I started out wanting to play bolt action but I got so hooked on the historical side of my 2nd SS Panzer Division and US 2nd Armoured Division that I built them as full historical Companies with full Historical support units and Armoured companies that by the time I finished I realised that I had such a large army that I had made it impossible to play bolt action. My Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier company alone has around 9 Hanomags and 110+ Miniatures, just as an example.
Holy moly, that sounds like an absolute dedication to historical accuracy! One day I think I will get around to organising my German army into something a bit more historical as I really like the idea of fielding something 100% accurate on the table top 😊
@@OnPointHQ yeah, 15 Panzer IV's in a company can look nice on the table but add that with my full Panzergrenadier company and its impossible to play bolt action for two reasons, not enough dice and by the time the game is over I would have missed my kids growing up.
Crikey! That would certainly be one large game and played on something resembling a tennis court! I think it would also be playing a turn a day. I imagine it would look pretty awesome though :)
still seems very 40k-esque with the fallschirmjagers and waffen SS together in a list. i would prefer to play more historical.Thanks for doing your basics videos, they are very helpful.
Cheers buddy, I'm really glad the videos are helpful! One good thing about the Bolt Action theatre selectors is that you can tailor them to be as historically accurate as you like. For example I tend to run Fallschirmjager and will often take every unit as Fallschirmjager. Conversely if you want to have a more diverse army, you can choose to include different types of units 😊
The Fallschirmjager and SS fought often together even though they hated each other. This especially came out during the defense and counterattack at Carenten
My only point to add is that it's great to collect forces based on real units. My British are based on the 2/5th battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. They spent most of the war up until the Normandy landings training in England and NI, only to miss the beach landings, arrive in France a few days later and take on the 12th SS in Caen alongside the Canadians. I Have given them some Tommy Guns they presumably snafffled to replace their crappy Stens with and naturally I am currently building their opposite numbers too.
Definitely agree with this approach. I think there is definitely something that makes the hobby more satisfying when you do the research and background history and then translate this into your Bolt Action armies. It gives the whole project more personality and that individual aspect. Being able to build, paint and game with figures that you can attach an actual historical back story to certainly gives the hobby and games just that extra level of depth and immersion 😊
I recently pulled my Bolt Action "troops" back out. I had barely gotten started when i encountered... distasteful players. Hard to explain, but... i've pulled them back out. I've realized i have a pretty good foundation of a British Force, and flexible to play early through late war, if needed. Still, i am looking forward to getting back going. Thank you for sharing your hard work.
Hey buddy, thanks for the comment. It's pretty sad that you had to experience players of that nature! But the main thing is that you're getting back into Bolt Action again! I'm confident that you will definitely enjoy it and the online Bolt Action community is extremely supportive and positive. Late war is probably my favourite period to game although I am currently working on an early war French army so that we can get a few games in against my mate's Blitzkrieg Germans 😊
Solid advice. I like that the Bolt Action infantry boxes are versatile enough to build up a few squads, HQ, and some support weapon teams. Really easy way to get playing
Cheers mate! Yes, the infantry boxes by Warlord Games are a great way of starting an army. You can get your HQ, core sections and additional smaller teams from one box and this definitely makes things easier when choosing to add other support options 😊
I just assembled a German squad with 10 men. 1 lmg. 1 smg. And 8 g43. I envision them as a light infantry squad. I have ammo belts on 5 of them. They look like a squad that can get up and move at a moments notice .
They sound awesome Tony! That's what I like about building my own squads, you can really make them how you want them to look, give them a back story and generally apply some personality to them. Always a really interesting part of the hobby 😊
Isn't the re-enforced platoon the model for building an army and standard for that is 1,500 points, as I understand it. IE, this is to build an army that can run almost every scenario that is applicable up to 1,500 points with variations in between. For the Normandy 1944 selector as an example, that 1500 points includes Artillery, Armored Car, Tank / Tank Destroyer / SPG, Transport. Also, how do you feel about spitting squads and using more officers to increase the use of snap to and number or order dice? This is my re-enforced platoon for Normandy 1944: PLATOON - 15th Army, 9th Panzer Division with 9th SS Panzer Division (Hohenstaufen) COMPANY HQ 3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with AR, 2 ARs, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 95 1 Man Veteran Medic (Rifle) 30 3 Man Regular HQ FO Squad - FO Air with AR, 2 ARs, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 95 4 Man Regular Medium Mortar Team with Spotter w/ AR, , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 60 3 Man Regular MMG Team 50 COMPANY 01 5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ AR, 4 AR, 4 PanzerFausts , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 110 3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with Rifle, 2 Rifles 95 5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ Rifle, LMG (2), 2 Rifles, 2 PanzerFausts 95 COMPANY 02 5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ AR, 4 AR, 4 PanzerFausts , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 110 3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with Rifle, 2 Rifles 95 5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ Rifle, LMG (2), 2 Rifles, 2 PanzerFausts 95 COMPANY 03 2 Man Regular HQ Squad - 2nd Lt. with AR, 1 AR, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 60 2 Man Regular Flame Thrower Team 50 2 Man Regular Sniper Team 50 VEHICLES 3 Man Regular Light Artilary Team 50 Regular Panzer IV Ausf D 175 Regular SDKFZ 222 Light Armored Car (COMMAND VEH) 95 Regular SDKFZ 251/1 Half Track "HANOMAG" 89 TOTAL 1499, 18 order dice
Yes, you're right, I believe the reinforced platoon allows you to put together a pretty solid list that scenario wise will be able to perform well within each scenario. On the flip side, my SAS/LRDG list does not have many options and may struggle in some scenarios or when coming up against other lists. Absolutely love the detail you've put into that list dude, top work! Always good to see a fellow German player 😊
@@OnPointHQ Likewise. I also have Goliath Units, Strumpioniere Units, and NACHTJÄGER Squads. Couple questions if you don't mind. Have you played a concealed unit game yet, and if yes can you explain the mechanics in a video? Also, can you clarify your understanding of the German Anti-Tank Rifle Team and disposition in or out of a squad? When I read the German Army rules, and as I understand this special weapon, it is a 2 man team as a separate support team, and a 1 man team within an Assault Engineer Squad . Thank you for the kind thoughts and appreciate the consideration. Sincerely,
Hey Thomas, in response to your two questions - we've only used hidden troops in one game so far and this was in conjunction with night fighting rules so it was a bit of a weird combination! Once we get to start playing more Bolt Action this year, we are certainly going to incorporate some of the more nuanced rules into our games and battle reports. With regards to the anti-tank rifles, I interpret it as the GrB39 or Panzerbusche39 being the anti-tank option within the Assault Engineer section. It states that when this option is taken, a rifleman from the section then becomes the loader. So essentially it is a two man team if its taken as a separate support team and also within the Assault Engineer section. Although it is worth noting that when taken as a support option it is 30 points for a regular anti tank gun but within the Assault Engineer section, it is a veteran choice for the same 30 points.... Hope that helps! :)
I was referring to the support weapon found at the top of page 34 in the German Army book called a Sturmpistole. This is depicted as a two man team. On page 25, Assault Engineers, this is listed as an option (Bullet above the GrB-39) as a ONE man add at 5 points. Did I find something new about the German Army you didn't know? Thanks again for the consideration.
Yes, the sturmpistole is a one man weapon that is effectively treated like a panzerfaust but with a)reduced range b)is not a one shot weapon like the standard panzerfaust. So essentially it is an anti-tank weapon albeit with a shorter range than the two man panzerbusche team. It's trading range for freeing up that extra rifleman/loader. I run my assault engineers with an LMG and a flamethrower as I try and take flamethrowers where I can ☺
Cheers Lee! Definitely agree with you there buddy. It's something that is always at the back of my mind when I'm putting a list together. I'm not a competitive gamer at all so the idea of a purely historical list always appeals to me regardless of whether it will be effective in game or not 😊
I love historical and Napoleonic era, but I have seen a lot of people play bolt action at my local store. I like how Warlords games work and I know they are all similar. I will be watching a few off your videos to find out more in how to start Bolt action 😊
Cheers Edward and welcome to the awesome world of Bolt Action! It is definitely my main go to game for both gaming and painting. The mechanics are really quite simple to grasp but it still makes for an interesting and tactical wargame. I would certainly recommend having a go 😃👍
Hey Adam, I would definitely agree that you are hooked but welcome to Bolt Action! That's certainly what happened to me, so many cool armies to build and paint. I know what you mean. With all that has been going on, I've not thrown dice in almost a year. But when we get back to normality and you get your models on the table, you are going to enjoy it immensely 😊
That's awesome and welcome to the wonderful world of Bolt Action! The aim of these videos was to show people who were new to the game or thinking about playing it the really basic core mechanics of how a game is played. Really glad the video was helpful ☺
I am new to bolt action and only just found your channel so feel like I am definitely the target audience! Really interesting video, and I am looking forward to the rest. Keep them coming 😊
Cheers Matt, I hope you found it useful buddy! It's been really good the last few months seeing so many new players across different groups. It certainly inspired me to start this series 😊
Cheers Stuart! I think that sometimes getting into a new game system can often be a little daunting so I made the videos specifically for new players or people thinking of taking up the game. Hope the videos helped ☺
Cheers Paul! I had noticed that over the last four months or so, I have seen a lot of new gamers getting into Bolt Action and asking a few questions about it. So I thought making a series that outlines the very basic mechanics may help them some way on their Bolt Action journey :)
Cheers dude! My German army is definitely one that I like to keep revisiting when I can, I've certainly put quite a bit of work into it. Hopefully once some form of normality has returned, I can get a few games of Bolt Action in and some more battle reports using them :)
Thanks mate! Yes, I agree with you there. I always try and take a handful of panzerfausts wherever I can but in keeping things relatively simple I just went with the LMG's instead ☺
Very informative for anyone starting out into Bolt Action. I was amazed you didn't take the MMG motorbike w/sidecar. I don't think I've ever not used one. lol
Thanks James! I've just realised after reading your comment that I don't actually have any motorbike or sidecar options for my German army. I am quite stunned by this revelation and may need to rectify it soon 😁
Ive made a nice 998 U.S Infantry reg force. First leuitenant, 3 reg late war squads, 1 reg engineers (flame) mmg, motor 57m AT gun and a Hellcat (REECE) :) looking forward to using i next weekend :Not much flavour, looking to add potential Rangers i the list in a larger game :) great little video :)
Cheers Simon, good to hear from you buddy! That actually looks like a fun list to run especially with the flamethrower being included. I try and include as many as I can when I run my USMC, they are a bit temperamental but my regular opponent hates them! You'll have to let me know how the build performs in your next game 😊
@@OnPointHQ @On Point HQ Planning a game for next weekend, so will let you know. Only had one game with these boys before and went ok, i lost but didnt do to badly :) I wanted to get USMC but my freind got there first :) love your painting by the way, :)
Good luck with the game dude! What I like about Bolt Action is that, in the games we've played anyway, they have always been really narrow losses/victories. Its very rare that one side will completely destroy the other. It certainly gives it a more entertaining feel to the game. Ahhh USMC, I always enjoy gaming and painting my USMC! That's awesome, cheers Simon :)
@@OnPointHQ My yanks did very well in a jont effort with Russians. against 2 Geeman platoons. i ran a 1250 point platoon. 3 vet squads and reg engineers. the tough fighters rule came in very handy. my Howitzer of all things had knocked out a tiger. we only lost becuase our objective was to far up the feild and only lost by 13 to 11 victory points. my engiineers flamer had taken out an entire wafffeen ss squad. very good day indeed :)
It certainly sounds like your US acquitted themselves very well Simon! Seems like another very close game....and demonstrated just how awesome flamethrowers can be! I'll always try and take one either in an engineer section or as a standard support choice. They are unpredictable but certainly have the capability of changing a game. That's also some nice shooting by the howitzer 😀
I have been thinking about getting into Bolt Action, because I love history and especially WW2. This is a great video to help teach beginners like me on how to play and get better with a good army! I am a fan of Germany myself and when I get everything and I start, I plan on using the Germany stuff.
Welcome to the world of Bolt Action! Really glad that you found the video helpful. When I first made the Bolt Action Basics videos, I wanted them to be short, simple and explain the core rules. It's a great game and I'm sure you'll enjoy it 😀
Subscribed and excited for the series. New to bolt action and trying to decide on an army to start building. On a side note I enjoyed the Jazz music but I would turn the volume down some, at times it was making it hard to hear you. Less hands more minis. All love!
Hey Dylan, thanks for letting me know about the music dude, I used a new programme for this and still getting used to it. Cheers! Aye, the next video in the series will have a lot less hands and more figures thankfully! Hopefully the videos will help you decide which army you want to start with 😊
@@OnPointHQ Can't wait! I picked up the Rattenkrieg skirmish box set as my first purchase. Thought it came with the core rules as well but it dose not, my mistake. So i'm looking into getting the Band of Brothers set. At least I'll have a little of everything right?! 🙃 🙃 🙃
Sounds like a great start to me Dylan! I never got the Band of Brothers set but I know a lot of people that have and they have said that it was really helpful with them starting Bolt Action. Its a great nucleus and will give you a really good idea with what direction you are want to take in the game. You're going to really enjoy it dude :)
Hey, I'm really glad you find the video helpful! It's such a basic part of Bolt Action but I thought it would be good to just outline how an army is put together ☺
Cheers Cal! I think one of the main differences would be the medium machine gun team. This is an option that I rarely take but I thought to include it in this basic army as a pointer to what support options can be taken 😊
I spend much more time painting and building than actually playing. As I'm often looking for podcasts that cover rules I find that most instead talk about tournaments they're attending etc. as perhaps game basics are considered too rudimentary for the experienced gamer. As many of the online videos still have rules mistakes noted, your series here is needed and well appreciated from those of us who love the game but can only play occasionally and want the games to run efficiently but accurately! Didn't see it listed but could you continue the series covering buildings?
Hey Ross, really glad you enjoyed the series mate. I'm not a competitive/ tournament player at all so the aim of the basics series was to provide a very basic overview of certain specific mechanics to a) show people that don't play Bolt Action how it works and b) for those newer players or people looking for a rules refresh. Hopefully I have achieved that with this series. Yes, the next basics video will be one all about buildings. It's still in the pipeline but I'm aiming to have it done before the end of the month 😊
@@OnPointHQ Really like how in the later videos you do the pop ups with graphics of actual painted BA figures. Having watched a number of online videos, your easy to follow presentation is a cut above some of the others that have very wide angles as they attempt to show the outcome of a given engagement. Keep them coming! Over the Christmas holidays, a couple of my friends will join me in my garage (socially distanced of course) for a few pints and a spirited contest or two.
That's awesome thank you. I'm not exactly the most gifted when it comes to video editing but I thought presenting the examples in that manner would be both easier for myself and the audience. Plus I wanted to keep the example as simple and basic as I could. Well here's to a few days of socially responsible games of Bolt Action 😀👍
Great video. Haven't played Bolt Action in a year until today. Forgot how much fun it is! I have an Airborne (US) and a Panzer Grenadier army. I just splurged after my game today and bought the Waffen SS starter army, which is basically a full army itself.
Cheers matey, much appreciated! Yup, Bolt Action is a really fun game. It's been over a year now since my last game but I'm hoping that with normality slowly returning, the summer will see more dice being thrown. Top stuff! Yeah the starter boxes from Warlord Games are a really good way to start a new project. After I have completed my current Polish Airborne project, I think US Airborne will be next 😊
I found the Band of Brothers starterset for a very low price in my local gamestore and have been researching since Im glad I found this list! thanks for the help also Imma go Japan :>
The Band of Brothers box is an excellent way to get into Bolt Action. It gives you enough miniatures for two evenly matches armies that can be built upon and added to. I know a few people that have started playing Bolt Action through this. That's awesome, I'm glad you found the video helpful! My regular gaming buddy has a large Japanese army that I've faced many times 😀
Thanks Keith! It's a series that I have thought about making for a little while but seeing all the new Bolt Action players recently definitely inspired me to get started 😊
Hey Graham, that's awesome and welcome to Bolt Action! Hopefully the video pointed you in the right direction when it comes to building your army. The best part about it is there is no right or wrong way of doing it. If you need any questions answering, don't hesitate to get in touch 😊
Thanks Lucian, I hope you found it useful! I think my Germans were always going to be in the first video but I'm going to try and use bits and pieces from other armies in future videos ☺
Cheers Richard, much appreciated mate! It's something a bit different for the channel but I'm hoping the videos will help people new to the game or looking to get involved 😊
Hey Jack, I'm really glad you found the video helpful buddy. Bolt Action is a tremendous game and so I wanted to make a series of short videos to highlight the core aspects and mechanics of the game. I'm pretty confident you'll enjoy Bolt Action 😃👍
Do you know any places where i can find groups that are in my local area/state? I want to get into it, but theres barely anyone I know who would be actually willing to play
Hey, thanks for the question. If you are a Facebook user I would definitely recommend joining the Bolt Action group on Facebook. It's a great way of getting into the game and people are always asking for opponents in their state or local area. I also believe there is a Bolt Action subreddit that could possibly be helpful for the same thing. Good luck with it though and I hope you manage to find some local opponents or gaming group ☺👍
Thanks Victor! From playing quite a few table top games over the years, I have always been struck by the sheer amount of different ways that each system has core army building mechanics. Bolt Action is pretty much the only table top game that I play these days so I though this would be helpful and simple for people to see how armies are built for the system :)
Cheers mate, much appreciated! The PAK40 is one piece of my German army that I'm super happy with. The base is probably a bit too big but it was great fun to build and paint 😊
My dice rolling in Bolt Action is legendarily bad! I've never had cause to use anything heavier than a medium mortar so far but they have always been next to useless! When we start gaming again, I'm going to try and field some of the more unique units that I have to see if my luck will change! :D
Cheers buddy! For this base I used modelling grit/railway ballast and bits of cork for the broken walls. Simple paint and drybrush scheme with a bit of static grass added 😊
Cheers and I'm really glad that you found the video helpful! The Band of Brothers set is a really fantastic way of getting into Bolt Action as it gives you two great starting points in both the Airborne and Grenadiers. You will definitely have fun adding expansions and new support options to it 😀
Cheers Sean! Bolt Action has been my tabletop game of choice for about six year now and it seems that with the current situation, a lot of people are looking at getting into it or have just started to play Bolt Action Hopefully these videos will go some way in answering any questions or addressing any queries about the game :)
Cheers buddy, much appreciated! It's a little bit different to what I would normally make but if people find them useful then that's excellent. Really looking forward to working on these ☺
Thank you for the vid 😊 I have noticed in the Armies of Italy Book (plus Finland etc…) You can pick an ally squad. However when looking in the Easy army lists I can’t see an option to include one. Can you shed any light on this perchance. PS this is Craig on the wife’s log in 😂
Hey Joshua, that's awesome cheers mate! I'm always tempted to start a Russian army based around Stalingrad to face off against my winter Germans. Excellent stuff, I hope the series helps you out dude 😊
Aye that’s what I went for, Stalingrad all the way! I’ve mainly done interwar and Cold War gaming before this so thought it’s about time I do WW2. Using it as an opportunity to try out new techniques like urban basing and other stuff. Anyway I’m looking forward to what’s coming up 😄
Sounds like a top plan! I'm currently in the middle of repainting my Stalingrad Germans as I wasn't overly happy with how I painted them last year. I've never really gamed historically outside of WW2 but its definitely on my list of things to do, especially Vietnam. Ahhh basing, oh yes, I could talk about basing for hours dude! :D
Hey, thanks for the question. In theory yes but the general rulebook has a number of basic lists included (British, United States, Germany, Soviet Union and Japan) that can be used when you first start playing Bolt Action. Once you're familiar with the mechanics and the army you have chosen, you can expand this by adding the relevant army book and even campaign books that include additional theatre selectors and new units. Hope that helps 🙂👍
Considering picking up a small army to try the game out as I've got a few friends who play. I'm just a little unsure which faction to pursue. Normally I'd go for Germans immediately but my FoW army is German. Due to this I'm considering either Soviet or Royal Marine Commandos as I'd like a highly elite force. Any help or input would be hugely appreciated.
Awesome, always good to see people getting involved with Bolt Action! I think putting together a smaller project is a great place to start. It's easier to get the figures painted and with games under 500 points it's much simpler to learn the rules and get used to the game mechanics. If you're looking at Royal Marine commandos, Warlord Games has just announced that they will be the next plastic box release some great timing for you. So yeah, I'd recommend starting with a smaller force, get used to the rules and build from there. I tend to add to my lists in 250 to 500 point increments so I can play bigger and bigger games as I paint 😊
When I first started playing, we used a HQ section, 2 infantry sections and one support option (normally a mortar or a medium machine gun team) This gave us enough so that the games were interesting but also small enough that we could learn the rules as we played. As we became more familiar with it, we started to add more units before including vehicles and tanks. Even now I really enjoy games at around 750 points ☺
I love your channel man, I just bought way too many germans and I have a few rookie questions if you don't mind indulging please. 1. Bases, so the bases matter at all? I've got cavalry looking bases, small rounds, large rounds, and big squares that came with the kits, but it looks like big things like vehicles don't need the bases at all and the book uses examples or mmg teams with crew on individual bases as well as big diorama bases? 2. List building followup questions. I have some units that have options for 7 smgs, and 10 assault rifles. Are those exclusive choices, or can you equip the same unit or even model with multiple weapon choices? Also, is there anything preventing players from just spamming hitleryouth, 2cd lieutenants, and panzer 3 or 4s? Like 3 or 4 reinforced platoons with bare minimums and tank spam? I accidently ordered waaaay too many BUF action teams, are those acceptable stand ins for ostruppen or fillers for volkssturm or things like that, if I add a rifle here and there from a sprue? I guess the question is, I know the games wysiwyg, but will people freak out over blackshirts being in ostruppen units due to uniform differences or something?
Hey Matt, that's awesome, glad you enjoy the channel buddy! No worries about the questions, lets have a look; 1. Basing - in my opinion basing is very much a personal preference. I choose basing that I think will look good and a bit different, I'll base LMG teams together and use really pretty big bases that may seem a little bit over the top. For example, my PAK40 is based on a base 10cmx10cm. The only time I can ever see basing impacting in game is when it comes to team weapon crews and how they are hit by HE/templates. I'm not a competitive gamer so I base my crews how I want them to look but a lot of people will put their crews on separate bases for casualty removal. But, as I said earlier, basing for me really is down to personal preference. 2. List building - if you have the option to add/replace weapons in a section and there are multiple options (for example assault rifles and SMG's) these will replace the normal weapon, normally a rifle, and you can only add one of the options per figure. So a trooper could be equipped with either an assault rifle or SMG but not both. With regards to cheesy multiple platoons, unfortunately this is possible but not something that I would look on too favourably. It probably isn't very pleasant to be on the wrong end of several Soviet platoons all with artillery in them. With the BUF figures, it really is down to how you want them to look. They are your figures and as long as your opponent was aware of what they were, I can see 99.9% of people being cool with this. Having had a look at the BUF figures, i can imagine that adding a few packs/rolls/ammo pouches and painting them in more 'civilian' looking colours, they could definitely pass for Volkssturm. I say go for it! Hope that help dude :)
@@OnPointHQ thank you for answering so quickly. Have you found the dak kubelwagon group or the kradschutzen useful at all? Those are really the only models I haven't ordered up yet. Mostly because I wonder about the cost per model vs battlefield effectiveness.
No worries dude. I've never used kubelwagen or kradschutzen as of yet. But I imagine that purely from a thematic view using kradschutzen would be pretty cool! I would probably use them as a mobile firebase if I ever used them. I think particularly for early war they would be a lot of fun to have in your list 😊
Hi! I’m looking into Bolt Action, as 40k is a bit expensive. I want to build a Polish army, but I’m not sure if they’re a real faction, or more of a support group for Britain, can you clear that up? Thanks!
Hello there! In response to your question, Poland is a real and full faction with its own unique national characteristic and units. They can be found in the Armies of France and the Allies book where you will find all the troop choices and one theatre selector that will allow you to field them. Hope that helps! 😊
On Point HQ thank you! It makes sense they’re only in one theater I suppose. But I am excited that I can play them! I admire the Poles for their defense and I can’t wait to get them on the tabletop, and the vids are a big help in that regard.
Not a problem at all buddy, happy to help out! The theatre selector is from 1939 as you would expect but the troop choices including artillery and armour look really interesting and would definitely make a very cool looking army. Be sure to let me know how you get on with it 😊
Hey Otto! Not in the slightest. Ultimately they are your miniatures and how you paint them is completely your choice. That sounds like a really pretty unique army background so it would perfect sense for them to have non-standard uniforms. It's ideas like this that give the hobby such creativity so paint them the way that you think they should look ☺👍
My friend and me are playing mostly with 1500 Points and i created a pure fallschirmjäger Platoon only with infantry. For vehicles there are only a kettenkrad and a pzb41. Didnt have the opportunity to try Them out yet, but im curious how they perform against the Waffen ss and the goddamn Tiger of my friend
Thanks for the question and apologies for the delay in responding. I've never faced any German armies as I always seem to be the German player! But I'll try and offer some advice. Facing off against the W-SS can be difficult with them potentially being veteran and fanatics. This is where pinning comes into its own. Often just hitting a unit and adding pins is the way to go. Veterans are hard to kill but with 4-5 pin markers passing those order tests is going to get more and more difficult. This is why I like to take quite a few LMGs in my Fallschirmjager units. If I'm facing a number of veteran units I can throw out enough dice to get some pins on them. It won't work every time but it's a tactic I often use. With the Tiger, just like real life, tanks are very vulnerable without infantry support and in enclosed spaces. Your Fallschirmjager are more mobile than a Tiger so draw it into places it may not want to go and load up on Panzerfausts or a Panzerschreck. Effective use of cover and manoeuvre can certainly blunt the firepower of a tank. Hope that helps buddy ☺
Cheers Ben, really glad you enjoyed the video and welcome to Bolt Action! There is a fair amount of Bolt Action content on the channel and hopefully the Bolt Action series will provide an overview of the game and and answers any questions you may have about the game 😀
Great video. Rookie question… when it comes to national characteristics, do you just choose one for your army? I.e. you don’t get to use all of them in a game. And when do you make that choice?
Thank you, much appreciated! It sort of depends. Nations get their list of national characteristics. In the case of British and Commonwealth armies you have additional choices that you make. These should be chosen when you are selecting your list before the game. Hope that helps! 😁
I'm solidly coming back to the game after a bit of hiatus during the Comchi wuhan bat virus lunacy. These videos are very handy and I really like what you have done. The 2nd edition of the game with the new theatre books I'm finding absolutely fantastic for the narrative element of the game. Proper missions with proper objectives and not just slaughter each other. I was wondering what I can put into a British force if wanted to go a bit more Mechanised. Just bought the new D day British and Canadian sector book.
After a long long break from playing, I'm really looking forward to throwing some dice around again! We are planning play throughs of a few of the scenarios using my Australians and USMC and my opponents IJA. I agree that there is great scope for some really cracking narrative campaigns. With regards to mechanising your British, have a look at what armour they would be using around the period they are set. So for Normandy you'll be looking at Shermans for the most part. You even have options to motorise your platoon with trucks and half tracks 😃
@@OnPointHQ sounds marvellous have nor ventured into the Pacific as yet. But no doubt I will get there. After Normandy my main gaming buddy and I are venturing into the desert with 8th Army and Afrika Korp. That really makes me smile that I can use the half tracks I'm assuming M3s which I can use with my US force and then same vehicles for British. I know been carriers were used a lot so I'll keep those in my force selection.
Top stuff, cheers! Listening to Bolt Action while painting Bolt Action is definitely something I enjoy doing. Plus the StuG is a great model to work on. I look forward to seeing your German army progress 😀
That's awesome, thanks Adam! If you're into or interested in Bolt Action you'll find that it makes up quite a large proportion of videos on the channel 🙂
hey brother . me and a friend are warhammer refugees . and we are looking into Bolt action as a replacement , would you recommend a starter army ? or buy seperate boxxes ? and seeing as he's going british I am going german , i'm stuck between the Grenadiers starter army , or the SS we are going late war so we have all the toys ,,, so which of the 2 boxxes would you prefer? or would you recommend starting from scratch ?
Hey buddy, thanks for checking out the video, much appreciated. With regards to your question, I really don't think you can go wrong with the starter boxes. They are pretty good value for what you get in them and will give you approximatey 1000 points to start with. The good thing about this is that you can build in increments of say 500, 750 then 1000 points and use what you've made/painted to learn the game. When learning to play Bolt Action, I found that smaller games were better and then I added to what I already had. This allows you to tailor how you want your army to play and decide what additional and new units to add. Before you know it, you'll have a large army and will be comfortable with the game mecanics. The Grenadier and SS boxes really are a personal choice dude. Both can be used to create two hard hitting veteran armies. I would choose Grenadiers but that's mostly because I suck at painting camouflage! But for just starting out - rulebook, army book and a starter box and you are set for many games. Once you learn how your army plays, you can add to it and really make it fight how you want it to fight. But welcome to Bolt Action, you are going to enjoy it 😀
@@OnPointHQ thank you for the quick response :) Luckily I am a experienced painter including camo , when I still played warhammer 40k one of my 3 armies was Imperial guard , and put camo on those. Then it just boils down to what box I want to get I mean one has a tiger what speaks to me because ,, you know it's a tiger. but I thought maybe the puma was better then the tiger or something... So I geuss i'm going with the fanatical drugged up guys.
That's awesome, thank you! Really glad you found the video helpful. Building an army is such an integral part to many games that I thought it would be good to outline how simple it is for Bolt Action. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, it's much appreciated 🙂
I'm in a very similar position with regards to Bolt Action. I have one regular opponent but where we live, the few clubs are dominated by 40k. If there is a local club, it may be worth seeing if you could put on a demonstration game or something similar 😃
I also have a question, are tanks good? I am a tank fan and I love the German tanks of WW2 like the Panzers and Tigers, but are they good in Bolt Action? I never see anyone using them so I don't know if they are good to use for my army.
Bolt Action is a more infantry focused game. Tanks, tank destroyers, armoured cars can be taken but their inclusion is often very limited and German tanks like the Tiger and Panther can be very expensive in points. However there is a Bolt Action book called Tank Wars that allows you to field tank platoons so you may want to check that out too 😀
Awesome! I've had a lot of positive feedback on this video so I'm really glad that people are finding it helpful. As I've mentioned before, army/list building is such a crucial part of many tabletop games, I thought a simple video outlining how it works for Bolt Action would help new players and show them how the mechanics work 😀
Funny, Star Wars legion, Bolt Action, Judge Dredd, D&D, I love building, making terrain, painting miniatures, modding etc. As for playing the games not interested one bit.
I can definitely see that. These days I am primarily a painter and modeller that games when I can. But for me the painting side will always be the important thing as it is a way to relax, be creative and just enjoy the hobby 🙂
It took me a moment to realise what you meant but I got there in the end! Thanks for subscribing dude, very much appreciated and I hope you enjoy the channel moving forward 😊
When I see a great video I look at the channel to see their content. And then if I enjoy it I like it and subscribe. Your channel is so interesting to me that it attracts me as a viewer to your content.
Thank you for the comment, although I must say it is rather disingenuous at best and grossly offensive at worst. To be utterly clear here, at no point in the video did I use the phrase '...armies of Nazi Germany' and being paraphrased so blatantly and willfully incorrectly is not something I appreciate whether in seriousness or through a poorly thought out attempt at humour. I made reference to my choosing a German army as an example in the video as I have spent the last couple of years painting a sizeable Bolt Action German army. It is a running joke within my community that I only paint Germans, hence 'people who know me.' In addition I have many other Bolt Action armies, both Allies and Axis, because I like painting and playing Bolt Action. Like I have highlighted, being incorrectly quoted or paraphrased in such a manner is not a pleasant thing to see. I'd like to think the comment was not deliberately offensive but please understand comments such as this can have adverse and negative repercussions. Thank you.
Could you please edit out you smacking your lips at the end of every sentence it is seriously holding you back as a content creator as it is awful to listen to.
Hey Paul, thanks for the feedback, much appreciated and a very valid point. When I was making videos last year I was using a clip on microphone that was pretty temperamental and overly sensitive at times hence the often unwelcome or accentuated audio you alude to. I'm using a different set up presently and hopefully this change has eliminated any instances of this nature. Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and comment, like I said, it's much appreciated 👍
I started out wanting to play bolt action but I got so hooked on the historical side of my 2nd SS Panzer Division and US 2nd Armoured Division that I built them as full historical Companies with full Historical support units and Armoured companies that by the time I finished I realised that I had such a large army that I had made it impossible to play bolt action.
My Waffen-SS Panzergrenadier company alone has around 9 Hanomags and 110+ Miniatures, just as an example.
Holy moly, that sounds like an absolute dedication to historical accuracy! One day I think I will get around to organising my German army into something a bit more historical as I really like the idea of fielding something 100% accurate on the table top 😊
@@OnPointHQ yeah, 15 Panzer IV's in a company can look nice on the table but add that with my full Panzergrenadier company and its impossible to play bolt action for two reasons, not enough dice and by the time the game is over I would have missed my kids growing up.
Not impossible to play, just need a really large board and lots of turns.
Crikey! That would certainly be one large game and played on something resembling a tennis court! I think it would also be playing a turn a day. I imagine it would look pretty awesome though :)
@@thomaschase7097 I have an 8ftx6ft table for my historical wargaming (WWII and Napoleonic)
still seems very 40k-esque with the fallschirmjagers and waffen SS together in a list. i would prefer to play more historical.Thanks for doing your basics videos, they are very helpful.
Cheers buddy, I'm really glad the videos are helpful! One good thing about the Bolt Action theatre selectors is that you can tailor them to be as historically accurate as you like. For example I tend to run Fallschirmjager and will often take every unit as Fallschirmjager. Conversely if you want to have a more diverse army, you can choose to include different types of units 😊
The Fallschirmjager and SS fought often together even though they hated each other. This especially came out during the defense and counterattack at Carenten
My only point to add is that it's great to collect forces based on real units. My British are based on the 2/5th battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers. They spent most of the war up until the Normandy landings training in England and NI, only to miss the beach landings, arrive in France a few days later and take on the 12th SS in Caen alongside the Canadians. I Have given them some Tommy Guns they presumably snafffled to replace their crappy Stens with and naturally I am currently building their opposite numbers too.
Definitely agree with this approach. I think there is definitely something that makes the hobby more satisfying when you do the research and background history and then translate this into your Bolt Action armies. It gives the whole project more personality and that individual aspect. Being able to build, paint and game with figures that you can attach an actual historical back story to certainly gives the hobby and games just that extra level of depth and immersion 😊
I recently pulled my Bolt Action "troops" back out. I had barely gotten started when i encountered... distasteful players. Hard to explain, but... i've pulled them back out. I've realized i have a pretty good foundation of a British Force, and flexible to play early through late war, if needed. Still, i am looking forward to getting back going.
Thank you for sharing your hard work.
Hey buddy, thanks for the comment. It's pretty sad that you had to experience players of that nature! But the main thing is that you're getting back into Bolt Action again! I'm confident that you will definitely enjoy it and the online Bolt Action community is extremely supportive and positive. Late war is probably my favourite period to game although I am currently working on an early war French army so that we can get a few games in against my mate's Blitzkrieg Germans 😊
Solid advice. I like that the Bolt Action infantry boxes are versatile enough to build up a few squads, HQ, and some support weapon teams. Really easy way to get playing
Cheers mate! Yes, the infantry boxes by Warlord Games are a great way of starting an army. You can get your HQ, core sections and additional smaller teams from one box and this definitely makes things easier when choosing to add other support options 😊
I just assembled a German squad with 10 men. 1 lmg. 1 smg. And 8 g43. I envision them as a light infantry squad. I have ammo belts on 5 of them. They look like a squad that can get up and move at a moments notice .
They sound awesome Tony! That's what I like about building my own squads, you can really make them how you want them to look, give them a back story and generally apply some personality to them. Always a really interesting part of the hobby 😊
Isn't the re-enforced platoon the model for building an army and standard for that is 1,500 points, as I understand it.
IE, this is to build an army that can run almost every scenario that is applicable up to 1,500 points with variations in between.
For the Normandy 1944 selector as an example, that 1500 points includes Artillery, Armored Car, Tank / Tank Destroyer / SPG, Transport.
Also, how do you feel about spitting squads and using more officers to increase the use of snap to and number or order dice? This is my re-enforced platoon for Normandy 1944:
PLATOON - 15th Army, 9th Panzer Division with 9th SS Panzer Division (Hohenstaufen)
COMPANY HQ
3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with AR, 2 ARs, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 95
1 Man Veteran Medic (Rifle) 30
3 Man Regular HQ FO Squad - FO Air with AR, 2 ARs, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 95
4 Man Regular Medium Mortar Team with Spotter w/ AR, , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 60
3 Man Regular MMG Team 50
COMPANY 01
5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ AR, 4 AR, 4 PanzerFausts , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 110
3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with Rifle, 2 Rifles 95
5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ Rifle, LMG (2), 2 Rifles, 2 PanzerFausts 95
COMPANY 02
5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ AR, 4 AR, 4 PanzerFausts , [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 110
3 Man Regular HQ Squad - 1st Lt. with Rifle, 2 Rifles 95
5 Man Veteran SS Squad - NCO w/ Rifle, LMG (2), 2 Rifles, 2 PanzerFausts 95
COMPANY 03
2 Man Regular HQ Squad - 2nd Lt. with AR, 1 AR, [TOUGH, No Penalty for Advance] 60
2 Man Regular Flame Thrower Team 50
2 Man Regular Sniper Team 50
VEHICLES
3 Man Regular Light Artilary Team 50
Regular Panzer IV Ausf D 175
Regular SDKFZ 222 Light Armored Car (COMMAND VEH) 95
Regular SDKFZ 251/1 Half Track "HANOMAG" 89
TOTAL 1499, 18 order dice
Yes, you're right, I believe the reinforced platoon allows you to put together a pretty solid list that scenario wise will be able to perform well within each scenario. On the flip side, my SAS/LRDG list does not have many options and may struggle in some scenarios or when coming up against other lists. Absolutely love the detail you've put into that list dude, top work! Always good to see a fellow German player 😊
@@OnPointHQ
Likewise.
I also have Goliath Units, Strumpioniere Units, and NACHTJÄGER Squads.
Couple questions if you don't mind.
Have you played a concealed unit game yet, and if yes can you explain the mechanics in a video?
Also, can you clarify your understanding of the German Anti-Tank Rifle Team and disposition in or out of a squad?
When I read the German Army rules, and as I understand this special weapon, it is a 2 man team as a separate support team, and a 1 man team within an Assault Engineer Squad .
Thank you for the kind thoughts and appreciate the consideration.
Sincerely,
Hey Thomas, in response to your two questions - we've only used hidden troops in one game so far and this was in conjunction with night fighting rules so it was a bit of a weird combination! Once we get to start playing more Bolt Action this year, we are certainly going to incorporate some of the more nuanced rules into our games and battle reports.
With regards to the anti-tank rifles, I interpret it as the GrB39 or Panzerbusche39 being the anti-tank option within the Assault Engineer section. It states that when this option is taken, a rifleman from the section then becomes the loader. So essentially it is a two man team if its taken as a separate support team and also within the Assault Engineer section. Although it is worth noting that when taken as a support option it is 30 points for a regular anti tank gun but within the Assault Engineer section, it is a veteran choice for the same 30 points....
Hope that helps! :)
I was referring to the support weapon found at the top of page 34 in the German Army book called a Sturmpistole. This is depicted as a two man team.
On page 25, Assault Engineers, this is listed as an option (Bullet above the GrB-39) as a ONE man add at 5 points.
Did I find something new about the German Army you didn't know?
Thanks again for the consideration.
Yes, the sturmpistole is a one man weapon that is effectively treated like a panzerfaust but with a)reduced range b)is not a one shot weapon like the standard panzerfaust. So essentially it is an anti-tank weapon albeit with a shorter range than the two man panzerbusche team. It's trading range for freeing up that extra rifleman/loader. I run my assault engineers with an LMG and a flamethrower as I try and take flamethrowers where I can ☺
Interesting insight Ste, I still get hooked trying to build historical looking lists for Bolt Action.
Cheers Lee! Definitely agree with you there buddy. It's something that is always at the back of my mind when I'm putting a list together. I'm not a competitive gamer at all so the idea of a purely historical list always appeals to me regardless of whether it will be effective in game or not 😊
I love historical and Napoleonic era, but I have seen a lot of people play bolt action at my local store. I like how Warlords games work and I know they are all similar. I will be watching a few off your videos to find out more in how to start Bolt action 😊
Cheers Edward and welcome to the awesome world of Bolt Action! It is definitely my main go to game for both gaming and painting. The mechanics are really quite simple to grasp but it still makes for an interesting and tactical wargame. I would certainly recommend having a go 😃👍
Just spent about 400 quid on some sets, i think it's safe to say I'm hooked!
Can't wait for the opportunity to have an actual game against someone.
Hey Adam, I would definitely agree that you are hooked but welcome to Bolt Action! That's certainly what happened to me, so many cool armies to build and paint. I know what you mean. With all that has been going on, I've not thrown dice in almost a year. But when we get back to normality and you get your models on the table, you are going to enjoy it immensely 😊
Thanks for the video! I just started learning the rules and building my first army (3D printer chugging away). Your video is quite helpful.
That's awesome and welcome to the wonderful world of Bolt Action! The aim of these videos was to show people who were new to the game or thinking about playing it the really basic core mechanics of how a game is played. Really glad the video was helpful ☺
I am new to bolt action and only just found your channel so feel like I am definitely the target audience! Really interesting video, and I am looking forward to the rest. Keep them coming 😊
Cheers Matt, I hope you found it useful buddy! It's been really good the last few months seeing so many new players across different groups. It certainly inspired me to start this series 😊
Just found your channel..... it’s nice to find someone dedicated to non players and simple and easy terms
Cheers Stuart! I think that sometimes getting into a new game system can often be a little daunting so I made the videos specifically for new players or people thinking of taking up the game. Hope the videos helped ☺
Great start to an interesting and helpful series for those looking to start.
Cheers Paul! I had noticed that over the last four months or so, I have seen a lot of new gamers getting into Bolt Action and asking a few questions about it. So I thought making a series that outlines the very basic mechanics may help them some way on their Bolt Action journey :)
Man your army is so so amazing looking! Great content as always :)
Cheers dude! My German army is definitely one that I like to keep revisiting when I can, I've certainly put quite a bit of work into it. Hopefully once some form of normality has returned, I can get a few games of Bolt Action in and some more battle reports using them :)
Thanks! I just started learning rules and building army (putting my 3D printer to use).
Nice way to put a list together. Will follow this series. The only thing I would change is removve one LMG to add some Panzerfaust.
Thanks mate! Yes, I agree with you there. I always try and take a handful of panzerfausts wherever I can but in keeping things relatively simple I just went with the LMG's instead ☺
Very informative for anyone starting out into Bolt Action.
I was amazed you didn't take the MMG motorbike w/sidecar. I don't think I've ever not used one. lol
Thanks James! I've just realised after reading your comment that I don't actually have any motorbike or sidecar options for my German army. I am quite stunned by this revelation and may need to rectify it soon 😁
Ive made a nice 998 U.S Infantry reg force. First leuitenant, 3 reg late war squads, 1 reg engineers (flame) mmg, motor 57m AT gun and a Hellcat (REECE) :) looking forward to using i next weekend :Not much flavour, looking to add potential Rangers i the list in a larger game :) great little video :)
Cheers Simon, good to hear from you buddy! That actually looks like a fun list to run especially with the flamethrower being included. I try and include as many as I can when I run my USMC, they are a bit temperamental but my regular opponent hates them! You'll have to let me know how the build performs in your next game 😊
@@OnPointHQ @On Point HQ Planning a game for next weekend, so will let you know. Only had one game with these boys before and went ok, i lost but didnt do to badly :) I wanted to get USMC but my freind got there first :) love your painting by the way, :)
Good luck with the game dude! What I like about Bolt Action is that, in the games we've played anyway, they have always been really narrow losses/victories. Its very rare that one side will completely destroy the other. It certainly gives it a more entertaining feel to the game. Ahhh USMC, I always enjoy gaming and painting my USMC! That's awesome, cheers Simon :)
@@OnPointHQ My yanks did very well in a jont effort with Russians. against 2 Geeman platoons. i ran a 1250 point platoon. 3 vet squads and reg engineers. the tough fighters rule came in very handy. my Howitzer of all things had knocked out a tiger. we only lost becuase our objective was to far up the feild and only lost by 13 to 11 victory points. my engiineers flamer had taken out an entire wafffeen ss squad. very good day indeed :)
It certainly sounds like your US acquitted themselves very well Simon! Seems like another very close game....and demonstrated just how awesome flamethrowers can be! I'll always try and take one either in an engineer section or as a standard support choice. They are unpredictable but certainly have the capability of changing a game. That's also some nice shooting by the howitzer 😀
I have been thinking about getting into Bolt Action, because I love history and especially WW2. This is a great video to help teach beginners like me on how to play and get better with a good army! I am a fan of Germany myself and when I get everything and I start, I plan on using the Germany stuff.
Welcome to the world of Bolt Action! Really glad that you found the video helpful. When I first made the Bolt Action Basics videos, I wanted them to be short, simple and explain the core rules. It's a great game and I'm sure you'll enjoy it 😀
Subscribed and excited for the series. New to bolt action and trying to decide on an army to start building.
On a side note I enjoyed the Jazz music but I would turn the volume down some, at times it was making it hard to hear you. Less hands more minis. All love!
Hey Dylan, thanks for letting me know about the music dude, I used a new programme for this and still getting used to it. Cheers! Aye, the next video in the series will have a lot less hands and more figures thankfully! Hopefully the videos will help you decide which army you want to start with 😊
@@OnPointHQ Can't wait!
I picked up the Rattenkrieg skirmish box set as my first purchase. Thought it came with the core rules as well but it dose not, my mistake. So i'm looking into getting the Band of Brothers set. At least I'll have a little of everything right?! 🙃 🙃 🙃
Sounds like a great start to me Dylan! I never got the Band of Brothers set but I know a lot of people that have and they have said that it was really helpful with them starting Bolt Action. Its a great nucleus and will give you a really good idea with what direction you are want to take in the game. You're going to really enjoy it dude :)
Thank you that helped me very much 👍
Hey, I'm really glad you find the video helpful! It's such a basic part of Bolt Action but I thought it would be good to just outline how an army is put together ☺
Interesting go through your thought process of picking an army. Might be interesting to compare your chiice to other theatres
Cheers Cal! I think one of the main differences would be the medium machine gun team. This is an option that I rarely take but I thought to include it in this basic army as a pointer to what support options can be taken 😊
I spend much more time painting and building than actually playing. As I'm often looking for podcasts that cover rules I find that most instead talk about tournaments they're attending etc. as perhaps game basics are considered too rudimentary for the experienced gamer. As many of the online videos still have rules mistakes noted, your series here is needed and well appreciated from those of us who love the game but can only play occasionally and want the games to run efficiently but accurately! Didn't see it listed but could you continue the series covering buildings?
Hey Ross, really glad you enjoyed the series mate. I'm not a competitive/ tournament player at all so the aim of the basics series was to provide a very basic overview of certain specific mechanics to a) show people that don't play Bolt Action how it works and b) for those newer players or people looking for a rules refresh. Hopefully I have achieved that with this series. Yes, the next basics video will be one all about buildings. It's still in the pipeline but I'm aiming to have it done before the end of the month 😊
@@OnPointHQ Really like how in the later videos you do the pop ups with graphics of actual painted BA figures. Having watched a number of online videos, your easy to follow presentation is a cut above some of the others that have very wide angles as they attempt to show the outcome of a given engagement. Keep them coming! Over the Christmas holidays, a couple of my friends will join me in my garage (socially distanced of course) for a few pints and a spirited contest or two.
That's awesome thank you. I'm not exactly the most gifted when it comes to video editing but I thought presenting the examples in that manner would be both easier for myself and the audience. Plus I wanted to keep the example as simple and basic as I could.
Well here's to a few days of socially responsible games of Bolt Action 😀👍
Great video. Haven't played Bolt Action in a year until today. Forgot how much fun it is! I have an Airborne (US) and a Panzer Grenadier army. I just splurged after my game today and bought the Waffen SS starter army, which is basically a full army itself.
Cheers matey, much appreciated! Yup, Bolt Action is a really fun game. It's been over a year now since my last game but I'm hoping that with normality slowly returning, the summer will see more dice being thrown.
Top stuff! Yeah the starter boxes from Warlord Games are a really good way to start a new project. After I have completed my current Polish Airborne project, I think US Airborne will be next 😊
I found the Band of Brothers starterset for a very low price in my local gamestore and have been researching since
Im glad I found this list! thanks for the help
also Imma go Japan :>
The Band of Brothers box is an excellent way to get into Bolt Action. It gives you enough miniatures for two evenly matches armies that can be built upon and added to. I know a few people that have started playing Bolt Action through this.
That's awesome, I'm glad you found the video helpful! My regular gaming buddy has a large Japanese army that I've faced many times 😀
Nice start to the series Ste
Cheers Ken, much appreciated! I'm really looking forward to working on this series and helping out new or aspiring Bolt Action players 😊
Great idea for a video series Ste. Looking forward to seeing more.
Thanks Keith! It's a series that I have thought about making for a little while but seeing all the new Bolt Action players recently definitely inspired me to get started 😊
Nice video thanks for the help just starting with bolt action given me food for thought 😀 👍
Hey Graham, that's awesome and welcome to Bolt Action! Hopefully the video pointed you in the right direction when it comes to building your army. The best part about it is there is no right or wrong way of doing it. If you need any questions answering, don't hesitate to get in touch 😊
Nice explanations of the game. Beautiful models.
Thanks Lucian, I hope you found it useful! I think my Germans were always going to be in the first video but I'm going to try and use bits and pieces from other armies in future videos ☺
Great vid for people starting out keep up the good work I watch all your vids and always enjoy
Cheers Adam, that's awesome! I'm hoping videos like this will help people new to Bolt Action or who are thinking about becoming involved 😊
Thanks for the good introduction.
Cheers Richard, much appreciated mate! It's something a bit different for the channel but I'm hoping the videos will help people new to the game or looking to get involved 😊
Thanks Ste for the quick and concise info, I’m look at getting into Bolt Action. This has helped. Thank you
Hey Jack, I'm really glad you found the video helpful buddy. Bolt Action is a tremendous game and so I wanted to make a series of short videos to highlight the core aspects and mechanics of the game. I'm pretty confident you'll enjoy Bolt Action 😃👍
Do you know any places where i can find groups that are in my local area/state?
I want to get into it, but theres barely anyone I know who would be actually willing to play
Hey, thanks for the question. If you are a Facebook user I would definitely recommend joining the Bolt Action group on Facebook. It's a great way of getting into the game and people are always asking for opponents in their state or local area. I also believe there is a Bolt Action subreddit that could possibly be helpful for the same thing. Good luck with it though and I hope you manage to find some local opponents or gaming group ☺👍
Nice video!! I'm not a bolt action fan but this was well done on explaining the building process of an army.
Thanks Victor! From playing quite a few table top games over the years, I have always been struck by the sheer amount of different ways that each system has core army building mechanics. Bolt Action is pretty much the only table top game that I play these days so I though this would be helpful and simple for people to see how armies are built for the system :)
Great video to help guys out.
Cheers Paul! I want to keep the videos as simple and clear as I can so that new players can get an understanding of the very basics 😊
Nice one mate. Some nice figures there aswell. Love the pak 40. 👍👍
Cheers mate, much appreciated! The PAK40 is one piece of my German army that I'm super happy with. The base is probably a bit too big but it was great fun to build and paint 😊
@@OnPointHQ do you ever have any luck with artillery in games? I've taken 105mms and 88mm and the pack40 and can I hit anything! No lol
My dice rolling in Bolt Action is legendarily bad! I've never had cause to use anything heavier than a medium mortar so far but they have always been next to useless! When we start gaming again, I'm going to try and field some of the more unique units that I have to see if my luck will change! :D
@@OnPointHQ try using a little more wrist action it's all in the wrist and maybe a blow on the dice
What material did you use on the team weapons? MG42 base looks very nice.
Cheers buddy! For this base I used modelling grit/railway ballast and bits of cork for the broken walls. Simple paint and drybrush scheme with a bit of static grass added 😊
Great video, just started building from the Band of Brothers starter set and can’t wait to expand!
Cheers and I'm really glad that you found the video helpful! The Band of Brothers set is a really fantastic way of getting into Bolt Action as it gives you two great starting points in both the Airborne and Grenadiers. You will definitely have fun adding expansions and new support options to it 😀
Nice update Ste, something ive not looked at... yet lol
Cheers Sean! Bolt Action has been my tabletop game of choice for about six year now and it seems that with the current situation, a lot of people are looking at getting into it or have just started to play Bolt Action Hopefully these videos will go some way in answering any questions or addressing any queries about the game :)
Picked up my first kit today, excited to get started!
That's awesome, welcome to the world of Bolt Action! I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy it. What army have you started with? 😀
Nice video mate
Cheers buddy, much appreciated! It's a little bit different to what I would normally make but if people find them useful then that's excellent. Really looking forward to working on these ☺
Thank you for the vid 😊 I have noticed in the Armies of Italy Book (plus Finland etc…) You can pick an ally squad. However when looking in the Easy army lists I can’t see an option to include one. Can you shed any light on this perchance. PS this is Craig on the wife’s log in 😂
Excellent work mate! I’ve just started a Soviet Army and basing it historically so I’ll be following the series closely :)
Hey Joshua, that's awesome cheers mate! I'm always tempted to start a Russian army based around Stalingrad to face off against my winter Germans. Excellent stuff, I hope the series helps you out dude 😊
Aye that’s what I went for, Stalingrad all the way! I’ve mainly done interwar and Cold War gaming before this so thought it’s about time I do WW2. Using it as an opportunity to try out new techniques like urban basing and other stuff. Anyway I’m looking forward to what’s coming up 😄
Sounds like a top plan! I'm currently in the middle of repainting my Stalingrad Germans as I wasn't overly happy with how I painted them last year. I've never really gamed historically outside of WW2 but its definitely on my list of things to do, especially Vietnam. Ahhh basing, oh yes, I could talk about basing for hours dude! :D
So you need a general rulebook and an army book?
Hey, thanks for the question. In theory yes but the general rulebook has a number of basic lists included (British, United States, Germany, Soviet Union and Japan) that can be used when you first start playing Bolt Action. Once you're familiar with the mechanics and the army you have chosen, you can expand this by adding the relevant army book and even campaign books that include additional theatre selectors and new units. Hope that helps 🙂👍
Considering picking up a small army to try the game out as I've got a few friends who play. I'm just a little unsure which faction to pursue.
Normally I'd go for Germans immediately but my FoW army is German. Due to this I'm considering either Soviet or Royal Marine Commandos as I'd like a highly elite force.
Any help or input would be hugely appreciated.
Awesome, always good to see people getting involved with Bolt Action! I think putting together a smaller project is a great place to start. It's easier to get the figures painted and with games under 500 points it's much simpler to learn the rules and get used to the game mechanics. If you're looking at Royal Marine commandos, Warlord Games has just announced that they will be the next plastic box release some great timing for you. So yeah, I'd recommend starting with a smaller force, get used to the rules and build from there. I tend to add to my lists in 250 to 500 point increments so I can play bigger and bigger games as I paint 😊
@@OnPointHQ Can you advise what sort of packs I'd be looking at for that point range? 1 x HQ, 1 x Infantry, 1 x Support? Just for sake of argument.
When I first started playing, we used a HQ section, 2 infantry sections and one support option (normally a mortar or a medium machine gun team) This gave us enough so that the games were interesting but also small enough that we could learn the rules as we played. As we became more familiar with it, we started to add more units before including vehicles and tanks. Even now I really enjoy games at around 750 points ☺
@@OnPointHQ that's great, to be fair it sounds like how I started out in 40k oh so many years ago before abandoning it due to edition changes.
I love your channel man, I just bought way too many germans and I have a few rookie questions if you don't mind indulging please.
1. Bases, so the bases matter at all? I've got cavalry looking bases, small rounds, large rounds, and big squares that came with the kits, but it looks like big things like vehicles don't need the bases at all and the book uses examples or mmg teams with crew on individual bases as well as big diorama bases?
2. List building followup questions. I have some units that have options for 7 smgs, and 10 assault rifles. Are those exclusive choices, or can you equip the same unit or even model with multiple weapon choices?
Also, is there anything preventing players from just spamming hitleryouth, 2cd lieutenants, and panzer 3 or 4s? Like 3 or 4 reinforced platoons with bare minimums and tank spam?
I accidently ordered waaaay too many BUF action teams, are those acceptable stand ins for ostruppen or fillers for volkssturm or things like that, if I add a rifle here and there from a sprue? I guess the question is, I know the games wysiwyg, but will people freak out over blackshirts being in ostruppen units due to uniform differences or something?
Hey Matt, that's awesome, glad you enjoy the channel buddy! No worries about the questions, lets have a look;
1. Basing - in my opinion basing is very much a personal preference. I choose basing that I think will look good and a bit different, I'll base LMG teams together and use really pretty big bases that may seem a little bit over the top. For example, my PAK40 is based on a base 10cmx10cm. The only time I can ever see basing impacting in game is when it comes to team weapon crews and how they are hit by HE/templates. I'm not a competitive gamer so I base my crews how I want them to look but a lot of people will put their crews on separate bases for casualty removal. But, as I said earlier, basing for me really is down to personal preference.
2. List building - if you have the option to add/replace weapons in a section and there are multiple options (for example assault rifles and SMG's) these will replace the normal weapon, normally a rifle, and you can only add one of the options per figure. So a trooper could be equipped with either an assault rifle or SMG but not both. With regards to cheesy multiple platoons, unfortunately this is possible but not something that I would look on too favourably. It probably isn't very pleasant to be on the wrong end of several Soviet platoons all with artillery in them.
With the BUF figures, it really is down to how you want them to look. They are your figures and as long as your opponent was aware of what they were, I can see 99.9% of people being cool with this. Having had a look at the BUF figures, i can imagine that adding a few packs/rolls/ammo pouches and painting them in more 'civilian' looking colours, they could definitely pass for Volkssturm. I say go for it!
Hope that help dude :)
@@OnPointHQ thank you for answering so quickly. Have you found the dak kubelwagon group or the kradschutzen useful at all? Those are really the only models I haven't ordered up yet. Mostly because I wonder about the cost per model vs battlefield effectiveness.
No worries dude. I've never used kubelwagen or kradschutzen as of yet. But I imagine that purely from a thematic view using kradschutzen would be pretty cool! I would probably use them as a mobile firebase if I ever used them. I think particularly for early war they would be a lot of fun to have in your list 😊
Hi! I’m looking into Bolt Action, as 40k is a bit expensive. I want to build a Polish army, but I’m not sure if they’re a real faction, or more of a support group for Britain, can you clear that up? Thanks!
Hello there! In response to your question, Poland is a real and full faction with its own unique national characteristic and units. They can be found in the Armies of France and the Allies book where you will find all the troop choices and one theatre selector that will allow you to field them. Hope that helps! 😊
On Point HQ thank you! It makes sense they’re only in one theater I suppose. But I am excited that I can play them! I admire the Poles for their defense and I can’t wait to get them on the tabletop, and the vids are a big help in that regard.
Not a problem at all buddy, happy to help out! The theatre selector is from 1939 as you would expect but the troop choices including artillery and armour look really interesting and would definitely make a very cool looking army. Be sure to let me know how you get on with it 😊
Is it bad if I dont paint my army historically? I have a mercenary/deserter-army in mind (with soviet rules), which would be fictional.
Hey Otto! Not in the slightest. Ultimately they are your miniatures and how you paint them is completely your choice. That sounds like a really pretty unique army background so it would perfect sense for them to have non-standard uniforms. It's ideas like this that give the hobby such creativity so paint them the way that you think they should look ☺👍
Great guide good Sir
Awesome, really glad that you found the video helpful 😃👍
My friend and me are playing mostly with 1500 Points and i created a pure fallschirmjäger Platoon only with infantry. For vehicles there are only a kettenkrad and a pzb41. Didnt have the opportunity to try Them out yet, but im curious how they perform against the Waffen ss and the goddamn Tiger of my friend
Thanks for the question and apologies for the delay in responding. I've never faced any German armies as I always seem to be the German player! But I'll try and offer some advice. Facing off against the W-SS can be difficult with them potentially being veteran and fanatics. This is where pinning comes into its own. Often just hitting a unit and adding pins is the way to go. Veterans are hard to kill but with 4-5 pin markers passing those order tests is going to get more and more difficult. This is why I like to take quite a few LMGs in my Fallschirmjager units. If I'm facing a number of veteran units I can throw out enough dice to get some pins on them. It won't work every time but it's a tactic I often use.
With the Tiger, just like real life, tanks are very vulnerable without infantry support and in enclosed spaces. Your Fallschirmjager are more mobile than a Tiger so draw it into places it may not want to go and load up on Panzerfausts or a Panzerschreck. Effective use of cover and manoeuvre can certainly blunt the firepower of a tank. Hope that helps buddy ☺
Really good video, looking forward to watching the rest of this series and getting started in Bolt Action.
Cheers Ben, really glad you enjoyed the video and welcome to Bolt Action! There is a fair amount of Bolt Action content on the channel and hopefully the Bolt Action series will provide an overview of the game and and answers any questions you may have about the game 😀
@@OnPointHQ Went to warlord and got myself a box on the new plastic Italians so excited to here they are getting more plastic kits! Exciting times!
Great video.
Rookie question… when it comes to national characteristics, do you just choose one for your army? I.e. you don’t get to use all of them in a game.
And when do you make that choice?
Thank you, much appreciated! It sort of depends. Nations get their list of national characteristics. In the case of British and Commonwealth armies you have additional choices that you make. These should be chosen when you are selecting your list before the game. Hope that helps! 😁
I'm solidly coming back to the game after a bit of hiatus during the Comchi wuhan bat virus lunacy. These videos are very handy and I really like what you have done. The 2nd edition of the game with the new theatre books I'm finding absolutely fantastic for the narrative element of the game. Proper missions with proper objectives and not just slaughter each other. I was wondering what I can put into a British force if wanted to go a bit more Mechanised. Just bought the new D day British and Canadian sector book.
After a long long break from playing, I'm really looking forward to throwing some dice around again! We are planning play throughs of a few of the scenarios using my Australians and USMC and my opponents IJA. I agree that there is great scope for some really cracking narrative campaigns.
With regards to mechanising your British, have a look at what armour they would be using around the period they are set. So for Normandy you'll be looking at Shermans for the most part. You even have options to motorise your platoon with trucks and half tracks 😃
@@OnPointHQ sounds marvellous have nor ventured into the Pacific as yet. But no doubt I will get there. After Normandy my main gaming buddy and I are venturing into the desert with 8th Army and Afrika Korp. That really makes me smile that I can use the half tracks I'm assuming M3s which I can use with my US force and then same vehicles for British. I know been carriers were used a lot so I'll keep those in my force selection.
painting my StuG while watching and enyoing ^^ left you a IG massage because I think it’s to long for here^^ thank you for sharing your work
Top stuff, cheers! Listening to Bolt Action while painting Bolt Action is definitely something I enjoy doing. Plus the StuG is a great model to work on. I look forward to seeing your German army progress 😀
First vid I've watched on this channel. Good content!
That's awesome, thanks Adam! If you're into or interested in Bolt Action you'll find that it makes up quite a large proportion of videos on the channel 🙂
@@OnPointHQ I am interested in Warlord Games. Especially since GW seems to think they can increase prices forever haha
hey brother . me and a friend are warhammer refugees . and we are looking into Bolt action as a replacement , would you recommend a starter army ? or buy seperate boxxes ? and seeing as he's going british I am going german , i'm stuck between the Grenadiers starter army , or the SS we are going late war so we have all the toys ,,, so which of the 2 boxxes would you prefer? or would you recommend starting from scratch ?
Hey buddy, thanks for checking out the video, much appreciated. With regards to your question, I really don't think you can go wrong with the starter boxes. They are pretty good value for what you get in them and will give you approximatey 1000 points to start with. The good thing about this is that you can build in increments of say 500, 750 then 1000 points and use what you've made/painted to learn the game. When learning to play Bolt Action, I found that smaller games were better and then I added to what I already had. This allows you to tailor how you want your army to play and decide what additional and new units to add. Before you know it, you'll have a large army and will be comfortable with the game mecanics.
The Grenadier and SS boxes really are a personal choice dude. Both can be used to create two hard hitting veteran armies. I would choose Grenadiers but that's mostly because I suck at painting camouflage!
But for just starting out - rulebook, army book and a starter box and you are set for many games. Once you learn how your army plays, you can add to it and really make it fight how you want it to fight. But welcome to Bolt Action, you are going to enjoy it 😀
@@OnPointHQ thank you for the quick response :) Luckily I am a experienced painter including camo , when I still played warhammer 40k one of my 3 armies was Imperial guard , and put camo on those. Then it just boils down to what box I want to get I mean one has a tiger what speaks to me because ,, you know it's a tiger. but I thought maybe the puma was better then the tiger or something... So I geuss i'm going with the fanatical drugged up guys.
Very helpful video cheers
That's awesome, thank you! Really glad you found the video helpful. Building an army is such an integral part to many games that I thought it would be good to outline how simple it is for Bolt Action. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment, it's much appreciated 🙂
Thank you!
Cheers Dario, hope you found the video helpful 😃👍
Id love to get into bolt action or 40k but i have no one in my area to actually play with
I'm in a very similar position with regards to Bolt Action. I have one regular opponent but where we live, the few clubs are dominated by 40k. If there is a local club, it may be worth seeing if you could put on a demonstration game or something similar 😃
I also have a question, are tanks good? I am a tank fan and I love the German tanks of WW2 like the Panzers and Tigers, but are they good in Bolt Action? I never see anyone using them so I don't know if they are good to use for my army.
Bolt Action is a more infantry focused game. Tanks, tank destroyers, armoured cars can be taken but their inclusion is often very limited and German tanks like the Tiger and Panther can be very expensive in points. However there is a Bolt Action book called Tank Wars that allows you to field tank platoons so you may want to check that out too 😀
LUV IT MATE💪😎
Awesome! I've had a lot of positive feedback on this video so I'm really glad that people are finding it helpful. As I've mentioned before, army/list building is such a crucial part of many tabletop games, I thought a simple video outlining how it works for Bolt Action would help new players and show them how the mechanics work 😀
@@OnPointHQ it is perfect! Im a new player so it helped alot thanks!
Funny, Star Wars legion, Bolt Action, Judge Dredd, D&D, I love building, making terrain, painting miniatures, modding etc. As for playing the games not interested one bit.
I can definitely see that. These days I am primarily a painter and modeller that games when I can. But for me the painting side will always be the important thing as it is a way to relax, be creative and just enjoy the hobby 🙂
I’m the 701st
It took me a moment to realise what you meant but I got there in the end! Thanks for subscribing dude, very much appreciated and I hope you enjoy the channel moving forward 😊
When I see a great video I look at the channel to see their content. And then if I enjoy it I like it and subscribe. Your channel is so interesting to me that it attracts me as a viewer to your content.
“Today I’ll be constructing the armies of Nazi Germany and this will come as no surprise to those who know me hehe”
Those who don’t know him: 😳😳😳
Thank you for the comment, although I must say it is rather disingenuous at best and grossly offensive at worst. To be utterly clear here, at no point in the video did I use the phrase '...armies of Nazi Germany' and being paraphrased so blatantly and willfully incorrectly is not something I appreciate whether in seriousness or through a poorly thought out attempt at humour. I made reference to my choosing a German army as an example in the video as I have spent the last couple of years painting a sizeable Bolt Action German army. It is a running joke within my community that I only paint Germans, hence 'people who know me.' In addition I have many other Bolt Action armies, both Allies and Axis, because I like painting and playing Bolt Action. Like I have highlighted, being incorrectly quoted or paraphrased in such a manner is not a pleasant thing to see. I'd like to think the comment was not deliberately offensive but please understand comments such as this can have adverse and negative repercussions. Thank you.
Could you please edit out you smacking your lips at the end of every sentence it is seriously holding you back as a content creator as it is awful to listen to.
Hey Paul, thanks for the feedback, much appreciated and a very valid point. When I was making videos last year I was using a clip on microphone that was pretty temperamental and overly sensitive at times hence the often unwelcome or accentuated audio you alude to. I'm using a different set up presently and hopefully this change has eliminated any instances of this nature. Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and comment, like I said, it's much appreciated 👍