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 Richard Steer
Every year, our wargaming club in Upper Hutt, New Zealand, runs a one-day tournament for club members at the final meeting of the year. Named Remember December, this event commemorates club member Nick Garden, who passed away in 2015. The 2025 edition of the event was held on 13 December, playing Flames of War.
Remember December often has a themed format or unusual list restrictions, and this year was no exception, The format used was 55-points Late War, with infantry formations only. In addition, your force could not include more than one tank unit, a maximum of four vehicles, and a maximum Front Armor of 7. Three 1.5-hour rounds were to be played using the Extended Battle Plans mission selector, and each player had to use each stance once during the event.
By Tom Gall
We’ve all been patiently waiting for early war to make the return to Flames of War, time to feast your eyes on the French part of release for version 4. Unfortunately when Germany turned their focus west in May of 1940, a brief few weeks and the French would be knocked out of the war, which as a result means this is a faction for early war only.
I first started playing French during the earlier release of Blitzkrieg for Flames of War version 2 back in late 2010. What drew me was the desperate struggle of one of the largest militaries at the start of WWII, on the defensive against the German onslaught, putting up the good fight that would ultimately not go their way due to a whole host of tactical reasons. The French are plucky, unique and offer up unit selections that can work for offensive and defensive stances.
No matter if you’re an old hand or a new to Flames of War, the French as a faction in Early War brings good tanks, reasonable infantry, and good artillery that can win you games. In this article we will crawl through just the French part of the release, note their strengths and point out their weaknesses too. They might be just the force for you.
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.
By Paolo Paglianti
Even though I’ve been playing wargames since way back in 1992 and have travelled across half of Europe, I had never had the chance to visit Romania. When my friend Quentin Taylor — a Canadian but Romanian by adoption — told us he would be organizing the Nationals near Sibiu, we booked our flights almost immediately!
Moreover, the Romanian Nationals are part of the European Series, a circuit of National tournaments which this year — in its second edition — includes Belgium, Germany, the UK, Poland, and also Italy, where I will be organizing the event on March 14–15, 2025. Together with Rob and the others, we wanted to create a network that would encourage players to take part in tournaments across the Old Continent.
By Kreighton Long
On 11 October, sixteen players gathered at the Call to Arms Convention in Williamsburg, VA for a 1250 point Bolt Action tournament hosted by Kalissa Skibicki. This is Kalissa’s fifth time running the Bolt Action tournament for Southeastern Tabletop Gaming Organization (SETGO)’s autumn convention.
This continuity has allowed relationships to grow between the repeat attendees even if it is limited to a once-a -year interaction over a tournament involving toy soldiers and measuring tape. The camaraderie is ever-present throughout the weekend especially as players arrive to the event and are heartily greeted by their soon-to-be competitors.
By Kreighton Long
Last weekend six players assembled to compete in a Bolt Action tournament run by Jacob Kovel at the Williamsburg Muster convention in Williamsburg, VA. Jacob, a veteran event organizer, kept the tournament running smoothly keeping all players on the proposed timeline.
Throughout the day there were a few instances of rules confusion among the players, of which I was guilty of, largely due to the recent transition from Second Edition to Third Edition. When a rules confusion occurred, Jacob was quick to swoop in and clarify the correct interpretation, which were well received by the various players.
Jacob’s quick and precise clarifications is a testament to his veteran status as this was his third Third Edition tournament that he has run since the new release. Competitors brought 1000 point lists and competed in three scenarios throughout the day. The first scenario was Seek and Destroy, the second was Key Positions, and the third was Hold Until Relieved.
By Richard Steer
Every year, the Hutt Miniature Wargames Club hosts the ValleyCon wargaming event in Upper Hutt, New Zealand. 2024 was the club’s 25th anniversary, and fittingly, ValleyCon 2024 was its biggest event yet. 170 gamers came together from across New Zealand to spend two days playing in tournaments for eight gaming systems.
I played in the Flames of War tournament, which had 20 players with 98-point Mid-War lists using Dynamic Points in five 2.5-hour rounds. I try to bring a new army to each ValleyCon, and 2024 was the year that I finally built a British ‘Death or Glory’ Armoured Squadron.
