Range ID
FoW 4th Edition Chat with Phil Yates
Mar 3 2017 @ 20:26
120 Comments
We sit down to chat with Phil Yates about the new Flames Of War 4th Edition rules.
We go through some questions that the community has been getting stuck into as they've been seeing previews.
If you have any more questions about Flames Of War then let us know in the comments and we'll have our experts see if they can give you some answers on the Live Blog!
looks like i have started playing flames of war at a good time im glad the rules are getting streamlined it will make learning the game so much easier
How much you have to spend to be able to play at tournaments standard format?
cant wait for all the new models to be released , looking forward to the tiger1 🙂
Ooooo. Im lookig forward to seeig some of the new stuff. Youve sold yet another game system to me BoW!!
where are the infantry gone?
Also very interested in 4th Edition.. I tried 3rd a while ago and just didn’t resonate with me.. but I do love the models and the support for the game! Argh! another game on the 2-do list!
so guys what is better 17 pounders or 8,8s
i like phil yates and cant wait to see the new tutorials he’ll be doing 🙂
Streamlined rules gets my vote!
cant wait to get my hands on those new books 🙂
i defo think streamling the game was a good decision it makes it far easier to learn and play
I agree.
Perhaps it is finally time to add historic gaming to all my sci fi and fantasy games
I have played FOW from book 1 and strangely with the 8th army and the afrika corps, looking forward to this new/old edition and set of rules. Book or rule 2 reasonable, rules 3 a chore, hence bring on 4.
I agree. I had been playing since 2nd edition and after seeing Team Yankee condense a more complex battlefield than WW 2 into a smaller page count than FOW 3rd edition, I have hopes that 4th edition might hit that same sweet spot between balance, ease of play and realism.
not sure i’m loving the massive overhaul, as a long term player there’s a lot to relearn. i am ever open minded though, and super stoked for the italians being released
Streamlining is good, simple rules are good.
Can’t wait to play some 4th edition
Was not sure I would like the new addition, but the more I learn the more I like the changes and the incorporated streamlining.
Simpler rules that give a more realistic effect – you cannot do better than that. I hope the US and Italian forces get lots of plastic – Autoblinda!
Still a bit undefined for now (for me). Think I’ll keep playing 3rd for a few more months…
Sounds like it has been a very complex game. I hope the new verison captures some of that while allowing ease and speed of play.
Curious to see how often recce units are going to be used in V4 with their old role of uncovering infantry gone.
I heard in another interview with Phil Yates talking about that. Its main role is to shape the way the battle starts. It can push your deployment up. The Eyes and Ear rule was removed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAIhCnl4M0A around the 18 minute mark.
All the info release in the build up stated that recce (now scouts) allow you to extend your deployment area(with restrictions on getting to close to the enemy etc)..
Im still a fan of the old edition rules and their simple basics with depth. Maybe this edition will change my mind but im currently unsure.
Right that’s me sold!! BoW are you sure you’ve not getting commision? (I have bought into a few via watching your vid’s)
It will be interesting to watch the rest of the weekend! Everybody have Fun!!
Sounds good. It will be interesting to see how it plays.
Im looking forward to using the new rules to play, but getting my hands on the new rule book may be a problem at the moment, might have to contact battle front directly mmmmm
I will have to play and compare v3 vs v4. Changes are not easy but let them have a chance with v4.
I do hope that 4th edition gets a proper ‘lets play’ on the site at some point.
Looks a simpler game with the in the weeds quality we have come to expect. Can’t wait for tomorrow to see how everyone reacts to the changes.
Well it was nice that they explained the new naming system for the panzers.
Don’t be embarrassed John I am quite sure there are a lot of man crushs’ on mr Yates. You just have the guts to admit it. I myself would have issues voicing intelligent questions if I met him. It would mostly be ahhhh your great type of things.
This was a great interview and really helps set the mood plus frame the reasons for the rules changes. Great idea especially for the first day.
Love Phil’s interviews
Our clubs waiting for v4 lw and ew conversion books to turn up. I love v3 and all the complexity of that system. I know it’s not everyone’s cuppa tea but I’ve enjoyed exploring v3. V4 is a huge change and it’s going to take a while to fully digest the changes and see how it plays on the tabletop
sounds better.
Im not surprised Rob is first in line.
Thanks for the interview, quite informative.
I was very glad to hear Phil talk about the reasons behind the morale rule changes. Most of what was changing I understood from get go, but the new system was puzzling me. I look forward to see how they get at the bigger later war units later.
Liking the sound of these changes.
Great interview. I cant wait to try it. Phil, will battlefront produce a new series of boot camp YouTube video. It was very useful and instrumental in helping me understand 3rd edition and get into this game.
New rules cannot get here fast enough!
It would seem since the unit cards are so integral to this edition of the game it would have been nice to have seen some in the video.
Can’t wait for the Americans to come into the picture!
Dropping alot of the complexity will hopefully encourage more players
I personally think battlefront have handled the release poorly. They were not upfront totally with how the new army lists worked and let people run off at tangents due to glimpses. I guess they assumed we all played team Yankee….
the man himself
For new players this will be a good jump on point. My late war Germans look like they will have to be reorganized for the new rules but that’s half the fun.
I have been debating getting into FOW and wargaming in general and I think this video just convinced me to start V4
Its awesome seeing Oriskany involved in this, always admired his work on this website!
Thanks very much, @kavallier
FoW 3rd was pretty tough for a newb like me to pick up without someone to explain it all to me. I will be giving FoW 4 a good looking over.
Can’t wait to check it out.
Like that it gets more streamlined, there are many confusing rules for a new player as it is now
interested to see exactly how the army lists function now
I’m especially glad the assault rules are simplified.
Found with v3 always needed to check back to rulebook throughout the game which slowed it down. With V4 sounds like that won’t be necessary. Hopefully they will bring out sets of unit cards for current v3 editions.
Just getting in to FOW and Team Yankee , glad I can just learn new rules not looked at old one . Just one question I got Montys hounds will I be able to get unit cards for all the units in the box .
Great interview, really looking forward to playing v4
sounds like one great overhaul, nice interview.
It’s always nice to be picking up a game as a new edition comes out.
The fewer pages will be a nice change.
And if the Team Yankee rules are anything to go by this will make the games a lot easier to follow.
I like flavour text in the rules because it gives it that little much extra but it can sometimes be a bit confusing and if I re-read the rules I mostly skip it.
Good that the rules are cleaned up like this. Games will speed up a lot.
I often use the measure of how complex a document/book is to read by the number of fingers you need to read it. E.g. I’m trying to understand a rule on page 76 that”s referring me to page 23 which in turn points me to a definition on page 5 and a table on page 196… that’s 4 fingers!
Looks like, thanks to the cards, this’ll be a 2 finger book at worst!
Phil looks in good form. Not surprising, given the success of the launch. Glad to hear that they are expanding the British options.
Just been getting into early war painting an entire kradschutzen company – phew.
AND … had to get into Team Yankee – russians – phew
Can’t wait to see the effects on Early/Late with the upcomming supplements.
I have just started playing FoW (thanks to your FoW FTW), and I was a bit worried that V4 would remove som of all the different units and equipment that you can field in V3 (wich was one of the resons i got in to this game). But after hearing this interview, I am not that scared anymore.
V4 here I come…
Have the rules for Recon units changed between 3rd & 4th editions?
If V4 is a bust atleast we get plastic kits for V3
Some changes I’m not sure if I will like. Have to play it to see how it goes down. I enjoyed the bogging down rule personally. Saved me several times…also hurt me several times. Still enjoyed it though
Hope this brings in new players. Streamlining always helps.
Really like the idea of unit cards, looking forward to trying this out.
I love building and painting FOW but I never played because the rules,seemed so complex. But now with the simplification I’m all in can’t wait.
All I wanted and more! Im glad im fully supporting V4!
Nice vid to hear about the changes in 4th edition. Always apprehensive when rules are being streamlined but if it is just eliminating fat then I’m all for a leaner meaner version of FOW.
Any changes we can look forward to in terms of the Eastern Front?
All good sounding stuff that they are changing. Specially in how you build your force. Historical way is still there but I love that I can have some fun building what I want.
I am very excited about the new rules and the unit cards. These seem to be key to the changes in the game. I hope they will sell unit cards for the units I have already built.
Quit playing FoW because the rules were just too immense. Hard to get people to start playing with such a thick rulebook. Also, with so many rules my opponent and I were constantly referring to the rulebook during the game. I love Team Yankee and the simpler rulebook. Doesn’t mean it was simple in tactics but easier to get people to play. Also, my opponents and I don’t have to keep referring to a rulebook while we play. Glad to see the change.
Very useful interview!
Thanks Phil and guys. This interview has put my concerns about V4 to rest. Such as how can you reduce the rule book by two thirds and say we get something better. By taking out all flavour text goes a long way to achieving this. I was very pleased that the double movement rules of V3 has been changed as they killed any vehicle that relied on speed rather than armour such as the U.S. M18 and Russian BT tanks. The changes to artillery sound great. Finally you can use them in one of their historical roles of area denial and the blocking of enemy movement.
Really great interview guys. 🙂
Good interview! Would have loved to hear about the scenarios mentioned earlier, but that might come up later this weekend, else I´ll just await the v4 book itself.
What I get as obvious “Pros” for the 4th ed are
New arty rules! Great, sounds way better speaking rules wise and for the “realism”
Cards! I like, incorporating rules on them as in TY was very handy, even if some more conservative player disslike I do think they are great.
Moral rolled for ´during a “moral-sequence” in the turn is much smoother then before. Also the part of aiming for those odd nrs in list building gave me a good laught! 😀
I am divided about the new “double move”, no x2 RoF. Perhaps its enougth to sacrify the shooting. I´ll have to test it befor I can say I like this change.
Removal of the flavor text is something I mind a bit as I usually reffered to FoWs rules as a good example of how to teach some a set of rules; First with a flavor text that explains whats going on and what the rules are meant to simulate followed by the rules itself, both IMO clearly divided. But I guess that it cuts down a lot of text, which is obviously scarry for som folks, and is instead accompanied with side notes and small scetches. This may well be much better than before. But damned I liked those old flavor texts.
Bogging was a good rules, in my opinion. Takes med out the field when driving of with my companie through terrain during games/exercises. There always that one wagon that gets stuck, breaks a track or something which I belived everybody could relate to with the bogging rules, specially under heavy stress. Also this was a bit of psycological tactic on mmight part, to lure the enemy into trying to force there way through difficult terrain and getting stuck only to become surrounded by infantry. But of course, this was a bit of bogging for the game in whole in some occassions.
I hope the new scenarios are good! No more of that reserves mess the games has been for lately! Cause when I think about it most of the aboves a Pros for Flames of War, and that actually great! 😀 Where do I buy my 1941 Soviet deck?!
Really looking forward to jumping in
Definitely will be giving v4 a try, really like the changes.
I can’t wait for the Italian book as I have a large early-mid war army for 3rd ed and want to see how it plays out in 4th
I’m in! Gimme all the lovely tanks!
Really interesting vid. Great questions. All hail Phil Yates!
Seconded. 😀
Must…not…buy…new…game!!!
I played briefly many moons ago but got bogged down so sold my Germans now I’m tempted for another go
A great insight and explanation into why they have made changes. Good stuff Phil.
still sound complicated
Good job Phil can’t wait for my new book
Cant wait to try V4
Like the change to the rules. Hope to see simplified assault rules.
Glad to hear the rules have been simplified and I love having unit cards.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I played way back in version 2 and moved to Bolt Action, but wanted to play some larger battles with FoW, too – but version 3 seemed a little intimidating – and trying to mix it up and do some mid-war and tank stuff looked cumbersome. I’m SO GLAD that they did some streamlining and have made some easy entry points in a part of the history that I don’t want to mess with in Bolt Action. Thank you for arranging this interview!!
Looking forward to playing V4
I’m a little lost. I played a demo game of this a couple of years ago but didn’t enjoy it that much. The boot camp is making it look a lot more appealing.
Great video chat with Phil
Damn it, the sim plied rules is starting to get to me….. Damn you @warzan, if I get into this game, you’re not getting your Anzac bikkies this year!!
A more streamlined and simplar rules system sounds good…..makes picking up the rules a lot faster and easier…
I am glad they looked at “At the Double”… i never saw anyone use it in game because of the nasty consequences.
Its nice to see when actual rules development is taken seriously.
Remove over complication and clutter, and get the core rules delivering the game play you intend.
Looking at what you have written with a critical eye, and changing what is needed takes commitment.Looking forward to reading the new rules …
Looking forward to seeing the cards. Very glad they have simplified the rules
There are some big changes there and good changes too.
I have not played yet, but the streamlining and the reference cards are the best way to go.
Excited to try this out!
Really happy to hear about more maneuvering. A less static game is always good. Being a Brit player loving the artillery changes. I was often frustrated with not being able to range in on a spot of terrain or something, especially for smoke bombardments.
I would have liked to hear more about the assaulting rules as they always felt clunky to me.
The rule book has “1942-1943.” Does that mean that there will be more rule books for each period (early/mid/late) – or do the unit cards cover the differences?
Wargaming Illustrated has a good article on this. helps a lot in understanding the changes and how they changed in sequence. if you into FOW worth picking up.
Great insight
Good to hear, I’m tired of overly complex rules.
I got my V3 rules, but never actually played. I’m interested in giving this set of rules a try.
terrific interview!
a very nice compliment to the WWPD interviews with BF staff.
If it plays smoother and with less referencing the books it should be a plus!
After having played like 6 games and just seeing this interview now I have to say: good job! Battlefront – Phil especially – really achieved what they are trying to do with the new rules.
– get rid of unneeded complexity, while keeping the flavour of different units, nations, etc.
– fast streamlined rules, which scale better
– having units perform more like they did historically
I really like it. And I already liked 3rd edition. But this is better!