Bolt Action Campaign Day at Board in Brum.

Hey guys, yesterday I went to a gaming store called Board in Brum (Facebook page here) to play a campaign day for Bolt Action. This was my first time here and it's a great friendly little shop with a room for gaming that holds about 9 6x4 tables.    It was a casual day for people to get some games in and for newer players to get experience. It would be 3 games against one opponent. With results slightly effecting the next match.   I was paired with a relatively experienced player (whose name escapes me which is very rude of me and I apologise ) and his Fallschirmjager (Which were beautifully painted) .
My British force contained,

Regular 2nd Lieutenant and a bodyguard.

2 x Regular 9 man squads both with Bren guns.

2 x Veteran 5 man Paratrooper squads with SMGs.

Regular PIAT Team

Regular Light Mortar Team

Regular Sniper Team

2 x Bren Carriers

Regular Cromwell Tank

Regular Forward Observer

First game everybody played a meeting engagement.

The tables were all really nice with less scenery than I use so will remember this for future games

Meeting engagement everyone starts off the board. I kept my para squads inside my been carriers and in reserve but everything else went on the board first turn. Shots were exchanged and this is where I learned how tough Fallschirmjäger are!!! His squads were packing assault rifles or twin LMGs . My Brits took a battering, they got plenty of hits back in but being veteran I needed 5's to kill them and I just could not seem to roll enough fives. My shock and awe of paras let me down by failing several much needed order tests.  The Bren carrier s being opened top got pinned  a fair bit.  On the left flank panzerfausts took out the Bren Carrier. The surviving Paras got out and assaulted a Fallschirmjäger squad. They put up a brave fight but lost and were destroyed. The pic below shows that combat but doesn't show the other 4 Germans on the other side of the hedge!

On the right flank the Bren Carrier got a blast from a flamethrower knocking it out. The paras inside spilled out, losing a couple then they were shot at leaving one man with 5 or 6 pins. Luckily as a para he is stubborn passes his morale test with ease and charged the German officer and body guard.  He killed them both in close combat. 

Lone para after close combat victory

Unfortunately though I lost the game 6 - 3.

Next up was the scenario Top Secret. I had a downed officer (objective marker in middle of the board ) and needed to get him off the board before the Germans got him off the board  to interrogate him.

Second board 

This scenario started off more even for me  both sides advanced into cover on each side of the street.

My Bren carriers again failed a few order checks so slowed down my plan to drive in quick and grab the objective with my paras (one FUBAR'd and reversed.  Delaying it more ). A nice highlight was my light mortar killing the German sniper with its first mortar round. My opponent got a squad into the objective.  This drew all my units fire and destroyed the squad unfortunately also meant his other forces could move into better positions.  My closest squad to the objective took a battering even though they were in hard cover  (damn twin LMGSs!) So I adapted my plan and my PIAT Team sprinted  into the objective.  My one Bren carrier sped out next to the PIAT Team and deployed the paras between the Germans and PIAT team .  The Germans had 2 squads converging on the objective.  The Bren carrier was blown up the paras decimated . With the turn ended I had possession  of the objective but no support I really needed the first dice to be home sio I could sprint away.........and a German dice came out.
They assaulted my PIAT tean and took possesion of the objective. My other largest squad was too far away to be of much use and I got some fire on the squad but they managed to move the objective and handed it off to another unit which made it off the board.

My PIAT Team getting rushed

The final game of the day became an altered version of the scenario Demolition . The only difference  was instead of us both having bases it was just me and I had to defend my base at all costs  the Germans just had to get in base to base contact.

The cover was limited around my base so I set my squads up near the centre and my Bren carriers with paras I put one on each flank. The Germans mostly came down the centre but had 2 units in outflank.
The main fighting happened around
a ruined farmhouse in the centre. A German squad and officer had moved up.  My regular squads had a good shooting match with them.  My paras arrived from the right flank and charged in. They took out the German squad but we're shot to pieces by the officer and his bodyguard. These in turn were charged by the troop left in the regular squad in that area.
On the left flank was another German squad working it's way.  My regular squad in this area had very little cover  and stayed by a hill shooting . My Bren carrier moved around to try and get at the side of the Germans. This is when the outflank forces arrived behind the Bren Carrier hitting it with panzerfausts. Again the paras who survived were shot at leaving one left. He charged the German squad  and took a German down before falling.  Eventually my forces were whittled down. My tank was on the left flank and was to far out to help best the end (I should have placed this better maybe right next to the base) the Germans closed in and eventually won the game.  Great 3 games and I enjoyed it very much. I would have liked to have played different opponents to try against forces but it wasn't a issue at all really . Can't wait to go to another one  in the future. So thank you Jez and the team plus my opponent.

Things I learned.

Take sandwiches 😂. The shop sold snacks and drinks (tea and coffee is free which is always good ) but I forgot about lunch.

Think about deployment more!

Need more HE weapons