 |
| Tanks are about - the buildings are a trap! |
 |
| See - even BB8 isn't smiling |
Of course, you really need to get the index to find all the rules when you need them (from right here).
We have just completed our second Bolt Action Boot Camp at Cancon 2017 and helped 24 players learn Bolt Action. It was great fun and the changes made in the 2nd edition have really helped iron out many areas which were under or over powered. Since the 2nd edition was released we have run three boot camps (MOAB 2016, Little Wars 2016 and Cancon 2017) plus many practice games at our club and at home.
Some of the improvements (in no particular order) are:
HE vs Buildings - Buildings are great defence against infantry fire, but less of a bunker with a -1 to the kill chance. However when and HE is around it is better to not be in buildings. This changes strategy for the better as men are in and out of buildings depending on the situation, providing for a bigger variety of tactical choices.DOWN order - now a -2 to hit and if you keep the DOWN order at the end of the turn you remove D3 pins, makes DOWN a valid option. If you do find yourself trapped in a building with a HE weapon against you, going down can reduce casualties in half so you can see them just hunkering down and trying to withstand the storm.
RALLY order - Now very worthwhile. You still use a turn to refresh and get back on track, but one turn in a 6 turn game is a big deal. The unit that is easily pinned still can't do what it wants and the RALLY allows it to attempt some sort of comeback.
AMBUSH order - IF nothing moves in your cleverly placed Ambush, you can still try and give it a shot at the end of the turn.
RECCE changes - made it a more realistic option and reduced the old "whack-a-mole" method of fighting a Recce vehicle.
YOU MAN, Snap to Action - A verbose named rule which we shorten to "Come with Me" or something similar, this totally changes how we use HQ units. It is now well worth paying for a Level 2 Lieutenant. +2 to morale and can activate 2 other units (Germans get 3). We really like how this played out in our games.
LMG/MMG dice - The extra dice for LMGs and MMGs make them better value and more feared.
ASSAULT Rifle - dropping the range to 18" was a good move. Often in an Advance situation, the riflemen had a -1 for moving and the Assault rifles a -1 for long range.
PINTLE Weapons - making the tank Open Topped if they fire their pintle mounted weapons was another good change which made those American HMGs think twice before blasting away.
All these and more are great and worthwhile changes which affect the game in positive ways.
However there is one change that we have decided is a problem.
TEMPLATES
In every other area of Bolt Action placement of individual figures is not critical. If one guy is in range or touches something it is assumed they all are. To determine hits, just roll dice and the game moves on quickly. But now, using templates the game stops, you hold the template over the figures, place it several times to see the maximum number of figures you touch, negotiate with the opponent and then roll to kill.Consider the photo examples on pages 69 and 70 in the rule book. I reckon that careful placing of the template in Diagram 9A could result in 4 hits if the template is moved a little upwards, touching 4 bases. Diagram 9B now shows that modelling a gun and crew has to consider templates rather than aesthetic concerns which degrades from the game. In Diagram 10, moving the double template upwards should touch 4 models too.
So even from the 3 examples in the book we have 3 problems. How much longer does it take to manipulate a template over the figures with issues of placement of your eye on figures in difficult to reach places on the well terrained board? Roll dice - seconds. Place and re-place template, negotiate with opponent, leave sour taste if you win the argument - minutes.
If the board uses scenery well, the figures are placed where they can and we should assume they are placed in various positions around the cover. But the Template insists they are where they are. If you just pile them into a small space because the bases are too big, a nasty template user can say he touches 8 guys using his 1" circle because that is how they are placed.
Our experience using templates over the last thirty or so public and other private games, with over 50 different players, have resulted in our following experiences:
1. Templates break from the simplicity of the game in determining number of hits.
2. They break from the ease of play by stressing exact placement of figures in this one single area.
3. They are a point of contention and potential disagreement which a simple dice roll avoided in the past
4. It's another bit of equipment you need beyond the dice and tape measure
5. It slows down the combat resolution
6. Have you tried looking straight down on figures in the middle of the board?
So, in future Bolt Action Boot Camps we will NOT be using templates. Instead we will use the casualty calculation of HE vs men in buildings. (HE Chart Page 70) This means combat resolution will be streamlined and potential contentions removed.
Roll to hit, roll to determine number of hits, roll to kill, roll for Pins. Resolution over in under a minute. Contention points reduced to zero.
