Bolt Action writer Alessio Cavatore has kindly provided us with the rules for fielding ‘Mad Jack’ Churchill – the exclusive miniature that comes with the new Germany Strikes! theatre book (when bought direct from the webstore or from our stand at events).
Born in Surrey in 1906, Jack Churchill was a many-talented man – amongst other things, he excelled at archery (representing Britain at the 1939 World Archery championships) and bagpipe-playing. In his early life he served in the army in Burma, and then worked as a newspaper editor, an actor and a male model.
At the outbreak of the war he eagerly rejoined the army. As part of the BEF, he went into battle in France carrying a Scottish broadsword at his side and a longbow and arrow on his back. In May 1940 he become the only British soldier to have killed an enemy in WWII with a bow, when he shot dead a German NCO.
“Any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.”
Jack Churchill
Probably the most famous photograph of Churchill – this image shows “Mad Jack” at the far right, leading a training exercise in Inveraray – sword in hand, of course!
After Dunkirk, he joined the Commandos, with whom he participated in many actions in almost every single theatre where British troops fought, earning many decorations. He used to go into battle not only with broadsword and bow, but also with a bagpipe.
In 1943, in Sicily, he led a single corporal against a German observation and mortar position behind enemy lines, capturing 42 prisoners. He himself was eventually captured and held in Germany until the end of the war in Europe. On his release from captivity he was shipped to Burma to fight the Japanese but arrived too late – the war was over. Disappointed, he allegedly commented: “If it wasn’t for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years”…
Now you can field this extraordinary character in your tabletop games of Bolt Action using the following rules…
Cost: 195pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 officer (Mad Jack Churchill) and up to 2 other men
Weapons: Jack Churchill is equipped with broadsword and bow (counts as a rifle). Other men are equipped with submachine gun, pistol or rifle/carbine as depicted on the model.
Options:
Churchill may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +14pts per man
Special Rules
Lead by example (and bagpipe!): Churchill’s Morale bonus is +4. Whenever his order die shows Down or Rally, Churchill is playing his bagpipe, and so the range of his Morale bonus is increased to 24”.
Tough fighters: As described in the Bolt Action rulebook.
Behind enemy lines: When Outflanking as described on page 119 of the Bolt Action rulebook, this unit ignores the -1 modifier to the Order test for coming onto the table.
Dan Hewitson
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon