More Lessons From the Front

With the arrival of the second edition of Flames Of War the old Lessons From the Front are no longer relevant. However, with
a variety of changes in the new edition, there are a number of new questions players are asking. This document answers some
of these questions.

Flames Of War (2nd Edition)

An important point to remember when reading the new rules Page 69 (47): Armoured Vehicle Saves
is that the summary boxes contain condensed versions of the The rule says that I add +1 to the armour rating if the range
rule, not the actual rule (which often differ slightly from the to all teams is over 16”/40cm. does that mean I only need to
actual rule in the interests of keeping the summary short). If get one team within 16”/40cm to avoid the penalty for the
you have any difficulty interpreting the summary box, read whole platoon?
the main rule. Technically, yes, that is what the rules say. However, what is in-
The following questions and answers should make the rules teresting is that what was originally a simplification has become
clearer in places. Page numbers in brackets are for the mini an oddity. This rule was written long, long ago to make cases
rulebook. where a platoon straddles the 16”/40cm range bracket simpler,
they all count the same and you can just roll for them all at
Page 25 (4): Basing Your Miniatures once.
Are the basing guidelines a rule?
Over time we moved away from the very basic platoon vs platoon
Yes. The book uses brown boxes to highlight text in general. shooting to the team vs platoon concept as this resolves a lot of
Although rules summaries are in brown boxes, not everything in silly situations such as a player driving a jeep into close range so
a brown box is a rules summary. In this case, the rules are not that their guns sitting back at long range get better penetration!
given elsewhere, so cannot be a summary. Unfortunately the rule as written doesn’t support this and we
Page 26 (5): Fully Armoured didn’t notice the issue when rewriting.
My Sd Kfz 231 armoured car has 6mm of armour on the Since the game was first published we have played the way most
roof, yet is rated as Top armour 0. Is it Fully-armoured? people do, that is, roll to hit separately with teams at long and
No. To be Fully-armoured a team must have a Top armour rating short range, and then roll saves separately depending on the
of 1 or 2. Armoured cars have vulnerable wheels and suspension range of the team scoring the hit. This makes far more sense and
so their Top armour rating is reduced to 0 to reflect this. Their we would strongly recommend playing this way.
Top armour rating means that they are rated as Open-topped Page 101 (79): Pinning Down the Assault
Armoured Tank teams in the game to reflect their vulnerability. The rules say that an Armoured vehicle can launch an assault
Page 32 (10): How to Build an Army while Pinned Down, but only Fully-armoured Tank teams
Can I use units or warriors from one book with a force from do not fall back if they are Pinned Down by Defensive Fire.
another? Is this right?
No. Unless explicitly allowed in the book, a force must come from Yes. An open-topped tank is still able to assault if pinned down
one book. Of course in a friendly game you can mix and match as once they get close enough to the defenders, the enemy fire that
to fit a historical situation if your opponent agrees. was pinning them down tends to slacken. Unless the defenders
can keep them inside their vehicles and unable to fight with their
Page 50 (28): Independent Team’s Transport own fire, the open-topped tank will be able to charge home and
In the US Armored Rifle Company HQ, which transport fight.
belongs to which Independent team?
Page 104 (82): Infantry Anti-tank Ratings
The transport is allocated to the section, so either team may ride
This rule gives the Anti-tank rating for Infantry teams in an
in either vehicle.
assault, but the Anti-tank rating of Gun teams in an assault
isn’t given anywhere.
Gun teams have an Anti-tank rating of 2 in assaults, just like
Infantry teams.
Page 110 (88): Break Off Page 174 (140): Tally Ho!
What happens to leaderless platoons that must Break Off. The fluff text for the Tally Ho! rule talks about tanks with
The rule requires them to remain In Command, but they 2 pdr and 6 pdr guns, but there are no tanks listed in Afrika
have no Command team. and Ostfront with the Tally Ho! rule and a 6 pdr gun.
They must attempt to remain within Command Distance of each Correct. There are no tanks with both the Tally Ho! rule and a
other as they would if they had a Platoon Command team. 6 pdr gun.
Page 121 (99): Artillery Page 181 (143): Tankodesantniki
The artillery summary mentions re-rolling ranging in rolls Tankodesantniki are separate teams from their tanks, right?
against teams moving at the double, but the rules don’t have Yes. They have special rules to make modelling them easier if you
anything about it. do not want to dismount them and to allow them to co-operate
This was an idea experimented with during development that with the tanks, but they are separate teams.
was accidentally left in the summaries. The rules say that hits must be allocated to the tankodesant-
niki teams before their tanks in assaults. Does this include
Page 137 (115): Aircraft
hits from defensive fire.
Some aircraft rules talk about measuring from the aircraft
mounting point. What is this? No. The rule only applies to hits in assault combats, not to any
shooting.
It is the point on the base where the aircraft’s mounting rod
attaches to it. Can I purchase more than one Tankodesantniki team per
tank? If that is the case, what are the changes to the rules
The aircraft summary mentions re-rolling ranging in rolls
aside from the 3+ save going to 5+?
against teams moving at the double, but the rules don’t have
anything about it. No. The rules for having more than one on a tank simply allow
for tank casualties making the riders have to double up.
This was an idea experimented with during development that
was accidentally left in the summaries. Do Tankodesantniki teams ignore Pinned Down results from
enemy shooting as opposed to in Defensive Fire?
Page 143 (121): Original Target Destroyed They are Pinned Down as normal in both cases. They can ignore
When you pick a new target for the aircraft when their the rule preventing the company from continuing the assault if
original target was destroyed, do you have to reposition them they are Pinned Down, but they are still Pinned Down.
and recheck the safety distance?
Can a Tankovy Company with Tankodesantniki launch an
No. They remain where they are. assault if it starts the Assault Step Pinned Down?
Page 167 (137): Mounted Assault No. Since it contains Infantry teams, it cannot launch an assault.
I have an Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon that is mounted However, if it was only Pinned Down by Defensive Fire, after
in their half-tracks, but Pinned Down. Can I move it closer it had launched its assault, it would not fall back, but would
to the enemy? continue the assault.
Yes you can. The half-tracks are Armoured vehicles, so they can Page 184 (146): Making Combat Attachments
move freely while Pinned Down. The Infantry teams inside are Are attachments from Weapons platoons and the Company
carried along for the ride. When the infantry dismount, they’ll HQ on a team-by-team or squad basis?
still be Pinned Down and still unable to move closer to the enemy
Both are on a team-by-team basis.
though.
How do I move my unattached HQ support weapons around
Can they launch an assault?
the battlefield? They are a leaderless platoon and cannot
No. Only a platoon made up entirely of Armoured Tank teams move.
can assault while Pinned Down. The platoon contains Transport
Keep the 2iC Command team with them. That way you can join
teams, so it must fall back.
them in the Movement Step giving them a temporary Platoon
If they were not Pinned Down and did assault, would they Command team and allowing them to move.
fall back if they were Pinned Down by Defensive Fire?
What if the 2iC is an infantry team and the HQ support
Yes. Only platoons of Fully-armoured Tank teams can continue weapons are mortars. If someone shoots the mortars, he can’t
the assault if Pinned Down by Defensive Fire. join them can he as he is a different type of team.
If they only took one hit in Defensive Fire, but it Destroyed An Independent team can join any platoon at any time, so if
a half-track and Pinned Down the platoon, could they you want to join them when shot at, you can. The rule you are
continue or must they fall back? referring to would not force them to join since they are a different
They were Pinned Down by Defensive Fire, so they must fall type of team, but doesn’t stop them from doing so voluntarily.
back. Assaulting anti-tank guns in tin cans isn’t a good idea.
Can I include HQ Support Weapons in a Kampfgruppe? Page 252 (163): Quick Reference Sheet
Yes, Simply assign them to one of the Combat platoons and then The Break Off summary says ‘Move 4”/10cm from enemy.’
include them in the Kampfgruppe. Does this mean that they can only move 4”/10cm?
No. The summary is merely reminding you to move at least
Page 202 & 203 (156 & 157): Free-for-all and Encounter 4”/10cm from the enemy. As stated on page 88, you may move
The player that finishes deploying first gets a +1 bonus on up to your full movement distance.
their roll to see who starts first. Do Independent teams count
as deploying for this rule, or is it just platoons.
Only count platoons for this rule, not Independent teams. The
player that finishes deploying their platoons first gains the +1
bonus.

Afrika
Some of these questions only apply to the first print run and Page 30: Pioneer Platoon
are marked *. Can the Pioneer Platoon have flame-throwers?
Be sure to download the corrections from the website if you No. They were not issued to Panzer battalion pioneer platoons.
have a copy from the first print run (check page 211, if the
Bazooka team is not listed as Tank Assault 4, you have a copy Page 41: Grenadierkompanie*
from the first print run). Can a Grenadierkompanie have an Assault troop as a Weapons
Platoon in Afrika?
Points Changes No. Assault Troops were used in street fighting on the Eastern
Why have some units changed in points, but not all? Front, not in the Mediterranean.
Many points values were already correct for the new edition.
While we attempted to bring the points values into line across all Italian
types of companies for the remaining units, we also attempted to
Page 71: 8 Million Bayonets
minimise the changes to existing books. Where the change would
Since I do not know the Skill rating of my troops when I
have been small, we generally left the values the same.
deploy them, but must deploy in command, how far apart
may I deploy?
German You may deploy as if your troops had the best Skill rating they
Page 25: Generalfeldmarshall Erwin Rommel could have. This may result in them being out of command once
Is Rommel a Warrior Tank team or a Warrior Transport you roll for their ratings.
team?
Rommel travels in an Sd Kfz 250 half-track which is a Transport Page 73: Compagnia Carri
team, making him a Warrior Transport team. Italian companies are allowed to take a German Artillery
Battery as a Support choice. Can this be one of the division-
Page 27: Panzerkompanie specific options like the 15cm (Sf ) Lorraine Schlepper?
Is Schürzen now available to Panzer III L tanks in Tunisia? No. The units assigned to support the Italians were equipped
No. The company organisations now cover Italy as well as Africa. with the standard weaponry.
The new options are to cover the Italian campaigns and are not
relevant to Africa. Page 74: Self-propelled 75/18 Platoon*
A Self-propelled 75/18 Platoon is listed as a Support choice,
What about the 7.5cm PaK40 anti-tank guns in divisional
but the heading says Weapons Platoon.
support?
The heading in the middle of the page should be Support Platoons,
Likewise, the option is for divisions in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy.
not Weapons Platoons.
If my company is based on the Tunisia/Sicily/Italy option, is it
restricted to certain models of tank like 10. Panzerdivision? British
We did not include restrictions on the additional Tunisia/
Page 127: Royal Artillery
Sicily/Italy option. However, they had the same range of tanks
What does the Command team in the HQ Troop do?
as 10. Panzerdivision and it makes sense to use the same
restrictions. This team acts as a 2iC Command team for this platoon only.
If they join either Gun Troop, they become the Troop’s Platoon
Command team.
Page 134: Australian Battalions*
Do Heavy Mortar Platoons supporting Australians pay
United States
+20 points for the HQ Section? Page 159: Recon Platoons
No. Heavy Mortar Platoons are -20 points per Mortar Section. The limit on Recon Platoons is now 0 to 3 for Tank
The cost of the HQ Section does not decrease. Companies. Wasn’t there only one such recon platoon per
battalion, not three?
Page 135: Divisional Cavalry Squadron* Correct. However, armoured regiments grouped these into a regi-
What type of company is a Divisional Cavalry Squadron? mental reconnaissance company. In Stars and Stripes there was
The type of company was left off. A Divisional Cavalry Squadron no limit on these platoons. In Afrika the limit is three platoons.
is a Tank Company.
Page 162: Truck-borne Company
Page 137: New Zealand Battalions Is the Truck-borne Company (a variant on an Armored
The New Zealand variant says you can take Light or Heavy Rifle Company) a Mechanised Company or an Infantry
Armoured Platoons, or Tank Platoons equipped with Company?
Sherman III tanks as New Zealand Platoons. Can you take It is a variant on the Armored Rifle Company which is a
other types of Tank Platoon as well? Mechanised Company, so it is a Mechanised Company.
No. These are the only types of tanks that supported the New
Zealand Division over this period. Page 164: Armored Recon Platoon
The Portee rule talks about ‘Tank Teams’. However, the US
Page 140 Indian Army Special Rules* Armored Recon Platoon’s 60mm mortars can be mounted in
The Indian Special Rule is “North-West Frontier”. However, the jeeps as Portee. Does this then turn this particular jeep
this slightly differs from “Mountaineers” in the main rules. into a Tank Team?
Afrika was completed before the Mountaineers rule in the main No. It is still a Transport team. The rule should refer to Tank and
rules was written in its final form. The US Rangers’ No Obstacle Transport teams.
Too Tough rule and the Commando’s Mind and Heart rule
likewise differ. You should use the Mountaineer’s rule instead. Page 210: US Arsenal
The M1A1 75mm pack howitzer has Smoke but no Smoke
Page 207: British Arsenal Bombardment.
How come he M3 ‘Honey’ Stuart has No HE when the US Correct. They cannot parachute in enough smoke to fire a sus-
one does, but the Churchill III has HE while the Soviet one tained smoke bombardment.
doesn’t?
British light tanks were expected to engage enemy tanks and so
were not issued HE ammunition. On the other hand, Churchill
tanks were expected to engage infantry and guns, so were issued
the first batches of HE ammunition which was not sent to the
Soviet Union until later in the war.
The CS tanks often have ‘CS smoke’ as a direct fire attribute.
Is this identical to plain ‘Smoke’?
Yes.
The British Kittyhawk has a To Hit number of 3+ for its MG’s
while the US P40 Warhawk has a To Hit number of 2+.
Correct. The British Kittyhawk had four machine-guns. The
later models used by the USAAF had six guns. Few of the later
models served with the RAF in the Mediterranean.
Ostfront
Some of these questions only apply to the first print run and
are marked *.
Italian
Be sure to download the corrections from the website if you Page 102: 8 Million Bayonets
have a copy from the first print run (check page 201, if the Since I do not know the Skill rating of my troops when I
Il-2 Shturmovik is not listed as a Flying Tank, you have a deploy them, how far apart may I deploy?
copy from the first print run). You may deploy as if your troops had the best Skill rating they
could have. This may result in them being out of command once
Points Changes you roll for their ratings.
Why have some units changed in points, but not all?
Many points values were already correct for the new edition. Romanian
While we attempted to bring the points values into line across all
Page 123: Mortar Platoon*
types of companies for the remaining units, we also attempted to
Why does the Mortar Platoon have horse-drawn transport?
minimise the changes to existing books. Where the change would
They are man-packed guns and move at the same speed.
have been small, we generally left the values the same.
Correct. They should be ignored as they are of no value.
German Soviet
Page 39: Light Anti-tank Gun Platoon*
Are the 5cm PaK38 guns counted as portees when mounted Inside Front Cover: Sample Army*
on their Sd Kfz 10 half-tracks? The points for the Guards Rocket Mortar Battery seem odd.
No. They are permanently mounted on a forward-facing hull They are indeed. It should be 105 points for the Rocket Mortar
mount and cannot dismount. Platoon.

Page 41: Aufklärungs­schwadron* Page 155: Kazachya Sotnya

Should an Aufklärungs­schwadron have Aufklärungs Platoons Why is this a Mechanised Company rather than an Infantry
and Armoured Car Platoons as Support choices? Company, especially when a German Panzer­grenadier­
kompanie mounted in trucks is still an Infantry Company.
No. They are Combat and Weapons choices, so there is no need to
take them as Support Choices. The Cossacks were normally used in offensives and rarely defended
a fixed position as they lose most of their benefits when they do
Can an Armoured Aufklärungs Platoon make a mounted so. As a Mechanised Company, they get to make full use of their
assault? mobility against Infantry Companies.
Yes. They are just Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoons The motorised Panzergrenadiers have greater strategic mobility
mounted in different half-tracks. in their trucks, but close to the front line and in rough terrain,
Page 52: Luftwaffefeldkompanie* they must leave their trucks and walk while the cavalry are still
Does a Artillery Battery equipped with 12cm mortars need operating mounted.
a Staff teams? Page 157: Cossack Anti-tank Rifle Platoon*
No. Remove the staff team from any Artillery Battery equipped The PTRD anti-tank rifles are Man-packed Gun teams with
with 12cm sGW43 mortars. a 5+ save. When they mount up as Cavalry do they get the
3+ save for being Cavalry?
Hungarian Yes. They cannot shoot while mounted as cavalry, so they spread
Page 92: Mortar Platoon* out an move fast like normal Cavalry teams.
Why does the Mortar Platoon have horse-drawn transport? Page 163: Mortar Company*
They are man-packed guns and move at the same speed. Why does the Strelkovy Mortar Company have horse-drawn
Correct. They should be ignored as they are of no value. transport? They are man-packed guns and move at the same
speed.
Correct. They should be ignored as they are of no value.
Page 165: Tankovy Company In the organisation diagrams the anti-tank gun is called
What sort of Tankovy Company can I take as a Support 45mm obr 1937, but in the arsenal it is 45 mm obr 1938.
choice for my Strelkovy Batalon? It should be 45mm obr 1937.
Any Tankovy Company. You can take a Light, Medium, Heavy, The Tachanka is a Portee and an HMG Carrier. How does
or T-26 Tankovy Company. this work?
Page 166: Artillery Battalion* The Tachanka doesn’t really need to be an HMG Carrier since it
Is the Artillery Battalion Corps Support as shown in the page does not carry an HMG team. It is a Portee that can dismount
heading? its weapon as a Maksim HMG team.
No. The page heading is incorrect. It is only support for a The Aircraft section of the arsenals show a multi-weapon
Strelkovy Batalon. plane can use one Or the other, whereas the rulebook does
not have the word Or. Is there any significance to this?
Page 199: Soviet Arsenal* None at all. In both cases the aircraft chooses which weapon they
The T-70 obr 42 is repeated, but the second one has wide will use each turn that they attack.
tracks.
The second one is the T-70 obr 43.

Flames Of War Mini Rulebook

Please note that the mini rulebook does not include rules for Page 27: Command and Movement
field engineering and street fighting. These are in the main The first paragraph only applies if the Command team
rulebook as are not used in most games. actually moved. It does not have to move. The rule should
There are three changes between the free mini rule book and read:
the hardback full rule book.
STAY TOGETHER
Page 17: Moving in Buildings A Platoon Command team that moves must end the
The second bullet point should refer to any movement, not Movement Step with at least half of the teams in their
the Movement Step. The rule should read: platoon (not counting Transport teams) In Command.

INFANTRY TEAMS Page 58. Awkward Layout

Infantry teams may only enter a building through an The rule is incomplete. It should read:
opening such as a window or door. To enter a building Tank teams with awkward layout cannot shoot their
a team must either: main weapon in the Shooting Step if they move in the
• start its movement adjacent to the opening, or Movement Step.
• be able to reach an opening that had a friendly team
start its movement adjacent to it.