playing a pure army.
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I forget so I’ll ask: how many points is that Veteran Rhino? Cuz I’m wondering if you could ditch it in favor of another Stuart and something else. I’ve found that Stuarts work well in groups, like 2 or 3. They’re so friggin’ fast they just zip up a flank and either draw lots of attention or wind up getting behind the big tanks. But I dunno how much a VRS is worth, so I can’t come up with something to fill its shoes that would be more versatile, be more than one model, and still have the tank busting capabilities (even if they get slightly deminished).
I’m basically trying to find a way to tweak this new list above. Then I wanna try it. :mrgreen:
Gawd I love this game.
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Considering how many people use the SS in their Axis armies, you might think it prudent to have a sniper or two laying around for those games you’ll be expecting them. SS Panzergrenadiers seem to be in every Axis army now-a-days (and with good reason, since they’re so good).
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Yea. It’s one of those abilities you swear you’ll find a use for one day, but deep down inside… you know it’s useless. If they ever come out with new maps for Operation Market Garden or maybe even Crete, something where the bridge is a major factor and the river is a full hex or wider (and thus impassable without a bridge), you’ll see people pimp the Engineer more.
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There are no German paratroopers. Depending on the rules that you are using, the Axis player can use German and Japan on the same force.
Damn, he got my hopes up. I keep throwing out my checklists by accident. Hah! :(
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Yea, I’m hoping that the D-Day set introduces some decent French units. I wanted to do a French army, but they don’t have the “oomph” I want. I wouldn’t mind getting a Somua S-35 or an FCM 36 in there. Maybe some artillery that doesnt need a Forward Observer, a la the French “Fire Plan” or something. I dunno. It’s just be nice to see the French become playable on their own.
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I just nailed a Pak 40, so I’m going to try that combo. I’ve been dying to use my Sniper for tank hunting, but I usually wind up killing enemy commanders instead. I never thought about slapping a Pak in with it.
No, its not cheap. Risky, but not cheap. You shouldnt rush anything up in a Jeep if your opponent is any good. I usually use my jeeps to get my flamethrowers and bazookas near the enemy tank, since getting in the same hex usually never works in my games. The best way to take out big tanks is usually with other big tanks or tank-hunters.
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