Category: Bolt Action

Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle

It’s been a while, but I finally got a chance to get in some Bolt Action again. I’ve so far shown my Italians here, but this time my Japanese took the field. They’re still a little rough in the paint department–something I’m hoping to get into shape soon. But I wanted to show off the fun game anyhow.

1 Bolt Action Pacific Board

I mainly wanted to show off the great table that Ryan has started. He’s got many more plans for adding Pacific elements to it for our clashes. We’re also plotting an extensive Guadalcanal series of games to structure our ongoing play. 

2 Bolt Action Japanese Soldier

This Japanese solider is the completed look of what most of my uniforms will be. I’m actually doing a Nomonhan force, not a pacific island force, but they’ll be fine for the purposes of our games. Here he’s sneaking around the jungle treeline to strike at the Marines command taking cover behind the fence. 

3 Bolt Action US Marines

Ryan’s Marines are in better shape than my Japanese. They’re looking really good as a force. 

4 Bolt Action Japanese LMG

The game itself was pretty rough. My sniper team managed to do well, and I had an amusing moment where one of my anti-tank suicide teams charged the Marines’ sniper and took them out in combat. But otherwise, until I get more numbers done for my squads I’m going to struggle with the Japanese. 

Battles (Bolt Action):

Overall Totals 2017: 5 (Win/Loss: 2/3/0)

Japanese: 0 Wins / 1 Loss

Italians: 2 Wins / 2 Losses

Italians in Action

Italians in Action

Another few weeks, another game of Bolt Action with my Italian force. Time to update with my painting progress and the game I played.

I’ve been wanting to add a tank for a while, so it was time: the Carro Armato M13/40 tank joined my force’s ranks.

1-italian-carro-armato-m1340-tank-warlord-bolt-action

I’m reasonably pleased with my M13/40, except for the the unit indicator in red. The black line at first seemed to improve it, but the more I look I think that it would be better without the black border on the symbol. 

This week’s game again had me teaming up with a German force against a large army of the British. We had planned a 2v2 scenario to teach a new player, but with life complications to one of our number we had to proceed together with three: my Italians plus James running the Germans, versus Chris’ host of British infantry. The scenario was envelopment, and not surprisingly the Italians got the position of defender. Yay for national rules (?). Our forces set up on the table edge and waited for the British to appear.

2-elephantino-gun-italians

With the German 88 gun suffering numerous pins from preparatory and artillery bombardments, combined with failing their rally test, the British tried for a quick points grab with their armored vehicle. The Italian Elefantino team survived fire from the car to return a shot, and blew it up on their first try. Got to impress the nearby Germans apparently. 

3-british-infantry-run-past-the-italian-tank

As the British line closed, I worked to take out any real anti-tank threats. Which meant that my tank could run roughshod over the infantry when it came onto the table. Definitely liking the durable yet mobile platform for those machine guns. 

4-british-veterans-take-out-the-german-88

The British soldiers were better off ignoring the tank, so ignore they did. Instead they charged the 88’s position. The gun crew were slaughtered to a man: which meant the great casualty models could find a use. Assaulting Bersaglieri managed to wipe out the British vets in return. That left the Allies side short of the number of units in the Axis deployment zone to scrape a win, so it was victory for the Italians and Germans combined. 

A good game with some improbable dice, which made it all the more memorable. I’m looking forward to finishing up some more infantry for my force, as that’s what it really needs.

Battles (Bolt Action):

Overall Totals 2017: 4 (Win/Loss: 2/2/0)

Italians: 2 Wins / 2 Losses

Bolt Action!

Bolt Action!

Well, if I didn’t get enough gaming in with all the Warmachine and Hordes and Board Games, I got lured into painting and playing some Bolt Action, the WW2 skirmish miniatures game.

Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to start with some Italians. I love the desert war uniforms, and the idea of playing an off-beat force. So Italians seemed perfect to start with.

bolt-action-italian-bersaglieri-500-points

My initial 500 points was really, really thin. Had to add a forward observer (Guiseppe) to hit the mark. I love the notion of the Bersaglieri veterans, so I started with them as the core of my force. I’ll be expanding with some Blackshirts and colonial infantry eventually, and maybe a unit of Paratroopers for some Tobruk games. 

bolt-action-italian-bersaglieri-medium-machine-gun

Closer view of the rank and file, and the medium machine gun team. I love the feather on the sun helmet, as well as the little red and white badge on it. It really makes the models pop on the table. 

bolt-action-italian-lieutenant-bersaglieri

This may be the best photo of a mini I’ve ever taken, and a mini I’m really proud of. A year ago, I couldn’t paint skin tone to save my life. After personal teaching from a good friend and amazing painter, Enrico Nardini, I really think I’ve upped my game–and this guy is good evidence of it. I love the character of him, and as he’s my Lieutenant/Captain for the force, I get to field him prominently in battles. 

bolt-action-italians-a-firebase-in-the-field

My Italians’ first battle against the British, alongside some German allies. I may have taken fire, but we held for longer than I expected in the crop fields. Eventually the losses of my small units added up, and that left our side in the hole because of progressive loss differential–and the Italian special rules that makes things get worse when things start to go bad. 

bolt-action-italians-elefantino-scores-a-kill

My second game was another team-up: again Germans and my Italians (this time with more men in squads) against the British. While we ended up losing the scenario, the highlight was my Elefantino gun being on Ambush and scoring a killing blow shot onto the Sherman tank when it arrived from reserve. Well, that and the heroics of the German squads trying to chip away from the British corner defense in wave and counter-wave of close shooting from reserve.

I played a third game that was a demo with a friend who is also starting–this time my Italians versus his U.S. Marines. We pretended my Italians were French and it was one of the few African landings where Marines took place. A good game, but sadly I forgot to take photos! It’s all for the best, as I’m also working on some Japanese forces to be able to play games set in the Pacific. Here’s a sneak preview of my Japanese uniform scheme–I’m doing a late war, Island defense color scheme with them: aimed at Iwo Jima and Okinawa particularly:

japanese-light-machine-gun-lmg-bolt-action

And while I like the Italians, I absolutely love the plastic of the Japanese kit. 

Overall, I’m really enjoying the game. The order dice mechanism makes things enjoyable, and the fact that battles are varied is really good. I’ve grown in my tactical and strategic skill after just three games, and already itching for more. I’ve got some Italian fascist militia (Blackshirts) and an Italian tank on my painting table along with the remaining start-up stuff to get fielding my Japanese.

Battles (Bolt Action):

Overall Totals 2017: 3 (Win/Loss: 1/2/0)

Italians: 1 Win / 2 Losses