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So, since 40k is going down the dumpster and WHFB becoming more and more nerfed by each edition, I have started looking around for other venues to spoil with my limited capital. At first glance I would say that Flames of War seem like a cheaper hobby, what I have seen of it the prices are more moderate that GW's stuff, is this true or just a mistake from my side?

Also, what actions would you recommend for a beginner, what armies, units and boxed sets will I get the most enjoyment out of?

Appreciate any help with this and hope that my questions aren't stupid or something, because in that case: derp

Most important, find somewhere you can have a couple of games first. Then find out what everybody in your area is doing at the moment and in the future, you can tailor your next step from there. Dont rush out and buy whatever takes your fancy or looks cool..... your'll end up with the wrong thing, trust me

I think FOW can be cheaper then 40K, but it depends. Remember Ebay is your friend!

Got a group of guys at my FLGS and Games-Club that play, should probably ask them for a test run then.

One big thing about FoW is you can buy from other manufactures much easier... The BF guys can't trademark a Sherman, of course.

True dat.

Half my army is non BF.

Yeah, I have noticed that there are alot of other companies out there that make models suitable for FoW. Looking especially at the Forged in Battle line on minis, they seem really nice.

Any other companies that I should look out for, whether they are totally awesome or horrendous in any way? =p

the biggest difference between 40k and FoW is that the books arn't army specific., but rather Time pieriod or Campaign specific.

Fortress Europe is what could be considered the "Standard" army book with most of the general forces inside it.

Other books have different forces.

Cobra for example has only U.S and German forces involved in Operation Cobra, Dogs and Devils has forces involved in Italy and so on...



To build a force first you choose a particular Company to organize your forces(each has a different FoC) like 40k you need an HQ and usually 2 Combat Platoons. what the HQ and combat platoons for your company are depends on what kind of company.

for example from the book Cobra the U.S armored Company requires a HQ, consisting of 2 Shermans, and 2 Combat Platoons of 3-5 Sherman tanks each. then you have options to fill the rest of your Companies slots which are diagrammed in the book.

it is slightly confusing, but having someone explain it to you in person makes it fairly simple.

The Forged in battle stuff is great, got a few of theirs mixed in with my BF. Im painting some FIB Soviet Mortars at the moment.

Yeah, a pal at the games-club explained the period stuff to me. I am kinda torn, I really feel for a Mid or Late War Finnish force (gramps on mothers side fought for his country during the Continuation wars) but it seems like a fairly hard army to play with, what I have heard, at least. Otherwise I would be most interested in a Late German Panzer force with lotsa Panthers (the best tank IMO, thank you very much) backed up by mechanized infantry.

But I am not sure if such armies are possible of course, although it seems consistent...

Any recommendations for a good first army?

Aldramelech wrote:The Forged in battle stuff is great, got a few of theirs mixed in with my BF. Im painting some FIB Soviet Mortars at the moment.

Do Forged in Battle have a distributor in North America? They say they send Fed Ex which means a huge customs brokerage fee.

Vargtass wrote:Yeah, a pal at the games-club explained the period stuff to me. I am kinda torn, I really feel for a Mid or Late War Finnish force (gramps on mothers side fought for his country during the Continuation wars) but it seems like a fairly hard army to play with, what I have heard, at least. Otherwise I would be most interested in a Late German Panzer force with lotsa Panthers (the best tank IMO, thank you very much) backed up by mechanized infantry.

But I am not sure if such armies are possible of course, although it seems consistent...

Any recommendations for a good first army?

In my group, we have a few Finn players, and they hold their own well enough. Their vet status keeps them competitive and they use a blend of Russian and German equipment, so it's kind of like the best of both worlds in a way. They're not going to have a lot of options for forces, but what they have is good.

In my group, we play primarily Mid-War stuff as it seems, with most of the vets I've talked to, a more balanced and competitive game for the period.

If you are wanting to run Panthers, you can in Mid-War as well. Especially in Eastern Front.

Panzerkompanies or Tank Companys are easy to get started with, but eventually, you will want to start checking out the infantry units as you will find a need for them as you start to learn the rules for FoW and the missions involved.

Hope this helps.....

duncana wrote:

Aldramelech wrote:The Forged in battle stuff is great, got a few of theirs mixed in with my BF. Im painting some FIB Soviet Mortars at the moment.

Do Forged in Battle have a distributor in North America? They say they send Fed Ex which means a huge customs brokerage fee.

Im not sure mate, As far as I know they only sell on Ebay.

Vargtass wrote:

Any recommendations for a good first army?

A good Army depends on what you want. I have always been a fan of the German Paratroopers. You clearly wont be bringing as much as your counterparts, but you are the elite of the German Forces! And after Crete, Fallshirmjagers participated in most major ground actions so you theoritically are not limited to any one theater of the war if you are looking to play historical driven games.


Obviously not the route you may want to take. But me and my friend settled this before we actually bought the figures. We PDF / Purchased a few of the army books. Bought the Rules book and then we took Card Stock and made the bases and vehicle outlines out of the Cardstock. Writing the unit's identification on it.

This way we could play test the rules, the units and see how everything worked before we sunk money into it. That way we knew what models we wanted. Or at least had an idea of what kind of Army we would end up playing.

Obviously if you have others that play that and are willing to show you the ropes and let you use their units. Thats cool as well. However with just the two of us it was the best way. Now both of us have full model armys. My Friend playing American Airborne w/ me playing a combination of German Tanks or Fallshchirmjager Kompanies!

Comintern wrote:
I have always been a fan of the German Paratroopers. You clearly wont be bringing as much as your counterparts, but you are the elite of the German Forces!

Thats highly debatable... The state of some of the FJ Divisions by 1944 was dreadful.

Fallschirmjager Regiment 14 was 2000 rifles short of its complement of 3000 in June 1944... Apologies, anal wargamer mode engaged.

Big P wrote:
Thats highly debatable... The state of some of the FJ Divisions by 1944 was dreadful.

Fallschirmjager Regiment 14 was 2000 rifles short of its complement of 3000 in June 1944... Apologies, anal wargamer mode engaged.

On that point, by 1944, I doubt every German Regiment or fighting force was the best equipped or operating at peak effeciency.

Comintern wrote:

Big P wrote:
Thats highly debatable... The state of some of the FJ Divisions by 1944 was dreadful.

Fallschirmjager Regiment 14 was 2000 rifles short of its complement of 3000 in June 1944... Apologies, anal wargamer mode engaged.

On that point, by 1944, I doubt every German Regiment or fighting force was the best equipped or operating at peak effeciency.

Very true.

For May 1944, I would wager that four, maybe five, divisions out of the entire German Armed Forces in the West were at full strength and efficiency. I dont think the situation in the East would be much better. After June they just start writing off entire divisions as they lose them in Normandy and during Bagration, either destroyed or rated as combat ineffective.

They still managed to rebuild though... Cant knock the Germans for their tenacity and sheer bloodymindedness when it comes to giving in!

My ultimate point though, from FoW was that playing FJ regiment gives you highly rated Infantry, lots of regimental & divisional options as well as allowing you to place them in most of the major theater action of the War.

I was under the impression that many of the "lost" battalions during 1944 were due to the combination of battalions that had tremendous casualties to put them up to one full strength battalion.

Of course most were due to actual wiping out of battalions too.