So last evening I got my second game of Bolt Action in against Bob and his Germans. We stretched it a bit and played a 1000 point game which let us try out some of the rules that we haven't used yet at 500 points such as Air Strikes, Mortars, Sniper Team, and there was even an infantry close combat. The mission was maximum attrition with 10 units on his side and 11 units on my side.
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| The battlefield before deployment |
I lost a total of 3 units which included both 5 man squads representing the two halves of Section C of 11th Platoon and the recce jeep. Bob lost his light tank, 2 of 3 infantry squads, his Pioneer squad (with flamethrowers, thank goodness they didn't get used), his forward observer, his officer, and his mortar team. In true blogger fashion, after taking the board set up picture, I got so involved in the game that I never took another picture.
We both had mixed luck on the dice. I had a section of infantry with just one pin marker that didn't activate twice due to being unable to pass leadership of the modified 9. Then there was the small assault squad that paused to rally and dropped 5 pin markers of the 6 they had picked up. C Section has taken the most casualties in the two battles by far but they've taken out a light tank in each battle. I think assaulting with anti-tank grenades is definitely the way to go, though as my opponents adapt to that, it's likely to change.
I'm a fan of mortars now. The spotter making it a lot easier to hit was a big boost and they really could pile the pin markers on a unit. My medium mortar kept his pioneers pinned in place while slowly whittling them away. My sniper team was completely useless. He took 4 shots and got a total of 1 hit which didn't wound. I'm in no hurry to take this unit again. The Medium Machine gun team did ok, but I think I like units that are more mobile.
2nd Lt. Marlowe again did very well leading his troops in battle. At one point late in the game, 4 remaining members of a German squad assaulting him and his one remaining aide. The first round of combat saw no injuries taken which lead to a second round where the aide and a German soldier were laid low. The Lt. then finished off one more German soldier which scattered the other two. An infantry assault being fought until it's decided is interesting, but I can see losing most of a squad because one man was killed to lose the combat could be annoying. I'll have to see how it works more in the future. A bit on the fence on this one. Going back to the Lt. though, 2nd Lt. Vincent Marlowe was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry as I feel he earned a bit more than another mentioned in dispatches for his performance. He's also being looked at for promotion to 1st Lt.
The ineffective sniper has been assigned field punishment and is busy digging new latrines and foxholes. Hopefully he'll learn his lesson.
That's all for now and feel free to leave some input. I like how my paras are evolving and as soon as I finish moving this month, I'll be ordering the last of my miniatures to get them put together properly and retire the borrowed Naval Infantry from my 40K range.
