Warlord & Osprey Announce Bolt Action Third Edition
April 17, 2024 by brennon
Warlord Games and Osprey Games have announced a new edition of possibly the best-known World War II wargame. Bolt Action Third Edition is going to be available to buy later this year in September with pre-orders available now.
Bolt Action Third Edition // Warlord Games
From Alessio Cavatore...
“My chief mission with Bolt Action: Third Edition was to make my favourite game an even better experience for the players. For me, there’s always one goal in mind – continuing my quest for a truly ‘seamless’ set of wargame rules – in other words, the Holy Grail of a rules system where the players are always thinking about their next moves on the table, and not about the rules of the game! I think Bolt Action: Third Edition is definitely a big step in that direction, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me!”
Bolt Action is often considered one of the best ways to get people into Historical games. It manages to straddle that line between the Hollywood action that folks might have seen in the likes of Saving Private Ryan and the actual Historical events. It also, for the most part, plays out well at smaller levels so you don't need a million miniatures to have some World War II fun in Bolt Action either.
Bolt Action // Warlord Games
According to Osprey and Warlord, the third edition of the game will refine and update the rules as well as introduce new starter army lists to get players right into the action. Veteran players will be able to explore a more detailed force composition mechanic and also new challenges as part of the scenario generation system.
It all sounds very intriguing and as someone who likes Bolt Action and enjoyed the current edition a lot, I am intrigued to see where Cavatore takes it.
Are you excited for a third edition of the Bolt Action?
"...the third edition of the game will refine and update the rules as well as introduce new starter army lists to get players right into the action"
“A brand-new, completely re-worked army list selection system provides fantastic new opportunities for fielding truly unique forces”
That sounds ominous. I don’t actually want a unique force, I want something at least vaguely representative of the Brits who stepped on to the beaches in Normandy. I’m sure that’s still possible but maybe Bolt Action is no longer aimed at me.
Couldn’t agree more. Lost interest in the game after going up against a list which consisted of large groups of flame throwers and so many assault rifles. If I wanted to play that I could play 40k. I would rather the rules were tightened up to enforce more historical accuracy with list building.
I’m excited. Abandoned Bolt Action years ago because of a local player. Don’t see him anymore and had just picked up USMC and Japanese infantry boxes. Now I’ll get the new edition and be set to go.
Abandoned because of a local player? That’s an intriguing story in its self.
Three Reasons: 1. Guy played as Germany and said some vaguely concerning things about Nazis. Not an outright neonazi but I suspected him as a closeted neonazi. 2. He insisted on always being the defender and giving all of his men assault rifles while he used 88s and Panthers in support so you always had to suicide charge him. 3. We participated in the World Wide DDay Campaign run through OTT back in 2014. I was the GM. Forced him to play American paras and had another guy play Germans so the forces constructed would be accurate. In real life… Read more »
Ok, I’m just imagining the guy from Peep Show that Mark befriends.
I went and watched my first ever clip of Peepshow just now and yep…good summary of the guy
Highly recommend watching it all. It’s cringe but heck it’s funny
Hopefully it will be better than the previous two editions, hopefully they abandon the stupid compressed ranges that ruined previous versions. I mean if you can’t fire across a 28mm to scale Pegasus Bridge what’s the point.
The weapons ranges always felt a bit artificial to me, i kind of get the idea of keeping their relative effective ranges in their stats but it felt force into being compressed to fit the table size and keep distinction in range rather than the reality of nearly everything would be effective on most of the gaming table, especially the pistol, which you had to be laughably close to use.
It’s a game designed for 6 by 4 tables (because that’s what most people and places have), using 28mm miniatures (because that’s what most people find appealing and want to paint). That’s why the ranges are compressed. It’s a hell of a fun game that plays in few hours, keeps both players engaged all the time and gives you the hollywood WW2 vibe. Plenty of other games for those who prefer and have the time for simulation.
I wonder if they will update Konflict 47 at the same time. That game is still based on the 1st edition.
I’m fond of Bolt Action, it got me back into wargaming, but it’s not a simulation game. One competitive tournament put paid to any notion I had of that.
I think a lot of the criticism it gets is from people falsely expecting it to be a simulation, I’ve always viewed it as a fun hollywood view for the most part.
I used to play Bolt Action every week before the pandemic. I’ve only got in a few games since then, but this has me excited to finish up some lingering projects and put those armies back on the table.
I’m cautiously optimistic about this. I think its reasonably safe to say Bolt Action is the gateway game to historical gaming for many wargames, be it snagged normies or those moving over from the likes of a certain very large several thousands of years in the future game. I think on the whole we should hopefully see this as a way to benefit the hobby by hopefully getting more new players and also “fingers crossed” it being easier for them if there are decent improvements to the rules. I think those of us more cynical of Bolt Action have probably… Read more »
I did buy 2nd edition.. and off the top of my head the new rules was about a page of two..leaders is the one i remember right now. So not alot for a 2nd edition really….which means what about 3rd… we know in time.
The only thing i like to see but will not be in the new version, if units falling back under fire etc…units just are removed with no sense of “ground taken”.. but thats just me