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The Face of Battle: Second EditionClick to magnify
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The Face of Battle: Second Edition

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The Face of Battle: 2nd Edition skirmish miniatures game simulates the action that occurs during the peak of battle. The moments of sheer terror, panic, bravery, and intense combat. The game is dynamic, fun and exciting to play. Each player commands their forces with numerous combat, tactical and game options. For squad to platoon level games.

All players participate in the battle concurrently using card decks. Soldiers from all forces move, fire and engage in combat across the entire battlefield simultaneously. Action is fast and furious. Each card determines when an individual unit (soldier, crew member, leader) can act. Players control one or more decks of 25-30 cards. A card from each deck is turned over to allow for simultaneous action for all players.

Scale is one figure is one soldier, one model is one vehicle. Figures are individually based. Ground scale matches the figure scale (i.e. for 20mm figures the ground scale is 1" = 2 metres). For use with 10mm to 28mm miniatures.

The 156 page rulebook covers nearly all aspects of World War II skirmish gaming. Included are rules for:

  • Special Units: Medics, Flag Bearers, Messengers, Heroes, Snipers and more.
  • Movement, cover and terrain.
  • Infantry combat including firearms, grenades,  flamethrowers, and more.
  • Anti-Tank guns, mortars, hand-held anti-tank weapons, demolition charges and more.
  • Rules for detailed vehicle combat.
  • German, American, Russian and British stats for common vehicles.

The Face of Battle: 2nd Edition has been completely revised from the first edition. All optional styles of play were removed. Each soldier is represented by 1 to 3 cards and players will have decks of about 30 cards.

Print on demand cards are available at DriveThru Cards here.

The Face of Battle Website

Print on Demand Card ExamplesFace of Battle pages

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Discussions (5)
Customer avatar
Sean S March 27, 2025 9:38 pm UTC
How can one tell which expansions are for 1st Edition and which are 2nd?
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Customer avatar
Michael B April 03, 2025 8:02 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The two expansions (VC and All American) on Wargames Vault are for the first edition.
Customer avatar
Gene S February 25, 2025 5:40 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi Mike. I was wondering, I picked up the ruleset. I was hoping these cards would be cheaper and printable. I live overseas and the cost is prohibitive. Will there be printable versions and are the cards necessary for play. Also are all of the faction cards the same with different art or is it necessary to have them all. Are the necessary at all? Can the game be played without cards? Thanks
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 26, 2025 2:36 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Gene. Thanks for purchasing our game. The cards are only for unit (soldier, crew, etc) activation (i.e. when can they do something). TFoB is not a "card-game" like MtG. They are not "faction" cards. They are a mechanic for the game - like dice. The game needs cards (or chits) for activation. It really can't be played without them. It is fundamental to how the game works.

You can make you own cards by printing on hard stock paper or use index cards cut in half. There are downloadable templates on the TFoB website. You can also use regular playing cards - just record the unit ID on the card with a sharpie. Some people use chits for activation. We put unit stats on the cards for ease of record keeping, but that is not necessary.

I really like the print-on-demand cards. Easy to order. And they shuffle great. Plus I can record some of the unit stats on the card (e.g. combat and morale values, leader attributes, what weapon they are carrying and so on). We have blank...See more
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Customer avatar
Gene S February 26, 2025 2:59 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Okay, Michael. I was confused because the cards you showed have stats on them and I was thinking that made them necessary. Question is, if I make my own cards where do the soldier and vehicle stats come from or are we rolling or making them up? Sorry, I haven't read all of the manual, just skimmed it (very crunchy, comprehensive book which I like). The more I look at it, the more I like it because there seems to be so much well thought out variation. There's so much I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around where to start and the cards seemed to be key. One more question does this game solo well or at all? Thanks
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 26, 2025 5:27 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
I am in the process of making some tutorial and game play videos. There is a good explanation of the cards and a turn on the web site under "Game Play".

TFoB is scenario driven (not points). That is, either you make up the stats based on historical battles or use a premade scenario that will provide you the stats for the soldiers - the typical 2.6.7.7 numbers (combat initiative, combat, task and morale values). Some vehicles stats are provided in the book - the nationality books will have 100's of vehicles and weapons, etc.

Because it is card driven, TFoB solo's very well.
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Customer avatar
Gene S February 26, 2025 9:21 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Can't wait for the videos and thanks for the fast response.
Customer avatar
serge G February 09, 2025 4:36 pm UTC
Any video explaining the game system ? Your website is quite empty.
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Customer avatar
Gene S February 13, 2025 4:10 am UTC
PURCHASER
Serge, here's a huge 2 hour video on the system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pntZHKpDMDA&t=1544s&ab_channel=TonyAguilarFigure-ativelySpeaking
Customer avatar
Danni Lee L February 09, 2025 2:57 am UTC
30.00 for a .pdf ? No thank you.
Customer avatar
Gene S February 08, 2025 5:49 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I've been on your site and here. I don't see the cards which seem necessary for your game. Will these be a free download and when will they be available. This should've been ready at release of the ruleset especially at this price. Can you post a play through or something more. No go until more info. Thank you.
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 09, 2025 6:12 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
There are card templates included in the game. You can also download card templates from the TFoB web site. The print-on-demand cards are coming shortly from DriveThru Cards.
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Customer avatar
Gene S February 09, 2025 7:30 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi Michael. I appreciate the response. Is the modern version combat to be updated as well? I'm know you probably won't agree with this but...pnp games (actually all games) should come ready to go. If the cards are necessary for play (blank templates won't help), are you going charge separately for the pnp cards. I'm curious, is everything in this game to be sold piecemeal? I tend to avoid companies that do that. I don't think I will be alone in that sentiment. Anyway hope to get a response. Thanks good luck for your release.
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 10, 2025 9:09 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Gene, Thanks for the response. At some point, we will add an updated modern version expansion. There are also several WW2 nationality sourcebooks and scenario books coming. Basically a re-launch of the entire The Face of Battle game that was released in 2001-2006. I understand your position on completeness. But until pnp cards were made available (Yeah!), all TFoB cards had to be hand created. Unfortunately, we are still getting used to the DTC proofing process, which can be a bit slow at times. There are about 100 cards in the first batch waiting to be released. BTW, the cards are used to determine when a miniature soldier or vehicle moves or acts. TFoB is not a card-game.
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Customer avatar
Miguel Angel A February 23, 2025 6:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I would also like to see a new version of the modern combat rules.
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Customer avatar
Miguel Angel A February 23, 2025 6:57 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm going through this new version of The Face of the Battle and I don't see any section related to night combat, artillery attacks or airstrikes, which appears in the modern version of the rules. Are you thinking of including them at some point in The Face of the Battle?
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Customer avatar
Michael B February 24, 2025 7:00 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Migueal,

Great to hear from you. Thanks for the interest in our game. Yes, at some point we will release the supplementary rules (night fighting, artillery, airstrikes, events, etc). And a modern supplement. Right now we want to get out the four main WW2 nationality books (German, American, British and Russian).
Reply
Customer avatar
Michael B February 24, 2025 7:02 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Sorry, just a clarification. I meant "But until print on demand cards we're made available...", not "pnp" as I wrote in this sentence.

"But until pnp cards were made available (Yeah!), all TFoB cards had to be hand created."

I have received the new p-o-d cards and they look great, btw.
Reply
Customer avatar
Miguel Angel A March 06, 2025 7:51 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Great, I can't wait to check them out!
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Author(s)
Michael E. Ball
Pages
156
ISBN
978-0-9734018-8-2
Publisher Stock #
GMZ-13001
File Size:
9.53 MB
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File Last Updated:
March 01, 2025
This title was added to our catalog on February 08, 2025.
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