Back to Bolt Action Start at the Beginning !

As my first post I thought it fitting to focus on the first period of gaming I started to collect. 

World War II was my first love in wargaming and I collected figures in both 20mm and 1/35th scale. Essentially anything Airfix offered I badgered my dad Alf to buy me.

The essential conditions that need to have been in alignment for me to get a box of soldiers or a model, was both him winning at cards on a Saturday afternoon and having a few to many beers. Thankfully both conditions normally happened hand in hand.

At first I never painted my soldiers but as time went on and my painting skills improved I would add enamel paint to the equation and spend my Saturday nights painting either a model or some new figures I had aquired that day.

Fast forward to present day and my addiction knows no bounds. I flit between painting sci fi Strontium dog figures and 6mm Thracian Infantry. The Club I attend is St Helens Spartans. http://www.spartans.org.uk where we play a wide range of games cover all scales and periods. Recently the Club has expanded and new players bring new games and sometimes new periods. Thats great fun but my first love has always been Second World War.

Our recent Tuesday night game allowed two of the new players to show off their lovely collection of figures from Warlord Games playing Bolt Action.

We focused on the Pacific as one player had Marines and the other had a wide range which included Japanese.

Paul trying to hide a large squad of Japs behind a building.

The US Forward Air observer has done his job as a Mustang flys low for a stafing run.

My Squad of Marines supported by a Pershing ! far too powerful for a game of this size but fun to play with.

Our greyhound took a good beating ! pinned markers and immobalised ! 

The only Jap tank (Chi-Ha was no match for a Pershing AP round !

The scenario forced the US Marines to assault the Japanese position and capture ground in the defenders deployment zone. Only 1 squad managed this, but the casualties sustained by the outmatched forces of Japan meant the Marines carried the day. 

It was just a simple game for us to start picking up the rules again after 2 years of  absence from gaming and even more time between Bolt action games.

With new players at the club it was also an opportunity for people to get to know each other a bit. At the end of the night no one seemed put out by the loss so on the whole a great game of Bolt Action which we will be playing again next Tuesday with a night action that turns the tables and has the Marines in defence! More to come keep watching!