Vampifan's World of the Undead

Up till now I have shown quite a lot of my American and German infantry forces for Bolt Action, as well as a smattering of vehicles. What I haven't shown so far is some of my scenery items - and I do have quite a bit to show. Anyone who knows me well, will know that I place a great deal of emphasis on my terrain and scenery items. I like nothing better than a fantastic looking gaming board that makes you want to play on it. So, ever since I began my Bolt Action project I have slowly been amassing various scenery and terrain items.
In this post I'll be looking at three separate sets I bought - a ruined a house, a set of bomb craters and some road sections.
I'll start with the ruined house. This is a plastic construction kit produced by Warlord Games specifically for Bolt Action. It comes with its own scenic base to which I have added a few tufts of static grass.
It is a simple rectangular building with a staircase leading to a small landing. The walls are very thick and a selection of sandbags are provided for extra cover on the doors and windows. It is big enough to hold a squad of about ten men.
To the right of my photos is the Warlord Games crater set, which contains six small resin cast craters. I don't think you could play a game set in World War 2 without craters!
Finally, are my modular road sections, which are produced by War World Gaming, a firm I discovered on Amazon UK. The road sections are roughly 8" in length and about 3" wide. They come in straight sections, curved sections and an assortment of junctions. They are textured and ideal for country lanes. The road sections are available in grey (as shown) or dirt brown. I found them very useful and with a few sets I can easily fill my gaming board.

The Panzer IV Ausf. G evolved into the Ausf. H with the addition of a slightly improved L/46 75mm high velocity anti-tank gun. The Ausf. H would become the standard German battle tank until the final Ausf. J was developed, but this only had minor changes, such as the improvement of the gearbox and the turret's roof armour. If any tank can claim to be the standard battle tank of the German Army then it is the Panzer IV.
It was not well liked by its crews, who were often veterans and very aware of the tank's drawbacks. They nicknamed it the Sardinebuchse, "Sardine Tin" due to its relative lack of armour.
In Bolt Action, it is classed as a Medium Tank with 1 turret-mounted heavy anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward facing hull mounted MMG.
This Panzer IV has Schurzen Armoured Skirts fitted. These stand-off, thin armoured plates protecting a tank's turret and sides were developed  to act as additional armour against Russian anti-tank rifles. Later they became more widely used and also helped protect a tank against shaped charges by detonating the warhead  before it hit the main armour. If a German tank has Schurzen , then anti-tank rifles and shaped charges such as bazookas, PIATs, etc. never get the +1 penetration bonus for hitting the vehicle in the side.
The Ausf. G, H and J tanks all cause Tiger Fear. Such was the lethal reputation of Tiger tanks, that often Allied troops were spooked by the appearance of any German heavy armour, mistakenly thinking that any Panzer IV was a Tiger waiting in ambush. All enemy units that have line of sight to one or more German vehicles with the Tiger Fear special rule suffer from Tiger Fear. Units suffering from Tiger Fear count as having one extra pin marker on them when taking any order test, except if ordered to Fire against a vehicle causing Tiger Fear.
I decided to give my Panzer IV a mottled green and red-brown camouflage scheme over a sand base coat. It looks quite effective and I'm happy with the results.
This plastic kit is produced by Warlord Games and you have the options of making the Ausf. F, G or H variants. It went together very well and I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to add the Schurzen, which are also optional. Interestingly enough, the points costs for the inexperienced, regular and veteran crews of the Panzer IV Ausf. H are identical to the points costs for the inexperienced, regular and veteran crews of the American M41A1 Sherman 75mm tank, which is what Oddball's tank is that I showed earlier, albeit stripped of its Hollywood extras, i.e. 188 points, 235 points and 282 points respectively. This makes my only two tanks (so far) a good match in theory. I'm keen to try them out in a battle to see who is the better.

The standard German medium mortar of WW2 was the 80mm Granatwerfer 34. It was a very effective and accurate weapon that could provide longer range, on-call support. It had a maximum range of 2,400 metres and could maintain a rate of fire of 15-20 rounds per minute.
 It was carried by its crew in three pieces: base plate, tube and bipod.
As with the medium machine gun team, I have based the figures separately to make it easier for removing casualties. This set is produced by Warlord Games as part of their Bolt Action range and the troops are all Panzer Grenadiers.

The Germans were equipped with two excellent machine guns  in the MG34 and the MG42 - known to Allied troops as "Hitler's Buzz Saw" because of its distinctive noise. Unlike other armies, the Germans used the same machine gun both as a squad weapon and as a tripod-mounted support weapon. The tripod mount provided a much more stable firing platform and made it easier to keep up a sustained fire using a belt feed. Therefore, the tripod-mounted machine gun is treated as a medium machine gun, while thee squad weapon is treated as a light machine gun.
The Warlord Games Panzer Grenadier Medium Machine Gun team for use in Bolt Action consists of a gunner, loader and spotter all in prone poses. The  machine gun is mounted on a tripod.
German Medium Machine Gun teams are either regular or veteran troops. The MMG has a range of 36" and because of the "Hitler's Buzz Saw" special rule gets 6 shots per turn instead of 5 shots. It is classed as a Team and Fixed weapon. This is a very powerful support weapon.

During the battle of  Stalingrad, Russian snipers took such a heavy toll upon the beleaguered  Wehrmacht that the Germans began to train and equip their own marksmen to undertake a specialist role as snipers. A variety of rifles were used for sniping including the standard KAR-98K and the semi-automatic Gewehr 43, all fitted with the high quality ZF39 telescopic sight, and equipped with precision-manufactured ammunition.
These four 28mm scale figures are produced by Artizan Designs and are classed as German Late War Snipers. I was a bit surprised that Warlord Games do not make any Panzer Grenadier sniper teams. They do make a Waffen SS sniper team, which could be used but I'll be using those in my SS army. These Artizan Designs figures are perfect for a couple of Panzer Grenadier sniper teams.
In Bolt Action sniper teams usually consist of a sniper and a spotter and these figures represent two snipers and two spotters. I do like them a lot and snipers can be very deadly if used well. These will certainly see action in my Western Europe games of 1944-45.

This set of three 28mm scale German High Command figures is available from Warlord Games as part of their Bolt Action range.
 They are poring over a map spread out on a small table, which is also included in the set.
Although they are shown all grouped together on a single 60mm diameter base on the Warlord Games website I have based them all individually.
These are not named characters but I probably will name them some time soon. As well as using them as possible high ranking leaders (Captain level or higher) for your German forces, they would make for a fine objective, much like the downed RAF pilot I showed recently. An Allied mission could be to capture one or all of them, or perhaps an assassination mission in the style of the Dirty Dozen.

At the same time I made my Oddball's Sherman Tank I made and painted a pair of American 2.5 trucks made by Warlord Games.
Like Oddball's Sherman these are a combination of resin and metal parts. The cab, main body and tarpaulin cover are made of resin and the rest of metal.
Sometimes referred to as the "deuce and a half" the 2.5 ton truck was the standard US general purpose army cargo truck used for haulage as well as troop transportation and as a prime mover for howitzers and anti-tank guns. Nicknamed "Jimmy" at General Motors, over 800,000 were built and these vehicles contributed enormously to the Allied victory.
 The model comes with an option for having a pintle mounted HMG with 360 degree arc of fire for +25 points. I have fitted one to the truck to the right.
 Note that the cab and front engine part must be glued to the main body.
 You could leave the tarpaulin covers off or just clipped on. I have glued mine in place.
These are very fine models and useful in games of Bolt Action for transporting your American forces. It can transport 18 men, which is a lot. They went together very well and were fun to paint.

I have spent a lot of my time these past couple of months making and painting infantry figures to use in my Bolt Action games. The time felt right to start work on some vehicles. So, my first choice of vehicle to make and paint was Oddball's Sherman Tank from the excellent movie, Kelly's Heroes.
The tank is produced by Warlord Games as part of the official Bolt Action range and comes with a booklet giving its stats for use in the game. Stats are provided for a realistic version as well as the Hollywood version, which is so over the top.
The main body, turret and tracks are made of resin and all of the other parts are made of metal. As you can see, it comes with four figures - Sergeant Oddball sitting in the turret, Turk sitting on the turret, Private Moriarty the loader in the hull and the unnamed driver sitting next to him.
I have glued all the figures in place. Note the loudspeaker at the right side of the turret. At the end of each turn, Oddball's Sherman and any other Sherman within 12" loses D3 pin markers, such is the soothing power of Hank Williams.
There is a 90mm drainage pipe sitting next to the turret. If placed over the main gun barrel any enemy vehicle which can trace line of sight to the drainage tube must pass an order test to  activate, even if it does not have any pin markers. The Sherman's crew are immune to Tiger Fear because 90mm is greater than 88mm.
The Sherman is festooned with all sorts of gear, such as backpacks, jerry cans, crates and sacks. Who knows what loot they may contain?
The engine has been replaced by Moriarty's Detroit Motors engine, which allows the tank to move at wheeled speed instead of tracked speed. It also has the option of firing paint ammunition, which may be fired intentionally or by accident.
Oddball's Sherman is a great model, full of character and humour. As my only Sherman tank so far I'll be using it as a veteran Sherman tank using the standard rules. I'll use the Hollywood version rules in a special Kelly's Heroes scenario.

When I was putting together my Easy Company figures I purchased a few sets of American G.I.s from Artizan Designs. With the figures I had left over (they come in packs of four figures) I had enough to make up a single squad of infantrymen to use in Bolt Action. Here they are -
The section is led by a corporal at the far left. He is  armed with a Carbine. These are all regular Late War infantrymen.
Three of the squad are armed with .45 Thompson SMGs. Whilst not strictly legal rules-wise I am including them anyway. At the far right is the squad's Browning Automatic Rifle user.
 The remaining five men are all armed with M1 Garand Rifles.
I like this range a lot because the figures are very well sculpted in a variety of realistic poses. They certainly complement the Warlord Games plastic American Infantrymen very well. I have a box of 30 of them to make and they're high on my to do list.I am now expanding my American army to include airborne troops and regular G.I.s.

I vividly remember the first time I watched Sam Peckinpah's iconic WW2 film, Cross of Iron at the cinema in the 1970's and was just blown away by it. It certainly left a deep and lasting impression on me as it was unlike any other war film I'd seen with it's gritty, very bloody battle scenes and most unusually, it featured the Germans as the "good guys" fighting the Russians. I have since acquired it on Blu-ray and it still packs a hell off a punch.
There are a small number of companies who make Sergeant Steiner (played by James Coburn) 28mm scale figures but the set I liked the most is this one below by First Corps Miniatures. Not only does it feature Steiner but also six of his squad, all of whom are recognisable as the characters they play in the film. For Bolt Action purposes I have split the figures into a five-man veteran Panzer Grenadier squad, all armed with sub-machine guns and a veteran two-man Sniper team.
So, from left to right we have Sergeant Steiner, Private Anselm, Private Maas, Private Schnurbbert and Private Kern.
Note that Steiner has replaced his MP40 SMG with a Russian PPSH SMG. Private Anselm is the radio operator, Maas is the squad's cook, Schnurbbert is nicknamed "Moustache" for obvious reasons and Kern is a bookworm and intellectual.
The Sniper team is made up of Corporal Kruger, the spotter armed with a KAR 98 Bolt Action Rifle and Private Dietz the sniper, whose KAR 98 is fitted with telescopic sights. Both men have stick grenades tucked into their right boots and Kruger has a Walther P38 Pistol tucked into the back of his belt.
As a bonus, you got an MP40 SMG resting against a tree stump. I added a KAR98 Rifle and a Panzerfaust to it to make a small ammo dump objective.
These figures have a lot chunkier feel to them than those by other companies like Artisan or Warlord Games but I have no problem in wanting to add them to my Bolt Action German army.

My first German Panzer Grenadier squad that I showed last month were all metal figures. This second squad that I'm showing here were made from the plastic sprues by Warlord Games.
This ten-man squad is led by an NCO at the far left, holding a pair of binoculars and a map in his hands. His STG44 Assault Rifle is slung across his back. 
With him are five men armed with STG44 Assault Rifles. Four are shown in the two photos above and the remaining one, throwing a stick grenade, is in the two photos below at the far left.
To maximise the squad's firepower I have included two LMG teams. Veteran Panzer Grenadier squads are one of the very few squads that are allowed to take two LMG teams. With the Hitler's Buzzsaw army rule, the two LMGs have 10 fire dice and the six Assault Rifles gives the squad a further 12 fire dice for a total of 22 dice to hit using ranged attacks. That's a scary amount of firepower from just ten men!
Note that the dark green tubes carried on the backs of the two machine gunners and their loaders contain spare barrels for the MG42s, which were prone to overheating.
These figures went together very well and they come with a very good selection of weapons and equipment. I can highly recommend them. I am not a big fan of prone figures so I was pleased to see no prone figures in this set.

I bought these six 28mm scale figures from a seller on eBay. They were described as Partisans/Resistance Fighters for Bolt Action, which they certainly are. Unfortunately, he neglected to say who produced them and my Google-fu has come up blank. Warlord Games does sell packs of Partisans to use in Bolt Action so I'll combine them for a larger force. The Warlord Games Partisans are predominantly male, whilst these figures are all female.
At the far left is my favourite figure from this set - the leader armed with a Luger pistol. The next two figures in line are armed with MP40 SMGs.
The lady who is fourth in line is armed with an MP40 SMG slung over her left shoulder and carries a German stick grenade in her right hand. The two women at the far right are armed with bolt action rifles. Note that I converted the woman in the olive green long-coat by adding a plastic rifle with sling from one of my German Panzer Grenadier sprues.
Rules and stats for using Partisans/Resistance Fighters can be found in the campaign supplement, Market Garden, where they are classed as Green. They count as inexperienced at the start of a battle but do have a chance of upgrading to regular status during the game when they first take a casualty. On a d6 roll of 5-6 they upgrade to regular status, increasing their morale value from 8 to 9.
Being an all-female force, I really like this set. Female resistance fighters were a reality of WW2 but very little is heard about them.

Still sticking with my new Bolt Action 28mm scale figures, here is something different from my usual American and German forces - a British RAF downed pilot.
This is Squadron Leader "Topper" Redfern who has just bailed out of his Spitfire, having been hit by a German pilot. He has landed in no-man's land, hoping the Allies will rescue him before the Germans capture him.
In the Bolt Action rulebook, there is a scenario called Top Secret, in which both sides must locate the crash site of a downed plane to retrieve a briefcase containing secret documents. There is no reason why the objective couldn't be this downed pilot instead, making him an ideal objective marker. Try to rescue him before your opponent catches up with him.

On the plastic sprues for the US Airborne Infantry are two heads with Mohican haircuts. I thought these would be perfect for making a Pathfinder Section. I had enough heads to make two 6-man squads and you can see them below.
This is the 1st Pathfinder squad of the 101st Airborne Division. They are led by an NCO armed with a M3 "Grease Gun" SMG and a machete. Of the other men, one is armed with a Thompson SMG, whilst the other four are armed with M1 Rifles and Carbines.
American pathfinders were not drawn from a dedicated unit in the same way as the British 21st Independent Company, but from the main body of parachute infantry regiments or in some cases, from a battalion level "scout" platoon. The men were chosen on the basis of skill-at-arms, dedication and proven initiative. Pathfinder units could be as small as three 4-man teams and no larger than three 6-man teams. For Bolt Action purposes the latter choice is used. Given their very specific task and high level of training the teams did not really have a command structure as such; every man had a task to perform and knew exactly when and where to carry it out without direction.
The 2nd squad is made up exactly the same as the 1st squad - an NCO and one private armed with SMGs and the rest with Rifles and Carbines. US Pathfinders are classed as veteran units. The stats for them can be found in the campaign supplement Market Garden.
Pathfinders have the following special rule - Exceptional Training. This exceptional level of training and motivation means that Pathfinder teams always use their unmodified morale of 10 for any and all morale-based tests (i.e. order tests, morale checks, tank fear, etc.).