Bolt Action at Ulster Wargames Society (and other games)

Society meeting today and I got to give Bolt Action 3 a try along with Stevie under the umpirage of Chris and on another of his eye-catching table set-ups.

Whilst table featured a superb Pegasus Bridge model it was not based on any historical action just being a quick encounter type set up with Germans facing Brit Paras both sides with armour and other support (think Chris said forces were roughly 1500 points each).

We diced for choice of sides and I had Ze Germans with Chris the Brits (we were later joined by Adam and Dave P respectively).

The game from the outset was a total belly laugh-fest mostly generated by my usual dicing prowess (first roll was a 1 and it was downhill from then on but I did warn them before hand what was in store) my favourite being actually rolling a rare double six only to be told this resulted in a FUBAR result which saw my Pak 40 and crew run off table in abject terror or was it disgust ?.

However it did seem that like The Flu/The Plague/The Dread Leargy my dice touch was spreading far and wide as all four of us just kept missing with our tanks (Germans had a PzIVH a PzIII, a Puma and a Hanomag whilst Brits had a Sherman, an M5 Stuart, a Greyhound, a M5 HT and a Bren Carrier)

The Puma and Sherman failed to hit each other throughout (Puma survived initial hit with an immobilzation) 

And a three-way (oh er missus !!) between my PzIV, the Stuart and a 6pdr again saw rounds whizzing harmlessly by their targets (PzIV lost steerage and was only brewed on last turn)

In center the PzIII similarly exchanged paint balls with the Greyhound.

It was amazing and yet hilarious to behold the number of misses or failures to penetrate !! 

We both had artillery support (1 stonk each) but mine failed to arrive after 6 rolls and Brits took 3 turns to appear causing a couple of Pins.

Infantry suffered a bit more (we both lost our Sniper teams) with several casualties and lots of Pins being inflicted despite judicious use of cover (Mortars did damage on both sides).

When time was called (after 7 turns ?) not sure who was winning (think German losses were higher overall) but my sides were sore from laughter so best to finish before they split.

Great fun and always enjoyable to see and use kit from the extensive 20mm collection of Chris.

Bolt Action not a system I have played much of (1-2 games) and never with latest edition (although I do have a copy). 

Definitely on the 'lite' side of things but with enough tactical decisions to sate the WW2 itch despite lacking the chrome or detail of other sets 

The 'chit pull' system generates the friction within game as one can never depend on getting to act or react in timely fashion.

Shooting and movement sort of standard with use of D6 (sometimes buckets thereof) and its a 'if its on table it is visible/vulnerable' deal (although of course some terrain can block LOS).

The lightness certainly leads to a fast playing (I can see why it suits competition type gaming) game and this one was most certainly a ton of fun.

Superb terrain with lots of bocage

Puma suffering but surviving the attentions of a (barely visible) Sherman as PzIII moves up to support infantry

The PzIV engages (har de har har) Stuart

6pdr draws a bead on PzIV but seems to be firing ping pong balls instead of APDS

Hun infantry hug the bocage

Pak40 sets up in cunning ambush position before FUBARing into the ether

Great detail on the bridge

Greyhound and Bren Carrier 

Sd251 inflicted a few hits before the Greyhound dealt with it

Bridge model worth another couple of pics

Club was very well attended today with several other games ongoing

Bryn and co put on a massive Borodino game using Black Powder in 15mm with 8 players fully engaged (it was still going when I left.

Tim and Dave M (with couple of others) had a Mid-Guard game with Crusaders facing some Arabic types and 'true' 25mm figures

The two Daves and Tom had couple of games of FOGR with Ethiopian and Turaegs having at it. 

Ulster Wargames Society - Gross Jagersdorf with (you guessed it ) Field Of Battle 3 - and other games

Club meeting today and I put on a scenario based around action around Norknitten Woods during Battle of Gross Jagersdorf (converted from a Black Powder scenario) using, of course, FOB 3.

Usual suspects signed up for game with Dave T taking the attacking Prussians and Dave B the defending Russians.

As ever a cracking game ensued with Prussians concentrating their forces on Russian right flank.

Russians had great sequences of cards and good move rolls but continuously failed to take advantage when shooting or in close combat. 

They thereby suffered badly in early going despite managing to charge cavalry onto flank of infantry twice (Fusilier Bttn 40 had a charmed life !) and then outnumbering enemy in 3 of 4 combats and losing every single melee !!

The Prussian Grenadiers (4 units) were rather poor including failing to move several times and both sides Cavalry were pants.  

These set backs saw Russians bleed morale and they were soon tottering on the brink and giving Morale to Prussians, but they passed their first Army Morale and seemed to have a resurgence of fortunes winning several combats (including at least 2 when roll a D4 vs enemy D10+ !!) and managed to survive numerous Daring Deed rallying rolls.

This saw several Prussian units shattered but the cost in Russian units was crippling and the slaughter continued until a second Army Morale appeared and the Russians quit the field.

The Prussians had a mere 3 Morale left (both sides started with 30) but had been 'gifted' 23 by the enemy so a crushing win for Prussia despite Fredericks absence.

Prussian assault into woods in full swing

A Brigade of Garrison troops is heading to Prussian right to try to get their cavalry out of trouble

A heavy melee in the woods

Russians trying to redeploy (they had to set up first) to Prussian concentration

Prussians bringing reserves into play

Russian right being turned

Prussian Fusilier Bttn 40 visible just outside wood near center having survived 2 flank charges by cavalry

Overview of battlefield before Prussian cavalry arrived (on foreground left edge) 

Also at Club were several other games (another busy meeting and great to see) that I did not see much of and don't know how these ended.

Chris and co played a very nice game using Bolt Action 3 (I would have liked to have seen these in action) with Japs mounting a sea landing against US troops. Some eye catching terrain and kit

Paddy put on a 28mm Cold War game using I think 7 Days To The Rhine rules

Charlie and co had a 20mm game using Crossfire (again I would have liked to see this one as an old but super set) which seemed to be late war Allies versus Germans with several tanks

Pics from before any units deployed