The fourth and final Chicago Four Star Open was held at world-famous Chicagoland Games Dice Dojo in early November. As this would be “The Final Star”, it was a must-attend event. Shane knocked it out of the park back in 2023 and 2024; I expected 2025 to be no different. The event format was:
- Three Games
- 1,250pts
- 16 Order Dice max
- 4 Platoons max
- Players could bring a Recce or Engineer Platoon instead of a Rifle Platoon as their required Platoon.
- Players picked one secret Secondary Objective each Game worth 5 Tournament Points each.
- The Iron Coffin – Players earned 10 bonus TPs if their list included an AFV that cost 300+pts. Nations that do not have access to an Iron Coffin could bring one following the Axis Support Army Special Rule.
- Full event rules for review and Event Packet for download:
With 18 players jammed into the Dojo basement, nine Armor 10+ Tanks on the tables, and plenty of Old Style on hand, the 2025 Four Star Open had officially began.
Our Forces
Andrew – After bringing the Chindits in both 2023 (2nd Edition) and 2024 (3rd Edition), I had to take a different route this year. When Shane added in the Iron Coffin bonus points, the decision was made – Kingdom of Italy + Tiger I. I brought the Tiger I to The Great Fire back in September and I’m looking for any excuse to get this beast back onto the table. The full army list is below:
| Recce Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Vet – 39 +2 Additional Men – Vet – 26 x3 Horses – 9 Cavalry | 74pts |
| Cavalry Section – Vet – 8 men – 128 Cavalry | 128pts |
| Cavalry Section – Vet – 8 men – 128 Cavalry | 128pts |
| Colonial Troops Section – Inexp – 10 men – 88 Tough Fighter | 88pts |
| Forward Artillery Observer – Reg – 75 +1 Additional Man – Reg – 11 Infiltrator | 86pts |
| Breda 61 Artillery Tractor – Vet – 32 Armor 6 (Soft-skin) Transport 12 Recce – 10 | 42pts |
| Heavy Weapons Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Reg – 30 +1 Additional Man – Reg – 10 | 40pts |
| Medium Machine Gun Team – Vet – 65 | 55pts |
| Medium Mortar Team – Reg – 45 | 45pts |
| AT Rifle Team – Reg – 25 | 25pts |
| Armored Platoon | |
| Light Semovente – Reg – 70 Armor 7 Hull-mounted forward-facing HMG Pintle MMG – 15 Command Vehicle – (-20) Open-topped Vulnerable | 65pts |
| Light Semovente – Reg – 70 Armor 7 Hull-mounted forward-facing Light AT Gun Open-topped Vulnerable | 70pts |
| Light Semovente – Reg – 70 Armor 7 Hull-mounted forward-facing Light AT Gun Open-topped Vulnerable | 70pts |
| Tiger I – Reg – 330 Armor 10 Turret Super-heavy AT Gun w/ coax MMG Hull-mounted forward-facing MMG Buzzsaw | 330pts |
| Total – 14 Order Dice | 1,248pts |
In addition to bringing a Tiger I, I also wanted to use a Recce Platoon instead of a typical Rife Platoon. And that meant my Infantry had to be mobile, either in a Transport or as Cavalry. Since my Italian collection contains a few units of Cav, it was an easy choice. The current Italian PDF Army List may be limited in options, but it packs some serious flavor. Two units of 8 Vet Cav plus a mounted PC supported by 10 Colonial Troops and an Artillery Observer all in an Artillery Tractor as transport. Backing up the Infantry was the classic trio of MMG, Med. Mortar, and AT Rifle. The Tiger couldn’t go in alone so how about three Light Semovente Tank Destroyers? It’s a real Italian soup of a list with a little bit of everything sprinkled in.
John – My original plan for this event was to finish painting up my Vichy French, but like Andrew, the Iron Coffin bonus led me in a different direction. I already had a group of “ToonKrieg” Hungarians that I’d brought to AdeptiCon back in March. I added a Tiger I and a few Nimrods to round out the force.
| Rifle Platoon | |
| Platoon Commander – Reg – 30 +1 Additional Men – 10 x2 Horses – 6 Cavalry | 46pts |
| Cavalry Section – Vet – 8 men – 96 x1 Panzerfaust – 15 Cavalry | 111pts |
| Cavalry Section – Vet – 8 men – 96 x1 Panzerfaust – 15 Cavalry | 111pts |
| Infantry Section – Vet – 7 men – 91 NCO SMG – 4 x1 Panzerfaust – 15 Fieldcraft – 7 | 117pts |
| Infantry Section – Vet – 7 men – 91 NCO SMG – 4 x1 Panzerfaust – 15 Fieldcraft – 7 | 117pts |
| Sniper Team – Vet – 67 | 67pts |
| Anti-Tank Rifle Team – Reg – 25 | 25pts |
| Light Mortar Team – Reg – 30 | 30pts |
| Light Mortar Team – Reg – 30 | 30pts |
| Armored Platoon | |
| Nimrod Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun – Reg – 85 Armor 7 Turret-mounted Heavy Autocannon Command Vehicle – 10 Open-topped | 95pts |
| Nimrod Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun – Reg – 85 Armor 7 Turret-mounted Heavy Autocannon Open-topped | 85pts |
| Nimrod Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun – Reg – 85 Armor 7 Turret-mounted Heavy Autocannon Open-topped | 85pts |
| Tiger I – Reg – 330 Armor 10 Turret Super-heavy AT Gun w/ coax MMG Hull-mounted forward-facing MMG Buzzsaw | 330pts |
| Total – 13 Order Dice | 1,249pts |
Game 1 – Move Move Move
Andrew – I played Jayden and their Late-War SS Heavy Panzer Battalion in Game 1. Jayden’s list clocked in at 7 OD with a Platoon Commander, four squads of Reg SS packed with all kinds of special weapons (LMGs, ARs, Fausts), a Panzer IV and a King Tiger. Seeing that 440pt, Armor 11 monster across the table was a terrifying sight. I had not anticipated my Tiger I would be outmatched! Luckily, the mission favored my force with both the higher number of units and the speed of the Italian Cavalry.
Jayden and I both pushed up the flanks and SS clashed against Cav and Semovente TDs. But those moves were just a side-show to the main event taking place in the middle of the table. Tiger II v Tiger I. The battle of the Big Cats. Super-heavy AT Guns boomed back and forth without a single hit through the first four turns. It wasn’t until the top of Turn 5 that Jayden’s King Tiger finally made contact and knocked out my Tiger I. The destruction of my Heavy Tank left a massive hole in the center of my line. But by this point in the game, I had already driven deep into enemy territory from the flanks and knew I had a healthy VP advantage. In a shocking turn of events a Semovente managed to glance the front of Jayden’s Panzer IV, set it on the fire and the German crew bailed out! That’s a little Armor 7, 70pt TD taking down a 225pt Armor 9 Medium Tank – Italian Armor proves superior. Jayden’s Fanatic Infantry fought on and defended as best they could but the VPs for getting units into the enemy DZ were in my favor and the game ended with an Italian victory despite the loss of my Tiger I. A great game against a great opponent who knew full well the suboptimal nature of a King Tiger still charged forward into the heat of battle.
Result – Win
John – My first game was against Adam and his 8th Army Brits, including the 450pt Veteran Churchill Mk VII with Armor 11! His army also included several large units of Veteran Guards, a Humber Armored Car, and a 25-pdr. I got lucky in the first couple of turns, taking out Adam’s artillery with my Nimrods and destroying the Churchill with my Tiger. The Humber kept my Nimrods in a defensive position, but with the Churchill knocked out my Tiger had free reign on my right flank, hammering Adam’s infantry with 3″ HE templates.
Adam was forced to make a couple of Hail Mary plays, assaulting my Cavalry and one of my Nimrods with big squads of Guards. The Hungarians held fast, beating back the British bayonets. In the end, losing his heaviest weapons in the opening turns was too great of a hole for Adam to dig out of. I was able to push multiple units up the table to score VPs while minimizing losses to my own units. I also achieved my Secondary Objective by destroying more than half of the enemy units. Adam and I had a lot of fun even though the end result was somewhat one-sided.
Result – Win
Game 2 – No Soft Targets
Andrew – Game 2 was also against Germans, but Veronica was running a fully mechanized Panzergrenadier Platoon with both a Veteran Panzer Ace Panzer IV and a Reg Panther in support. There were three Half-tracks, all fully loaded with: a five-man PC squad, 10-man Panzergrenadier Squad and a 10-man Panzergrenadier plus a Medic. Veronica deployed for an armored thrust with two Half-tracks on the middle road, the Panzer IV to the left, the Panther to the right and the third half-track on the right flank. I needed my Heavy Weapons to put out some early Pins on those Half-tracks or else I’d have 25 Vet German Infantry in my grill by the end of Turn 2.
Veronica was aggressive during Turn 1 but the Italian gunnery held the Germans back. Each of the three Half-tracks was hit and their passengers Pinned. At the top of Turn 2, one Half-track with 10 Panzergrenadiers aboard with knocked out and the troops inside were forced to bail out and go Down inside some woods. The Panzer IV and Tiger I traded shots with no damage done. The Panther tried to suppress the Italian gunline in my center but to no avail. In this mission, units with 8 or more models were worth a whopping 5 VP if destroyed. I focused fire onto the two 10-man Panzergrenadier Squads and kept the Panzer IV and Panther locked in duels with my armor. The game stayed close until Turn 5 when I destroyed both Grenadier Squads and the Panzer IV. With those assets gone, it looked bad for the Germans. Veronica continued to fight until the bitter end but it wasn’t enough for the Germans to climb back into contention. The Italians held the line against the German mechanized assault, but it easily could have broken the other way. A great, pedal to the metal game – respect to Veronica and the “all gas, no breaks” approach to armored infantry.
Result – Win
John – For my second game I was paired with Dave and his North Africa Italians. Dave had a few units of Veteran infantry and a host of Italian armor including an Autoblinda, L3/33 tankette, M13/40 light tank, 75/18 Semovente, and a Tiger I. This mission awarded Victory Points for destroying enemy units, with more points awarded depending on the type of unit killed. Commanders and Heavy tanks were worth the most points, small infantry teams were worth the least. My strategy for this was to play defensively, using the longer range of my Nimrod’s heavy autocannons to damage Dave’s armor while using my Veteran infantry to absorb blows, going Down when necessary.
Unfortunately for Dave, his Semovente retreated off the table after failing an Order Test early on. I used terrain to my advantage, keeping my Tiger out of sight of his Tiger while I focused on the remaining vehicles. Meanwhile, I had one of my cavalry squads sweep up the right flank. After a few turns of careful maneuvering, I was able to Advance the cavalry into the rear of Dave’s Tiger, dismounting and using their single Panzerfaust to deliver a devastating point-blank shot, knocking out the Big Cat and securing my chosen Secondary Objective for the game. My defensive strategy, aided by a bit of luck, worked well. I eliminated several high-value targets and kept my most valuable units alive, securing another victory.
Result – Win
Game 3 – Kittyhawk Down
Andrew – And it comes down to the this. Brother versus brother. A family torn asunder. Two Tigers enter, only one can leave. No quarter asked, none given. John was also 2-0 heading into Game 3 and his Hungarian Toons had been rolling hot all day. This was going to be a battle for the ages.
The Hungarian Toon Tiger I – Imperator – scored an early kill against my Italian Tiger I and I was forced to adjust my battle plan. I kept my Cavalry on the flanks, waiting for the Kittyhawk to arrive. When it crashed in the middle of the table at the top of Turn 4, we both held our forces in cover until unleashing hell for leather Runs on Turn 5.
The final turn was total chaos. Squads throwing themselves forward onto the impact site, desperate close-quarters battles for control, point-blank fire back and forth. In the end, my Cavalry were able to fend off the last charge of the Hungarians and the game ended with more Italian than Hungarian units within 3″ of the crater. It was as close as game as you could ask for. John led his forces with confidence and dash. The Toons put the pressure on early and never once let up. It was only a failed Hungarian Order Test and some last-minute luck with the Italian Medium Mortar that got me the victory.
Result – Win
John – The Ultimate Grudge Match! Andrew and I were really excited to face off. We had played a practice game earlier in the week that resulted in a pretty dominant victory for Andrew’s Italians. My Hungarians were out for revenge. We know that this game would come down to a scramble to secure the objective in the final turns, so we both played pretty defensively while waiting for the objective to arrive somewhere along the midline of the table.
As expected, chaos erupted once the crashed plane was placed on the table as we both rushed to get our units on top of it. Andrew had one of his large cavalry units on each flank and they both quickly ran towards the center, supported by his Colonial Troops who had survived loads of Hungarian firepower hunkered down in some nearby ruins. My Tiger, which had destroyed Andrew’s Tiger earlier in the game, failed a crucial Order Test on the final turn, preventing me from unleashing its guns on the surging Italians. My luck really dried up when Andrew’s mortar hit my Veterans on a 6, wiping the unit. A desperate assault into the Italian cavalry was my last-ditch effort to even the odds, but when the dust settled there were more Italians than Hungarians on the objective. It was a back-and-forth game throughout and we both agreed that it was the best game of Bolt Action we’d played in a while.
Result – Loss
Final Thoughts
Andrew – Shane once again delivered a flawless day of Bolt Action. The drinks were cold, the dice hot, the vibes perfect. No matter the event format, this community was going to have a blast, but by adding in the Secondary Objectives and the Iron Coffin, Four Star was elevated above your typical one-day, three-game tournament. Look no further than the simple fact that over half the field brought an AFV costing at least 300pts. If that’s not an indication of what these three games were going to be like, I don’t know what is.
The Four Star Open is a special event. I consider myself lucky to have attend these past three years. Shane is taking a well-earned step back and passing the reins over to a new TO for next year. I have no doubt that Four Star 2026 (or whatever it may be called) will keep the Chicago community flavor and deliver on the style of play we all love to see. Thanks again Shane!
John – What a fun day! Huge shoutout to Shane for running another successful Four Star. Great missions, great prizes, and a flawlessly executed day of gaming. I got to play three excellent games with top-notch opponents. In all of my games, both players put a Heavy Tank on the table which made for some thrilling moments. My Hungarians performed well and I look forward to bringing more ToonKrieg minis to the next Chicago Dice event.
Chicago Dice 
