Time Periods
Understanding the various time periods in flames of war can be confusing to a new player. There are three sections to the war, early, mid, and late. Each of the intelligence handbooks fall into one of these categories, though the early war is not represented yet.
By picking an intelligence handbook you are committing to a certain period. Forces can be matched up against each other from different time periods but when there is a shift in the skill level of the troops between the books, you must follow the formula laid out in the rulebook for mixed forces.
Picking the time you want to play in can be difficult initially if you are the first in your group to get into flames of war. It is important to note that the game is on its second edition and only the 2nd Ed rulebooks are considered current for tournament purposes. The late war books focus more on specific parts of the war and the specialized troops that fought. For a detailed overview of what armies are contained in each book see the source book page
This was the single biggest misunderstanding with flames of war that new players face, once you know how it works its not too complicated, but if you have no experience with flames of war, and no one to teach you it is a bit confusing.
