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Hello guys. So I was reading up on BFG the other day and it arouses my interest. I've always wondered how the whole space fleet battles are fought in the 40k universe and I think its something I could get into. But first, some preguntas.

What's the scale of the models? Are there multiple sized ships or are most in the same ball park?

How many factions exist? Is it the same amount as in 40k?

Is it cheaper??? I hope it is lol

Does it incorporate dice rolling too? Templates?

What's a good way to start?

heres some pics of my fleet





should show the various sizes, from largest to smallest,
Battle ship, grand cruiser, battle cruiser, cruiser(battle cruisers and cruisers are exactly the same size and are built from the cruiser box) light cruiser, escorts(vary in size a bit )
all 40k races are represented
its generally a lot cheaper than 40k but it obviously depends on how big a fleet you want, if you are on a budget then magnets are your friend, 1 retribution battle ship suddenly becomes any one of a number of different classes, those 3 cruiser boxes you bought now let you field an infinite(hyperbole? ) variety of ships
which race you choose can also affect prices.
lots of dice rolling but only the 1 template, used by nova cannon which is imperial navy only
download the rulebook off the gw site, read the rules and have a game of 4 cruisers v 4 cruisers using a few proxies, a few bits of card will do. if you like how it plays then download as many articles as you can, choose a fleet you like for their looks and playstyle and then spend some cash. ebay is always worth a look

hope that helps?

 BattleCapIronblood wrote:
Hello guys. So I was reading up on BFG the other day and it arouses my interest. I've always wondered how the whole space fleet battles are fought in the 40k universe and I think its something I could get into. But first, some preguntas.

What's the scale of the models? Are there multiple sized ships or are most in the same ball park?

As you can see in Radu's pictures they range from about 3cm to 15cm although some rare examples can be even larger (space hulks, star forts, etc.)

How many factions exist? Is it the same amount as in 40k?

Humans: Imperial Navy, Chaos, Admech, Rogue Trader, Inquisition, Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines.
Xenos: Eldar, Dark Eldar, Craftworld Eldar, Orks, SG Tau (and minor races that are part of their empire), FW Tau, Necrons, Tyranids, Demiurg, various minor species are also covered in the Rogue Trader fleet list.
If Im forgetting any shout out someone .

Is it cheaper??? I hope it is lol

To give you an Idea I just started collecting a Tau fleet using the metal Specialist Games (SG) models and so far Im in it for about $130 US including shipping. Thats 1 battleship, 3 cruisers, 9 large escorts, and 12 small escorts. To purchase the same setup new from GWs site its about $230 US before shipping so as you can see ebay and trolling the forums can save you quite a bit. of course this is also one of the more expensive fleets with each cruiser running $35 each from GW compared to most races which average about $15-20. Forgeworld also has a selection of ships (an entire new Tau fleet misc eldar and quite a few rogue trader/ system ships/ transports, and defenses.) I am planning on getting at least 2 more cruisers and another battleship to round out the fleet so top end another $105+shipping but I'll most likely wait till I can get a better deal.

Does it incorporate dice rolling too? Templates?

Its about the same as 40k for dice rolling, mostly D6 rarely D3 and scatter die. There can actually be several templates if you go that route for terrain (I like 2d terrain as its hard to sit a ship on a ball (planet) or pile of rocks (asteroids), but yes the most common is the template for nova cannons, the original boxset version if you can find them is double sided and has your compas for turning and determining ships facing and fire arc. Your also going to need blast markers, and lots of them! All of these can be printed tho so its no huge outlay in price unless you get them done by a pro shop.

What's a good way to start?

Proxies, if you have some people local that already play its a big help but its not too hard to get into without anyone. You can check into this too: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/470199.page

I have recently took the plunge and got into gothic, have brought my fleet and it will be coming this week, will be interesting to see how you get on as well

Maybe we could post an article saying how we have found it, and see if we can drum up more interest in the game?

ooh, start a plog, or maybe everyone could do a joint plog? something where every one just posts their current bfg projects, stick it in the plog section and hopefully with everyone adding stuff it wouldnt ever drop too far off the front page?
although, having suggested it i wouldnt be posting for a while as am very strapped for time at the moment :(

1)What's the scale of the models? Are there multiple sized ships or are most in the same ball park?

2) Is it cheaper??? I hope it is lol

3) Does it incorporate dice rolling too? Templates?

1) There are 3 distinct sizes of Ships. Battleships, Cruisers, and Escorts. Battleships are generally around 4-5 inches long. Cruisers are 3-4 inches. And escorts around 1.5-2 inches. Note these sizes are only the physical size of the model, rules-wise all ships occupy the same area of space(the stem of the flight stand)

2) Depends, if you're just getting between 1500 and 2000 points its cheaper. But if you want a very large fleet and a bunch of things like orbital defenses, Star Forts, and other accessory items it can be just as expensive. Its less to start out with thats for sure.

3) naturally there are dice but usually no more than 10-12 at a time. The only templates needed are Planet and possibly terrain templates, whcih you can print out. The Nova Cannon also uses the 40k Small Blast template but thats only needed if you use Nova Cannons. Planets are exactly the same size as the large blast template for 40k so you can reuse them if you want.

yeah i could do a blog, that would be cool

To add to Andrew:
the Tau fleet from GW is the most expensive fleet to collect.

Getting a 1500pts fleet is always good for multiple purposes.

A big tactical thing about BFG is the fact that, unless you do a special order (or are Eldar), your ship will always move at least half speed. Which is at a minimum 7,5cm for the most ponderous battleship and 15cm for more nimble escorts.

What I like in BFG compared to 40k is how important maneuvering is. Most of the larger ships are very cumbersome, so you have to plan ahead and think about how to move them. You can't just turn point & shoot, like with say Tanks in 40k. It's also generally cheaper, in case of some of the more popular fleets, MUCH cheaper, and decent sized force is much quicker to paint

yeah, i have been reading the rules over the last few weeks and it definately seems like it means a lot more than it ever does in 40k which is cool and makes sense!

Thanks to everyone for the help! It really came in handy with the pictures included. My only problem is finding someone to play with -____- that's always been my problem with the hobby.

Well, i played my first game since 2005 last night with my mechanicus fleet, i won, and it was so much fun, i will definately be trying to get friends involved in BFG!

plog it, plog it now!

edit=
"Thanks to everyone for the help! It really came in handy with the pictures included. My only problem is finding someone to play with -____- that's always been my problem with the hobby."
there were rules for playing against orks and possibly nids in solo mode?

Ive just rebought a set and starting a campaign with some friends. Been playing a few smaller games and loving it again and would recommend it if you like 40k stuff and spaceships.

BFG is one of those amazing games that you can pick back up after a long time away and enjoy all over again. The rules are simple and the immersion is there.

I just wish my Eldar fleet wasn't seen as so cheesy...

...at least they got the 'feel' of the Eldar race right in ONE game.

It sounds like you need the Eldar MMS rules . Well that or less winy people to play with.

I actually do have those adjusted Eldar rules, just find that trying to explain to somebody that I want to play those rules to make the Eldar LESS powerful gives some odd facial expresssions in return. :-P

The Eldar really aren't that bad if you play your fleet as a cohesive force with a skirmish line and proper naval tactics.

Space Marines also make Eldar cry

Well it doesn't matter anymore because BFG is getting the boot. Oh well, I probably wasn't gonna get it going, since I already have enough problems getting people to play 40k.

 Grey Templar wrote:
Space Marines also make Eldar cry

Certainly not a good matchup compared to Chaos/IG/Nids/Crons

If I get outmanuevered somehow and those bombardment cannons get ahold of me....ouch. LoL