Bolt Action for the SCW

[Arlequín]

Okay, I oversimplified that post a bit...

While anyone with stripes or stars can order anyone who hasn't got them about, imagine the confusion and breakdown of C&C if they all potentially did that at the same time in battle. While telling anyone to 'pick that cigarette end' up in barracks is fine, in combat there are clearly defined responsibilities. When a specific leader goes down, they generally elevate someone from within his command to lead it, rather than placing them under an existing leader's command.

Militia are a different ball game, as you say. Your delegado is appointed (or elected) with no more authority or responsibility than those regarding the men in his group (which will be between 10 and 20 men, with no sub-units). Attempting to order about the men of another group is likely to be met with polite refusal, or remarks about his mother's accomplishments as a 'sole trader'. He has a single superior, the Jefe in charge of the Centuria (effectively the 'on table' overall commander).

So our guy is pretty much fixed with his rather large unit. I'm sure he could have told 'Pepe' to take four or five guys to do something important, but that's an informal division and not quite like our Sargento above, ordering Cabo Castro to take his squad to do something similar. 

The sergeant can leave the rest of his command under their own Cabos, to check up on Castro, but our Delegado can't really do the same with any degree of certainty that his men will not have decided a new strategy for themselves and have gone somewhere else. He might be fortunate in having someone to put in charge while he's away, but that isn't a given.

In Bolt Action you don't get any of this and if you don't create a house rule covering 'areas of responsibility' or 'ownership' of a defined group of units, any 'officer' type can just float around fixing morale difficulties with a wave of his magic wand.

Obviously having detached leaders gives more dice in the pot, which might be an advantage 'regulars' enjoy over militia, with their 'fixed' leaders in this sense. Essentially therefore, while you can assume that each militia squad has a leader anyway, the buying of a delegado is like paying for a 'more competent' leader if you like. Going on that route, your militia force is down to 8 dice, compared to 6 for the Legion, or 7 if you swap out some riflemen for a sergeant to assist the Teniente and take charge of a group of units.   

As for the big units... I was thinking along the lines of either doubling the 'pins' they receive (this war business being a whole new experience for them) or forcing them to take tests as separate informal groups. Either way it over-complicates my initial objective of not adding copious special rules to a fast-play rule set. It's only an issue for the first couple of months, after which somewhat smaller squads seem to be the norm for them.   

[WillieB]

That's fine chap - i have Militia, Brigaders*, Assaltos, Guardia Civil and La Legion troops so should be able to cobble something together for that period  

I need to drop a project somewhere and expand into the Falange, Requetes ...

On a more pressing note, where can i get a FT-17 from in 28mm? No plastic kits if possible.

Thanks,

James

* I'd use the Brigaders as Communists (slightly better, Green?, than Militia)

Force of Arms has a resin FT 17 which is quite good, and Brigade Games makes a real nice metal one. Slightly expensive though.
http://www.brigadegames.com/FT-17_p_1699.html

[H.M.Stanley]

Force of Arms has a resin FT 17 which is quite good, and Brigade Games makes a real nice metal one. Slightly expensive though.
http://www.brigadegames.com/FT-17_p_1699.html

Hi Willie.

Force of Arms has stopped trading, the Wargames Command Post is out of stock and i'm the wrong side of the pond for Brigade Games (unless someone knows a UK stockist)

I want that tank!! [bawls]

Cheers

James

[WillieB]

Hi Willie.

Force of Arms has stopped trading, the Wargames Command Post is out of stock and i'm the wrong side of the pond for Brigade Games (unless someone knows a UK stockist)

I want that tank!! [bawls]

Cheers

James

Actually I didn't know John had stopped trading. Sad news indeed.( I just read tha announcement on TMP)  Wheras I have most if not all of his SCW vehicles my Vietnam collection is far from complete.

Great Hall still sells the FOA Ft 17 but it's also on the wrong side of the big puddle.
http://www.greathallminis.com/SpanishCivilWar/scw_veh_foa.htm

[Arlequín]

I'm positive I've recently seen a new resin FT-17 for release, or pending release... can't find the post for the life of me though. It actually looked like a good model too. The same company is also producing a 'Liberty Tank' iirc, so that might jog someone's memory here.

North Star import some of Brigade Games's ranges, might be worth enquiring about obtaining one through them.

[H.M.Stanley]

I'm positive I've recently seen a new resin FT-17 for release, or pending release... can't find the post for the life of me though. It actually looked like a good model too. The same company is also producing a 'Liberty Tank' iirc, so that might jog someone's memory here.

North Star import some of Brigade Games's ranges, might be worth enquiring about obtaining one through them.

Thanks Jim

I'll bend Nick's ear 

James

[Londoncopper]

A recent post on PMT states that John hopes to be back trading soon as his wife is well on the road to recovery, great news on both counts.
There will be new releases too!

[Klingula]

Thanks for that 

I pulled the lists (which were on my other blog in any case  ) as I wasn't happy with them and I also made an error or two. I've put them back up for now, but I consider them still a 'work in progress'.

Overview
Rule Mods
Republican List
Nationalist List

Unfortunately the links are outdated 8(
 Friends, can anyone save them and can share?

[Arlequín]

Outdated doesn't cover it, I've had two laptops since 2013 and even the blog itself has gone to meet its maker. I don't recall even playing Bolt Action since then, Chain of Command killed what interest I had in BA. Unless someone did save them I'm sorry to say they're long gone.

[moiterei_1984]

I do have a BA Armies of the Spanish Civil War Version 2.1 by RJH Scales... dunno if that’s the one you‘re after? If so send me a PM with your mailing adress and I‘ll send them to you.
Haven’t tried it myself, as I‘ve made the switch over to CoC shortly after downloading the document 

[Arlequín]

Good call...

I've dug out a link to Ryan Scales's lists: https://www.dropbox.com/s/pufpy8h44xrj9ft/Bolt%20Action%20Armies%20of%20the%20Spanish%20Civil%20War%20v2.1.pdf

My only comment is that Spanish infantry sections were actually an NCO and 17 men, not 8 and divided into two squads of six and one of five (the LMG squad). Two squads per platoon. Cavalry platoons were three squads of 8 men, but dismounted as 6, with two horseholders.

Nevertheless that and a few other minor quibbles aside, I'm sure they will serve their purpose.