The Bear Marches West: 12 Scenarios for 1980s NATO vs Warsaw Pact Wargames
- 2–6 players
- 2012
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,029
- BGG rating
- 8.2
A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015
2011
Rules assistance for A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–8 players
- 180 min
- 10+
- Complexity 3.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 is a board game released in 2011 for 2–8 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Ty Beard and Paul Minson and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Measurement Movement.
Expansions
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- 2–4 players
- 2024
Battle for Stonne including: Billotte's Wild Ride
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Battle of Arras: Rommel's Tough Day
- 2–4 players
- 2024
Guderian's River Meuse Crossing
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- 2024
Peiper's Last Stand: Battle of the Bulge – 80th Anniversary
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Western Desert Force: Operation Compass – North Africa Campaign
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- 2024
Operation Torch: Algiers and Oran Landings – North Africa Campaign
- 2–4 players
- 2025
Operation Torch: Part 2 – Casablanca, Safi and Port-Lyautey: North Africa Campaign
- 2–4 players
- 2025
Operation Torch: Part 3 – The Run for Tunis: North Africa Campaign
- 2–4 players
- 2025
The Invasion of Sicily: Part 1 – Operation Husky
- 2–4 players
- 2025
Western Desert Force: Operation Compass – North Africa Campaign Part 2
- 2–4 players
- 2025
The Invasion of Sicily: Part 2 – Operation Husky: A Glorious Mess
- 2–4 players
- 2026
The Invasion of Sicily: Part 3 – Operation Husky: A Walk in the Park!
- 2–4 players
- 2026
The Invasion of Sicily: Part 4 – Operation Husky: "Dammit, the Operation Will Go On!"
- 2–4 players
- 2026
About the game
A Fistful of TOWs 3 is a fast-playing battalion- to brigade/regiment-level game using miniatures. Game covers mid-1930s to 2015, and army lists from WW2 and post-war eras. Each stand represents a platoon. Can be played with miniatures from 2mm up to 15mm with no modifications; for larger miniatures authors suggest possibly changing ground scale. Design ground scale is 1"=100m, can be played using 1cm=100m without altering any numbers. Nominal turn length is 12 minutes, but for infantry heavy games 20 or 30 minutes per turn is probably more accurate. Game features: - Troop quality is very important - Simple command rules - Includes a full battle-generator campaign system. - WW2 comprehensive data and army lists for Germany, USA, UK, France, and Poland. Authors will be releasing Italian data and army lists as a free expansion. - Modern data on over 1000 post-war armored vehicles, artillery, helicopters, etc. - Modern army lists for US Army 1950-2015, Russian Army 1970-2015, most of the NATO allies in the 1980s-1990s, Arab-Israeli wars in 1967 and 1973, Australia 1966-2015, and North Vietnam/Vietcong 1964-1973. - Includes rules for airstrikes, airborne and amphibious assaults, helicopters, chemical weapons, tactical nukes. - Formatted for easy reading. - 458 pages including: 104 pages of core rules, 26 pages of supplemental rules, 96 pages of army lists, 128 pages of vehicle/gun/infantry/aircraft data, 18 pages of scenario/campaign design and system, quick reference charts, introduction, detailed table of contents, index, etc.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Self-Published)
- (Web published)
- lulu.com
- A Fistful of Games
Questions and answers
A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 supports 2–8 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 is 180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 has a complexity rating of 3.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Miniatures, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Measurement Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 are: Ty Beard and Paul Minson. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists A Fistful of TOWs 3: Miniature Wargame Rules – Modern Mechanized Warfare 1915-2015 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.