There are games which come and go without special fuss or controversy. And there are titles which you cannot be indifferent about. Fields of Fire definitely falls into that second category – some love it, some hate but you really cannot be lukewarm once you started to play it.
With that in mind I started my journey with – as it occurred – a fantastic game, superbly depicting the tactical warfare of infantry company. A game which is rewarding, exciting and… plagued by one of the most complex, complicated and ambiguous rulebooks I ever read! But I was not deterred – couple of How to Video (Blue Tweezers, you are the best!) and I was ready to take up on the challenge. How it went – in below, picture-rich session report.
SCENARIO & SET-UP
The first scenario – Initial Assault – starts on September 15th, 1944. It is played in Daylight, on a 4×4 Beach Landing map. It lasts 10 turns and ends in success if US Marines are able to clear either of the two objectives, placed in last, fourth row. What is more, whole company lands in 4 waves, and there is significant number of potential contacts during this process. You can see more details of the set-up – the division into waves, the map, the command display and detailed company roster on below pictures:
Without further delay, let us move to the session report! PS. you can click on each below picture to enlarge it.
Turn 1 & 2
Turn 3 & 4
Turn 5 & 6
Turn 7 & 8
Turn 9 & 10
Summary
Fields of Fire is such a great and rewarding game. I have to admit – this is one of the best simulations of tactical combat I have ever seen. You need of course decent amount of preparation and stubbornness to go through the rulebook as it is written (How to Play Videos also help) but at the end of this journey there is a fantastic wargame, challenging, with many paths to victory providing unforgettable experience. I will for sure play more – expect further session reports soon!
As a person who was playing wargames like Squad Leader as a teenager in the 70s, and most of the big company tactical wargames since, Fields of Fire is the most realistic feeling systems of them all. In the 80s I was in the US Army, four years active duty as a cavalry scout. I found out quickly that wargames were nothing like real life. It was pretty shocking actually how different it was. You don’t make ‘kill stacks’ in real life for example, and this game gets that part exactly right. Fields of Fire finally moves the state of the art of tactical level wargaming in the right direction.
I can confirm the game has a great simulation aspect and touches so many elements not seen by me in other wargames. It is not easy to coordinate everything, but once you grasp the rules this is very enjoyable play!
As a person who was playing wargames like Squad Leader as a teenager in the 70s, and most of the big company tactical wargames since, Fields of Fire is the most realistic feeling systems of them all. In the 80s I was in the US Army, four years active duty as a cavalry scout. I found out quickly that wargames were nothing like real life. It was pretty shocking actually how different it was. You don’t make ‘kill stacks’ in real life for example, and this game gets that part exactly right. Fields of Fire finally moves the state of the art of tactical level wargaming in the right direction.
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I can confirm the game has a great simulation aspect and touches so many elements not seen by me in other wargames. It is not easy to coordinate everything, but once you grasp the rules this is very enjoyable play!
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