Bolt Action: One game 'Tournament'

Last time there was a Christchurch Bolt Action event, it was at the overpriced / Sales "discount" Event at Conquest. It didn't make numbers. Most of the Bolt Action players seem to play at the Woolston club. It got offered again at Warclouds, the Woolston club's annual main-event. The last time I went to a tournament was pre-three year old. So I've been a gaming hermit for a while. I decided that I'd definitely make this one, and even arranged for someone to watch my three kids on the Sunday.... 

...And then the event didn't make numbers. I mean, the players exist and two of them were even their, at their own club, watching us play in their club tournament, but not playing. Something about only wanting to take part if the WWPD house rules were in effect. 

So the idea was to make a go of it as a one day three game event. In the end, the TO had a serious plumbing issue up stairs at his two story house. So then there were three. Two guys with Soviets and one with Brits. My list is above, basically the guys I've had since Bolt Action came out plus my ISU. First game was Nathan (Britts including a Heavy Tank with heavy Howitzer) vs Josh (Soviets with two truck mounted assault squads and flame tank). Josh won after Nathan killed almost everything in Josh's army but didn't attack the objective. 

I was game two vs Josh, who defended in Top Secret. This guard post is the objective. Josh's defence was some inexperienced riflemen in the house and a Zis-3 over watching my approach. I then get to place my entire army except the ISU-152, which is in reserve and can't roll to arrive until turn 2. 

So it was infantry attack away! I wasn't going to do what Nathan did and hug the baseline.

Then Josh's first wave arrived including a flame tank. He shot 18" I was looking through the errata and let it be per Rule book as Josh wasn't aware of the change. I kept looking and finally found it in time for it to be 12" from the next turn onwards. It toasted my free inexperienced squad and wiped them out. I returned the favour on one of his truck mounted squads. They debussed from the flaming wreck, covered in pins. However, tank riders appeared off the back of that T34 and gunned my sappers down.

Turn three saw my ISU turn up, fire at the T34 and miss. However, Josh's other truck also got eliminated by rifle and smg fire from my scouts. However, there is a worrying mismatch between our forces on the objective and I am getting ground faster. 

I did get some satisfaction in killing that T34 with my ISU. My newly purchased and painted ISU. However, in the end I ran out of Soviets first. So Josh was the better Soviet on the day. Consolation prize was that I won the coin toss to be second place.

In retrospect I probably should have hugged the baseline more. 

Very cool to see the different games around. It looks like X-Wing and 40k are basically the tournament games now. No Flames of War. 15mm ancients is 6 guys playing DBA and a like number playing FOG. There should be enough to play BA but they won't play? Warhammer had 6 pairs so 12 guys. 

Who knows if that will continue? Jason had initially thought it would be 9th age and I had got all excited and wanted to play. I mean, it's no Book of War but the light of truth hasn't been revealed to the primitives yet... Then it wasn't 9th age and I tried Bolt Action. At least I now have a new painted tank? Anyway, I see on their forums its supposed to be Kings of War now? That's a shame. It's not terrible but not great either so I feel it's a missed opportunity. Look at the success of community run Epic, BFG and Bloodbowl. Many Warhammer players could also be 40k players so I feel to many the stripped don KOW will be off-putting and they'd rather play Fantasy in space? I wonder if there will be another tournament game for me? I seem to keep liking things that don't reach critical mass. Maybe I should play 40k too lol

Also look at this, it's 500pt Fields of Glory. That's what they are doing these days, smaller games. I find that funny as Imhad to give up on playing in the end as the 800pt standard made an already clunky and convoluted game take too long for a fun evening game.  I envy Brent's very call Seleukid army. Elephants, Pike and Cataphracts, the perfect army.

Have a good long (if in NZ) weekend.