Bolt Action Solo

OK, managed to get my second WWII game sorted today, this time Bolt Action to see how well it played solo and also to confirm my prejudices re both games. The scenario was the same, the opening game of the Konigsberg campaign, they Germans have to get off the enemy side of the table, neither side had armour which made things slightly easier for me but harder for both armies.

You can get a file with cards from the Solo Wargamers Facebook page, you get one set for the units and one for the command die with instructions as to what the unit will do in the circumstances it finds itself in. Phil over at News From The Front said he preferred only using the unit cards, so I only printed them. I think if you choose a German die you pick a card to see which unit activates, I might of course be wrong about this but that is the way I saw it. It actually came to naught anyway as I just got so involved I allocated the dice for both sides as they came out and kept forgetting the cards, but they certainly could work.

I continued with the plan which Matt had given me a few days ago for Chain of Command, so the Germans would push up their right flank from the small farm. As there was no patrol phase I started both sides six inches in from the table edge. The Russians raced up the road to once again take the outskirts of the village, the Germans sent one squad up the road and two through the farm, the MMG was sent to support the guys on the road. The Russians too legged it up the road and the first squad managed to get to the entrenchments, so far so good.

The German squad on the road now took heavy casualties from both deployed Soviet squads, the MMG became a target for the Russian sniper and one crew member bit the dust, a bad round for Jerry. Then things turned around slightly and the MMG riddled the snipers loft and both he and his companion died, the Germans in the road took more casualties and ran for a nearby shell hole to shelter in. The German mortar now hit with its second shot and devastated the Soviet heavy squad with the two LMG's, this outfit failed its morale and fled, this left only one Russian squad defending the forward positions in the village. I had intended the third squad to flank the German MMG but then as the defence collapsed I sent them back to the crossroads.

The advanced Soviet squad now began to take heavy casualties and just managed to withdraw out of harms way the Germans saw their chance and advanced on the village as the Russians cleared out. It was a crushing German victory.

As I said above I kept forgetting to use the cards in the excitement of it all but no matter the game played well, it was a lot faster and although in hindsight not as bloody as Chain of Command it was decisive. There is certainly more opportunity to maneuver in Bolt Action and you can take a chance and advance in the open, you will take casualties from machine guns on the way in but this is not the brickwall of lead you meet in CoC. This little game only had one platoon each, with more units I suspect BA would handle things better as everyone gets a turn while with CoC you might be hard pushed to get enough command dice, you can certainly overcome this with extra leaders but they are not always a support option. So, which is better, slow and subtle with CoC or fast and furious with Bolt Action, you decide.

I finished off my extra figures this week, British and German artillery crew and just for the hell of it some German Feldgendarmerie or 'Chain Dogs' a really nice little group to look after the German rear areas. I also took a break and built my MDF truck from Sarissa Precision, I got this to use as scatter for my upcoming industrial complex, it is a neat kit although it came without side panels, Sarissa are sending them out, but I think I now like the flatbed version. Compared to plastic kits it is huge but then the Matador was a big truck, it will do as a one off but in future I would stick with plastic despite it being a really smart piece of work.

I scratched another itch today, I got my roads a long time ago and have never been pleased with them, especially the edging, this also applies to some of my fields, so I decided to do something about it and ordered up two tubs of grass from 4Ground and found half a bottle of PVA glue lying about. It only took me an hour or so and I had completely re-edged all the roads in Late Summer flock, the same that I use on all my bases, this has improved them but I now think I may have to paint them the same colour (I got two separate bundles). That really will have to wait.

I have my Seven Year War generals and horses primed and ready to go but may build those industrial units first, or at least a couple of them. I found out that The Assault Group had Soviets with automatic-rifles so as each of my squads have one I bought some, along with some extra guys armed with SMG's, why not, they probably won't be noticeable on the table but I will know they are correct, something else not to worry about.