20mm Bolt Action Learning Games Infantry and Armor

Steve Bidwell and I played through a couple of Bolt Action games to get a feel for the mechanics and rules yesterday. We played on an 8x6 table (Rat Palace standard table configuration) with minimal terrain features other than undulating terrain and a ruined factory type of building section.

Steve's and Rusty's collections are 20mm (1/72 scale).  The lines Warlord promotes are 28/30mm.  I like 20mm for this system as I really don't have have a large table to play and could host two separate games at the same time or link two separate games into a linked scenario.  Steve B. told me these rules were primarily tournament oriented. I'm going to rant a moment since this is my blog. I don't play tournaments. I don't care to put on my "game face" anymore to beat the crap out of my opponent either by outhinking them (not very likely in my case) or beating them with rules.  I found myself playing quite intensely during tournaments in the 80s and early 90s.  I've mellowed and my giveacrapometer just doesn't. I find rules that are "lighter" on complexity and allow me to carry on a conversation with fellow gamers (BS'n), and drink a couple of fermented beverages are preferable to an evening of all out total mental war on my opponent.  Crap happens when one gets older right?  Now to the games...

We played a 2v2 squad level game with the infantry. Germans v U.S.  The U.S. had to deal with a couple of Hannomags that transported the German scout team.  I was a dummy and didn't bring any bazookas. I definitely will next time.  The game was a hide and seek game for both sides.  We'd both get and give small numbers of casualities.  One thing we did learn is that pinning markers add a big toll.  One has to pay the piper to move by counting pin markers when wanting to move or do any action.  As per Black Powder, when a unit gets two or more markers (poker chips yesterday), it's time to try and rally them.  In a small squad level game, that's just not always possible.  The U.S. army has a definite shooting advantage with their high numbers of Garands, BARs and the odd Thompson.  One has to play run  and gun in support with the other squad.  I like that in these rules.  The takeaways from this infantry game?

1. 20mm might work for me better than 28 for skirmish or small force level games.
2. Buy some supports-HMG, Bazooka or bulk up the units to the max with grunts.

The armor game was quite different.  I am used to playing Flamers of War.  It was refreshing to see a smaller scale armor game where each tank was a separate unit.  In an FoW game, folks like to put their armored units hub to hub. Sometimes they're even painted!! Bolt Action armor is a different animal.  Tanks sighted and shot usually brewed up unless the Dice Gods were not in their favor. 

We played 7 tanks per side to get a quick peek.  The Germans crushed the U.S. in about 5 turns.  Steve Bidwell did some fast reading and most of these games are set at 6 turns.  I died in an appropriate manner.  The game was fast.  We saw a preview of Bolt Action's "Armor Only" game.  Didn't see enough to give the reader more than "it looks quite familiar". Not like FoW. Just familiar.  The takeaways from this game:

1. Don't play armor only. Tanks and armored vehicles/softskins are meant to be brought in small bites in an infantry support role.  I've not seen how Panzergrenadiers work in Bolt Action.  They should be deadly against leg infantry.  Right now the rules for armor only are a bit boring.  
2. Keep armor purchases real. Light armor such as Stuarts, an occasional Sherman, Mark IV, BT7 or T-34 can be offset by the AT available for the infantry (bazooka, panzerschreck and faust, AT guns of moderate calibers).  
3. Do buy some artillery and AT guns. HE is fun 

Time to get some Japanese 20mm. I've got time this summer break. Soft plastic doesn't bother me at all. I paint 54mm soft plastics. 

Here's some pics: 

Game Table at the Rat Palace Redux

Lots of undulating terrain. I didn't put enough
woods out there.

Bidwell smokes my scouts and their scout car.
Dammit....

The dogfaces hit the dirt on hearing the clatter
of Hannomags and a click click of an MG34

Germans in the building. Yeah it's part of my
Stalingrad set. So sue me!

Less Krauts now

An O.S.moment for the U.S. squad

We're wondering wth we're supposed to do with
only 7 armored vehicles. FoW spoilt us.

A light/medium team run full speed for the back
side of the small hill.

Turn 2. U.S. commander (me) is poleaxed!

More of Kommandant Bidwell

Well brewed up

Jumbo's in the ruins. Dumb assed TC!

Stealthy Sherman sees his buds brewed on the left

German advance!

These guys are like a Battle of Jutland report..."they blew up"

Gladiators look on and laugh at the silly tankers

Why I like Bolt Action and dislike tournament players

Bidwell's 20mm 105 battery....coolness from Revell

105 Battery second take!

Summer Gaming at the Rat Palace Redux in Red Oak!

Summer Gaming at the Rat Palace Redux in Red Oak! Make it a ROAD TRIP if you're from out of the DFW area!!! You're always welcome!!!

Friday: Black Powder Pike and Shotte
7:00 PM
We'll order in. Adult beverages in the cabana fridge.
Nothing needed unless you want to bring your collection to add to the fun!

Saturday Afternoon: Napoleon at War
1:00 PM
We'll order in. Adult beverages in the cabana fridge.
Bring 2K of Napoleonics. We'll choose sides once you get here. Don't have 2K? Bring whatcha' got. Loaner Austrian army available.

Sunday Afternoon: 54mm All the King's Men American Revolution
Breakfast:10:00 AM-Norm's Grill
Game: 12:00 noon
Nothing needed to bring unless you want to bring 54mm AWI units to "the ball"

RSVP as per Jeff's group if interested.
Steve Miller

Warlord Games Day 2014! Oklahoma City

Just got home from a brief road trip to OKC last night and today. Rusty, his son Cole and I attended the first Warlord Games Day in the U.S. It was held in Oklahoma City.  The Games Day featured Warlord Games including:

• Black Powder Pike and Shotte
• Black Powder Zulu Wars
• Bolt Action-Carentan, Pegasus Bridge, Russia and the Pacific
• Two of Warlord's "fantasy games"
• A new "out of this world game"

The atmosphere and gamers were outstanding. There were absolutely NO arguments, "white knuckling" or "rules lawyering".  After seeing previous Bolt Action games locally, that was refreshing.  I got to play in a Pike and Shotte Game between Imperialists (Father Tilly) vs. Swedes (Gustavus Adolphus), Saipan jungle/cave/mountain fight between Imperial Japanese and U.S. Marines,  "hold until relieved'-Pegasus Bridge, defending against a Soviet juggernaut attack against my riverside fortifications.  I wanted to play a Zulu game to see how the Zulu War variant worked. Ran out of Games Day time. I'll just have to "buy the book" won't I to find out? I'm not a fantasy gamer so the fantasy game just didn't appeal to me. It looked vaguely like the old GW Mordheim game.  If that's the case, it's probably pretty good as well.  

The Warlord Games folks opened the day with a video that introduced their staff, their functions to the attendees. It was different but nice to put a face with a name.  Then it was time to hit the tables. The hotel was nice. Breakfast and lunch were included in the price of admission.  The local guys sponsoring the affair were able to work with the 45th Infantry Division Museum to keep it open late on Friday.  This museum is a MUST SEE and not very well known.  No spoilers here. I challenge all to take a walk through the museum building and grounds. I was impressed by the sheer number of antique weapons, field reports and personal touches that gave a personality to the faces that kept us safe during World War Two. Highly recommended!!! 

The Games Day included a painting competition.  I brought home Best of Show and Best Single Figure. I was stunned and additionally stunned by a cash prize attached to the two awards.  There were only two other Warlord Games Days in the world to date. I consider myself fortunate to be among the small band of painters so honored.  

Take aways?

1. Rusty and I both know Pike and Shotte rules better than we thought.  That's refreshing as this period is one of my favorites
2. Bolt Action rules were a pleasant surprise to me as they were applied over several war game scenarios and worked reasonably well.  I liked them enough to get several vehicles and the U.S. Army rules.  I liked the Pacific scenario but am going to do that project in 20mm as Rusty already has WW2 in 20mm. I've got U.S. and Germans and 28mm and will play them in European scenarios.
3. This Games Day stoked my gaming fire again. I want to put on a Black Powder AWI game in 54mm next year. I'll definitely need more table space!

Here's a gallery.  All that can should go next year. This was great fun, a place to meet lots of new faces that shared a common interest in historical war gaming. It was a good day!

Best in Show!  Artillery for ECW Pike and Shotte

Best Single Figure (vignettes counted too).  That's gonna'
leave a mark!

Cool award going in the Rat Palace Redux. Thanks to Ruben Aguilar for
always telling me that my stuff was mediocre and "here's how to make it better"

Carentan Bolt Action

Bent Winged Bird!

Freaky Imperial Japanese gun on Saipan?

Interior of Carentan.  Cool Terrain!!!

Visually Striking Terrain

Hail Caesar Gauls

Pegasus Bridge

Hold Until Relieved

Imperialist Cuirassiers!

Cave complex at Saipan. This was a really difficult game to
win if one was U.S. Marines

Lots of Bodies...small spaces

You can see I really like this terrain set up. Who would do this for
me in 54mm?

New Pike and Shotte gamer from Arkansas. Great guy. I'd play
him again anytime!

I'm thinking this is the Warlord Games' Pegasus Bridge Model.
Damned cool!

Pike and Shotte table setup. This was gonna' get up close
and personal very very fast!

Push of Pike. Which side is God on?

Lonely Romans facing off Gauls. Hope they've sharpened
their gladii!

Russian River monitor packs a punch with a 76mm turret!

Rusty and new guy get ready to push pike in Pike and Shotte

Saipan Bolt Action game from a little further off

Dense jungle hides lots of Japanese surprises for the U.S. Marines!

Hail Caesar game. I wonder how it plays?

Soviets assault from riverbank. I was getting "that Col. Chamberlin
feeling at Little Round Top" and proceeded to push the Soviets back to the river.

1st U.S. Marines hit the beach at Saipan. Next turn,
there weren't as many as in this picture. Bloody day for the Marines!

Junior Birdman...junior paratrooper kicks butt at Carentan

Bolt Action at Rusty's Gaming House in Waxahachie!

Played my first game of Bolt Action last night at Rusty's new war game digs in Waxahachie.  The game was not what I expected.  I had watched several games and several gamers just go ballistic playing these rules.  I was originally off put by the rules and cost of the game in terms of multiple 'codex' and cost of the miniatures in 28mm.  I eventually bought a couple of Warlord vehicles and cleaned up a bunch of 25/28mm Easy Eight Americans and Germans I had laying around.  The vehicles (M8 Greyhound and a M24 Chaffee) are still in the boxes to "get done".
Rusty hosted me for a small game of Bolt Action.  I've been playing some Black Powder Pike and Shotte plus really like Black Powder Last Argument of Kings for larger AWI games.  He plays in 20mm rather than in 28mm.  His game house is a converted detached garage on his property.  Between the two of us, we have become the "Southern Dominion" of war gaming spots in the DFW area.  His collection is outstanding, his gaming area is outstanding and he's a great host!  He lives approximately 7 minutes from my home in Red Oak.  This is serendipitous!  I do like 20mm for this rules set as well.  I can use 1/76 scale vehicles, support and aircraft.  Most 1/76 models are less expensive than larger scales. I also like AB 20mm figures. I've painted them before. Exquisite models.  Well...on to the game.  Do I like Bolt Action?  Yes!!!  It's simple to learn, fun to play and gets to the brass knuckles quickly and to a conclusion in an evening's game. I'm sure there's warts but on first blush, I'm buying these rules. Just keep those Japanese and Marines away from my checkbook!

Rusty's Display case Area. He's got some really
cool terrain, Buildings and "stuff"

Painting Area 1 of 3.

Painting Area 2 of 3

20mm Allies and Axis dudes

Give Miller a Jeep and watch him get it shot up!

More Goimans

Scenario: Find the pesky F.O. that's directing the
off board railroad gun to shoot up Allied rear area positions.

Told y'all earlier, give me a Jeep....my plan, someone go
left, someone go right, who's goin' up the middle?

The village of Schweinschiess

Medieval tower...hmm...F.O. here?

Ahhh...Jumbo time. A little HE support never hurts!

OK, I'm a whore! I'm going up to OKC to play in the Warlord Games Day. Yet one MORE project! Good evening, good game, great host! You should play there as well.  Worth your time and distance from the usual haunts.