Battlegroup (BG).
All of us have favorite rules for playing our miniature games. I'll discuss several of my favs, in no particular order. Battle Group, originally published by Iron Fist Publishing and now by Plastic Soldier Company, are my favorite WW2 rules.
Here is the PSC website:
http://theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=70
The first two sets, BG Kursk and BG Overlord, are out of print. But there is a new main rulebook, so you can play the game fine without them. There are several supplements covering different WW2 campaigns. All are filled with great atmospheric pics of minis, and most have some modelling/painting tips, too.
The rules are mainly for smaller actions. For example, a German squad consists of a 5-man rifle group and a 3-man LMG group, while a Russian squad consists of an 8-man group (including a man carrying a LMG). I've played games with a company per side with some vehicle and specialized support with no real issues.
I really like how these rules handle command & control, and the overall way your battlegroup morale is handled. To determine your orders each turn, you roll a number of D6's (the larger your force, the more D6's you roll) and add to that the number of officers in your force. You almost never have enough orders for all units, so must prioritize your actions, including placing units on Reserve (which are basically opportunity fire or move). In a multi-player game, you need to split orders among players
Your overall battlegroup morale starts based on your unit strength. Then, as you lose units or bad things happen (such as being attacked by air or by flamethrower, etc.), you randomly draw from a set of numbered chits (ranging from 1-5, but weighted towards 3-4). These numbers reduce your morale, and when it reaches zero, your higher HQ has ordered a retreat, and game is over. You can also win by capturing scenario objectives.
The rules have two ways to fire weapons: Suppression Fire and Direct Fire. Suppression Fire is just firing weapons to pin down an enemy unit---total up fire points, measure distance and roll the die. If hit, units get a saving roll based on cover. Direct Fire requires you to Observe the target before you fire. And if you fail to Observe, then no fire. Some I have played with don't like this aspect, but the authors go to lengths to explain their design philosophy that the battlefield is a chaotic, noisy and smoke-filled arena. Everyone is trying to move fast and stay low, and effective firing is not easy. I've taken to telling players that you have to acquire a target before you can fire at it. For some reason, most seem to buy into this explanation.
I hope this gives you a feel for these rules. I often host BG WW2 games at the HMGS cons---drop by and give them a try.
Next time, my favorite modern rules.
