Bolt Action

By Kreighton Long

I recently wrote an article about a Bolt Action tournament I attended in February.  One of the commenters made me think about how different Tournament Organizers across the country approach the time management piece of running a tournament.  So I set out to collect some answers.

I reached out to TOs from coast to coast, some I knew from attending their events and others via Facebook or recommendations from others, and started to compile some ideas.  The conversations began with point/order dice limits, how long rounds lasted, scenarios chosen or avoided, and additional measures put in place to help ensure well timed events.   Take a look below on comments made by eight TOs.  At the end you’ll find my key take-aways from this experience.

By: Phil Gurtler

I have been super excited about Konflikt 47 since I saw it on the discount shelf at my local store six years ago after first edition floundered. Now with the rerelease and the new plastic kits, I get to live the best parts of German tanks and multilegged battlemechs in one! To create my dream K47 army, I took a little bit of liberty to head cannon my own reasons for why I will be playing my favorite models. Notice I didn’t say the best units…a dozen or so games in, and I have only actually won a single game.

By Kreighton Long

On 21 February, thirteen players gathered at the Williamsburg Muster in Williamsburg, VA to compete in another one of Kalissa Skibicki’s Bolt Action tournaments.  Most of the participants were returning players with friendly catch-ups throughout the weekend.  A few new faces joined the usual gang over three rounds on gorgeous tables prepared by David Skibicki.

By Kreighton Long

With my Bolt Action Stalingrad German Army completed (for now), I set my sights on a display board to accompany my army.  My plan was to make the most of some extra textured mats procured from Michaels for a previous project.

By Kreighton Long

This past December I was introduced by a friend to a new hobby store in Culpeper, Virginia — Brickhammer.  I quickly made a trip to the store and met the owner, Kevin, and offered my services as someone who knows a bit about Bolt Action.  He eagerly accepted my offer and we scheduled a demo game at the store in January.  This was my first demo game and I challenged myself to do quality work for a group of potential new players.

By Aaron Kamakawiwoole

Hey Reader!

Kreighton gave an excellent overview of the new Third Edition supplement for the Armies of Imperial Japan, and today we’re continuing in our review of the book by looking at some of the highlights for new units in the book.

Japan has a lot of interesting, thematic, and powerful options, so today we will highlight some of the unique choices that will make your army feel fresh and unique from the rest of your collection.

 By Kreighton Long

The most recent addition to Warlord Games‘ Bolt Action Third Edition is enroute in the form of Armies of Imperial Japan.  This latest edition comes in at just under 100 pages and is full to the brim with exciting and unique units, Osprey illustrations, and photographs of miniatures in action.

By Aaron Kamakawiwoole

Hey Reader!

I had a chance to sit down with Jesse Marcelo (the 2025 Bolt Action Maryland State Runner-Up) to discuss the unique army he took to the event.

Sporting a Polish Partisans list (with Partisans being one of the armies in the new edition that people seem to be most displeased with since they lost so many of the tricks and unique elements that made them interesting), Jesse finished the day 3-0, with his final win being against me (the previous Maryland State Champion from last year).

The list performed really well, even though it defined conventions, so I sat down with Jesse to chat about what went into his choice of army. Take it away, Jesse!

By Aaron Kamakawiwoole

Hey Reader!

I had a chance to sit down with Joe Lint (the 2025 Bolt Action Maryland State Champion) to discuss the unique army he took. Having chatted with Joe in advance of the tournament on lists, Joe mentioned that he wanted to challenge himself and run with no tanks, which is a big loss for the US since they have a really good suite of tanks and tank destroyers.

So he went full swing into the 2nd Ranger Battalion for D-Day, complete with a display board with grappling hooks for ascending the cliffs, landing craft to showcase the men (they were not part of the army), and a painted fighter for his Air Observer to call in:

Seeing this army in-person was a real treat: it looks even better in-person, as the battle patches on their arms pop more, and the highlighting job in particular was very, very good.

But the list also performed well, so to guide that discussion, I had a few questions for him. Take it away, Joe!

By Kreighton Long

Two weekends ago I had the opportunity to compete in a Bolt Action tournament organized by Jesse Marcelo at Your Hobby Place in Alexandria, VA.  This was Jesse’s third time as Tournament Organizer since hosting his first tournament last year in an effort to help grow the community.  Each player was permitted a 1100 point list not to exceed 20 order die.

The mood of the event was friendly and light-hearted.  All three of my opponents were a pleasure to play against with no absence of good humor and laughter while we worked through the three, two hour rounds.  What I overheard throughout the day was that most of the players were congenial and friendly — minus one exception that the TO dealt with quickly and quietly. Overall, it was an excellent atmosphere for both green and veteran players alike.