Chain of Command…What to buy?

[cromlechParticipant 63xp 1]

So I’ve been watching the Chain of Command-series with great enjoyment.

And I want to invest in this set of rules.

However…having asked Richard from TFL about where to start and get further on miniatures he mentions 28mm.

And I understand from the videos he himself plays using 28mm, and that the game is ‘based’ on 15mm.

But…in the videos you have posted, it seems like rather small 28mm – nearer to 20mm.

Am I wrong? Is it 20mm?

My problem is, and I do need help, guys…

…what size of miniatures are you playing in the videos on Chain of Command…and can you please give some hints as to what companies they are from?

Just want to get some sections assembled as fast as possible to start gaming – but the internet is huge, and I have looked at like 10 companies and have only found bits and pieces of what you bring to the table…

…which is a great table!

So, in short:

Do you play 20mm on the videos, and whatever you play – where do you get your figures?

Do hope for a reply…because I’m so itchy to try this rule-set out…

[khusrauParticipant 1158xp 1]

Hi, I think the videos are all 28mm. The ground scale is pretty much 15mm, and plenty of people play it in 15, 20 and 28. One of the best CoC blogs is called ‘The Tactical Painter’ and he plays in 20mm.

[khusrauParticipant 1158xp 0]

Sorry, another one is ‘Tiny Hordes’ – in 28mm this time, https://tinyhordes.com/tag/battle-reports/

Storm of Steel plays CoC in 15mm I believe? http://www.stormofsteelwargaming.com/search/label/AAR

All easily do’able. All have Pros and Cons.

[avernosKeymaster 33467xp 0]

as @khusrau said all the miniatures in the Let’s Play are 28mm. They’re all Warlord Games figures in those videos. But any scale will do the job, if you want to see some amazing 20mm check out the work by @piers on the site, mixture of plastics, AB metals among them.

[lloydKeymaster 17570xp 0]

Hi all,

When playing CoC in 15mm, what way are the mini’s based?

Just like FoW or something else?

[khusrauParticipant 1158xp 0]

If you use FoW minis then you will need some way to mark casualties. But yeah, it gets done. Given that for a platoon you are talking normally 40 or so figures, most people who use 15mm based for FoW usually end up deciding to just paint up the extra 40 figures and single/double/triple base or whatever.

[tankkommanderParticipant 6389xp 0]

For some reason I thought Warlond Bolt Action was 20mm scale.

[jemmyParticipant 2428xp 0]

Community member oriskany says he plays games almost always one scale smaller than what the game is written for. So, Bolt Action designed for 28mm, would be played in 15mm. More space, more moneuvres.

As for Chain of Command, if I remember correctly, Richard says the game is for 28mm, however, the distances for shooting etc. are more like 15mm (so a bit too short for 28mm).

Base your decision on how much space for gaming you have. If you live in a small flat or suchlike, choose 15mm. There are a lot of plastic kits for this. I played BA and CoC with Germans against Russians in 15mm. I use all kinds of vehicle manufaturers, Battlefront etc. and not to forget Zvesda. Zvesda are plastic, not too expensive and very easy to build. Minis are from Plastic Soldier company. If you base the mini one per base, use oversized bases. Oherwise the figurines topple over far too often. I had a coughing fit during a game and … after that many many casualties among the figures, both Russians and Germans. Still, single basing solves the problem of tracking casualties.

For 28mm decide what armies you want to play and of how many figures make for a platoon, then buy stuff. Warlord Games is good. They also have sets with HQ and support. Artizan designs offers sets of four infantry, so it you just need very few minis to bolster your fire teams, that is a good decision. Crusader miniatures are good as well. Artizan and Crusader are metal.

[torros 23802xp 0]

Just for the sheer mass of stuff available I would go 20mm

[comet5 3429xp 0]

We play in 20mm.  I use the Caeser miniatures British and German boxes you get nearly a platoon in each box.  Supplement the heavy weapons with metal from Early War miniatures or if you can find them the Hat British and German machine gun packs.

[khusrauParticipant 1158xp 0]

If it’s cheap you want, then second hand FoW stuff is as cheap as anything. And you also need to consider terrain costs. If you want a load of buildings in 28mm it’s not cheap, unless you joke them yourself.

20mm is a nice compromise but decide whether you’re doing 1/72, 1/76 or 20mm for vehicles. Personally, I would stick with 1/72.

If you’re already wargaming in 28 or 15  then go with what you have suitable terrain for.

I collected in 1/72 in Oz and I still have dozens of kits to be assembled, but in the UK everyone locally had WW2 in 15mm for FoW or 28mm for Rapid Fire. I didn’t fancy 15mm, as it was just a bit smaller than I wanted for 1 fig = 1 man, so 28mm made sense for me. If I were you, check what likely opponents are using.

[cromlechParticipant 63xp 0]

Thanks for the replies, peeps…

Many great ideas for me to ponder, scour and target for what I want to do.

Cheers, and happy gaming.

[cromlechParticipant 63xp 0]

So, yeah – did a lot of browsing and even some thinking too…

I’ve decided to go 28mm – Warlord Games has a lot of great starter-packs I can buy to get a head-start on a couple of armies, and my surroundings and myself have terrain and stuff for Warhammer and 40K – so that would make starting this project a bit cheaper and quicker.

I’m thinking of buying a few starter armies from Warlord, compare them to what is actually needed to make squads for the Chain of Command system, and get the missing bits and pieces on a ‘need to get’-basis.

…and oh my, do they have a lot of starter sets, Warlord.

Now, this is where I need your most needed and valuable input…

They have the grand boxes of whole battles and armies ready to go; ‘Battle for Berlin’, ‘Ham and Jam’ and ‘Beachhead Assault’. Including a bit of terrain and stuff.

They also have X-points starter armies (500-1000p) for the different nations.

And the rest, a squad here, some artillery there…

I plan to get a German, British, Soviet and American force ready for play…just to have the basics down.

Any input and advice of how I would go about getting a good start and what would be sensible to start out with buying to get started?

All thoughts are much appreciated…

[torros 23802xp 0]

What period and theatre are you interested in?

[cromlechParticipant 63xp 0]

Hmm…that is a really good question, torros!

And I must say I am kind of at a loss…thinking that CoC has the ‘Pint Sized’ campaigns going, so I would think I would like to be able to play all eras of the war.

And I’m not a perfectionist, as it were – every model has to have the exact kit that the rules tells me…I’m not like that.

Within reason!

But I’m thinking…for starters, maybe early war; Soviets and Germans…and then later, expand to the later stages of the war – British and the US coming to the fronts.

Just to have a good start from the early years, and then in the future having a go at the late war, with the US and UK…new kits, new fronts, new games to play.

… Hope you understand my thoughts here…

…thanks for the reply.

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