Almost ten year ago, I painted up a force of early war French, nominally for Bolt Action (first edition!?). You can find them here:
Early War French for Bolt Action
(and a few weeks later I added a Renault R-35):
I've pilfered the pictures from those posts to use in this one. Because the pictures in those posts are fine and I'm feeling lazy...
This is kind of to illustrate the changes between the editions...
The old bog-standard "Reinforced Platoon" is what EVERYONE built their Bolt Action armies around in the previous editions:
1 Lieutenant - First or Second
2 Infantry Squads
Plus:
0-3 Infantry Squads
0-1 Captain or Major
0-1 Medic
0-1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
0-1 Machine-Gun Team
0-1 Mortar Team
0-1 Sniper Team
0-1 Anti-Tank Team
0-1 Field Artillery, Anti-Aircraft, or Anti-Tank Gun
0-1 Armoured Car
0-1 Tank or Tank Destroyer
0-1 Transport Vehicle or Tow (soft-skins or armoured) PER Infantry or Artillery unit in the Reinforced Platoon
Here's what this force looks like as a Reinforced Platoon for 1st/2nd Edition Bolt Action
1 First Lieutenant + 2 men (Veteran) - 116 points
1st Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points
2nd Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points
3rd Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points
Medic (Regular) - 23 points
Forward Observer Artillery + 1 man (veteran) 128 points
Machine-Gun Team (veteran) - 65 points
Medium Mortar Team (Regular) - 50 points
Light Artillery (veteran) - 60 points
Renault R-35 (veteran) - 144 points
Total: 997
Easy Peasy, right?
I could tinker with which units are Veteran and Regular, but I've got a force here that CAN be fielded as a 1000 point Bolt Action Reinforced Platoon.
BOLT ACTION - THIRD EDITION
I cannot field this force in Third Edition...
I can still field the Platoon Commander and three Infantry Sections, and the Medic and the Forward Observer Team as part of my basic Rifle Platoon - of which everyone needs at least one!
It's the rest of the stuff that's become a problem...
If I want to field the Machine-Gun Team and Mortar Team, they need to be fielded as a Heavy Weapons Platoon - lead by a platoon commander (and potentially joined by up to two MORE Medium Mortar teams AND two MORE Machine-Gun Teams AND up to THREE Anti-Tank Teams!?)
If I want to field the 75mm Artillery piece, it has to be as part of an Artillery Battery, again, commanded by a Battery Commander... and potentially joined by up to THREE MORE Artillery pieces of any sort - light, medium, or heavy howitzers, or anti-aircraft, or anti-tank guns!?
If I want to field that Renault R-35... I need at least ONE other tank (or tank destroyer, or assault gun, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicle or armoured car).. then either the Renault or the other vehicle has to be designated a Platoon Command Vehicle... and then can be joined by up to THREE MORE tanks or tank destroyers, or assault guns, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicles or armoured cars!?
So, if I want to field ALL the things I currently have... I need to acquire at minimum two more officers (to command Heavy Weapons Platoon and Artillery Battery) and another tank or tank destroyer, or assault gun, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicle or armoured car.. to join the Armoured Platoon (Troop?).
It's not THAT big of a deal, I guess... I just need to pick up those things and then monkey around with which units stay as veteran and which have to be downgraded to Regulars to make it all fit into 1000 points? I'm still annoyed by it...
I've seen it suggested that this is more "historical"... but my "armoured platoon" could include an AMC Schneider P16 Half-Track, an AMD Panhard 165/175, a Laffly W15 TCC, a Char 2C, and the good old Renault R-35.. I'm not sure that was a historical thing... My Artillery Battery could include a 47mm Mle 1937 anti-tank gun, a 25mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun, a 75mm model 1897 field gun, a 1913 Schneider 105mm howitzer, and 155mm Mle 1877 gun...? I mean, I get it... sometime scratch units were put together with whatever was available... but that seems silly to me...
I GUESS there IS some more flexibility in this... but I also feel like there will be far more opportunity for abuse and min-maxing... Not that I have ANY interest in leagues or tournaments, so... who cares...?
AM I going to run out and try to buy a few more French officers and a tank just so I can field this army...? Well... probably not RIGHT AWAY... maybe I'll wait and see if I actually get playing the game...
Not going to lie... the Char B1 bis Platoon does look tempting...
I have a playable Italian force of 999 points that I've sorted out (though I need to PAINT 24 more infantry and four vehicles for that to be playable...!?).
I haven't re-orged them yet, but I'm certain I could field a German, Russian, or Canadian force (and possibly a Canadian or British Parachute force?) without buying or painting a single thing... Wow, looking back through this blog those Canadians and Russians were painted FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!?
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Lovely looking French force, it doesn't ssem like you need that much to make a usable force, but with your other Bolt action units, I guess it isn't a priority? I remember you going all out in WW2,and yes it must have been fifteen years ago, time flies!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Sure, it's not a lot... but it's something and would require placing ANOTHER order somewhere, and I really, truly AM trying to cut back on the ordering and spending! I am much happier just being able to play with what I have - or finding the excuse/motivation to paint ups something I already OWN, but just haven't gotten to painting! And I do have SO MUCH STUFF already!?
DeleteSure there are loads of forces that I can absolutely play RIGHT NOW without having to buy a thing... I kind of like the idea of playing early war at the moment - for a variety of reasons - partly because I picked up the Warsaw is Burning campaign for Five Men at Kursk and it seems like a really interesting idea... but I just... I can't bring myself to buy and entire force of Poles (don't think I didn't think about ordering some from the same place I just got those Italians from, though - they DID have an infantry squad and a command pack!) so then I got the idea in my head I could do something very similar, but in France instead of Poland...
Also I have a few of those skirmish Campaigns books from ages ago and was wondering about trying to play out some of those with Five Men at Kursk... One of the ones I have was the one about the French campaign.
So... kind of a priority... but not necessarily a priority for Bolt Action!?
Love those early war French - it's the camo colours and the helmets!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI also love that early war camouflage... kind of WANT to buy some more tanks now, just as an excuse to paint some MORE vehicles like this! What are the odds I can actually figure out what colours I used when I painted them ten years ago!?
DeleteLove your French! I saw the new requirements for 3rd ed. on Easy Army and I confess it doesn't make sense to me to have a second PL just for a MG and Mortar team on the table. The descriptions I've read of small engagements in 1940 (admittedly limited to the fighting in the alps vs Italy) talk about a section or platoon of infantry and x number of machine guns, not "an infantry platoon and a heavy weapons platoon". The problem is probably my lack of research to know that Bolt Action 3rd has it right, but for now, it makes my brain hurt!
ReplyDeleteWell that's exactly it, right!? I think a fair number of weapons companies or weapons platoons were more administrative in nature and in the field, the equipment was often parcelled out as required and there wouldn't be a weapons platoon leader of oversee a gun that happens to be positioned in a rifle platoons section of the line!? Feels like an excuse to sell more command packs... (GAH! I hate sounding like a bitter old crank like that!?)
DeleteSure a mortar platoon would probably be kept together as a battery (FURTHER BACK!) so when support was requested all could respond and saturate an area with bombs more quickly!?
Well-painted minis!
ReplyDeleteThat medic looks like he has seen some things!
Ha-ha! He kind of does, yeah... maybe I need to add some blood!?
DeleteGreat looking figures. I have just got into Bolt Action recently and am playing 2nd edition having had the rules lying about unopened for years. I am enjoying buying the old supplements, now redundant, at a very reasonable price. It is a fun game.
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Thanks Alan! I'd seen you had some Home Guard and Paras, somehow I'd missed that it was for Bolt Action (I thought there was a chess board involved?!)! I will have to go back for a more careful read!!
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