Remember December Bolt action event

Its been a very long time between posts. I haven't been playing much in the way of war gaming or events since the arrival of V4 Flames of War. I'm just not keen on the new version of the rules at all but that's a rant for another time.

Remember December is a small event run each year at the Upper Hutt war gaming club in memory of Nick Garden who pasted away not to many years ago. This year it is 500pts Bolt action recon style forces. Rules were no free units, vehicles, arty/AT guns, arty or air OP or higher command units. So just infantry,  machine guns and snipers.

This is what I went with.

U.S. Reinforced Platoon

Order Dice: 7

Platoon #1 Officer Second Lieutenant  (page: 22) Regular 50 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Second Lieutenant      with Pistol 6" 1 n/a Assault      with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault      with M1 carbine (rifle) 24" 1 n/a Infantry Squads Regular Infantry squad (Late)  (page: 23) Regular 103 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 6    Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 2    Infantry with BAR M1918A2 Automatic rifle 30" 2 n/a Regular Infantry squad (Late)  (page: 23) Regular 103 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 6    Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a 2    Infantry with BAR M1918A2 Automatic rifle 30" 2 n/a Infantry Regular Glider squad  (page: 24) Regular 89 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 2    Infantry with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 5    Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a Machine Gun Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26) Regular 50 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Medium Machine gun team 36" 5 n/a Team (3 men), Fixed Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26) Regular 50 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Medium Machine gun team 36" 5 n/a Team (3 men), Fixed Sniper Sniper team  (page: 28) Regular 52 Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Sniper team 36" 1 n/a Team (2 men), Sniper (Sniper with rifle & pistol- Spotter with pistol)     with Pistol 6" 1 n/a Assault Platoon Points: 497 My Force giving me 7 order dice My Sniper and General George Patton. He is just a standard HQ figure for this weekend. Sorry about the demotion. Squads 1 and 2 with rifles, BAR and SMG's. Squad 3 with SMG's and 2x .30cal MMG. Should be good to play in an event again haven't done anything since Valleycon in January other then the odd game at home.

Valleycon 2017 Bolt action Day 2

Day two had another two games ahead for me. The first game of day was vs Paul Goldstone and Toby sorry I didn't get you last name. Toby was learning to play the game so Paul was helping him through the rules and regs. They were both running a Luftwaffe field division supported by a Tiger 1 which would be a problem as I would find out. The lack of decent antitank and the tiger fear rule really played a big part in this game.

My .30cal and bazooka over watch the right flank. Only a sniper would provide any opposition here.

My 57mm AT gun fires shot after shot at the Tiger trying to pin it to no avail

As Paul and Toby's forces advance there was nothing I could do but watch my forces melt away.

At the end of that game I had managed to lose 8 order dice to their 1. Plus they got two units into my deployment zone giving them 6 more points. so it was a 14pts to 1pt loss for me. But i did learn a lot in this game.

Game 4 was vs Allister Mundell. I have played Allister a few times before in Flames of war and have always had a good game with him. He was running a Russian horde of infantry with some war dogs and a Katyusha rocket truck and the mission was No mans land.

My AT gun and .30cal MMG kept the main road in the center of the table clear. Al's armored car was quick to recce away.

The Katyusha fired to devastating effect. then we realized that one of Allister's units was too close for the shot to be legal. I got off very lightly there could of been 16 men dead.

My 57mm AT gun finally got the Armored car and late the jeep that followed.

My M3 half track and a squad of men mop up a few small squads of men and take out the Katyusha with some well placed .50cal shots.

The final game of the weekend ended in a win for me 6pts to 2pts I felt I learned a lot over the four games. Snipers are well worth using, I need a better AT option, learn to use the down and ambush option more instead of all out attack all the time. And with that it was time to pack up the hall and gather for the prize giving which all the comps did together Bolt action, Flames of war, Lord of the rings, Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 40k, Hordes/War machine, and Infinity. I was awarded Best sport for the Bolt action comp which i was quite happy about but never expected as I always try to be a great opponent in all my games I play. And also got a voucher to spend at Paraparaumu beach Pharmacy which is run by Scott Bowman which has a vast range of war gaming models and supplies.

I look forward to next year witch is the 20th running of the event and something special is planed the Hutt club have said. My next war gaming outing with be the Wellington X-wing Regionals looking at running Imperials at that.

Valleycon 2017 Bolt action Day 1

Its been a while since my last post but ive still be busy on the gaming front. I have been really into building terrain lately for my bolt action im working on a V2 rocket facility but more on that later.

Over the weekend the Upper Hutt war gaming club held its annual Valley-con event this was the 19th year they have held it. Normally I play flames of war but last year started to delve into Bolt action so this year I entered the Bolt action comp. There was not restriction on theater just as long as your list was 1000pts or less. There was British, Japanese, Russians, Americans and Germans armies being used I went with Americans using a Normandy list.

1944 - Normandy

Order Dice: 10

Platoon #1

Officer
First Lieutenant  (page: 22)	Veteran	103
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    First Lieutenant      with Pistol 6" 1 n/a Assault      with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault      with M1 carbine (rifle) 24" 1 n/a 1    Infantry (equipped as modeled) - -

Infantry Squads
Veteran Infantry Squad  (page: 6)	Veteran	156
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 2    Infantry with BAR M1918A2 Automatic rifle 30" 2 n/a 8    Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a
Veteran Infantry Squad  (page: 6)	Veteran	156
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    NCO with Submachine gun 12" 2 n/a Assault 2    Infantry with BAR M1918A2 Automatic rifle 30" 2 n/a 8    Infantry with Rifle 24" 1 n/a

Infantry
Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26)	Veteran	65
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Medium Machine gun team 36" 5 n/a Team (3 men), Fixed
Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26)	Veteran	65
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Medium Machine gun team 36" 5 n/a Team (3 men), Fixed
Medium Machine Gun team  (page: 26)	Veteran	65
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Medium Machine gun team 36" 5 n/a Team (3 men), Fixed
Bazooka team  (page: 28)	Regular	60
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    Bazooka team 24" 1 +5 Team (2 men), Shaped Charge

Artillery
57mm Anti-tank Gun M1  (page: 34)	Veteran	90
Qty    Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    57mm Anti-tank Gun M1 60" 1 +5 Team (3 men), Gun shield, Fixed, HE (1")

Tanks and SP Guns
M8 Scott  (page: 44)	Regular	140
Qty    Vehicle Type Transport  Damage Value         Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    M8 Scott Tracked - 8+ Open-topped        Turret-mounted light howitzer 48"(24-60) 1 HE Howitzer, HE (2")        Pintle-mounted HMG 36" 3 +1 Flak, 360 degree arc

Transports
M3 half-track  (page: 50)	Regular	99
Qty    Vehicle Type Transport  Damage Value         Weapons Range Shots Penetration Special Rules 1    M3 half-track Half-track up to 12 7+ Open-topped        Pintle-mounted HMG 36" 3 +1 Flak, 360 degree arc   Tow: Light, medium or heavy anti-tank gun; light or medium howitzer; light anti-aircraft gun

Platoon Points:

999

The weekend consisted of 4 games 3 hours each over the two days.

Mission 1 was Point defense vs Julian Hannam he had traveled down from the Taranaki to play and was running a British list containing the NZ Maori battalion with their own unique rules. The game ended being a draw with myself holding two of the three objectives I was defending given another turn I might of been able to take back the one I lost. But it wasnt to be. 

My 57mm AT gun lines up the Bren carrier for the kill.

A Bren Carrier, M10 and Kangaroo Ram press my defenses to breaking point.

The Second game was Meeting engagement vs Dale Pepperell who was also from the Taranaki. This game was a hard fought battle with his quad 2cm flak Panzer and sniper causing all sorts of problems for my men. This game was and eventual loss 6pts to 4pts.

My troops survive two flame thrower attacks but later or rounded up by Dale's Puma.

My M8 Scott fires its light howitzer at the church town and finally takes out the sniper after it kills a few teams.

Day two to follow.....