Bolt Action Progress Part 1

It's been a long time coming, but finally it's time I display stuff for the game that effectively got me into the hobby. That game is Bolt Action.

For those not in the know, Bolt Action is a skirmish game produced by Warlord Games focused on the World War era. Each player commands a platoon worth of models (20-50 guys). Typically consisting of a officer, a few squads, a couple specialist teams such as a mortar and or machine gun team, and occasionally a support vehicle such as a assault gun, a tank or armored car. The game is fairly expansive and permits far more than just that however, that depending on the player's ambition the rulebook possesses rules for everything from heavy tanks such as Tigers and K.V.s to Artillery pieces such as 88mm flak guns and everything in-between.

The options of armies one can play are as bewildering as the wars themselves. Regardless if the faction you might have in mind having a role either large or small, chances are you can play them.

Mechanically, the game functions off of a drawing system were a player draws a die at random to activate a unit of whatever force, taking turns until all dice are expended, the dies distinguished by color to determine which platoon is which. The turn continues until each die is played. The purpose is intended to simulate the chaos of combat, as well as for the intended purpose of preventing the first player from creaming the other.

The Objective of the game can very widely. Predicated on scenario, the objective could be anything from holding a position, to crossing the board, or even simply wiping out the opponent's platoon. Different campaign books will have different scenarios. The campaign books themselves cover different theaters of the war, from the deserts of North Africa to the tundra of the eastern front.

Anyway, the army I chose was Italy. As time went on however, I would collect a number of other forces. Below you'll find some of the forces I've finished. Enjoy!

My small platoon of Italian Blackshirts. The Blackshirts began as Mussolini's personal guard, later forging there own position within the Italian army. Effectively politicizing the army. Soldiers of Ideology, there quality varied as did there experience. Me ne frego! Motto of the Blackshirts, Italian for "I don't give a damn"!

The command. Everyone save the Duce is a Warlord Games model. The Duce himself is a model from EM-4 Miniatures.The "Tin-pot dictator".

Squad One. Note the motif on there helmets. The Italian army was known to distinguish among there divisions with different iconography atop there helmets.

Squad Two.

My Italians in North Africa, miniatures sculpted by The Perry Brothers.

The Command

Some Warlord Games Bersagileri, also painted for the western desert. To the left is a two-man Brixia model 35 light mortar team. The Bersagileri have a long and colorful history. Started in Sardinia in 1830 as a light infantry division specializing in mountain combat. Noted for there intensive training and black feathers cocked in there helmets. Bersagileri from what I understand translates as marksman in English. Quite fitting considering there reputation for excellent.

Close up of my Bersagileri, note the face-masks. What better a way to keep the sand out of your face? Made with putty and clever painting.

Italian tank crew. Miniatures from Company B.

The Legendary AB 41 Autoblinda. Vehicle from Italeri models. Scale 1:48. The AB 41 is often said to be among the best of the armored cars of the war. Liked both by the Axis and allies alike. Capable of cross country travel, it could even travel on rails! This particular example is modeled after a AB 41 used by the Colonial police of Italian Libya.

A Soviet T-34/76 in Italian service. The Italian 8th army also known as the Italian expeditionary force in Russia captured a number of pieces in there time fighting on the Eastern Front. Among them was none other than a functioning T-34/76. Considered quite the prize given the 8th army's lack of armor. The white crosses serving as markings to differentiate Italian from Soviet service.

The beginnings of my Soviet forces. All models shown are from Warlord Games. Shown left to right; Two flag-bearers, one being a N.K.V.D. Internal security officer or commissar, fellow in the center is a rather heroic lesser officer or as Soviets would call a "Junior Lieutenant", A angry looking second Commissar, and finally a female medic rushing to help.

The man of steel himself, as well as his alleged favorite general. Stalin is painted in his immediate post-war uniform he wore at the Potsdam Conference. Miniature from Black Tree miniatures. As for Zhukov, he is depicted bearing his post-war uniform as worn at the V.E. victory parade in Red Square.

This is my N.K.V.D. Border Security squad. The N.K.V.D. boasted multiple branches one of which focused on the security of the Soviet Unions borders, hence the Border Security forces. N.K.V.D. Security were for all intents and purposes were specialized troops. Trained in everything from survivalism to interrogation, there responsibilities were just as numerous. At this time they were involved in a number of unsavory actions, sullying there reputation. During the onset of Operation Barbarossa however, the Border Security Forces were also ranked among the first troops to be engaged with the invading Axis, and were consequently annihilated. Serving with near unequaled bravery, they'ed lay down there lives in such battles as the siege of Brest Forest. I can only assume that these men knew there'd be shown no mercy, for Axis forces would be given expressed orders to shoot political officers on sight.

Visually, the Border Security possessed different color piping from other branches. Green-red, as opposed to the Internal Affairs Red-Blue. There equipment is also early war, hence the absence of Ppsh-41s in favor of Pprd-40 Submachine guns.
The Weapon ratio I also sought to make accurate as what a N.K.V.D. squad might be equipped with at the outbreak of the war..

My Soviet Specialist teams. A three-man team with PM-41 82mm medium mortar, and another three-man team with a M1910 Maxim fitted with gun-shield. And yes, there are rules for the gun-shield. Models also from Warlord Games.

A late war T-34/85. From Warlord Games.

Inscription translates in English as "For Stalin"!

K.V. 1/2 model from Italeri. Perhaps one of my favorite tanks. At it's time of introduction in 1939, the KV-1 was said to be the most armored tank in the world! Possessing near-symmetrical armor plating on all sides, The KV-1 was effectively a mobile bunker. Unfournatley it also weighed an equally impressive 45 tons, limiting its off-road speed to as little as 8mph.
Regardless, The KV-1 proved legendary, and was one of the few early-war tank designs continuing production to the end of the war. As for the Italeri model, it was a lot of fun to build. Thankfully this kit also provided just enough parts for assembly of the turret for the KV-2 variant, as you can see to it's right.