Flames of War Mid War Draft Primer

Draft Primer Missions –
NOVA Open 2014
Flames of War
The NOVA Open’s FoW Team
The following document contains draft missions to help
prepare for and offer input on the final primer missions for
the 2014 NOVA Open Flames of War Events. Your input is
welcome via e-mail at [email protected].
The NOVA Open, LLC
Hyatt Regency
Crystal
City, VA
NOVA Open 2014 FoW Draft Mission Primers
Relevant to the 2014 NOVA Open Flames of War Events
Table of Contents
Overarching Rules ................................................................................................................................... 1-1
Primer Rationale
1-1
1.0 Tournament Format .................................................................................................................... 1-1
2.0 Tournament Awards ................................................................................................................... 1-1
3.0 Overall Mission Guidance.......................................................................................................... 1-2
3.1
Terrain at the NOVA ................................................................................................. 1-2
3.2
Army Lists / Army Specifics / Points Sizes .............................................................. 1-4
3.3
General Mission Rules and Terminology ................................................................. 1-4
3.3.1
Mission Special Rules ............................................................................... 1-4
3.3.2
Points/Victory Points ................................................................................ 1-4
Dust Up (Round 1) ........................................................................................................................... 1-5
Breakthrough (Round 2) ................................................................................................................... 1-6
Fighting Withdrawal (Round 3) ....................................................................................................... 1-7
Encounter (Junkyard Battles, Both Rounds) .................................................................................... 1-8
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NOVA Open 2014 FoW Draft Mission Primers
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Overarching Rules
Primer Rationale
You’ll notice several changes in this draft primer. Your input as a potential attendee is strongly requested.
Here’s the rationale for a couple of the changes you’ll see within:



Three events – We’re having three one-day
events this year. Play in one, two, or all three!
We’ll be having a Mid War Open tournament,
a Late War Normandy Theatre Red vs Blue
tournament, and a special “Junkyard Battles”
for a nice, relaxed finale on Sunday.
1500 Points – All three events will be held at
1500 points. Nice, quick, and simple!
Domination Missions – No more domination
missions.
1.0 Tournament Format
The NOVA Open’s Flames of War MW
tournament is a three round tournament held on
Friday. This tournament will be open, allowing
all lists from North Africa, Eastern Front, and any
applicable release or updates in 2014. Matching
will be done by tournament points only.
The LW tournament is three round D-Day
specific tournament held on Saturday. Matching
will be strict Red vs Blue and participation slots
are limited accordingly.
Sportsmanship at the NOVA Open
The NOVA Open prides itself on a tradition of
sportsmanship, and on the high marks attendees
year after year give to the atmosphere and
sportsmanship experienced at the NOVA Open.
To that end:
Speaking on Sportsmanship and what constitutes a
true winner, Jesse Owens once said,
 "[Winning] starts with complete command of the
fundamentals. Then it takes desire,
determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. And
finally, it takes a great deal of love, fairness and
respect for your fellow man. Put all these
together, and even if you don't win, how can you
lose?"
At the Open, we understand that not every player
will become best friends. However, we do ask that
you treat your fellow competitors with the respect
you would accord a peer while you are here.
On Sunday, there will be a LW “Junkyard
NOVA event organizers would prefer that you
Battles” tournament. Here, you bring the worst
restrict your battles to the tabletop and that every
list possible, and your opponent will play it each
game end with a hearty handshake!
round. This event will only be two rounds and
will use Encounter with the addition of counting
points killed. This is a casual minded event and scores from it will not be submitted to any rankings
websites. Please keep in mind your opponents will be handling your models in this event, and NOVA
Open is not responsible for any damages or losses incurred.
2.0 Tournament Awards
The NOVA Open considers Flames of War to be a multi-faceted hobby, with both gaming and artistic
components. As a result, the overall winner of the NOVA Open, its Renaissance Man or Best Overall, is
determined by equal parts Artistic and Competitive Score. Both scores are normalized to a percentage of
possible, and then added together. The highest score wins Best Overall – Renaissance Man.
In addition to Best Overall, the NOVA Open awards several prizes based upon participation in various
subcomponents of the hobby. The top three players in terms of VP will receive awards based on standing.
Awards and prizes will also be given to our highest appearance score (as voted on by appearance judges).
In terms of prestige, the NOVA Open values its awards (and assigns sponsor-donated prizes accordingly)
in the following order:
1. Renaissance Man (Best Overall, 50/50 Appearance/Competitive)
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2. Tournament Champion (Highest VP)
3. Master Engineer (Highest Appearance)
4. Field Marshal (2nd Highest VP)
5. Brigadier (3rd Highest VP)
In terms of qualifications to the Battlefront U.S. Nationals (if qualifications come back), and the rankings
submitted to any rankings websites for Flames of War standings, these will be assigned in order of VP
earned. A possible exception will be made, if necessary, to allow the winner of the Renaissance Man
award to receive a Nationals qualifying spot (if applicable) if he would not normally receive on otherwise,
pending Battlefront’s approval.
The “Junkyard Battles” event will have a different prize structure. There will not be any appearance
scores for this event.
1. Scrapmaster (Highest Score)
2. Militiaman (2nd Highest Score)
3.0 Overall Mission Guidance
3.1
Terrain at the NOVA
Fairness / Terrain Abstractions
The NOVA Open’s application of Terrain Rules may in some cases seem abstract. This is done purely to
ensure fairness across all tables, and no punishment or advantage to any player as a result of aesthetically
pleasing terrain design. For example, desert and snow tables are designed with the intent of playing open
ground as cross-country terrain. Players are welcome to use the special desert and snow rules if they
desire, but both players must agree to this to do so.
There are no ruins on the Flames of War tables at NOVA. All structures are to be played as buildings,
using the rules for buildings found in the main rulebook. As stated above, this is to keep a level of
fairness across all the tables.
Expect standard terrain to be used, including buildings, roads, hedges, walls, crop fields, and woods. We
will also use some boccage (but not entire boccage boards), patches of soft snow and soft sand, and some
water features (to include impassable ponds and difficult going streams).
Hills: All hills are to be played with true line of sight with the following exceptions. Hills are slow-going
terrain. This results in hills being played effectively as plateaus. There is no center crest. All hills are at
least one-inch tall, and will hide any team completely on one side of the hill from a team completely on
the other side of the hill. We suggest players verbally mention their intention if a team is out of line of
sight due to a hill. If a player wishes to claim “hull down” concealment from a hill, part of the team must
be on the upward slope of the hill, and the player should state their intent to be visible, but concealed.
Woods: Woods are designated as trees on a felt tree mat. All woods are difficult-going area terrain. The
entire felt mat counts as woods, regardless of size. If it’s on a felt mat, and appears to be a tree line, it still
counts as woods. There are no forests or tree lines on the NOVA tables.
Single Trees: There may be some scattered single free standing trees, not attached to a felt mat. These are
mostly for decoration and to accent other terrain pieces. A canny player may be able to obtain
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concealment using these trees, but should not be able to block LOS with them. As always, state your
intention with your opponent. Single trees do not count as concealment from aircraft.
Buildings: All structures used in the NOVA are buildings. There are no ruins. All buildings used by the
NOVA have removable roofs. Buildings have a number of levels equal to the number of floors with
windows visible on any one side of the building. Buildings can hold a number equal to the amount of
teams you can place inside the building multiplied by the number of levels of the building. Example: If
you can fit two teams inside the building, and there are three stories of windows on the front of the
building, the building can hold six teams. Some large buildings may have multiple interior compartments.
In this case, each compartment counts as a separate building for the purpose of bunker buster weapons.
Crop fields: Crop fields are slow area terrain. Crop fields block LOS between infantry, man-packed and
light gun teams. Any LOS involving medium, heavy, or immobile gun teams, or vehicles of any kind is
simply concealed.
Hedges: Small hedges based on popsicle sticks. Hedges are difficult-going linear obstacles.
Boccage: The world famous Lukage. Boccage is a very difficult linear obstacle. Teams wishing to cross
boccage must start their movement step adjacent to it. Teams may not end movement on boccage.
Boccage blocks LOS to all teams not adjacent to it and provide bullet-proof cover. Remember that
boccage provides concealment from aircraft. Do not expect to see entire tables of Boccage, but rather
small sections of it on some tables.
Low-lying walls: Made of bricks, stone, or sandbags. Walls are difficult-going linear obstacles that
provide bullet-proof cover.
Streams: Any streams being used are the Battlefront pieces. They count as streams and are difficult to
cross. All rivers will have at least one bridge, which counts as open terrain, and at least one ford, which
counts as slow terrain. There may also be some small, disjointed river sections without bridges (example
might be a small section between two woods.) No, you cannot dig-in in a river.
Other water features: There may be some enclosed water features such as ponds. This is impassible area
terrain. Objectives may not be placed here.
Deep snow/soft sand/plowed field: Represented by bare white felt/bare light tan felt/bare dark brown felt,
respectively. This is difficult-going area terrain. Teams cannot dig in while in deep snow/soft sand.
Terrain does not provide concealment.
Frozen lake: Represented by a piece of white/light blue felt with ice crack designs on it. Frozen lakes are
cross-country terrain. However, an armored vehicle attempting to cross the lake needs to roll a D6, add
three, and if the result is less than the vehicles front armor, it falls through the ice. The vehicle is
destroyed. Leave the vehicle on table approximately halfway through its attempted movement on the
frozen lake. The exact spot where the vehicle resides is impassable than the vehicles front armor, the team
is destroyed as it falls through the ice!
Brushfields: Light tan felt with brush on top. Follows the exact same rules as a woods, but more fitting in
a desert battlefield!
Roads: Roads provide increased movement speed to many types of vehicles. Roads should be selfexplanatory.
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Train tracks: Train tracks are slow going. To promote fairness across tables, in the event that a player has
brought an armored train, the player with the train may elect to remove the train tracks and place their
own using the rules in the main rulebook.
Figure 3.1-1. Terrain at the NOVA Open. This is an example of a board used at NOVA 2012. This
gives you an estimate of the levels of terrain to expect at NOVA 2014.
3.2
Army Lists / Army Specifics / Points Sizes
All army lists published in any current Battlefront Intelligence Briefing, or “Official” .pdfs published on
the website are legal for this event. Any briefings published only in another manner (IE: a Wargames
Illustrated army list) will be judged on a case by case basis. If you wish to play a list from an older book
that has since been “replaced” (IE, Festuring Europa, Earth and Steel) you will need the TO’s approval in
advance. Entries from the Mid War Monsters book are NOT currently allowed.
All events will be 1500 points.
3.3
3.3.1
General Mission Rules and Terminology
Mission Special Rules
All missions will be played straight out of the V3 rulebook, with the exception of the Frontline
Domination mission, which rules and any necessary FAQ will be made publically available prior to the
event.
3.3.2
Points/Victory Points
Victory points will be scored as described in the rulebook. Junkyard Battles will also count army points
destroyed as a tiebreaker, as there will be several ties with only two rounds.
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Primer Rounds
Dust Up (Round 1)
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Breakthrough (Round 2)
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Fighting Withdrawal (Round 3)
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Encounter (Junkyard Battles, Both Rounds)
In addition, players will count up the total points for platoons destroyed. You get full points for a unit
removed from the table, and half points for a unit that was required to make a morale check for any
reason. This will be used as a tiebreaker, as there will likely be multiple people tied with only two rounds.
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