Bolt Action - Across the River

Once again Bolt Action on the club, second game with new Ed.2 rules and this time I wasn't playing, but game mastering this one. Few friends asked if they could test new Ed.2 rules so I devised a game for them. Both players were familiar with BA game, so there was no need run basics  and we concentrated on new features of Ed.2.

This game was first run for our new river board we made for display purposes, when we were presenting our Club in an event near Helsinki. The board has river running through it, so it's more or less bit tricky board to play. But it's a beauty and we like to play narrative and thematic scenarios, not focusing on strict balance of the game. So. I based the game on "take the bridge" scenario, which I slightly modified. Now, instead of taking a just a bridge, the attacker had task to secure two river crossings, a bridge and a ford.

The fight was located somewhere in France in late summer -44 where US troops were doing strong push towards Paris. A battle group of Rangers and Paratroopers were tasked to take and secure two river crossings for the armored units. Germans were defending, but they were badly stretched and there wasn't strong troops to guard the riverbanks in all crossings. So the was only unit of infantry, MMG and PAK40 guarding two crossings.

At the start US elite troops made strong push towards both crossing at the same time. US troopers advanced swiftly to river and later they were backed by Sherman. Germans put up good fight but their fire wasn't enough to stop US veterans determined attack. Soon US troops started going across on two spots and after that they quickly eliminated German resistance. Not even the second wave of Germans wasn't able to change the push. So in the end US force took both crossing points and almost wiped Germans out totally.

The game went for US too easily, but as I said, the main focus of that scenario wasn't to find balance, but have thematic fight. But next time I'll give Germans armored support, a tank or SP sun and maybe some more infantry. Also the rules of wading in the river need some adjustments.

Here's some eye candy of our new table and the fight along the river.

One objective, a ford to be taken. 

Second objective was this nice bridge. 

Sherman rumbles in.

Rangers start advancing.

US airborne on left flank.

Rangers rush for the bridge.

Rangers advance cautiously to river.

Across the river, troops! 

This ruin was fire base for MG42, paratroopers took it.

Rangers doing risky business attacking another ruin full of Germans.

Last fire fight, after this Germans withdrew.

Quite nice game, bit unbalanced and next time we do this I'll do some alterations for the scenario. When wading, troops get only +1 cover and they can't use their weapons at all. Would like to test this again....