As I’ve mentioned before, I had a lengthy break in
my wargame hobby in my twenties and early thirties, and then I only returned to
it slowly, starting mostly with games I already had some familiarity with. One
result of this absence was that there were a lot of games that simply passed me
by. One of those I missed was Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry Division (GMT Games, 2011). I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with
tactical-level games – obviously more love than hate given the number I own –
but everything I read about Fighting Formations made it sound like the kind of
challenge I’d enjoy. The only thing was nobody had a copy to sell. I searched
far and wide; the game must have had a smaller initial release, and while it
was supported with an expansion box, Fighting
Formations: Grossdeutschland Division's Battle for Kharkov (GMT Games, 2018), I don’t believe it ever got a second printing.*
So, you can imagine my glee when Fighting Formations: US 29th Infantry Division (GMT Games, 2025) was announced in the September 2022 Update email from
GMT. As I understand it, a lot of the work had been done by designer Chad
Jensen before his – untimely seems too trite a term for such a loss to
the hobby, let alone to those who were close to him – passing, and his wife and
developer, Kai Jensen and a small, dedicated team have brought the second
Fighting Formations to fruition.
Fighting Formations: US 29th Infantry Division was
released in January this year, in the same batch of games that saw GMT’s first
experiment in cheaper P500 shipping for Australia and New Zealand. This took
longer than anyone anticipated, and I received my copy in the first week of
July; I mention this not to lay blame, merely to explain why I’ve taken this
long to get to the game. Then it sat in a pile with others I wanted to write
about for longer than I had any right to leave it, but I’m rectifying that
situation now, so there’s that.**
Fighting Formations: 29ID comes in a sturdy 2 ½” box, and has a
similar dress to its earlier sibling (there’s a definite family resemblance).
The picture on the front includes a Sherman tank, not a normal part of an
infantry division, but throughout the war, elements of armored divisions were
attached to other formations in a support role, either for specific missions or
whole campaigns. There’s a complete Order of Battle for the 29th in
the game’s Playbook, with a sample list of attached units, aal of which makes for
fascinating reading if you’re that way inclined. But I‘m getting ahead of
myself.
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| Box-back. Full of promise. |
The box back offers sample images of a map, cards
and counters, along with a brief explanation of the intention of, and thinking
behind, the series, noting the game flow, how the orders, initiative and assets
work. We also learn the scale is squad and individual vehicle, and 75 yards to
a hex, with the turns spanning about five minutes.
The play infographic tells us the recommended starting age is the
usual fourteen years and up (I think that's probably true in this case), that this is definitely a two-player game, and
that a scenario should run to around two-to-three hours. The difficulty is set
at 6 out of 9, and solitaire suitability is rated at 5 out of 9. I’m guessing
the slightly higher than median difficulty comes from the innovative,
new-to-the-uninitiated concepts like order-seeding each turn, which I haven’t
seen anywhere else. As for the solitaire suitability, I’ll get to test that to
as I’m sure my first three or for games will be played solo.
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| The Rulebook. |
The Series Rulebook is printed on familiar matt
paper-stock (as are the other three booklets in the set) and runs to 28 pages.
Of that, six pages are taken up by the cover/Table of Contents, a two-page
glossary, a copy of the Player Aid Card and Terrain Effects Chart, and a
helpful Summary of Orders on the back cover; the actual rules run to a quite
manageable, helpfully illustrated 22 pages.
 |
| Sample page from the Rulebook. Clear, uncluttered writing with lots of illustrations. |
The rules are clearly presented, with useful
pictorial examples. At first blush, I think I’d drop the difficulty quotient to
a 5, but I haven’t got the game to the table yet, so there’s probably something
I haven’t picked up on my cursory read-through.
 |
| The Scenario book. |
It’s always heartening when a new game’s scenario
book is longer than its rulebook. This volume of Fighting Formations comes with
thirteen scenarios and a “Scenario 0” introductory situation (don’t be put off
by this; it may be a learning scenario, but it still packs in some vehicles and
heavy fire-support weapons, so you’ll get to know a lot of the moving parts
quickly).
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| This is how to lay out a scenario. |
The scenarios nearly all covered on two-page open
spreads (nice to see common sense prevailing in layout). The biggest scenario,
#13 – Hedgerow Hill, runs to a third page, while the introductory scenario
managed to squeeze into a single page. The back cover has a duplicate of the
Summary of Orders from the back cover of the Rulebook; two copies – no waiting.
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| The Playbook. Lots of interesting reading, and a bibliography. |
As alluded to earlier, Fighting Formations 29ID
comes with two more booklets; a Playbook and an Examples of Play book. The
Playbook contains everything you might look for in a playbook other than the
actual example(s) of play. Coming in at 32 pages, this is the longest of the
booklets, and it packs a lot in. Here you’ll find the 29ID Exclusive Rules and
an optional Events rule (eleven pages in total), a four-page Order of Battle,
six pages of Historical Notes, two and something pages of Scenario design notes
by John Foley, a concise bibliography, and a two-page index for the Playbook
and Series Rulebook combined. The back cover also presents the same Orders
Summary featured on the Rulebook and Playbook, so there’s really no excuse for
not finding a free copy during play.
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| The super-useful Examples of Play book. |
The twenty-page Examples of Play is exactly what it
says on the can. Rather than a run-through of the first two or three turns of a
game (as enjoyable as these are), this book offers a series of game examples
focussing on the basic functions of the game; Orders, Command & Activation,
Movement, Op. Fire, Fire Arcs and Pivoting, Direct Fire, Rally, Advance, Melee,
Barrage, and Assault. Except for Orders, Command & Activation, and Assault
(one page each), each example gets a two-page spread, with illustrative,
easy-to-read examples. This is an exemplar of how examples of play should be
presented, and I can see myself going back to this book often.
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Seven map sheets in total, all double sided. The numbering is not consecutive; Map 3
is the verso of Map 1, while map 2 (the first large-format map in the sequence) is
on the reverse of the PAC-inclusive map for Scenario 0 (top-right). |
Fighting Formations comes with maps. Lots of maps –
fourteen in all. However, there is one mistake on the box-back parts manifest
(this is corrected in the manifest featured on the second page of the
Playbook); it states that there are six 22” x 34” back printed map sheets
included. This isn’t quite right. There are six maps on three 22” x 34” map
sheets, and another eight maps on four 17’ by 22” map sheets. So, each scenario
has its own map.
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| The Scenario 0 map, complete with all your tracking and reference needs. |
Except this is also a little misleading, in terms of
map size. The introductory Scenario 0 is played on a map on a 22” x 34” sheet,
except the play area is 17” by 22”, straddling the map sheet and bracketed by
copies of the Players Aid Card (PAC) and the Terrain Effects Chart (TEC) on one
side and the Track Display on the other. Lay that one out that under a sheet of
plexiglass, punch out the necessary counters, and you’re ready to go.
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Map 9, a good example of the 17" by 22" sized maps. Still plenty of room for
manoeuvre, and a challenge for both attacker and defender.. |
The hexes on all the maps are large, roughly 1 ⅓”
across. This roominess lets you place the counters side by side in the hex, so
you’re not rifling through stacks, much like in Mr Jensen’s other, more popular
tactical game series, Combat Commander (GMT Games).
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| Scenario 2 - Purple Heart Hill's 22" by 34" map. Hedgerows anyone? |
Fighting Formations possesses a family resemblance
with Combat Commander in several aspects, including the art style of the
counters and the approachable layout of the rules and charts, but it’s most
evident in the maps. I may be in the minority here, but for my money, Combat
Commander has the best design approach for WWII tactical maps, conveying
varying terrains without creating clutter. The same is true for Fighting
Formations; the scale has grown from 100’ to 225’ per hex, but the maps still
retain that clean, unequivocal presentation of the situation on the ground.
These will be a joy to play on.
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| Counter sheets 1 & 2 US units with a few Limies thrown in. |
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Counter sheets 3 & 4. American and German units. The circular red markers are
draw-chits for the optional Event rule. |
The game comes with six counter sheets, each sheet being
a mix of unit counters and administrative markers. The leg units are ⅝”, while
the vehicles are double width (the larger hexed mean these just take up more
real estate within the hex, rather than straddling two hexes like the bigger
ship counters in Flying Colors (GMT Games, 2003).
 |
| Counter sheets 5 & 6. |
Like the maps, the counters in Fighting Formations
owe something to the Combat Commander counters in terms of artwork and general style. the Leg units are a forgiving 5/8” and quite readable, with the aforementioned double-width
counters for vehicles and towed guns. The counter mix also includes a variety
of terrain markers, covering entrenchments and hardpoints (5/8” hexagonal), Mission/Tactical
Command markers (5/8” circular), and a plethora of administrative and current-state
counters (all ½” square). The counters are printed on brown-core cardstock of an
ever-so-slightly lighter weight than some sheets I’ve seen from GMT lately; not drastically thin, but they should be eminently clip-able. I can’t fault any of the design choices for the
counters; the troops and vehicles are presented in sensible shades of green and
grey (eight attached British vehicles come in a traditional khaki), while the
admin markers are shaded to stand out without being too jarring.
 |
The Direct Fire PAC (above, with the Barrage tables and procedure on the reverse
side), and The Terrain Effects table (with the Melee tables on the verso). |
Now we get to the cardboard components. Fighting
Formations comes with two Player Aid cards, one boldly marked Player Aid, and
the other more discretely titled Terrain Chart.
The Player Aid offer a short explainer/reminder of the use and effects
of Sighting Markers and the various types of Fortifications available, the
procedure and die-roll modifiers (DRMs) for Direct Fire Attacks, and a list of
Special Actions (available to Fresh units only). The verso offers the Barrage Procedure
and Table, as well as the Accuracy Grid (a diagram for establishing which points
on the map receive incoming artillery or Close Air Support fire).
The Terrain Chart does what it says on the can; it
lists the various types of terrain units may encounter on the map, and
articulates the effects those features will have on Leg, Tracked and Wheeled
units in terms of movement cost or prohibition, what level of Cover they will
offer, and their effects on Line of Sight, as well as any other pertinent
information (in the Notes sections for each terrain type. This appears to be
clearly presented and should head off a lot of potential confusion at the table.
The obverse of the TEC presents the Melee combat Procedure and Tables (yes,
plural – separate tables for German and US units engaging). In all cases – Direct
Fire, Melee and Barrage – the Procedures set out on the cards are clear distillations
the rules; they appear straight-forward and easy to comprehend and apply, though,
to paraphrase a familiar quip, no instruction, however carefully prepared,
survives contact with a green player. That said, I’m feeling more confident going
into Fighting Formations than I might facing some games for the first time.
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The very long Track Display: an elegant solution to the problem of multiple
tracking requirements. |
The Track Display is one more thing echoing Combat
Commander; an 8 ½” by 22” panel designed as a ready reference for all your
game’s tracking needs, that will fit nicely next to the long edge of a
half-sized map, or along the short edge of a full-sized map. This is the
engine-room of the game. The Track Display records the progression of game
turns on the Time Track, Command Radius for each side on the Command & Control
Track, available orders on the Order Matrix, and which side holds the initiative
at any given time via the pendulum Initiative Track.
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| The Order Matrix - keeping things interesting. |
Each scenario sets out the initial placement of the
Initiative Pawn (starting player), the Turn (limit) and Sudden Death markers, allocation
of Order Cubes on the Order Matrix (though these will often be placed
randomly), Command Radius Markers, and whether the Victory Point marker is
required. Personally, I like a game that manages to pack as much in the way of
charts and tables onto the map as possible, to avoid having to constantly switch
focus between the tabletop and the PACs or off-board tracking. But since this is
a series game with interchangeable maps, Mr Jensen has provided the next best
thing, a single tracking locus designed to practically be a part of the play
area (as he did with Combat Commander).
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The German (left, with the Fate Card showing) and US Asset decks still in their
plastic wraps. I promise to show off some of the cards with the first AAR. |
Fighting Formations is a Card Assisted game; each
side has a deck of Asset Cards. These cards represent support a given side can
call upon through the course of a game, such as artillery or mortar support,
smoke screening, or anti-tank apparatus. The cards are numbered, and some cards
are usually allocated by this designation to each side in the scenario
instructions (these make up the players’ starting hands). These are activated
during play by executing an Asset order. Further Asset Cards may be drawn from
the deck through the course of the game by executing Support orders.
A Fate card is also included in the set. This is a
shared resource; the scenario will dictate who starts the game with it. That player can pass it over their opponent to cancel a failed order and re-roll, and
that player can use it at any time while in their possession. If the game ends in a tie, the Fate card serves as a tie-breaker, the holder winning the game.
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Wooden Order Tokens and an Initiative pawn (bottom of the bag), five kinds of dice,
and enough baggies to keep everything tidy. |
This was something I wasn’t
expecting; Fighting Formations uses a veritable Noah’s ark of dice; the
game includes d6s, d8s, d10s, d12s and d20s, all in pairs. The only one I’m
sure of off the bat is the d20 for artillery dispersal, having noted the guide illustration
on the Barrage Procedure PAC (that is a lovely random placement model that doesn't require multiple rolls). There always seems to be pressure on designers to keep things in their games like dice functions simple; just one or at most two types. I for one appreciate when the right tool is used
for the right job, rather than shoehorning different probability-schemes into a
2d6 bell-curve. I’m looking forward to discovering the uses for all of these as
I dive into the game.
The wooden components for use on the Track Display
include ten cubes for marking out the orders available on the Order display
(plus one spare cube), and a pawn for tracking the ever-shifting Initiative
between the players (Turn marker and other tracking markers are included in the
counter mix).
Fighting Formations also comes with a good number of
baggies, for which I’m always grateful, although I’m not sure if they will be
the best solution for storing the units and markers for this game. Looking at
the six counter sheets, I think it might be a hopeful to think they’d fit into
two GMT counter trays, and three may just make the lid sit up a shade. This might
be the game that prompts me to try Cube4Me’s trays. They already have a storage solution marked out for Fighting Formations on their website, and they’re quite
reasonably priced. If I go down this path, I’ll be sure to offer my thoughts in
an After Action Report or the eventual game review.
-----
This has been a fairly superficial look at
Fighting Formations: US 29th Infantry Division. There is still a lot to read and digest, counters to
punch and clip (and house), and a couple of solo runs before I’m confident enough
with the game to share it with others. I expect I’ll find more to talk about in
an AAR or two. As I’ve already mentioned here, I’ve been looking forward to
this game since it was first announced. Time has not been on my side of late,
but this will be going to the top of the to-be-played stack.
* Responding to a Facebook post about reviewing the counters
for this Fighting Formations release, I asked Kai Jensen about the likelihood
of a FF: GMID reprint; she indicated that it wasn’t locked-in, but a possibility
(maybe a probability – at this distance I can’t quite remember). So, fingers
crossed.
** I’m playing catch-up with unboxings and AARs for
a number of reasons. Lack of material is definitely not one of those reasons.
