Sgt Steiner's Wargaming Blog: Bolt Action try out (pic heavy)

Monday, December 30, 2013

Bolt Action try out (pic heavy)

Managed a few hours to play through a few solo turns using Bolt Action rule set on table I had set up what seems ages ago.
Simple meeting engagement type scenario with late war British in Company strength with 2 Troops of armour in support taking on slightly less numerous Germans with 2 Tigers a JgPzIV a PAK40 and couple of 81mm Mortars.
Simple advance on from opposite sides type game.
Initial reaction to Bolt Action system is that its a sort of skirmish/lower level Rapid Fire and about same relative level of complexity.
But it is fun with the 1 dice per unit activation system coupled with picking an order with selected dice.
Makes for a lot of tooing and frowing of 'initiative' within a turn.
Movement and shooting and morale all fairly simple systems but plausible.
For shooting its basically a 3+ hits (with some modifiers) a hit causing a PIN (which need Rallied off) and potential damage.
Very little Infantry action so far but have a few Sherman vs Panzer encounters.
One Sherman advanced (ie move and fire) on a Tiger but missed to have the Tiger hit it only to see damage being a Fire which crewed put out (left with 2 PINs and a 'Down' marker which is sort of Suppression/Halt status).
A JgPzIV got an Ambush of advancing Sherman which it brewed easily and then survived following attacks by 2 Sherman and a Firefly unscathed !
Tanks and guns are graded fairly broadly from Very Light to Super Heavy but it does seem to work with more nuance than in Rapid Fire.
Certainly a quick playing system although I have yet try Indirect HE fire and Assaults (which are an all or nothing affair).
Whether its has enough detail to sustain interest compared to Battlegroup Normandy or Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier sets etc remains to be seen but so far enjoyable time with the toys.
Think it would be fairly easy to teach.

Initial British advance