Fighting Formations: GD Infantry Division
2
12+
180
Fighting Formations is intended to be an ongoing series of wargames covering WWII tactical combined-arms combat at the platoon and squad levels. Each game in the series will feature a distinct combat unit, highlighting battles in which that unit participated as well as its particular order of battle and fighting characteristics.
The first title in the series is "Grossdeutschland Infantry Division". Future titles aren't yet set in stone but could be devoted to other famous divisions (Big Red One), Corps (Afrika Korps), regiments (442nd RCT), Commando troops, Ranger battalions, etc.
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What’s in the Box:
4 22″ x 34″ back-printed map sheets
5 counter sheets
55 cards
24-page series rulebook
48-page playbook, , 10 scenarios, 1 learning
8.5″ x 22″ track display
Player aids (1 copy of each)
dice: 2d6, 2d8, 2d10, 2d12 & 2d20
10 wooden cubes
1 wooden pawn
This is a Chad Jensen , the same creator of Combat Commander.
Component quality:
The maps are pretty basic/functional they look like the combat commander maps if you are familiar with those. They are double sided.
The counters are pretty clean and functional. Over all I like them.
The cards are of good glossy card stock
The color rule book is awesome, it’s clear and conciseness. It has pages of example game play.
The color playbook is laid out and contains the 10 scenarios and the learning scenarios. (I don’t have the book in front of me, but I think it has history of the Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry Division)
The track display is made of heavy cards stock it contains the order matrix and the initiative track, all in color.
The Player aids (1 copy of each), made of heavy card stock
The dice are just dice…
The wooden cubes and the pawn are what they are wooden cubes and a pawn.
Game Play:
In this section I’m just going to point out what I really like about this game.
The one thing I like about this game is there no fixed turn or sequence of play but a new initiative based sequence of play. There is an order matrix, which is a chart with one side belonging to the German side and the other side belonging to the Russian side. There is a column down the middle where order cubes are placed based on the scenario setup and once used up is re-seeded.
There is also a sliding initiative track/scale for the German and Russian side which is effective by the initiative based sequence of play.
This is the way you command/order your forces which is fixed into the design of the order matrix(the initiative based sequence), resulting in an irregular array of the effectiveness of leadership for the opposing forces. The player may conduct the order listed beside the cube, or any order lower on the “scale” of orders on the chart. This permits give at the cost of initiative – you can take a high initiative order to conduct a simple move order (lower on the “scale”), but the cost is enormous to just take that high initiative from the opposing player.
This causes the players initiative to shift/move over the opposing players side of the initiative track/scale. There is also a cost of command ranging from 0,1 or 2. Within in zero radius there is no extra cost. 1 initiative is if your are within a friendly radius command marker, 2 initiative if you are outside a friendly command marker. There are other cost to initiative such as for example radio less Russians tanks, where there initiative cost is doubled for moving.
At the end of the command/order, if the initiative pawn is still on his side of the initiative track/scale, the player may take another cube and carries out the order. If it has landed on the opponent’s side of the track, the opponent takes a cube and conducts an order, and so on.
This continues until all the cubes are gone, at which point a short end of turn sequence is conducted and the order matrix is “re-seeded” by randomly rolling for new orders.
The other thing is like is the dice. Not the actually dice but how what type of dice you get to roll. The dice range from 2d6 > 2d8 > 2d10 > 2d12 > 2d20 sequence. The base dice you roll is 2d10, but the can shift either way depending on various cases. Also If either of the attack dice shows a number equal to or less than the hindrance/terrain of any hex being fired through ,the attack immediately fails, there is a also default hindrance of 1, so anytime a die shows a 1, an attack fails.
There are other things that make this game pretty neat, such as reaction fire, Melee, Artillery and air support, oh and Asset cards that can be played as a reaction.
All in all, this is a pretty neat game with a unique initiative mechanic and great components, excellent laid out rules and in my opinion great fun to play, with many replays of the 10 scenarios.
Enjoy !