Look, Sarge, No Charts: WWII – Innovative Rules for Battalion-Level World War Two Miniatures Gaming

A well thought out, clearly written set of WWII rules, crippled by a poor choice of names. Using a scale of 1 stand equals 1 platoon, LSNC allows players to command one or more battalions. These are the mostly clearly written and well formatted rules that I've played yet. In my first game, I was able to answer every question by looking in the obvious places in the rules. Every cross reference was given with a numbered paragraph, minimizing the traditional first-game page flipping to almost nothing. Kudos for clarity of the rules!

The rules use a double-random activation mechanism, so there is always a chance that a unit may not move in a given turn. Target units must first be spotted by any friendly base to be fired upon. These mechanics add some of the "fog of war" missing from many other rules.

Obviously, unit data is needed. LSNC uses a recommended basing that includes small strips of unit data directly on the stand. Some detractors latch onto this, declare that "there ARE charts!" and seem to stop reading. Although the appearance may not be everybody's cup of tea, the approach really does work. Everything you need to resolve any action is right there, on the table. This approach carries through to shooting resolution. Custom-labels are provided for the dice, and the results are provided immediately without reference to a table. Roll 4 dice (with modifiers), and look for either 1 if in the open, or 2 if concealed of a symbol to determine a hit. By the end of my first game, I pretty well had it all down to memory.

I was determined to give the game a fair shake, so stuck it out with the base and dice labeling (great for OCD types), and was very pleasantly surprised. Suggestions for sabot bases and other work-arounds are provided if you don't want to re-base.

Unit data is provided for most common types from various nationalities, but no detailed scenario or TO&E is provided, so I do take (small) issue with the "all you need in 1 book" description.

To "do it right" takes a fairly hefty commitment of time and effort, which is a definite barrier to entry. This may be a set of rules that you have to build both sides to play. Still, I was very impressed with the care and thought that clearly went into the actual game mechanics. Despite the startup effort, the game plays very well. I think it will be well suited to solo play as well. Definitely one to check out!

Good set of WW2 rules. Have all the info needed for play on the bases of your units (which means its very similar to board gaming). I like this system and have rebased all my 1/300ths to these rules. Recommemded.