Here in part three I get to sum up my experience as a new player to Bolt Action. First let me say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game and I look forward to many more games in the days to come. As I have reported previously I find the game’s mechanics easy to learn but a constant challenge to master in actual game play. Secondly, I found the miniatures a joy to assemble and paint. I like the variety that you get with different heads, arm poses and weapons that you can equip each miniature with. A majority of the miniatures are very clean with very little flash or mold lines. I did find I had to be a little more cautious when removing some of the weapons from the sprues as they were a little fragile.

So far during this experience I have come to purchase the Assault on Normandy set, The American Army set, The Screaming Eagles box, and some Fallschirmjager along with some separate sprues from Warlord Games to include British Commandos and more German Heer troops.

My future plans include the British Airborne Red Devils and The German Army Set. Of course in all of this I have ordered the Dad’s Army Set. Being an American I was not familiar with the TV show, but after watching Warren and the guys talk about it, I looked up the old episodes and have found myself really enjoying the show. I even have already been designing a scenario with them in a “The Eagles Have Landed” situation. In the near future, I am looking forward to seeing the Bolt Action in “action” at Adepticon and I'm in the process of getting a gaming day at my local gaming store. I even spoke to some players the other day at the Games Day and a few were interested in giving it a try.

The Battle Report

However with all that said here is my After Action Report for our sample game:

Date: June 1944 in the days after D-Day

Location: An abandoned bombed out farm house near Formigny, Normandy.

Mission: Army intelligence has obtained information to believe that a German Army artillery observer is located in an abandoned farmhouse and is calling in effective artillery strikes against advancing troops. Orders have come down from Company to have a squad do a patrol and reconnaissance a farmhouse in the area for possible German activity and neutralize it.

Game Objectives:

Americans: By the last turn of the game to occupy the farmhouse and neutralize the possible German forces from using it as an observation post.

Germans: Deny the Americans possession of the farmhouse by the end of the game.

Forces:

American: 12 men broken into two teams of 6:

Team 1: Lt. Smith and 5 men including a BAR
Team 2: Sgt. Jones and 5 men

Germans: 10 men broken into two teams of 5:

Team 1: Oberleutant Schmidt (Forward Artillery Observer) and 4 men (M42, Assault Rifle and rifles)
Team 2: Oberfeldwebel Petersen and 4 men (rifles and panzerfaust)

Setup: Since the German player was defending they set up first and they placed team 1 in the ruined farmhouse and team 2 in the woods directly south of the house. The Americans setup on the far west edge of the table along the two opposing rows of Bocage hedgerows.

Turn 1

First order die drawn from the cup was an American die. The Lt. team moved eastward towards the house at an advance order keeping close to the Bocage.

Second order die drawn was the second American die. The Sgt. team moved eastward towards the house at an advance order keeping close to the Bocage.

The third order die was obviously the German’s and they decide to place the team in the farmhouse into ambush.

The last order die is drawn and the Germans decide to go down this turn to see what the Americans will do.

Turn 2

First order die drawn is for the German’s and the team in the woods again decides to stay down.

The Second order die drawn is for the American’s and with an advance order the Lt. and his team move up to the corner of the field where the Bocage meets in anticipation to make a break through.

The third order die is for the Americans and an advance order is given to the Sgt. He takes his team and moves them further east along the Bocage in attempt to sneak around to the rear of the building.

That is the last order die since the German player had elected to keep her team in ambush.

Turn 3

The first order die drawn was for the German’s and they decided to move their team from the woods towards the farmhouse to provide support to the other team.

The second order die was for the Americans. The Lt. and his team decide to attempt to break through the Bocage and cross the lane. Upon doing so they activated the German Ambush and in the ensuing combat the German player was able to lay down fire with an MG 42 and an assault rifle along with a couple of rifles and in doing so is able to kill 3 of the American soldiers. The American return fire was ineffective and there were no hits. A morale check was made due to a loss of half of the team. With the officer modifier they were able to make the roll and continued to fight.

The third order die drawn was for the Americans and the Sgt. upon hearing the firefight took his team at a run along the Bocage 12 inches in an attempt to reach the end of the field to breakthrough and surprise the Germans.

Turn 4

With all of the order dice returned to the cup after the ambush. The first order die drawn was for the Germans and the Lt. (Forward Artillery Observer) decides to issue a fire order for his artillery and places the marker on the other side of the Bocage to where they believed the other American forces were moving up.

The second order die is for the Americans and the Lt. issues a rally order and a pin marker is removed.

The third order die is for the Americans and the Sgt. takes his team and breaks through the Bocage and ends up at the end of a hedge row leaving them unexpectedly exposed.

The last order die of the turn is for the German’s and from their position they have a good line of sight and field of fire of the Americans that had just broken through the Bocage. In the ensuing melee the Germans are able to inflict 2 kills and a pin marker.

Turn 5

Artillery fires and hit the American Sgt. and his team for 3 pin markers. The first order die drawn is for the Americans and the Lt. directs his team to fire at the farmhouse in attempt to pin the Germans down for better movement. The shooting has no effect on the Germans.

In response the Germans on the next order die fire back at the Lt. and his team and hit for 2 more kills and the Lt. fails the moral check and flees the battlefield.

The third order die drawn is for the Americans. The Sgt. attempts to move his team but they fail the orders check and are placed down.

The last order die is the Germans and they fire upon the pinned Americans but this time are unable to inflict damage.

Turn 6

Artillery fires but the Germans roll a one! So the American player (me) place the aiming marker directly into the building and with the 6+D6 roll (9 inches) I have a chance to take out the Germans in one fell swoop. But, alas it is not to be and I roll a 4 and only cause 2 pin markers to each German unit.

The first order die is to the Germans, she chooses to fire at the remaining Sgt. and his team and causes another pin but no kills.

The second order die is for the Germans, and now the German Lt. team makes the orders check and shoots at the exposed Americans who are pinned and cannot move. They hit and kill two more soldiers. The Sgt. the only remaining American on the battlefield makes the morale check (Those tough and grizzled Sgts!).

The third and last order die is for the American however the Sgt. is unable to pass the order roll and is down.

It is the end of the 6th turns of the game and a die roll of 4 is done so there will be one last turn. In this turn the Sgt. is unable to wrestle the farmhouse from the Germans so in the end the Germans win the game!

Summing Up

This has been a great adventure into a game that to me at least sets the bar for skirmish level WWII games. I am looking forward to expanding my collection and seeing what Warlord Games comes up with next.

This is not the end of Bolt Action coverage on Beasts of War, be sure to watch for the upcoming videos of Warren and the World Famous Dave as they take on Bolt Action and once again face off and do battle. Do you think Warren will try and sneak in a few more Stugs?

As for me I blast off to a galaxy far, far away for some X-Wing, so watch for those upcoming articles!

Gianna Lomax

If you would like to write an article for Beasts of War then please contact me at [email protected]!