"BOLT ACTION - Vehicle Listings - House Rules " Topic

Guys

I got my copy of the Bolt Action at X-Mas and have had a few games at my local club. My gaming group tends to prefer having tank heavy battles which I'm fine with, but it tends to highlight some of the limitations/inaccuracies IMHO in the vehicle listings, such as the Russian 76.2 in the SU76 not having an AP round, and the lack of a AP round for the Stug 105 (which could fire a HEAT round) to name but just two…

I'm in the process of working up my own vehicle listing but just wondered if there were any like minded individuals out there who had either generated their own vehicle listings or were using their own house rules in this regard ?

Kind regards to all

Vulture

The British book has just come out and the British 25pdr has been given an enhance AT capability. +4 instead of the standard +2 for a light howitzer.

The Russian book will be out at Salute, 20th April and I would imagine that some of the Russian 76.2mm Howitzers will be given something similar of a boost.

Have you downloaded from the Warlord site the new Armoured platoon selector, whilst it does not change weapon stats, it may be something useful for you to look at.

Andy

25pdrs in a 28mm skirmish game? Tell me you jest? Remember, they travelled in pairs, if not larger numbers. How big a table are you expected to play on?

Change the movement rules. The ones in the book are idiotic and frankly backwards. Wheeled vehicles (and U.S. half tracks) should have the worst turning radius, German halftracks should be slightly better with fully tracked vehicles having the best radius.

Don't let U.S. tanks have the stabilizer bonus. This is another moronic addition (yeah, the U.S. put them on some tanks but no, they didn't work -- certainly not in the way they're portrayed in the game as allowing "walking fire" for U.S. Armor).

Apply the bonus for armored skirts only for defense against AT rifles -- not HEAT rounds (bazookas etc.) The skirt would cause the AP bullet to deform and spin before it hit the main armor. The skirt did not have a effect on HEAT rounds and, in some cases, would make them more effective as it provided the standoff distance necessary for a shape charge to create the plasma jet needed to cut through the armor.

Hi Andy

Good to hear about the 25pdr. Yes thanks I've downloaded the Armoured platoon selector.

Cheers

Vulture

Exactly what chriskrum said… especially Re: the gyro stabilisers, gees…

Chriskrum
Your thoughts on Turn radius made me chuckle. As a spin off from my wargaming hobby I'm into old military vehicles and have a 1944 GMC CCKW 352 truck. link
The turn radius on it is HUGE, and as the steering isn't powered trying to turn the wheels when your stationary (or only just moving) is slow and hard work. Furthermore, with a crash gearbox, the driving experience is totally totally different. In addition with it weighing in at 4.5 tons but with only 91.5 bhp nothing happens quickly, especially when off-road.
I agree with your comments on the stabilizer bonus, but disagree with you over the skirts. IMHO standoff armour has proven to be effective in reducing the penetration of heat rounds. Look at the vehicles we are deploying in Afghan, with loads of bar armour bolted on.

I'm currently thinking of introducing: (for AT fire on vehicles):
+1 for each second and subsequent shot at Target.
+1 if target hit in previous turn.
+1 If firer has Optics bonus and firing at long range.
-1 Long range shot with High Velocity (HV) round or AT Gun HEAT round.
-1 Target moving at 45% to 90% across front of firer up to 9" movement.
-2 Target moving at 45 – 90 across front of firer over 9" movement.

The above need play-testing out, so those offended by the increased complexity shouldn't un-load on me with too much heavy artillery just yet :)
That said feel free to rip apart (in a constructive way) :)

Kind regards to all

Vulture

Hi Vulture,
I like your house rules but I'm not sure I'd want to add more record keeping to the game. I do think the +1 if the target was hit in the previous turn is probably worth it. Subsequent hits after the first are much easier. +1 on a d6 is a substantial bonus so it's good to limit them to things that are really significant.

For bonus on moving targets I usually assume that the movement isn't continuous (especially given the scale and how fast vehicles really can move). I think it was Wittmann or his driver (don't quote this because it's almost certainly wrong though the point is valic) who said something along the lines of "there are only two speeds, full stop and full throttle." The point being that if you're moving to a position it's as fast as you can. If you're at a position you're stopped.

Modern Heat weapons are different than those used in WW2 (largely because of what was learned in WW2). They all employ mechanisms to detonate at the proper standoff distance. Space armor on modern vehicles tries to throw off that standoff distance. WW2 HEAT rounds, however, were almost all contact detonated -- too close to the armor to achieve maximum effect. The armored skirts (which really aren't "armor" -- they're pretty thin) could incidently provide a better standoff distance (or worse).

One caveat however is that the Germans did change the skirts late in the war on the Western Front where AT rifles etc. weren't used. Those were of a heavier, mesh type and might have been a response to HEAT rounds. I've never seen anything regarding whether they were effective or not. I think rules regarding them and HEAT rounds are more about it looking cool and thus it must have a game effect rather than reality. It's not unlike Zimmerit in that regard.