Bolt Action - Kuuterselkä,Thinking over a gaming table

After some twenty odd, almost thirty, years of war gaming, I have have painted miniatures more than enough. Recent years I have reached very good level of painting and I think that's the level I even don't want to improve much, even if I could. having reached this level of painting already some years ago, I'm able to paint quite a lot of miniatures for my hobby according the need. So I should be happy.

Some years ago I noticed sticking miss match of nicely painted miniatures and, frankly poor gaming tables we used to use. Our tables weren't the level of our miniatures and and especially not on the level I've seen in other clubs abroad. So more I was looking that more annoyed I became. There was something essential missing in this beloved hobby. Then after visiting Hamburger Tactica some years ago, decision was made. Next years should concentrate on making gaming tables up to a standard of our miniatures. And thus long term - strategic - objective was set, to make nice looking gaming tables in our gaming club with some like minded club mates. After all the hobby for me is about visual matters. About nice and well painted miniatures and lovely gaming tables, much more than just a game.

Previously I have published a story of making gaming table based on real scene of Continuation War battle Portinhoikka. This is now second table of the Continuation War series. Like the previous, this is also located in Karelian isthmus, place called Kuuerselkä. A place where Soviet attack on summer 1944 met strong resistance by Finnish jägers and assault guns. It was also a place where Finnish Stug assault guns saw their first action against Soviet armor.

This is a pictorical run down, how the table was put together with my club fellow, and put into good use in this years Ropecon gaming event.

Work starting, cutting, digging and planning.

Basic features attached and over all plan forming up.

Crass mats attached and painting on the way.

Table almost done, now some detailing...

Aerial view of the table.

Placing additional scenery.

Houses in the middle.

Detail of dried pond.

Detail of rock and flowers.

Center of the table with creek and little pond.

And then the table was put into a use to promote our gaming club and Bolt Action game in Ropecon gaming event 2017 in Helsinki.

Player brief of the game.

Some promo material of the game and the battle in question.

Finnish counter attack on the way.

Player pondering tactical moves.

Over all view of the dressed  up table.

Hard thinking over a tactics on both sides.

Once again great project with very pleasing results. This year we had probably nicest looking demo table in whole Con. With it's green field and forests it draw a lot of attention. And after that we were able to add beautiful new table in our clubs use. This was arguably the best table we've done so far, but not the last.

Bolt Action - Tali - Ihantala

Yesterday we had a Bolt Action gaming day at the Club. Once again there were four themed Bolt Action tables with all terrain, models and game master present. The idea of these days is to have days full of Bolt Action gaming, introduce the game to new people and to meet like minded gamers. As final part of my long Tali-Ihantala project I designed custom scenario for my theme table of Portinhoikka. The table has been featured various times on the web and so far it has been used for display purposes  only. Now I had change to use the table for real and also run very special game of summer -44 battles on Karelian Isthmus. The game was quite long haul initially having some ten plus turns. Actually they weren't needed but could have been. The scenario was based on real events on Portinhoikka crossroads where Finnish armored division counter attacked Soviet tanks and infantry and stopped Russian rush deep into South Karelia.

The fight started with Finns having hastily gathered AT platoon defending crossroads with one PAK40 and scherks and machine gun platoon. Soviets started by having armored recce team to scout ahead before actual tanks with massed infantry rolled in. Soviet recon was stopped by fire when it reached crossroads and Finnish positions were revealed. Once this recon phase was over Soviet tanks rolled in followed by full platoon of infantry. The fight was fierce and Finns put up real hard fight causing heavy losses to Russians. And still the Soviet steam roller was unstoppable. At the end phase of the fight Finnish armored division joined the fight and challenged Soviet tanks on the crossroads. After intense tank to tank fight the crossroads was full of burning tanks from both sides. After this massive tank bash the defense of Finns broke and Russians reached the road connecting Vyborg and Ihanlala and Finns withdrew towards Juustila.

Finnish troops deploying at Portinhoikka.

PAK40 waiting at ready.

Soviet recce approaching crossroads.

And gets hit by panzerchreck.

Finnish MMG firing.

Objective of the attacker, Portinhoikka crossroads.

Finns in the woods firing.

Soviet infantry attacking.

Soviet T-34's advance on the road.

Massed Russian infantry and tanks attack. 

A sniper and schreck team.

More russian rush into fight.

Armored spearhead.

3rd Finnish armored company counters.

With some effect.

Sturm platoon joins the fight.

Finnish tanks hit and on fire.

Soviet reinforcements arrive.

Late stages of the fight, crossroads full of burning wrecks.

The objective reached by the Soviets.

What a fight! Double size of the normal Bolt Action game. Seven tanks on Soviet side and two platoons of infantry. A platoon of Finns defending with four tanks on Finnish side. Ten + two turns. And still the game rolled on nicely and it was a mayhem but great fun!

Five players altogether. Thanks for the players!

Bolt Action - demo game at the club

I was asked to run Bolt Action demo game at our gaming club. For the game I packed my US 2nd Armored infantry and Fallschirmjägers with some tanks. The game was "Take the Bridge" from D-day campaign book.

We had relaxed, fun and eventful Bolt Action gaming for some two and a half hours. I think the guys enjoyed the game, two of them have already had some figures to paint. So, soon there will be more Bolt Action gamers in the club soon.

I won't be reporting the game, but some highlights should be mentioned. US armored was well equipped and backed with one Sherman, but somehow were approaching a bit too carefully the objective. And the whole game was to end on turn three, when US air observer managed to hit his own men with ground attack aircraft. Some would say classical mistake. How ever Yanks got their show back on the road and almost made it to the objective. There was also nice tank duel over the river between Sherman and Stug and Stug bested poor Americans. Some AAR shots. (some are badly off focus, too many stray bullets maybe)

Familiar riverside village was the scene once again.

US troops push to the bridge.

But someone is already watching.

German assault gun is slowly moving into vantage point.

Troops pile up on the end of the bridge.

Both half tracks are on fire and infantry push on.

Close range firefight on the bridge.

This is the furthest US managed and lost the day.