Last fall... in, like, October...!? Vera and I played a game of Bolt Action. I took a bunch of pictures and planned to do a game report... and this has now been sitting in my drafts for... almost six months...!?
So I thought maybe to have one less thing in the drafts folder, I'll just go ahead and publish it with minimal commentary!
I was playing Soviets, Vera was playing a mix of Hungarians and Germans.
The Soviet force that I used.
I didn't get a picture of her force.
Hungarian armoured car rolled on and shot up totally hidden snipers, killing the observer... because... that's a thing that happens...?
Bulk of the Soviet force advancing to meet Hungarians moving through the area.
More Soviets on the flank.
Soviet Artillery catches the Hungarians in the open!
Soviet AT guns light. up one of the Hungarian tanks! Whew! Lacking any armour of my own, it would have been super not great if this tank had been allowed to roll around knocking out my AT guns and then roll around knocking out EVERYTHING else that had no real method of dealing with it!
Then it was the Soviet's turn to get caught in the open by artillery... probably the Hungarian/Germans... but could be the Soviets... who knows..
Soviet right flank takes position in the woods.
Soviet right flank also taking position in the woods, while AT gunners hide behind their sunshields in the open!
Super-duper pinned Soviet Sniper just won't leave!
POW! Soviet AT Gunners light up the Hungarian CV-33!
Luckily one of the crew was able to bail...
Hungarians rush the Soviet centre positions supported by an armoured car.
This roll looks really bad. I have no idea what it was for... probably something important!
Having suppressed the Germans and Hungarians opposite, Soviets on the right flank move up rushing from one covered position in the woods to another.
Fire from the Hungarian armoured car and infantry taking its toll on the Soviets in the woods nearby.
Soviet Infantry on the left flank move to support the center.
Savage close fighting in the woods between Hungarians and Soviets!
Soviets on the right flank keeping their opposites pinned down.
More Soviets rush into the woods to help hold the center of the line!
AT guns exchange fire with a Hungarian MG team that finally dragged their gun to a firing position in the woods opposite.
Weight of numbers carries the day in the center!
Soviet AT Rifle and Hungarian armoured car exchange fire.
The fire-fight on the Soviet right flank intensifies as Hungarian paratroops, who were seriously pinned down in the initial Soviet artillery barrage, finally rallied and made their way through the woods to join the remaining Germans.
I'm not sure how this ended... seemed like things went well enough for the Soviets...? I have a feeling, though it likely ended up as a draw as so many Bolt Action games have - as you need to be ahead by two or more victory points to claim victory.
It's been a while, but I still think about digging out some of the WW2 projects started (or pick up again) a year ago... but I find I have limited time these days and so many Age of Sigmar things that are a more pressing concern! We'll get back to it some day!
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Great looking game . I do like the brewed up tank markers, where do they come from?
ReplyDeleteAlan Tradgardland
Thanks Alan!
DeleteThe brewed up markers are from a company called Litko Game Accessories. They make a lot of bases and tokens and markers and trays out of MDF and plywood and plastic. Lots of them are for specific game systems, others are generic, as these are, and very handy - and look cool in game reports!
Great looking Soviets and good looking game, sounds like fun, how are you enjoying third edition?
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
This game was played last October and the one before it had been months as well... so... It's... okay...? It is a simple game - which is fine. Sometimes I feel like some things are over simplified. It really feels to me like it's trying too hard to be Warhammer WW2 and clearly designed for competition (that can be played through in 4-6, 10-15 minute rounds lasting a maximum of 1.5 hours), which isn't the best for FEELING like a remotely historically accurate combat simulation. I don't think the problem is really the simplicity, or the genericness of the game... I've played a lot of very simple games with very generic troop types (DBA, etc) that played out felt like, yeah, that seems like how a battle might have gone down... which I haven't always (or... ever) felt like after a game of Bolt Action. I think the issue is primarily scenario design - we've been using bog-standard generic scenarios out of the book - to learn the game. If we were to put together designed (or even umpired) scenarios with some better house rules of concealment and attacking prepared positions - with asymmetrical forces - I definitely think it could be a fun game!
DeleteI can't really compare it to the previous editions. I never played second edition and the games of first edition were so long ago... general vibe...? it feels pretty same-same...?
Definately think it feels like 1940k and it seems pretty succesful at the club transistioning 40k players into something else, I didnt find so much difference between first and second whereas third seems a more thorough revision and change, I dont for a minuite believe it is combat simulation, its much more gamey, I guess youd need to go to command and colours if you want something more granular but similar for unit size etc, what was the ww2 US study that found over 70% of units didnt shoot/engage in combat in the infantry? I would image that would be similar in all armies as people had to grapple with life and death decisions with virtually no protection?
DeleteBest Iain
Oh man, if I remember right you took the middle but I took the flank with Germans that refused to die? I think it was a soviet victory with heavy losses on both sides (very historically accurate) we need to get more bolt action in...
ReplyDeletePerhaps.
DeleteAccurate...? I don't know... yes, there were massive casualties on the eastern front. I don't think they were largely due to small firefights between isolated platoons out in the open.
Like a million people died in the siege of Leningrad.... but MOST of those were due to starvation, malnutrition, disease and the cold... after that it was from bombs and artillery...
And certainly Soviets died en masse in major assaults... but that was when they concentrated troops of a massive assault on a prepared position.
This was an encounter between two platoons, both on the move, in a relatively open area. What was going on that this happened? two patrols bumping into each other? Maybe a larger action on one of the flanks caused a large break in the line and both sides were having to move to redress it? In both of those contexts, I feel like troops would be less motivated to carry the day and upon contact would take cover and blaze away at each other with little effect for hours until one side or the other ran low on ammo and tried to disengage and fuck off under cover of darkness...?
It takes HIGHLY MOTIVATED troops to advance across the open under fire to try and storm an enemy position. (Whether that motivation comes from fanatical zeal, or simply understanding the importance of a mission and the strategic need to take a position, or terror of your own political officers executing you and everyone you ever loved if you retreat!?)
Tankers and armoured car crew, seeing a heavier tank on their side brew up would instantly take off and say "whoa, good luck with that!" to the infantry... They might even run at the sound of an AT gun heavy enough to blow them apart!
This is more game than combat simulation. I get that is sucks to see half your force just split after the first shots come in, or just take cover and refuse to leave... and makes it impossible to go take objective markers...
Not saying I don't want to play more. I just think once we've figured out the rules, maybe designed scenarios and a few house rules might be in order.
I have a whole plan for a short counter-insurgency campaign for a Hungarian occupying force in Romania...!?
Fair enough, I think that in my mind it's supposed to be less world war 2 simulation and more ww2 movie simulation. The heroic officer led a charge on fortified enemies and fought to the last, the dastardly germans terrorized the poor russians on the flank from helping their comrades. Meanwhile explosions from artillery are going off unrealisticly everywhere and all the armour explodes while the suspiciously british russian officer twirls his moustache. I definitely think that 5 men was a lot more realistic in its approach of "you're either dead or about to be cowering if you poke your head up" and the whole 90% of ammo fired misses, which would make for a boring game. Cowering and missing while getting trench foot simulator coming 2027 😝
Delete"WW2 movie simulation" - that's it... that's a perfect description of what it is!
DeleteI'd at least like a simulation of a WW2 movie produced by Tom Hanks, where they hired historical consultants that actually... y'know... read books and memoirs and/or spoke to veterans and stuff... Enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat, but done well enough to not strain the suspension of disbelief of those who actually know a little bit about history!?
DeleteNIce to see a small foray back into historical games. Still a bad time to be a tanker.
ReplyDeleteHa-ha! No, definitely not a great day to be a tanker! Thanks!
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