Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey guys. I really know nothing about flames of war so I am a complete noob. Sorry for my ignorance.

All together the flames of war Models I have are the following.

1 Sherman
1 Sherman Firefly
Easy Company set

However I want to play as the British so how should I go about it.

My FLGS mostly plays late war so late war is the route I would go down.

I would probably start buy ordering the PSC late war british infantry set since there doesn't seem to be a better value british deal around pretty cheap but what kind of list could I go from there?

Wouldn't mind making a Welsh Guards list or a list of another Welsh regiment.

If I could use the Easy Company models as some kind of allies that would be cool but not essential. I would also consider picking up some british airbourne as I have always had a liking for the crazy bastards that jump out of airplanes.

I dont really understand how list building in FOW works or what someone can and cant take so any help at all would be great.

Thanks guys.

PSC British Heavy Weapons out soon too...

Damn you PSC!!!! A wallet can only take so much.

Is that a similar price point to the the British Late war box? Or is it a smaller box?

I need to get rid of some other stuff first anyway.

Sadly easy co don't get to be Brit allies.

I'd go generic Brits as a new player, the nice thing is that you don't need much to be armour/infantry.

I'd look at 'market garden' as you get a nice book with Brit infantry and armour (and the option for US paras as allies - almost easy co

I'd start with a British rifle company box (3 platoons+command) and probably 2 boxes of British shermans (new BF out soon or go PSC-get their firefly box) you then have enough tanks for HQ and 2 platoons.

From that a mix of 6pdrs (infantry AT) universal carriers (recon) and 25pdrs (artillery) is a great place to start

You may also want to consider the 1st Polish Armoured Division PDF as the Poles also used British equipment during the war.

 Reaver83 wrote:
Sadly easy co don't get to be Brit allies.

I'd go generic Brits as a new player, the nice thing is that you don't need much to be armour/infantry.

I'd look at 'market garden' as you get a nice book with Brit infantry and armour (and the option for US paras as allies - almost easy co

I'd start with a British rifle company box (3 platoons+command) and probably 2 boxes of British shermans (new BF out soon or go PSC-get their firefly box) you then have enough tanks for HQ and 2 platoons.

From that a mix of 6pdrs (infantry AT) universal carriers (recon) and 25pdrs (artillery) is a great place to start

I didnt think it would be possible but it was worth checking anyway since it would have been nice to use them. I picked them up on a whim after watchign and reading band of brothers.

Thanks for the advice mate. Will the PSC late war british infantry box be a decent substitute for the british rilfe box?

Also how many tanks is in a box of shermans?

Buy the Open Fire boxset, you get a starter Armoured Company of 6x Sherman V and 2x Sharman Firefly. You also get some US Paras and a starter Grenadierkompanie.

Its a good start and gives you some OPFOR to go with it.

I would then add some PSC British infantry, one infantry boxset and one Heavy weapons boxset when available. This will give you a decent British infantry list, two PSC boxsets has more than enough for several infantry platoons, a machine gun platoon and two mortar platoons. This is basically all the infantry you will need and then some. You can take from that to add infantry to an Armoured Company or can take the tanks to add to an infantry company. You do need more tanks though for the Armoured Company to bring it up to full strength.
Therefore I would also buy one boxset of new plastic BattleFront Shermans, I recommend those rather than PSC as you would get a continuity, PSC kits are crisper and IMHO better, but you will already have Battlefront Shermans and mixing your shermans will not look right. It also appears that the tanks you already have are Battlefront.

This will mean you only have infantry and tanks, but essentially thats all you do need, there are other things to add, Universal Carriers, recon group etc, but they can all wait. If you need variety you can add air support at any time, because it doesn't need representation with miniatures.

The final thing I would do at this stage is to add a box of PSC Tigers or Panthers, either will do. While you didn't come here for advice on Germans if you go down the recommended route and get Open Fire (you need it for the rules anyway) then you will have a company of Germans as a meat by-product, buying a boxset of premium German tanks will boost up the points value of the Germans you already have and turn what you have got into an instant army. You would get a Grenadierkompanie with two infantry platoons, two Pak40's and two armoured platoons, one of 3xStuG III and one of 4xTiger or 5x Panther. That will east up a lot of points and allow you to have a force for your Welsh to fight against. You can add to that at your leisure.

Another alternative is to buy Open Fire, find a friend who also wants in and ask him to buy Open Fire. You give him all your Germans, you in turn collect all the Shermans, both get a decent sizable army to work with.

In all circumstances Open Fire is your next logical purchase, as it contains essential play aids and is a loss leader in terms of amount of miniatures in ther boxset I will even go as far as to say that any advice to the contrary is 'incorrect'.
With regarsds to rules the only thing missing are the Army Books, however rather than shell out on "Codex Welsh Guards" just get an EasyArmy.com account, all the rules can be found on the online lists (which are endorsed and legal); with cross reference to the rulebook in Open Fire.

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=3543

Note that Open Fire! box is currently out of stock. There's some rumours that the next print run will have the new plastic Sherman/Firefly and StuGs, but nothing concrete as to if or when that will happen..

Open fire seems like a pretty good deal, even with no current interest in playing germans.

 Ghaz wrote:
Note that Open Fire! box is currently out of stock. There's some rumours that the next print run will have the new plastic Sherman/Firefly and StuGs, but nothing concrete as to if or when that will happen..

I noticed the Out of Stock notice from Battlefront, but you can buy it from a number of online stores, and also from eBay.
It's not hard to find a copy in the UK.

 carlos13th wrote:
Open fire seems like a pretty good deal, even with no current interest in playing germans.

Do you know anyone who plays Germans? It halps to have a second army if presented for you., also they are good sculpts. I play US Armor but kept my Open Fire Germans and expanded on them just enough that I can provide both sides for a game.

Im in no rush for it I can wait until it comes back in stock to see if they have improved the tanks. . Im gonna ask for the PSC british box for christmas from the sister anyway and probably build from there.

 carlos13th wrote:
Im in no rush for it I can wait until it comes back in stock to see if they have improved the tanks. . Im gonna ask for the PSC british box for christmas from the sister anyway and probably build from there.

Very well, still go to eBay and look for Open Fire as bitz, you will probably at least need to pick up the rulebook.

 Orlanth wrote:

 Ghaz wrote:
Note that Open Fire! box is currently out of stock. There's some rumours that the next print run will have the new plastic Sherman/Firefly and StuGs, but nothing concrete as to if or when that will happen..

I noticed the Out of Stock notice from Battlefront, but you can buy it from a number of online stores, and also from eBay.
It's not hard to find a copy in the UK.

 carlos13th wrote:
Open fire seems like a pretty good deal, even with no current interest in playing germans.

Do you know anyone who plays Germans? It halps to have a second army if presented for you., also they are good sculpts. I play US Armor but kept my Open Fire Germans and expanded on them just enough that I can provide both sides for a game.

Sorry I missed the second half of this.

No I don't know anyone who plays germans as of yet. Prob will go for open fire in the future though as its always nice to have an opposing force if want to play with someone who doesnt have their own models. Thanks for recommending open fire though, I hadn't considered it because of the Us infantry and German troops were not that intresting to me but it sounds like its a decent deal none the less.

No need to go to eBay for the rules. I doubt you'd find it cheaper than the ₤7 the pocket rulebook sells for by itself.

What do you guys play btw?

British rifle company here, so as much as I want someone to go halves on open fire with, I'm not much help here XD

IF the open fire Germans could be used as SS though, I might be convinced Any of your stuff painted up yet?

I have:

US Armor Company
2x Sherman M1A1 75mm HQ
5x Sherman M1A1 75mm
5x Sherman M1A1 75mm/76mm (extra turret swap)
3x Sherman M1A1 105mm
5x Stuart M5
Armoured Rifle Platoon (5x M3 Halftracks, /w 14 assorted infantry stands loaded for bear)
Armoured Recon Patrol (2x M8 Greyhound, MG Jeep, 60mm Mortar Jeep)
2x US Para Platoons (Open Fire)
P47 Thunderbolt (die cast toy to scale)

US Infantry Company
Infantry HQ /w Jeep
2x Infantry platoon
MG platoon
81mm Mortar Platoon
4.2" Chemical Mortar platoon.

The US Infantry Company was a byproduct of the deal I bought to get the kits for the US Armor list. I only have five bazooka teams. It requires cannibalising most of the ARP to make up the numbers but it is enough to make a legal US infantry list, to which I add some of my tanks. I don't bother except as variety though the ARP has all I need, and has a rep as being one of the best toolbox units in the game anyway, whiocvh I have come to agree with.
I never bothered to paint the US para platoons as they dont match my army, Battlefront and PSC infantry dont mix well. All other miniatures except the die cast P47 and the Recon are from Plastic Soldier Company. The Recon units are actually from Axis and Allies miniatures converted with PSC bitz (crew, mortar and machine guns) . This was to keep the main army all plastic.

I like the PSC US kits, they make for good lists. They lack the specialist Shermans though, no Easy Eights, no Jumbos. This has not bother me in the slightest, while the upgraded tanks have some nice stats and rules they can be gimmicky and can be very expensive. I much prefer a horde approach, lots of basic Shermans, I get to play with more toys for a start and it also better reflects what the US forces actually had. Also with a little tweak here and there my army is ready for Mid War, the only real point of inaccuracy will be the M3 Halftracks machine guns, though the PSC kit does include the old style pintel mount as an option, I have modelled all mine with the later ring turret.

The above have a generic colour scheme and no specific unit insignia.

I don't think I will expand on this army, it has all I need right there. Mortar halftracks were recommended, but I am happy enough to do without.


Germans

Currently 2x Open fire infantry components including 4x Pak 40's. 4x StuG III (also Open Fire).
Planning to expand to buy a Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie.
All the Germans are on their splrues with exception of the StuG and Pak 40's. They are way down my painting order. Currently I use my friends Germans, he has rather a lot of them.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 LazzurusMan wrote:
British rifle company here, so as much as I want someone to go halves on open fire with, I'm not much help here XD

IF the open fire Germans could be used as SS though, I might be convinced Any of your stuff painted up yet?

SS only matters for tanks, SS tanks had their own distinctive insignia but it was not omnipresent, you can model without.
SS uniforms were little different in major detail, this is not true up close but at 15mm you cant really model piping detail. Its a tiny dot of paint here or there different. I would recommend Heer though, you pay enough for Germans already the 3+ morale causes you to take such a hit in numbers you lose more than you gain IMHO.

The Open Fire sculpts are very nice, quite unlike the previous Battlefront sculpts, which I found to be quite crude.

http://waristheh-word.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/plastic-15-mm-infantry-psc-vs.html
With pics

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2012/12/review-fow-open-fire-plastic-infantry.html
good review but Bols remove pics from old reviews and content to save bandwidth.

http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=3563
Battlefronts own assembly tutorial, shows off the detail.

I wont lie to you, Open Fire infantry was such high quality that I decided there and then to make a collection out of the Germans it came with. I got a second load of German infantry from eBay, and a single StuG I will go to PSC for the rest of the vehicles.

None painted yet. Dug out my Easy company the other day which prompted me to post this.

So my sister just ordered me a box of PSC late war infantry and she wants to order me a set of PSC tanks too. What would guy guys recommend.

Late War Brits would be either the M4A4 Sherman and Firefly or the Cromwell unless you want to go for the infantry tanks or the more varied Sherman variants used in the Italian campaign.

 carlos13th wrote:
None painted yet. Dug out my Easy company the other day which prompted me to post this.

So my sister just ordered me a box of PSC late war infantry and she wants to order me a set of PSC tanks too. What would guy guys recommend.

Cromwells for lorried infantry are good,but for my Lorried i prefer the Sherman 2 and 2 Firefly combo.If interested check my blog for some post on my British force.Their is a link in my sig.

Think I might go for the cromwell box. That way I can still get open fire in the future without doubling up on everything.

Thanks for the blog link. Will check it out.

Might sound stupid but what exactly are lorried infantry.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also anyone know where I can get 15mm accessories for tanks. Stowage and the like?

 carlos13th wrote:
Think I might go for the cromwell box. That way I can still get open fire in the future without doubling up on everything.

There's no list that allows you to take both Cromwells and Shermans and Fireflies all at the same time and only one from Overlord that allows both Cromwells and Fireflies. On average, you'll need at least a half dozen tanks to play an Armoured Company if not more. For example, my 1,750 point Grenadier Guards list using Overlord has 12 Shermans, 4 Fireflies, 3 Stuarts, 2 Crusader A/A and a Sherman ARV and that doesn't include the motor platoon, the artillery or the AOP.

 carlos13th wrote:
Might sound stupid but what exactly are lorried infantry.

It's infantry transported in a lorry, versus being transported in an armoured half-track or hoofing it across the continent.

Intresting thanks Ghaz. Maybe I should go for fireflys then. Will have to think on it.

Just to throw in here, I would go for Chuchills. You already have Battlfront Shermans, adding in PSC ones wont work as the sculpts are diofferent, PSC are much crisper, Battlefront have a 'hand crafted' artistic feel.

Churchills also better support the massed infantry you have and provide something different, idf you are already after Shermans and Firefly's the Churchill better complements what you can take, it also the only heavy tank of the western allies in large scale production, so it plays very different.

Intersting. I will keep that in mind. I may very well just end up going for whatever I like the look of most which is my standard approach to wargaming.

 Orlanth wrote:
Just to throw in here, I would go for Chuchills. You already have Battlfront Shermans, adding in PSC ones wont work as the sculpts are diofferent, PSC are much crisper, Battlefront have a 'hand crafted' artistic feel.

Churchills also better support the massed infantry you have and provide something different, idf you are already after Shermans and Firefly's the Churchill better complements what you can take, it also the only heavy tank of the western allies in large scale production, so it plays very different.

But using the Market garden rules your Infantry maybe tank riders for croms and Shermans.

Also note that after taking a quick look in my books, it looks like Churchills can only support ground pounders while lorried or motorized infantry are supported by Shermans or Cromwells. Of course you could always do a Tank Company (Churchills) instead of an Armoured Company (Shermans/Fireflies) or Armoured Recce Company (Cromwells) and have three or four platoons of Churchills along with a couple of rifle platoons.

Decisions decisions. Really should learn a little more about the game to understand what my options are. Think I would take Cromwells over Churchills purely because I like the way they look better.

How many cromwells would a Recce company require?

Having got British infantry, cromwells, churchills and shermans - I think the strength of British are their infantry, with armour support.

My personal favourite list is British infantry from Italy. You get Sherman APC's, Sherman 76mm and M10 tank destroyers for support. You add in mortars, 6pdrs anti tank, universal carrier recon and 25pdrs and you have a solid list

 carlos13th wrote:
How many cromwells would a Recce company require?

That's hard to say. It really depends on which nationality and book you use and what their Motivation and Skill ratings are (Reluctant Veteran, Confident Trained, Confident Veteran or Fearless Trained) and whether you want to upgrade your Armoured Recce Platoons with a Firefly or Challenger where appropriate and whether you want to go tank heavy or a more balanced spread of units and the points value your group usually plays at. I would say you'd want at least ten Cromwells at minimum to begin with.

You may want to take a look at the 1st Polish Armoured Division and the The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade Group (CIABG) Intelligence Briefings to get an idea of what you'll need or want to get.