My 28mm Bolt Action Forces

[MikeRC97]

Hello All,

Here are some pictures of the first of my Bolt Action forces, a late war German Heer reinforced platoon (28mm plastic figures by Warlord Games). The force is composed of a 3 man headquarters unit, two 9 man infantry squads, a 3 man medium mortar team with spotter and a two man sniper team.



The headquarter unit is made up of an officer and two optional soldiers. In game terms the officer can be a First or Second Lieutenant. In reality German lieutenants wore helmets in the field but the peaked cap on this figure makes it easy to pick out on the tabletop.



Here is the first of the two infantry squads. The Bolt Action rules are very flexible when it comes to squad composition so I built my squads based on the historical late war Heer squad (1 squad leader armed with an MP40, 1 assistant squad leader armed with an MP40, 1 machine gunner armed with an MG42, 1 assistant gunner armed with a rifle and 5 soldiers armed with rifles).



The “maneuver element” of the squad. Some of the figures were painted years ago when I purchased the original Warlord Games plastic German Infantry set. Since then I expanded the platoon with figures or bits from the plastic German Grenadier sprue (which includes two bodies wearing Zeltbahns), the Blitzkreig German sprue and the plastic Afrika Korps sprue.



The second infantry squad. Both squads include one figure armed with a panzerfaust disposable hollow-charge grenade launcher (the rules allow up to four per squad).



Close-up of some of the figures from the second squad. The NCO figure reloading his MP40 is a minor conversion; I simply cut the magazine off the weapon and glued it to his left hand.



Here is a better view of a soldier armed with a panzerfaust, another NCO and the MG42 team. The helmet on the gunner’s belt is from a Tamiya 1/48 German Infantry sprue. Although the 1/48 Tamiya figures are larger (28mm is closer to 1/56 scale) the bits work well on the Warlord Games figures.



The medium mortar team and spotter. The plastic 8cm Granatwerfer 34 mortar is from the Sd.Kfz 251/2 upgrade sprue which Warlord Games sells separately (the hand holding the mortar round is also from this sprue). I don’t think that the Germans painted mortars in late war Dunkelgelb (Dark Yellow) like the panzerfausts but I saw a 1/35 Dragon model of the Granatwerfer 34 painted that way and I really liked the way it looked.



One of the crouching figures and the prone spotter figure are from the plastic Afrika Korps set. Some of the uniform details are not accurate for ETO Heer infantry but when painted as such it’s not really noticeable.



Sniper team, the figures are from the Warlord Games plastic Waffen SS sprue. I painted the smocks in Splittermuster camouflage. These are really nice figures by Warlord Games. The faces in the older sets are often sculpted in a very cartoony way, but these figures have very realistic faces and the head with the foliage attached to the helmet cover makes a great sniper figure.



Snipers are a bit overpowered in the current edition of Bolt Action. Due to the way the rules work, a single hit from a sniper can destroy a 3 man weapons team. I’ll admit it’s a bit of cheese including them in my force as snipers were not part of a historical German infantry platoon, but I wanted them because the Waffen figures were so nice.



If fielded as regular quality troops, this force adds up to just over 400 points in Bolt Action so this is a good start for a German force that I can expand with AFVs and more infantry.

I have also started collecting US Infantry by Warlord Games as an opposing force but those will have to wait for now as I shift back to Napoleonics.

Any feedback is appreciated.

[Peter]

Beautifull painted figures!

[MikeRC97]

I’m back with my second Bolt Action force, a United States reinforced platoon (28mm plastic figures by Warlord Games). The force is composed of a 2 man headquarters unit, two 12 man infantry squads and a 2 man bazooka team.



The HQ unit is made up of a First Lieutenant and a Platoon Sargeant. The First Lieutenant figure has a body from the Perry Miniatures US Infantry set and a head and arms from the Warlord Games US Infantry set that came out in 2018. I had hoped to mix and match parts from the two sets, but the Perry figures are noticeably smaller that the Warlord figures so this is the only figure I kit-bashed. The Perry figures are modeled wearing the standard issue wool trousers, the Warlord figures are modeled wearing the herringbone twill trousers often worn in combat.



The First Lieutenant's rank insignia is a single bar helmet marking. The Platoon Sargeant has NCO stripes on both arms (3 chevrons and 2 rockers). The rank insignias are decals that are included in the Warlord Games set.



Below is the first of the two infantry squads. As I did with my German force, I based the squad on a historical WWII US Army squad, except that I gave the squad leader a Thompson SMG (officially the squad leader was issued a M1 Garand). One of the figures is armed with a Browning Automatic Rifle.



Here is a close-up of some of the figures in the first squad. I’m a big fan of Perry Miniatures but I prefer these newer Warlord US Infantry figures. Some of the heads are from the Warlord Games US Airborne set.



There are five poses on the sprue, all of which are good. My only complaint with the set is that there are only 3 pairs of arms holding M1 Garands on each sprue, the other arms are holding various weapons such as SMGs or a bazooka. It would have been better if there were a “command sprue” with the other squad weapons and more M1 Garands on the main sprue (as is the case with the Perry set).

Here is the second infantry squad. The figure with the Thompson SMG is the squad leader. Rifle platoon squad leaders were Staff Sargeants (rank insignia 3 chevrons and 1 rocker).



Below is a close-up of some of the figures in the second squad. The middle figure in the front row in the picture below is a conversion – I removed the figure’s shotgun and added a M1 Garand. This figure is modeled as an Assistant Squad Leader (the 3 chevrons on his arm indicating his rank of Sargeant) in case I want to divide the squad in two.



The figures in this set are really well done. By mixing and matching arms and bodies you can create a lot of variety in the poses. The three riflemen below are made from the same body with three different pairs of arms.



The three riflemen below are made from identical pairs of arms with three different bodies.



Here is the bazooka team. The bazooka in the set is the M1 with the wooden foregrip. This version of the weapon was first issued in late 1942.



That’s all for now. I have a Rubicon Models M4 Sherman to add to this force, my German force still needs some armor.

[Peter]

Also real nice painted opponents!

[MikeRC97]

It has been a couple of years but I’m finally back at it with tanks for both of my Bolt Action forces. First for the Germans, the iconic Panzer IV H. The model is the Rubicon Models Panzer IV Ausf F/F2/G/H (kit 280077).



I really like this kit, there are options for each of the different variants, and the model is easy to assemble. I modelled the Panzer IV as an ausf H manufactured late in 1943 (often referred to as “mid-production”). This variant was common in Italy, Northwest Europe, and the Eastern Front in 1944.



Despite the many options in the kit, there are some minor accuracy issues when assembled as a mid-production ausf H. I modified some of these details using bits from the Rubicon Models German Stowage Set 2. For example, I replaced the flat S hooks on the hull with a pair of upright C hooks from the stowage set as this was the arrangement on mid-production ausf H Panzer IVs.

Some of the OVM (“On Vehicle Materials”) such as the tank jack are a bit flat on the model, so I replaced them with bits from Stowage Set 2.



Rubicon sells a metal gun barrel and resin track replacement parts for this kit, both of which I included in my build. There’s nothing wrong with the plastic parts included in the kit but these extras are nicely detailed and are not terribly expensive so I couldn’t resist.

The three-tone German camo was airbrushed on with Vallejo Model Air paints. I used oil dot filters to fade and blend the colors.



Next up is a M4 Sherman (75mm) for the US force. The model is the Rubicon Models M4 Sherman / Firefly IC (kit 280060).



Another great model from Rubicon, out of the box this kit makes a very accurate version of the M4 seen widely in Northwest Europe in 1944. There are a few minor options in the kit such as square or round external air cleaners on the rear of the hull. I used the square air cleaners which were more common based on my research (the instructions did not include this information).



Both kits include waterslide decal sheets comparable to the ones included in scale model kits, but I found them difficult to work with, the decals would ball up and twist easily and it took some work (and no small amount of patience) to get them to lay flat on the model.

Dried mud was applied to both models using resin medium mixed with paint and both models received a coat of dirt / dust using pigments.



If it isn’t already obvious, I highly recommend these kits by Rubicon Models. With the addition of these tanks, I now have two 600-point Bolt Action forces, perfect for a small point game. To get to 1,000 points I want to paint another squad, more weapon teams, and a light tank or heavy armored car for each force. So more to come!

[Peter]

Excellent painted tanks!

[C M Dodson]

Wonderful work on these figures and vehicles.

They really do look the part.

Best wishes,

Chris

[MikeRC97]

Thank you all for the kind words. I’m back with some additions to my US force from the Warlord Games US Army Weapons Teams box set.

First up is a sniper team. I really like the way the sniper figure is modeled like he’s adjusting his rifle’s sight.



This box set came out in 2023 but I know some, if not all, of the figures are old sculpts. What is new is the material – these figures are made from Warlord’s Resin Plus material. A quick google search informed me that this is actually a new material from Sicocast which they call SiOres HARD.

I’ve read mixed reviews of miniatures made from the original Siocast resin, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from this box set but imho this new material is quite good. The resin is very hard, the details are sharp and there was little to no flash. On the Warlord website it says these miniatures do not have to be primed; I did notice a powdery finish on the figures out-of-the-box. Old habits die hard so I gave them a quick soak in dishwashing soap and primed them with my usual rattle can primer.



Next up is a flamethrower team (M2). I’m not a fan of these two figures, the proportions are a bit wonky. I’ve seen this team for sale online in a metal blister pack, they are not new sculpts.



On the assistant figure I decided to see how hard it is to convert a figure made from this resin by attempting a simple head swap. It wasn’t hard at all, using a pair of sprue cutters I easily cut off the existing head which I replaced with a head from the Warlord US Infantry plastic sprue using super glue. I had to do a little bit of sanding but there was none of the dust you get when sanding traditional resin which is a plus. The heads on the Warlord plastic sprue are a bit larger than the heads on these resin figures but not too bad. I tried out a head from the Perry Miniatures US Infantry plastic sprue, but it was way too small.



Here is the last addition, a light mortar team (M2). The box set comes with individual plastic bases for the sniper and flamethrower team figures and a single 60mm plastic base for the light mortar team. When I painted my German medium mortar team I based the figures and the weapon individually. With these new figures, I changed how I base heavy weapons teams.



In the Bolt Action rules, a team weapon is a weapon that requires two or more men to fire at full effect. Support team weapons, such as this mortar team, have a special rule that if the model carrying / firing the weapon is killed, the entire team is removed. This rule is what makes snipers so powerful as the controlling player can always select which model to remove successful damage roll.

For this mortar team I glued the weapon and one of the team members to the base, this figure will count as the model firing the weapon. The other two team members are on their own bases which allows for individual model removal when the entire team is not removed.



I liked the result so much that I decided to rebase the German medium mortar team the same way.



With these new additions I now have 700 points for both forces which is a nice size for the games I play on the dining room table. Eventually I would like to get both forces up to 1000 points.

[JurgenH]

Nice figures .Not my scale but i like it very well.

[MikeRC97]

It has been a while, but I’m finally back with an update. Since my last post, Warlord Games released the 3rd edition of Bolt Action which included significant changes to the force selection rules. In previous editions, the only mandatory unit was a core infantry platoon of one HQ unit and two squads. Additional units could then be added to the core platoon up to the maximum point limit of the game size. In 3rd edition, additional units that are not part of the core platoon must be taken as separate platoons. Meaning that I can no longer add a single tank to my core platoon as I had done in the previous edition.

With that in mind, here is the first new model, a second Panzer IV H. Once again, the model is the Rubicon Models Panzer IV Ausf F/F2/G/H (kit 280077).



I modelled the Panzer IV as an ausf H manufactured in early 1944, the main visual indicators being the removal of the external air cleaner and the antennae trough from the right side of the hull. As with the other Panzer IV, I added bits from the Rubicon Models German Stowage Set 2.



The two Panzer IVs fulfill the minimum requirement for a Bolt Action Armored Platoon. The rules allow for three additional tanks to be added to form a historically accurate five tank platoon.



One of the two tanks must be the platoon Command Vehicle (with a 10-point price increase). I made the new model the Command Vehicle using the decals included in the kit. In the German three-digit numbering system, the platoon commander’s tank number ended in 1. In the side-by-side below you can see the changes made on the right side of the hull to the tank produced in early 1944.



I still need to add a second mortar team and a Heavy Weapons Platoon commander to my German force (which will get me close to 1,000 points).

For my American force, I added a Sherman M4A1(76)W by Rubicon Models (kit 280087). This version of the Sherman tank features a more powerful anti-tank gun and “wet” ammunition storage. The turret was enlarged for the 76mm gun, and hull was redesigned with larger crew hatches and a 47-degree angle front angle.



Sherman M4A1(76)W tanks were shipped to the UK prior to D-Day but none of the armored units included the upgraded tank until Operation Cobra, seven weeks after the D-Day landings. The 76mm Shermans were grouped together in separate platoons or mixed into platoons with the 75mm Shermans.



Below is a picture of the US Armored “Platoon.” This side-by-side picture shows the difference between the M4A1 76mm “large hatch” with cast hull and the 75mm “small hatch” with wielded hull.



The wet ammunition storage and larger crew hatches were meant to improve crew survivability. In the Bolt Action 3rd Edition Rulebook, the M4 Sherman can (optionally) include the Easily Catches Fire and Weak Sides rules for –15pts. In the Armies of the United States book, the M4 Sherman 75mm includes these special rules by default, which is how I will field it.

My United States force is now close to 1,000 points. I just need to add an Air Force Forward Observer to my core rifle platoon to go with the Sniper Team, Bazooka Team, and Light Mortar Team. So more to come soon.

Thanks for looking.

[C M Dodson]

Hi,

Again I have no pictures .

Hope all is well.
Chris

[MABO]

I can see them. Good work on the camo!

[MikeRC97]

I can see them. Good work on the camo!

Thank you MABO.

The issue is imgur - it was recently banned in the UK (I just found out). I guess i need to find a new free photo-sharing site.

[MABO]

Thank you MABO.

The issue is imgur - it was recently banned in the UK (I just found out). I guess i need to find a new free photo-sharing site.

That would be good here, since there are a several members living in the UK.

[Kekso]

It is so cool to have tank with armor protecting armor

I applaud to your camo paint job as well

[Peter]

Very nice painted tanks!

@Mike: I use google for my pictures (and a blog is also a good storage place)

[MikeRC97]

I mentioned in my previous post that I needed to add a couple of units to each force to get both to 1,000 points. Here’s the first of those new additions, a second German mortar team and a Heavy Weapons Platoon Commander.



Once again, I have used the plastic 8cm Granatwerfer 34 mortar from the Sd.Kfz 251/2 upgrade sprue which Warlord Games sells separately. The crew are all from the original Warlord Games plastic German infantry set.



I changed the spotter from the original mortar team to a radio operator using the Torn.Fu.d2 from the Rubicon Models German Stowage Set 2. The headset is from a Tamiya 1/48 German Infantry set. The new spotter figure is from the Warlord Games German Grenadiers set. I modeled the two figures as a team, but each will serve as a spotter for one of the two mortars as per the Bolt Action rules (a spotter is always a single, unarmed model).



The figures appear a bit shiny in these pictures but that's just the lighting, I paint my WWII Germans with Vallejo Model Color paints which dry quite matte.



According to the German infantry battalion organization of March 1944, each rifle company included a mortar group with two 8cm mortars. The group leader was an NCO armed with a machine pistol as I have modeled here. In the May 1944 battalion organization, the mortar groups from the three rifle companies were consolidated in a heavy weapons company but with the same group composition.



The other new addition is an observer team for my US Army force. Both figures are from the same Warlord Games US Infantry set that I used for the rifle squads. The standing figure’s head and left arm holding the SCR-536 Handie-Talkie are from the Perry Miniatures US infantry set. The kneeling figure is pointing at a map with a compass on top – this bit comes from the Warlord Games Afrika Korps sprue.



I modeled this observer team as members of the HQ platoon from the heavy weapons company of the US army infantry battalion of 1944. The HQ Company included a Reconnaissance Officer (First Lieutenant) and a Reconnaissance Sergent. The rank insignias on the figures are from the transfer sheet included in the Warlord Games US infantry set. The officer should have a carbine, but I liked the way this arm looked on the figure, so he has a Garand instead. The heavy weapons company was allocated six SCR-536 radios.



For now, my US Army force does not include any of the weapons teams from the heavy weapons company. I will use these figures as a forward observer team (artillery or air). Neither artillery nor air observers would have used the SCR-536 Handie-Talkie, which had a very short range and was mainly used for communication between platoons, but for in-game purposes I think they work just fine.

And with that I am very close to 1,000 points for each force. Also, for anyone in the UK these images should be visible as I have switched to postimages since imgur is now banned in the UK. I still need to update the older posts. That’s all for now, thanks for looking.

[C M Dodson]

Wonderful stuff and nice to see your lovely pictures at last.

Best wishes,

Chris

[Peter]

Another great addition to your forces!