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.

My short unboxing of the game – components look fantastic!

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 1 – initial landing is very successful, with only one contact (Incoming) triggered
Turn 2 – the following wave is not so fortunate; one of the LVTs is completely knocked out, with most of the crew and transported units dead or paralyzed.
End of Turn 2 – two more “incoming” are hitting my units. The true problems starts later on, when a hidden Anti-Aircraft 20mm cannon unleashes rain of fire on my main axis of approach. The fun starts!

Turn 3 & 4

Turn 3 – the LVTs are progressing as scheduled even despite the fact that one of the landing spaces is mercilessly fired upon from bunker. 20mm guns is really deadly. Fortunately, on the right flank two landings are unopposed.
Turn 3 – HQ “Get off the Beach” order will significantly help my troops to move forward.
Turn 4 – so many things happening. Two probe moves discover tons of hidden Japanese units in the last row – they immediately open fire and decimate my Assault Teams. On left I infiltrate and manage to clear a bunker with 20mm gun!

Turn 5 & 6

Turn 5 – my forward units are under heavy fire and some of them will not make it. I really need the reinforcements arriving in last two waves of LVTs! Positives – an attack position (second row from top, second card from left) is finally free form enemy fire!
Turn 6 – now I am starting to lay massive fire on Japanese positions!
Turn 6 – CO HQ lands and with it tons of equipment, ammo and troops. They will not manage to strengthen the first line yet, but next turn they will enter the action. For now some heavy fighting starts with Naval Gun fire and Grenades. No breakthrough yet!

Turn 7 & 8

Turn 7 – here they come! With Company HQ in the lead I start to pour devastating fire on Japanese defenses. I throw demo at bunker, concentrate fire & cross-fire, use grenades. They IJA starts to crumble. But will I manage to break them in time?
Turn 8 – ground-breaking events happen! I am moving to two top cards (objectives), discover IJA squad, assault team and a leader! Knee mortar withdraws. Exciting moment soon to come – final assault!
Turn 8 – a helicopter view on the battlefield situation at the end of eight turn.

Turn 9 & 10

Turn 9 – Time to hit. And to hit hard. Both objective hexes – although containing my units – will be target of massed Volume of Fire, with tons of Concentrated Fire. In the end one hex will be fully cleared of enemy resistance and a leader killed.
Turn 10 – I am executing a mopping operation on Objective 2 – in the end a paralyzed team will prevent me from controlling that card.
END OF GAME – VICTORY! I took OBJ1, while OBJ2 is kept by last remnants of IJA. 43 exp pts gained, some significant causalities on my side but many units reconstituted and promoted for Scenario 2 which I can’t wait to start playing! Great fun, very exciting game and landing battle!
END OF GAME – final look at the Command Display. CO 1st SGT did not make it 😦

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!