First Bolt Action Game 500pts

This weekend Matt and I finally got together at the shop and played our first game of Bolt Action, after a record setting race to paint our armies. We decided on a small 500 point game just to get the hang of the rules.

We decided when we started that we would stay away from using tanks in our games, sticking to small vehicles and transports. So I decided on Fallschirmjager, who needs tanks when you have tough Jagers armed to the teeth with the best weapons available. Matt went with a British Parachute force, his guys look great.

500pts of Fallschirmjager, points go fast with two full squads.

My Fallschirmjager consisted of two 10 man squads loaded for bear. The first had two SMG's, three assault rifles, a LMG and loader and a panzerfaust team. The second squad was the same, minus one assault rifle. I also had a Lieutenant with an addition man, and an 81mm Mortar.

I was surprised how quickly I ran through 500pts when adding lots of kit to the full squads.

Matt's British Paras.

Matt's British Paras consisted of two 9 man squads with a Bren gun an two SMG's in each. He then had a mortar and spotter, a medic, LT and the free artillery spotter.

 

The board setup.

I can't remember the name of the mission, but whoever controled the objective in the center of the board when the game ended won. After turn six we rolled to see if the game ended. Two of Matt's Paras started on the board within six inches of the objective half the rest came on the first turn the rest were in reserve. My entire force was on the board.

Fallschirmjager advance on the objective in the center of the board.

A squad of Paras and the mortar protecting the objective.

It's a pincer attack by the Germans.

The German mortar found the Paras on the first turn.

The first pins land on the British.

The second Para squad moves on the board as does the artillery spotter.

Firing on the move.

The mortar loses a crewman.

The first turn saw both my FJ squads move forward, one on the left and one on the right side of the board, the squad on the left fired at and killed one member of the British mortar team. My 81mm mortar ranged in on the Para platoon behind the wall with a six, no one was killed but it placed two pins on the squad. Matt used a down order for them, his mortar failed to range in and his spotter and second squad moved on the board.

The right flank Jager squad.

Casualties.

Pins begin to add up.

On turn two my squads continue to move up, firing at the enemy, not many casualties but more and more pins. I loss two members of the left FJ squad to enemy fire and take a couple of pins. Both mortars fail to find their targets. Matt's Lieutenant and medic move on the board.

As do the casualties.

The British Artillery observer calls in a barrage.

Turn three and my right squad advances and kills three members of the Para squad by the objective including their NCO, they are also hit by my mortar. The British Artillery observer places his marker for the artillery barrage. A few more scattered shots back and forth.

The second squad trading fire with the FJ's.

The Lt gets pinned by the barrage.

Assault rifles on the flank begin to take their toll.

On turn four the advance continues for the Germans with the reduced left flank squad moving up to the objective and the other squad advancing and destroying the British mortar. The German mortar again hit and killed a para and added more pins, the forward Para platoon now had enough pins that it was difficult to do anything. And artillery bombardment gives three pin markers to my Lt but doesn't hit him. The second Para platoon continues to shoot up its opposite FJ squad.

The battered left flank FJ squad makes a go for the objective.

Their full strength comrades come to their aid.

Turn five the full strength FJ squad kills the Para officer, the other squad advances and kills one of the heavily pinned paras. I am directly on the objective. However the second Para squad kills all but two of that squad, but they refuse to run. The artillery spotter again calls in artillery on the German officer and add even more pins but doesn't hit. The officer fails his test to rally and keeps his pin markers.

Moving past the heavily pinned  first Para platoon.

And cutting loose on the second para platoon.

On turn six the forward Para squad is destroyed by the mortar and two man FJ squad. The other FJ squad advances past them to take on the last Para squad. Again an artillery barrage is called in and pins without hits, things look grim for the lieutenant. The Paras kill a member of the full strength jager squad.

They move to keep the British away from the objective, as turn five ends.

The last of the second Para squad.

The game doesn't end and turn seven sees the last Para squad shot to its last man who stays on the board. And once again the artillery lands and fails to hit but the pins it caused finally ran off the German Lt.

An assault ends the spotter.

Leaving nothing but the medic.

Who is taken captive.

The game goes on another turn and the large Fallschirmjager squad kills the last Para and the the remaining two members of the other squad assault and kill the artillery spotter.

The game ends with the capture of the last British miniature, the medic.

So in summary the game was very fun, we took a lot of time and played the game slow to keep mistakes down. My initial worry about only having two squads was balanced out by how much firepower they could put out, especially the assault rifles. I think I'm hooked and am excited about getting some more games in.