LRDG In Bolt Action Rant

[Mick A]

Decided to do a LRDG force for Bolt Action but I'm not impressed with what you can have according to the official list... Each infantry squad needs to be on a transport truck (quite rightly so) but it can only have either a single MMG or a single HMG where as the three support truck/jeep choices can be bristling with LMG's, MMG's and a HMG but are not allowed to transport anyone! Did the writers bother to erase arch at all?!?

Sorry, rant over...

[Cubs]

How on earth can anyone impose tight restrictions on an ad-hoc force that nicked stuff if it liked the look of it?

From what I recall they looted some MG's from a downed plane and bolted them on their vehicles at one point.

Having said that, there is a grey area between LRDG and SAS with the desert war and in general the LRDG tended more towards recon and intelligence gathering than the SAS raids and strikes.

[Ahistorian]

Bolt Action army lists are not, in general, the place to go for historical accuracy.

In the games we've had at the club, we've just set up and go with historical bits, and only used the points as a rough guide to "balanced" forces. Just look at the Italians for one thing - denied their historical ORBATs just to keep squads at the same 5-10 for every nation.

[grant]

Bolt Action army lists are not, in general, the place to go for historical accuracy.

In the games we've had at the club, we've just set up and go with historical bits, and only used the points as a rough guide to "balanced" forces. Just look at the Italians for one thing - denied their historical ORBATs just to keep squads at the same 5-10 for every nation.

Exactly true, and very much the reason I gave up on Bolt Action. The Italians in particular galled me; they are so far off from any kind of reality that the book is unusable. The game is meant to be a tournament, competitive system, and lacks realism and flexibility to recreate history. It's a game, with a thin veneer of World War II.

Chain of Command, on the other hand, hits a great balance of game and history. 

[pixelgeek]

Chain of Command, on the other hand, hits a great balance of game and history. 

I'm trying to get a copy. 

[pixelgeek]

cant you just change the rules so it works?

Wouldn't necessarily be balanced which would be an issue for Bolt Action.

[grant]

cant you just change the rules so it works?

No. It's all "official this" and "official that" - it's the worst of 40k and Flames of War tournament scene, run by Alessio Cavatore. Remember him? He wrecked Warhammer Fantasy and other things. His way or no way. No thank you!

I've moved on.

[grant]

I'm trying to get a copy. 

It's available here:

http://toofatlardies.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25

Worth every penny, too.

[Elbows]

A couple of decent gamers should be able to balance it somehow (if you really want balance).  This, and the things Scurv mentioned are why I try to get away from anything which is built with tournament gaming in mind.  Tournament style organization and wargaming to me don't work.  The quality of a wargame is derived from the fun had by the players - win or lose.  Part of the fun of playing an imbalanced historical scenario is indeed to see if you can succeed where the historical predecessors failed.

This is why I'm fond of games like Fireball Forward etc.  Scenarios are just that...scenarios, with a nice little historical blurb to let you know what really happened. Many of the Stalingrad scenarios for instance are based on one side conducting a fighting withdrawal...the goal not being to defeat your enemy but keep them from doing X for so many turns.

I say chop up the rules to suit your needs.

[janner]

No. It's all "official this" and "official that" - it's the worst of 40k and Flames of War tournament scene, run by Alessio Cavatore. Remember him? He wrecked Warhammer Fantasy and other things. His way or no way. No thank you!

I've moved on.

I've had great games with NUTS! and Force on Force recently. I suggest that both systems are worth try if anyone is tired with BA

[Huascar]

BA gives a exciting, fast and challenging WWII game. It has excellent supported from warlord and is well suited to club pick up games and comp playing. If you prefer historical accuracy and scenario play BA should not be your first choice - but that does not mean there is anything wrong with It. I also play and love CoC and enjoy the variety. I would urge people to try both and feel free to play both since there is no reason you cannot use the same figures for both games.

[Ahistorian]

I know what you mean Huascar, I particularly enjoy Chain of Command myself.

That said, and this has been my opinion on Bolt Action since it came out - it's a fantastic toys-on-the-table game. It is a terrible World War Two game. It presents none of a platoon commander's challenges in WW2. Very fun though.

[Captain_Hook]

I agree with much that has been said. Bolt Action is a fun and easy "game". The mechanics are easy to learn, and it is fun to play. If I want a more historical feel, I would prefer using TFL's Chain of Command, or Iron Ivan's Disposable Heroes.

I know that the historical purists don't like to hear it, but Bolt Action is doing for skirmish gaming, what Flames of War has done for Company sized engagements. Younger enthusiasts that may not have gamed WWII in the past are giving it a go. If these new gamers are anything like I was, they'll own a dozen rule sets, and have played another dozen before it's all said and done.

[pixelgeek]

I know that the historical purists don't like to hear it, but Bolt Action is doing for skirmish gaming, what Flames of War has done for Company sized engagements. Younger enthusiasts that may not have gamed WWII in the past are giving it a go.

Exactly. The rules are getting people into 28mm WWII gaming and at some point they can be used to get people to play more historical games or just different rulesets if that is what people want to do.

I don't particularly like the rules but there are two new people at one of the local stores that are willing to try it and I suspect that once we are playing that getting them to play CoC won't be too difficult.

[Mick A]

Bolt Action is the local clubs choice for rules and as its the place I get to play I have to go along with it... My own personal choice for WWII skirmish is Easy Eights Battleground WWII.