Recently, I have been inspired to branch out into new gaming, because of course I have nothing but free time and lots of disposable income (neither accurate). I have always been curious about the Bolt Action tabletop wargame, which as I understand has been going strong for many years. At this point, at the end of September, they are releasing a new version of the rules (version 3), which gave me enough motivation to finally get involved.
Unlike Star Wars Legion, Bolt Action focuses on historic units and factions, specifically around World War II time frames. Think typical Axis and Allies forces, in squad based skirmishes. A big advantage in my mind is that since all the units of history-based, they don’t become obsolete with a new version (a big issue with Warhammer games and other fictional settings). Legion hasn’t had as big of a concern, since it is a fairly closed setting, but the new rules do adjust the value of each unit – and there is a finite number of unit options. Bolt Action however has many years of source material, giving for a vast list of options, while still being based in reality – meaning units are viable across each edition. As a side benefit, it also leans well into just based collecting for dioramas or displays, though that isn’t really my interest.
I am more of the reverse – rather than a large complex (but static) realistically detailed battlefield, I prefer to play with the toys, and of course that leads to competition. This scratches both itches.
In my case, I am most inspired by the West Africa conflicts and opted for the (now old edition) A Gentleman’s War for a starter set. From my minimal research, this provides two equivalent forces (British and German), both with a pair of infantry squads and some light armor. This should be enough to try out the details and mechanics (especially with the new ruleset), before really diving into additional models.
Mechanically, it reads very much like an older iteration of Warhammer 40k, using multiple d6 dice for resolution. An attack roll, a roll to wound, cover saves and such all follow that same basic pattern, though of course there are no lasguns and bolters, being replaced by MMGs and bazookas, or other appropriate weapons. This should be a much faster resolution mechanic, especially compared to the Star Wars Legion “soup” of keywords, which tends to bog everything down cross-checking specific rules.
Thus far, I have managed assembly of the British, and most of the German forces. From there, the paint schemes are fairly straightforward – a lot of desert browns and gun metals. I am hopeful we might have models ready to go by the time the actual ruleset is released, though I expect some substitutions may be needed for the initial builds. I also expect a lot of gaming errors, since the system itself is entirely new to us.
Obviously, I expect to start posting battle reports, once we get organized and build up some content, so tune into the channel if you are curious or supportive, or just to point out how we are doing it wrong.
