Included in the Bolt Action Starter Set is the Field Manual. This full-color, 68-page softback book provides “an introduction to playing atmospheric, fast, fun, and furious games set during World War II.” and will serve as a guide for new players. The tabletop wargaming hobby can seem awfully intimidating from the outside. The obvious first question, “Where do I start?”, can be shockingly difficult to answer. There is just so much out there – models, paints, rulebooks, all from more manufacturers than you can imagine. All of the different options can easily overwhelm a new player interested in dipping a toe into this hobby. Thankfully Warlord has delivered the Bolt Action Starter Set and more importantly – the Field Manual.
Contents
We’ve already covered the Bolt Action Starter Set as a whole, so let’s now take a closer look at the contents of the Field Manual. The book is split into several sections:
The Bolt Action Hobby – This four-page section provides a high-level overview of the four major aspects of our hobby; collect, build, paint, and play. It’s a primer for someone approaching Bolt Action with no background in tabletop miniatures whatsoever and provides a nice frame of reference.
The Second World War – These six pages introduce the major theaters of conflict of WWII. As a subtle nod to Bolt Action veterans, each page has the same title as the original five Bolt Action supplement books: Germany Strikes!, Duel in the Sun, Ostfront, Empire in Flames, & Battleground Europe
Building Miniatures – This is a great little section on clipping, cleaning, dry-fitting and gluing your minis together along with the recommended tools. As the Field Manual is designed for new hobbyists this section provides some much-needed information on the first steps of building miniatures that many experienced wargamers take for granted.
Playing Games – A short paragraph covers the basic three kinds of Bolt Action games – pick-up games, narrative play, and competitive play. For new players this is great info on different ways to play Bolt Action. Additionally, there are three pages covering basic gameplay mechanics and concepts: Turns, Orders, Pins, & Line of Sight are all described in simple terms. For any new players this section is required reading before jumping into your first game: Mission 1 – First Contact.
Missions – This section is where the Field Manual shines. There are six missions included but an additional mission, Storm the Bunker, is available as a free download, and uses the box insert as a rather convincing German bunker. The missions are elegantly designed as they introduce more rules and mechanics as they progress. Mission 1 only requires six models; three US Rangers and three German Grenadiers. In a rather genius move the first page of each mission provides a lovely build guide with full instructions on how to build the models required for that specific game. As a long-time Bolt Action player the question that I hear most often is “How should I build/equip my models?” The Field Manual has you covered.
As the missions progress, complexity is added. Mission 2 utilizes the Ruined Farmhouse and adds the Cover Save mechanic. Mission 3 introduces close combat. Mission 4 adds Pins. Mission 5 brings in vehicles. And with Mission 6 you are playing a full (albeit small) game of Bolt Action with three units per side. This escalation approach is perfect for new players and if so inclined, two opponents could work their way through all six missions in a day of gaming.
Painting Guides -These six pages contain general painting tips plus full guides for painting US and German infantry complete with paint lists (Army Painter and Vallejo). Expanded paint guides are also available for free download.
Next Steps – The final section of the Field Manual showcases the model ranges available for players looking to expand their Bolt Action collection and dive into the “full game”. The missions do a fantastic job introducing Bolt Action and by the time they’ve finished all six missions new players will be ready to start expanding their forces and playing larger games.
Take Away
There is no other way to say it – I’m impressed. The Field Manual delivers on its promise as “an introduction to playing atmospheric, fast, fun, and furious games set during World War II.” This book is the perfect guide that new players may require during those first few games. As mentioned in this post’s introduction, tabletop wargaming is an intimidating hobby for newcomers. The Starter Set and the Field Manual both do an excellent job of easing a new player into the hobby.
For folks who are already familiar with Bolt Action or tabletop wargames, I’d recommend the Battle of the Bulge Starter Set. But for folks with no background in wargaming, the Bolt Action Starter Set is the box for them. The box has a low cost of entry and, more importantly, is designed for folks new to the hobby. It is exciting to see Warlord investing resources aimed specifically at growing the hobby and we’re thrilled to see more people get into the game with Third Edition and products like this.
Thank you to Warlord Games for providing a copy of the Bolt Action Starter Set featured in this article.
Chicago Dice 