Let’s Play: Bolt Action 2nd Edition Demo Game [Archive Rewatch!]
January 7, 2022 by dignity
Warlord Games are in the studio to show off Bolt Action Second Edition and we thought we'd get stuck into a Demo Game to show it off. Who will win; cast your votes now!
Note: You can NO LONGER Win The Band Of Brother Set
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John will be playing as the British army and Justin is opposing him with the Germans. Who do you think will win, and will you be diving into the Second Edition ruleset?
Let Battle Commence!
I had my first Bolt Action games at the Tabletopbattle tournament i Norway this year. Never played the game, but thaught by you guys! Had five awesome games. The last game was blue on blue, US vs. US, set on a great pacific table. My opponent brought a forward air observer, and put the marker on my Sherman. Which ended up hitting his own Chaffe! So he tried again, and ended up taking out his Greyhound! Then he tried charging my veteran snipers. Who was invunrable apperantly. He then tried charging my howitser crew, they were hard as nails as well! A very fun game, but in points we ended on a draw! I learnt a hard lesson on snipers vs. weapon teams!
Right that’s bedtime viewing sorted, just gotta finish all the chores round here before I can paint/chill for a bit..
I’m interested to see how the new blast templates are going to be implemented.. Will it be what’s under the template is what’s hit?? Or that’s the number of hits the unit takes and casualtys are removed from the front of the unit.. I wonder because the what’s under the template is killed can lead to sniping blast templates that always seem to hit the nco at the centre..
I would like recce to have more benefits such as denying enemy ambushes perhaps.. But we shall see.. Right better go get my long list of jobs done then I can watch and find out eh..
…..Love the changes, it really upgrades your Strategic tool box…..Very nice Leveling Changes to the Weapons also….and @dignity you are on a roll mate!!!!…
First time seeing a game played and enjoyed it.
One thing seemed odd, may be I missed something, the Bren carriers moved and fired but the German observer poked his head out and they ran away ??
If an empty troop transport ends up closer to an enemy than a friendly unit they bug out.
If they had stayed with the infantry as support they would have been ok ?
Forget my above just reread your post.
I was hoping they would change that rule in the 2nd edition. I find that one of the more “unrealistic” rules especially at the points cost and now they are allowing them to fight after unloading their troops. While I know and understand that BA is not a simulation game of WWII but there are plenty of examples where transports fought bravely and even came out ahead in battles.
When we say “empty” transport – we mean no crew or no infantry passengers?
I’ve won plenty of games of Panzer Leader on the last desperate turn with “empty” halftracks. Sumbitches still have a .50 cal, if not .50s and .30s too. SdKfz-251s and the like usually have at least an MG34/42. That’s enough to shoot up a fireteam or at least give a squad a moment of pause.
Damn, awesome photoshop work! And I haven’t finished the video yet (and deliberately not reading the comments yet . . .) but is Justin on track to actually WIN a game? 😀
Have to agree with you on the Photoshop. Seems like someone new at the shop is really having an impact or is allowing someone else the time they need.
Got about 1.5 turns in before dinner and now it just may have to wait for tomorrow.
I really hope that we get to see more of these battle reports in the future as these really get people interested in the games.
😀
Yes excellent work! Is this from Band of Brothers or A Bridge Too Far?
I’m almost positive this is 1st Sgt John Martin and the hapless British tank commander from Episode IV of Band of Brothers. They’re entering the town, Easy Co Airborne infantry screening ahead of XXX Corps’ tank column.
Just like you’re supposed to . . .
Martin and Randleman see the Tiger behind a Dutch building. Martin and Babe run back to the lead Cromwell to talk to the British tank commander.
Martin: “You got a can opener, Babe?”
Babe: “”fraid not, sarge.”
[Martin climb up on tank]
Martin: “You got a kraut tank, right behind that building.”
Tank CO: “I don’t see him.”
Martin: “You put a couple o’ shells through that building, you’re gonna see him reeeeal good.”
Tank CO: “I can’t. My orders are no unnecessary destruction of property.”
Martin: “I’m tellin’ ya, he’s RIGHT THERE!”
Tank CO: “Look, I believe you, but if I can’t see the bugger I can’t bloody well shoot him, can I? Are you staying or going?”
I know that scene gets a lot of chuckles and woeful shaking of heads. “Unnecessary destruction of property” seems like a dumb obstruction in the midst of a full-scale war. But for Market Garden, it actually made a degree of sense. We’d just liberated France, and about destroyed the whole country in the process. Bombers alone had killed something like 30,000 French civilians. Allied commanders were aware of some serious backlash from French civil leaders, and when going into Holland, the Allies were keen on keeping the Dutch people “on our side.”
Excellent battle report, guys!
I love your table, I love the minis, and I love Bolt Action!
Waiting for the second edition, and the rules corrections seems to be very good!
So much to play with Warlord Games, between Gates of Antares, Conflikt ’47 and Bolt Action 2! Great time!
I had this dream I was at an amazing urban war zone table and across from each was my opponent. He strange looking – a bit like Kylo Ren with the mask. And appropriately he had just set up a German tank column heading into the city. I knew I was supposed defend the objective for several turns but…I had no army. Suddenly, low and behold on a big screen TV off to our side, the Beasts of War weekender show started playing. And it is announced that I have won the Band of Brothers set (US). Justin then steps out of the screen and hands me the box. It glows Briefly and I quickly open the box to discover a fully painted, ready to play US force. Setting up in moments, I look at my opponent, Kylo is now unmasked and it is Warren. There is a look of horror as he sees the placement of my troops. I reach for a handful of dice and let loose on the table. As they tumble the dream ends and I wake up.
Warren as Kylo? Image overload – Shudder!
Was at the BA Boot camp last year too many great moments, my dice rolling was atrocious. My sniper did well. Mortars were absolutely useless. Have to get up to play again
Well this looks fun, I may have to investigate this after K47, since they can have some common models. Is K47 is based on BA 1st Ed rules or 2nd Ed rules? just out of general curiousity (no it’s not out of curiousity if I have to learn one set I’d be more likely to buy into something which is more similar to the first ). Anyway, damn that looked fun
I would be interested in what @johnlyons and @dignity have to say.
Konflikt47 is supposed to be a stand alone game but is there a huge difference or is it easy to jump back and forth, which Bolt Action is it based on?
The game both have a core system, so switching back and forth is easy enough, its just making sure you keep an eye out for the differences, also K’47 is based on BA1 with a few new twists in the mix.
I still find it odd that K’47 is based on first edition when they knew second edition was to be realised only weeks later? Templates etc in K ’47 make even more sense. Is my K ’47 rule book going to be out of date in less than six months I wonder?
Cool im looking forward to trying the new rules out soon. The commander/officers new ability can certainly be used to huge advantage. But i never realized how powerful Flame throwers where in the game. Gonna have to pick some up for both my armys
My best bolt action moment was in last tournement, when as my last action of the turn my commander unit fired on enemy infantry. On the nest turn this unit activates only to go fubar and kill his own commander in friendly fire. Lost the game but had a blast.
Over all a great video. As they usually are when Chez is across 🙂
Really like the terrain changes they pretty much match what we have been doing. The flame thrower changes seem reasonable. I really like the fact that transports are more useful. The template seems reasonable. The commander changes are great and I look forward to getting my rule book and reading all the new rules.
I was hoping to see more reactions and a check needed to make them like in konflikt47 and Antares.
I’ve never played Bolt Action but I’d love a chance to win and make some new memories! Thanks!
Great demo game. The new BA2 rules are very effective, and the command option brings in a method of coordinated actions that previously would have been difficult to achieve with the luck of the dice draw. Commanders have become a lot more valuable to the strategy planning. The other rule changes work well. Bolt Action just got better! Looking forward to playing with the new rules.
Great job!
the flamethrower should be a tear drop template, over all well done
Nice I will need to pick it
I like the new rules. MGs beefed up; flamethrowers and assault rifles toned down; rally made more viable; Bren Carriers can shoot after booting out the infantry. I’ll miss the lunacy of the air observer, though the artillery observer has more potential for mayhem now.
I’d have liked to have seen if the close combat rules had changed, but it was a great battle report. I’m off to pre-order the new rules – and fiiddle with my Brits list 😉
How did you guys make the gravel looking sections of the board? The grey squares that the farmhouses are sat on I mean.
@debriefyt The guys made it with rubble mix, you can find a video about it here: http://www.beastsofwar.com/liveblogentry/super-detailing-the-boards-with-rubble-mix/
My bolt action comedy moments are whenever I use my Bren Carriers. Two games I have fielded them and two games my own air observer has called down friendly fire and blown them up. Have made the decision that I am obviously not fielding enough of them and will be buying another when funds allow.
My epic bolt action moment happened to me twice, it was my U S reinforced platoon against the Germans, both were 1000 point games and in both games the German Tiger tank was raising havoc with my Americans until I brought in my M18 Hellcat. In one game it took a few shots to do in the Tiger but in the second game it only took one shot to eliminate the Tiger and from that point on my Americans do not go into battle without my M18. I only won one game but it was a lot of fun against the Tiger. Of course both Tigers were at a disadvantage because of the heavy anti tank and the Recce rule
random re-direction when rolling 1 for the artillery barrage makes my Home Guard happy 🙂
I’d like to tell my most epic Bolt Action moment, but since I haven’t won the starter set yet…
@lordbob how about an epic moment that the guys in the studio have had? 🙂
Buddy and I have been fighting for Europe for awhile, my SS vs his US grunts:
“The recon force from the 2nd SS had taken a small town and set-up in the church in the middle of town and posted a sniper team in a nearby building. Reinforcements were on their way as the Big Red 1 moved into the town.”
Highlights of the game included:
Rangers not losing a single troop while shooting it out with an SS unit accompanied by a medic.
A Nebelwerfer blasting an entire unit of GI’s from taking the church.
A B-17 dropping its payload and pinning half the German army!
When the smoke cleared the Big Red 1 had managed to take the church and whittled down the SS forces to a decisive victory.
Managed to win a game of Bolt Action without firing a single shot!
That was in mission 5 from the rulebook where you have to grab the objective from the middle of the table and bring it out.
Can’t wait for 2nd Edition!