First 15mm WW2 game with Bolt Action rules

The title of this post states this is my first game of Bolt Action in 15mm. It is actually my first game of Bolt Action ever.

On a hot summers day I popped over to my friends to give it a go. Neither of us had played it before so we kept things simple with 320 points or so infantry force each. We toyed with changing the ranges and movement to centimetres but decided against it as we wanted to move the game along and try out the different rule mechanisms.

The Forces

I took a British mid/late war infantry platoon with a couple of sections, brens, a MMG and a 2" mortar. My mate took a similar German force.

The Germans. Forged in Battle figures

The British. Forged in Battle figures - actually early war.

The Set Up

3' x 3' board with a fordable stream and bridge with buildings on each side in the centre of the board. The British started from the right side in the picture below and the Germans on the left.

The board 3'x 3''

Lovely 4Ground buildings.

The Game

Due to a technically difficulty we used the same colour order dice for both sides but drew the moves using different coloured dice from a bag. As soon as I left for home the second bag of order dice was found, which is always the way.

My photo taking was erratic so I can't provide a blow by blow turn report. Since this was a try out we managed to cover the following rules (in my terms not necessarily as named in the rules):

• command
• moving on roads and various terrain
• entering houses
• direct fire - rifle, smg, lmg, light mortar
• charging
• melee
• morale
• use of pin markers

Initial moves

Germans reach the hedge

British make a run towards the  houses across the stream

The British enter the church which is corrected later when we realise you can't just walk in

My mortar moves to the top of the hill

Who can see who debate. The Brits running for the houses on the German side of the stream and now taking cover in the stream having learnt they can't get in to the houses as easily as they thought. The Germans naturally open fire.

Both sides with troops in the stream and in the houses.

The British correctly occupy the Church and take up firing positions

Spot the missing British. They took no casualties from the German infantry squad and charged the LMG in the house. We shortly discovered that melee is deadly. My squad was destroyed by a 2 man LMG team. Ouch!

The British squad sulking from their defeat.

My mortar gets revenge and kills a German and they take a pin marker.

The end, as I had to go home. Not a conclusive battle but one where I think we covered the basics well. The only thing we didn't try was indirect fire.

Although a short game we both enjoyed it and the rules were very easy to pick up. Compared to other rules we've used gaming at platoon level such as Disposable Heroes and Battle Group we've yet to find the tactical nuance to the game. More play required.