Bolt Action Road to Victory!

C-Bax's Road to Victory campaign set is an excellent way to change up your Bolt Action games, check them out here if you haven't already! Recently, we took a stroll through the campaign from a newcomer's point of view and if you didn't read Community Member Rob's write up, you can find it here. This week, we're going to look at the other side of the coin and take a look at the campaign from a veteran player's point of view. This Community article comes to us from our good friend in Texas, Tyler Wallace. Tyler recently had a chat with us about Americans, and North Africa in particular, on the Ghost Army Podcast (Episode 26, here). In this write up, we get to hear about his experience with the campaign, and get to see some pictures of his snazzy Americans. I must apologize to Tyler for taking so long to get this posted. Thanks for your patience, brother.

Without further ado, or further links, here's Tyler's article!

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A Veteran's Perspective

I recently began a campaign with my cousin using the Road to Victory campaign rules from the Bolt Action Alliance. Joel is more of a casual player. But we both love history so, it’s fun to have an opportunity to play a historical game together.

Road to Victory, I discovered, is an excellent way for more experienced gamers to play fun games with casual players like my cousin (granted one of you owns multiple armies with a variety of units.) Not only are the units easier to digest for the newer players but they can also try their hand at list building in a way that won’t seem as overwhelming. Usually, when I play against a new/inexperienced player I end up having to make two generic lists in order to teach them the basics. However with Road to Victory, Joel and I had almost as much fun building the lists, and rolling for random units as we did playing the game itself.

Since the PDF is free to download, I won’t talk much about the actual mechanics. You can check that out for yourself. Below is a report of our lists, and how the battle progressed.

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A Trip Back in Time; Normandy 2017 By Glenn Goddard

Ed Note: Glenn Goddard is a huge friend of WWPD has provided this excellent article and pictures for you to enjoy!

As a player of FOW since 2003, and posting when I have time, on the forums (Baghdaddy), I thought you might enjoy hearing about my latest adventure.  Some people are lucky and then there is me, the luckiest guy in the world.  No, I am not talking about my die rolls at last year’s Nationals, I am talking about the fact that I was invited to be part of the U.S. Army contingent who jump into Normandy every year to re-create the D-Day jump by the American Airborne troops.  I expect most military veterans and gamers dream of going to the annual celebration of one of the most epic battles in history, the Allied invasion of Normandy to liberate France and defeat the Nazi regime.

Ed Note: I did the jump at Nijmegen and the subsequent walk to Arnhem many years ago and it was a blast!

Our first day involved a commemoration ceremony at Carentan.  We started at the site of the "Cabbage Patch".  This was an epic battle between the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and the 2nd Fallschimjager (German airborne).  This battle of Carentan was finally settled by a hand grenade and bayonet charge by the American paratroopers at great cost.  Read about the battle here.

At the ceremony, the French Government awarded several of the American veterans and one French Resistance veteran the Legion of Merit.  It was amazing to see the veterans, most of whom are in their 90s.  You really get perspective when you realize that there won't be many of these veterans left soon.  I should note that we had representatives from all the Allied nations plus German Soldiers.  Some might think it strange to have Germans at a ceremony like this, but what better way to demonstrate that we will never fight each other again than to be unified in commemoration.  After laying wreaths and a flyover by four C-130s, we then marched through the center of town with bands playing.  It was pretty cool and almost every structure in the town remains just as they were in World War Two.

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US Rifles vs Fallschirmjeager in the Bocage

Fallschirmjaeger vs US Rifles in the bocage.

Brian and I played another game today in our club's ongoing Normandy campaign. I ran US Rifles and he ran Fallschirmjaeger.



As always, pics after the break!



US RIFLES (VET)
3 Rifle Platoons
Weapons Platoon
I&R Platoon
Engineer Platoon w/ 3 bazookas
105 Battery w/ AOP
Cannon Battery w/ 4 105 light howitzers
Priority Air

FALLSCHIRMJAEGER
HQ + Mortars
2 FJ Platoons
Fallschirmpioneers
LG 40s
Armored Panzerwerfers
4x Stug G
3.7cm AAA


The board was heavy bocage and the mission was Free For All.


The board. US on the right, FJ on the left.


The American right. The objective is the smoking jeep in the center left. Rifles on the right, Engineers on the left.


The American left. The objective is in the road on the left. 2 Rifle platoons hold this flank.


The FJ right. 3.7cm AA Guns, Stugs, HQ Mortars, and a FJ platoon.


FJ Left. One FJ Platoon on the left and FJ Pioneers on the right.


First blood is drawn when the Stugs move up to the edge of the bocage and MG a rifle stand.


A rifle stand from the US I&R is knocked out by the FJ Pioneers.


Planes and 105s knock out 1 FJ Pioneer stand.


The US move up to the edge of the bocage.


LG40s and Panzerwerfers hammer the US right/


FJ Pioneers aggressively move forward. The flame thrower fires off its fuel and knocks out the US observer.


Mortars call in smoke to stop the observer from calling in the panzerwerfers


The FJ Pioneers are thinned out further by artillery


The is very little movement on the FJ right flank.


The Engineers charge forward under covering mortar and artillery fire, and completely knock out their FJ counterparts!


On the right flank a very succesful artillery barrage knocks out 2 FJ stands, 1 LG 40, and the LG 40 command team. Smoke is also ranged in denying them visibility.


the Engineers push forward. I completely forgot that pi


Brian's FJ on the US left move forward


The FJ move out, ready to counter the Engineers.


And line the road after a storm trooper move.


On the US left the FJ mass up, ready to assault.


The US smoke the FJ observer as both Engineers and the Rifle surge forward.


The FJ counter assault on their turn, but are wiped out by the Veteran Americans, who suffer heavycasualties of their own.


Having done their job, the American Rifle platoon heads to the rear to care for their wounded.


Brian makes a last ditch assault on my left, but is driven back by defensive fire from attached LMGs. He also failed to pin me, making this the first game EVER where I've gotten to re-roll my rifle shots in defensive fire for having "automatic rifles".


US Engineers grab the objective on the US right. 5-2 for the US.

And the current Sitrep:



in 8 battles, the allies have won 6 in an attempt to secure a foot hold in Fortress Europe.

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Normandy Campaign- Fallschirmjaeger vs US Rifles

Fallschirmjaeger vs Veteran US Rifles in Fighting Withdrawal.

Brian and I fought a Fighting Withdrawal today as part of our Normandy campaign. I rolled to be the defender, and he the attacker (a small FJ counter attack trying to cut the main US lines moving up the draw in the flooded plains)

Because we were battling on flooded plains we decided the open ground would be Very Difficult going, the roads would be road, but the forests would be impassable to vehicles. The hills would be easy going.

This Battle (which is not clearly marked on the map) took place adjacent to Utah Beach in the top left, securing the Americans some additional ground.



Lots of pics after the break!



(VETERAN) US RIFLES
HQ (add 2x Bazooka)
3x Full Strength Combat Platoons
AT Platoon (just 3 57s)
Full Mortar Platoon
Full Strength Engineer Platoon
I&R Patrol
105 Battery
Priority Air Support

Fallschirmjaeger
HQ
3x Full Strength Combat Platoons
Full Fallschirmpioneer
Recoilless Gun platoon (with 2 guns)
HMG platoon (with 2 HMGs)
8.8 Battery (heer)
Panzerwerfer battery (3 w/ extra crew)


I deployed my forces on a broad front with a Rifle platoon in ambush (along with the attached bazookas).

The only vehicles on the board were his panzerwerfers! What an infantry slugfest.


The US Right. (US placed objective) on the hill. Engineers and 105s in support. I&R can be seen deployed very far forward.


The US center. (German placed objective) just outside the woods. US Rifles and 57mm hunker down.


The US Right. Mortars and Rifles hold this objective.


The German Right. 8.8s and Panzerwerfers.


The massive fallschirmjaeger center. 2 platoons + HMGs + Pioneers.


And the FJ Left with 1 platoon and recoilless guns.


The FJ move out, with the right flank moving into a small, flooded wood.


The center crawls forward. FJ Horde!


Panzerwerfers range in on the Engineers and knock out a stand!


US Mortars range in on the 8.8s, knocking one out.


105s range in on the panzerwerfers and bail one, plus knock out a stand of infantry.


On the German left, Lightnings swoop in with MGs blazing.


Panzerwerfers fire on the 105s knocking one gun out.


The US mortars range in on the 8.8s and finish the job.


The Fallschirmjaeger on the US Right take cover from the planes in a wood.


The FJ mass in the center. The I&R is visible in the bottom right, preparing to withdraw.


The US Rifles in ambush spring out in a near perfect position.


The I&R are just within range to call in mortar fire on the FJ in the woods.


Lightnings continue to harass the FJ.


The Rifle platoon that ambushed prepares to charge!


Killing 5 stands and forcing the fearless FJ back!


The Battlefield at the bottom of turn 2.


On the German turn, the FJ rally and counter attack the rifles, knocking 3 stands out and making them retreat from the woods.


But almost immediately the US platoon rallies and comes back for more!


The huge FJ blob in the center continues to suffer attrition from the Lightnings. The HMGs set up in the left side of the wood.


The US platoon charges forward, eliminating the FJ.


On German left, the FJ arrive with some strength and pin the Engineers with a barrage from the panzerwerfers!


But even pinned the Engineers can put out a boatload of fire, and just manage to push the FJ back. The recoilless gun on the left sights in the Engineers.


Another FJ platoon manages to assault the Engineers, but is quickly dispatched in a counter assault.

At this point, the Germans are down two FJ Platoons and the 8.8s


The Lightnings keep blasting away.


105s and mortars try to stop the FJ on the German left, but they hold on.


Meanwhile, the US platoon in the center charges forward with bazookas blazing, and wipes out the panzerwerfers who can't escape in the very difficult flood plains.


More fire is called in on the fallschirmpioneers. The 57mm AT guns in the woods have been pulled in withdrawal.


The FJ's last chance is to capture the American placed objective as there are no troops within range to capture the others.


This time the FJ make it into assault, killing some Engineers.


The assault goes back and forth a few times, but eventually the FJ are wiped out. The US Engineers are knocked below half, but the company commander is able to keep them focused.

At this point Brian is decimated, and we decide to call the game. 6-1 for the Americans.

STEVEN'S THOUGHTS: Wow, what can we say? The complete lack of vehicles, and the amazing air support really swung this in my favor. I think had it been the other way around with me attacking, it would've been the complete opposite. Brian came close on the left flank, but ultimately I had too much firepower with too little protection, and with no vehicles to push anywhere, Brian's footsloggers had to slow boat it up to the front.

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