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.

Years ago a buddy of mine gave me a Boxed Set of paratroopers from Flames of war, having been a long time 40k player(since 2ed) I was like meh, but being a good friend I kept it.

[Fast forward to now] in my local shop, a few of the guys played FoW and one of them asked me if I had played. I replied no, but I do have mini's collecting dust, up until last week. So here I am putting together some paratroopers from the Nuts book I had just picked up. Having recently watched Band of Brothers, I though hey lets make an Easy Company and so I picked up the Easy Company blister pack when I had bought the Nuts Book.

So where do I go from here? I am finding it arduous to paint 15mm, but strangely enjoying it. Actually I am interested in a heavily infantry force, much to the theme of Easy Company, so no tanks. Any suggestions? I was thinking about starting with 1750 or 1850, but then again it might just be the 40k player in me saying that.

My group just recently took the plunge into Flames of War and, like you, my buddy's a huge Band of Brothers fan and settled on paratroopers. If you want to stick with that theme, the Market Garden book from January or Nuts are your best bet. My friend is currently playing out of Nuts, though I don't recall exactly which company he's using.

I would suggest picking up some Shermans and whatever other tank the Yanks get in that book, they're generally great choices for paratroopers. If you're on a budget, I would highly recommend you get your vehicles from Plastic Soldier Company. They're a 3rd party manufacturer and their vehicle kits are beautiful AND affordable.

If you're doing a us para list from Nuts! Don't get fireflies - they're a British tank!

The US have some really cool abilities with artillery, so I would invest in some of those, ideally the bigger 155's

Also mortars, trust me Smoke is vital to play a fearless vet para list!

After that anti tank, either tank destroyers or towed anti tank.

Hope that helps.

I playing American 101st. For a awhile now.We just started on our Summer campaign which is Based around the Ardennees offensive.
As for force size i recommmend 2000pts. The Paras option can get expensive quick.
Here is few thing that i recommnd you picking up.We have used theese alot and are some quit successful.
Cav. Patrol awesome recon platoon great for snaggig objevtives and working with the Airborne jeep recon ,can be deadly against Artillery when flanking.
Airborne Jeep recon ,great force 12 jeeps alot of 50.cals. Also may dismount.great for objectives.
Hell cats,Awecsome TDs,Very handy to have.
Mortars, Smoke and a Barrage for pinning.
Glider infantry 3 50 cals, 3 zoooks veteran what can go wrong? I just quit playing Paras and have been playing Glider instead now that they are Veteran.
Armored rifle plattoon,Great for reserves alot of fire power.
Now for our FAvorite! This what we use.
We call It Uncle Sams 4th of July Shock and Awe!!
here is what we use only need to add one more 155 battery.
2 batteries of 75mm PAra howitzers
1 155 batteries
2 6 gun 105 batteries.
Are answer to anyone after this you is, how you like me Now you sum bi$%h.
Nothng like getting hit by 24 Howitzers and Time on target.
So far we have detroyed a Soviet Guards Tank company.Volks company.But the same Volks company brought up some more guns and just recently destroyed a 4th Armor tank company on its way to BAstonge. This weekends game is a rematch between my 222nd Volks vs.101st again with easy company. ALso i failed to mention that we are using ,IFantry and TAnk aces rule to build up a few charcters.Heck one of the infantery aces is named after a retire local COl. from the 101st.Who served as a glider infantryman in the war.Later on went 101st. Airborne and fought woth them in Korea and NAm.

You don't need tanks, especially with an elite army like paratroopers. You can easily win games with out a single vehicle but that obviouisly has its challenges as your mobility will be restricted. On the other hand all those expensive anti tank guns and big cats that your opponent spent all those points on will be all but useless.

3 full strength infantry platoons, a couple of artillery batteries, some ranged anti tank, some air power and a couple of other supoprt platoon (mortars for example) will see you well on the tabletop.

Do not forget about the max of Zooks,4 per squad. second the AT guns.

 hiroitchi wrote:
Years ago a buddy of mine gave me a Boxed Set of paratroopers from Flames of war, having been a long time 40k player(since 2ed) I was like meh, but being a good friend I kept it.

[Fast forward to now] in my local shop, a few of the guys played FoW and one of them asked me if I had played. I replied no, but I do have mini's collecting dust, up until last week. So here I am putting together some paratroopers from the Nuts book I had just picked up. Having recently watched Band of Brothers, I though hey lets make an Easy Company and so I picked up the Easy Company blister pack when I had bought the Nuts Book.

So where do I go from here? I am finding it arduous to paint 15mm, but strangely enjoying it. Actually I am interested in a heavily infantry force, much to the theme of Easy Company, so no tanks. Any suggestions? I was thinking about starting with 1750 or 1850, but then again it might just be the 40k player in me saying that.

Honestly collect what you want....There is loads of 15mm stuff out there, and it's much cheaper than then 28mm 40k type or Sci-fi fantasy stuff.

I don't play 40k anymore it's FAR, FAR, FAR too expensive... In 15mm I collect a little here and a little there and it doesn't break the bank.

My advice is to collect like 2500 points, and then you can make just about any list. The OPEN FIRE Boxed set, has resulted in lots of Plastic US Para's on Ebay Dirt cheap. Grab them, and keep Grabbing them, you can never have enough Infantry because you will use them for Command Stands, Observers and random other teams.

I have an Enormous British Para Army, in total 3 full Companies and a Command Company, so I can field a full Battalion. In this I've got Machine Gun Platoons, Mortar Platoons and Artillery Platoons, Air landing, Jeeps, AT Guns, PARA artillery etc. I've collected this in dribs and drabs over 18months, buying old sets and bring and buy stuff and also buying models off players who have bought stuff and then gone "Meh". Total Cost £150... and alot of that was buying the damn bases....

Abuse the "Shiny, Shiny" gamers who buy everything new, and then happily sell them just to get cash so they can buy more new stuff, which they will never paint or build.....

Don't feel guilty for fools, if they buy things full price then sell them cheap without doing a damn thing, well thats their loss figuratively and fiscally.

Thank you all for your quick replies, I have started on my Easy Company Lists, I am unsure if basic games are played at 1750, 1850, or 2000 point games.

Where I am it tends to be 1750 or 1780

 Palindrome wrote:
You don't need tanks, especially with an elite army like paratroopers. You can easily win games with out a single vehicle but that obviouisly has its challenges as your mobility will be restricted. On the other hand all those expensive anti tank guns and big cats that your opponent spent all those points on will be all but useless.

3 full strength infantry platoons, a couple of artillery batteries, some ranged anti tank, some air power and a couple of other supoprt platoon (mortars for example) will see you well on the tabletop.

Elite infantery or not you will need a few TAnks or TDs.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 hiroitchi wrote:
Years ago a buddy of mine gave me a Boxed Set of paratroopers from Flames of war, having been a long time 40k player(since 2ed) I was like meh, but being a good friend I kept it.

[Fast forward to now] in my local shop, a few of the guys played FoW and one of them asked me if I had played. I replied no, but I do have mini's collecting dust, up until last week. So here I am putting together some paratroopers from the Nuts book I had just picked up. Having recently watched Band of Brothers, I though hey lets make an Easy Company and so I picked up the Easy Company blister pack when I had bought the Nuts Book.

So where do I go from here? I am finding it arduous to paint 15mm, but strangely enjoying it. Actually I am interested in a heavily infantry force, much to the theme of Easy Company, so no tanks. Any suggestions? I was thinking about starting with 1750 or 1850, but then again it might just be the 40k player in me saying that.

Since you have the old set.Did you get the one with the PAthfinder and Snipers.

 hiroitchi wrote:
Thank you all for your quick replies, I have started on my Easy Company Lists, I am unsure if basic games are played at 1750, 1850, or 2000 point games.

This depends wholly on where you play. For me my local group usually tops in at 1750 or we run escalation leagues starting at 500 pts and ending at 1750. I recommend collecting 2k to 2.5k of forces and you'll have plenty of base troops and options to field what you'd like when you'd like.

Plenty of other good advice in the list here. Biggest suggestion is if you want to play a speedy, mobile force then play something other than paras. Paras excel at digging in and being next to impossible to move away from objectives and tanks are only a liability in that kind of situation. A stacked defense of dug in paras, dug in support MGs and ATGs with some artillery backing them up is tough to dislodge from an objective.

Skriker

 col. krazy kenny wrote:

 Palindrome wrote:
You don't need tanks, especially with an elite army like paratroopers. You can easily win games with out a single vehicle but that obviouisly has its challenges as your mobility will be restricted. On the other hand all those expensive anti tank guns and big cats that your opponent spent all those points on will be all but useless.

3 full strength infantry platoons, a couple of artillery batteries, some ranged anti tank, some air power and a couple of other supoprt platoon (mortars for example) will see you well on the tabletop.

Elite infantery or not you will need a few TAnks or TDs.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 hiroitchi wrote:
Years ago a buddy of mine gave me a Boxed Set of paratroopers from Flames of war, having been a long time 40k player(since 2ed) I was like meh, but being a good friend I kept it.

[Fast forward to now] in my local shop, a few of the guys played FoW and one of them asked me if I had played. I replied no, but I do have mini's collecting dust, up until last week. So here I am putting together some paratroopers from the Nuts book I had just picked up. Having recently watched Band of Brothers, I though hey lets make an Easy Company and so I picked up the Easy Company blister pack when I had bought the Nuts Book.

So where do I go from here? I am finding it arduous to paint 15mm, but strangely enjoying it. Actually I am interested in a heavily infantry force, much to the theme of Easy Company, so no tanks. Any suggestions? I was thinking about starting with 1750 or 1850, but then again it might just be the 40k player in me saying that.

Since you have the old set.Did you get the one with the PAthfinder and Snipers.

Actually I do have them, I haven't used them yet nor have I even seen list with the pathfinders on them. I only have the core starter set, The Parachute Company (old), Easy Company Blister, and the nuts book so far. During the past weekend I had purchased M1 57mm (late) gun platoon, Mortar Platoon, Anti-Aircraft Platoon, and a Machine-gun Platoon. I was advised to check out Market Garden for my paras.

 Skriker wrote:

 hiroitchi wrote:
Thank you all for your quick replies, I have started on my Easy Company Lists, I am unsure if basic games are played at 1750, 1850, or 2000 point games.

This depends wholly on where you play. For me my local group usually tops in at 1750 or we run escalation leagues starting at 500 pts and ending at 1750. I recommend collecting 2k to 2.5k of forces and you'll have plenty of base troops and options to field what you'd like when you'd like.

Plenty of other good advice in the list here. Biggest suggestion is if you want to play a speedy, mobile force then play something other than paras. Paras excel at digging in and being next to impossible to move away from objectives and tanks are only a liability in that kind of situation. A stacked defense of dug in paras, dug in support MGs and ATGs with some artillery backing them up is tough to dislodge from an objective.

Skriker

Yeah I know. I'm taking alot of ya'll advise and placing notes. I have yet to play and still reading over the rules. Infact I was surfing through the forum and found the link to easyarmy.com I'm debating whether to purchase the book for market garden or go through easyarmy.com. Its been an eye opener and pretty easy to understand so far. I'll try and get a game in at my local game store. I also found out that they play 1750 lists as well.

 hiroitchi wrote:
Yeah I know. I'm taking alot of ya'll advise and placing notes. I have yet to play and still reading over the rules. Infact I was surfing through the forum and found the link to easyarmy.com I'm debating whether to purchase the book for market garden or go through easyarmy.com. Its been an eye opener and pretty easy to understand so far. I'll try and get a game in at my local game store. I also found out that they play 1750 lists as well.

I admit that I have a tough time playing my paras sometimes. In MW I play Armoured car forces from North Africa often. For EW I play a cavalry force made up of carriers and light tanks. I am used to playing forces with a lot of mobility and a need to keep moving on the table to stay alive, so it is tough for me to stick with my paras dug in and waiting for the enemy to come to me patiently. With the 3rd edition changes to gun saves (used to be 5+ all the time, now if they haven't fired they can use a 3+ like other infantry stands) it makes it easier to have your gun line fairly intact when the enemy reaches you. I only play british as they were one of two forces that was well represented through the entire war, and I didn't want to play Germans like 90% of the other folks. Hahaha...generally the Brits are seriously out classed in the armor category in LW. I have since added an irish guards armoured company with plenty of 17pdrs in it, but it is a mixed bag. If I can outmaneuver and play "my" game they are very effective. If my maneuverability is limited and I face too many head on shots they lose pretty spectacularly.

Skriker

I am probably one of the few players that are aggesive with the Paras.i am not one to just dig in and play artillery tennis.Pop smoke hug the terrain and i am on you.
The Snipers are expensive but great for pinning units,i like to pin them, then hit m with some Mortars. As for the Pathfinder he is the marker for where resesves arrive from.PAras are always allowed to arrive from reserves even in missions that do not allow them.So you may place your pathfinder on a table edge .As long as it is not your enemies deployment zone. i prefer to put mine on a side then have squad arrive from their with alot of zooks and go out on tank hunter killer missions or steal a obective and or a nice flanking maneuver.
As for the Market garden i have ran all of the lists for paras in LW and the Nuts lists is the best one unless you want brit armor support.In the nuts list you can field alot of extra zooks per squad than in the MArket garden book.Also more artillery options and yo you may alos have 4th armor options.Right now me and one of the players are building up for our mega game this summer with 2nd cav and 4th armor with the 101st, this game is going to be a beast with over 10,000 pts on the Board. Table size it is a beast.currently we pay on a 6x12 table but for this monstei will probably 6x 20 includuing a very large ridge and a few Villlages.Are club really lke playing on the new table they have complimented on the fact that it is realistic for arty.