Playing Bolt Action – Germans

By Kreighton Long

I don’t remember where my interest in playing Germans in World War Two games came from but I do know that the first miniatures I painted after joining this hobby were Germans from Bolt Action Miniatures, before Warlord Games bought them. That five-man infantry squad still sits in my display case to this day. After painting and gaming Germans for over a decade it’s safe to say that the German army is my first-round-draft-pick when throwing dice with friends.

The German Wehrmacht, rebuilt after being disemboweled by The Treaty of Versailles following World War One, reentered the world stage in dramatic fashion with it’s blitzkrieg against Poland in 1939. What followed were six years of brutal campaigns across Europe, Africa, and Russia ending with the final defeat of the Third Reich in the streets of Berlin itself.

The German army was generously equipped with an over-abundance of variety. The vast majority of landsers were armed with bolt action rifles with NCOs and Officers often sporting sub-machine guns like the MP40. As for squad based fire power, the MG34 and improved MG42 threw an incredible amount of lead down range. Semi-automatic weapons like the Gewehr43 and the world’s first true assault rifle, the StG44, were available to some units after their adoption in 1943.

This same variety applies to German vehicles as well. Without going into detail players can choose from light, medium, and heavy tanks, armored scout cars, soft skin trucks, armored half-tracks, and motorcycles. The Germans were also adept at fitting mounted weapon systems such as Pak40 anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft canons on the tops of trucks and repurposed tank hulls adding fantastic flavor to the smorgasbord of German vehicles.

Early successes by the German military resulted in the capture of thousands of enemy vehicles including trucks, armored personal carriers, and tanks. In the Normandy campaign for example, Allied forces found themselves engaged with enemy armored formations made up in large part by French tanks and half-tracks captured by the Germans during the blitzkrieg campaign of 1940. All fronts the Germans were engaged in would see similar innovation in recycling “tactically acquired” equipment for combat use.

The German army of World War II earns top marks for their style. The jackboots and stahlhelm are iconic. Take a close look at Star Wars’ Darth Vader and you’ll see just how iconic they can be. The German army made extensive use of camouflaged uniforms. No other nation fielded the quantity or quality of German camouflaged, especially within the brutal Waffen SS.

The incredible scope of World War Two forced many non-combat arms military service members into front line service. Tired of painting your run of the mill landser? Luftwaffe personnel often found themselves put on the front lines in extreme circumstances when manpower was at a premium. Similarly, Kriegsmarines could be found, weapon in hand, fighting for the Third Reich.

Don’t forget about the more common non-regular army combatant such as the Luftwaffe’s Fallschirmjagers (paratroopers), the Waffen SS (the badest of the bad guys), the gebirgsjager (mountain troopers), and the truest signs of the Third Reich’s endtimes — the volkssturm (civilians with rifles and panzerfausts). The weapons the men carried are also easily recognizable to most people. Video games such as Medal of Honor and Call of Duty have done considerable legwork to teach their fans what an MP40 or MG42 look and sound like. There is just as much variety on how to model and paint German vehicles as there are for the soldiers. Take your pick from the early war grey paint, the desert tan of the Afrika Korps, the three color ambush pattern of Normandy and the Ostfront, and the white washed coat for winter campaigns in either Russia or the Ardennes.

Playing as the Germans in almost any World War II game where they are an option has ups and downs. The German equipment in both small-arms and vehicles were frequently viewed as comparable, if not superior, to their foes. However, that quality comes at a cost. German manufacturing could never truly compete with that of the Allies — especially when Allied air attacks began targeting manufacturing and transportation centers in Germany.

Therefore German players must become comfortable with doing more with less. German players do have the wonderful advantage of choice. Looking to knock out enemy armor? The Germans can field tanks that pack a punch, all kinds of anti-tank guns, and infantry weapons like the Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust. Looking to force enemy infantry to think twice before charging your lines? Let me introduce you to Fraulein Machinengewehr 42 and her barrel melting 1,200 rounds-per-minute rate of fire. Looking to take the fight to the enemy? Hope in your armored halftrack and close with the enemy to engage them with StG44s and flamethrowers.

Pros: Gaming the German military gives you access to almost any type of troop from the army, air force, and navy. Weapon systems are also plentiful in small arms and vehicles. German army lists in Bolt Action can be tailored to win any situation they’re thrown into.

Cons: Variety. I know I said that’s a pro — but it can also a con. New players to Bolt Action can quickly feel overwhelmed with the amount of choice the German army lists offer. Players who try to take advantage of all the options routinely find themselves with a sexy sounding force that isn’t strong enough in any one area to be credible or frankly, fun to play. This variety can also be a burden on your wallet. As a painter and gamer who favors Germans it’s tempting to buy and paint one of everything. However, if I were to do that I doubt I’d ever finish. There’s just too much out there to choose from.