Battlefront Open Day – What did we learn?

Today Mark G reports on the UK Open Day

Today is the Day.

30th June was the first UK BF openday held in Long Eaton near the UK BF HQ.

The day consisted of a TY and FOW mini campaign/tourne, GF9 board games tables, some brilliant participation games, a big retail area for all our plastic crack needs as well as some rather interesting seminars/Q&A. This article will concentrate on the later.

Peter the owner of BF was on was hand along with John Matthews from the US for these seminar sessions and both were very open and honest in their approach and answers. They also took the time to talk to everyone, gathering feedback from players and importantly retailers as well.

Reports from the Front.

So what did we learn? Well, there is a lot happening and a lot to look forward to!

FOW

August 25th is the release of Enemy at the Gates and Iron Cross – the Eastern Front Mid War books covering the battles in and around Stalingrad.

There will be 36 new plastic kits for Eastern Front.

Armoured Infantry won’t be in Iron Cross but there will be online article to allow its use.

A second German and Russian book will follow quite quickly for Kursk (that’s where the Armoured infantry will be). Expect things like panthers in this book.

BF have thought carefully about handling the big infantry platoons the Russians have. Basic Russian Strelk is 3+ to hit but has 4+ save to balance this however they can assault 6 inches and have a better to hit in assault. You can also field Hero Strelk which have a 3+ save, but smaller platoons and lower motivation. Kommisars now give improved stats (think the Avanti column the Italians have) as long as thy are alive. No morale re-roll for them!

Soviet tanks are 2+ to hit representing the lack of experience and the brutal changes to the officer corps.

Plastic unpainted buildings/ruined buildings which are modular 11 x 10 x 12, very big! There will still be painted scenery as well.

Germany and Soviet Infantry will be plastic.

6th June 2019 a new Armies of Late War will drop rebalancing everything to the 100pt system. This will then be followed by specific theatre books. 2-3 per year over about 4 years. Think, Normandy, Eastern Front, Market Garden, Fall of the Reich. As well as points units will have a number rating depending on how late in late war they appear. This allows players to fight a kind of early late war or late late war if they wish but they don’t have to (everything is balanced as everything else).

2 x initial para books covering US and German Forces (Brits will follow – personnel opinion with Market Garden). Book has formations for 100pt points LW and MW formations. Cards will be included to allow use in the old 1700pt format tiding it over until 6th June 2019. Didn’t get a release date for the para book books.

Digital release of Romanians and Humgarians for Eastern Front is happening. No date confirmed.

Big news here. Don’t expect EW to be redone by BF. It’s not commercially viable to get the same treatment and models that late war is about to. However BF are considering doing it via Osprey a bit like Nam and FOAN.

Great War is getting done by Osprey in 2019.

Team Yankee

Team Yankee V2 (basically bringing it in-line with V4) is Oct 2019.

Czech and Polish are next for Team Yankee.

No plans for Spanish or Italy forces.

Oil Wars no date but assuming around TY V2. Covers Iraq, Iran, Syria and Israel in the same time period as TY. All forces will be balanced vs European Forces (all the guys who painted their TY forces in desert scheme will be very happy!).

Prepainted Oil Wells confirmed.

New book for Soviets adding T80 and other stuff which will replace Red Thunder. Don’t get the impression this is soon though.

New books for Brits and US will come with, Challenger, Warrior, Bradleys, Apache.

General

Peter says that LFTF will be updated more regularly.

New forces of war for V4 is almost ready and just in final testing.

Boxed campaigns like the old Firestorm Bagration won’t return as they aren’t commercially viable. However BF are committed to campaign play and are currently looking at how to deliver this and organised play.

BF want to increase their interaction with the community and are currently building a plan.

Overall a a great day and there was a good feeling amongst those leaving that 2019-2020 should be very interesting with a lot of stuff people have been waiting for.