Hail of Fire comes across as a game written by a slightly disgruntled player of Flames of War. The cover uses the same image from the battle of Stalingrad that FoW uses on its logo, the weapon ranges are as per FoW, the basing suggestions are basically FoW and the terminology of teams and units will be instantly familiar to FoW players. Additionally, the author suggests using army lists produced by "other games", Hail of Fire being very minimalist in that regard, so FoW army/theatre books are an obvious source of these.

Hail of Fire is certainly FoW-like in its simplicity and level of abstraction. However, it addresses the main criticism many gamers have of FoW, the IGOUGO activation system by using a system of action points. These are diced for openly each turn, but each player also has a hidden pool of Hero points to use as well, so there is an element of fog of war in that you're never sure exactly how many units your opponent will be able to activate. Play alternates, spending these points and passing play back and forth until all are spent. One thing I really like is that units can be reactivated in a turn, if/when play is passed back to you, allowing players to push forward on certain areas of the board at the expense of others rather than just have every unit activate equally every turn. One caveat is that you must only play with honest players since the Hero point die is rolled and spent secretly from the opponent - avoid played Hail of Fire with cheaters!

The game also randomises movement, on a 2d6 roll - gun teams move the lower result, infantry the higher and vehicles the combined total with adds for being on roads. Simple and intuitive.

Another interesting mechanic is the use of Received Fire Points. Basically a unit taking fire is marked as having done so, but the result of that fire isn't resolved until the owning player attempts to activate the unit during his own turn. So the unit might be unaffected, suppressed or destroyed but until you try and activate them you don't know. This works really well and adds real tension to your choice of where to spend your limited resource of action points.

Not only is Hail of Fire clever, it is so without being complex which makes play move along at a good pace and leaves room for house-rules without messing up the core system should you wish to do so.

For a PWYW of $0.00 I think Hail of Fire is a steal - so why not tip the author a dollar or two and have a go!

EDIT - After writing this review I saw there was a newer version of the PDF. After downloading it, I realised I've been playing and reviewed a version of the rules that was 4 years old and a number of changes have since been made.

I am impressed. The rules writing and presentation are of professional quality, the game concepts make sense, and above all, the game is fun to play! I like the tension the delayed combat resolution brings, and the order point system gives you lots of tactical options. The rules could maybe use a few more examples of play, but there are AARs available online that give you a good feel for how the game plays.

First saw these played at Guns of August and have played them a number of times since. Highly recommended! The turn sequence is very interactive but without the complications and timing issues I find in other games. Little gems such as delayed resolution, hidden units, and hero dice make the game all the more interesting and exciting. By putting a new spin on familiar and recognizable concepts, this game is very easy to learn and fun for both novice and seasoned gamers alike. I wasn’t sure I was getting the assault rules totally correct but the author is quick to respond to questions and helpful. The online digital chit bag is a neat touch, and the aesthetically pleasing layout of the pdf is also noteworthy. Definitely my current game of choice.

I dig this game. Cool and innovative variable turn system makes the game momentum never feel stagnant. The rules around movement and combat are intuitive and easy to learn. Great, fast-moving game with any number of ways to win or lose. Played this on day 5 of a miniatures game marathon including Chain of Command, Ain't Been Shot Mum, and FiveCore Company Command, and even on day 5, this felt like a fresh look at the genre and was my favorite to play through. Ended up playing it two more times to finish out the marathon. Highly recommended.