With the Rulebook now officially out, I have started to organize and catalog the Bolt Action – Second to Third Edition Changes for reference. Refer to the new webpage as needed.

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This is what we have so far. Below is a list of changes pulled from screenshots (both official and leaked), Third Edition demo games, Bolt Action Intelligence Reports, and the Warlord Games Podcast. Everything remains subject to change.

Third Edition Rulebook

• The Third Edition Rulebook includes five “get you by” Army Lists for the United States, Soviet Union, Imperial Japan, Great Britain, and Germany. These are not the “expanded versions” that will be included in the Armies of… books.
  • “Most Bolt Action armies and most units are usable using the Third Edition Rulebook on day one.”
• The “minor nations” are getting PDFs released along with the Third Edition Rulebook.

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Army Special Rules

• United States
  • Fire & Maneuver – All rifle/carbine-armed infantry units roll bonus dice when shooting. For every three men shooting rifles/carbines roll one extra die – so four riflemen would roll one extra die, for example. These extra shots can be assumed to come from any man shooting.
    • This is a better version of the new British Rapid Fire as it applies to all firing.
  • Gyro-Stabilizers – When a weapon is described as gyro-stabilized in a vehicle’s entry, it does not suffer the -1 ‘to hit’ penalty for shooting and moving if the crew are Veteran. This does not apply to vehicles with Inexperienced or Regular crew, nor does it apply to any co-axial machine gun.
  • Air Superiority – The forward air observer unit may call an air-strike twice instead of once per game. Resolve the first air-strike as normal. Then, after the first air-strike has been resolved, the FAO may call a second (when issues a Fire Order).
  • Modern Communications – When a unit takes an Order Test to move from reserve onto the table, do not apply the usual -1 penalty. but their basic Morale Value instead.

• Soviet Union
  • The Great Patriotic War – Whenever a unit of infantry or artillery models fails a Morale Check and would otherwise be destroyed as a consequence, take the test again and apply this second result. This re-roll applies to all infantry and artillery units and not vehicles.
  • For the Motherland! – Every Inexperienced unit that has one or more pin markers can make a test to lose one pin marker if there are any enemy units within 12″ immediately before an Order is given to it. For example, a unit of infantry has two pin markers and there is an enemy unit within 12″ – when the infantry are allocated an order they can test to lose one pin marker immediately before the Order Test is taken. Roll a die: on a roll of 4+ the test is passed and the unit loses on pin marker; on a 1-3 the test is failed and the unit retains the pin markers it has. Once this has been done, continue to test to see if the unit obeys its Order in the usual way, even if they have lost their last pin marker (in which case the Order Test is taken without negative modifiers from pin markers).
    • This seems to be exactly the same as Vegence for Great Britain but it only applies to Inexp. units. The British version only applies to Regs and Vets.
  • Not One Step Back! – Soviet armies may include a single commissar for each rifle platoon. COmmissars are political officers and do not confer a Morale bonus to nearby troops. If soldiers show signs of disobeying orders the commissars will not hesitate to shoot them. When a friendly infantry unit fails an Order Test within 6″ of a commissar, remove one model from the unit and re-roll the dice. Not that there is no choice in the matter – the commissar is within 6″ of the unit he will shoot dissenters whether you want him to or not! The second result stands as normal – the commissar may only make a single re-roll for each unit affected. This rule does not apply to units other than infantry and does not apply to infantry units already reduced to one or two models, or consisting of one or two models to start with (in the case of some teams, for example).
  • Massed Batteries – When rolling to determine the “Fire for effect!” radius (d6+6″) from the aiming point of an artillery barrage, instead of rolling one die, roll two dice and take the highest score.

• Great Britain
  • Artillery Support – The forward artillery observer unit may call an artillery barraged twice instead of once per game. Resolve this first barrage as normal. Then, after the first barrage has been resolved, the observer may call a second (when issued a Fire Order).
  • A National Characteristic
    • Up and at ’em – If the unit is ordered to assault and fails its Order Test to Run, measure the range to the target, if the unit is in range, you can re-roll the failed Order Test to assault.
    • Blood Curdling Charge – Enemy units cannot react to an assault by shooting at them – they are simply transfixed with horror at the sight of their foe. This rule does not apply if the unit launching the assault is Inexperienced – including any unit that starts with the Green special rule.
    • Tough as Old Boots – All Regular and Veteran infantry units roll bonus attack dice when fighting at close quarters. For every three men fighting in the combat roll one extra die – so seven men would roll two extra dice, and ten men would roll three extra dice, and so on. This extra attack can be assumed to come from any of the men fighting.
    • Rapid Fire – All rifle-armed Regular and Veteran infantry units roll bonus dice when shooting. For every three men shooting rifles with a Fire Order (including Ambush and reaction fire), roll one extra die – so four riflemen would roll one extra die, for example. These extra shots can be assumed to come from any of the men shooting.
      • Note this is simply a less powerful version of the US Fire & Maneuver as these extra shots are only added for Fire and Ambush – not Advance.
    • Vengeance – Every Regular or Veteran unit that has one or more pin markers can make a test to lose one pin marker if there are any enemy units within 12″ immediately before an order is given to it. For example, a unit of infantry has two pin markers and there is an enemy unit within 12″ – when the infantry are allocated an order they can test to lose one pin marker immediately before the order test is taken. Roll a die: on a roll of 4+ the test is passed and the unit loses on pin marker; on a 1-3 the test is failed and the unit retains the pin markers it has. Once this has been done, continue to test to see if the unit obeys its Order Test in the usual way, even if they have lost their last pin marker (in which case the Order Test is taken without negative modifiers from pin markers).

• Germany
  • Blitzkrieg – German officers using the “You men, snap to action!” ability can take on additional Order Die from the bag and assign it as normal. In other words, a German Platoon Commander takes three Order Dice, a Company Commander takes five.
  • Initiative Training – If an infantry squad’s NCO is killed, roll a d6. On a 1, the NCO is removed as normal. On a 2+, one of the other troopers takes over the squad and leads it just as effectively as before. To represent this, leave the NCO in place and remove any other model instead (it is assumed the new “squad leader” swaps his weapons with the ones carried by the NCO, if different). If the NCO is successfully replaced the unit does not suffer the usual -1 Morale penalty for losing its NCO.
  • Hitler’s Buzz Saw – German light and medium machine guns fire one extra shot. Note that this applies to all light and medium machine gun, both those carried by infantry units and vehicle-mounted ones.

• Imperial Japan
  • Death Before Dishonor – Every unit in this list has the Fantatics special rule, as described on page 120. In addition, infantry and artillery units automatically pass Morale Checks for being assaulted by enemy tanks (not that artillery pieces are still destroyed as normal).
  • Banzai Charge – If the unit is ordered to assault and fails its Order Test to Run, measure the range to the target, if the unit is in range, you can re-roll the failed Order Test to assault.
  • Show Your Loyalty! – IJA armies can include a single Kempeitai political officer for each rifle platoon. Kempeitai officers don’t confer any moral bonus to nearby troops. However, the presence of these feared offices is useful in steeling the nerve of untried units, such as militia. When a Green friendly Japanese unit within 6″ of the Kempeitai officer rolls for its Green special rule, the player may re-roll the result.

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Orders

• Rally
  • Take Order Test without taking into account any pins and if they pass, they immediately remove all pins.
• Down
  • 5+ cover save (or +2 cover save modifier)
  • When a vehicle fails an order check, if there is a visible enemy to its front arc, it must make a reverse move if able to do so before going Down. Note this reserve move has to be straight backward, with no pivot allowed. If a reversing vehicle reaches the table edge, then it retreats off the battlefield and is treated as destroyed.

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Shooting

• The base roll To Hit is 4+. A change from 3+ in Second Edition.

• Note the -1 for Long Range has been removed. Point Blank has been upped from +1 to +2 and it is no longer -1 To Hit per Pin. It’s a flat -1 no matter the number of Pins.

• Note that Cover no longer modifies the To Hit roll. It is now a separate Cover Save roll.

• Pins
  • Pins are added after hits but before cover saves.

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Weapons

• Rifle – 24″ range – 1 shot
• Pistol – 6″ range – 1 shot
• SMG – 12″ range – 2 shots – Assault – 4pts
• Automatic Rifle – 30″ range – 2 shots – 6pts
• Assault Rifle – 18″ range – 2 shots – Assault – 6pts
• Shotgun – 18″ range – 1 shot – Assault – 3pts
• Light machine gun – 36″ range – 4 shots – Team – 15pts
• Medium machine gun – 36″ range – 6 shots – Team – Fixed
• Heavy machine gun – 48″ range – 6 shots – Pen +1
• Anti-tank Rifle – 48″ range – 1 shot – Team
• Panzerfaust – 12″ range – 1 shot – Pen +6 – Shaped Charge, One Shot – 15pts

• Flamethrowers
  • After firing, the unit with the Flamethrower takes one pin.
  • Flamethrowers run out of fuel on a roll of 1 or 2.
  • +20pts to equip in a squad.

• HE
  • “Indirect HE ignores cover.”

• Multiple Launchers
  • After firing, the Multiple Launcher takes one pin.

• Shaped Charge Weapons Against Budlings
  • Weapons that have the Shaped Charge special rule are fired against units inside a building as if they were HE weapons. If you score a hit, the target unit counts as hit by a 2″ HE weapon (d6 hits, halved if Down, +2 Pen, d2 Pins, no cover save, etc.).

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Units

• Cavalry is +3pts per model. Additional +1pt per man to make them Tough Fighters.
• Body Armor is +3pts per model for Soviet Assault Engineers.
• Fanatics is +2pts per model.

Battle of the Bulge Starter Set Forces (Suggested)

United States

Unit	Grade	Number of Men	Upgrades	Points
Platoon Commander	Regular	3	x3 SMGs	50
Infantry Squad	Regular	10	x2 BAR, x1 SMG	116
Infantry Squad	Regular	11	x2 BAR, x1 SMG	126
Scout Car	Veteran	–		90
			Total	382

Germany

Unit	Grade	Number of Men	Upgrades	Points
Platoon Commander	Veteran	3	x3 SMGs	65
Fallschirmjäger Squad	Veteran	5	x1 LMG	85
Fallschirmjäger Squad	Veteran	5	x5 SMG, x1 Panzerfaust	105
Fallschirmjäger Squad	Veteran	5	x5 AR, x1 Panzerfaust	115
			Total	370

United States

• US Platoon Commander (1st and 2nd Lt)
  • Cost – 21pts Inexperienced, 30pts Regular, 39pts Veteran
  • Composition – 1 officer and up to 2 further men.
  • Weapons – Pistol, submachine gun or rifle as depicted on the models.
  • Options
    • The officer may be accompanied by up to 2 men at the cost of +7pts per man (Inexperienced), +10pts per man (Regular), +13pts per man (Veteran).
  • Special Rules
    • +2 Moral Bonus, 2 Extra Orders, 6″ range

• US Company Commander (Captain, Major)
  • Cost – 42pts Inexperienced, 60pts Regular, 78pts Veteran
  • Composition – 1 officer and up to 2 further men.
  • Weapons – Pistol, submachine gun or rifle as depicted on the models.
  • Options
    • The officer may be accompanied by up to 2 men at the cost of +7pts per man (Inexperienced), +10pts per man (Regular), +13pts per man (Veteran).
  • Special Rules
    • +4 Moral Bonus, 4 Extra Orders, 12″ range
• “Officers no longer get free weapons is completely true in all the Armies of… books.” Officers still have free weapons in the Third Edition Rulebook.

• Marine Squad
  • Cost – Regular Infantry 70pts, Veteran Infantry 91pts
  • Composition – 1 officer and 6 men
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to65 additional men with rifles at +10pts each (Regular) or +13pts (Veteran).
    • The NCO and up to 2 men may have SMGs instead of a riles for +4pts.
    • Up to 3 men may have BARs instead of rifles for +6pts each.
    • Up to 3 men may have Shotguns instead of rifles for +3pts each.
    • Up to 3 men may have a pistol in addition to their other equipment for +1pt each.
    • The squad may be given anti-tank grenades for +2pts per man.
    • The squad may be given the Stubborn rule for +1pt per man.
  • Special Rules
    • Tank Hunters (if anti-tank grenades taken).
    • Stubborn (if option is taken).
    • Shotguns – These weapons have the profile below:
      • Shotgun – Range 18″ – Shots 1 – Pen N/A – Assault

• Half-Tracked Multiple Gun Carriages
  • Cost – 68pts (Inexperienced), 85pts (Regular), 102pts (Veteran)
  • Weapons – 2 turret-mounted HMGs (M13 MGMC)
  • Damage Value – 7+ (armored carrier)
  • Options
    • Replace all weapons with a turret mounting 1 Heavy Automatic Cannon and 2 HMGs for +40pts (M15 MGMC).
    • Replace all weapons with a turret mounting 4 HMGs for +40pts (M16 MGMC).
  • Special Rules
    • Open-topped
    • Flak

Germany

• Heer Infantry Squad
  • Cost – Regular Infantry 50pts, Veteran Infantry 65pts
  • Composition – 1 NCO and 4 men.
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to 5 additional men with rifles at +10pts each (Regular) or +13pts (Veteran).
    • The NCO can have a SMG instead of a rile for +4pts.
    • Up to 1 man can have a LMG for +15pts – another man becomes the loader.
    • The entire squad may be mounted upon bicycles for +1pts per man.
    • The squad can be given Anti-Tank Grenades for +2pts per man.
  • Special Rules
    • Tank Hunters (in anti-tank grenades taken).
    • Bicycles (if the option is taken).
• So this unit entry is almost a carbon copy from Second Edition. The only difference is the 15pt LMG (instead of 20pts). Regs are still 10pts and Vets are still 13pts. Very curious to see the rules for ATGs – they remain at 2pts per model.

• Heer Grenadier Squad
  • Cost – Regular Infantry 50pts, Veteran Infantry 65pts
  • Composition – 1 NCO and 4 men.
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to 5 additional men with rifles at +10pts each (Regular) or +13pts each (Veteran).
    • The NCO and up to 6 men can have SMGs instead of rifles for +4pts each.
    • The NCO and up to 9 men can have Assault Rifles instead of rifles for +6pts each.
    • Up to 2 men can have a LMG for +15ps – for each LMG included another man becomes the loader.
    • Up to 4 men can have a Panzerfuast in addition to other weapons for +15pts each.
    • The squad can be given Anti-Tank Grenades for +2pts per man.
  • Special Rules
    • Tank Hunters (in anti-tank grenades taken).

• Kradschutzen Squad
  • Cost – Regular Infantry 60pts
  • Composition – 1 NCO and 5 men.
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to 3 additional men with rifles at +10pts each.
    • The NCO and up to 1 man can have SMGs instead of rifles for +4pts each.
    • Up to 1 man can have a LMG for +15pts – another man becomes the loader.
    • The entire squad may be mounted upon motorcycles for +5pts per man.
  • Special Rules
    • Motorcycles: A mounted squad use the Motorcycles rules.

• Panzer VI Tiger II
  • Cost – 440pts Regular, 528pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 turret-mounted Super-heavy Anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
  • Damage Value – 11+ (super-heavy tank)
  • Options
    • Add an additional pintle-mounted MMG for +15pts.

• StuG III and IV
  • Cost – 124pts Inexperienced, 155pts Regular, 186pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 casement-mounted forward-facing Light Howitzer
  • Damage Value – 9+ (medium tank)
  • Options
    • Replaced all weapons with 1 casement-mounted forward-facing Heavy Anti-tank Gun and 1 forward-facing MMG for +60pts (StuG III Ausf F, G, H and StuG IV).
    • Replace all weapons with 1 casement-mounted forward-facing Medium Howitzer and 1 forward facing MMG for +50pts (StuH 42).
    • Replace all weapons with a 1 casement-mounted forward-facing Heavy Howitzer and 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG, and upgrade the Damage Value to 10+ (heavy tank) for +165pts (StuG 33b).
    • StuG G, H, and StuH 42 may have Schurzen Armor Skirts for +10pts.
  • Special Rules
    • Schurzen (if taken)

• Jagdpanther
  • Cost – 320pts Regular, 384pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 hull-mounted forward-facing Super-heavy Anti-tank Gun and 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
  • Damage Value – 10+ (heavy tank)

• Jagdtiger
  • Cost – 384pts Regular, 435pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 hull-mounted forward-facing Super-heavy Anti-tank Gun and 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG
  • Damage Value – 11+ (super-heavy tank)
  • Special Rules
    • The 128mm Pak 44 was almost as effective at long ranges as at short range – so it does not suffer the -1 penetration penalty when shooting at targets over half range. It count it full +7 Pen bonus at all ranges.

• Marder
  • Cost – 84pts Inexperienced, 105pts Regular, 126pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 forward-facing Medium Anti-tank Gun
  • Damage Value – 7+ (armored carrier)
  • Options
    • Replace the main gun with 1 forward-facing Heavy Anti-Tank Gun and 1 crew-carried MMG with 360-degree arc of fire for +35pts (Marder II).
    • Replace the main gun with 1 forward-facing Heavy Anti-Tank Gun and 1 forward-facing hull-mounted MMG for +40pts (Marder III).
  • Special Rules
    • Open-topped
    • If Marder II option is taken, the crew can either shoot the Marder’s main gun or the MMG, but not both.
    • If Marder III option is taken, may replace the hull-mounted MMG with a pintle-mounted MMG with 360-degree arc of fire for +5pts (Marder III Ausf M).

Great Britain

• Special Forces Infantry Section
  • Cost – Veteran Infantry 60pts
  • Composition – 1 NCO and 3 men.
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to 5 additional men at +15pts each.
    • The NCO and any other man may have a SMG for +3pts each.
    • Up to 2 men may have a LMG for +15pts. For each LMG, another man becomes the loader.
    • Any light machine gun can be upgraded to a Vickers K LMG for a further +5pts.
    • The squad can be given Anti-Tank Grenades for +2pts per man.
    • The entire squad may be upgraded to SAS, getting the Who Dares Wins! special rule for +2pts per model.
  • Special Rules
    • Behind Enemy Lines: When outflanking this unit ignores the -1 modifier to the Order Test for coming onto the table.
    • Tough Fighters
    • Vickers K Gun (if option taken): A Vickers K shoots with +1 dice compared to a regular LMG.
    • Tank Hunters (in anti-tank grenades taken).
    • Who Dares Wins! (if option taken): To represent their special training and motivation, units of SAS have the Fanatics special rule.

• Soft-Skinned Recce Vehicles
  • Cost – 28pts Inexperienced, 35pts Regular, 42pts Veteran
  • Weapons – 1 forward-facing MMG (Airborne Recce Jeep)
  • Damage Value – 6+ (soft-skin)
  • Options
    • Add a second forward-facing MMG for +10pts
    • Replace the MMG with 1 forward facing HMG, 1 forward-facing LMG, and two rear-facing LMGs for +25pts (SAS Jeep). The SAS Jeep may also replace any LMGs with MMGs for +5pts. It may also take the Frontal Armor special rule for +15pts.
    • Add a pintle-mounted MMG with a 360-degree arc of fire for +15pts (LRDG Armed Truck). The LRDG Trucks may updates the pintle-mounted MMG to a HMG for +10pts. They may also add a rea-facing MMG for +10pts, and may upgrade the rear-facing MMG to a Light Autocannon for +20pts or to a Light Anti-tank Gun for +40pts.
  • Special Rules
    • Recce
    • Front Armor (if option taken): This vehicle cannot be damage by small arms hits form the front arc, but will still be pinned as normal.

• Howitzers
  • Cost – 32pts Inexperienced, 45pts Regular, 59pts Veteran
  • Team – 3 men
  • Weapons – 1 Light Howitzer
• Options
  • Upgrade the light howitzer with 25-pdr AT shell for +5pts
  • Upgrade the gun to a Medium Howitzer and gain 1 extra crew for +40pts, or to a Heavy Howitzer and gain 2 extra crew for +90pts
  • Add a Gun Shield for +5pts
  • Add a Spotter for +10pts
• Special Rules
  • Gun Shield (if option taken)
  • 25-pdr AT shell (Light Howitzers only) – In the Western Desert the 25-pdr found itself pitched against enemy tanks. It was provided with an AT shell witch was fired with the maximum charge over a flat trajectory to achieve the highest velocity. These allow the Light Howitzer to to be alternately fired as a Light Anti-tank Gun.

Soviet Union

• Inexperienced Infantry Squad (People’s Militia, Shtrafbat, Partisans, Rifle squads, etc.)
  • Cost – Inexperienced Infantry 35pts
  • Composition – 1 NCO and 4 men.
  • Weapons – Rifles
  • Options
    • Add up to 7 additional unarmed men at +5pts each.
    • Any number of unarmed men may be given a rifle for +2pts each.
    • The NCO may have a submachine gun instead of a rifle for +4pts.
    • Up to 1 man may have a light machine gun for +15pts. Another solider becomes the loader.
    • The squad can be given anti-tank grenades (Molotov cocktails) for +2pts per man.
    • The squad may be given Shirkers for a reduction of -2pts per model.
    • The squad may be Green for free.
  • Special Rules
    • Unarmed (if taken): Unarmed men neither shoot nor attack in close quarters – their only value is as casualties.
    • Shirkers (if the option is taken).
    • Tank Hunters (in anti-tank grenades taken).
    • Green (if the option is taken).

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Special rules

• Engineers
  • When a unit of engineers assaults a building, the defenders cannot benefit from the defensive position bonus.
• Green
  • Green units are Inexperienced and therefore have a Morale Value of 8. The first time the unit suffers a casualty, roll a die (after taking any Morale Checks caused by the attack). On a roll of a 1 the unit suffers an additional d6 Pins and goes Down. On a roll of 2-5, the unit fights on as you would expect – no further account is made of the fact it is Green. On a 6 the unit is immediately up-rated to Regular with a Morale Value of 9 for the rest of the battle.
• Fanatics
  • If forced to take a Morale Check, they ignore negative modifiers from pin markers so long as the unit includes at least two men. Should the unit be reduced to one man, he must make the check as normal. Remember that Order Tests are not Morale Checks and are therefore modified as normal.
  • Fanatic units with at least two men left are not routed and destroyed when they have a number of pin markers equal to or higher than their Morale Value.
  • When a fanatic unit is defeated in close-quarters fighting, the fight counts as a draw instead, and another round is immediately fought. Continue fighting until the Fanatics unit wins, is completely wiped out, or is defeated and left with a single model, in which case it is destroyed.
• Shirkers
  • Shirkers count pin markers as double for Order Tests, Morale Checks, routing, and so on. In addition, they always take an Order Test when given an order, even when they are not pinned.
• Fieldcraft
  • These units treat rough ground as open ground instead.
• Infiltrator
  • If the unit takes a cover safe while it does not have an Advance or Run Order Die on it, it receives an additional +1 to the roll. In addition, the unit might benefit from special deployment rules as detailed in the scenario being played.
• Anti-tank Gun
  • All anti-tank guns (from light to super-heavy, including those mounted on vehicles) get an additional +1 modifier to hit vehicles when shooting with a Fire order (including Ambush and reaction fire).
  • Very interesting change here. Coupled with the base To Hit roll now being 4+, anti-tank guns are hitting on a 3+ base, just like Second Edition.
• Sniper
  • When a sniper shoots using a Fire or Ambush order the player can decide to use the rifle’s scope, in which case the following special rules apply:
    • Range changes to 36″. However, if the target is found to be within 12″, the shot misses automatically.
    • The shot benefits from an additional +1 modifier to hit.
    • Any hits go straight to damage, no cover saves allowed, and benefit from a +1 modifier on damage rolls against infantry and artillery units.
    • If the sniper successfully rolls to hit and damage, the firing player can pick the Team Leader in the target unit as a casualty. This includes NCOs, leaders of weapon teams and artillery units, officers, medics, observers, and so on.
    • Worth noting that you can no longer “snipe out” a soldier with a Flamethrower or Panzerfuast. It’s only the NCO or Team Leader that can be specifically targeted.
• Team Weapon
  • Each Team Weapon has a Team Leader. If the Team Leader is killed, another man can fire the weapon. The unit now has a -1 penalty to Morale due to the loss of the Team Leader.
  • This is a critical change from Second Edition. Weapon Teams and Artillery cannot be removed from a single shot anymore.
• Exceptional Damage
  • This rule has been removed.
• Tough Fighter
  • Re-roll misses in close combat.
• Assault
  • Grants Tough Fighter.
• Team Leaders
  • Every squad in the game has a Team Leader. For an infantry squad, that is the NCO. For a Weapons Team, that is the “guy with the weapon”. Snipers kill Team Leaders. When Team Leaders are killed, the squad, artillery, or weapon team, suffers -1 Morale.

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Close Combat & Assault

• “There has been a huge sea change in the way that close combat works.”
• “In Second Edition, the attacker strikes first in open ground and simultaneously when the defender is in a defended position. Now, in Third Edition, you strike simultaneously in open ground and the defender strikes first in a defended position. Basically, that’s designed to make the point very clear that Bolt Action isn’t really a game that you win with close combat. At least, it shouldn’t be.”

• Defensive Positions – Whenever the assault of the enemy has gone across obstacles or rough ground, or when the defender is being fought across an obstacle, the defender has the advantage of readying themselves for the onslaught and can place a few blows of their own as the enemy makes its way across the terrain. This means that, instead of both sides fighting simultaneously, the defender fights first, rolling to damage as above. The attacker first removes casualties as above, and then rolls to damage, but only with any surviving models. Finally, the defender removes casualties as normal and the winner is determined as above. Note, however, that defenders that are DOWN when they are assaulted cannot benefit from this defensive position bonus; the fight is resolved simultaneously as normal.

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Vehicles

• Recce
  • When reversing, either voluntarily or because of a failed Order Test with an enemy visible in the front arc, a Recce vehicle can reverse at its full Advance rate (9″ or 12″) rather than at half rate. Some Recce vehicles can even reverse at their full Run rate.
  • Escape Reaction – Unlike other vehicles, Recce vehicles that are shot at can react as long as they have taken no other action that Turn or are on Ambush. This is the same as an infantry or artillery unit going Down when shot at except before going Down the Recce vehicle makes an escape reaction. An escape reaction is a normal move at Advance or Run rate just as if the vehicle had received an Advance or Run Order. As normal, this move may be forward or reverse but the escaping vehicles must attempt to end their turn out of line of sight of the attacking enemy. If it is not possible, the vehicle must attempt to get to or improve its Cover Save from the attack. If this is also impossible the vehicle must end its move further away from the attack than when the attack is declared. In other words, this move can not be used to get closer to the attacker unless it gives the unit cover or gets it out of line of sight of the attack. In any case, it cannot be used to assault enemy units. Once the escape move is done turn the vehicle’s Order Die to Advance or Run. Note escaping vehicles at Advance speed cannot fire.

• Soft-skin vehicles have a damage value of 6+, and if you can roll that six, the vehicle is destroyed – no need to roll on any damage tables.
  • A rather significant change from Second Edition. Soft-skins are much more vulnerable now.

• Vehicles can roll cover saves.

• All vehicle-mounted machine guns half the number of shots they fire (rounding down). Except for pintle-mounted machine guns firing Flak.

• Transport Vehicles
  • Enemy Proximity – All empty soft-skin transports and tows that end the turn closer to an enemy unit than to a friendly unit (ignoring other empty transports, both friend and foe) are automatically destroyed. Empty armored transports and tows follow the same rule given above for soft-skinned empty transports, except that instead of being automatically distorted, they are forced to take a Morale Test. If they pass, they continue to fight instead of being destroyed.

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Tournament Play

• Using the Mission Generator is not suggested for tournament/event play.
• The suggested game size is between 1,000-1,250pts based on event format.
• Suggested 20 Order Dice cap.
• Suggested 4 Platoons max.

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Last updated – Sept. 5, 2024