For players using a Commonwealth force from Campaign: Western Dessert, the Army Special Rules are:

Australia (p.102):

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• One of the Armies of Great Britain National Characteristics or
• Aggressive Patrolling and Never Give Up

South Africa (p.102):

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• One of the Armies of Great Britain National Characteristics or
• Bloody Mindedness and Quick Reaction

New Zealand (p.102):

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• One of the Armies of Great Britain National Characteristics or
• Steadfast Under Fire and Superb Junior Officers and Maori Troops

India (p.102):

• Bombardment
• One of the Armies of Great Britain National Characteristics or
• Unsurpassed Bravery and The Manpower of the Empire or Artillery Support
  • Essentially, if you play India, you can take the free 10-man squad or the free Artillery Observer. Whichever you pick, your force will also have either one of the Armies of Great Britain National Characteristics or Unsurpassed Bravery.

For players using a Commonwealth force from Campaign: New Guinea, the Army Special Rules are:

Australia (p.78-79):

• Limited Artillery Support
• Aggressive Patrolling
• Never Give Up
• Australia is Next… or
• Fighting Withdrawal or
• Jungle Warfare Masters

For players using a Commonwealth force from Duel in the Sun, the Army Special Rules are:

India (p.23):

• Unsurpassed Bravery
• The Manpower of the Empire

For players using a Commonwealth force from Campaign: Italy: Soft Underbelly, the Army Special Rules are:

India (p.152):

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• A National Characteristic
  • Blood Curdling Charge – All headquarters units, Gurkhas sections, Indian Infantry sections (Italy, 1943) and infantry weapons teams (e.g. snipers and mortars etc) have Blood Curdling Charge as their National Characteristic. The rest of the force may choose another National Characteristic.

Guards (p.144)

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• Discipline
  • Guards units do not benefit from the National Characteristic Army Special Rule; instead, they may re-roll Order Tests. The must accept the second result. A re-roll may not be taken if a FUBAR result is rolled.
• Scots Guards
  • If your force represents the Scots Guards, a Bagpiper may be added to the compulsory Lt in the same way it is added to the Highland Officer for +33pts. The Scots Guards Bagpiper’s Piper rule only effects Guards units (i.e. those with the Discipline Special Rule, including HQ teams).

Scotland (p.144)

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• A National Characteristic
• A Scottish Reinforced Platoon can be created in any reinforced platoon that has the Highland Officer available as an Officer option. Those Platoons are:
  • Eighth Army Reinforced Platoon (Sicily)
  • Termolia Assault Force Reinforced Platoon
  • Eighth Army Reinforced Platoon (Italy, 1943)

Canada (p.144)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• If the platoon is made into a Canadian platoon (i.e., its compulsory infantry units are Canadian Infantry Sections (MTO), give the platoon the following Special Rules:
• A National Characteristic
  • Tough as Old Boots – Canadian headquarters and infantry weapons teams use the Tough as Old Boots National Characteristic. One other National Characteristic may be picked for the non-Canadian Infantry sections in the Reinforced Platoon.
• Dogged

Ireland (p.144)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• A Platoon can be made to represent an Irish Platoon by giving all Headquarters units the ‘Faugh a Ballagh!’ Special Rule. Headquarters units may be given the Tough Fighters Special Rule for +1pt per model.
• A National Characteristic
  • ‘Faugh a Ballagh!’ (Clear the way!) – Irish units do not benefit from the National Characteristic you have chosen for the rest of your army; they instead use the Vengeance National Characteristic.

New Zealand (p.144)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• New Zealanders do not pick a National Characteristic; instead pick standard officers and veteran Infantry Sections as compulsory selections and apply the following National Characteristics:
  • Steadfast Under Fire
  • Superb Junior Officers
  • Maori Troops – Maori Troops may be taken in this Reinforced Platoon. Any Veteran Infantry Section or Headquarters unit may be made Maori Troops for the cost of +1pt per model. The unit gains the Formidable Fighters Special Rule below:
    • Formidable Fighters – Maori units do not benefit from the New Zealand National Characteristics (Steadfast Under Fire and Superb Junior Officers). Instead they have Blood Curing Charge and Though as Boots Special Rules.
• Selections – No Commandos or SRS Sections may be taken.

For players using a Commonwealth force from Campaign: Italy: Tough Gut, the Army Special Rules are:

India (p.119):

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• A National Characteristic
  • Blood Curdling Charge – All headquarters units, Indian and Gurkha infantry sections and infantry weapons teams have Blood Curdling Charge as their National Characteristic. The rest of the force may choose another National Characteristic unless they too already have their own National Characteristic.

Guards (p.119)

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• Discipline
  • Guards units do not benefit from the National Characteristic Army Special Rule; instead, they may re-roll Order Tests. The must accept the second result. A re-roll may not be taken if a FUBAR result is rolled.
• Scots Guards
  • If your force represents the Scots Guards, a Bagpiper may be added to the compulsory Lt in the same way it is added to the Highland Officer for +33pts. The Scots Guards Bagpiper’s Piper rule only effects Guards units (i.e. those with the Discipline Special Rule, including HQ teams).

Scotland (p.118)

• Bombardment
• Artillery Support
• A National Characteristic
• A Scottish Reinforced Platoon can be created in any reinforced platoon that has the Highland Officer available as an Officer option. Those Platoons are:
  • X Corps Reinforced Platoon (Assault Across the Garigliano) – p122
  • British 1st Infantry Division Reinforced Platoon – p123
  • Operation Honker Reinforced Platoon – p126

Canada (p.119)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• If the platoon is made into a Canadian platoon (i.e., its compulsory infantry units are Canadian Infantry Sections (MTO 1944-45), give the platoon the following Special Rules:
• A National Characteristic
  • Tough as Old Boots – Canadian headquarters and infantry weapons teams use the Tough as Old Boots National Characteristic. One other National Characteristic may be picked for the non-Canadian Infantry sections in the Reinforced Platoon.
• Dogged – All Canadian headquarters and infantry unit may be upgrade to Stubborn for +1pt per model.
• Esprit de Corps – For a reinforced platoon representing the French Canadian 22e Regiment, headquarters and infantry sections may benefit form the Esprit de Corps Special Rule instead of Dogged from +1pt per model (p138).

Ireland (p.118)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• A Platoon can be made to represent an Irish Platoon by giving all Headquarters units the ‘Faugh a Ballagh!’ Special Rule. Headquarters units may be given the Tough Fighters Special Rule for +1pt per model.
• A National Characteristic
  • ‘Faugh a Ballagh!’ (Clear the way!) – Irish units do not benefit from the National Characteristic you have chosen for the rest of your army; they instead use the Vengeance National Characteristic.

New Zealand (p.119)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• New Zealanders do not pick a National Characteristic; instead all units except for Maori units and unit from other nations in the reinforced platoon benefit from the following Special Rule:
  • Steadfast Under Fire – After rolling for the number of Pins caused by HE fire, halve the number of Pins, rounding down.
  • Maori Troops – Maori Troops may be taken in this Reinforced Platoon. Any headquarters unit or infantry weapons teams may be made Maori Troops for the cost of +1pt per model. The unit gains the Formidable Fighters Special Rule below:
    • Formidable Fighters – Maori units do not benefit from the New Zealand National Characteristics (Steadfast Under Fire). Instead they have Blood Curing Charge and Though as Boots Special Rules.

South Africa (p.120)

• Bombardment 
• Artillery Support
• To create a South African Platoon, take Regular Infantry Sections (Mid/Late-War) from Armies of Great Britain as your two compulsory infantry squads and use the following South African Special Rules instead of a National Characteristic:
  • We can take it! – When a Regular Infantry Section (Mid/Late-War), infantry weapons teams, or artillery unit takes no casualties from non-HE fire, they roll a dice to see if they take Pins. On a 1-3, they take a Pin. On a 4-6, they do not take Pin.
  • Quick Reactions – For +1pt per model, Regular Infantry Sections (Mid/Late-War), infantry weapons teams, or artillery units are always allowed to react to being assaulted. The Surprise Charge rule on p76 of the Bolt Action Rulebook does not apply.

Note – This Commonwealth force Army Special Rule breakdown differs from the one listed in the Sept. 13, 2022 Bolt Action FAQ & Errata. Review these rules fully while creating your army list and do not hesitate to reach out to Andrew with any questions.

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