Bolt Action - Bunker Assault

Bolt Action for a while. It was nice to get back BA gaming! As a preparation for our forthcoming Tarawa campaign, we had test run of special Bolt Action scenario Iwo Jima bunker assault, which can be found at Warlord Games site in Gaming & Collecting part.  The scenario is bit different from normal games you will find from the rulebook. It is special in terms of amount of troops on each side and how the game is played length wise of the table. The game is about US troops trying to capture three bunkers on three consecutive defense line. There is only half of the number of defenders, but they are really duck in bunkers and those lines. Attackers job is to rush through open ground from line to line and attack each bunker. So thats the name of the game in short. If interested please read the actual scenario, you'll get clearer picture. And when a fellow gamer made beautiful bunker models this game was must. The pictures of the bunkers can be found from Jari's Blog. I was too occupied by the game to take any pictures of then, which is a shame.

Well, after reading the scenario, I thought this would be murder, boy was I right! We had two US players with some sixteen units and eight Japanese units defending. After eight turns of fighting - the actual scenario if for ten - we had almost all our Marines shot up and the assault withered down. But it was not the fault of the scenario, we just didn't have our tactics right. We made critical mistakes and didn't realize the essence of this scenario. The scenario is actually good, as most Warlords ones are. There's nice tactical consideration for defender how to divide troops along the three lines. Attacker has to be careful to bring two waves in right. And after all it was good and fun game, though it ended US total loss. So we definitely will be including this in our Tarawa campaign, which I'm currently putting together.

Here's some shots from our carnage.

One of the nice terrain pieces by Jari full of Japanese defenders.

This was taken by the US MArines and it was the only one.

The Marines return fire.

Sniper and spotter, clever base conversion or what?

And finally Japanese repelled the attack.

Bolt Actoin was nominated best historical game of the year by some authorities I noticed, and I have to say for good reason. It is good and fun game.