Well, loyal readers, this weekend was my first Bolt Action tournament. I have to say it was an absolute blast!
It was a grand tournament, 1,000 points in a single platoon. There were three games on Saturday plus two on Sunday. Each game was based on one of the scenarios from the book with a little alteration to fit the campaign. To make things exciting, there were also secret missions to choose from which earned additional victory points.
My first game was versus a platoon of regular British infantry in the 'Take and Hold' scenario. My secret mission for the game was called Tora! Tora! Tora! The objective for this was to destroy my opponent's highest point value unit. Looking at his models at the side, I quickly put my money on the Sherman... The objective for the game was a section of road, dead center, that we felt was important because it controlled the road junction.
I decided, having won the roll-off, that I'd REALLY like to be the attacker and chose to place all four of my infantry sections along his table edge and place them in ambush. Sure enough, my opponent brought on his units right in front of me. The firefights were very short, and very bloody. My opponent learned that units in ambush are dangerous... especially when they're packing a Panzerfaust. This was the first time I've taken them and the first time I fired it I very handily took out the Sherman. Unfortunately, the brutal firefights along his table edge had pinned down my units and he had a good number of scoring units surrounding the objective. My turn six was one of the more brutal turns I've had in a Bolt Action game. My sniper killed his forward observer. My Nebelwerfer, medium mortar, and two MMG's hit. My one infantry squad in good order got off some long-ranged shots, and my StuH 42 decimated an entire section of Brits. In the end, neither of us controlled the objective (now clearly surrounded by piles of dead infantrymen). I did get my secret mission and denied his so the victory was mine by a narrow margin. First victory (ever) for me in Bolt Action. Phew!
Game two was on a lovely table with commanding heights at the corners (cleverly blocked by tree stands which completely blocked line of sight). There were some idyllic fields of grain, and an impressive windmill. Looking at this lovely windmill, with its three floors, I chose the secret mission entitled Currahee! This mission required you to control the largest piece of scenery on the table. Unfortunately, my opponent (playing an all veteran US Airborne force) won the roll off and placed HIS sniper unit in the building. Hmmmm... I wonder what secret mission he chose? The scenario was 'Take the Field' and there was one objective marker in each of the four table quadrants. All I had to do was capture one more than my opponent. Easy enough, right? Well, the game was a good one. I learned to hate US Halftracks and their HMG's. My medium mortar was an absolute ACE and landed shots four of the five turns it was able to fire. Two of those shots dropped into the halftracks and blew them to bits. One of them had his air observer, so I count myself lucky that I was able to kill him before he got off his second air strike. His first one, which took three turns to finally do anything, killed my Nebelwerfer.. but that was okay because it was mainly sitting in the corner, rueing the tree stands for blocking any shots. My opponent was very canny in his movement in this regard. Once again this game, my StuH 42 was more than worth its points, and basically carried the battle for me. We did have a very cinematic sniper duel between his on the third floor of the windmill and mine in a nearby wood. His halftracks made an abbattior of German casualties right outside the door to the windmill so I was never able to enter and contest or capture it. In the end, I had forgotten I needed to be within THREE inches of the objectives, not six. I lost quite miserably because of this error, and I was not happy about. Great opponent, plenty of witty banter... all around a great guy to lose to.
Game three, the final for Saturday, was good old 'Demolition.' For my secret mission I chose one called Saving Private Ryan, wherein I nominated one model in my army and had to make sure he didn't die during the game. I nominated my Leutnant. The table was a North African German Airfield, complete with runway, quonset huts, and German aircraft on the tarmac. Very scenic. My opponent was fielding a combined British Airborne and Commando army... with several small squads of infantry, a Stuart tank, and a Humber armored car. My StuH again ran riot and obliterated one squad on its own. My Nebelwerfer missed every time it fired, and quickly became a target for his mortar. The game was going my way, what with my two MMG's mowing down his infantry and my sniper taking out his commander. We had a long distance machine gun duel and that was fun. His Stuart managed to imobilize my StuH, and it then sat taking PIAT rounds from a team I just couldn't seem to kill. Bloody veterans. So, turn five I have my infantry swarming towards his base and braving the blistering fire from his MMG and Humber. Then... he brought a flamethrower team on from reserve. WHOOSH! There went my sniper team. Oh yeah.. and then there was that 10 man Commando section that had outflanked. There they were suddenly, gunning down one of my MMG's in a point blank hail of SMG fire. I brought on my last infantry squad from reserve, intending to blast the Commandos that were frighteningly within distance of my command bunker. Only, I neglected to fire. Somehow, I forgot they were there and focussed my attention elsewhere on the table. Well. The Commandos charged my infantry section and in one brutal round of combat, eliminated my infantry section. They made a good show of it though and left only one Commando left. This was, of course, just enough for him to capture the objective in turn 7. One failed command roll on the other side and I missed out on capturing my objective. So. Then. Five points for keeping my Leutnant alive, and my second loss of the day. My opponent was really cool, and had one of the best looking and characterful armies of the weekend.
Thus, I packed up my army and headed home. I steeled myself for the final two matches on the next day and hoped beyond hope that I wouldn't have to face one of the Soviet armies or the one guy that brought Japs. On the plus side I had played more games in one day that I had the previous four months.
Day two dawned with me running late and having to consider the posted speed limit somewhat of a recommendation... I barely made it in time.
My first battle for Sunday was against a regular US Infantry in the Top Secret scenario. For this game I chose the 'Blitzkreig'secret mission which gives you bonus points for getting your infantry and vehicles into your opponent's deployment zone. Having recently played this mission in a home game (and losing) I knew what I needed to do.
The table had a lovely road running lengthwise, with the objective smack in the middle... so I decided my StuH would outflank. With everything else I used bomb craters (heavy cover) and woods to cover my troops until his infantry broke into the open. One they did, though, I started firing. I lucked out in his rolling a 1 for his airstrike... and thus murtalizing his three units surrounding the objective. That, coupled with the withering fire of four infantry squads, two MMG's, the StuH, the Nebelwefer, and the mortar meant that I wiped out a large percentage of his army in the space of 1 turn. I then surrounded the objective with three infantry squads and the StuH. In the following turn I ran like mad with the objective. I didn't get my secret mission but neither did he. I did hold the objective and thus chalked up my SECOND Bolt Action win. EVER.
Game five, the final game... was Maximum Attrition. My opponent... was Soviets. I shuddered, two or three times. My secret mission for this was POW, which awards points for engaging an enemy HQ unit in close combat and thus capturing them. As my opponent was describing his units, I nearly fainted at the unit of SMG and panzerfaust armed veterans in a truck. Then, they didn't seem so bad compared to the SMG and Panzerfaust armed combat engineers with body armor, flamethrower, and mounted in a truck. Shudder.
The orders dice worked out in my favor and I got to place my units in a side-to-side wall of firepower. My Nebelwerfer fired, but of the three units I shot at, the only one I HIT was his commander... so that was nine HE hits for two guys. At least I got a point for my secret mission? The game was very much not in my opponent's favor. Early pins and no commander meant some of his units did not do much of anything for the whole game except absorb fire. I felt bad for the guy because he kept failing orders tests and spending the whole game facing my firepower. In the end it was a pretty crushing victory. He'd chosen the Blitzkrieg special mission so he picked up some points from that. I have to say I was supremely impressed with his candor. Too many times have I played someone that rapidly becomes a poor sport when the game does not go their way, but Ryan muscled through and was a very admirable foe. I'd face him and his list again any day.
The main benefit of the event was learning that there are four Bolt Action players within 30 minutes of my home so I was thrilled to learn that. I also chalked up victory in three of five battles, and surpassed my yearly quota of games in two days. Lots, lots, lots of fun. I also won an "Italy and the Axis" book in a raffle so an African Campaign Italian army is almost a foregone conclusion for me now. How do I tell my wife? Many apologies for not taking more pictures... but in my defense I was like a kid in a candy shop!
My StuH 42 was the star of the weekend for me, and if the conversations were any indicator Warlord should see several orders for StuH's soon. My medium mortar had one REALLY GOOOD game, one GOOD game, and three 'meh' games. I'd totally take it again, though. The Nebelwefer was better for the terror it caused in my opponents, because it didn't really do much else. The two MMG's were ace as well. Most opponents shied away from their threat, and those that did brave the two teams suffered pretty horrendous casualties. I will definitely take them again. The Panzerfausts, at 5 points, are a no-brainer for me. It gave my infantry and anti-tank threat while not resorting to a fixed position artillery piece or expensive team. They'll be a standard for me now too.
The event was well organized, managed, and supremely enjoyable. I'm already making plans for next year, and I have to say that for my first tournament experience I had an absolute blast. Thanks again to the fellows that organized it (at the expense of being able to play themselves), and all the players that loaned their terrain for the enjoyment of all. I also want to thank those on the forum and freinds that gave me invaluable advice going into the tournament. It was a big help.
Operation Sting was a complete success. Job well done, men. Job well done.
