The Hungarian Army benefitted from strong officer training and axis support. We look at collecting a Hungarian Army in Bolt Action.
Why collect Hungarians?
The Hungarian Army operated in support of the German Army in their invasion of Southern Russia, pushing as far as Stalingrad in Operation Barbarossa. Following their crushing defeat at the historic siege, the Hungarians shifted into a more defensive role. A Hungarian Bolt Action can make for a very unique force on the tabletop – as represented by the Army special rules:
- Axis Support – Hungarian armies are allowed to include, that does not count towards a platoon’s maximum, one additional unit from the German or Italian army list, within certain restrictions.
- Experienced Officer Corps – Due to their extensive training, all Hungarian HQ units count as Fanatics meaning that they are not prone to fleeing when the going gets dire.
The Axis Support special rule, in particular, can make the composition of a Hungarian force quite unusual. Coupled with some of the more bizarre weaponry (like the 44M ‘Mace Thrower’) and you’ll have quite the unique Army to wield on the tabletop.
Initial Purchases
Rules and Background
The most obvious port of call when tackling the beginning of any new army is to make sure you’re acquainted with the ruleset. The main Bolt Action rulebook is a fantastic resource, containing background, a historic timeline and sample army lists (the German list is especially pertinent for the Hungarian’s Axis Support special rule).
For the Hungarian Army list, you’ll want to steer yourself to the Armies of Italy and the Axis supplement. This contains the full Hungarian army list and special rules, as well as theatre selectors to allow you to create armies with a more historical flavour.
Miniatures
Of course, you’ll not get too far in your army building without miniatures. The basic building blocks of any Bolt Action Army are two squads of infantry and a lieutenant to lead them. There are two primary routes to consider:
Method 1: Prepared Army
The Warlord Games web team has put together bundles designed to get you up and running with a Hungarian Army. Our Hungarian Starter Army, for example, gives you a nice variety of units to begin your collection. Lightly equipped but on home soil, this army will be a tough force to dislodge from a defensive position, whilst the veteran paratroopers will prove a potent fighting force.
Method 2: Hungarian Army Honved Division Box Set
The staple of any Bolt Action army is its infantry and though a Hungarian rifle platoon was not as well trained in infantry tactics as their German comrades, they will serve you well on the field of Bolt Action, whether in support of German allies in the offensive of Operation Barbarossa or in their stoic defence of Budapest.
Two versions of Honved divisions are available, allowing you to create a force in winter gear if you so choose.
Adding Reinforcements
You could always add more infantry, and you can do this whilst maintaining some variety by adding a Hungarian Parachute Assault section. After this, it’s worth looking at adding some command options and weapon teams to bolster the army’s firepower. Here in the web team, we’re rather fond of the new dual-purpose 44M Mace Thrower, effective against both armour and infantry.
Armour
Once you’ve built the core of your force, you might find you want some armour to back up your infantry blocks. The 39M Csaba is uniquely Hungarian design and adds oomphs of character to an Army.
Bearing in mind that a Hungarian list can include any German tanks that do not exceed an armour value of 9, there is a fantastic variety to choose from, far too large to list here. It’s worth doing a little research when collecting a Hungarian Army or looking at the theatre selectors in Bolt Action supplements for inspiration and ideas.
One Step Further
The Bolt Action campaign supplements are designed to further enhance your games of Bolt Action in historical context. To this end, you’ll find within further scenarios, history, units to add to an army and theatre selectors to pepper you chosen army with ever-more distinctive flavourings. Campaign Fortress Budapest concentrates on its namesake, the siege of Budapest, with German and Hungarian forces fighting a desperate defence.
Look out for the forthcoming Campaign book: Stalingrad, which details in-depth the forces and history of the siege including the Hungarian Army’s involvement.
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon