Background
After having a test drive with FOW version 4 rules with my buddy Mitch (of WWPD fame). I was able to read though everything, which enabled me to run a number of games the last three weeks using the new rules. Our group went into version 4 in an open minded matter. As I was the keeper of the secrets, I was the game master in all our test games. Normally, the game master plays also. However, with the new rules, it was important for someone to keep things straight! Not that the new rules are complicated (quite the contrary), just no one else had the rules to read! I started with giving everyone a verbal overview of the rules changes and just game details when situations would happen on the game table. We tried games in all periods using the new rules. We even played 1942 East Front (using the early/later modifications). I will go over some high level observations for players that might be interested in our style of play.
As you can probably tell if you read the battle reports on this blog, we do not tend to play your dad’s average FOW game! Our focus is trying to set up historical based scenarios in a multi-player environment. To support this style, we often play on large game boards or linked smaller battles being played simultaneously. This style is quite different from your standard FOW scenarios, as distances are greater and quick strike objective seizure is really not an option!
The Rules
Teams and Units: As is quite well known at this point, version 4 has a number of differences to the old version 3. Most of the new rules are quite similar to what one would find in Team Yankee (for those that are familiar with TY). With that said, this is not Team Yankee WWII version. There are subtle differences that makes v4 its own game. Further, as WWII have different stats and abilities, the game still feels like WWII and not quasi-modern. Most of the concepts are basically the same as V3 (not so much like V2 and V3 concepts were similar). If your playing early and late war lists, there is no change to your units. All points remain the same (Mid war will be different, but I will discuss that separately). Some special formation rules have been removed, some changed (e.g. a reroll may now be a +1 to the die roll), a few command stands are removed, artillery bombardment penetration (reduced) and firepower (increased) are different but all other stat lines are exactly the same. Combat attachments are similar, but simplified. Basically, you can make combat attachments from any unit that is allowed to do it in its briefing, as well as from the HQ. The only restriction is that only half teams from a unit can be attached. The interesting thing about company HQ unts is that the count as their own platoon. So, they are very flexible. I think we will see more of these units again (Brit HQ tanks are no longer bad like in V3). The old German Kampfgroup rule is gone, but is is now somewhat redundant.
Ratings: There really are no changes here (some renaming in the mid war rules). The only real difference of note is that a number of re-rolls are gone. Instead, you apply a plus or minus to your skill or motivation. This is quite slick, as it will give a lot of hidden variation in units (this is more obvious if you look at the new mid war desert units.
Terrain: Terrain is also mostly the same. However, the differences that are in place will change how you play. The first is now you do not have to set up your units half in and out of area terrain to get the cover and allow field of fire. Now, you can be up to two inches in the cover and see out. This will reduce the times you have to ask your opponent if they are at the edge of the woods or not! This will also make it easier for line of sight tracking across odd shaped terrain. It may be a little more fiddly at angles to determine two inches, but “feels” better as a mechanic. Another big rule is that troops on higher terrain can see over low terrain and negate cover. This is a real big deal, as units cannot sneak through fields or behind walls against units with a height advantage. This really makes high ground very important (like it is in real life). Another big change is that vehicles cannot go into building, That means that infantry have to be assaulted by other infantry or shot out of buildings. This is one of the many changes that will push people to combined arms formations.
Movement: The movement rules have changed a great deal. While they work about the same (you have a movement rate and you can move that far), everything else is different. All base movement rates are now faster for infantry and guns and slower for vehicles, so you will need to learn the new rates. Instead of two rates (normal and double), you have four. Tactical movement is the slowest and allows you to move and shoot. You then have three “Dash” speeds that are tied to either moving through terrain, in the the open or on road. You cannot fire with Dash speed, but you also do not get double hits when using this movement (unlike V3 double move). Finally, rough terrain checks are tied to the unit type (no longer a skill check). Infantry has no issues, AFVs get stuck on a 1-2 and guns get stuck in difficult terrain even more easily. Now, getting stuck just means you cannot move any farther. You can still shoot, move at your next opportunity and don’t have to roll to get unstuck. Another big change (and maybe the one that wills separate top players from the rest) are the new movement orders. There are different orders that allow you to move before shooting (and count as stationary), just move farther after movement, improve your ability to cross terrain on a better roll, dig in (like before, but you cannot bombard) or to move after you fire (similar to the old storm trooper). Everyone has access to these orders now (although Germans and some other specific units get to do two in a turn). A player still has to roll either a motivation or skill test to get the orders (which depends on the order) and a failure has consequences! As such, though needs to be put into using them at the right times, particularly with formations that have a poor motivation or skill rating. These changes will bring a great deal more movement and cat and mouse into the game. For those of us that play on big tables, this is a god’s send!
Shooting: The shooting phase has a number of changes that will streamline, adds more rock paper scissors but also give more tactical flexibility in the game. Direct fire works the mostly the same as before. The main change is that they did away with all the target allocation steps and gun tanking. Now the firing player decides on the target units, so they can decide their priority. The defending player has an option to move hits to other units, but must roll a three up to do it. This option does not apply if units are in close proximity. At first glance, this seems like a lot of rolling. However, in practice it goes faster, as there is not a need most of the time. You also don’t get defenders taking a long time to allocate hits or assigning hits to units in extreme range away from the action. Saves and armor work the same as before, but soft unit saves have been changed for guns and vehicles (most are more survivable). Smoke is different in that direct fire smoke is now one 2″ circle and is placed on the target and that unit applies a plus one to hit at all ranges.
Aircraft: Aircraft types are the same and fulfill the same missions. However, the overall mechanics are very different (and more reliable). Planes can now see (and be seen) over terrain. The level of air support determines the number of total planes you have (one, two or three). These planes come on every turn you roll a 4+ (more reliable). Planes that get shot down are lost for the rest of the game. Cannons and machine guns fire just like tanks. Bombs use the normal bombardment template (penetration values have been reduced though). AA hits are based on a fixed value of 5+ (no more skill checks).
Artillery: Artillery has had a lot of changes. It is less effective against tanks (almost useless against heavy tanks), but much stronger versus infantry and guns. This is represented in almost all penetration values have been reduced (to a maximum of 3), but almost all firepower values have been increased. Light artillery is now a thing! Further, batteries that repeat bombard make infantry and gun units reroll saves. In addition, you now roll to range in on your skill level and roll to hits against the targets skill level. Further, you can call the artillery on any point on the battlefield that your observer (there are fewer of these now) can see. This means no more hiding infantry just inside of a wood or the back side of a building so artillery cannot be called on them. This is one of my favorite changes, as you can now prep fire on a point you are getting ready to attack! A change that is going to annoy US/Brit artillery park army players (but are much better for the game) are the new template rules. Guns now have a maximum six inch square template. You add more guns, you re-roll misses (less and you reroll hits). You still can use multiple templates (e.g. Brit 8 gun batteries), but you can no longer combine them to get a bigger template (no more Brit/US pizza box of doom). Rockets are a bit different. Based on how many shots the launcher counts as, your template can double or quadruple. However, the number of actual firing models determines if hits or misses have to be re-rolled. This really separates the two types of artillery and is another nice change. Finally, batteries can only fire one smoke bombardment each during a game. However, the firing player picks the smokes direction and size (now two inches deep and four inches long for each gun firing). This is another nice change that ties smoke to its historical barrage use (no more chasing fast movement tanks across the battlefield).
Assaults: Another area of simplification that will take some time to get used to. The V3 bubble is gone. Basically, if you are within four inches, you can assault. Infantry have a bonus in that they just have to be within 4″ of another assaulting team in contact. Defensive fire works about the same, but now any nationality large formation requires eight hits to throw them back (bring out those US infantry). The fighting works the same, but you only kill models in contact (no two inch rule). You also have to roll to counter attack, whether you were hit or not. There is no longer tank terror though. Fall back is 6″ (no more two inch shift after opponent consolidates). As you do not bog any more going in (just stop), you do not loose these units if they have to fall back (unless they fail their cross check when falling back). The changes make assaults much easier to play out. However, they require more thought in lining up. Further, infantry will be better than tanks in the fight, as they can get more units into a fight. How you attack is important too, as you can bring more units into the fight as movement brings more units within four inches.
Morale: This is probably the most controversial change and simplification. You no longer check at the end of every phase. Each player only checks at the beginning of their turn. First you roll for any bailed our of pinned units. You then roll for unit morale (if required). This value is no longer half the unit size, it is a fixed value (1 tank or gun, two infantry). When you get down to the number of stands remaining in good order (not bailed out), you have to roll. For most units, this is fine. However, it gets problematic at the extremes. If you have only two units in your platoon, you have to roll if one of them is destroyed or bailed (this makes recon and small tank platoons very fragile). On the opposite end, if you have a very large unit (e.g. Soviet Strelk), you pretty much never have to roll (We have not seen what is planned for the Soviet organizations for mid war yet, but this points to BF maybe moving away from companies… Time will tell). This basically means that it is all about objectives when playing against blob armies. One this that is very interesting is how your company commander works. He now has a six inch command span. Any and all unit HQs that is withing this span can reroll motivation tests. No more singe rerolls. This makes the placement of your company commander even more important, as he can keep units moving and on the table. Basically, allows you to have a clear main point of focus for your formations.
Formation Morale: Company morale is now automatic. No more rolling when you get below half units. You are either in good spirits or you are done. However, good spirits only depends on the number of core units remaining (you have to have two, but the HQ counts). Support units do not count. Further, if you have multiple companies, if one leaves, the other stays and you keep playing. This will really change army design. This will allow players to mix and match formations to get the units they want (so not restricted to what is in a specific OB). However, it will also punish players who min max core units to support units. I believe this will bring supporting elements a little more historically in line with formations. I suspect this will also mean there is less need for so many unit unit organizations by battlefront (most of which are never used). This will bother a lot of players at first. However, once you figure out you can build your favorite organizations more organically, it will not matter. It will just be easier (maybe cheaper, if you do not need so many books) to put forces together.
Special Rules and Units: I’m not going to go into all these here, as I would need so much more space! Suffice it to say, all the special units are still here. Some rules may have been removed, as they are redundant. Others have just have been streamlined (e.g. flamethrowers no longer go away, but do not auto kill any longer). Army special rules have been trimmed down a lot, mostly because the base rules cover them. Others have been replaced by something that is less over the top and better for the game (e.g. US Tank Destroyer). In the end, they are less game breaking and more supportive.
Summary
Having read through the rules and having played and run games in all the periods, I have to say Battlefront has done a good job. I actually feel that every version of the rules was better than what preceded it, at feel the same about V4. The game is easier, that is true, but only in its individual mechanics. There are still a lot of mechanics and every unit type has unique capabilities. The game still gives a WWII overall feel (it has never been an simulation, but a game with a WWII feel). While there may to one or two points that I’m not totally sold on, this is a better game.
My only area of pause is the unit morale for large formations. This will be problematic. However, until we see new listings for east front or desert US or Italians, it is hard to say how this will work out going forward. As such, we will have to give it time.
For people that venture out of standard games on a 6’x4′ table, the new rules are a god send. The increased level of maneuver and muli-company formations will bring more dynamic play (not so say that it will not do the same for the regular games!). Unit’s will get to grip faster and breakthroughs will be more decisive. For now, our group will continue to play North Africa and East Front from the V3 books (using the late war rules mods), as we feel more needs to be released for our style of games. However, we are all in on version 4 for big battles.
Now I have read and heard a lot of people complaining about the new rules (online an in person). I have seen a rumor that was not true turn into pages and pages of hate posts. However, I think this is really the normal first reaction to change. People need to just take a breath and give the new version a try. One of my hopes for the new rules is that it will bring back more FOW play (and sales). I think we have to all admit, that FOW was really starting to die. Over the last year or two I have been noticing more an more game stores and groups moving to other games. I have seen less and less stores carrying the product. People like new things, stores like to sell more things. As such, I think this is the shot in the arm that FOW really needed.
– Manteuffel
Very nice review! I am one of those that dropped the game cold turkey…. after all of the money I had spent, I felt betrayed…. I even started rebasing my troops to use with Bolt Action 15mm…. I have always loved FoW, since v2 came out.. I was in line. I got sick of the changes, etc… as a Historic player these changes were killing me as they really concentrated on tournament play and not historic. I thought v2 was awesome… I went into v3 apprehensively and then when v4 came I left. I have lots of stuff and I want to use them… I have been searching for reviews of v4… honest ones…. and after reading your post.. I think my decision to get back into it is justified now.
thxs,
Dan
Truth be told, I just could not get into BA. Not my thing. I think FOW is worth a try. They are not perfect (never have been), but they still give a WWII feel and are fun to play. BF really blew it on the roll out and just exacerbated the internet hate. However, they finally have critical a mass of forces to cover most people and with the release of late war forces, they may be able to get back a little of their moxy!