Canadian Tabletop Championships: Bolt Action Tournament

by Dennis ‘MATT VARNISH’ Campbell

The second Canadian Tabletop Championships (CTC) was held over the Mother’s Day Weekend here in Ottawa, ON, Canada, after a 4-year hiatus thanks to Covid 19.  I attended the first CTC in 2019 where I was the ringer for Flames of War on Day One and wound up winning the Team Yankee event with my Syrians on Day Two.  I would have participated in the two-day Bolt Action event this year were it not on Mother’s Day and my wife’s birthday weekend, but I am assured next year will be earlier in the month, the first weekend of May.

 

While I was focused on the Bolt Action tournament when I popped by on both mornings, there was a LARGE 40k and Age of Sigmar tournament. I am told its the equivalent of the old Toronto GT, and they also had a Lord of the Rings event, Horus Heresy, Kill Team and even Adeptus Mechanicus.  So think of this as an Adepticon light?

Bolt Action Tournament: five games over two days, list restrictions: up to two reinforced platoons or one armoured platoon, with specific missions known ahead of time by all. I have a boat-tonne of pics and I’ll include the winning list at the end for the Bo Mortensen’s of the world to dissect.   Enjoy!

We had 2x Sams, so Sam HM (His Majesty??) looks over the railroad depot for his Brit Commandos

 

Tony Yueh already has his German Opel Blitz up behind a building while Sam McAdoo wonders where he left his AVRE at.

 

Sylvain Tardiff’s Canadians vs Wade McHattie’s Gurkha Para fight on the city map.

 

“Heinz!  The windshield iz getting foggy!”  Tanner McHattie’s mixed Germans with their Opel blitz, ready to flank.

 

 

 

Robert’s Italian flamethrower team in a Dovunque truck.  Something-something Mario Fireball powerup?

 

Tanner’s Opel Blitz stopping by the HaBec store. It must mean ticket office?

 

Not sure why, but I love British 5.5 inch guns. This one is Doug Dunn’s

 

Looks like Sam McAdoo found his AVRE and it’s advancing to cover the Fox Armoured Car

 

AVRE hits its mark. ‘Fritz, call der Feuerwehr, use that red Telephone box!’

 

Tony’s Panzer III looking for other targets, the AVRE is just too tough.

 

Marc is better known online as “Deweycat Productions,” a fine purveyor of STL files.  His Italian Paracadusti are jealous of the 2x Waco and 1x Horsa Glider on the DZ map!

 

Sylvain’s Canadian Honey Stuart knocks out Wade’s Stuart, only for Wade’s Staghound to advance.  All under the watchful gaze of a statue of… Louis LeBreton from Heroquest????

 

Kevin had a unique army: The Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalists)

 

Kuomintang leader on horse advances up on the desert table.

 

Armies on parade:  Tony Yueh’s Germans with lit up house, Fockewulf 190-D, and rocket trails for his Nebelwerfer.  I thought this was the best-looking army, though Sylvain’s Cnaucks were awesome too.

 

Kevin’s Kuomintang. Word is, the big wooden movement tray contained a unit of fanatics worth 240!!!! points.  What special rules do they have?  All of them!

 

This being an event in Canada with a lot of current and ex-CAF servicemen, no surprise there were a few Canadian lists. This is Doug Dunn’s force.

 

‘Dewycat’s Italian Tanketti’s and other Sahariana vehicles.

 

Wade’s Gurkha Para’s plus support.

 

Proper Canadians: the correct make of trucks (CMPs), as well as an Otter scout car.

 

Robert’s Italians, I believe some of these were also 3d prints from Deweycat.. they are both from Kingston I believe.

 

Day Two, Tanner is in the lead.  Andrew MacDonald faces off against the Kuomintang on the railroad table…

 

…while Doug Dunn’s Canadians square off vs Robert’s Italians with ’88 support in the city.

 

Kuomintang infantry and armoured car.

 

A chilly day in the Italian alps!  ‘Deweycat’ vs Sylvain.

 

Sam HM vs Tony Yueh on the DZ board.

 

Andrew B brought Chaffee’s, his was the only Armoured Platoon.  Square off against long-time foe Wade on the village table.  This is probably their 35th game.

 

Sam McAdoo and Tanner discuss the finer points, as a dapper gent looks on.  Is he cosplaying as the German agent who gets melted at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark?

 

As I took another pic of Tanner and Sam McAdoo, I noticed this weird gun.. not a 5.5 in his Canadian list.. I asked.

Sam said it was a French WW1 Howitzer that had been given to the Canadians by the Brits because French Canadians could read the manuals and labels on the gun system.   I think it counts as 5.5 though. Looks neat, even if it’s crewed by Vandoos!

 

 

Sam HM’s 25lbr is pretty far forward here, by the Waco, with a nearby recce Bren Carrier falling back?

 

Kevin explaining the Kuomintang death star unit: Tough Fighters, Reckless Charge, Fanatics, Tank Hunters (list is from Empire in Flames)

 

Later Andrew Buchan would face Robert’s Italians on the same board.  it makes a pretty big difference what the players count the train as.  In some games it was decided it’s a solid wall.. in this game they decided you could shoot between the wheels so grants only hard cover but can be seen through.

 

Robert’s Italian 88 near some coils of wire.

 

Andrew MacDonald and Sam McAdoo fight it out on the LZ map

 

Doug’s Canadians advance up a road to the church in the Village.  All the terrain was brought up from Kingston by the organizer, Paul Saunders.  Kudos, it looks incredible.

 

Desert Italians in their natural element for once.

 

Wade’s 25lbr…

 

.. lining up to shoot at the chinese death star unit from Kevin.

..ably supported by this mortar and FOO up in a ruin.

 

Sam M’s Fox scout car drives up to a stone wall to fire on some infantry in the ruins.

 

While the AVRE is trying to shoot under/through the Horsa to nail Andrew Macdonald’s sdkfz 250/9

 

Hot Bren on Bren action:  Sam HM vs Sylvain on the City table.

M5 Stuart scores a hit on a Bren Carrier…

…while the Land Mattress loader doesn’t look like he skimps on Back day.  Suns out, Guns out!

 

Sylvain’s Canadian Sniper team

 

Doug’s Canadians advance

 

“Deweycat”s Italian vehicles brew up in the desert.

 

Andrew B is stoked vs Robert’s Italians, because that 88 has no LOS to his Chaffees!

 

Wade refusing a flank vs the Kuomintang conscript unit while engaging the center.

 

Wade’s staghound on standby behind the woods, ready to react.

 

Burning Italian vehicles, a tale as old as time!

 

Doug’s Sherman outflanks and engages Tony Yueh’s Nebelwerfer

 

Sylvain’s Stuart drives up to get point-blank MG fire on those pesky Commandos…

 

Andrew B’s Chevy full of guys is also able to outflank.. into the Italian 88!

Sam HM and Sylvain duke it out on one side of the board.. the other flank seems fairly empty.

In the end, Tanner’s huge points lead on the first day really couldn’t be overcome, congrats to him and his win (thanks also for Paul Saunders organizing, was great meeting you)

I have most of the lists but I’ll post up Tanner’s list (I have permission for) and I can’t not post Kevin’s wacky Kuomintang list!  Tanner mentioned that having the missions ahead of time and knowing that most of the time he could sit back and defend (or worst case, one mission had to take the center) reinforced the choices he made and how he played.    Here is Tanner’s list:

And here is Kevin’s Kuomintang:

 

I realize this was a long-picture dump, but I hope you enjoyed it.  It’s nice living downtown and being only three blocks away from a big gaming event.  It meant I could walk over before having to leave both afternoons… though because it was held in a Curling Club meant on day one I was already 2 beers in at 10:00 🙂