We played our first game of Bolt action at the Massillon Area Wargamers club at Wings Wheels & Waves in Massillon, Ohio. As only one person has read the rules and it was our first time playing we knew that the game would play as fast as everyone says it would but we wanted to have a go. It was a fun night that we'll play again. So, this is a brief AAR along with my personal impressions of the rules.
Here is the link to where you can see pictures from our game night: link
In our game the Germans were tasked with keeping a road junction open and out of the hands of the advancing British. The British had a platoon of from the KSLI with a MMG team, Cromwell & Churchill in support. The Germans had slapped together a composite platoon from Falschrimjaegers (squad 1), PanzerGrenadiers (squad 2) & regular infantry (squad 3) with a pair of mortars, a sniper, a Stug IIIg and an SdKfz 7/1. It was going to be a slug fest. The Germans set up first and the British deployed off the board. All troops were kept at the same class of Average.
The game started with the German squad 1 moving up the south side of the main road along the hedgerow and the Stug & mortars back to the east side of the board covering the main road. Squad 2 failed to move at all the first two turns due to poor command rolls and squad 3 kept in their ambush position towards just of north of centre along a hedgerow. The British came on in fits & starts with their infantry spread out across the west edge of the board and their armour concentrated along the north edge of the board.
Eventually, German squad 2 was able to gain the house in the centre of the board just as the first two British squads closed on it. It was not a good time to be a British foot soldier in the open as the Germans in the house were able to open with their MG42. The British 2nd squad lost 4 men out of ten. As the MG42 opened up the German Sniper was able to get off a shot and took out the 2nd squad NCO bringing them down to 5 men. Needless to say they took cover against the west side of the house.
Along the main road towards the south of the board, German squad 1 and a British squad was tangling it up, demonstrating the advantage that being in cover was giving the British who were coming up the road. The mortars were adding their 2 pence as well on this side but mostly with just pinning actions.
While this was going on, the British armour moved up to start shooting at the Germans in the house. For four straight turns the player controlling the armour rolled nothing but 1s on his to hit rolls. It had everyone at the table laughing.
The other British player moved his MMG team into a good position and fired first on the Sniper with very effective results. He then switched his focus on to the Germans in the house and over a couple turns took out not only the MG42 team but 2 other Germans as well bringing the squads strength down to 6. Sensing that their position was becoming precarious as eventually the armour was going to get a normal dice roll and hit the house, German squad 2 decided to close assault the reduced British squad huddling outside "their" house. The assault was over in a flash. The Germans killed 2 British reducing their number to 3 and the British responded by killing 3 Germans bringing them to 3 also. Since the British killed more Germans than British (3 vs. 2), the German squad was considered to have lost and was removed to a man even though the results had brought them equal to the British squad.
This was too much for the SdKfz 7/1 and the StuG IIIg as they raced down each flank to try to engage the uppity Brits. The StuG on the north side and the SdKfz 7/1 to the south. The SdKfz drew first blood by shredding a PIAT team and then turning its AA guns onto the British command section. While the British LT was diving for cover his two runners weren't so lucky.
The StuG on the other hand wasn't so fortunate. While he was able to get his shot off first at the Cromwell, it bounced. The Cromwell was able to return fire and scored a devastating hit on the StuG IIIg setting it alight.
Now feeling cockier, the Cromwell advanced towards the hedgerow holding the final unengaged German squad without the support of his own infantry. This is what Panzerfausts were designed for. Within moments of coming within range of the German squad waiting in ambush in the hedgerow, a panzerfaust found its mark. Scratch one Cromwell.
We ran out of time at this point and called the game. The British did not take the road junction so the Germans were able to claim a victory. Things may have gotten interesting had the Churchill ever decided to get into the action but alas it didn't and time ran out so the Germans won.
My impression of the rules is that they can play well and play quickly with more pros than cons. I like the test before a section activates, and felt the action options to be good. The shooting can be deadly but it gives for a fast game. My dislikes were limited to melee and unit "cohesion." I do not like melee in the least, it was too gamey. There are rules out there with much better mechanics for melee in my opinion. And I did not care for the fact that units needed to be almost wiped out to a man for them to lose their cohesion. Again too gamey.
My end verdict: These are good rules for a quick night down at the club and to introduce people into the wonderful world of WW2 gaming. They so far aren't close to being my favourite but I will play them again. (I need to several times more in order to ensure I ensure I got a true picture of how they play) As for buying them, of course I will but don't use that as an indicator since I'm a rules junking when it comes to skirmish rules. I buy them all eventually.
Please visit our club site: link
