Post by scrivs on Jan 15, 2014 9:18:09 GMT
Geraint and the rest of the Pennine Raiders are running a 1945 Battle for Germany Campaign Day in Halifax on 1st June. I have asked if we can have two Allied and two Axis places and will confirm after the weekend.
I'm happy to drive us up there.
Here are the details - we could pinch some of this for our ongoing campaign.
Tickets for the day cost £10 and will include lunch; initially we are offering 10 Allied and 10 Axis places – more tickets will be released once these places have been filled. There is a bar on site, loads of car parking at and around the venue, and Halifax lies just off the M62 so access is very easy.
To take part you will need a 600 point force and a 1000 point force – representing a single platoon – chosen from the lists below. Please note that at least 450 points of your 600 point force should be included in your 1000 point list.
- Armies of Great Britain: 1945 – Into the Reich
- Armies of the United States: 1945 – Operation Grenade; 1945 - Rhineland; you may field Veteran infantry squads and teams as per the Warlord pdf.
- Armies of Germany: 1944-45 – Operation Watch on the Rhine; 1944-45 – Holding the West Wall; 1945 – Last Levy
- Armies of the Soviet Union: Into the Reich, January-February 1945; The Gates of Berlin; Death of the Third Reich. You may use the Quality of Quantity rule (p.61) if you choose.
- If you feel that your army is not adequately represented by any of the above then please contact me and we’ll see what we can work out.
In addition, anyone who would like to do so is welcome to bring a 1000 point armoured platoon chosen from the lists above in accordance with the Warlord pdf. Whether or not they will get to use it will be up to their C-in-C; it is entirely possible that in the right setting a canny C-in-C may choose to pit an armoured platoon against an infantry force so bear in mind the possibility of facing tanks when selecting your 1000 point infantry list.
Please note that we are not allowing players to field vehicle mounted flamethrowers.
If you could also bring two sets of order dice in different colours it would be much appreciated!
The Structure of the Day
The campaign will comprise 3 games – 1 doubles game and 2 singles – structured around a map of Germany divided into significant territories. To win the day the Allies must conquer as much territory as possible so that at the end of the day they hold more territory than the German forces. The Axis, meanwhile, will achieve victory if they can stop the Allies from completing their objective. The city of Berlin will be worth additional points.
To complicate matters a little and add some depth the following procedure will apply:
- Each side must appoint a Commander-in-Chief, using any agreeable method (dice roll, popular acclamation, dual to the death in the car park, or whatever). For the first round of games, the Allied C-in-C will hold the initiative.
- At the beginning of each subsequent round of games the C-in-Cs will roll a D6, with the higher scorer holding the initiative for the round; (s)he can then choose which territories his/her forces will attack. Of course, if the Allies have failed to secure even a single territory within Germany, then the first round will simply be replayed.
- After the first round, the C-in-C with initiative may only choose to attack territories adjacent to those (s)he already holds.
- Once initiative has been decided and the winning C-in-C has chosen which territories to attack, (s)he will assign troops to those battles. The defending C-in-C must meet these incursions. The attacking C-in-C might, for example, assign 1 player to a scouting mission deeper into Germany and 4 players to a massed battle for Berlin; the defender would have to match these numbers.
- The next stage is for tables to be assigned. In the case of battles with multiple participants, players will fight one on one on individual tables, representing platoons taking part in a larger action; the results from each table will count towards the result of the battle overall. For example, in the case of 4 players a side fighting over Berlin the results from 4 tables will be used to determine whether or not Berlin is captured; to take the city, the attacking side will need victory on at least 3 tables.
- The winner overall will capture/hold the territory. In the case of a draw, where neither side has a majority of tables, the umpires may either rule that one side has won (I’m thinking of cases where one side hasn’t managed an outright win despite inflicting far more casualties than they’ve suffered) or ask the two C-in-Cs to roll off with D6s (representing one or other general losing his nerve in a tricky situation and withdrawing).
- If the attacking player loses the game and fails to take the territory, (s)he will lose the territory from which (s)he attacked (otherwise a situation could arise in which one side defends in all three games, wins plenty of battles, but can’t take a single territory).
Best Army
Obviously, within the restrictions set down by the army books and theatre selectors listed above, you are free to bring whatever army you like. This is, however, an historical campaign day with an emphasis on platoons fighting as part of larger engagements and we would like to encourage you to bring as historically accurate (so far as the rules allow) a platoon as possible. With this in mind we are going to run a “best army” competition and offer 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. Armies will be judged on their 600 point list and will be scored in the following categories:
- Painting: Unpainted = 0pts, Basic standard = 10pts, Well Painted (highlighting, shading, etc) = 15pts, Wow Factor = 20pts
- Including 3 infantry sections of at least 8 men each = 20pts
- Including at least one LMG (or BAR if relevant) in each infantry section if the list allows the option = 20pts
- Fielding a Light or Medium Mortar = 10 pts
- Fielding a second “common” support weapon (PIAT, MMG, Bazooka, Panzerschreck) = 5pts if fielded without also fielding a light or medium mortar or 10pts if both are taken.
- Basing your platoon on an historical platoon = 20pts (you will need to provide historical evidence of this to demonstrate that your painting scheme and choice of weapons/vehicles/etc matches the actual platoon)
- Fielding a platoon containing troops with differing morale levels (eg, Veteran rifle sections with Inexperienced weapon teams) = -10pts
Please note: given the vagaries of some of the lists it is impossible in some cases for HQ units to have the same level of experience as their men. We will therefore allow them to be of a different level of experience to the rest of the platoon without penalty.
Also: Soviet players may field their free Inexperienced unit without penalty.
- Fielding one or more vehicles with an armour value of 9+ or more = -10pts
In the case of a tie the winner will be the army which, in the opinion of the judges, is the better painted.
If you feel that the above restrictions are unhistorical with regard to your particular army, please let me know and we’ll see what we can work out.
Other Prizes
Since the objectives of the event are based around the Axis and Allied forces working as teams we won’t be offering individual prizes for victory: knowing that you’ve either taken Germany or kept the Reich safe should be reward enough in itself! That said, we will be offering a prize for the best painted army, voted for by all participants on the day. If you haven’t painted your army yourself, please be honest and don’t put yourself forward for this competition.
Rules Clarifications
Obviously, no set of rules is perfect and situations needing clarification do occur in games. In general, rolling a D6 and getting on with things in a friendly manner tends to be the best solution but umpires will be on hand should you prefer an authoritative voice. It should go without saying that their decisions are binding and you’re stuck with them, even if you don’t agree.
Other things that we’ve found to cause contention in our club games of Bolt Action are listed below, with our solutions; these count as official rules so far as this event goes:
- No, you can’t shoot at a medic and he can’t shoot back at you. No, not even if he’s riding in a transport and you want to fire its guns.
- The loader of an LMG is a specialist and is carrying the spare ammunition; he should be identified at the beginning of the game and may not be changed unless he is killed. No, you can’t deliberately remove him as a casualty and use your NCO instead just because your NCO is struggling to get range for his SMG.
- Largely, true line of sight applies. Our club, however, is a little short on trees and thus uses markers with a smattering of trees to denote areas of woodland terrain; models within woodland area terrain count as in soft cover.
- In addition, models within woodland terrain can see (and thus shoot) out of it up to a distance of 2 inches from the edge; they can also be seen and shot at up to this distance. Beyond 2 inches they cannot see or be seen. Woodland counts as fully obscuring, so models on the far side of woodland cannot target or be targeted by enemy models.
- The placement of mortars and other indirect fire weapons has been the subject of some debate at the Pennine Raiders since they fire into the air. Mortars, etc may not fire out of buildings or woods, and may not fire at units on the other side of buildings or woods from them unless the mortar is placed at least 3 inches away from the edge of the terrain.
In general, please discuss the terrain on the table with your opponent before the game starts to avoid misunderstandings. Working out at the beginning what your tank can and can’t drive on or what your infantry can hide behind avoids argument in the heat of battle.
Contact and Payment
If you have any questions or want to book a place just drop me an e-mail:
<redacted>
Payment can be by cheque or by paypal (send the money to us as a gift, please, if you’re using paypal); if you want to send me a cheque drop me an e-mail and I’ll let you have a postal address, otherwise please send money via paypal to <redacted> Please pay as soon as possible to reserve a place; if you haven’t paid and somebody else wants your place they’ll get it!
If you’re vegetarian or have any other dietary considerations please let me know.
Thanks,
Geraint Osborn
I'm happy to drive us up there.
Here are the details - we could pinch some of this for our ongoing campaign.
Germany 1945
The Pennine Raiders wargaming club is proud to announce its second Bolt Action event: Germany 1945. This will take place on Sunday, June 1st 2014 from 9.30am, at the Belgrave Social Club, 227 Claremount Road, Halifax, HX3 6AW. Our event will take the form of a campaign day rather than a tournament: in the historical setting of the Allied push to capture Germany and end the Second World War you will be encouraged to discover whether you can emulate or even outdo the achievements of the generals who commanded this campaign.
To take part you will need a 600 point force and a 1000 point force – representing a single platoon – chosen from the lists below. Please note that at least 450 points of your 600 point force should be included in your 1000 point list.
- Armies of Great Britain: 1945 – Into the Reich
- Armies of the United States: 1945 – Operation Grenade; 1945 - Rhineland; you may field Veteran infantry squads and teams as per the Warlord pdf.
- Armies of Germany: 1944-45 – Operation Watch on the Rhine; 1944-45 – Holding the West Wall; 1945 – Last Levy
- Armies of the Soviet Union: Into the Reich, January-February 1945; The Gates of Berlin; Death of the Third Reich. You may use the Quality of Quantity rule (p.61) if you choose.
- If you feel that your army is not adequately represented by any of the above then please contact me and we’ll see what we can work out.
In addition, anyone who would like to do so is welcome to bring a 1000 point armoured platoon chosen from the lists above in accordance with the Warlord pdf. Whether or not they will get to use it will be up to their C-in-C; it is entirely possible that in the right setting a canny C-in-C may choose to pit an armoured platoon against an infantry force so bear in mind the possibility of facing tanks when selecting your 1000 point infantry list.
Please note that we are not allowing players to field vehicle mounted flamethrowers.
If you could also bring two sets of order dice in different colours it would be much appreciated!
The Structure of the Day
The campaign will comprise 3 games – 1 doubles game and 2 singles – structured around a map of Germany divided into significant territories. To win the day the Allies must conquer as much territory as possible so that at the end of the day they hold more territory than the German forces. The Axis, meanwhile, will achieve victory if they can stop the Allies from completing their objective. The city of Berlin will be worth additional points.
To complicate matters a little and add some depth the following procedure will apply:
- Each side must appoint a Commander-in-Chief, using any agreeable method (dice roll, popular acclamation, dual to the death in the car park, or whatever). For the first round of games, the Allied C-in-C will hold the initiative.
- At the beginning of each subsequent round of games the C-in-Cs will roll a D6, with the higher scorer holding the initiative for the round; (s)he can then choose which territories his/her forces will attack. Of course, if the Allies have failed to secure even a single territory within Germany, then the first round will simply be replayed.
- After the first round, the C-in-C with initiative may only choose to attack territories adjacent to those (s)he already holds.
- Once initiative has been decided and the winning C-in-C has chosen which territories to attack, (s)he will assign troops to those battles. The defending C-in-C must meet these incursions. The attacking C-in-C might, for example, assign 1 player to a scouting mission deeper into Germany and 4 players to a massed battle for Berlin; the defender would have to match these numbers.
- The next stage is for tables to be assigned. In the case of battles with multiple participants, players will fight one on one on individual tables, representing platoons taking part in a larger action; the results from each table will count towards the result of the battle overall. For example, in the case of 4 players a side fighting over Berlin the results from 4 tables will be used to determine whether or not Berlin is captured; to take the city, the attacking side will need victory on at least 3 tables.
- The winner overall will capture/hold the territory. In the case of a draw, where neither side has a majority of tables, the umpires may either rule that one side has won (I’m thinking of cases where one side hasn’t managed an outright win despite inflicting far more casualties than they’ve suffered) or ask the two C-in-Cs to roll off with D6s (representing one or other general losing his nerve in a tricky situation and withdrawing).
- If the attacking player loses the game and fails to take the territory, (s)he will lose the territory from which (s)he attacked (otherwise a situation could arise in which one side defends in all three games, wins plenty of battles, but can’t take a single territory).
Best Army
Obviously, within the restrictions set down by the army books and theatre selectors listed above, you are free to bring whatever army you like. This is, however, an historical campaign day with an emphasis on platoons fighting as part of larger engagements and we would like to encourage you to bring as historically accurate (so far as the rules allow) a platoon as possible. With this in mind we are going to run a “best army” competition and offer 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. Armies will be judged on their 600 point list and will be scored in the following categories:
- Painting: Unpainted = 0pts, Basic standard = 10pts, Well Painted (highlighting, shading, etc) = 15pts, Wow Factor = 20pts
- Including 3 infantry sections of at least 8 men each = 20pts
- Including at least one LMG (or BAR if relevant) in each infantry section if the list allows the option = 20pts
- Fielding a Light or Medium Mortar = 10 pts
- Fielding a second “common” support weapon (PIAT, MMG, Bazooka, Panzerschreck) = 5pts if fielded without also fielding a light or medium mortar or 10pts if both are taken.
- Basing your platoon on an historical platoon = 20pts (you will need to provide historical evidence of this to demonstrate that your painting scheme and choice of weapons/vehicles/etc matches the actual platoon)
- Fielding a platoon containing troops with differing morale levels (eg, Veteran rifle sections with Inexperienced weapon teams) = -10pts
Please note: given the vagaries of some of the lists it is impossible in some cases for HQ units to have the same level of experience as their men. We will therefore allow them to be of a different level of experience to the rest of the platoon without penalty.
Also: Soviet players may field their free Inexperienced unit without penalty.
- Fielding one or more vehicles with an armour value of 9+ or more = -10pts
In the case of a tie the winner will be the army which, in the opinion of the judges, is the better painted.
If you feel that the above restrictions are unhistorical with regard to your particular army, please let me know and we’ll see what we can work out.
Other Prizes
Since the objectives of the event are based around the Axis and Allied forces working as teams we won’t be offering individual prizes for victory: knowing that you’ve either taken Germany or kept the Reich safe should be reward enough in itself! That said, we will be offering a prize for the best painted army, voted for by all participants on the day. If you haven’t painted your army yourself, please be honest and don’t put yourself forward for this competition.
Rules Clarifications
Obviously, no set of rules is perfect and situations needing clarification do occur in games. In general, rolling a D6 and getting on with things in a friendly manner tends to be the best solution but umpires will be on hand should you prefer an authoritative voice. It should go without saying that their decisions are binding and you’re stuck with them, even if you don’t agree.
Other things that we’ve found to cause contention in our club games of Bolt Action are listed below, with our solutions; these count as official rules so far as this event goes:
- No, you can’t shoot at a medic and he can’t shoot back at you. No, not even if he’s riding in a transport and you want to fire its guns.
- The loader of an LMG is a specialist and is carrying the spare ammunition; he should be identified at the beginning of the game and may not be changed unless he is killed. No, you can’t deliberately remove him as a casualty and use your NCO instead just because your NCO is struggling to get range for his SMG.
- Largely, true line of sight applies. Our club, however, is a little short on trees and thus uses markers with a smattering of trees to denote areas of woodland terrain; models within woodland area terrain count as in soft cover.
- In addition, models within woodland terrain can see (and thus shoot) out of it up to a distance of 2 inches from the edge; they can also be seen and shot at up to this distance. Beyond 2 inches they cannot see or be seen. Woodland counts as fully obscuring, so models on the far side of woodland cannot target or be targeted by enemy models.
- The placement of mortars and other indirect fire weapons has been the subject of some debate at the Pennine Raiders since they fire into the air. Mortars, etc may not fire out of buildings or woods, and may not fire at units on the other side of buildings or woods from them unless the mortar is placed at least 3 inches away from the edge of the terrain.
In general, please discuss the terrain on the table with your opponent before the game starts to avoid misunderstandings. Working out at the beginning what your tank can and can’t drive on or what your infantry can hide behind avoids argument in the heat of battle.
Contact and Payment
If you have any questions or want to book a place just drop me an e-mail:
<redacted>
Payment can be by cheque or by paypal (send the money to us as a gift, please, if you’re using paypal); if you want to send me a cheque drop me an e-mail and I’ll let you have a postal address, otherwise please send money via paypal to <redacted> Please pay as soon as possible to reserve a place; if you haven’t paid and somebody else wants your place they’ll get it!
If you’re vegetarian or have any other dietary considerations please let me know.
Thanks,
Geraint Osborn