Blast from the Past: World War I Bolt Action at Historicon 2018

 At Historicon, 2018, our youngest club member Ren, ran his second convention game, "Devil Dogs, Over the Top!"  Set in World War I, the game used the Bolt Action rules to fight out a scenario where "Marines fight to reduce the Saint-Mihiel Saliant in September, 1918."

Because Bolt Action doesn't cover World war I yet, he used the "Bolt Action v2 – Unofficial World War One Modifications" offered by Gajo Games and available at the link.  This seemed to work very well, certainly the difference between World War II skirmish fights and 1918 trench fighting are not that extensive. The game was played using 20mm plastics, but no adjustments to scale were made. I prefer 20mm for Bolt Action game play because the ranges feel more correct, though 28mm figures are more detailed. Wayne provided the trenches and pillboxes. 

The game was full, with a range of beginners and veterans playing that was heart-warming to see and bodes well for the continuation of our hobby.  

As in previous years at Historicon, I offered a lecture on the topic at the War College and encouraged players to come play in the scenario as well.  My lecture was more general this year, "Becoming Devil Dogs: Marines in the First World War". Several folks who attended the lecture played in the game, and others stopped by to watch for a while. 

Ren explains the scenario to everyone. 

The Marines begin their advance.

From behind the German trenches.

The Americans reach the trenches behind their tanks.

American player stunned by the German firepower.

Preparing to send the Marines forward.

Close up of the Marines and the FT-17s. The colors written
across each units sheet indicate the color of their order dice.

The Germans ponder how to allocate their fire.

The commanders of the Marine flank are somber...

The game played fast and fun, as these short videos indicate.

In the end, the Americans managed to, barely, secure their objectives. It was a great, fun game. 

All views in this blog are my own and represent the views of no other person, organization, or institution.