Bolt Action WW2 Rules - First Impressions

I was able to get my first game of Bolt Action this evening.  I've read the rule book a couple of times to date and I'm in the process (as evidenced by the pictures) of basing my British and German armies.  I found the rules easy to read, well thought out and quick to pick up.

I decided to keep things simple for the first game.  The troops used are as follows:

BRITISH (all regular)

1 x Officer (2nd Lieutenant)
2 x Riflemen

1 x Forward Artillery Observer (free for British)

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x LMG
8 x Riflemen

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x LMG
8 x Riflemen

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x LMG
8 x Riflemen

1 x MMG

GERMAN (all regular)

1 x Officer (2nd Lieutenant)
2 x Riflemen

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x SMG
1 x LMG
7 x Riflemen

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x SMG
1 x LMG
7 x Riflemen

1 x NCO (SMG)
1 x SMG
1 x LMG
7 x Riflemen

1 x MMG

Only a few pictures since this was just an "introduction" game ... I'm working on my WW2 terrain and look ... for this game I had put out some of the 4Ground WW2 buildings and my new cobblestone roads.  Both John Lantz (playing the British) and I had a grand time - the game was fluid and fun.  The dice activation system is outstanding.  I need to spice up my pin markers (ended up using small white dice).

I've heard that many think the MMG's in the game to be under-powered because they don't mow down entire units.  I think they have struck a nice balance with them.  They could be a touch more powerful but I think it would be hard to accomplish that - for example, my first thought would be to inflict two pin for each shot (vs. the standard one) ... but I think they would swing it too far in the other direction.

Close combat is deadly.  If you are the loser of close combat your unit is destroyed.  Although one may think this a little harsh, I like it ... hits are automatic in close combat so you are just rolling for casualties.  SMGs are especially important at this point as they get two dice in close combat ("assault" rule) ... they made a big difference for the Germans who had two in each section.

John and I focused on getting through the game, taking some extra time to make sure we did things correctly ... but even with that the game moved along at a steady pace.  The Germans won primarily because they caught a British section in the open attempting to enter one of the buildings (they were partially behind a building, but the Germans got around to their flank so they could fire at them in the open).  They got shot up very bad and essentially failed their order tests which kept them in the open (although "down").  After that section got hit a second occupied a house, which a German section was able to sneak up on (from the side of the house with no windows).  The German section engaged in the British in the house in close combat, starting <6" from them (so no reaction fire from the British on the move in).  I rolled hot and managed to win (thanks to those two SMGs).  Normally in close combat the attacker inflicts casualties before the defender can strike back (favoring the attacker significantly IMO), but when the defender is defending an obstacle or building the combat is simultaneous.

One thing we forgot to do throughout the first half of the game was to remove a pin marker from a unit that is pinned that successfully passes an order test (for something other than a down order, which is automatic when you are pinned - since you don't take an order test you don't loose a pin).

Only a few pictures as I'm still in the process of basing and doing terrain ...

Starting the game with the Germans on the
near side and British on the far side.

The battle climaxed over the central buildings with the
Germans assaulting the buildings and winning.

I look forward to many more games of Bolt Action in 2013!