Tuesday, April 1, 2025

Game Plan 2025 - Q2

Well it has been a BUSY First Quarter! 

As with all these quarterly plans, let's have a look as how the last quarter went... 

(for reference, you can see the actual plan here: Game Plan 2025- Q1)


Q1 Games

These "plans" are really just "guidelines" or guesses as what I might play - based  largely on what I have been playing  and enjoying and hope to continue, or what I HOPE to play - something I maybe haven' been playing but would really like to make a concerted effort to incorporate into my game playing in the coming months. 

Most of what I "planned" for 2025 - Q1 was from the former category - things I'd been playing and hoped to continue...


Warhammer Underworlds

I had planned (hoped..?) to return to playing Warhammer Underworlds. I played SO MUCH of it in the first half of 2024... and then it just sort of petered out. There was some hope that interest would be renewed after the World Championship with the release of the new edition, but that was kind of stymied by not being able to get my hands on the cards needed to play the freaking game because the Warbands of Embergard card set sold out within minutes of it going up for pre-order and weren't available again for three months!? 

In the end... I played not a single game!?


Warhammer Quest

Amanda, Finnegan and I have played Warhammer Quest: Cursed City pretty much every week throughout the quarter! We're all having a lot of fun playing through the campaign - which seems like it will take a while to complete, but that's fine! 


Role-Playing Games 

The In-Person Soulbound game was going quite well. We were playing pretty much weekly, but that's kind of petered out... Maybe we'll get it going again...?

The Online Campaign... also kind of fizzled. 


Warhammer Age of Sigmar

I'd had big hopes that when the Ravage Coast campaign book was released we'd get a narrative campaign going and play lots of games... I have played only ONE game of Age of Sigmar and not a single campaign game. 


Other Board Games

I had hoped we might get a regular board game night going... but with the weekly Warhammer Quest games and the Soulbound role-playing game AND trying to squeeze in a few other miniature games... there hasn't been a lot of time for other board games. 

We did play a few - mostly at the beginning of the Quarter/end of the Holidaze in early January.


Solo Miniatures Games

If I wasn't getting other games in, I determined I'd get playing some solo games! Getting games in hasn't been much of a problem - with weekly games of Warhammer Quest and the Soulbound RPG - it's been a bit of work to try and get other games in.. Despite that, I HAVE played a few solo games of Five Men in Normandy and FiveCore Pulp Adventure. 

Not only that... but I actually ran games of Five Men in Kursk and FiveCore Pulp Adventure for other people!? 

(STILL have not got in games of Devilry Afoot or Five Parsecs from Home... but I did buy the Five Parsecs from Home Tactics expansion!?) 


Warhammer 40,000

With the expected release of the Astra Militarum, Aeldari and (possibly) Emperor's Children Codexes, I figured I might pick up one or two of those and start playing, from time to time, mostly with Orion (who still plays a LOT of Warhammer 40,000!) 

I did pick up the Codex: Aeldari when it was released in February... 

I also picked up the Emperor's Children Release Box... 

Still haven't played a game, though... 


GAMES I  PLAYED

Here is what I actually played in the first quarter:

  • Warhammer Quest: Cursed City x11
  • Bolt Action: Third Edition x7
  • Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound x7
  • Five Men at Kursk WW2 Skirmish Warfare x3
  • Five Men in Normandy .30 Cal edition x2
  • FiveCore Pulp Adventure x2
  • Patchwork x2
  • Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Crypt Hunters x2
  • Lost Patrol x1
  • Warhammer Age Of Sigmar (Fourth Edition): Core Rules x1

And THIS is why I abandoned Annual plans... and the quarterly Game Plans are more "guidleines", at best!    


Q1 Miniatures

I painted a lot of miniatures in the first quarter... 


Age Of Sigmar

The MAIN PLAN was to carry on painting Age of Sigmar models and FOCUS on the Slaves to Darkness and Soulblight Gravelords armies. The Slaves to Darkness army I'd hoped to play in the Ravaged Coast campaign and the Gravelords I figured I'd be inspired by the ongoing Warhammer Quest: Cursed City games to paint more undead... 

Also I figured there would be other Age of Sigmar miniatures I'd be painting for the Soulbound Role-playing game. 

What I did paint: 

Almost ALL of these were for Soulbound, though.. the Age of Sigmar Role-Playing Game! 

Warhammer Underworlds

Along with other Age of Sigmar battle game miniatures, I'd hoped I might also get painting the remaining Warhammer Underworlds miniatures... In the end MOST of the Age of Sigmar models I painted were ones needed for Soulbound!? 


Warhammer Quest

There wasn't a LOT I NEEDED to finish for Warhammer Quest: Cursed City... as mentioned above, I did paint Carmilla du Sang, who is a character in Night Wars, the expansion/sequel to Cursed City (which we won't be getting to for a bit!) and 

I STILL really, REALLY need to paint Torgilius the Chamberlain!!


Warhammer 40,000

With the release of the above mentioned Codexes I figured there would be a bit REORG of the 40K armies and the possibility of playing might inspire me to get playing again. 

I did pick up a few Aeldari miniatures from Ebay to fill out a few units... 

I did pick up the Emperor's Children Launch Box! 

I assembled ONE of the Emperor's Children, but have yet to paint ANY 40K miniatures... 


Work-in-Progress Wednesdays

the previous year I was posting pictures of my workbench every Wednesday... the idea was to force myself to engage more with the blog and hopefully motivate myself to paint SOMETHING each week so as not to be posting the same pictures EVERY WEEK... 

As I seemed to be back to playing games and painting miniatures I didn't think it was a necessary practice to continue and considered dropping it... 

I did. 


Other Games

I acknowledged that, if playing some solo games, I might paint some miniatures for those games... 

In reality it was OTHER GAMES that I did the MOST Painting for!? Mostly Bolt Action!?

So... 22 miniatures for Age of Sigmar (mostly for Soulbound!)... and 179 foot miniatures and 9 vehicles for World War Two...  

AGAIN...  THIS is why I abandoned Annual plans... and the quarterly Game Plans are more "guidleines", at best!  Rigid plan would mean I wound end up feeling like I had FAILED, instead of celebrating the fact that I did DO THINGS... in fact, rigid plans of the past often meant I did NOTHING as i constantly flip-flopped back and forth between trying to force myself to do something I wasn't interested in anymore and NOT painting what I WANTED to paint (because I SHOULD be following the PLAN!). 

I've since decided to try and "lean into strengths". My strength is my passionately move forward and be HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE with whatever I am interested in at the moment... unfortunately I have VERY LITTLE CONTROL over what I am interested in, in any given moment... I mean, there are ways I can sometimes try to keep myself focused on things to a certain degree (like PLANS, and actually PLAYING GAMES) but other times... not-so-much... 

If, at the end of last year, you'd told me I was mostly going to paint World War Two stuff this first quarter... well... I wouldn't have laughed in your face or utterly denied the possibility... I DO know myself enough to know that NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE... I would have thought it highly improbable and wondered how that might happen as the Second World War collection seemed, at the time, the LEAST likely to see use at any time in the immediate future... (despite having played a game of Five Men in Normandy in the previous year!?)

How did this happen!?

It largely was precipitated by the fact that the Second World War collection seemed, at the time, the LEAST likely to see use at any time in the immediate future!? I'd been going through the collections of miniatures and realizing I have more stuff that I will likely EVER be able to paint in my life and trying to figure out what things I could get rid of. I decided I would NEVER get around to painting the Americans I hadn't yet painted. I happened to mention this to my friend Orion who had some Tzaangors she was never going to paint and at the time I was still only really interested in Age of Sigmar so we did a little trade... 

Of course... then she had some World War Two Americans and wanted to play with them and I had plenty of potential opponents... so... Now I'm playing World War Two games again!? 


Balance Sheets

In the end, despite buying the Emperor's Children Lauch box and a BUNCH of new stuff for World War Two armies, I HAVE painted MORE than I have acquired... and managed to divest myself of a few of a few things that were just taking up space that I will never get to... 

PAINTED

  • 28mm Foot: 199
  • 28mm Mounted/Beasties: 4
  • 28mm Vehicles/Monsters: 9
  • 28mm Endless Spells: 1

PURCHASED/ACQUIRED

  • 28mm Foot: 179
  • 28mm Vehicles: 19
  • 28mm Endless Spells: 17

DISPOSALS (Traded Away or Sold)

  • 28mm Foot (unpainted): 94
  • 28mm Vehicles (unpainted): 1
What I'd REALLY like to do is paint more than DOUBLE what I purchase this year... If I keep going at the same rate, and not buy ANYTHING this coming quarter, I could be in a place to do so! 


GAME PLAN 2025 - Q2

GAMES

Warhammer Quest

This has been going extremely well... I can't forsee any reason we would stop? It will take a minimum of seven more sessions to complete the initial campaign in Cursed City (but more likely eleven or more). So, if we keep up the weekly schedule, we COULD be finished the initial Cursed City campaign by the end of this Quarter... but then there is the Night Wars expansion! I have no idea how many sessions that might take.

I do wonder what we'll do AFTER Night Wars... I know there were a few expansion scenarios in White Dwarf magazines... will I hunt those down (and buy a PILE of Ghouls to play them!?) Will we return to playing Blackstone Fortress (I'm not sure Finnegan would be as interested in that... and playing that might just shift my interests back to 40K and I'd ditch AoS entirely. Will there be a NEW Warhammer Quest this year?! It feels like we're due for one!? I had kind of hoped, with the release of the new edition of Age of Sigmar last year, there might have been a new Warhammer Quest - possibly set in Hammerhal again (with much of the narrative focus shifting back to Aqshy again!) 


Role-Playing Games 

Maybe we'll get the in-person Soulbound game going again... 


World War Two - Bolt Action/Five Men at Kursk

I imagine I will play a lot of Bolt Action over the next Quarter. Despite some problems with the game, I've been having lot of fun playing it!  

Five Men at Kursk....? That was fun and there were elements of it that I really liked (the solid Narrative Campaign systems!). But my mind has kind of moved on from that. I'd like to continue the Fourteen Men in the Solomons campaign, but playing at a larger scale of action, using Bolt Action... incorporating some of the narrative elements of the FiveCore games. 


Other Warhammer Games - Age of Sigmar/Underworlds/40K

I haven't written all of these off entirely... I mean, I'm still playing Warhammer Quest, so some part of my brain is still interested in the Age of Sigmar setting.

I WOULD like to paint a few more Eldar and try them out in a game. 

I have a LOT of Emperor's Children to paint before I'd have a useable force.. 

There's a part of me that kind of wants to pick up the new Astra Militarum codex and reorg all those armies to be ready for action... 


Board Games 

Wow... I really miss playing a lot of the board games we've played in the past... and I'd like to play more... but realistically..? I don't know if I have the time or energy to organize and play regular board games... AND play Warhammer Quest every week... AND play Bolt Action (or other miniatures games)... AND write up game reports... AND paint new miniatures for Bolt Action (or other miniatures games)... AND possibly organize and run a role-playing game... 


Solo Miniature Games 

It would be fun to continue the current solo games... 

Paras in Normandy

Pulp Adventure

Five Parsecs from Home

I's also still LOVE to try out Devilry Afoote... and I've had SO MANY IDEAS about other campaigns I could play... 


MINIATURES

What will I get up to the next few months... 

World War Two - Bolt Action

This seems to be where things are mostly focused at the moment. I have been working on forces for the desert war in North Africa... 

I've acquired a BUNCH of tanks to play in the sand with. That will probably be the primary focus for the Quarter. 

I don't have any immediate plans to BUY any more stuff until the stuff I've acquired this year has is painted... and that's probably going to take most of this quarter to complete. 

Of the stuff I've acquired this year and still have not painted, I have... 

There are a few collections I might re-base, to bring them up to the current basing standards, and a few other things I already owned that need painting (like the Fallshirmjägers and a few other Germans - mostly late war regular army infantry and tanks that will likely be attached to my SS forces, and a few SAS/LRDG vehicles).

I'f ever I got the stuff listed above painted before the end of the quarter.. there are a few things I have on a wishlist I'd like to add to the forces I have.. Mostly tanks for the early war German and French armies and a few items for the Fallshirmjägers and French Foreign Legion - to make them more playable forces. Options for the Italians, and a few more vehicles for the SAS and/or LRDG - if I get the ones I have assembled and painted!) 


Warhammer Games
Age of Sigmar/Underworlds/40K/Cursed City/Soulbound

Well Cursed City is still going strong, but I don't have a LOT to paint for it. (I do STILL need to finish Torgilius the Chamberlain!). If we finish up the Cursed City base game and move on to Night Wars, I will need to finish up a few more things... the Fell Bats and Radukar the Beast! Perhaps that interest could be expanded again into larger Age of Sigmar forces...? Maybe paint up some of the other Soulblight Gravelords when I work on these few things...?  

Most of the adventures in Soulbound - at least in Brightspear, where the characters were adventuring - focus around Chaos foes - primarily the Disciples of Tzeentch, but also Skaven and Slaves to Darkness... So... If I get that going again... 

I would, if nothing else, love to finish up the Harlequins I have for 40K... so many of them are just SO CLOSE to being finished... I don't know how I could motivate myself to do this?

Aside from the aforementioned Radukar the Beast, I have zero need or interest to buy any more at this point... I just want to get the stuff I have PAINTED and on the tabletop!? 


Other Games

And there is always the possibility that I will decide I need to paint stuff for something else entirely... The most likely things would be for the Solo games - Sci-fi stuff for Five Parsecs from Home or Pulp Adventure stuff. Nothing NEW, just painting up things I already HAVE, but never got around to! 


And that's it... Play some games, paint some stuff... 

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Monday, March 31, 2025

March Games

I played games in March... Here is what I got up to!  


Tuesday, 4 March 2025

The Soulbound Role-Playing Game got cancelled this week, but Orion still came over and we played Bolt Action instead! 

You can read all about that action here:

Bolt Action: Operation Torch Part 2


Friday, 7 March 2025

On Friday, Orion and I got together to play ANOTHER game of Bolt Action! We basically played the exact same scenario we'd played on Tuesday, but with roles reversed! 

You can read all about that action here:

Bolt Action: Operation Torch Part 3


Wednesday, 12 March 2025

We missed the previous week's Journey because Finnegan had school stuff to do... 

But we were back at it this week, with another Scavenge Journey!

You can read the full game report here:

Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Session Sixteen - Scavenge Journey


Thursday, 13 March 2025

On Thursday we were back to playing Bolt Action (Third Edtion), this time with Orion's Americans facing Italians in Tunisia! 

You can read the full game report here:

Bolt Action - US and Italian Forces Meet in Tunisia


Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Again, no Soulbound this week... So we started the next Decapitation Journey early - as those are long - and split it over two nights. 

You can read the full game report here:

Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Session Seventeen (Part One) - Decapitation Journey


Wednesday, 19 March 2025

The next evening we played the second part of the Decapitation Journey! The game played VERY fast and though there were a few moments where it seemed like thigs could have gone really sideways really fast, they really pulled it out of the fire and ultemately the Journey was a success - and that's the last they ever saw of Watch Captain Halgrim! 

You can read THAT game report HERE:

Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Session Seventeen (Part Two) - Decapitation Journey


Friday, 21 March 2025

Back to Bolt Action (Third Edtion) as I set up a small skirmish for my friend Brent!  The action involved British Chidits (and Gurkhas!) and some Japanese in Burma! 

you can read the full report of that action here:

Bolt Action in Burma


Tuesday, 25 March 2025

 On Tuesday afternoon, I played TWO games of Bolt Action with Orion! The first we returned to the fighting on the Solomon Islands campaign - Fourteen Men in the Solomons - but continued the narrative with Bolt Action! 

In the second game we were  back in Tunisia and the American forces were charged with rescuing Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart - whose plane had gone down in the desert! 

You can find the game report for both of these actions here:

Bolt Action X Fourteen Men in the Solomons - the Battle of Independence Valley

Bolt Action - Saving Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart! 


and that was it for March... 

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Saturday, March 29, 2025

WW2 - German Panzer I

 I finished the first of the tanks I have for the Afrika Korps this week.. 

Pz.Kpfw. I.

I've probably had this model for a decade. Originally I'd started painting it grey for use in France, 1940... but as the focus seems to be the desert at the moment, I figured I'd add it to the Afrika Korps collection... and if ever I get to playing games in 1940 France... I'll just buy another one... or three... 

I'm not super happy with the numbers and might redo them... or maybe just paint over them and not bother... 

Other German vehicles are on the workbench. I have a late Panzer IV (that I've likewise had for many years) that I'm trying to finish up and the Sdkfz 222 Armoured Car that I picked up last month and the first of the Panzer III that arrived last week (which I'm not feeling like I SHOULD have assembled them all at the same time in a production line...). 

I also have the last two Italian tanks on the workbench that I'm trying to get together and paint up... they're a bit more fiddley... 

Plus a bunch of re-basing/touching up/finishing off projects thanks to having taken stock of the Soviets yesterday... 

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Friday, March 28, 2025

WW2 - Taking Stock of the Soviets

 I've started taking stock of all the Second World War forces I have and reorganizing them for Bolt Action (Third Edition) - because that's what my brain decided I need to play now... and I've gotten through the 8th Army in North Africa, Chindits and Gurkhas, Fallschirmjägers, Japanese, Afrika Korps, French Foreign Legion, Italians, 1940 French, and I have a BUNCH yet to do... Canadians, Early and Late war continental Germans Heer, Late War SS, British/Canadian Paratroopers, etc, etc... and them there are the Soviets... which I've been avoiding as I was a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of it... I have a LOT of Soviets and I wasn't sure how to eve BEGIN to organize them because... there are SO MANY OPTIONS!? 

Since Orion, who I'm mostly playing these games with, went an ordered a HUNGARIAN force, I figured it was time to start looking at the Russians!

So... where to begin... 

Well this is ALL of them... 

In the past, I'd kind of organized the regular army infantry into platoons of three squads with ten men in each squad, and each squad including an NCO with a submachine-gun and a team with a DP light machine-gun. I have three such platoons - and entire COMPANY!? I also have a bunch of spare soldiers with submachine-guns have been organized into two additional squads of ten (with a light machine-gun team). This has been how I traditionally organized them... and is a completely legitimate way to organize them in the Bolt Action (Third Edition) rules. 

BUT!!!

According to the rules, they COULD be organized into squads of up to twelve or as few as six... and they COULD include ANY number of submachine-guns and up to TWO DP teams (assuming they are regulars or veterans)!? 

Also, are they inexperienced conscripts (which they could be using my traditional organization of one NCO with SMG and one LMG team)...? Or are they regulars? or veterans?! 

Doing a bit of research, it seems like in the earlier part of the war, platoons were four squads of eleven... later, in 1942, Rifle Companies were reorganized into three platoons of four squads of NINE, two of the squads were "light" squads (with ONE DP LMG) and two squads were "heavy" squads (with TWO DP LMGS!?)... 

So I have just enough to do two full strength 1942 infantry platoons... with about twenty spare riflemen and almost as many spare submachine-gunners?! 

I guess the spare riflemen could be used as inexperienced, ill-equipped conscripts...? Or maybe form part of a Pioneer (or "Chemical") platoon so I could field Flame Throwers!? 

 The spare submachine-guns could form up a pair of squads from the regimental submachine-gun company...? 

I have a squad of NKVD troops... do I organize them as a squad or break them up to field as commissar teams within each Rifle Platoon!? What do I do with that NKVD machine-gun team? I don't have enough to make a Weapons Platoon of them...so... just drop them into another Weapons Platoon? 

I also have a platoon of Naval Infantry - again, though, I have PILES of them armed with submachine-guns!? I'm not really sure how these were organized, so I've organized them into two squads with a submachine-gun armed NCO, a DP gunner, and nine riflemen (one of which is the DP loader...) and then a third squad of eleven sailors armed with submachine-guns!? 

Again, this is a legit platoon according to the rules... is it how they were organized historically!? I have no idea! 

Heavy Weapons Platoon Options - Though one of the anti-tank rifle teams could be assigned to each infantry platoon... I guess this is where I could use up spare riflemen - as loaders for anti-tank rifles! Also I'm realizing one of the submachine-gun armed troopers in the handler for the anti-tank dog-bomb... I'm not sure I could ever use it.. that's just TOO MEAN! 

Artillery platoon options... mostly anti-tank guns from various stages. From the wee little 45mm anti-tank gun in the bottom left to the big bad 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) in the top right (which can also be fired as a howitzer..? I'm not 100% sure what the other two are...? They've kind of got the same carriage as the 45, but clearly different barrels? They might be the 45mm M1942 anti tank gun or 76mm M1943 infantry gun (the one in the bottom left would be the 45mm M1937 anti tank gun, then?)

Aforementioned flame-throwers found in the "Chemical" platoons.

Assorted Soviet Scouts... 13 of them... The Bolt Action rules say they can be fielded in squads of five to seven... but can only have rifles or submachine-guns... but there's a DP light machine-gun crew in there!? I guess I could use it as a "counts as" rifle... they HAVE the DP... but they have to little ammunition for it, they only ever fire it in shorter bursts and it ultimately isn't any more effective than a rifle..? 

Other people in scout uniforms... two I might use as forward observers. Two others are a sniper team. Then there are three others with sniper rifles... but no spotters... I guess they could just be thrown into a scout squad and be called scouts that happen to have a scoped rifle, but don't have any specific skills or training as an actual sniper..? Or maybe I grab soldiers from the Scout squad and just call them "spotters who have their binoculars tucked away at the moment"...?

STILL MORE SCOUTS... I decided to make a squad of them in winter camouflage suits... despite not having any opponents in winter gear... or terrain... 

Perhaps when I get to re-basing these, I'll just repaint them as regular scouts... again... so many sniper rifles!?

I do also have an assortment of partisans. AGAIN, multiple sniper rifles and loads of submachine-guns - when the Bolt Action rules suggest that partisans should be inexperienced infantry and the inexperienced infantry are only allowed ONE submachine-gun per squad...!? Maybe I call one squad of them "Elite" partisans and classify them as regulars and give the lot of them submachine-guns...?

Tank "platoon" of five T-34/76. 

I call it a "platoon" because in Bolt Action, you can field tank platoons of up to five... but, with the exception of some light tank brigades in 1940... most Soviet tank companies only had ten tanks... this, then, is HALF of a company!? I guess if I were to field them all together, I could call it a "platoon" in came terms, but in fluff terms it's an understrength company, being lead by an acting company commander! 

Another tank "platoon" - T-26, KV-1, KV-2, BT-7 tanks, and a BA-64 armoured car! 

As you can field a platoon of ANY five armoured vehicles in Bolt Action... this COULD be fielded as an armoured "platoon" - though none of them have any business being in a platoon together!?

Realistically, I'd probably only ever use two of them in a platoon... maybe the BA-64 with one of the tanks... 

I also have a bunch of assorted staff officers... I guess they could be used as spotters or targets/objectives for certain scenarios or artillery platoon commanders...? 

I also have a bunch of dead soviets/casualty markers... 

AND a bunch of UNdead soviets... for when things get WEIRD! 

So... for Bolt Action... 

Infantry Company Command

Company Commander 60 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 80 points

Medic (regular) = 23 points

Forward Observer 75 points (regular, +1 extra men @10 = 85 points


1st Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander 30 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

1st Regular Infantry Squad (light) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 109 points

2nd Regular Infantry Squad (light) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 109 points

3rd Regular Infantry Squad (Heavy) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + 2x light machine-gun @15 = 124 points

4th Regular Infantry Squad (Heavy) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + 2x light machine-gun @15 = 124 points

Sniper Team (regular) 52 points

Anti-Tank Rifle Team (regular) 25 points

Commissar - 15 points (inexperienced), +2 extra men @7 = 29 points


2nd Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander 30 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

1st Regular Infantry Squad (light) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 109 points

2nd Regular Infantry Squad (light) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 109 points

3rd Regular Infantry Squad (Heavy) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + 2x light machine-gun @15 = 124 points

4th Regular Infantry Squad (Heavy) 50 points (regular) NCO + 4 men, +4 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + 2x light machine-gun @15 = 124 points

Sniper Team (regular) 52 points

Anti-Tank Rifle Team (regular) 25 points

Commissar - 15 points (inexperienced), +2 extra men @7 = 29 points


Regimental Assets Infantry Platoon

Platoon Commander - 30 points (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

Submachine-Gun (Regular Infantry) Squad 50 points (regular) - NCO + 4 men (regular), + 2 men @10, +7 submachine-gun @4= 98 points

Submachine-Gun (Regular Infantry) Squad 50 points (regular) - NCO + 4 men (regular), + 2 men @10, +7 submachine-gun @4= 98 points

Scout Squad 75 points (Veteran) - NCO + 4 men, +1 man @15, + 5x submachine-gun @4 = 110

Scout Squad 75 points (Veteran) - NCO + 4 men, + 4x submachine-gun @4 = 91

Sniper Team (regular) 52 points

Anti-Tank Rifle Team (regular) 25 points

Commissar - 15 points (inexperienced), +2 extra men @7 = 29 points


Naval Infantry Rifle Platoon

It suggests that Naval Infantry should all be veteran... but I've just made them regulars here... 

Naval Infantry Platoon Commander 30 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

1st Regular Naval Infantry Squad 50 points (regular) - NCO + 4 men, +6 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 129 points

2nd Regular Naval Infantry Squad 50 points (regular) - NCO + 4 men, +6 additional men @10, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 129 points

3rd Regular Naval Infantry Squad 50 points (regular) - NCO + 4 men, +5 additional men @10, + 10 submachine-gun @4 = 140 points


Partisan Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander 30 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

Inexperienced Partisan Infantry Squad - 35 points NCO + 4 men , +4 additional men @7, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 82 points

Inexperienced Partisan Infantry Squad - 35 points NCO + 4 men , +4 additional men @7, + submachine-gun @4, + light machine-gun @15 = 82 points

Inexperienced Partisan Infantry Squad - 35 points NCO + 4 men , +4 additional men @7, + submachine-gun @4 = 67 points

Partisan Sniper Team (regular) 52 points


Engineer Platoon

Platoon Commander 30 (regular), +2 extra men @10 = 50 points

Assault Engineer Squad (veteran) - NCO + 5 men, + Flamethrower @30 = 100 

Assault Engineer Squad (veteran) - NCO + 5 men, + Flamethrower @30 = 100 

Assault Engineer Squad (veteran) - NCO + 5 men, + Flamethrower @30 = 100

 

Heavy Weapons Platoon

Platoon Commander 30 (regular) = 30 points

Machine-Gun Team (regular) 50 points

Machine-Gun Team (regular) 50 points

Machine-Gun Team (Naval or NKVD) (regular) 50 points

Medium Mortar Team (regular) 45 points


Artillery Battery 

Artillery Battery Commander 30 (regular), +1 extra men @10 = 40 points

Light Anti-Tank Gun (regular) 50 points

Light Anti-Tank Gun (regular) 50 points

Medium Anti-Tank Gun (Zis-3) (regular) 75 points

Light Howitzer (76-mm regimental gun M1943) (regular) 45 points


Armoured "Platoon"

T-34/76 (regular) - 195 + Command Vehicle @10 = 205 points

T-34/76 (regular) - 195  points

T-34/76 (regular) - 195  points

T-34/76 (regular) - 195  points

T-34/76 (regular) - 195  points


Other Armoured "Platoon"

BA-64 (Regular) 60 points

KV-2 (Regular) 300 points

KV-1 (Regular) 283 points

T-26B (Regular) 105 points

BT-7 (Regular) 125 points

+ Command Vehicle for one of them +10 points

GRAND TOTAL: 5469 points!?

I think I'm good... 

So... AFTER I took all the initial pictures for this post... I did a lot of the theoricital "on-paper" figuring out and organizing, I ran downstairs to take MORE pictures of some of the units I decided to organize the miniatures into... 

Three Anti-Tank Rifle Teams

These can be incorporated into the Rifle Platoons or show up in a Heavy Weapons Platoon. Either way, they could be attachments from the Regimental Anti-Tank Rifle Company or the Battalions Anti-Tank Rifle Company) 

This signaller I've decided to add to may Forward Observer Team. He's not wearing the same camouflage... but maybe he's just been appropriated from the Regimental Signals Company and they didn't have a camouflage suit for him to wear... He's holding a telephone reciever which is not attached to... ANYTHING!? I thought maybe when I rebase him, I'll add a field phone box and a wire spool to the base...?

Four Sniper Teams that can be added to the Rifle Platoons (attachments from the Regimental Scout Company?) 

"Regimental Assets Rifle Platoon"

Wouldn't actually be formed as a platoon like this... but this is the way to field them in Bolt Action, without taking up one of the spaces for infantry squads in one of the regular infantry platoons... 

Assault Engineer Platoon... in the back and forth of things, I initially organized this as platoon command, two assault engineer squads of five and three flame-thrower teams... then I realized that the Assault engineer squads can take flame-throwers, themselves, so I re-reorganized it into three squads of five Assault Engineers with a flame-thrower! 

Partisan Platoon (plus a partisan sniper team!)

I have a few to paint up - and probably enough to add a fourth squad - a bunch of those that need painting are weilding molotov cocktails - addding them to the squads I'd upgrade them to Tank Hunters! Those wielding the molotov cocktails are carrying a mix of sub-machine-guns, rifles and pistols... two of which are not an option for partisans... so I might just call them "unarmed" (which IS an option) whatever they're carrying is just for show... doesn't actually have bullets in them! 

I found the dog handler... I need two of these teams to field a unit of them... 

The Heavy Weapons Platoon... I guess I could add the NKVD Machine-gun team to this...? or the Naval infantry one, if I was fielding that platoon. 

I think these two should be the Command team for the Artillery Battery... 

Now to re-base them all... 


I know, I know... I don't HAVE to... they're fine as they are... but I'm going to anyway, largely because the washers just add too much weight and these are VERY full drawers in my storage containers and the weight of it all has been distorting the bottoms of those drawers and the plastic is lighter (and larger - so distributing that weight over a slightly larger area!)... I'll do it in bits.. 

At some point I should figure out how many points they would be as inexperienced or veteran... and figure out what combinations of things I could take to make 500 point, 750 point, 1000 point and 1250 point forces! But that's for another day. I want to go paint stuff now!  

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Thursday, March 27, 2025

Bolt Action - Saving Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart!

For the second game Orion and I played on Tuesday, we returned to North Africa and our campaign in Tunisia! 


Friday, 25 December 1942

An urgent message went out to all allied forces in Tunisia! The Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart's Spitfire has been shot down over Tunisia. Flasheart must be rescued lest hundreds of women (and possibly a few men) start throwing themselves from rooftops across England! 

Italian forces in the area have likewise been alerted - capturing the British lord would be a great propaganda victory! 


SCENARIO

We essentially used the rules for a Battle Scenario with the Top Secret victory conditions, Quarters deployment zones, and Meeting Engagement deployment type... with the following changes: to take possession of Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart, he must be engaged in a "close assault" and subdued (because he will assume any military forces approaching are "wogs" and therefore THE ENEMY (basically there is a chance that Flasheart will shoot and eliminate one member of any squad attempting to take him). Also any time the squad escorting Flasheart takes casualties a d6 should be rolled and on a 1 he is killed and the shooter automatically loses (for the propaganda losses due to the shooting or poor Flashy!) 


FORCES

Italian Forces 

(Elements of 69th Infantry Division “Provolone” - 667th Infantry Regiment and LXIX Tank Battalion)

Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander - 1st Lieutenant - 30pts (Regular)+ 2 Runner/Batman @10 = 50 points 

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular), +5 additional men @10, +submachine gun @4, + light machine gun @15 = 119 points 

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular), +5 additional men @10, +submachine gun @4, + light machine gun @15 = 119 points 

Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular), +5 additional men @10, +submachine gun @4, + light machine gun @15 = 119 points 

Colonial Troops Infantry Section 1 NCO and 4 men with Rifles (Inexperienced) 40pts, + 3 additional men @8 = 64

Armoured Platoon 

M13/40  - Platoon Command Vehicle - 125pts (Regular)

L3/33 -  65pts (Regular)

L3/33 - 65pts (Regular)

AB41 - 100pts (Regular)

Semovente M40 75/18 - 170pts (Regular) 

Total: 996 pts


American Forces 

(Elements of the 92nd Infantry Division) 

Rifle Platoon

Platoon Commander - 1st Lieutenant - 30pts (Regular)

Infantry Squad 1 NCO and 5 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular), +6 additional men @10, +submachine gun @4, + 2x BAR @6 = 136 points 

Infantry Squad 1 NCO and 5 men with Rifles 50pts (Regular), +6 additional men @10, +submachine gun @4, + 2x BAR @6 = 136 points 

Forward Observer - (air force or artillery) 75pts (Regular), + Radio Operator @11 = 86

Medic - 23pts (Regular)

Sniper Team - 52 pts (Regular)

Heavy Weapons Platoon

Platoon Commander (2nd Lieutenant) - 21pts (Inexperienced) 

Machine Gun Team  - 50pts (Regular) 

Light Mortar Team -  35pts (Regular) 

Armoured Platoon 

Sherman M4 Medium Tank - 247 pts (Veteran), + Command Vehicle @10 = 257 

Stuart M3 - 130 pts (Regular) 

Jeep - 18 points (Regular), + pintle mounted HMG @30 = 48 

Total: 1004 pts


THE GAME

Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart out in the desert, had already drawn the attention of a group of local ladies and lingerie and carpet merchants... 

Italian Colonial troops make for the Squadron Commander! 

One of the flanking CV-33 tanks takes fire from an American Stuart tank! A glancing blow gives the Italian tankers some pause! 

An Italian Semovente M40 75/18 rolled onto the scene and blew up the Stuart! 

End of Round One - forces converging on the blissfully unaware Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart! This particular piece of desert is beginning to look very crowded!! 

A squad of Americans are the first to make it to Squadron Commander Lord Flasheart, who promptly shoots one of them, mistaking them for Italians! 

RAT-A-TAT-TAT! The other CV-33 lights up the American Jeep that had been shooting up the Italian Colonial infantry! 

rrrrooooOOOOOOWWWWWWRRRrrrrr... RAT-A-TAT-TAT!

An airplane from Flashy's Squadron (which should have been a spitfire, but due to budget constraint and availability during the making of this producion, is played by a Typhoon!) strafes the area making all the Italians duck! 

BOOM!! the American Sherman tank blows up an Italian armoured car! 

KA-BOOM!! The Italian Semovente gets it's second kill, blowing up the Sherman! Yikes! There goes all the American anti-armour capability... 

(I haven't finished assembling the other Italian armour kits... I WAS planning to build them as M14/41... but now I'm rethinking that...!) 

The Amerian Rifle Platoon commander gets riddled with bullets from one of the Italian CV-33s... 

(I mean... he was just standing there... IN THE OPEN... like I wasn't going to take him out!)

(also, the American Sniper Team had taken out the Italian Platoon Commander! So...) 

Enraged by the loss of their Platoon Commander, one of the American squads charged the CV-33 (because we really wanted to try out infantry close assaulting a light tank!) but they just couldn't get any shots in the vision slits or grenades in the constantly moving tracks and they were obliged to give up their attempt! 

The Americans slip away with the Lord Flasheart, much to the relief of hundreds of women (and not a few men!) all across England (and anywhere else Flashy has served! (WOOF! WOOF!)


POST GAME

This was a fun little game I'd been wanting to play for a while. If I were to do it again, I'd make an extra rule that the unit escorting Flasheart cannot RUN (he's got a bum leg from the landing, see, nothing to worry the ladies or anything, but there's just no rushing the Lord Flasheart)! As it was, once one squad had gotten to him, it was just impossible to catch up... 

It was fun to try out all the Italian armour! 

Not going to lie... it was fun to blow up those American tanks that have caused so much trouble for my more infantry-based forces! 

Looking forward to the arrival of my British tanks and having some tank battles against the Italians! 

But also... I like the idea of limited infantry engagements - like the one we played earlier in the day in the Pacific, or the one I played with Brent in Burma last week.  

I was reading on reddit that one group regularly runs tournaments at 800 points but only allows an infantry platoon plus a maximum ONE element from element from each other type of platoon... so Rifle Platoon plus up to one armoured vehicle and/or one heavy weapon (MG/Mortar) and/or one artillery piece (howitzer or AT gun), etc... 

I was also thinking infantry engagements at 500 points with limited attachments - I don't LOVE the idea of every infantry platoon always having a sniper team AND a forward observer attached... both get a little overpowering in smaller engagements! 

Where will we go to next!? 

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