Bolt Action: US Army vs Germans

My most recent game of Bolt Action from last week at Misty Mountain Games.  I played against Brian Ward with a German list he planned to bring to a tournament the coming week end.  I played my same US Army list from the previous week that I’m working on.  We rolled up a scenario and got Hold Until Relieved.  Brian won the roll off and choose to attack!

I don’t remember much of the details from Brian’s list but it was something like:

2nd Lt w/Assault Rifle

Regular squad w/rifles and LMG

2x Regular squad w/rifles maybe some assault rifles

2x Vets w/assault rifles/rifles in field car

Medium Mortar

Medium Machine Gun

Field Auto-cannon

Recce Half-track

Half-track w/3 auto-cannons

My list was the same as last time although it had a little more paint!

Veteran 1st Lieutenant w/SMG + 1 Man w/rifle

Reg Forward Air Observer

Reg Medic

2x 8 Man Regular Infantry with 6x Rifles 1x BAR  NCO w/SMG

6 Man Veteran Infantry with 2x Rifle 1x BAR 2x SMG and NCO w/SMG

2x 6 Veteran Rangers with 4x Rifles 1xBAR and NCO w/SMG

Regular Flamethrower Team

Regular Bazooka Team

Veteran Sniper Team

Regular Medium Mortar Team

Regular Medium Howitzer (anti-tank gun was proxy)

Dodge 3/4 Ton Truck (scout car was proxy)

To get the game underway we added a small sandbag bunker to the center.  I put one of my regular squads and my lieutenant to hold it.  Brian deployed one regular squad to my right in some ruins with the other two regulars in the center along with his lieutenant.  His MMG posted on a nearby hill and the mortar prepared to range in from his back edge to my left.  Brian’s remaining troops are all in reserve but I put my “truck ” with my vet infantry and flamethrower in outflank.  Before the game started my rangers made their move onto the board near the center ready to give some support.

In the first turn Brian’s infantry in the center moved forward in the cover and took some shots at my squad holding in the center.  Tough shots behind hard cover meant my squad didn’t take much of any hits.  To my right his squad with the LMG came up my flank but my rangers moved up and my sniper came on to put a couple pins and casualties on them right away.  Back in the center my other rangers and my regulars in the middle also made some hits on both his units.  My mortar ran in on top of the hill and my howitzer in the corner.

In the second turn all our squads in the center exchanged some fire.  Brian’s squad to the my right ran to get back into the cover of the ruins where they would stay almost the whole game.  My medic ran on to try a give help in the center and Brian also towed his auto-cannon onto the center of his edge.  The big move of this turn was Brian’s half-track with the 3 auto-cannons came on and lit up my howitzer, they barely survived.  Realizing the fire power coming from that I quickly called the airstrike in.

Turn three here comes the plane!  Brian’s list has a lot of flak with all those auto-cannons but didn’t score enough hits to bring the plane down.  Big hit on the half-track and it was luckily destroyed!  Brian made a hit with his mortar on my squad in the bunker and along with the other fire still coming in they were hurting.  The long range of his auto-cannon was able to take out what was left of my howitzer.  My other regular squad and bazooka came in to give more support to the center.  One of Brian’s field cars also came on and the vets jumped out to support his squads in the center fire fight.  I moved on my out flankers to try and take these guys before they can do damage.  My flamethrower jumps out and empties his tank on the vets but they hold.  My vets make it out and I think took the remainder of the squad down.

In turn 4 fire kept being exchanged in the center and a squad of rangers took the place of the regulars that were wiped out in the bunker.  My mortar was trying to range in on his and my sniper took up position on the second floor of the building.  During the turn Brian’s other field car comes on and also his recce half-track.  My vet out flankers hold against some fire and are able to get shots on the car and take it out putting the squad down.  My rangers on the right take fire from the auto-cannon but I am able to put a pin back on it.

I had called an airstrike on his recce half-track and it comes in to start Turn 5.  Pins are put on the previously downed vets from the field car as well as the auto-cannon and nearby units.  I roll the weaker hit but is still well enough to take it out; two offensive vehicle taken out by air!  I make a mistake moving my flanking vets in close allowing his vet squad to assault shaking all their pins and to take the remainder of my squad.  The auto cannon starts failing order checks and his mortar has been doing the same since it’s first hit.  Finally my mortar hits Brian’s and takes it out while my sniper is missing his lieutenant all day.  Brian’s squad in the woods is finally taken out and the other squad at the wall FUBARs and runs away.

Turn 6 I am scrambling to push everything center too late trying to get shots to stop the vets squad or his lieutenant from getting on the objective.  Through all my effort the vet squad still runs in at the end of the turn.  We roll but the game isn’t over yet!  Turns out the game really is over because every shot I have this turn only gets the vets down to two men and never forced a moral check.  We end with a draw!

This is only the second time I played hold until relieved.  The previous time was pretty early on in my learning.  I should of been more aggressive to hold or push back his squads from being able to jump in at the end.  Previously I have lost my rangers often from being too aggressive.  Each scenario does change how you need to play and I’m still trying to rack my game experience up.  Still liking the list and I am excited to keep painting to get it finished.  Unfortunately my time will be limited now that the school semester has started.  Even more so I have class Thursday nights so won’t be having weekly Bolt Action action for a while.