Bolt Action by Warlord games

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I've not actually played a game yet just in the process of building a table with a mate & painting up a couple of squads, It's quite like Warhammer 40K but set in WWII anyone looking for a tabletop wargame but who is not really into the sci-fi/fantasy settings should check it out.
Search YouTube for Bolt Action demo game by Beasts of War for a good overview.

http://store.warlordgames.com/collections/bolt-action
 
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The people I know who play it rate the game highly although I've managed to resist starting YAA (Yet Another Army)!

Basically if you are looking for a 40k style/size battle but set in WW2 then look no further.
 
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Cheers for the links, Divinious. The rules to Bolt Action looks excellent - I really like the how the turns aren't fixed and the general gameplay elements - being pinned down, ambushes etc. It's going on my list.
 
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Cheers for the links, Divinious. The rules to Bolt Action looks excellent - I really like the how the turns aren't fixed and the general gameplay elements - being pinned down, ambushes etc. It's going on my list.
I agree that is what first attracted me to the game the fluid nature of not knowing who is going next until the dice are drawn from the bag throws up lots of possibilities, I'll let you know how my first match pans out.
 
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Still got the rules and an my basic Russian miniatures but haven't really had much desire to play for the past 8+ months.
Lately I've been preferring to play Blitzkrieg Commander a lot more than Bolt Action.
 
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I've watched a few batreps, and I'd love to play a WW2 game, but I can't justify the cost, tbh. The gameplay looks like good fun from what I've seen. One of the local gaming groups has some players, and it hosted a tournament recently - so I could probably get a game if I wanted one. I just don't have the time or money! I'm going to stick with WH Warcry for now, for my gaming/modelling fix.
 
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I've been quite lucky with my club, for a few years we had a local trader on our committee that could get things for wholesale from a lot of the games suppliers, so during that time we were able to get bits pretty cheap to try out all the various games... though I still spent way too much because I'm too easily tempted.
Our club also has members who were involved in the playtesting and development of the campaign books for Bolt Action, so we were given access to quite a lot of stuff for free & ahead of release dates for that game... I think if it wasn't for those club members, I'd probably not have gotten into playing WW2 games.

I'd say Bolt Action is one of the more accessible WW2 games for new players as you don't need a huge army to start off, you can start with smaller squads of infantry like you would with Warcry.
It's definitely one of the better ones to put on at shows because it's one of the easier choices for new people to drop in and play a few rounds.
 
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Yeah, if I had the spare cash, I'd almost definitely get myself a few infantry squads, a few MGs/mortars and a tank/APC. The batreps looks really tense and I like the activation system. I think AoS could benefit from a rehaul like that!
 
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I've been quite lucky with my club, for a few years we had a local trader on our committee that could get things for wholesale from a lot of the games suppliers, so during that time we were able to get bits pretty cheap to try out all the various games... though I still spent way too much because I'm too easily tempted.
Our club also has members who were involved in the playtesting and development of the campaign books for Bolt Action, so we were given access to quite a lot of stuff for free & ahead of release dates for that game... I think if it wasn't for those club members, I'd probably not have gotten into playing WW2 games.

I'd say Bolt Action is one of the more accessible WW2 games for new players as you don't need a huge army to start off, you can start with smaller squads of infantry like you would with Warcry.
It's definitely one of the better ones to put on at shows because it's one of the easier choices for new people to drop in and play a few rounds.

Is it just me? I've found it to be quite a cheap game to pick up. I got the SS starter pack for about £70 quid.
 
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Is it just me? I've found it to be quite a cheap game to pick up. I got the SS starter pack for about £70 quid.
For me, I didn't want to spend money at the time because I just handed over £300-400 on Flames of War stuff about a month or two before the guys turned up promoting they were given the Bolt Action playtest... but then after playing with the couple of freebies they gave out I cracked and ended up buying into it.

I think you can get a 500pt army for about £40 as well, so it's definitely an affordable game to get into.
Just comes down to having other people who want to play and time to paint the stuff.
 
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For me, I didn't want to spend money at the time because I just handed over £300-400 on Flames of War stuff about a month or two before the guys turned up promoting they were given the Bolt Action playtest... but then after playing with the couple of freebies they gave out I cracked and ended up buying into it.

I think you can get a 500pt army for about £40 as well, so it's definitely an affordable game to get into.
Just comes down to having other people who want to play and time to paint the stuff.

From my experience it depends who you go, my mate done his Russian Army 500 points for £25 I think it was.

On the other hand, I love playing it, but I'm rubbish. Any tips anyone?
 
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I'd say I'm probably rubbish, but my army compositions are often so weird and unpredictable that it somehow throws my opponent off enough for me to give em a run for their money.
Haven't played for a fair few months but off the top of my head these would be new the top of my tips list:
  • Pinning your opponent's forces does wonders (don't focus on killing units), stack lots of pins on armoured units and render them useless as soon as possible.
  • I don't go overboard with Veteran experienced units, I find Regulars are usually enough for most needs (though I find Russians is one of those quantity over quality armies). I like to reserve Veteran for armoured units, HQ and anything I think I'll need to rely on for the long game.
  • Target the opponent's units that haven't activated yet, it can often screw up their plans.
  • Play the aggressor, keep pushing your opponent as much as possible.
 
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I'd say I'm probably rubbish, but my army compositions are often so weird and unpredictable that it somehow throws my opponent off enough for me to give em a run for their money.
Haven't played for a fair few months but off the top of my head these would be new the top of my tips list:
  • Pinning your opponent's forces does wonders (don't focus on killing units), stack lots of pins on armoured units and render them useless as soon as possible.
  • I don't go overboard with Veteran experienced units, I find Regulars are usually enough for most needs (though I find Russians is one of those quantity over quality armies). I like to reserve Veteran for armoured units, HQ and anything I think I'll need to rely on for the long game.
  • Target the opponent's units that haven't activated yet, it can often screw up their plans.
  • Play the aggressor, keep pushing your opponent as much as possible.

Thanks the tip. I always find myself getting pinned.
 
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Another tournament taking place locally in February and I'm seriously considering signing up to it. It's 2v2, 500 points per player, and there's bound to be someone looking for a partner. Reckon I could put together a 500 point army with less than £50. Plus I really like the idea of running a Soviet horde style infantry army (no armour, but plenty of MG, mortar, sniper and AT support). To those who know the system, is that doable?
 
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