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.

So, I have picked up the starter box and my brother called dibs on the Germans. We have so far decided to pick up the North Africa book and I found an article on the site with British iconography where I found some for an NZ armoured company. The problem is, again through internet trawls, it seems British armoured companies suffer in comparison to their infantry. So, what level is this difference, are we talking (in 40k terms) the difference between Tau and Necrons or mechguard and foot guard?

It really is nothing like 40k on balance issues. Flames of War is a very well balanced game overall (though some match ups can still be tough, infantry versus Soviet tank hoard, for example). However, I have not heard this criticism of the British armored companies. Might the criticism have been of the Early-War British Armored Regiment? This was the only time were BF released a broken list for Flames of War (tanks way to cheap), and they released stickers with adjusted points costs to put in the books effected (Blitzkrieg and Hellfire and Back!). I have heard some people saying that the points costs are now to high, which might be what you were hearing.

You will likely get some infantry to expand on your tanks anyway, so if you were concerned about not having infantry, you will certainly have the option to take infantry in any armored list.

I would not suggest using North Africa for the Open Fire forces, as you will not be able to use everything in the starter box, as NA is a Mid-War book, while the box's forces are meant for Late-War (you will not be able to use the fireflies, for example). This site: http://easyarmy.com/index.aspx will allow you to build lists for free using the V3 Forces Book (you just have to sign up), and you can get lists for any other books you have for only $2.00.

Hi.
If you want to use the contents of the Open Fire Starter box.
Why not use the 11th Armoured Division PDF, on Battlefronts web site.(Under Hobby -Breifings late War.)
As this list lets you to use the USA parachute platoon as support.

Get recon section(s) some AA and Arty or Air support,to round it out into a full 175O pt list if you like .
(I prefer the Universal Carriers for recon myself.)

The PDF lists on army builder are free too!

Sorry but the stuff in the Open Fire box is totally unsuitable for North Africa, It’s only good for D-Day onwards.

The Sherman’s in the box are the M4A4 variety (or Sherman V as they where officially designated by the British). In North Africa you would only find the earlier M4A1 Shermans. The Firefly wasn’t developed until early 1944 and didn’t enter service until D-Day, so long after the fighting in North Africa was over.

You’re best off picking up a copy of ‘Fortress Europe’. You get all the basic lists for late war games in those. You can then pick up one of the specialist books for more battle specific lists. For the contents of the Open Fire box Hell’s Highway is very good as it contains the Guards lists, which gives the options for US Airborne as support platoons.

Turning Tide has some great Sherman lists in it, both US and Commonwealth types.

Mat

Erm, just to clarify matters, I was talking about the box that came with just 3 shermans and 2 stugs, is that box totally unsuitable for midwar as well as the bigger one?

Oh you mean Achtung! not Open Fire! That makes sense...im not too familiar with Achtung! at all, been a while since I last saw it....

The Stugs are definatly suitable for Mid-War, and the Shermans should be (though they might be a later version?).

It should state somewhere on the box if it is midwar or late, I bought the box myself 3 weeks ago and for the life of me can't remember.

The shermans are fine for mid war lists - the models are II or III I think.

Also suitable for later period games too.

Try an Italy based force and you can span the mid and late war periods.

 General Seric wrote:
The Stugs are definatly suitable for Mid-War, and the Shermans should be (though they might be a later version?).

Do other people really get so anal as to give their opponent grief because they are using an M4A2 model instead of the "proper" M4A1 model when the differences in flames of war are completely cosmetic? Any differences between the models are handled by the rules, and unless there is some reason why you need to differentiate between different basic sherman models in the same list, who cares? Do people really do this regularly?

Skriker

At our LFGS we are fine , as long as people dont use the same models for different unit types.

EgSherman III for Sherman 1 ok.
But Sherman III for crusader II AND Grant . not ok..

However there are some gamers who are very anal about historical detail.
Thankfully these appear few and far between in F.o.W.

Instead of North Africa, get Fortress Europe or Turning Tide, better Allie and German lists and there.

The box set was sorta designed for late.

 PhrycePhyre wrote:
So, I have picked up the starter box and my brother called dibs on the Germans. We have so far decided to pick up the North Africa book and I found an article on the site with British iconography where I found some for an NZ armoured company. The problem is, again through internet trawls, it seems British armoured companies suffer in comparison to their infantry. So, what level is this difference, are we talking (in 40k terms) the difference between Tau and Necrons or mechguard and foot guard?

I realise this is a little late but thought I'd weigh in

You'll need to use the Italy lists if you get Nth Africa and want to do Kiwi armour, we didn't have any Kiwi Shermans (Aside from Stuarts) until then.

The criticisms people give for desert Brit armour is probably the high point cost of Shermans, and the fact they're trained. So they'll be getting hit more often, and you'll have less of them. Which isn't IMO an insurmountable problem, as in the desert a Sherman is pretty beastly really.

But I'd recommend using easy army, heaps of lists for free, not Nth Africa though unfortunately.

Good luck!