Armchair Dragoons Forums
Wargaming => The Modern World => Topic started by: judgedredd on March 31, 2021, 05:48:06 PM
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I have just played my first turn...I am absolutely blown away with this game.
I have been looking forward to getting it to the table for a long time. I've watched videos and read the rules...I still have to look up the rules and watch videos...but having played through the first turn was just simply great fun.
Randomisation with dice is one thing. It even kind of feels fake sometimes. This card drawing and its randomization just feels really good.
And the mechanics... command is proper daunting. My CO got 6 commands...and then my 1st Platoon HQ got 1!!! Then general initiative, generally low numbers but assigned to any units, I pulled 3 allowing me to try all 3 assault team to find cover ( only 2 did)
One assault team was attacked by a command bunker with an officer and an automatics squad, one got away scott free and the other came under the dreaded barrage. These resulted in an assault team changing to a fire team and the other (under the barrage) becoming paralysed.
There lots of nuances and things I haven't got into...but the game will open up and I'll get to try other things out.
Simply an outstanding game. I'm very impressed.
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I've heard nothing but positive things about FoF, which is why I hold on to my copy and hope to get it to the table eventually.
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Which one are you playing? Are the rules as screwed up as everyone says?
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I am playing FoF 1. I appear to have a different edition to the ones being played in videos a few years ago...maybe a second edition?
The rules...that's a funny one. All the information is in there and it's all sectioned well...but it's not really in much of an order...ie sequence of play.
Also...it's very text heavy. I don't just mean it's missing a lot of graphics...and it is... there's alot of text to explain the simplest things which kind of makes it more complicated...it's over explained. I would guess the manual could be half the size if I'm honest.
Videos are your friend when it comes to this though.
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Ok - I'm missing some little nuances here and there - but I'm having great fun and that's what's important.
Little things like forgetting to assign my commands to my staff even though I'm not using them or missing the fact that the briefing said the Germans were Line quality (that one hasn't affected my game because I defaulted to that a I wasn't sure/couldn't remember where it was mentioned), not keeping track of various things for experience points (clearing cards).
I'm kind of looking at my map wondering what the hell I'm going to do....
It's only turn 3 but I'm pretty much stuck on row one (Phase Line 1). I have an HMG Nest + Squad in foxholes ahead of me in one column and a a squad with a leader in a bunker in another column - both on Phase Line 2. I've also lost part of a squad (an assault/fire team) to artillery (not a huge deal at the moment).
Admittedly that's kind of my own fault. Rather than follow the instruction guidelines for the first mission where I was to place Potential Contact C, A and B units on rows 1,2 and 3 I decided to go rogue and randomly choose the Potential Contact markers. This has meant I have come across these nasties on Phase Line 1 where I wouldn't necessarily come across them until Phase Line 2...I know they are on Phase Line 2 but that's because of their placement was at Max Range
I'm looking and thinking "How am I going to get past these nasties?" - I don't want to move a whole platoon. You kind of want to keep your platoon HQ out of harms way...but you also need him up there to be able to get some movement. Both units being attacked from the foxholes and the bunker are pinned so they can't spot. Even if they could, I'd need to get an HQ up there to order them to do it - but I don't want to go anywhere near that HMG (-3 Volume of Fire). I am going to have to get some explosives dropped on their heads.
Oh man - I'm going to have to risk it for a biscuit.
I'm pretty sure I don't have the vocabulary to explain how much fun I'm having with this game. This has surpassed all expectations and leaped ahead of Combat! as my #1 solo game.
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I'm kind of looking at my map wondering what the hell I'm going to do....
I don't have any direct military experience, but from what I've heard, that sounds appropriate.
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I've proper screwed the pooch.
I've lost 1st and 3rd Platoon HQs and the Arty FO. I moved my 3rd Platoon into a card that had an All Pinned VoF on it...+2 Net Combat Modifier so I thought there was no chance of being hit. Unfortunately, I forgot about the German section and the unit rallied, changing the All Pinned (+2) VoF to a -1 VoF.
I still thought I was safe because I was on a +2 cover card and the Platoon HQ and it's other units were under a +1 cover. That's a +2 Net Combat Modifier (+2+1-1)...but the card I pulled for the Platoon HQ and one of it's squads resulted in a HIT on a +2...can you believe that? Lost a squad from 3rd Platoon and my platoon HQ. The enemy had an escape on a 0 Net Combat Modifier which resulted in a miss...and I had a hit on a +2!!
I've now got to get the Co XO over to 1st Platoon to command. I don't know about my S/Sgt...whether he can take charge of 3rd Platoon. I can't see why not - that would be a thing in real life. I know I can reconstitute HQs - but that takes time an additional commands. And with a -1 modifier on commands due to all the HQs being green, you really are scraping the barrel for commands early on.
Anyway - I'm up the creek and I've lost both paddles. I've proper stalled. I did think it might be because I'm being over cautious. I mean - a +2 modifier? Why wouldn't I be safe? :tickedoff:
I was going to start again - losing two HQs was the straw that broke the camels back - but also I've learned so much in re-reading the rules etc...but I decided not to. I'm gonna crack on and see where I get. Mostly the things I've done wrong have actually benefitted me. Hard to believe considering what's just gone down.
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I'm not a huge fan of vassal...I kind of think a board game should be played on a board (specifically one I've actually played as a board game) - but I might be tempted to fire up the Vassal Falklands mod for Fields of Fire.
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First mission did not pan out well at all. I was left with using alot of initiative and ran out of staff!
I'm replaying and having a better time now I'm a bit more understanding not only of what could come my way but what I should be doing when it does! Kind of makes a difference :hehe:
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I'm re-reading the rules whilst playing (again). I may need to print the manual off because mine is already looking a bit worn it's getting flipped through so much.
On re-reading the rules, I've realised a couple of many, many mistakes - particularly important ones. I've been very liberal it seems with the command rules for 2 reasons.
- LoS
So you can't command a unit unless it's in LoS. I've been getting my CO HQ commands and distributing them as long as the subordinate commanders/staff have been on an adjacent card. This is not correct. If the subordinate is under cover, the shitty radios we have don't work (that explains some things in Market Garden :) )
So - my progress should've been slower. Hard to see how I could've achieved my goals if progress was slower! - Command Usage
I watched a video where the guy would activate a Platoon HQ, give it orders, then activate another platoon and give it some orders before going back to activate the first platoon again. This is not correct either. You must activate a platoon or staff, use the commands and save what's left before moving on to another unit and using it's commands
This game does revolve around command so I want to get it right.
Anyway - we live and learn....back to the game. This isn't leaving my table anytime soon. ;D
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back to the game. This isn't leaving my table anytime soon. ;D
that's great to hear!
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Going slightly better this time
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A couple of things I would like to say about early missions...(I've only played the first two - but 4 times total)
- Communication Method
I do not see the point of using the radios in the first mission (or second?) - they are freakishly useless. You need LoS - ok - but also the HQ using the radio needs to be outside of cover. I don't think that's a great tactic. Not too bad I guess if the HQ's are not on the vanguard - unlikely the case - however they can find themselves so with spawning enemy units - and finding your HQs arse hanging out in the wind is no good - Advancing Unit
I've seen lots of examples of people advancing by breaking down a squad to form an Assault Team. They are good in that they get a -1 Combat Modifier. However, I find often they are proper useless and end up getting beat up because they are P (point blank range) and so cannot fire off the card. Moreover, when using them to scout ahead, the enemy being spawned (through the Potential Contact Marker) rarely (I haven't ever seen it) spawns on the same card
So - just a couple of my own observations playing the game.
Still playing it. Still learning. Still really, really enjoying it. I played the first mission twice, decided I had a half decent grip of the rules and played the 3rd time progressing to Mission 2. Collected experience points (no doubt I did that wrong), allocated them (no doubt I did that wrong too).
Still missing things like forgetting to tell my squads to cease/change fire, giving commands when not in LoS or comms, keeping track of ammo - but it's huge fun - even with the odd mistake.
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In addition to the above re Advancing Unit - there are so many cards that give a HIT on a +1 and +2 seemingly...so not having a negative Net Combat Modifier is not necessarily a bad thing...it'll often end in a hit
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Thanks for letting us follow along while you learn and play the game.
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+1 :bigthumb:
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Re my advancing unit - apparently I've just heard you can't use a fire team to scout ahead on a Potential Contact card :Loser:
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Guess what - I am actually thinking about buying card sleeves for this game. There is alot of card handling in this game.
But also guess what - card sleeves come in packs of 100. There's 102 action cards in FoF and FoF Vol 2! This is one of these times when I think someone in the board gaming industry (GMT in this case) went into cohoots with someone else in the card sleeve industry and said "If you pay something towards development of this game, I'll make the stack have 51 cards instead of 50 - that way people have to buy two packs f :censored: b :censored:
And no - I'm not really that mad about it...
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If you do, here are my two tips on card sleeving:
1) Use these: Dragon Shield Sleeves Matte Card Game, Clear (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragon-Shield-Protective-Standard-Gathering/dp/B01HLQLXCY) if you can find them. The matte backing helps prevent them from sliding. They will eventually stop sliding as you use them, but these sleeves will accelerate the process.
2) Sleeve the cards and place them in a stack on a table. After that, place something very, very heavy on top of the stack. Leave them like that for around three days.
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Too late on the recommendation...but appreciated all the same.
Thanks for the tip on squashing them.