Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: MikeRC97 on November 17, 2019, 12:35:11 AM
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Hello All,
Here are some pictures of the first of my Bolt Action forces, a late war German Heer reinforced platoon (28mm plastic figures by Warlord Games). The force is composed of a 3 man headquarters unit, two 9 man infantry squads, a 3 man medium mortar team with spotter and a two man sniper team.
(https://i.imgur.com/RlgqeQI.jpg)
The headquarter unit is made up of an officer and two optional soldiers. In game terms the officer can be a First or Second Lieutenant. In reality German lieutenants wore helmets in the field but the peaked cap on this figure makes it easy to pick out on the tabletop.
(https://i.imgur.com/R903D8e.jpg)
Here is the first of the two infantry squads. The Bolt Action rules are very flexible when it comes to squad composition so I built my squads based on the historical late war Heer squad (1 squad leader armed with an MP40, 1 assistant squad leader armed with an MP40, 1 machine gunner armed with an MG42, 1 assistant gunner armed with a rifle and 5 soldiers armed with rifles).
(https://i.imgur.com/QLR9Fn3.jpg)
The “maneuver element” of the squad. Some of the figures were painted years ago when I purchased the original Warlord Games plastic German Infantry set. Since then I expanded the platoon with figures or bits from the plastic German Grenadier sprue (which includes two bodies wearing Zeltbahns), the Blitzkreig German sprue and the plastic Afrika Korps sprue.
(https://i.imgur.com/LsDkuh0.jpg)
The second infantry squad. Both squads include one figure armed with a panzerfaust disposable hollow-charge grenade launcher (the rules allow up to four per squad).
(https://i.imgur.com/ZaJl3Eh.jpg)
Close-up of some of the figures from the second squad. The NCO figure reloading his MP40 is a minor conversion; I simply cut the magazine off the weapon and glued it to his left hand.
(https://i.imgur.com/ETSi6nk.jpg)
Here is a better view of a soldier armed with a panzerfaust, another NCO and the MG42 team. The helmet on the gunner’s belt is from a Tamiya 1/48 German Infantry sprue. Although the 1/48 Tamiya figures are larger (28mm is closer to 1/56 scale) the bits work well on the Warlord Games figures.
(https://i.imgur.com/GwSfe92.jpg)
The medium mortar team and spotter. The plastic 8cm Granatwerfer 34 mortar is from the Sd.Kfz 251/2 upgrade sprue which Warlord Games sells separately (the hand holding the mortar round is also from this sprue). I don’t think that the Germans painted mortars in late war Dunkelgelb (Dark Yellow) like the panzerfausts but I saw a 1/35 Dragon model of the Granatwerfer 34 painted that way and I really liked the way it looked.
(https://i.imgur.com/EuRQSsr.jpg)
One of the crouching figures and the prone spotter figure are from the plastic Afrika Korps set. Some of the uniform details are not accurate for ETO Heer infantry but when painted as such it’s not really noticeable.
(https://i.imgur.com/7Jjkzfq.jpg)
Sniper team, the figures are from the Warlord Games plastic Waffen SS sprue. I painted the smocks in Splittermuster camouflage. These are really nice figures by Warlord Games. The faces in the older sets are often sculpted in a very cartoony way, but these figures have very realistic faces and the head with the foliage attached to the helmet cover makes a great sniper figure.
(https://i.imgur.com/ofFIcLX.jpg)
Snipers are a bit overpowered in the current edition of Bolt Action. Due to the way the rules work, a single hit from a sniper can destroy a 3 man weapons team. I’ll admit it’s a bit of cheese including them in my force as snipers were not part of a historical German infantry platoon, but I wanted them because the Waffen figures were so nice.
(https://i.imgur.com/1pGb2OT.jpg)
If fielded as regular quality troops, this force adds up to just over 400 points in Bolt Action so this is a good start for a German force that I can expand with AFVs and more infantry.
I have also started collecting US Infantry by Warlord Games as an opposing force but those will have to wait for now as I shift back to Napoleonics.
Any feedback is appreciated.
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A very nice looking force. I would tend to make the HQ unit only 2 man as then it becomes a small team and harder to hit. Looks like you have all the bases covered. Mortar and sniper team are the usual add ons to any Bolt Action army. Like the way in which you have used different sprues from different boxes to create your army. Good ideas.
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So which of the super cool German vehicles are you thinking of adding to this force?
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A very nice looking force. I would tend to make the HQ unit only 2 man as then it becomes a small team and harder to hit.
Good call out, thanks for the feedback.
So which of the super cool German vehicles are you thinking of adding to this force?
Nothing too exciting, I’m thinking a Panzer IV or StuG III. Rubicon Models makes some really nice 1/56 scale sets that I’d like to pick up.
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Well my vote from Rubicon, would be something more exotic, panzer IV’s and StuGs are ten a penny.
Hetzer is a cool looking thing?
Or halftracks to transport your lovely figures?
Best of luck
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Nothing too exciting, I’m thinking a Panzer IV or StuG III. Rubicon Models makes some really nice 1/56 scale sets that I’d like to pick up.
They certainly do.
The Hetzer is a lovely model.
http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.com/search/label/Jagdpanzer%2038%28t%29 (http://ultravanillasmurf.blogspot.com/search/label/Jagdpanzer%2038%28t%29)
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I’m back with my second Bolt Action force, a United States reinforced platoon (28mm plastic figures by Warlord Games). The force is composed of a 2 man headquarters unit, two 12 man infantry squads and a 2 man bazooka team.
(https://i.imgur.com/E0oSxkR.jpg)
The HQ unit is made up of a First Lieutenant and a Platoon Sargeant. The First Lieutenant figure has a body from the Perry Miniatures US Infantry set and a head and arms from the Warlord Games US Infantry set that came out in 2018. I had hoped to mix and match parts from the two sets, but the Perry figures are noticeably smaller that the Warlord figures so this is the only figure I kit-bashed. The Perry figures are modeled wearing the standard issue wool trousers, the Warlord figures are modeled wearing the herringbone twill trousers often worn in combat.
(https://i.imgur.com/YpSKtPb.jpg)
The First Lieutenant's rank insignia is a single bar helmet marking. The Platoon Sargeant has NCO stripes on both arms (3 chevrons and 2 rockers). The rank insignias are decals that are included in the Warlord Games set.
(https://i.imgur.com/9yUEF6h.jpg)
Below is the first of the two infantry squads. As I did with my German force, I based the squad on a historical WWII US Army squad, except that I gave the squad leader a Thompson SMG (officially the squad leader was issued a M1 Garand). One of the figures is armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle.
(https://i.imgur.com/b0LvAib.jpg)
Here is a close-up of some of the figures in the first squad. I’m a big fan of Perry Miniatures but I prefer these newer Warlord US Infantry figures. Some of the heads are from the Warlord Games US Airborne set.
(https://i.imgur.com/kRMQTns.jpg)
There are five poses on the sprue, all of which are good. My only complaint with the set is that there are only 3 pairs of arms holding M1 Garands on each sprue, the other arms are holding various weapons such as SMGs or a bazooka. It would have been better if there were a “command sprue” with the other squad weapons and more M1 Garands on the main sprue (as is the case with the Perry set).
Here is the second infantry squad. The figure with the Thompson SMG is the squad leader. Rifle platoon squad leaders were Staff Sargeants (rank insignia 3 chevrons and 1 rocker).
(https://i.imgur.com/Wxg3wFB.jpg)
Below is a close-up of some of the figures in the second squad. The middle figure in the front row in the picture below is a conversion – I removed the figure’s shotgun and added a M1 Garand. This figure is modeled as an Assistant Squad Leader (the 3 chevrons on his arm indicating his rank of Sargeant) in case I want to divide the squad in two.
(https://i.imgur.com/58EEPeQ.jpg)
The figures in this set are really well done. By mixing and matching arms and bodies you can create a lot of variety in the poses. The three riflemen below are made from the same body with three different pairs of arms.
(https://i.imgur.com/eoUieXf.jpg)
The three riflemen below are made from identical pairs of arms with three different bodies.
(https://i.imgur.com/9yTwUyW.jpg)
Here is the bazooka team. The bazooka in the set is the M1 with the wooden foregrip. This version of the weapon was first issued in late 1942.
(https://i.imgur.com/heSs7Lf.jpg)
That’s all for now. I have a Rubicon Models M4 Sherman to add to this force, my German force still needs some armor.
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Looking good! I also like how you mix and match bits from different kits.
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Your GIs look good. And so do your Germans from earlier. :)
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It has been a couple of years but I’m finally back at it with tanks for both of my Bolt Action forces. First for the Germans, the iconic Panzer IV H. The model is the Rubicon Models Panzer IV Ausf F/F2/G/H (kit 280077).
(https://i.imgur.com/4Ld3RgK.jpg)
I really like this kit, there are options for each of the different variants, and the model is easy to assemble. I modelled the Panzer IV as an ausf H manufactured late in 1943 (often referred to as “mid-production”). This variant was common in Italy, Northwest Europe, and the Eastern Front in 1944.
(https://i.imgur.com/gXd8dqF.jpg)
Despite the many options in the kit, there are some minor accuracy issues when assembled as a mid-production ausf H. I modified some of these details using bits from the Rubicon Models German Stowage Set 2. For example, I replaced the flat S hooks on the hull with a pair of upright C hooks from the stowage set as this was the arrangement on mid-production ausf H Panzer IVs.
Some of the OVM (“On Vehicle Materials”) such as the tank jack are a bit flat on the model, so I replaced them with bits from Stowage Set 2.
(https://i.imgur.com/inhws1S.jpg)
Rubicon sells a metal gun barrel and resin track replacement parts for this kit, both of which I included in my build. There’s nothing wrong with the plastic parts included in the kit but these extras are nicely detailed and are not terribly expensive so I couldn’t resist.
The three-tone German camo was airbrushed on with Vallejo Model Air paints. I used oil dot filters to fade and blend the colors.
(https://i.imgur.com/zQx3Nyw.jpg)
Next up is a M4 Sherman (75mm) for the US force. The model is the Rubicon Models M4 Sherman / Firefly IC (kit 280060).
(https://i.imgur.com/HMl0iFx.jpg)
Another great model from Rubicon, out of the box this kit makes a very accurate version of the M4 seen widely in Northwest Europe in 1944. There are a few minor options in the kit such as square or round external air cleaners on the rear of the hull. I used the square air cleaners which were more common based on my research (the instructions did not include this information).
(https://i.imgur.com/dbE84fw.jpg)
Both kits include waterslide decal sheets comparable to the ones included in scale model kits, but I found them difficult to work with, the decals would ball up and twist easily and it took some work (and no small amount of patience) to get them to lay flat on the model.
Dried mud was applied to both models using resin medium mixed with paint and both models received a coat of dirt / dust using pigments.
(https://i.imgur.com/iWT1bMT.jpg)
If it isn’t already obvious, I highly recommend these kits by Rubicon Models. With the addition of these tanks, I now have two 600-point Bolt Action forces, perfect for a small point game. To get to 1,000 points I want to paint another squad, more weapon teams, and a light tank or heavy armored car for each force. So more to come!
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Great work!
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They look fantastic! Love the camo scheme on the panzer :-*
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Very good job on those tanks. Well done!
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Great looking figures and tank. How are the rules for Bolt Action? I have never played it before.
Regards,
Hitman
😎
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Lovely collection! Nicely done!
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Thank you all for the kind words.
How are the rules for Bolt Action? I have never played it before.
Regards,
Hitman
😎
I hadn't played it either before this week. I've been working on getting two small forces done to try out the game but I get easily distracted by other projects so it took forever.
I've seen a lot of criticism online for the ruleset but I liked them. The rules are simple to learn, and while for some that may be a negative, for me that was a plus. I played with my son, we normally play 40k and Kill Team, and by the third turn of our first game (for both of us) the game started to play quickly, although we made a ton of mistakes. We're more of the learn-as-you-play types and the relative simplicity of the ruleset lends themselves well to this approach. I really like the way the rules incorporate pinning and order tests without slowing the game down. Even when we were in the thick of things with multiple combats happening the game really flowed.
Coming from 40k I do see how the rules can be abused by competitive players who will min/max units to get as many order dice and assault rifles on the board as possible (historical accuracy be damned). That wasn't an issue in our game as I modelled both forces based on historical WW2 squads (I left the German sniper at home for our learning game). I don't know if I would enjoy the game playing with competitive players though.
I'm curious how other LAFers feel about the ruleset. Eventually I want to try Chain of Command as well but I need another squad for each force and some more supports.
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It's not that they are bad rules per se, but rather that they do not really represent a WWII engagement at all. Basically it is a fantasy game using WWII figures and vehicles, but the rules actively prevent you from using real tactics such as fire and movement by teams. And of course the whole list building concept is flawed under this respect.
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It's not that they are bad rules per se, but rather that they do not really represent a WWII engagement at all. Basically it is a fantasy game using WWII figures and vehicles, but the rules actively prevent you from using real tactics such as fire and movement by teams. And of course the whole list building concept is flawed under this respect.
How do the rules actively prevent the player from using real tactics?
In the learning game I played with my son, I played as the Germans and he played as U.S. I deployed one of my German squads near a forest, moved them into cover in turn one and from that point on they held a defensive position to take advantage of the firepower of the MG42. By 1944 as Germany had gone on the defensive the German squads were very much based around the MG42 as the decisive element and the Bolt Action rules give an extra die for the MG42 to reflect this.
Is it that the rules prevent playing using real tactics, or is it that the game doesn't force the player to use real tactics? It's early days for me so I can't really answer yet.
On list building I do think this is the case - the rules don't force you to use historically accurate WWII squads and so the game does open itself up to list building abuse. I think some of this comes from players coming from competitive 40k who don't really care about historical accuracy and who are accustomed to min/maxing and other such list building shenanigans. But that's not to say that you can't build historically accurate forces as I attempted to do.
Please keep in mind I'm not trying to defend the rules as I realize that they are not for everyone but I'm curious about the point you made and would like a better understanding of your meaning.
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How do the rules actively prevent the player from using real tactics?
You have to use the squad as a whole, so fire and movement by teams is impossible due to the need 1) to remain in coherency and 2) by the fact that the squad only has a single activation. This was key to the tactics of most major powers during WWII, either on the attack or on defense: the LMG was the key element of the squad for this. Also, LMGs perform rather poorly in BA; for this reason, most players simply do not take them at all.
On list building I do think this is the case - the rules don't force you to use historically accurate WWII squads and so the game does open itself up to list building abuse. I think some of this comes from players coming from competitive 40k who don't really care about historical accuracy and who are accustomed to min/maxing and other such list building shenanigans. But that's not to say that you can't build historically accurate forces as I attempted to do.
That is totally correct, but this means that you either play alone (or with someone like minded) or have to accept the fact that you are going to be trounced quite often, which generally does not make for a very fun game. Another thing which is quite odd is that there are things allowed that should really not belong to an engagement the size and scale represented here, mostly artillery which should be, in a realistic reproduction, be deployed a couple of rooms away from the table. The possibility to field multiple platoons makes things even worse: I have seen a guy fielding four platoons composed of the required two five men squad of green troops so that he could take four flamethrowing tanks...
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You have to use the squad as a whole, so fire and movement by teams is impossible due to the need 1) to remain in coherency and 2) by the fact that the squad only has a single activation.
You can do it but the rules certainly don't facilitate playing this way. Using my US force as an example I could deploy a rifle squad as two separate units (a fire element with the BAR and a maneuver element), and keep them within 6" of a First Lieutenant. When the officer is activated he can use the "You Men, Snap to Action!" rule to issue back-to-back orders to the two rifle units. The HQ unit can fire on the enemy unit first, the fire element can follow up with a shooting attack and the maneuver element can move and fire (without to-hit penalty per the US army special rule). Are there other WWII rule sets that do a better job of this? I haven't played Chain of Command yet but my guess would be that's the answer.
Personally, I don't need to play the game using historical tactics to have fun. And I did find the game fun while it still felt like I was playing a WWII game. There are many examples in the rule book where the author points out the historical reason for a specific rule. For example the M4 Sherman has a "medium anti-tank gun" while the Panzer IV H has a "heavy anti-tank gun" even though both tanks have 75mm cannon. This reflects the dual-role L/40 75mm cannon on the M4 Sherman compared to the L/48 75mm cannon on the Panzer IV H. And we felt this in game as the Panzer had an easier time penetrating the armor of the Sherman.
But having fun with this ruleset comes with a MASSIVE caveat...
That is totally correct, but this means that you either play alone (or with someone like minded)
This. 100% this. I think the Bolt Action rules have "fallen into the wrong hands" so to speak. In general, the Warlord rules seem to have been written for casual games among like-minded friends (this was explicitly stated in the intro to the Black Powder rules). I put together two historical forces and played a fun game and I came away with a very positive opinion of the rules. But had I played against someone with a list like the one you described I doubt I would ever play the game again.
And from what I have seen in online Battle Reports, these ahistorical-min/max lists seem to be the norm. Take as many 5 man squads as you can (to maximize order dice and therefore potential pins on your opponent's units), load them up with SMGs/LMGs/Assault rifles to the max allowed and include a truck or jeep with a HMG as a gun truck. I suppose if both players take that same approach to the game, both could have a good time. But that wouldn't be for me. If I wanted to play that way I would just play 40k.
I guess what I'm saying is that a lot of the hate I see online for Bolt Action feels a bit unfair. Are the rules an accurate simulation of WWII small unit tactics? Certainly not. Is the game fun to play while still feeling like a WWII tabletop wargame? I think so, but with the caveat I mentioned above.
I'll see how I feel about them after playing more games and after trying out some other rules for this scale of game (meaning platoon level, not 28mm).
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You can do it but the rules certainly don't facilitate playing this way. Using my US force as an example I could deploy a rifle squad as two separate units (a fire element with the BAR and a maneuver element), and keep them within 6" of a First Lieutenant.
That is the only way, but now you are playing with two units (in game terms: squads) and this makes them easier to pin down with shock. It is a workaround, but less than ideal, IMHO.
Are there other WWII rule sets that do a better job of this? I haven't played Chain of Command yet but my guess would be that's the answer.
I would say that CoC does a much better job: in CoC the use of leaders (not only the platoon CO but the Second in Command and the Squad leaders) is crucial and it allows you to effectively utilize real tactics.
Another thing that bothers me in BA is that the activation system, while fun and interesting, produces some twisted results: in a fight the more experienced side normally holds the tactical initiative against a more untrained/green opponent. In BA, due to the command dice mechanics, it is the opposite: a green force will always have more dice in the bag than an elite force (even without taking into account tricks like splitting squads or taking cheap units just for the dice) and will thus be easier to activate and coordinate.
Mind you, I have been onboard with BA when it first came out and have been a Sarge (demo player) for it for a while, but I feel that second edition definitely made the game worse, not addressing any of the problems that the first edition had and creating a whole host of new ones. I think that the game was mainly targeted at players used to WH40K and under this respect I understand it has been a success, but when you need to select your opponents in order to have fun with a ruleset, I think there is a problem...
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Bolt Action is not a good representation of any action. It’s … gamey. And that’s about it.
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I’m back with some additions to my US force from the Warlord Games US Army Weapons Teams box set.
First up is a sniper team. I really like the way the sniper figure is modeled like he’s adjusting his rifle’s sight.
(https://i.imgur.com/aGxH9P6.jpg)
This box set came out in 2023 but I know some, if not all, of the figures are old sculpts. What is new is the material – these figures are made from Warlord’s Resin Plus material. A quick google search informed me that this is actually a new material from Sicocast which they call SiOres HARD.
I’ve read mixed reviews of miniatures made from the original Siocast resin, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this box set but imho this new material is quite good. The resin is very hard, the details are sharp and there was little to no flash. On the Warlord website it says these miniatures do not have to be primed; I did notice a powdery finish on the figures out-of-the-box. Old habits die hard so I gave them a quick soak in dishwashing soap and primed them with my usual rattle can primer.
(https://i.imgur.com/8Jcoykl.jpg)
Next up is a flamethrower team (M2). I’m not a fan of these two figures, the proportions are a bit wonky. I’ve seen this team for sale online in a metal blister pack, they are not new sculpts.
(https://i.imgur.com/TnC4zlU.jpg)
On the assistant figure I decided to see how hard it is to convert a figure made from this resin by attempting a simple head swap. It wasn’t hard at all, using a pair of sprue cutters I easily cut off the existing head which I replaced with a head from the Warlord US Infantry plastic sprue using super glue. I had to do a little bit of sanding but there was none of the dust you get when sanding traditional resin which is a plus. The heads on the Warlord plastic sprue are a bit larger than the heads on these resin figures but not too bad. I tried out a head from the Perry Miniatures US Infantry plastic sprue, but it was way too small.
(https://i.imgur.com/bqPzt4J.jpg)
Here is the last addition, a light mortar team (M2). The box set comes with individual plastic bases for the sniper and flamethrower team figures and a single 60mm plastic base for the light mortar team. When I painted my German medium mortar team I based the figures and the weapon individually. With these new figures, I changed how I base heavy weapons teams.
(https://i.imgur.com/hhdw9te.jpg)
In the Bolt Action rules, a team weapon is a weapon that requires two or more men to fire at full effect. Support team weapons, such as this mortar team, have a special rule that if the model carrying / firing the weapon is killed, the entire team is removed. This rule is what makes snipers so powerful as the controlling player can always select which model to remove successful damage roll.
For this mortar team I glued the weapon and one of the team members to the base, this figure will count as the model firing the weapon. The other two team members are on their own bases which allows for individual model removal when the entire team is not removed.
(https://i.imgur.com/8kcq7pE.jpg)
I liked the result so much that I decided to rebase the German medium mortar team the same way.
(https://i.imgur.com/nmT1eu4.jpg)
With these new additions I now have 700 points for both forces which is a nice size for the games I play on the dining room table. Eventually I would like to get both forces up to 1000 points.
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Those guys look good. I've been wondering about Warlord's new resin castings - thanks for the review.