Bolt Action Army Overview: The Kingdom of Italy

Regio Esercito

The Kingdom of Italy has become the butt of innumerable jokes for its characteristically poor performance during the Second World War and while that is true, Italy cannot be overlooked as a playable faction for the table-top game of Bolt Action. Warlord has done a great job of balancing out each faction -- even the minor military factions in the war such as Poland and even Romania. If they fought in World War II to some degree, they are playable!

Pros
The Italians in Bolt Action -- believe it or not -- are great defenders. Whenever a mission is rolled that involves an offensive and defensive side, the Italians can force a re-roll if they did not win the roll-off to choose defenders. As an Italian player, that's an option you always want to take. Your army bonuses are tailored towards defensive games and that's where you'll see Italians perform their best.

They get some great infantry options. Bersaglieri and Paracadutisti are almost necessary options to take. They possessed great moral and are geared towards mobility and holding objectives. Even San Marco Marines, Alpini Infantry, and Colonial Troop Sections are never bad options. If you need a cheaper choice in infantry, do not overlook the Camicie Nere. With them you are literally rolling a die to see how good they are and, while it seems crazy that there is a 33% chance that they're terrible, the odds are equally in your favor that they will be amazing.

Cons
Italy probably has the worst tank options in Bolt Action. While it's not likely you'll ever need to field more than one vehicle, all of their tanks and SPGs have the Vulnerable special rule due to their riveted armor. Their standard medium tanks -- the M13/40 and M14/41 -- are great against infantry, possessing three MMGs, but don't count on them being able to take out any enemy armor -- because they are terrible at it.

If you really need some anti-vehicle, Semoventes are what you're looking for. They were designed to punch through tanks, but -- just like their tanks -- they are Vulnerable due to their riveted armor. It's always necessary to keep them in the back-line picking off what you need to pick off.

Axis vs. Allies

Hey everyone! In the upcoming weeks I plan on going through the forces of Bolt Action and give some descriptions as well as gameplay mechanics. This will be more restricted to Bolt Action and not Tank Wars because, while they are part of the same game (similar to Warmachine/Hordes), there are differences. If you would like to know more about Tank Wars, comment below and if there is enough interest I would be more than happy to do another set of posts geared towards Tank Wars. Andrew and I will also start covering gameplay, in general, of Bolt Action to give you a better understanding of how the game is played and the best place to start if you want to get involved such as costs, starter sets, activation dice, etc. (WARNING: I will not be held liable for the amount of money you will want to spend on Bolt Action!) 

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below and may the dice gods be in your favor!

Upcoming Warhammer 40K Campaign: Inquisition War

Inquisition War

The Crucis sector Inquisitorial Conclave has met at the sector capital of Ganesha for the trial of Invicta Regis-Lann. The scion of a powerful trading house, Invicta had become an influential member of the Conclave and the leader of the Radical Xanthite faction. Once one of the most effective Inquisitors in the Crucis sector, Invicta’s methods gradually grew more and more extreme, culminating in the Exterminatus of three Imperial worlds, a subsequent warp rift and a daemonic incursion that caused the loss of an entire sub-sector.

Invicta was to be tried in-absentia for her crimes of heresy. However, Invicta had many powerful allies, mostly other Radical Inquisitors, who spoke on her behalf. The trial brought old rivalries within the Conclave to a head, and there was a great deal of strife and commotion, particularly because Invicta refused to appear there to defend herself. Not surprisingly she was declared Excommunicatus Traitoris. The Conclave instructed all loyal Inquisitors to seek the prosecution of her sentence. This caused a number of Radical Inquisitors to walk out. Then, with the Conclave already on the verge of a serious schism, a huge explosion destroyed the meeting hall.

The surviving members of the Conclave blamed the Radicals that walked out. The Radicals declared the whole thing a plot against them. Both sides begin marshaling their forces and battle lines were drawn.

The Grand Master of the Crucis Conclave then summoned Inquisitor-Lord Rayle Karalis, who was once Invicta’s mentor, and charged him with the capture of the condemned renegade. Years ago, Karalis had executed Invicta’s lover for heresy, though some whispered he was secretly jealous. Perhaps it was this act that pushed Invicta into the arms of the Great Enemy and led things to such a sad state of affairs, or perhaps not. Either way, Invicta is lost and Inquisitor Karalis must bring her to justice. Yet both Inquisitors have many supporters and allies, and this terrible war has only just begun.

It is a war that will start in the shadows but come to engulf the entire sector!

Inquisition War is a narrative campaign presented by the 40K Fight Club, Ordo Pacificus Chapter, that will be run beginning in January 2015 and continue for up to one year. The campaign will have two components; a Kill Teams and a regular 40K games. Campaign games will take place on Thursday and Saturday nights each month. Registered players will also meet one Saturday each month to play in highly narrative games of Warhammer 40K. Both types of games will have a strong story and character focus. Players will also be able to play games outside of the monthly group games that count toward their side’s progress.

The overall narrative concept is that a war between rival factions of the Inquisition has broken out in the embattled Crucis sector of Imperial space. The combatant factions of the Inquisition divide into roughly two groups, the Puritans and the Radicals. The Puritan Inquisitors have the resources of the Imperium to draw on as they try to destroy their hated rivals, the Radicals.

The Radical Inquisitors have always walked a fine line between loyalty and heresy. Pushed to extremes, the Radicals may call upon frightening allies – xenos races ever ready to encroach upon human territory. These alliances only confirm the attitude of their Puritan enemies. However, sector politics being what they are, some Radicals may find support among otherwise loyal Imperial power bases in the sector whose political or religious differences are enough to bring them to a Radical Inquisitor’s banner.

A third faction exists – the Renegades. Renegades are Inquisitors who have already been declared beyond redemption – Excommunicatus Traitoris. The Renegade Inquisitors’ existence is driven only by the desire to cause as much havoc as possible before the Imperium, or their own so-called ‘allies’ destroy them. These traitors have no qualms about allying with the forces of the genocidal Necrons, the forever-damned forces of Chaos, or even the implacable Tyranids.

Down Range: Fighting Voidraven Bombers

Tank Hunters

The Voidraven is designed to bring heavy support firepower to Dark Eldar forces on the ground. Carrying a variety of devastating weaponry, Voidravens strike fear into their enemies as they swoop down at supersonic speeds from the skies and supported by squadrons of Razorwing fighters.

Kaboom.

These things pop Armor 14 tanks like watermelons.

Armed with a pair of void lances, once a Voidraven comes on the board SHOOT IT DOWN -- especially if you're playing Guard. Void lances have the same profile as a lascannon with one important caveat: it's a lance weapon. That means all Armor Values above 12 now become 12. So Leman Russes are, effectively, 12 - 12 - 10 and the ever-so-invincible Land Raider is just 12 all around.  At Strength 9 that means the Voidraven is blasting your tanks with glancing hits on 3 and penetrating hits on a 4+.

It's a real relief knowing that it doesn't possess the Strafing Run special rule, because that would have made the Voidraven horrendously good at destroying ground-based vehicles. Despite that, it is still a crazy good tank-killer as it hits on a 3+.

Fortunately for those of us seeing these things flying in on us, they do have terrible Armor at only a value of 10, though it does posses a 4+ Jink save (3+ with upgrades). In most cases that means that Vendetta Gunships, lascannon-armed Stormtalons, and Hydras will shoot these to pieces.

The Voidraven is a real threat on the board and, while it is scantily armored, it cannot be ignored. If you leave one alone for a little too long, it'll be too late for you.

Book Overview: Imperial Knights

Codex: Imperial Knights

Opinion after Reading

What. The. Hell. That is literally all I have to say about this book.

Is this Book Balanced?

No. Absolutely not.

This is about as Pay-to-win in table-top gaming as it gets. A Knight Paladin costs only 375 points? And a Knight Errant is 370? And then you can field up to six of them in a formation and they all count as scoring units? Not to mention Warlord Traits -- specifically Master of the Field. Seriously. If you go into a non-Games Workshop hobby store thinking that Imperial Knights are fair, please get out.

As a Guard player, its disgusting thinking that two of my fully upgraded Leman Russ battle tanks cost nearly as much. And -- let me tell you -- they have no chance against an Imperial Knight moving at a foot per turn armed with a reaper chainsword and enough attacks to kill one Leman Russ outright. Even a Knight Errant's thermal cannon will literally turn my tanks into paste.

My best counter is a Shadowsword at 455 points. 80 more points. Keep in mind that's with zero upgrades. A base Shadowsword is 80 more points than a Knight. And if a Knight gets into close combat -- or even in range with a thermal cannon -- the Shadowsword is screwed.

If you just want to win, feel free to pick up this book. But I guarantee you, if you walk into my store with more than one of these abominations -- you will not find a single person to play with.

Down Range: Fighting Imperial Knights

Massive Behemoths

Imperial Knights are massive war machines that were constructed during the Dark Age of Technology -- representing one of humanity's greatest feats of engineering alongside Titans and super heavy tanks. Often affiliated with a Knightly House or the Adeptus Mechanicus itself, Imperial Knights command any battlefield upon which they stride and possessing enough firepower firepower to level a hab-block.

Lol Games Workshop...

Warhammer 40,000 lore is among my favorite in the science fiction universe, second only to Battletech. Super heavies are impressive models on the field and -- as an owner of two super heavy tanks for my Guard -- I love being able to pull them out and play them.

With that being said, I was not a huge fan of the inclusion of super heavies in normal games of Warhammer. Part of the fun of packing up my super heavies for a trip to the store was knowing I was going in for a ridiculous brawl; a game where dozens of super heavies and thousands of models were being played on the field.

Personally, I think Imperial Knights are utterly ridiculous and -- unless you create an entire army consisting of heavy weapons -- it is likely any normal list for a 40k army will get smashed. I faced one for the first time yesterday and its firepower was so overwhelming that I didn't even manage to make it past turn two.

And if the answer to fighting an Imperial Knight is purchasing my own, than no thanks. I'd rather used the $140 on something else.

I am a fan of Warhammer and I've been playing it for more than a decade, but if this turn into pay-to-win is what GW is now aiming for in their market, I may very well put 40k down for good and find another -- more tactically minded game -- instead.

Down Range: Fighting the M26 Pershing

America's Heavy Tank

A long-awaited improvement of the venerable M4 Sherman, the M26 Pershing is the heaviest vehicle option for United States forces in the table-top game of Bolt Action. The Pershing was heavily armored and armed with a 90mm gun which made it equal in protection and firepower to the German Tiger I and Panther. The length of its prolonged development meant that it saw little combat leading up to the Allied victory in 1945. It did, however, play a role in taking the bridge at Remagen.

Not to be trifled with...

The Pershing is considerably cheaper than its German counterparts, making it a serious threat to your vehicles on the table. It's super heavy AT gun and heavy armor should make this tank priority one for your heavy hitting units. Line of sight and cover will be your saviors against the Pershing as its long-range means it will command much of the table with its firepower. And, if possible, saturate the M26 with targets -- hopefully it won't be lucky enough to destroy them all before you can get through its armor.