Bolt Action - AAR: Germans vs Soviets (15mm) Maximum Attrition

Here it is! Our first attempt at playing Bolt Action. This is going to be a bit rules light since I am overwhelmed with newness. We had to thumb through the rulebook quite a bit, but I feel good that we came to resolution with everything fine. We weren't left with any outstanding questions per se, more like we just forgot to apply things. All in all, I really liked the way Bolt Action played! We were both always engaged. No down time. I mean, except for all the going down our troops did!  I forget the exact points each side had, but it was around 950 per side.  Playing in 15mm with the guys on bases really was not difficult at all. We had to track when specific weapon teams died, but was easily accomplished by placing one of Litko's "Obviously Dead" tokens over the figure. All of the squads were correct to their models*, so only occasionally did we need to look closely to see who was an SMG and who was a rifle!  *The only exception was the mortar observer was only 1 man (not 2 as represented on the board), and the 45mm AT Gun was manned by 2 people (not 3 as represented on the board). The mission we played was Maximum Attrition.  Our forces enter the board as they are activated, with some having the option for being in reserve.  Some of those reserve units can wait and attempt a flank move.

Steven's Germans VET 1st Lt + 2 SMG Men VET 8 man squad w/ Assault Rifles VET Sniper Team REG Panzergrenadiers 8 Men, 2 LMGs, 1 SMG (Flank reserve, Right- mounted) REG Panzergrenadiers 8 Men, 2 LMGs, 1 SMG REG MMG REG Sd KFZ 251/1D (Flank Reserve, right) REG Sd KFZ 251/1D REG Marder III M

Joe's Soviets REG Lt + 2 SMG Men INX 11 Man sqad w/ 1 LMG, 1 SMG, Green (free) VET 9 Man squad w/ 9 SMGs REG 8 Man Squad w/ 1 LMG, 1 SMG (Reserves) REG 8 Man Squad w/ 1 LMG, 1 SMG (Reserves) REG 8 Man Squad w/ 1 LMG, 1 SMG (Reserves, Right) REG DsHK HMG w/ Gunshield REG Medium Mortar + Spotter REG Ba-64 REG 45mm AT Gun REG T-34/85 (Reserves, Right)

The board from the German perspective

A halftrack loaded with infantry makes a RUN action, racing forward!  The infantry then dismounted- a rule we clearly got wrong!

Joe's BA-64 scouts ahead of his force

At the end of turn one.  The forces begin shaping up.  Panzergrenadiers hop out of the halftrack and take the train station.

Joe fires off some rounds with his BA-64!  First pin marker!

A Hanomag and Panzergrenadier squad light up Joe's veteran infantry, nabbing two!

The Marder moves to line up shots on the BA-64

The view from the train station.

The German Sniper

The developing battle

The duel

The Soviet Veteran infantry keeps taking fire, despite going down in a wood!

The Panzergrenadiers hold a firm position.

The Soviet HMG deploys in a wheat field

Joe's Inexperienced squad winds up being regular when shot at!  They learned quickly

The Sniper has been spotted!

And with 2 pin markers, NEVER successfully executes an order for the rest of the game!

Steven's flank reserves arrive.  The infantry stays mounted for the time being.

Soviet infantry arrives from the opposite flank!  The BA-64 has been immobilized by the Marder.

Bottom of 3, top of 4.

A soviet squad launches an assault on the Veteran Assault Rifle squad!

And very nearly win it!  But the Assault Rifles prove too deadly.

The BA-64 has another AT round slam into it!  The vehicle is immobilized but alive.

View from the Soviet side.

The T-34/85 arrives!

The Hanomag keeps firing.  The infantry inside are eager to hop out!

The T-34 can't hit the Marder, but chews up the German HMG!

German halftracks keep up the fire.

The Assault Rifle toting infantry assaults and eliminates the BA-64.

Joe's 45mm wastes a halftrack!

The casualties for the soviets are mounting...

But one of the two halftracks has been eliminated.

The Inexperienced-turned-regular squad is wiped out.

With the way open, the Panzergrenadiers dismount, and pour fire into the defenders on the hill.

The Marder and the T-34 engage in a duel.

A soviet unit races forward, but is chewed up by Assault Rifle fire!

The succesful German flank move.

The Hanomag moves forward, MGs blazing.

Another Soviet squad wiped out!

...and another!  Panzergrenadiers leave the train station and eliminate a squad.

But the soviets get revemge!  The 45mm g un pops a second Hannomag!

boom!

The veteran Soviet infantry with SMGs charges forward and assaults!

Another German unit down!

Joe consolidates right in front of the German LT!

But the die is rolled at the end of 6 and comes up a 1.  No turn 7!  That's it!

The bloody hill in the Soviet left.

The center of town.

The tank duel.  The Marder immobilized and lit the T-34 on fire, but it still lived!

With that, the Germans have eliminated 5 Soviet units to 4.  One more round and Joe could've closed the gap!  Still, as the Germans were only ahead by 1- it was a draw.

The Man of the match.

POST MORTEM "RULES WE MESSED UP" ROUNDUP

• We Forgot the +1 for point blank until the very end of the game
• We forgot the -1 to for inexperienced troops firing
• The biggie - My halftracks were firing without anybody aboard
• I dismounted a halftrack after issuing it a RUN order.  Can only dismount after an ADVANCE (if it moved at all).
• The Soviets had 1 too many infantry squads without having another Officer.



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