I finally picked up my copy of FotB the other day, and one thing I noticed right away was the size of the box. It is HUGE compared to other standard FFG game expansion boxes. However, when cracked open, I noticed there was a lot of wasted space. Is this a new standard they are going with or what? Does anyone else find it strange. Anyone have a reason? lol

Maybe they felt they needed a bigger box to justify the price tag?

There's no reason this couldn't have come in a smaller sized box like the other expansions.

maybe its like the base game that came in a box that was larger than it needed to be but you can fit another expansion in it. I noticed that FotB would have no trouble fitting another 9 boads plus units in it. (maybe the russians have more releases on the way.... who knows)

Its kind of nice actually. I can almost fit base-game, days of the fox and normandy in one box. (almost)

I like this huge box, congratulations to FFG. I can store my box:

because the FOB storage... men... what is this!!

I'm hoping it's for room for an additional map pack for cities. I'm trying to create a scenario for the third battle of Kharkov and it's tough going without prper city maps. Hopefully some more Russian units will be released as well as the infantry count in the FOTB is less than the British in DotF. Need lots of Russian infantry.

I ended up getting 2 copies of FotB, as I have an idea for a few scenaios (around operation Mars), one which I needed more troops. Im working on a mechanic for the russian side which replicates the uncertainty of what your HQ is willing to provide you during the battle and when (dependent of your local successes during the battle)

Aussie_Digger i see someone has been reading thier Russian front books. Stalin was big on reinforcing success and letting failure die on the vine. of course the officers rarely survied failure. one of the reasons penal battalions had lotrs of former officers

BJaffe01

BJaffe01 said:

haha the large scenario im looking at involves one divsion as being devoted to a penal unit thats why i needed 2 copies need heaps of regular inf, who will be governed by a few ops cards (almost like a beach landing scenario without the beach) scenario is of a small village near Rzhev in early to mid 1942

Divsion 2 will be devoted to any reinforcement that HQ is willing to provide during the battle. (looking at using the round numbered transport markers with each one relating to an involvement from the russian HQ, shuffled then placed # side down on objectives,) the aim will be to take an important objective and to see if HQ will help exploit your sucess with what you need at the time or may relate to a random event. (still working on these)

I do A LOT of reading, im hooked on WW2 so much to it (my book shelf is full). I can read one book then when im finished there will be another 5 I want to read because of what I have learned from that one (I think my fiancee is pretty sick of hearing about war...)

Aussie_Digger said:

Based on the time it took to get this expansion, we may not be seeing another one for some time, as crappy as that is.

Aussie_Digger that sounds like my bookshelf. if you are going to set the scenario in 1942 do not forget the NKVD blocking units who where set up to block retreats by Soviet troops.

BJaffe01

BJaffe01 said:

Already on it, was going to have something in my HQ events to deal with it at a random time during the battle (so could happen early on or later, something like roll 4 dice for all all div 1 squads located on on map boards blah ,blah, blah the (first line of boards) these units are concided to be cowards and have been targeted by the NKVD from your deployment zones, hits on 4,5,6.) OR was thinking of having 3 mg teams set up in the deployment that dont move and in the special rules have, If in the status phase of round ? (2 or 3) and any future status phases, any div 1 squads are in range and LOS of any mg teams on the deployment zone these mgs teams with fire upon div1 squads as if they were enemy forces (an mg can fire on multiple squads if able)

Just tried setting up a map for this battle yesterday (4 x 5 ) thinking I might get a second base game (as the extra us and german figs would come in handy later on) or just the map expansion as none of the boards from the normandy expansion seem to suit what im after.

lol seems like the only people that will beable to try this out when I have finished it are people with 2 copies of ToI and 2 of FotB.

Aussie_Digger said:

Sounds good. Could add: Any squad routing in range is fired upon, survivors are then only pinned as a result.

Aussie_Digger that sounds like a really large scenario. just be careful about makinging that large, not everyone can enjoy something large.

now that i have Fury i've been thinking about using boards from fury,normandy and the base set for some truly different engagements down near Sevastapol and other parts of the Crimea

BJaffe01

Yea I was thinking about that. I might beable to make it 4 x 4 or 3x5 just have to see if everything I would like in the scenario will fit in without being to conjested. then one base game and 2 copies of Fury will work (the 2 copies of fury because i need lots of reg inf for the attacking wave of the penal unit). This is the only larger scenario im working on atm I do have others which only require one copy of the games.

Takeing me a while to finish them though as I only have a few friends that play and only one of them plays as much as me (so he gives me a good indication on how the scenario is when we play as he is at the same skill level as me)

worse comes to worse use American infantry as the penal unit.

BJaffe01