Bolt Action: Test game

Test of the Bolt Action ruleset at a recent Peninsula Wargames Group midweek meeting: a motley crew of Soviet regulars and partisans, supported by a single T34, try to clear the fascist invader from the outskirts of a Ukraine town.

Being a test game, we ran roughshod over the force selectors and didnt bother calculating points until after the game (was about 950pts per side). The Germans took a few turns to  recover their composure after the Soviet preparatory bombardment, and after playing five turns, the Russian attack seemed to have stalled in the centre, despite solid advances on either flank.

The reaction to the ruleset was generally positive: its not a game for rivet-counters and historians, but its a good enough game for an evening - plays fast and flows well and has a very familiar "GW" orthodoxy of "D6 to hit, D6 to damage, criticals on 6s..." It remains to be seen if the rules reward historical tactics - that will only become apparent after a good few games.

Regulars, supported by a T-34, find the safety in the dead ground. Even mortar attacks and the attentions of a German Forward Observer didnt convince this squad to advance beyond the cover or the ruined house:

Partisans make a dash for the treeline: