Ostfront Rules A quick play WW2 wargame (2016) Archives

Ostfront Rules A quick play WW2 wargame (2016)

Ostfront Rules A quick play WW2 wargame Ostfront is the result of 5 years of research and play-testing. Its a comprehensive World War 2 system aimed at historical accuracy, balance and fun. The rules have been streamlined over the years, and we would consider it “fast play” – Its quick, brutal and rewards bold commanders with sound tactics.

Ostfront covers infantry, light vehicles, all varieties of tanks and self-propelled guns, artillery in the form of field guns and howitzers, air support and air defense, as well various other forms of support and fortifications. It can be played in any theater of WW2, from North Africa to the Pacific. Aimed at 1/72, 1/100 or smaller scale miniatures. It would also work fine for 28mm.

The Ostfront system is all about combined arms – it plays at a company to battalion level, with the smallest unit being the infantry platoon. Infantry are deployed in bases, each one representing about 25 men for regulars, and about 10 men for the veteran Assault Infantry units. At 1/72 scale we usually use 3-4 miniatures per base, meaning you can make a large amount of bases from any cheap infantry box – one airfix box of 48 miniatures would give you 10 bases.

Tanks are of course a large part of Ostfront battles, with the average game fielding anywhere from 1 to 20 of them per side, sometimes more in larger games. Light vehicles play an important role, and reconnaissance has a tangible effect in-game – he who scouts out the area first can gain a tactical advantage.

We split WW2 into 3 periods, allowing balanced battles to be fought and still capture the feelings of operations like Barbarossa and the Siege of Tobruk. Its not always about who has the most heavy tanks – in fact heavy tanks are somewhat expensive in the points system, due to the difficulty with which they were produced, maintained and transported. During early war players will need to rely on light tanks, infantry, artillery and air strikes to secure their objectives. Mid war covers Kursk style battles – with the Tiger, Panther and Sherman all making an appearance, but before heavier Soviet tanks like the IS-2 or T-34/85 had come into action. Late war covers all the late war toys, from the JagdTiger and Tiger II to the Pershing, to the aforementioned IS-2, among many others.

Ostfront also has a campaign system for combination map-and-tabletop play, allowing you to get that glorious combination of grand strategy and tabletop tactics. The campaign allows up to 5 players to go head-to-head on a map of Europe and North Africa, from Spain to Russia, Scandinavia to Egypt. Each faction fights to control production centres – where they produce more forces each turn, and to spread their supply lines out to the places they need to conquer. A technology race is also implemented, with players who control tech centres able to produce slightly more advanced units – even extending to post war tanks if the game is currently in late war – ever wanted a good reason to use a Maus or IS-3? Well here’s your chance.

Every time forces make contact on the campaign map, an Ostfront tabletop battle is fought, with the amount of points on the campaign map dictating how many points you can use in your table top battle. After the battle the results are applied to the campaign: if you lost 50% of your forces during the game, your force on the Campaign map will also lose 50%. If you were able to win the objectives and cut off your enemies supply train on the table, you will be able to force him back on the campaign map.

This connectedness makes each tabletop battle have a purpose, and adds a lot of flavor to the game as a whole. You might know you’re horribly outnumbered, but you need to give the enemy force a bloody nose while you wait for your main force and your allies to come to your aid, and so you will build a specific list for that game, and that purpose. The campaign also allows for combined attacks, out-flanking maneuvers, encirclement and cutting off of supply lines, and a free-form diplomacy system is also implemented.

Two campaign maps are available for free download, one is a balanced map for a slightly ahistorical but balanced campaign. The other is a realistic map for a more accurate WW2 campaign.