Bolt Action Begins.....

Hello again-

How and why I decided to begin playing Bolt Action responsibly.

I decided to take a new approach to entering this game system than what my previous motivations have been with other systems.  My ventures into table top gaming began with Flames of War.  I decided with a few friends to start playing that game, and we collectively dove in headfirst....without looking. 

I was guilty of snatching up boxed sets and blisters as they became available at "bargain" prices on ebay before I had the vaguest notion of how to build an army list.  Needless to say, some of my first purchases remain un-played and unpainted.  They did seem cool at the time.....

Next with Warmachine I was essentially gifted into the game system.  I once again went through what was available and picked out what looked really "cool".  At least his time I had the guidance of an experienced player helping me design my force, and it worked out very well.  Now I have to become comfortable with the rules and start playing my awesome looking force.  Mechanics be damned!

Now for Bolt Action.  OK laying it out straight, I love the history of WWII so any game system associated with WWII is on my radar.  Though, I refused to just start buying models this time.  Once again I was in a way Gifted into my first two armies, being a member of the initial "official" cadre to introduce this new game system in the US.  Having received my first two box sets from the company I said to myself, well lets make this fun with what I have to work with.

I read my book diligently and finished it in under two days.  I have started my second reading, and after seeing the contents of the box sets I received and with the expectation for me to build two "demo" armies out of them I now know the ROEs for this new round of gaming.  I looked at the two nations special rules that they offered, and thought about what made each country "cool" by warfare definitions.

Now for the list building.  I have two armies, Americans and Germans. I have to demo them against each other.  I have four dice for each army, which means I can have four separate moving entities. Americans had mixed skill ratings for the most part and lots of air support.  Germans were pretty much all veterans that had taken losses in almost every section without replacements.  I want to easily convert these armies into 1000 point armies for final routine game play, but would like to enjoy them for the next year or so as I establish the 500 point introductory play.

I have my criteria, not here are the lists.

American
Veteran Captain with 2 supporting troops     151 points
Veteran Air Observer                                    90  points
Standard Infantry x11 w/BARx1, SMGx1    118 points
Veteran Infantry  x10  w/BARx1, SMGx2    141 points
                                                                =  500 points

German
Veteran Captain with 1 supporting troop      138 points
Veteran Infantry x7 w/Assault Rifles x3        106 points
Veteran Infantry x8 w/Assault Rifles x3        129 points
Veteran Infantry x8 w/A-Rifles x2, SMGx1 127 points  
                                                                = 500 points

Now to only confirm my two box sets come with the bits to build these armies when I get home...

-PPS