Looking to FoW

[Ole]

Seeing how a few friends of mine have started playing FoW I reconsidered my decision not to start another system and thought about joining them.

However, for starters, I'd like to keep it reasonable and start an army that doesn't cost too much. That's the first point.
The two people I'd most likely play most play North African themed armies, Brits and Italians in mid war. Now if I were to start an army as well, I'd like it to fit in with this theme, which naturally leads me to consider US or Germans (but than again, I could do Brits as well I guess - Italians I'd rule out).

So my question to you would be which North African themed army would be good for beginners and not too expensive?

[Lux]

Any mid war tank army will be pretty budget-light, mechanized/motorized tend to be the most expensive simply because you need to buy nearly as much infantry as a rifle company player, but also all the transports. Rifle companies can either be somewhat expensive, or cheap, depending on the support options you take. Germans and Brits will be the least expensive in midwar, but not by much, simply because they pay more points for their veteran training and good equipment, and therefore your army will have fewer models.

A typical tank company will have 10-15 tanks, and some support options such as artillery, an infantry squad or two for support, etc. If you enjoy being the attacker, go with a tank company. You'll have fewer models on the field, but they'll be fast and powerful. Just make sure you go with a platoon or two of infantry for support.

If you want to play a much more defensive style of game, go with an infantry company. You can still take a platoon or two of tanks for support, if you'd like. You probably won't spend any more than a tank company, so long as you don't go crazy with the support options.

As an example of prices, a box of 5 tanks (1 of your 2 mandatory platoons) will run roughly $50, while a box with a full 3 platoons of infantry will be about the same cost. However, rifle companies tend to have more units in a list, meaning you'll spend just as much in the long run. My guess is, you'll spend about $200-$250, less if you're careful.

In midwar, German Panzer III tanks with the AT9 guns are a solid choice, as are Shermans or Lee's. You could even go with a Tiger company from Tunisia/Italy (both still midwar), and get very elite and low-model count. Heck, even Russians are a viable option, since all forces can play against one another.

The StuG's and Shermans that come in the starter box are both usable in midwar. Maybe you and a buddy can both buy the starter set, and then swap tanks. That would give you both enough tanks for the core of a tank force, and the rulebook, for about $60.

Talk to your friends and see if you can proxy some things for a couple games until you figure out what you like.

Lux