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Description
There are two Boardgamegeek pages for Bolt Action.
To go to the Bolt Action: Third Editon page, click the link below:
Bolt Action: Third Edition
Written by veteran game designers Alessio Cavatore and Rick Priestley, Bolt Action provides all the rules needed to bring the great battles of World War II to your tabletop. Using miniature soldiers, tanks and terrain, you can fight battles in the shattered towns of occupied France, the barren deserts of North Africa, and even the sweltering jungles of the Pacific.
Players get to decide which of the major or minor World War II powers they would like to represent, and then construct their armies from the lists provided. Army options are almost limitless, allowing you to build the kind of army that most appeals to your style of play. The choice is yours.
Year Published
2012
Transcript Analysis
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 7
This page: 7
Sentiment:
pos 6 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–7 of 7
Video UdLZznf3sT0
Black Country War Gaming general_discussion at 2:22 sentiment: positive
video_pk 9197 · mention_pk 27112
Click to watch at 2:22
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Allows for large, richly themed German armies with a wide variety of units and vehicles
- Strong emphasis on period accuracy and hobby customization
- Integrates well with painting projects and diorama-style display
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly; rules can be intricate with many unit options
- Point costs and list-building can feel fiddly for some players
- Older editions may require rule clarifications or updates
Thematic elements
- Historical skirmish at the platoon to company level with emphasis on armor, squads, and support weapons
- World War II Europe, German army vs Allied forces
- Historically flavored tabletop wargaming with a focus on period-accurate equipment and uniforms
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Activation/Order Dice — Units are activated via command dice, enabling varied and strategic order administration each turn.
- Anti-Tank and Armament Interactions — Weapons like Panzerfausts and MG teams interact with armored units and fortifications in defined ways.
- Morale and leadership — Morale tests influence whether units stay on the table or break under pressure.
- Ranged and Close Combat — Distance-based shooting with modifiers for range, cover, and armor, followed by close combat outcomes.
- Vehicle Rules — Rules governing tanks (e.g., King Tiger, Tiger I, Panzer IV) and their operation on the battlefield.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- this is four thousand odd points this right here
- not touching anything bolt-action until I actually get all these fully complete
- I'm trimming stuff out of this so not everything here will be used
- it's heavy Hobby makers dream to get a project fully finished
- I really do like the camo schemes on them
- Michael Caine here from The Eagle Has Landed
- Band of Brothers
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Bn3Y05-EZMg
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 10:25 sentiment: positive
video_pk 7771 · mention_pk 22943
Click to watch at 10:25
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Another accessible historical system that lowers entry barriers
Cons
- Similar concerns about cost of models and terrain
Thematic elements
- small-to-medium force engagements with historical flavor
- World War II historical wargaming
- narrative-driven battles and campaigns
Comparison games
- Flames of War
- Saga
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Miniatures-based engagement — Skirmish-to-small force battles with mission-based play
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- aging out which generally aging out in many situations means okay well you've gotten older and you've gotten married and you've gotten kids
- it's an amazing time to be alive in wargaming
- we are spoiled for choice
- it's not declining the fact that you're finding the options to find more and more games out there
- the ease of being an indie war game company is getting easier
- stls are exactly the same thing a little bit newer than pdfs
- three-dimensional printing it's getting miniatures to all parts of the globe which used to be really hard
- it's a great time to be a nerd
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video bbjpQ0HujNE
Unknown Channel analysis at 8:57 sentiment: positive
video_pk 6730 · mention_pk 20002
Click to watch at 8:57
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Accessible historical wargaming
- Good tabletop realism
Cons
- Rules interpretation can vary
- Occasional complexity
Thematic elements
- Historical miniature wargaming
- World War II historical battles
- Campaigns and scenarios
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Historically-inspired rules — Tactical infantry and armored warfare with emphasis on realism.
- Miniature-based play — Scale models on carefully laid terrain.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the enjoyment itself is the ends and the means is sitting down painting little dudes or dudettes or whatever robots and aliens and and making that go
- you don't have to be excellent at it
- leisure time equals fun
- if you fret too much about your leisure time... the wrong way to look at it
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Uo7-BTGYxtQ
Black Country War Gaming general_discussion at 0:00 sentiment: positive
video_pk 5505 · mention_pk 16382
Click to watch at 0:00
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Rich variety of American and allied units with multiple kit options
- Wide range of conversions and basing possibilities
- Clear emphasis on painting, modelling, and showcasing the collection
Cons
- Some kits (e.g., older Jeep) can have scale or quality issues
- Some kits are perceived as expensive or fiddly to assemble
Thematic elements
- military operations and squad-level warfare in 28mm scale
- World War II European Theater featuring American forces vs Axis powers
- documentary-style army showcase with painting and modelling commentary
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Morale and casualties management — Casualties and morale impact unit effectiveness and availability on the tabletop.
- Order dice activation — Units are activated via drawing colored order dice, driving tactical sequencing and command.
- Squad-based combat — Small squads resolve shooting and close combat with weapon teams and support units.
- Vehicles and support weapons — Incorporates mortars, MGs, bazookas and other support arms into the force composition.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the MP on a bicycle
- this is the American bolt-action showcase where I show off the complete full army that I have in my collection
- one of the better paint jobs that I did
- these are just the extra men for the lieutenant's
- it's been a massive massive long-term project
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video EtyDpjEHfvE
Unspecified Wargaming Channel game_mechanics_analysis
video_pk 3575 · mention_pk 10637
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- Tactical Warfare
- World War II
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Dice Bag Activation — Players place colored dice in a bag equal to their unit count, then randomly draw to determine activation
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Rules are more important to a war game than story or art or lore or Vibes
- You can very easily change the way the game is played without needing to know how to code or make mods
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video GTBnvZxm66E
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 5:33 sentiment: positive
video_pk 2180 · mention_pk 6381
Click to watch at 5:33
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Historically flavored terrain setup supports cinematic yet grounded battles
- Good for narrative scenarios with constrained movement
Cons
- Can be slow with dense terrain on cluttered boards
Thematic elements
- Historical, tactical skirmishes with regimented formations
- World War II infantry and armor engagements
- Historically grounded
Comparison games
- Kings of War
- Warhammer 40,000
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- flanking — Tactical movement and cover mechanics in WWII terrain
- line_of_sight — LOS-based shooting with terrain interactions
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- the amount of terrain that you have on a table and it also depends completely on the size of the table
- having decent cover in a game that has big ranges to all the weapons is important
- there's nothing wrong with just grabbing a bunch of pieces of train stewing them about the table and starting to throw dice
- cover is important when people are sling and lead you want to not be standing out in the open
- the trick is is that you may have a lot of terrain on the board but if you've built it so that there are a lot of just open streets you are building lanes that long-distance shooters are being really given an advantage on
- the tables are all a lot alike because that makes it fair
- think not only about constructing and making your terrain look cool but think about how you construct the board
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video wO3kThdv-sA
Unknown Channel general_discussion at 3:53 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1576 · mention_pk 4570
Click to watch at 3:53
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Strong historical base allows easy cross-use with other historical systems
- Terrain and modeling can be repurposed across eras with scale matching
Cons
- Focus is historically grounded; sci-fi cross-use may require heavy conversion
- Factions and equipment are period-specific
Thematic elements
- historical accuracy and generic WWII engagements
- Historical WWII tabletop wargame
- tactical engagements with potential for cross-period conversions
Comparison games
- Conflict 47
- Warhammer 40,000
- Bolt Action
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Historical-scale skirmishes — Infantry and vehicles engage on a historical battlefield scale.
- Order-based activation — Units are activated by orders, adding a layer of tactical planning.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- can i use this for more than one game
- the sky is the limit
- trees are important pieces to have on your table
- there's no reason that you can't use your ruined skull covered buildings in regular sci-fi
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–7 of 7