Armies of Germany: Third Edition includes several Sample Armies that demonstrate different ways to create a Bolt Action army list. Our goal is to broaden this selection with additional Sample Armies that fully utilize the new Army Special Rules and unit options. This first Sample Army is a 1250pt, 17 Order Dice Late-War force representing German forces in occupied France.
| Rifle Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Inexperienced Officer + 3 Extra Men 4 Rifles | 42pts |
| Replacement Army Squad – Inexperienced 10 men 10 Rifles, Shirkers | 50pts |
| Replacement Army Squad – Inexperienced 10 men 10 Rifles, Shirkers | 50pts |
| 5th Columnist Unit – Inexperienced 5 men 5 Pistols, 1 Demolition Charge, Infiltrators, Independent Operative | 50pts |
| 5th Columnist Unit – Inexperienced 5 men 5 Pistols, 1 Demolition Charge, Infiltrators, Independent Operative | 50pts |
| Rifle Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Veteran Officer + 3 Extra Men 4 SMGs | 94pts |
| Feldjägerkorps Squad – Veteran 8 men 7 Rifles, 1 LMG, Traffic Direction, “Get back in the fight, now!“, Chained Dogs | 127pts |
| Feldjägerkorps Squad – Veteran 8 men 7 Rifles, 1 LMG, Traffic Direction, “Get back in the fight, now!”, Chained Dogs | 127pts |
| 5th Columnist Unit – Inexperienced 5 men 5 Pistols, 1 Demolition charge, Infiltrators, Independent Operative | 50pts |
| Heavy Weapons Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Regular Officer + 3 Extra Men 4 Rifles | 60pts |
| Medium Mortar Team – Regular Spotter | 55pts |
| Medium Mortar Team – Regular | 45pts |
| Medium Machine Gun Team – Regular | 50pts |
| Armored Platoon | |
| Panzerspähwagen 204(f) – Regular Command Vehicle Turret-mounted light anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG, Armor 7, Recce | 115pts |
| U304 (F) Armored Half-Track AA – Regular Light autocannon on a rotating platform, Armor 7, Open-topped, Flak | 75pts |
| Panzerjäger 35R – Regular Forward-facing medium anti-tank gun, Armor 7, Open-topped | 105pts |
| Panzerjäger 35R – Regular Forward-facing medium anti-tank gun, Armor 7, Open-topped | 105pts |
| Total – 17 Order Dice | 1,250pts |
The goals of this list is to show off some of the new and interesting units from Armies of Germany and to create a force that is unique and thematic while remaining competitively viable. While this list does not make use of the new Army Special Rules, Panzer Ace and Defend the Fatherland!, and only makes limited use of the familiar rules, Hitler’s Buzz Saw, Blitzkrieg, and Initiative Training, it does highlight some new and interesting units.
The first of the two Rifle Platoons is entirely inexperienced and comes in at just under 250pts for the entire platoon. Two big squads of rifle-armed Shirkers may not look like much, but as long as the Feldjägerkorps squads stay close, these Replacement Army squads ignore the Shirkers rule. This interaction effectively gives us a significant discount on these units. Be warned though, if they are separated from the Feldjägerkorps they likely won’t last long. This platoon also includes two 5th Columnist units. These units are made up of five inexperienced soldiers armed only with pistols but they are Infiltrators that also come with a Demolition Charge. By forward-deploying these units, setting up the explosives early, and then laying in wait for the opponent to get close, these small, vulnerable units can really punch above their weight. You can place the explosives near objectives, key choke points, or large buildings. As long as you keep the unit alive long enough to trigger the bomb (easier said than done), then the resulting 3″ HE template can really wreak havoc on your opponent’s plans. These units also provide a fun hobby opportunity to incorporate distinct-looking models in your German army. The 5th Columnists represent native French citizens who worked independently to aid the German cause. So using French Resistance/Partisan figures would be a great choice. Warlord also produced a small range of 5th Columnits for use in Sea Lion, another great option.
The second Rifle Platoons contains the tough backbone of this list. A Veteran Platoon Commander along with three additional SMG-armed soldiers can act as a small assault squad. The two eight-man Feldjägerkorps squads provide fire support and most importantly, keep the Replacement Army squads from fleeing at the first sight of the enemy by allowing them to ignore their Shirkers rule. The Feldjägerkorps’ have the additional special rules, “Get back in the fight, now!”, which is situationally useful, and Traffic Direction, which is a nice bonus to getting your vehicles on the table from Reserves. This platoon also has a third 5th Columnist unit. While two bombs on the table is good, three is even better! With all three of these Infiltrator squads placing large explosives at key locations on the board, you should be able to influence your opponent’s movements and set up engagements that work to your advantage.
The straightforward Heavy Weapons Platoon provides indirect fire support with two Medium Mortars and a MMG Team for additional firepower. Another four-man Platoon Commander unit, this time Regular and armed with rifles, is a flexible unit. They can hang back near the support weapons, providing a Morale bonus, Snap To opportunities, and throwing out a few extra Pins from their rifles. They could also be used more aggressively, supporting some the Inexperienced units to keep them in the fight. The option to give officers up to four additional soldiers in their unit is a great change introduced by Armies of Germany and one of the changes I’m most excited about as we move into the next phase of Bolt Action: Third Edition.
Rounding out this force is an Armored Platoon made up of captured French vehicles. The Command Vehicle, a captured Panhard 178, is a reliable Armored Car with a standard loadout of a Light Anti-Tank Gun and co-ax MMG on a wheeled, Armor 7 vehicle with Recce. This mobile unit can hunt enemy vehicles and provide a Morale bonus to the other vehicles in the platoon. It is also the only vehicle in this list that is not Open-topped. The three remaining vehicles offer heavy weapon support with a Light Autocannon and a pair of Medium Anti-Tank Guns. These vulnerable, inexpensive vehicles may not be able to withstand much anti-tank fire, but if played carefully they can destroy more expensive enemy vehicles. The vehicles in this platoon also present an interesting hobby opportunity to field modified French vehicles with German paint and decals. They are a thematic addition to this force that represents security forces of the occupation of France rather than the front-line units that defended against the Allied invasion.
In addition to the fun options to build and paint non-German models, I believe this list would play differently than most other German armies. Third Edition gives players all kinds of new ways to build a force that is interesting and thematic and this list takes full advantage of those options. What lists are you excited to run using Armies of Germany? Let us know in the comments!
More Armies of Germany: Third Edition coverage:
Chicago Dice 