Hot on the heels of Armies of Germany, the next Armies of release for Bolt Action Third Edition has hit the beach. Armies of the United States: Third Edition expands on the existing US Army List contained within the Third Edition Rulebook and offers more units, equipment, Army Special Rules, and ways to build, field, and play your US force in Bolt Action.

What’s in the book?

Weighing in at 112 pages, Armies of the United States is 16 pages slimmer than Armies of Germany. Just like AoG, the book is divided into five sections. It begins with a brief historical overview of The Armed Forces of the USA in World War II, followed by an introduction to the Forces of the United States in Bolt Action. From there, it delves into the meat and potatoes – The Army List, Sample Armies, and Force Selection Guides. Let’s take a closer look at each section.

I. The Armed Forces of the USA in World War II

The book starts with a surprisingly brief overview of the US involvement in WWII, spanning just three-quarters of a page. While the next section, Forces of the United States in Bolt Action, provides more detail, this choice seems odd. I understand players aren’t looking for in-depth historical analysis in their Bolt Action books, but a full-page summary would have been nice. Despite this unusual start, the book promises a wealth of Bolt Action content.

II. Forces of the United States in Bolt Action

This section is divided into four parts, covering the US Army, Airborne, Rangers, and Marine Corps. As in previous Bolt Action books, it blends history and hobby, effectively selling the US as a Bolt Action force. Given that the new US Army Special Rule By Air, Land, and Sea offers specific options for Airborne, USMC, and Army Ranger units, it’s no surprise that this section covers their exploits.

III. The Army List

Fire and Maneuver is unchanged from the Third Edition Rulebook and provides an extra shot for every three rifles/carbines firing. Air Superiority is the same as it’s always been – a potentially game-changing second Air Strike from an American FAO. No change to Modern Communications either – it stands as a buffed version of Behind Enemy Lines.

By Air, Land, and Sea is the big new addition to the US. We’ve seen the German version already (Defend the Fatherland!) and players now have the option to field, for example, a Ranger Bazooka Team, an Airborne Mortar, or a Marine Howitzer. The US options are:

• Airborne – Units must be Veteran and must be given Stubborn from +1pt per model.
• Marines – If taken as Veteran, units must be given Stubborn for +1pt per model.
• Rangers – Units must be Veteran and must be given Rangers Lead the Way! from +1pt per model.

The Rangers option for By Air, Land, and Sea stands out immediately. While Stubborn has always been a strong special rule, it pales in comparison to a free Run move before the game starts. For just +1pt per model, you can give your MMGs, Snipers, Bazookas, and Mortars (Light and Medium) the ability to counter-deploy before Turn 1. And if playing First Wave, a significant portion of your force can already be on the table.

For Airborne and Marines, Stubborn is great, especially for smaller units like Weapons Teams and Artillery, ensuring they stick around even when down to the last man. However, it’s disappointing to see the same option for both Airborne and USMC. The Rangers rule is unique, thematic, and impressive. Differentiation for Airborne and Marines would have been better, perhaps Tough Fighter for USMC or a modified Fanatics. Although the individual unit entries for Airborne and USMC are unique, especially in weapon options, the application of the same special rule feels redundant.

In the Quartermaster’s Stores, Gyro-stabilizers remain unchanged, but their application has shifted. In Third Edition, all AT Guns gain +1 To Hit with a Fire order, making vehicles firing on the move less appealing. However, hitting on a base 4+ on Advance instead of 5+ is a significant advantage.

Shotguns are now available for both the US Marine Squad and USMC Raiders Squad, costing only 2pts (compared to 3pts in the Rulebook and Partisan PDF Army List). With an 18″ range and Assault, this upgrade is extremely tasty for a Marine CQC squad.

Demolition Charges, identical to those in Armies of Germany, can be used by Engineer Squads and Airborne Engineer Squads for +20pts. The Culin Hedgerow Cutter is a +5pt upgrade for certain tanks, allowing them to Advance through bocage or hedgerow obstacles rated as impassable. Once the move is made, other tracked vehicles can also cross the gap. Worth noting, this fun and thematic option is available for the M5/M5A1 Stuart and the M4A1/A2/A3 Sherman 76mm.

“Well-supplied and equipped with everything from small arms to heavy armor, backed by the might of American industry, and trained to fight in a huge variety of environments, the US Army is enormously flexible and can be created to fulfill any mission on the tabletop.” Warlord may sound a tad hyperbolic with this statement, but The Army List proves the above analysis to be true. We are looking at:

• HQ – 4 unit entries
• Infantry Squads & Teams – 28
• Artillery – 12
• Vehicles
  • Tanks/SPGs – 47
  • Armored Cars – 5
  • Transports & Tows – 17
  • Ambulances – 2
• Total – 115 unit entries

New Unit Special Rules – Within The Army List are some new unit special rules that are worth calling out:

• Selection – A fantastic rule that modifies the standard Platoon Structure. For the three Armored Infantry units (Rifle, Mortar, and Machine Gun), it allows the player to add one additional Bazooka Team to the same Platoon, enabling a full complement of heavy weapons without needing a Heavy Weapons Platoon. The USMC War Dog Team also benefits from Selection, allowing you to include 0-1 War Dog Team in any Rifle Platoon with at least one Marine unit. Additionally, Selection for the Heavy Weapons Rifle Team lets you bring this unit (up to five men with Rifles) instead of a Mortar or Machine Gun Team in a Heavy Weapons Platoon. This option is great for flooding the table with US Infantry.
• LZ Signals – As long as the Pathfinders Squad is not in Reserve, friendly Paratroopers, Pathfinders and Glider units may re-roll a failed Order Test to arrive from Reserve. That is a re-rollable Morale 10 Order Test ensuring Airborne units arrive precisely when needed. I wonder if this also applies to those using By Land, Air, and Sea (Airborne)?

Early/Mid/Late – As with Armies of Germany every unit entry includes a period designation for Early/Mid/Late-War (E/M/L). When combined with the Force Selection Guides players have a great starting point to build a historically inspired Bolt Action force. The E/M/L designations are broad but they provide more than enough information to get you started building a historically cohesive force.

IV. Sample Armies

Armies of the Untis States includes four sample armies that provide players (especially new ones) a sense of what a Bolt Action army actually looks like. The included forces are:

• USMC Beach Assault – 999pts
• US Army – North-West Europe – 1,247pts
• US Rangers – D-Day – 999pts
• US Airborne – 1945 – 750pts

I really appreciate these Sample Armies. They provide great examples for both new and veteran players on how to shape their US forces, and they mix up the standard format. The 750pt Airborne list, for instance, is all infantry and perfect for smaller games. However, the layout is odd. Warlord kept the split photo across the page break, and the models in the army photos are too spread out. While the models are beautifully painted and displayed, there’s a lot of dead space. For example, the USMC Beach Assault army photo (above) has an empty middle. It would be better to condense the army into a single-page photo and expand the army list format. Armies of Germany had the same issue. Fingers crossed for an update to the format in Armies of Great Britain.

V. Force Selection Guides

Bringing AoUS to a close are the Force Selection Guides. With Theater Selections removed from Third Edition (except for the 1944 Operation Rosselsprung German Force Selector), these Guides offer an easy-to-reference list of units for Early-War, Mid-War, and Late-War. While broad, they are perfect starting points. Players can choose a period, consult these Guides, and then delve deeper into historical details – or not! One of the great aspects of Bolt Action is that you can be as historically “accurate” as you like. An interesting note on the US Early-War Force Selection Guide; being that Early-War is defined as 1939-41:

Although the US did not officially enter the war until the final days of the ‘Early’ period, we have intentionally labelled some units as ‘Early’. This provides a guide to what a force representing the Americans at the very start of their involvement might look like, and also allows players to create ‘what-if’ forces!

Fair enough!

What’s Missing?

• Ranger Engineers – There’s no option for Ranger Engineers. The basic Engineer Squad only includes Marines for By Air, Land, and Sea. Airborne have their own Engineer Squad, and the Flamethrower Team lacks Rangers as an option. Maybe this is to prevent infantry Flamethrowers from getting a Rangers Lead the Way! move? – Ben
• Fieldcraft and Infiltrators – Only two units have Infiltrators – the Sniper Team and Forward Observer. Merrill’s Marauders Squad is the only unit with Fieldcraft. It’s surprising that the US lacks scout or recon units with these rules, especially since the Philippine Scouts Squad and I&R Squad are included in the Army List. The I&R Squad even has Recon Troops, but this rule only spots Hidden enemy units. – Andrew
• Inspiration – Reading through Armies of Germany generated lots of new ideas for interesting, thematic forces I’d like to see on the table. Units like the Spähtruppen, 5th Columnists, and a huge variety of weird and wonderful vehicles had me thinking of new ways to build a German force. This book did not spark inspiration in the same way. Armies of the United States is comprehensive. It has everything you need to field a robust force with plenty of options. But for players who don’t already have a desire to play US, I don’t think there’s much in this book to draw them in. – John
• Theater Selectors – These would be great to have back. More infantry squads with unique rules are also needed. I have often heard that the US faction is vanilla and is a stepping stone to play other nations. I disagreed due to the plentiful number of unique squads that one can choose. But now many of those unique units are missing. What is especially surprising to see gone are the Beach Landing units. Before the AoUS release, I thought that they would simply include them in this book so that they did not have to release another D-Day book set again, but maybe they will later! – Giuseppe

Overall Impressions

The production improvements I noted in my Armies of Germany: Third Edition review apply here as well. Warlord has enhanced both photography and layout. The miniature photography has greatly improved since Armies of the United States: First Edition, which was over 10 years ago. The new layout is impressive, with Quartermasters’ Stores consolidating unique equipment rules in one place, and unit entries no longer spread across multiple pages – a reason to celebrate. However, the Sample Armies layout remains puzzling.

It’s the Army Special Rules that prevent AoUS from achieving greatness. The rules are good, but they lack a certain je ne sais quoi. They feel clinical, almost mechanical, and dare I say, bland. There’s no soul in these rules. The unit entries are excellent, full of flavor and unique options. Maybe my expectations were too high. To be clear, AoUS is not a bad book, far from it – it just missed the mark ever so slightly. I think John best articulates the feeling in his Inspiration point above. AoUS feels kind of … generic.

Armies of the United States is solid. It’s not glamorous or over the top, but like the Dogface G.I., it’s dependable and gets the job done.

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Thank you to Warlord Games for providing a digital copy of Armies of the United States: Third Edition featured in this article.