So you want to get into Flames of War, but you have no idea where to start? You go to the Battlefront web site and you notice that, along with the myriad miniatures they offer for each country, they also have a couple dozen books. Other than the rulebook, which do you get. What does it offer you? In this article, we’ll try to help out by offering some basic information on each of them, hopefully easing your decision making process.O lista cu toate cartile de Flames of War disponibile de la Balltefront, organizata cronologic dupa perioadele din razboi acoperite in fiecare carte.
As you know (and if you don’t, you’ll find out now) Flames of War, the World War II version, is split into three main periods: Early, Mid and Late War. This is because using a company of Panzer IIIs from the invasion of France against a company of soviet IS-2 heavy tanks would not exactly result in a balanced and fun match. The books will thus be divided by period, I’ll also try to sort them chronologically, where possible. Also note that each cover image is a link to the Flames of War website where you can get more information on each.
Early War
Early War is essentially ‘funky’ war, with loads of tiny, wacky tanks squaring off against what will become the main battle tanks we all know and love. There are only a few books out, but they cover pretty much any force a player might wish to field.
- Rising Sun
This brand spanking new book (at the time of writing) covers two small but important conflicts from the beginning of the war, before the German blitzkrieg was unleashed in Europe. One is the Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland, and the other is the fight between Japan and the Soviet Union in 1939, where Zhukov begins to make a name for himself. It also marks Battlefront’s first foray into the Pacific theatre.
– includes briefings for Soviet Union, Finland, Imperial Japan - Blitzkrieg
THE Early War book, where the German warmachine is unleashed upon Europe. It covers the blitzkrieg battles from Poland to France.
– includes briefings for Germany, Poland, France, Britain - Hellfire and Back
This book is all about the invasion of Africa and Rommel’s arrival to stem the British offensive. It covers the fighting up to and including Gazala. El Alamein and onwards are included in the Mid War book, North Africa. This is where the famous Afrika Korps and the Desert Rats show up in Flames of War.
– includes briefings for Italy, Germany, Britain and the Commonwealth (Scotland, India , Australia, New Zealand, Maori, South Africa) - Burning Empires
In here we have the fighting in the rest of the Mediterranean (Greece, Crete and Syria), as well as a bit of cloak and dagger work in North Africa though the Raiding skirmish rules.
– includes briefings for Italy, Germany, Greece and France, as well as raiding parties for the US and Britain - Barbarossa
A book that many FoW players have waited for a long time for, Barbarossa covers the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 up until the battle for Moscow. A very fun context to play in, as you’ll have the smallest tanks from the beginnign of the war on the table beside monstrous (for that period) T-34s costing 2-300 points. Unfortuantely, no other nations made it in the book. Lists for Romanians and Hungarians are, however, available as a sort of DLC on Battlefron’ts Forces of War army builder site. A controversial move that has upset quite a few people, but that’s the situation.
– includes lists for Germany and the USSR
Mid War
Mid War is regarded as the most well-balanced of the three periods. While many of the later war monsters have yet to be developed, in Mid War the fearsome Tiger and T-34 tanks make their appearances. Both books are big compilations of earlier issues that each covered various major battles in either of the two main theatres of war.
- North Africa
Where Hellfire and Back ends, North Africa carries on. From El Alamein all the way back to Tunisia and then onto Italy, in Sicily. It also includes the arrival of the US forces in Europe through operation Torch (yes, technically they arrived in Africa, but we all know where they’re headed, don’t we?).
– includes briefings for Germany, Italy, the United States, Britain and the Commonwealth (same as Hellfire and Back) - Eastern Front
While there is no book officially covering Operation Barbarossa or Typhoon (early war fights between Russians and Germans can still be played using Blitzkrieg and Rising Sun), this book does justice to the bitter fighting on the Eastern front in 1942-1943, including Stalingrad and Kursk.
– includes briefings for Germany, Romania, Italy, Hungary, Finland and the Soviet Union
Late War
This is where Battlefront pours most of its creative effort. Late War is all about the toys, and the heroes that face them against all odds. With fighting going on on three fronts and in various major operations, players are spoilt for choice.
- Road to Rome
Finally the Italy books have been gathered and updated for a double compilation. You have in this book zounds of lists covering virtually every type of allied force that has set foot in Italy (even the Japanese Nisei).
– includes briefings for the United States, Great Britain, Commonwealth, Poland & Free French - Fortress Italy
The German side of the Italy compilation, brimming with lots of lists and cool options like self-propelled 88s, reserve Panthers, Herman Goering panzers and of course, the Italians.
– includes briefings for Germany & Italy - Italy Battles
This book has no briefings, but instead represents a collection of scenarios from the previous books that didn’t make it into the Italy compilations. Alongside the scenarios we have a linked mission campaign as well as the rules for ‘Infantry Aces’ (small skirmishes with infantry units only, where your leader gains various skils as he fights battles).
– includes no briefings, only scenarios and rules for Infantry Aces - Grey Wolf
In my humble opinion the best of the Late War books, this book brims with options. It is a compilation of various Eastern Front late war books and it has almost anything a German player would want (the two notable exceptions being the Jagdpanther and the Flammpanzer III – both completely unavailable in any of the lists). It includes lists for regular Grenadier/Panzergrenadier/Panzer companies with all sorts of varied support options, as well as some more characterful units like the Wiking and Totenkopf SS divisions.
– includes briefings for Germany, Hungary and Finland - Red Bear
The equally awesome counterpart to Grey Wolf, this is THE late war book for soviets, with all sorts of lists ranging from regular infantry and tank battalions to more peculiar ones such as assault gun or heavy tank companies, cossack battalions, penal battalions and lend lease tank companies. Red Bear also has the rules to play Romanian armies during late war, both before and after August 23rd (with either German or Soviet allied options) and a fun list to play the Poles during their famous ‘Warsaw Uprising’.
– includes briefings for the Soviet Union, Romania and Warsaw Uprising Poles
NOTE The book has been revised and re-released, with some considerable points cost reductions for some of the soviet units. If you already have the book, go here for a free pdf containing all the changes. - Atlantik Wall
While there already were some D-Day compilation books (Earth & Steel for Germany and Turning Tide for the Allies), Battlefront decided they wanted to step it up and make something as good as Grey Wolf and Red Bear, adding more ‘generic’ lists like 2. and 9. Panzer divisions (as previously you could only play special snowflake Panzerlehr lists OR the wacky-contraption-filled 21. Panzer) as well as reworked fortification rules. Now players wishing to field Germans in Normandy have loads more options for their lists.
– includes briefings for Germany - Overlord
The Allied counterpart for Atlantik Wall, this book has essentially everything the Allies threw into Normandy in 1944. Airborne, both British and US (go Band of Brothers, go!), armour lists of all possible sorts (US, British and Canadian) as well as ground pounders galore.
– includes briefings for the United States, Britain, Canada and Scotland - Normandy Battles
This book has no briefings, but instead represents a collection of scenarios from the previous books that didn’t make it into Atlantik Wall and Overlord. Wittman’s wild ride, beach and air landings, and plenty others, as well as the rules for ‘Total War’ (big games with multiple companies on both sides).
– includes no briefings, only scenarios and Total War rules - Market Garden
Pretty self-explanatory title – this book contains everything you’d expect to play as part of Operation Market or Operation Garden, including the famous Polish Brigade.
– includes briefings for the United States, Britain and Free Poles - Bridge by Bridge
The surprised ad-hoc German defenders of the low countries, this book includes about a dozen weird kampfgruppes, as well as more regular grenadier and panzer forces. The fact that most of the Germans here were from battered divisions supposedly up for rest & refit is reflected in the lower skill level of most units, opening the way for more horde-like lists.
– includes briefings for Germany - Blood, Guts & Glory
While Montgomery was trying to steal the show with Market Garden, Patton simply could not sit put. Therefore we have this book, with new and improved American tank lists including all the various Sherman versions. Facing them are the new German Panzer brigades,including the famed Feldhernhalle brigade led by Franz Bake (you can also find in Grey Wolf, for when he fought on the Eastern Front). And these are Reluctant Trained Germans – the cheapest of the cheap. Also in the book are rules for Tank Aces.
– includes briefings for the United States and Germany - Devil’s Charge
Although Blood, Guts and Glory is often included in the ‘Bulge books’ collection, this is the first book that actually deals with this second battle in the Ardennes. For the Germans we have Kampfgruppe Peiper, essentially the speartip of the German advance, and the 150. Panzer brigade brimming with disguised tanks as well as Skorzeny’s commando group. On the opposite side we have rules for just about any of the US units that faced the Germans at the end of 1944.
– includes briefings for the United States and Germany - Nuts
We have here the US forces defending Bastogne and the Germans that faced them. This marks the appearance of the Volksgrenadiers briefing by Battlefront. Fans of Band of Brothers will rejoice at the detailed rules for the 101st Airborne.
– includes briefings for the United States and Germany - Desperate Measures
Battlefront returns to the Eastern Front, adding a funky new ‘Hero’ list for Soviets (with plenty of nice special rules and no ‘Hen & Chicks’) as well as a couple of great Kampfgruppe lists for the Germans. Lots of oddbal optiosn in this book, as the Germans throw essentially everything they’ve got at the Russians.
– includes lists for Germany & USSR - Bridge at Remagen
Covering the battle for the Ruhr, you can see a preview of the preview made by the fantastic model dads. Also, according to a leaked release list, it’s a good guess that the book will contain rules for Otto Carius, as well as rules for fielding Pershing tanks.
– includes lists for the United States and Germany - upcoming Nachtjager
Another late-late war book for the Western front, this time bringing the Brits into focus, with brand new Comet tanks. For ze Germans, we get cool new toys like nibght-vision gear for Panthers & Jagdpanthers, infra-red searchlight halftracks and panzergrenadiers with assault rifles and night scopes. The lists are gimmicky but very fun.
– includes lists for the British and Germany
Now, because all those books with all those lists are simply not enough, the folks Battlefront also have various other briefings available for free on their website. Some of these are lists that didn’t make it into one book or another due to space issues, or units that simply didn’t fit anywhere (at least not yet).
‘What if I don’t want to play World War II?’ you may ask…
- Great War
Battlefront has finally released a Great War supplement with Wargames Illustrated. You can also get the supplement if you buy one of the two army boxes. While ther are only two lists at the moment, for British and German infantry companies, the game looks very fun and it has some interesting special rules for flavour. Also, WWI tanks!
– includes lists for the British and German infantry
- Tour of Duty
This is for everyone who want to play Flames of War in Vietnam. It has plenty of lists including US Marines, ANZAC armour, North Vietnamese guerilla forces and, of course, AIR CAV (who WOULDN’T want to recreate Apocalypse Now?!).
– includes lists for US, ANZAC, North & South Vietnam - Fate of a Nation
On the other side of the world, we have the many Arab-Israeli wars. Fate of a Nation covers the Six Day War in 1967. Initially a small leaflet released alongside Wargames Illustrated issue 312, for free. Meanwhile it has been turned into a standalone book like all the others, with more list options and information.
– includes lists for Israel, United Arab Republic and Jordan
To make things even easier, there are two websites that function as ‘army builders’ – allowing you to make army lists with just a few clicks. One is easyarmy.com – it contains a huge database with pretty much any list from any book or pdf ever released by Battlefront. Making army lists based on Battlefront’s pdf’s are free, but lists based on their books are not – there is a $2 charge for access to any one book (and all the list contained therein). The second website is FOW Lists. It is completely free, but has a somewhat slower rate of adding lists to the website (it is free, after all, so we can’t complain). It is currently missing Fortress Italy & Road to Rome, but it has everything else and is extremely easy and quick to use (and those two will become available soon enough).
We hope this guide has been helpful in establishing a rough picture of what Battlefront has to offer for Flames of War. We do realise it can be a little daunting with so many options in front of you, so if you still have questions and would like some help, drop us a line and we’ll be happy to give any advice we can. We’re by no means experts, but hopefully we can nudge you in the right direction.
Early War
- Rising Sun
- Blitzkrieg
- Hellfire and Back
- Burning Empires
Mid War
- Eastern Front
- North Africa
Late War
- Dogs & Devils
- Grey Wolf
- Red Bear
- Atlantik Wall
- Overlord
- Normandy Battles
- Blood, Guts & Glory
- Market Garden
- Bridge by Bridge
- Devil’s Charge
- Nuts!
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