Campaign: Italy: Soft Underbelly was released all the way back in October 2021, and with Campaign: Italy: Tough Gut not set to release until mid-August of this year, we Bolt Action fans have been waiting a long time for the next release – 658 days to be exact. Fingers crossed they’re cooking up Bolt Action: Third Edition! But until we hear something different, here is a list of Campaign books we at Chicago Dice think could be a great addition to Bolt Action.

In no particular order:

East Africa

I’m biased because I love my Italian East African Colonial force, but we need more options for running East Africa games. Contradictions and confusing rules notwithstanding, Campaign: The Western Desert is an incredibly popular book and there is certainly an appetite to expand the Mediterranean theater down into the Horn of Africa. There is an opportunity for Highland divisions, Indian divisions, African divisions, South Africans, Belgians, Free French, Italians, Askari, Ethiopian Freedom Fighters, Italian cavalry, Italian guerrillas, desert battles, mountain battles, beach landings, sieges it has everything! – Seamus & Andrew

Operation Weserubung

The German invasion of Denmark and Norway. This is teased in Germany Strikes!, but especially for the invasion of Norway, the content is incredibly lacking. In the battle of Norway, there were British, French, and even some Polish forces that all fought to repel the German invasion. The battles around Narvik, Oslo, and Trondheim were all major clashes between these belligerents. Plus, it could give Warlord an opportunity to expand on the Early War forces of the Allies and Scandinavian countries. – Joe

The Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War all but demands a Bolt Action book. The conflict sets the stage for modern total warfare at the outbreak of WWII and both Germany and the Soviet Union provided direct support to the Nationalist and Republican forces respectively. The fighting lasted from 1936-39 and the weapons, tactics, armor, and artillery used would all be later deployed by other nations in WWII. All of this is to say, none of the Bolt Action rules would need to change, we just need the Army Lists and Theater Selectors. There is already an incredible range of SCW figures from Empress so that’s taken care of as well. – Andrew

Partisan Operations

This book could cover a wide variety of partisan forces. From the well-known French Resistance, Dutch Underground, Soviet Partisans, and Tito’s Yugoslavian Partisans to the less-known Korean or Chinese resistance. There are so many options and potential for a book like this, it’s saddening that it hasn’t been created. The current army list for Partisans included in Armies of France and the Allies is solid if a bit generic. It provides options but it’s not as thematic as we want. The Warsaw Uprising Theater Selector in Campaign: Road to Berlin is a perfect example of how additional specific, unique, and thematic Partisan Theater Selector and force could be. A Partisan Operations book could bring Partisans onto the same level as any of the Major Powers. – Joe & Andrew

Greece

This book could start with the Greco-Italian War (1940) and then move into the German invasion with a special focus on Operation Mercury (1941). This was the first mass-scale airborne operation in history and proved the effectiveness of the paratrooper. Additionally, if the author was feeling ambitious, a section of the Greek Resistance – both on the mainland and on Crete – is worth exploring. Gorgon has a few sets of Greek Partisan figures that would do nicely. Finally, a Theater Selector for the Greek forces in exile continued to fight on the side of the Allies in the North African and Italian campaigns to come. – Andrew

Operation Unthinkable

Winston Churchill’s plan was to launch a surprise attack against the Soviet Union in a post-WWII world. This book could have West Germans, US, British, French, and Canadians vs. the Soviet Union and its vast armies in Eastern Europe. The original draft of the plan had a 47 Allied Division surprise attack at Dresden, which was in the middle of the Soviet lines. This book could be so much fun! It could contain alternate paths, one where the Allies push towards Warsaw and the Soviets accept a peace deal there. Or a path where the Soviets defeat the surprise attack and drive to the French border and beyond. With Gigant and Sea Lion already published, there is some precedent for alternate history campaign books. – Joe

Battles of Imphal and Kohima

Fought in the Spring of 1944, these two battles were the turning point of one of the most grueling campaigns of the war. The decisive Japanese defeat in north-east India became the springboard for the Fourteenth Army’s subsequent re-conquest of Burma. A critical IJA defeat, it proved the Japanese forces were far from invincible. The enormous military campaigns that took place in the China, Burma, India Theater (CBI) is almost, tragically, completely forgotten and deserve not only a Bolt Action Campaign book but more scholarship in general. A CBI supplement could include new rules for forces from India, China, Japan, and the US. – Andrew

German Invasion of America

Another alternate history book. The way I see it working is by using the basis of the Sea Lion/Gigant books, where France surrenders to Germany and allies with Germany and Italy. After the fall of Great Britain, Germany is able to capture some of the remains of the Royal Navy and the hodgepodge of the Axis fleet meets and defeats the American Navy off of the coast of Newfoundland, clearing the way for an Axis invasion of America. It could be presented as an alt-history follow-up to a different alt-history! Alternate history has the potential for wacky and wild lists and engagements that I feel would be so much fun to see on the tabletop. Plus, the idea of US Partisan force is just too good to pass up. – Joe

Rommel’s Triumph

A third alt-history where the Axis forces in North Africa defeat Montgomery’s 8th Army and drive to the Suez. Set in an alternate timeline where the Allies lose the Second Battle of El Alamein, the DAK and their Italian allies drive onwards and capture Alexandria (defended by Royal Navy Sailors?), then on towards Cairo (local militia and 8th Army remnants). Finally, the Axis capture Port Said and the Suez Canal. Just in case we needed even more “what if” options! – Joe

Barbarossa

How this isn’t a series of Campaign books I’ll never know. The largest invasion in history and all it gets in Bolt Action are some frankly, terrible missions and lists in Ostfront. Barbarossa, in my opinion, should get the Campaign: D-Day treatment. Three books each covering one of the German Army Groups – North, Center, and South. Gameplay wise the Soviets desperately need additional Early War units/Theater Selectors to draw inspiration from. Plus this could have the Battle of Brody/Dubno/Rovne, one of the largest tank battles of all time covered in detail. Who doesn’t like huge tank battles? – Joe

On a more serious note, we here in the US all too often fail to even grasp the scale of conflict on the Eastern Front. We, understandably so, focus on Northwest Europe in an almost exclusively post-D-Day fashion. A proper series of Campaign books on the largest military operation in the history of warfare is needed. – Andrew

Operation Zitadelle

Again, the disappointing coverage in the Ostfront Theater book that covers Kursk is just sad. This titanic battle would determine the initiative for the rest of the war on the Eastern Front. This is another multi-part book series I would like to see. Part 1 is Zitadelle and the Battle of Kursk. Part 2 would be the Soviet reserve armies launching their massive counterattack (Belgorod-Kharkiv Offensive) into the exhausted German armies. – Joe

Second Sino-Japanese War

The fact that China gets a couple pages across three books in a crime. They fought Japan for years without support to a standstill across the vast Chinese countryside. This would give Japan and China a broader array of list options and unit options along with a large list of scenarios. – Joe

Solomon Islands Campaign

Obviously, Guadalcanal and all the different battles that took place on the island. But this book would also cover the different invasions of Vella Lavella, Bougainville, and Rendova. Japanese SNLF, Japanese Army, and US Marines could get more love in an early war slugfest. We have Mariana & Palau Islands as an example and this would expand on the often overlooked South Pacific. – Joe

Case Blue

The push to the Volga and into the Caucasus. Campaign: Stalingrad gave us a bit of the drive towards the Volga River, but this book would focus on Army Group A and the drive to the oil fields of Baku. Picking up where the fantastic Stalingrad book left off, this portion of the German Summer Campaign of 1942 is often forgotten about. But this would be a great opportunity to bring it back to life. – Joe

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And there you have it! A wish list of all kinds of campaign books we at Chicago Dice would love to see. The width and breadth of World War II is so massive – there is always more to explore and discover. What are some expansions/campaign books that you want?