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But i then saw the prices for there models, and when i took a closer look they really weren't that great for their cost, now if they were like 30 bucks for 5 tanks fine, 30 for an infantry platoon fine. But 50-75 on average, is well to be honest ridiculous. Im kind of sad because it looks like a great game but the cost is crazy for what looks like poor models...

Why are the prices so high? I have never seen the models in person, are they better than the pictures? Is there a cheap way to get there models, any loopholes?

Order from Wayland Games in the UK. Because of some weird currency stuff I don't pretend to understand, its cheaper to order from the UK for you lot over there, its actually currently cheaper for people from New Zealand to order from the UK!

As far as I'm aware Wayland ship FOW worldwide for free.

Also shop around, ebay is your friend and there are plenty of equally good manufacturers of 15mm WW2 out there, Maelstrom Games (who also ship post free worldwide) stock Forged in Battle which are very good.

I checked out the forged in battle minis they look great! But are all the german minis the same size and come with right size base for FoW. Also i noticed with the vehicles it doesnt have nearly as much selection, but they look nicer and cheaper! But my next question is does FiB look good mixed with FoW stuff?? With the infantry does it comes with appropriate models to make FoW legal FoW squads?

Thanks for any help! I am obviously new to the game and dont really know what the rules require of the models and such, thanks!

They don't come with FOW bases but they are quite cheap to buy separately, again you don't need to buy BF ones, lots of people out there making bases.

FIB do mix well with FOW, if you look further down in this forum you'll see "Aldramelechs Early War Soviets", my infantry are a mix of both, the Mortar and HMG bases are all FIB.

FOW is quite free and easy as to what you have on the base, I prefer to have 5 figures to a base for normal infantry but many use only 4 to a base, its up to you really, it needs to be representative obviously but there are no hard and fast rules.

FIB range isn't as large but they are a new company and are ramping up quite rapidly. Also there are a number of new Plastic kits on the market that are very good and very, very cheap. Check out the Plastic Soldier Company and 15mm Zvevda.

Right now im most impressed with FiB and Plastic Soldier Company looks okay for the huge pack of infantry but they dont have any pictures of actual models.

And where do you buy your bases from and how do you know what size they need to be?

Thanks again.

You can cut plastocard or even thick cardboard to the correct size and shape, so I wouldn't bother buying bases but they are available where ever they are selling FoW.

You might want to check out the last FoW items on Maelstrom Games' site certainly still have bases ther @ 25% off.

cheapest thing to do is quit while your ahead, get a good rules system like disaposable heroes, and either do 28mm, or 20mm (1:72), far FAR cheaper than flames of warhamerepic40k and no awful rules

Stella Cadente wrote:cheapest thing to do is quit while your ahead, get a good rules system like disaposable heroes, and either do 28mm, or 20mm (1:72), far FAR cheaper than flames of warhamerepic40k and no awful rules

20mm might be cheaper given the huge amount of plastic available, but where are you getting 28s that come cheaper than 15's per man? Or per tank for that matter.

edit: GamesWorkshop Of War, or Flames Workshop would both be good variants for mockery as well.


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@ the OP: Command Decisions do remarkably cheap troops and have an extensive range of vehicles in bags of three or four. They work out cheaper than Battlefront stuff.

I'm shocked that you can't find an infantry platoon for less than $50, even BF's website lists a full rifle platoon at $20.

well when it all adds up it gets quite expensive for 5 tanks i want to run a heavy tank army its like 50-75 bucks...


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Stella Cadente wrote:cheapest thing to do is quit while your ahead, get a good rules system like disaposable heroes, and either do 28mm, or 20mm (1:72), far FAR cheaper than flames of warhamerepic40k and no awful rules

What games do you suggest?

Before you go off buying into a rule system and loading up on models why don't you look to see who plays what locally?

What is the point of getting into a "cheaper" game if no one else has an interest in playing it with you?

IHEARTLARGEBLASTTEMPLATES wrote:Right now im most impressed with FiB and Plastic Soldier Company looks okay for the huge pack of infantry but they dont have any pictures of actual models.

And where do you buy your bases from and how do you know what size they need to be?

Thanks again.

Take a look through this section of the forum, lots of different threads on the new plastics with pictures. As for base sizes, they tell you that in the rules.

If you're undecided about what WW2 game you want to play (I assumed that you had your heart set on FOW) there is a whole world of WW2 gaming out there in many different scales. For 15mm my fav set is Crossfire.

Rules sets are easier to change than a couple of hundreds worth of little lead men. If 15mm and WW2 are your requirements, then there is no reason to use BF products exclusively, or even at all. What I will say is that generally BF figures are larger than most other 15mm troops by a slight margin. The tanks tend to be taller through having fatter tracks. Other than that, its easy enough to mix and match. The Open Fire starter rules set is a good start (groan) if you want BF rules specifically, but BF aren't GW and you aren't beholden to only play with their toys.

Eureka, Resistance Roosters, Peter Pig, Skytrex, QRF and Battle Honors are all companies that do 15mm WW2 (that spring to mind). No idea where they are all based though, but they should mostly be available world-wide. Quality and compatibility with BF stuff varies by company and even by unit sometimes.


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FOW bases are sized (roughly) so:

Command/Small: 25mm by 32mm

Infantry/Small artillery: 50mm by 32mm

Objective/Large Artillery: 50mm by 65mm

FOW bases have a slight bevel to the edge, so the actual floor-space is slightly smaller than that. They are all 2mm thick. Thus with the correct card or plasticard its not rocket science to make bases without having to buy "official".

BF resin soft-skins and other small vehicles tend to come on a built-in base that's about halfway between the smallest and the medium.

ArbeitsSchu wrote:Rules sets are easier to change than a couple of hundreds worth of little lead men.

Very sensible comment.

If you want to use rules that also use multiple basing like FOW then you could try any of these...

Blitzkreig Commander (2nd Edition just out, superb game based on Warmaster)
Crossfire
Battlegroup Panzergrenadier (2nd Edition just out and a very good set of rules)
I Aint Been Shot Mum
Command Decision

If you dont mind marking casualties in some way then you could use Rapid Fire or various other sets.

I cant comment on 15mm as I play WW2 in 20mm... The proper size to play WW2 in.

There are however many companies producing good value figures, as already mentioned The Plastic Soldier Company are going great guns. I just got their 20mm British and they are stunning for plastics. I imagine the 15mm versions will be just as good.

Plastic Soldier Co. are nice little figures, from what I saw of the Soviet troops. The tanks compare well (and win on price) and if the 20mm range is anything to go by, they have the potential to produce a substantial plastic range in 15mm.

Seems to me that now is the time for 15mm WW2. BF have done a good job popularising the scale and period, but they have started to allow themselves to go a bit GW as far as their prices and attitude are concerned... but the new popularity means that new companies are hitting the 15mm WW2 market at speed with quality goods at lower prices. Forged in Battle and Plastic Soldier Co being the two most obvious ones.

With judicious use of basing materials, and a weather eye for what units you field and where, its entirely possible to mix and match between manufacturers. So far I have identified that Peter Pig and CD/Skytrex compare well with each other. PP can mix with BF to a degree, but not always. CD tends to be a lot finer than BF. This can vary by range though, especially as BF tend towards the massive heads.

With a mixed infantry/tank force its easy enough to pick up a tank squadron from almost any manufacturer and use it without issue. After all, you'll probably only be using one of any given type of tank, and who is going to register that a BF Stuart is bigger (to scale, not literally) than a CD Cromwell? A tank company however.. might be best to stick to one manufacturer or do some size comparisons. Having said that, I've managed to mix a large group of disparate Cromwells by use of large amounts of camo-nets, stowage, basing and turret-swapping, and its not too obvious.

wargames@nordalia.com is a good site for some comparison between manufacturers on some lines, though recently they haven't been keeping up to date.

Before you even consider Flames of War, make sure that there's a community playing in your area. I got bitten by the FoW bug last year and got some books, but never found a group (the only sizable FoW group in my area is very insular and didn't want any new players).

As much as Battlefail would like to trademark the entire Second World War, they can't. You can find affordable (and sometimes superior) alternatives to the official Battlefield Miniatures releases.

First off, since Stella brought it up, some folks say FOW is a lot like 40k since it is also suitable for tournament play. Well, if you like 40k, isn’t that a good thing? Most of the other rules systems mentioned so far (while good) are scenario based and not point based.
For inexpensive FOW miniatures (in the USA), I go with Old Glory Miniatures. Their 15mm WWII line is called Command Decision (called CD above). Their website is lacking in pictures, but you can go to Skytrex to see better pictures, don’t ask me why. Speaking of bases, I think it is worth buying the FOW bases just to avoid the hassle.
If you do find a local FOW group, find out what Era they are using (Early War, Mid War or Late War). The Era determines which lists you can use. There is a massive FOW Player Finder at http://www.whatwouldpattondo.net/p/player-finder.html
I don’t know if it appeals to you, but when I first started, my buddy and I just cut out pieces of cardboard to represent our armies to see if we liked the rules set before we bought any figures.
I hope that helps.

SkaerKrow wrote:Before you even consider Flames of War, make sure that there's a community playing in your area. I got bitten by the FoW bug last year and got some books, but never found a group (the only sizable FoW group in my area is very insular and didn't want any new players).

Same problem here... Most folks out here either play Warmachine/Hordes or 40K/WHFB... and the other store I go to in the Bay Area plays once in a Blue Moon on the 30th of February (very, VERY, rarely).

DesslokUnfrozen wrote:First off, since Stella brought it up, some folks say FOW is a lot like 40k since it is also suitable for tournament play. Well, if you like 40k, isn’t that a good thing? Most of the other rules systems mentioned so far (while good) are scenario based and not point based.
For inexpensive FOW miniatures (in the USA), I go with Old Glory Miniatures. Their 15mm WWII line is called Command Decision (called CD above). Their website is lacking in pictures, but you can go to Skytrex to see better pictures, don’t ask me why. Speaking of bases, I think it is worth buying the FOW bases just to avoid the hassle.
If you do find a local FOW group, find out what Era they are using (Early War, Mid War or Late War). The Era determines which lists you can use. There is a massive FOW Player Finder at http://www.whatwouldpattondo.net/p/player-finder.html
I don’t know if it appeals to you, but when I first started, my buddy and I just cut out pieces of cardboard to represent our armies to see if we liked the rules set before we bought any figures.
I hope that helps.

Its always annoying when manufacturers fail to have pictures of their wares. Its not as if taking a photo is all that difficult.

You all have convinced me to stick with it and look for alternatives! Thanks for all the help!

I too have been looking for a way to play FoW (semi) cheaply and I found Old Glory miniatures on WarWeb for pretty cheap (40%) discount.
However, having never ordered from there or seen the miniatures with my eyes, I cannnot speak to the quality of either.

Agis Neubauer has some pics of the Commnad Decision/Old Glory 15mm WW2 figures on his site...

http://www.agisn.de/

Look ok to me, but I dont game in 15mm.

InfamousChicken wrote:I too have been looking for a way to play FoW (semi) cheaply and I found Old Glory miniatures on WarWeb for pretty cheap (40%) discount.
However, having never ordered from there or seen the miniatures with my eyes, I cannnot speak to the quality of either.

I've ordered from WarWeb. It took them a while (about a month) to fill my order, but the prices were good, they were quick to respond to my emails and overall it was a good shopping experience.

InfamousChicken wrote:I too have been looking for a way to play FoW (semi) cheaply and I found Old Glory miniatures on WarWeb for pretty cheap (40%) discount.
However, having never ordered from there or seen the miniatures with my eyes, I cannnot speak to the quality of either.

Skytrex carry pretty much all the Old Glory stock, with pictures. Same miniatures.

djphranq wrote:

SkaerKrow wrote:Before you even consider Flames of War, make sure that there's a community playing in your area. I got bitten by the FoW bug last year and got some books, but never found a group (the only sizable FoW group in my area is very insular and didn't want any new players).

Same problem here... Most folks out here either play Warmachine/Hordes or 40K/WHFB... and the other store I go to in the Bay Area plays once in a Blue Moon on the 30th of February (very, VERY, rarely).

If you're willing to drive a little I know that there's a decent sized FoW community scattered across the bay area. Have you tried the NorCal FoW yahoo group? 50+ members and they're having monthly tournaments scattered around the bay area and Sacramento area for all of 2011. Most of the guys I've met from the group have been very friendly.

Shameless blog pimping: pics from some of the armies at the last tournament are on my blog (check my sig).

Well guys, i couldnt resist and ended up buying the Open fire and love the models and cant wait to read the rules! I have a little OT question. I have never worked with resin should i wash each vehicle with warm water and soap? also the rule book in open fire doesnt have any lists is that why i buy the supplements or does the main rulebook have lists??

thanks!

Generally you have to buy their rulebooks for their army lists. Fortunately you can go here and get a bunch of them for free (legally).

I recommend washing your resin with soap before painting.

IHEARTLARGEBLASTTEMPLATES wrote:Well guys, i couldnt resist and ended up buying the Open fire and love the models and cant wait to read the rules! I have a little OT question. I have never worked with resin should i wash each vehicle with warm water and soap? also the rule book in open fire doesnt have any lists is that why i buy the supplements or does the main rulebook have lists??

thanks!

Stick with the Battlefront Minis, much better quality and support. Flames of War is a really cheap game to get into. A good army will run you only a couple hundred (USD) whereas you'd need about $1,000 for a good 40k army nowadays (going from MSRP).

Buy the book that suitd what you want to play and build a list from there. Choose your era (Early, Mid or Late), faction and playstyle (you said heavy tanks, so German or Russian, or late war british) and go to town. Ebay, bartertown and the Swap Shop here on dakka are good places to look for cheap BF models for Flames of War.

Joyous_Oblivion wrote:

IHEARTLARGEBLASTTEMPLATES wrote:Well guys, i couldnt resist and ended up buying the Open fire and love the models and cant wait to read the rules! I have a little OT question. I have never worked with resin should i wash each vehicle with warm water and soap? also the rule book in open fire doesnt have any lists is that why i buy the supplements or does the main rulebook have lists??

thanks!

Stick with the Battlefront Minis, much better quality and support. Flames of War is a really cheap game to get into. A good army will run you only a couple hundred (USD) whereas you'd need about $1,000 for a good 40k army nowadays (going from MSRP).

Buy the book that suitd what you want to play and build a list from there. Choose your era (Early, Mid or Late), faction and playstyle (you said heavy tanks, so German or Russian, or late war british) and go to town. Ebay, bartertown and the Swap Shop here on dakka are good places to look for cheap BF models for Flames of War.

FOW is cheap comparative to GW, but BF miniatures are not consistently better than other manufacturers at all. By far the best attitude for 15mm WW2 is one of comparison between manufacturers for the best deal based on what the individual requires for his armies.

ArbeitsSchu wrote:

Joyous_Oblivion wrote:

IHEARTLARGEBLASTTEMPLATES wrote:Well guys, i couldnt resist and ended up buying the Open fire and love the models and cant wait to read the rules! I have a little OT question. I have never worked with resin should i wash each vehicle with warm water and soap? also the rule book in open fire doesnt have any lists is that why i buy the supplements or does the main rulebook have lists??

thanks!

Stick with the Battlefront Minis, much better quality and support. Flames of War is a really cheap game to get into. A good army will run you only a couple hundred (USD) whereas you'd need about $1,000 for a good 40k army nowadays (going from MSRP).

Buy the book that suitd what you want to play and build a list from there. Choose your era (Early, Mid or Late), faction and playstyle (you said heavy tanks, so German or Russian, or late war british) and go to town. Ebay, bartertown and the Swap Shop here on dakka are good places to look for cheap BF models for Flames of War.

FOW is cheap comparative to GW, but BF miniatures are not consistently better than other manufacturers at all. By far the best attitude for 15mm WW2 is one of comparison between manufacturers for the best deal based on what the individual requires for his armies.

Agreed. Welcome to the free world where the Evil Empire holds no sway! Shop around, BF are not always the best choice either for quality or price.