Bolt Action
Bolt Action Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Playing Games
The most important thing to remember about Bolt Action is that there is no wrong way to play, so long as you're having fun! As you enter the wider Bolt Action community, you'll find there are some common ways in which people like to play, which have a few differences – all are great, and you'll likely find yourself drawn to one or more types quite quickly, but it's always fun to try something new!
Pick-Up Games
'Pick-up' games are probably the most common, and certainly the simplest way to play Bolt Action - you just turn up at your local gaming club or store with your army and ask 'does anybody want a game?'. You'll find a wide range of new opponents this way, and no two games will ever be the same!
Narrative Play
'Narrative' games are those in which players look to recreate or refight a specific battle or campaign from World War II, often using specially designed tables and armies to match history as closely as possible. These games are often linked together into entire campaigns, or played as 'mega-games' at large events and conventions, with many players on each side.
Competitive Play
Competitive play is aimed at players who want to test their mettle in head-to-head tournaments. Competitive armies often look very different from their historical counterparts, and are fine-tuned for performance on the tabletop. Tournaments are designed to provide fun and challenging gameplay, and there's a thriving competitive scene all over the world.
How to Play
A game of Bolt Action is played across a number of turns. These follow a really simple sequence, which is shown below. After a set number of turns, the game ends - hopefully with your army victorious.
Turns
Bolt Action is played in turns. A game typically lasts six to seven turns. Unlike other games you may have played, Bolt Action uses a unique system of order dice to randomise the sequence of player actions within the turn. We'll discuss these fully in a moment, but be prepared to act at any time in the turn.
Turn Sequence
Orders Phase. In this phase, you draw an order die from the dice bag, and the player controlling that dice resolves a unit's activation with it, as summarised by the Order Table below. Once that order dice has been completed, you draw again until all dice have been removed from the bag.
This system ensures that so long as each player has at least one dice in the bag, you never know who's going to go next.
Order Table
| Order | Summary of Action |
|---|---|
| Fire | Fire at full effect without moving |
| Advance | Move and then fire |
| Run | Move at double speed without firing; also used for assaulting |
| Ambush | No move or fire, but wait for the opportunity to fire |
| Rally | No move or fire, but lose all pin markers |
| Down | No move or fire, but gain an extra +2 cover save modifier |
Turn End Phase. Once all the order dice have been removed from the bag and used to activate units, the turn ends - at this stage, you can perform certain actions which carry over into the next turn.
Order Dice
Order dice are at the very core of Bolt Action – they're what makes the game tick. Each face of these six-sided dice is printed with a different order, corresponding to the actions your units can perform. Each of your units will have an order die assigned to it - as will your opponent's units.
For learning with this Introductory Set, the player controlling the American units uses olive drab coloured order dice, and the player controlling the German units uses grey coloured order dice.
Losing Dice. At the start of each turn, each player puts one of their dice in the bag per unit they have in the game. As they lose units, the number of dice that go back in the bag at the start of each turn will diminish. End up with too many, and you might find your unit refusing to obey orders, or even running away.
Pins and Pin Markers
The other core mechanic of Bolt Action that it's important to be aware of is pinning. We'll go into this in more detail once the shooting starts, but in brief, pinning represents the demoralising effect of being shot at. As a unit takes more fire, it can accumulate more and more pin markers.
You'll find a set of cardboard pin markers included on the punchboard in this set, but there are many kinds in use throughout the community, from plastic 'dial' type markers to simple dice - the crucial thing is, they clearly show how many pins a unit has.
Basic Concepts
Bolt Action utilises some key concepts across many aspects of the game – at certain times as you read and play, you'll need to make use of these. You can always refer back to this section if you're not sure what to do.
Rolling Dice
We use six-sided dice in Bolt Action to determine the outcome of many situations - they represent the fortunes of war. The usual way to see these dice represented is 'D6' - if three dice are needed, you'll see '3D6', and so on.
When you need to roll a die, you'll also have a 'target' score - normally you need to roll equal to or above that target number in order to succeed at whatever you're attempting. For example, a roll requiring a 4+ would succeed on a 4, 5 or 6.
There's no need to roll dice one at a time. Instead, work out how many of your models are in range and roll that many dice at once. In addition to speeding up and streamlining play, there's a certain satisfaction in rolling a whole fistful of dice…
Measurement
All measurements in Bolt Action use inches, represented by the " symbol. Use a measuring tape to work out the distances between units and to see how far your models can move and shoot.
Units
A 'unit' in Bolt Action is a model or group of models that has an order die assigned to it. When we talk about a unit, we mean all of the models in that group! All the models in a unit must remain within at least 2" of another model from the unit, and no two units, friend or foe, may be closer than 1" to each other.
Line of Sight
For a unit to shoot or charge an enemy unit, it has to be able to see its target. In Bolt Action, we call this 'line of sight', and it's a very simple but important part of the game.
In most cases, it's fairly obvious if one unit can see another, but sometimes it may not be so clear. In these instances, it's best to crouch down to get a 'model's eye view', and literally see what your unit can see. When it comes to line of sight, we consider that you need to be able to see most of a model, not just a toe or finger peeking out from behind a wall.
Missions
Over the next few pages you'll find a series of introductory missions. These use the models and tokens included in this set, and are designed to be played in order – each introduces a new facet of the game and expands on previous information. Once you've played through them, you'll be ready to take your next steps into the world of Bolt Action.
Because these missions are designed to show you how specific aspects of the game work, there are a number of changes from the 'full' game in the first few scenarios. The most noticeable of these is that in the opening missions we'll be using units made up of only a few models. This is so you can get started and have a basic feel for the game without needing to build the entire contents of the box first.
Each mission includes a guide on how to build the models required for that mission, using the US Rangers and German Grenadiers plastic sprues included in the set, plus a paper battle mat that provides a double-sided battleground for the first few missions.
Mission 1 – First Contact
This mission introduces you to the core of Bolt Action – movement and shooting.
Units
Both players command a unit of three models with rifles.
Unit Profile
Each unit has the following profile:
| Composition | 3 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown on the map, and places one of their order dice into the dice bag.
Objectives
Be the first to destroy an enemy unit.
First Turn
One player draws a single order die from the dice bag, without looking. The player whose die is drawn may now issue an order to one of their units.
Orders
For this scenario, three orders may be given as follows:
Run. Sometimes you want your troops to move forward as quickly as possible, to secure a strategic position or to get the heck out of Dodge. To do so, you can issue a Run order.
When a unit is ordered to Run, it may move up to 12" in any direction. Measure from the front of your model's base in the direction you want it to travel, then move it up to 12" so that the base edge is not placed past this maximum distance. You don't have to move the entire 12" if you don't want to!
Repeat this process for each of the models in your unit, ensuring that, when they have completed their move, no model in your unit is further than 1" away from another model in the same unit, and that no models in the unit are within 1" of any enemy model.
Remember – always measure from the front of the base when moving.
Stay in Formation! Models within a unit must remain 'within formation' – no single model can be further than 1" from at least one other model in the unit. Soldiers fight in units so it's important that they stay close together on the battlefield to support each other.
Fire. Most of your men are armed with rifles. The most accurate soldier is one who isn't moving, taking the time to aim at their target. This is achieved by issuing a Fire order.
When a unit is ordered to Fire, it may not move, but may shoot with all the weapons it is equipped with. For this first mission, all men are equipped with rifles, with a maximum range of 24".
First, choose a target. To check you are within range to shoot, first measure between the closest base edge of the model firing and the base edge of the nearest model in the target unit. If this distance is 24" or less then you're in range to shoot.
Repeat this process for each model in the firing unit. For each model found to be in range, roll a dice - for each roll of 4+ they've hit their target.
We'll then need to see if those hits become wounds. For each hit scored roll a further die. On another 4+ a model in the target unit is killed and removed from the table. The target unit's controlling player chooses which of their models is removed.
Advance. On occasion, you'll want the best of both worlds, moving your troops into position whilst laying down enough fire to keep your opponents' heads down. An Advance order allows your troops to move and fire, but at slightly reduced accuracy.
When a unit is ordered to Advance, it may move in the same way as described for a Run order, but may only do so up to a maximum distance of 6". The unit may then fire its weapons as described for a Fire order. However, being preoccupied with the process of putting one foot in front of another whilst traversing the battlefield, the unit's aim is rattled. This is reflected with a -1 penalty to the 'to hit' roll, meaning each model in the unit will hit on a dice roll of 5+. For any hits scored, roll to wound on a 4+ as normal.
Once the first player has issued their unit an order and completed an assigned action, draw the second order die from the dice bag, and repeat the above procedure for the opposing side - this is the end of your first turn of Bolt Action.
Destroying a Unit
If all the models in a unit are killed, that unit is destroyed. Remove an order die from play and place it to one side - it no longer returns to the dice bag.
End of Turn
Place both order dice in the dice bag - you're ready to start a new turn.
Game Duration
The game ends immediately as soon as one unit has been destroyed.
Victory
The player who destroys their opponent's unit first wins the game.
Mission 2 – Defensive Positions
A ruined farmhouse on the battlefield has a commanding view of the surrounding area – whoever controls it dominates the entire terrain. This mission demonstrates one of the most important parts of Bolt Action – cover saves.
Units
The American player commands two units, each of three men armed with rifles. You've built one of these units already for Mission 1. Details on constructing the other three models are given below.
The German player is outnumbered in this engagement and commands one unit of five men equipped with rifles. Use the three models you've already built for Mission 1, plus two additional riflemen.
Unit Profiles
American Units
| Composition | 3 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
German Unit
| Composition | 5 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown on the map. The American player places two order dice into the dice bag, while the German player places one.
Objectives
The American player must drive the Germans out of the ruined farmhouse, while the German player must stop the American attack.
First Turn
Play through this scenario using exactly the same turn sequence and order options as the previous mission. However, there's one very important new feature that's being introduced here – cover saves.
Cover Saves
Whilst at least half of the models in the German unit are within the area of the ruined house, all models in that unit gain a 4+ cover save. Roll a D6 for any such model hit and damaged by a shooting attack from the Americans. On a 4+, no damage is suffered from that shot.
Note that if you receive two hits and 'kills', you would need to roll two cover saves, and so on.
The Germans have fewer men (and order dice) than the Americans, so keeping them in cover is a good idea.
Ruined House
In addition to the rules for cover mentioned above, the ruined house blocks line-of-sight - models can see inside it and out of it, but they cannot see all the way through it.
Game Duration
The game lasts until one side has achieved their victory conditions, as described below.
Victory
The American player wins if they destroy the German player's unit. The German player wins if they destroy both of the American player's units.
Mission 3 – The Whites of Their Eyes
This mission teaches you the art of close-quarters fighting. Charge home and take the enemy down the old-fashioned way, with cold steel!
Units
The American and German players each have a single unit comprising five men. Four men in each unit are armed with rifles, and you can use some of the riflemen you've built for the previous missions to represent these. One man on each side is armed with a submachine gun. You'll need to construct the models armed with these weapons.
Unit Profile
Each unit on each side has the profile shown below.
| Composition | 5 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot / Submachine gun – range: 12"; 2 shots, Assault |
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown on the map, and places one order dice in the dice bag.
Objectives
This mission is brutally simple - engage in close combat and destroy the enemy before they destroy you!
First Turn
One player draws an order die at random from the dice bag. The player controlling the unit that is activated must immediately execute a Run order - charging their models straight into contact with the enemy unit.
Note that, ordinarily, your models may not be within 1" of an enemy model (see Units), but close-quarters combat is an exception. You need to be close to fight hand-to-hand!
Close Combat
When two units fight in open ground, they strike each other simultaneously. Roll a D6 for every model in your unit, while your opponent does the same. Each roll of a 4+ kills an enemy model – it's as brutal as that!
The winner of the combat is the unit which kills more enemy models. The losing unit is immediately destroyed entirely, and all its models are removed from play.
If the number of kills is the same for both units, remove the destroyed models, and immediately repeat the process.
Submachine Guns
Some weapons, such as submachine guns, have the Assault rule, which means they don't suffer the -1 penalty for moving and firing. In addition, they make models better in close quarters. When fighting the combat as described above, roll the dice for models armed with submachine guns at the same time as the others, but keep them separate. If these dice fail to roll a 4+ 'kill', you may immediately roll them again. Note that the second result stands, even if it's another miss.
Game Duration
The game continues until one unit defeats the other in close combat.
Victory
The player who destroys their opponent's unit in close combat wins. It is entirely possible that both squads wipe each other out - in this case, it's a draw.
Mission 4 – We're Pinned Down, Sir!
This mission teaches you about one of the most crucial and important mechanics of Bolt Action: pinning.
Units
Both players each have two units of three men armed with rifles. Use the riflemen models already built for the previous missions. The German player has to construct one extra rifleman for his side.
Unit Profile
| Composition | 3 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown on the map below, and places two order dice in the dice bag.
Pin Markers
Pinning represents the demoralising effect of being shot at. As a unit takes more fire, it can accumulate more and more pin markers. To demonstrate the effects of pinning, one unit on each side begins the game pinned. After set up, each player chooses one of their units and places two pin markers next to it.
Objectives
The objective of this mission is two-fold - both players must rally their pinned unit and then destroy the enemy units.
First Turn
One player draws an order die at random from the dice bag and uses it to activate a unit. For the purpose of this mission, four orders can be given: Fire, Advance, Run and Rally.
Morale Value
Each unit has a morale value, which is a measure of how likely the unit is to follow orders under fire. For the purpose of this mission, all units have a morale value of 9.
Pinned
Every time a unit is fired at by an enemy unit and suffers one or more hits as a result, place a single pin marker next to it. Each pin marker on a unit decreases its morale value by 1.
If a player wants to activate a unit that is pinned, the unit must take an order test to see if it can summon up the courage to obey. In addition, if any unit is pinned, it suffers a -1 to hit when shooting.
Order Tests
If a unit is required to make an order test, the controlling player rolls 2D6. In order to succeed, the player must roll equal to or below the unit's morale value (which is 9 for all units in this mission), taking into account negative modifiers caused by pins.
If the roll succeeds, the unit removes one pin marker and may carry out the order issued to it. If the roll does not succeed, the unit does not carry out the order - instead, turn its assigned order dice to Down as the troops refuse to obey instructions and hit the dirt!
Down
If a unit has gone Down, it takes no further part in the turn – the troops are too busy taking cover to do anything else! Units which have a Down order dice next to them receive a 5+ cover save in open ground.
If a unit would receive a cover save from being in terrain such as the ruined farmhouse, it receives a +2 bonus to its cover save. So a unit in the ruins that goes Down receives a 2+ cover save, instead of the usual 4+.
Rally
Rally is a unique order in Bolt Action. It represents the soldiers in a unit gathering their courage, passing around water and ammunition, and generally readying themselves to get back into the fight.
In games of Bolt Action, the purpose of this order is to remove pins that have accumulated on a unit, before they become overwhelming.
In order to Rally, a unit must take an order test as described previously, but always makes this test using its unmodified morale value, ignoring all pin markers. If the test is successful, the unit takes no further action but immediately removes all of its pin markers.
Once the first unit has been activated, repeat the process until all order dice have been drawn and used, then put them all back in the bag (excluding any destroyed units) and repeat.
Game Duration
The game lasts until both units from one side have been destroyed.
Victory
The victor of this mission is the player who destroys both of their opponent's units – this can be by shooting or close combat.
Mission 5 – Armour Incoming!
This mission introduces you to vehicles in Bolt Action. While it's primarily a game of infantry combat, vehicles of all kinds can be fielded in support. When used well, they can be powerful assets, but there are many ways to counter them.
Units
The American side has a five-man squad armed with rifles, and one two-man team with one Bazooka and one rifle. The German side has a five-man squad armed with rifles, and one Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track, represented by the cardboard vehicle token.
You have enough models already to represent the riflemen. The American player needs to build the Bazooka weapons team, and the German player needs to assemble the cardboard half-track vehicle token.
Unit Profiles
American Riflemen
| Composition | 5 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
American Bazooka Team
| Composition | 2 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | 1 x Bazooka – range: 24"; 1 shot / 1 x Rifle – range: 24"; 1 shot |
German Riflemen
| Composition | 5 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot |
German Sd.Kfz 251 Half-track
| Weapon | Medium machine gun – range: 36"; 3 shots |
|---|
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown, and places two order dice in the dice bag.
Objectives
The objective for the American player is to destroy the German player's armoured transport, while the German player must destroy both of the American player's units.
First Turn
The beginning of this mission is a bit different to previous ones. The German half-track is a powerful asset in such a small-scale engagement, so we need to level the playing field a little by providing the Americans with a Bazooka team. This mission also provides an opportunity to demonstrate the last order printed on the order dice - Ambush.
Before the start of the game, the American player takes one of their order dice from the bag, and places it next to the Bazooka team, showing the Ambush order. Then, begin drawing dice at random as normal.
Ambush
Ambush is a powerful order in Bolt Action as it allows a unit to act outside of the normal turn sequence, interrupting another unit's activation. The order represents your troops quite literally setting up an ambush - biding their time and waiting until an enemy enters their sights before firing.
Units that are in Ambush can interrupt any move made by any enemy unit to shoot at it. The ambushers can interrupt at any point during the move, as long as they can see the target at that point – before, during or as soon as movement is complete.
The player whose units are in Ambush declares when they want their troops to open fire, and the target unit is positioned accordingly. The ambushing player flips the unit's Ambush order to Fire and resolves the shooting as normal.
Bazooka Team
The Bazooka team has the following statistics:
| Type | Range | Shots | Pen | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bazooka | 24" | 1 | +5 | – |
The Bazooka team is made up of two men, but the loader is too busy assisting the gunner to fire any weapon of his own – the team only fires one shot per turn from the Bazooka.
If the Bazooka team suffers a casualty, remove the loader first – the gunner will keep firing alone. This is a simplification of the full rules for team weapons for the purpose of this scenario, but you'll still want to be careful about exposing your only anti-tank weapon.
Armoured Vehicles
Armoured vehicles use a slightly different set of rules to infantry, particularly concerning how they are damaged. We're presenting a streamlined version of the vehicle rules here to give you an idea of how they work. You can find the full vehicle rules within the Bolt Action rulebook.
For this game, when the half-track is activated, place an Advance order next to it. It will move 6" per turn straight along the road on the battle-mat, and may then fire its medium machine gun.
Medium Machine Gun
The half-track mounts a medium machine gun (abbreviated to MMG), designed to suppress enemy infantry. For the purposes of this scenario, the medium machine gun has a 360 degree arc of fire and has the following statistics:
| Type | Range | Shots | Pen | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMG | 36" | 3 | – | – |
Damaging the Half-Track
For the purpose of this scenario, only the American Bazooka is strong enough to damage the German half-track. The Bazooka is a powerful weapon and if it hits will likely cause significant damage.
When firing the Bazooka at the half-track, roll a single die to hit as normal. If a hit is scored, we'll assume that the powerful weapon automatically defeats the armour of the half-track – roll a D6 and consult the Full Damage Table below.
If the vehicle suffers an Immobilised result, use the marker provided in the set to show its status.
Full Damage Table
| D6 Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Crew Stunned. The crew is stunned or momentarily overcome by smoke or shock. Add 1 additional pin marker to the vehicle. Place a Down order die on the vehicle, if it does not have one yet, or change its current order die to Down to show that it is halted and cannot take a further action that turn. Further Crew Stunned results in the same turn simply add an additional pin marker to the vehicle. |
| 2 | Immobilised. Part of the vehicle's tracks are blown apart. Add 1 additional pin marker to the vehicle. The vehicle cannot move for the rest of the game. Place the Immobilised marker by the vehicle to show this. If the vehicle has already taken an action this turn, flip the order die to Down to indicate it has been brought to a halt. If a further Immobilised result is suffered, the crew abandon the vehicle and it is considered Knocked Out (see below). |
| 3 | On Fire. The hit ignites either the vehicle's fuel or ammunition. The crew are driven into a blind panic, fearing to be trapped in a burning wreck. Add 1 additional pin marker and then make a morale test for the vehicle. If the test is passed the fire has been put out or fizzles out of its own accord. Place a Down order die on the vehicle or change its current order die to Down to show that it is halted and cannot take a further action that turn. If the test is failed, the crew abandon the vehicle and it is considered Knocked Out (see below). |
| 4–6 | Knocked Out. The vehicle is destroyed and becomes a wreck. Remove the vehicle's order dice from play, and the token from the board – it has been comprehensively taken out! |
Game Duration
The game lasts until the half-track reaches the opposite side of the field, or is immobilised or knocked out.
Victory
To win the game, the American side must immobilise or knock out the half-track before it reaches the end of the road. The German player must prevent them from doing so.
Mission 6 – All Out War!
You've learned the basics of fighting a Bolt Action battle – now it's time to put them all into action.
Units
The American side has two five-man infantry squads, each armed with one submachine gun and four rifles, plus a two-man Bazooka team.
The German player has two six-man infantry squads, each armed with one submachine gun and five rifles, as well as the Sd.Kfz 251 half-track which acts exactly as it did in Mission 5.
You'll notice that two of the German models introduced for this mission are armed with powerful Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets in addition to their rifles. For the purpose of building your first models, this is simply to provide some visual variety, but as you progress on your Bolt Action journey, you'll find that they'll come in very handy indeed when the Allies bring up heavy armour of their own.
Unit Profiles
American Infantry Squads
| Composition | 5 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | 4 x Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot / 1 x Submachine gun – range: 12"; 2 shots, Assault |
American Bazooka Team
| Composition | 2 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | 1 x Bazooka – range: 24"; 1 shot / 1 x Rifle – range: 24"; 1 shot |
German Infantry Squads
| Composition | 6 men |
|---|---|
| Weapons | 5 x Rifles – range: 24"; 1 shot / 1 x Submachine gun – range: 12"; 2 shots, Assault |
German Sd.Kfz 251 Half-track
| Weapon | Medium machine gun – range: 36"; 3 shots |
|---|
Set Up
Each player sets up their units as shown on the map, and places three order dice in the dice bag.
Objectives
The objective for this mission is brutally simple – deploy all your resources and knowledge, and wipe your opponent's forces out!
First Turn
Draw an order die at random out the dice bag. The player whom it belongs to activates a unit first.
The Half-Track
The vehicle follows the same rules found in Mission 5.
Game Duration
The game lasts until one side achieves their victory conditions as described below.
Victory
The winner is the player who destroys all enemy units.