New year, new venue, and new edition of Bolt Action. As is tradition we kicked off Bolt Action at AdeptiCon 2025 with Combat Patrol on Thursday afternoon. After stepping down as TO after AdeptiCon 2024 this was my first time playing in AdeptiCon Combat Patrol since 2017 and I was thrilled to be back at the tables. Full event rules are available but here are the highlights:

• Three games played on 4×4′ tables
• 500pts
• 1-3 Platoons
• 9 Order Dice max
• Artillery and Engineer Platoons not allowed
• 3 vehicles max, Armor 8 max
• No Company Commanders, Forward Observers, HE 3″, or HE 4″

My Army
Attack on Mega Fort

Inspired by the British and South African attack on Mega Fort (held by the Italians and local colonial troops) during the East African Campaign, I expanded my existing Italian collection by adding three Light Semovente (L40 47/32) Tank Destroyers. These little ducklings pack a single Light AT Gun on a Vulnerable Armor 7 hull. The Command variant diches the Light AT for a MMG with an additional pintle MMG. With all AFVs capped at Armor 8, I trusted those two Light AT Guns to be enough AT punch. In support of my Armored Platoon was a Rifle Platoon with three Infantry squads (two Inexp. Colonial Tough Fighters and one Regular Riflemen) with a Vet Sniper Team and Platoon Commander. The L40 47/32s are lovely prints from Wargame3D and I highly recommend. A big thank you to The Prince of Prints for delivering the models. I did a bit of conversion work on the Command Vehicle and added Perry Italian Tank Crew onto all three. The decals are from the Rubicon Semovente kit.

The old colonial fort in the Ethiopian city of Mega provided the perfect historical inspiration. The battle included everything from the fort itself, a considerable colonial infantry garrison, and even an Italian armor counterattack led by L40 47/32 tank destroyers.

Italian Army List

Rifle Platoon
Platoon Commander (Rife) – Regular – 30 +1 extra man (Rifle) – 10	40pts
Colonial Troops Infantry Section – Inexp – 8 men – 64 Tough Fighters	64pts
Colonial Troops Infantry Section – Inexp – 8 men – 64 Tough Fighters	64pts
Infantry Section – Regular – 7 men – 70	70pts
Sniper Team – Vet – 67 Infiltrator	67pts
Armored Platoon
Light Semovente (47/32) Command – Regular Armor 7, Forward-facing MMG, Pintle MMG Command Vehicle Open-topped Vulnerable	55pts
Light Semovente (47/32) – Regular Armor 7, Forward-facing Light AT Gun Open-topped Vulnerable	70pts
Light Semovente (47/32) – Regular Armor 7, Forward-facing Light AT Gun Open-topped Vulnerable	70pts
Total – 8 Order Dice	500pts

Game 1
Get in there! vs Oliver P (US)

Oliver was running an awesome Merrill’s Marauders themed US list with two units of Rangers, a Sniper, Bazooka Team, Med. Mortar and a terrifying HMG Team. As this mission was just one single objective in the center of the table, I knew I’d have to get up the table quick. Oliver’s Rangers had an advantage with their Rangers Lead the Way! move but my Italian Army Special Rules prevented the rest of the US from running up on Turn 1.

The objective could be scored staring at the end of Turn 2 and Oliver got out to a lead early. At the end of Turn 6 I managed to claw my way back to a draw and needed the game to continue on to Turn 7 in order to press for the win. Luck was on my side, and we rolled to play a seventh and final turn. The Italians swarmed onto the objective and removed the last of the US within scoring range. The game could not have been closer and without that Turn 7 it would have been a draw. Well fought Oliver! Cheers to Oliver for being a great opponent and if you are in the market for some minis, be sure to give Oliver’s Wargame Supply on Etsy a look. Oliver even provided multiple kits for prize support – incredible!

Result – Win

Game 2
Communications are down! vs Joshua L (Italy)

Italian Civil War for Game 2! In all my years of playing Italians I don’t think I’ve ever faced off against an opposing Italian force. Joshua and I joked that it was the City State of Florance up against Venice for control of Italy. This mission was nuts. Starting after Turn 2 and then every turn after we had to leave a unit Down or in Ambush. Oh, this was also cumulative. So, end of Turn 3, two units; end of Turn 4, three units! The mission really played with our heads, and we had to plan our activations well in advance.

Joshua had a 9 OD list with a double-LMG Bersaglieri Section and three six-man Infantry Sections supported by an AT Rifle, Light Mortar and two Sahariana trucks with Light Autocannons. I expected those Sahariana might give me trouble and made sure to focus fire on them first. What I didn’t expect was the Light Mortar. Joshua owes everything to his Light Mortar Team. That little weapon team removed three of my units – including a Semovente! I managed to hit the Light Mortar with my Sniper on Turn 1 and even scored a kill, but that only made the lone crewman angry. He had that thing dialed in and dropped shell after shell onto my troops. Two of the hits were on a 6 and one on a 5! Open-topped Armor 7 is no match for a single indirect 1″ HE.

The attrition was back and forth with neither of us able to get an advantage. I had a few opportunities to bring down the Joshua’s ATR and the Light Mortar (my Sniper hit but failed to damage on three occasions) and get the win, but I couldn’t bring it across the line. A nail biter of a game with some cagey play on both sides.

Result – Draw

Game 3
General Confusion vs Zak K (Partisans)

Zak and I played on this table, but this photo is from a different game.

Third and final game against Zak’s legendary Partisans. I’ve had the joy of playing Zak a few times and this game did not disappoint. Zak brought a strong core of three big Partisan Squads filled with mix of weapons including SMGs, Shotguns, Rifles and Panzerfausts with two MMG Teams and two Med. Mortars in support. Zak didn’t have much AT but those three Panzerfausts looked awfully scary to my Light Semoventes.

Three objectives across the table running corner to corner. You could score points starting at the end of Turn 3 and the longer you held the objective, the more points you scored. This mission forced you to get up and moving to both capture your “home” objective and at least contest the middle objective. Zak had his force well deployed with both Med. Mortars in a corner with their Platoon Commander and both MMGs deployed in cover with LoS on the middle objective.

I made use of village on my left flank to move up and avoid the Partisan MMGs as much as possible. I drove two Semoventes forward towards the middle objective, but my aggression proved foolish. Zak launched a volley of Panzerfausts towards my poor little tank destroyers. They didn’t stand a chance. With my Colonial Infantry taking punishing small arms fire, I was not able to effectively contest the middle objective. The game was in the balance until the final two turns when Zak scored big points for holding both his home and middle objective. I just couldn’t get enough bodies forward to resist the Partisans. Another close game against a great opponent.

Result – Loss

Final Thoughts

What a great day of Bolt Action. After three years of historical events taking place at the “auxiliary venue” away from the Exhibit Hall, the Baid Center was a much needed and appreciated upgrade. The new venue is incredible and I’m looking forward to returning to Milwaukee next year. I ended with an even record at 1-1-1. Three great games with three great opponents. To my thrill and surprise my Italians took home Player’s Choice! Even more importantly the Chicago Dice club was out in force for Combat Patrol. It’s always great to have strong club representation at these events. I’ve been either playing or running Combat Patrol for a long time and being able to bring in new folks to join in the fun was a real treat and one of my highlights of the entire weekend.

Joe, Sam, and Shane did one hell of job taking over as TOs. They had to contend with not only a new venue but also a new edition and they made it look easy. I am thrilled to see what the rest of 2025 has in store for Bolt Action.