Rules Questions

[Richard]

They can assault across terrain at 6″ adn I’m pretty sure this includes obstacles. So provied they are within 6″ of the building they could.

[Stuart Harrison]

Richard is correct as far as I can see in the rules – they are making an assault so can charge in accordance with p79, Close Quarters, Move Assaulting Models, Assaulting Through Terrain, second para.

Remember you are not actually entering the building on your charge – you do that with your consolidation move IF you win -so you’re only looking at the move to the building and making sure to reach an access point.

[Sylvain]

Hello there,
Question for spotter:
I’m new in Bolt Action, but something bother me, does the spotter have his own pin marker?
I think yes but my local players think if he take a pin marker it will affect all the artilery/mortar unit.
Sorry I didn’t find anything on this.
But in my opinion, they act one or another, so they take pin markers separatly. (also, they re not even in the same spot)
What do you guys think?

[Stuart Harrison]

He is a separate unit in all respects not stated, so he would take pins separately as it is not specifically stated that they share pins, just an order die.

It’s pretty much a waste of time shooting at a spotter – they count as small team, down (unless he has an order) and will be deployed in cover whenever possible. Then there’s the fact pins will do very little to him unless he wants to move, the weapon team is the one that has to test to fire if required, the spotter is just a point you draw LOS from.

[Sylvain]

Thank you sir, as I was thinking.

[Laurence]

Ambush – rules for hidden unit or model?

I understand that you can activate an unit in ambush but opposite player sees where? Just feels not real.
E.g. snipers in particular, mortar teams etc. under expert camouflage where they can act in ambush should be able to be deployed HIDDEN (in the bush, behind a hill, etc.).
Their position are e.g. written down in the ambusher’s terrain plan before activation phase starts.

I am new to BA and very interested to attend tournaments, but some basic reality mechanism should be in the rules, so my question: are there official rules for HIDDEN units or models, did I just overlook in the RB?

[John]

There are no official rules to deploy the Ambushing Unit hidden, when your Order Dice is pulled that is when you decide to place a unit in Ambush. What you are trying to do is have a unit covering an area, the other player has to decide if he will move into that area or find another way to go. So even though your dice says Ambush all you are reall doing is covering an area I case a unit moves there, then you would get to shoot first, it would be like an Arc of Fire. So unless the people you play with have some house rules, the Ambush rules in the book is how it is played.

[Laurence]

thanks for your reply, John

[John]

Glad to help, can get confusing when starting a new game, hopefully you will enjoy the game. You can go on you tube and watch some Bolt Action Games

[Stuart Harrison]

There are rules for hidden, p131, Playing a Game of Bolt Action, Scenario Special Rules, Hidden.

It’s not what you’re after in that the unit is deployed on table in cover rather than not being deployed and subject to player “godview”.

Effects of being hidden are:

gains a bonus to cover

indirect fire can’t range in – remains at 6+ to hit until a hit is scored

can’t be chosen as target for an air strike.

Hidden is lost if the unit fires or moves, is hit, or enemy moves within 12″ (infantry and recce veh) or 6″ (other veh).

There are some unit and national special rules that allow units to deploy in ambush – these combine well with hidden. If you don’t have one of those, you have to wait until you activate the unit and put them into ambush.

[Daniel Flynn]

Bolt Action newbie with a basic question. Couldn’t find the answer in the FAQs or the normal spots, but apologies if I missed something obvious!

Basically, I want to know what takes precedence if there is a conflict in the rules?

Example I’m facing is deciding the loadouts for my first US Airborne squads. I have three different sources (all apparently current), and they all disagree:

According the the construction leaflet in the BA Starter Set, US Airborne squads can have up to 5 SMGs, 1 BAR, 2 LMGs.
According to the second edition BA rule book: up to 5 SMGs, 2 BARs, 0 LMGs.
According to the Armies of the US rule book: up to 3 SMGs, 0 BARs, 1 LMGs.

Thanks in advance!

[Stuart Harrison]

MRB lists are purely “get you by” lists to help you get models on the table and try out the game. If you check p153, last sentence on the page tells you Armies of books take precedence.

The late war para entry on the leaflets is an option you can take in the generic selector as an infantry squad and in selectors from Market Garden onwards that have the option for the normal para entry – they are not a replacement for the armies of entry, just an additional option.

[Christian LaSala]

I’ve got a question on the IJA grenaduer squads. Historically Knee Mortar operators were equipped with rifles in addition to their mortar (which was really just a grenade launcher).

The books all say “you can give a man a light mortar for +25 points” and not “replace”.

I’m aware you cannot fire both weapons at once, but since the knee mortar doesn’t replace the rifle, can you choose to use the rifle if the enemy is inside the 12” minimum range of the knee mortar?

As an aside, why does the knee mortar have a minimum range? Historically it could be fire perpendicular to the ground as a direct fire weapon because it used a trigger and not a drop-fire system like a real mortar?

[Alan Hamilton]

We play that British 2″ mortarmen who also have rifles can fire at any range as a rifleman if the target does not warrant a 2″ bomb.

I was once upon a time a 2″ mortarman. The 2″ mortar is trigger fired and can be fired ALMOST horizontally. The bomb was loaded vertically then the mortar swivelled into a near horizontal attitude. It had to be braced against a tree, wall or other substantial feature as the recoil is fearsome and will (and did) break the bones of the unwary even fired properly. In the horizontal position it was only useful at large targets and short range as the sights and training were not suited to this method of fire. Yes it could be done and I did it once in my military career when I managed to hit a target tank from about 50 metres with a smoke round. I’d say it would be a desperate chap who wxposed himself to fire in this way.
There is a minimum range caused by the fusing but I have forgotten what it is.

In a wargame if you must fire it horizontally then there should be a substanial negative modifier and the mortarman would need to take a command/order test to do so.
But remember – Bolt Action is a game not a simulation and reflects averages and common practice not the occasional and rare.

[xeisenherz]

Hi,can i play a medic and the Second Model can have a gun or a smg?
Tank you

[Author]

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