Catalog of changes from Second to Third Edition.

Latest Updates (click to expand)

• Oct. 14 – Added Chicago Dice Bolt Action: Third Edition Community FAQ link.
• Oct. 14 – Added Command Vehicle to Vehicle Special Rules.

Third Edition Quick Reference

From r/BoltAction member u/Georgy_K_Zhukov

Page 1 – Page 2

---

Army Composition

The Generic Reinforced Platoon is gone. In it’s place we have the new Platoon System.

---

Orders

Down – Units that remain Down at the end of the Turn remove all Pins. Previously it was d3 Pins removed.
Rally – A successful Rally removes all Pins. Previously it was d6+1 Pins.

---

Movement

Tracked vehicles can make two 90-degree pivots on an Advance (increased from one pivot). Tracked vehicles can make one 90-degree pivot on a Run (increased from none). Tracked vehicles no longer move at double speed on roads. Wheeled and half-tracked vehicles move at double speed on a road.

---

Shooting

The base To Hit roll is 4+. This is a change from 3+ in previous Editions.

To Hit Modifiers

Criteria	Modifier	Change
Point-blank Range	+2	Upped from +1
Firer is Pinned	-1	No longer -1 per Pin
Long Range	-1	Removed
Target is Small Team	-1	Removed
Target is in Soft Cover	-1	Removed – Replaced by Cover Save
Target is in Hard Cover	-2	Removed – Replaced by Cover Save
Target is Down	-2	Removed – Replaced by Cover Save

If firing at Point-blank Range, the bonus for being Down is ignored.

Cover Saves

Pins are applied before Cover Saves are rolled.

Cover Type	Result Needed or Modifier	Change
Soft Cover	5+ Cover Save	New
Hard Cover	4+ Cover Save	New
Down	5+ Cover Save (or +2 save modifier)	New

Weapons

Type	Range	Shots	Pen	Special Rules	Change
Pistol	6″	1	–	–	Removed Assault
MMG	36″	6	–	Team, Fixed	+1 Shots
HMG	48″	6	+1	Team, Fixed	+3 Shots, +12″ range
ATR	48″	1	+2	Team	+12″ range
Flamethrower (I)	6″	1	+2	Team, Flamethrower	-1 Pen
Flamethrower (V)	12″	1	+2	Team, Flamethrower	-1 Pen
Light Mortar	12-36″	1	HE	Team, Indirect Fire, HE (1″)	+12″ range
Light Howitzer	48″ (30-60″)	1	HE	Team, Indirect Fire, HE (2″)	+6″ min Indirect range

Multiple Launchers – The firing unit (whether infantry or vehicle) takes d3 Pins after firing.
Anti-tank Guns – All Anti-tank Guns (both Artillery and mounted on vehicles) have +1 To Hit when targeting vehicles during a Fire order (including Ambush and reaction fire). Not this is for AT Guns, not Infantry AT Teams. PIATs, Bazooka, etc. do not get +1 To Hit.
Fixed – Fixed weapon units can never assault other units.
Flamethrowers– The firing unit takes 1 Pin whether they hit or miss the target. Flamethrowers run out of fuel on a 1 or a 2 after firing. If it runes out of fuel, replace the flamethrower model with an unarmed model.
Shaped Charges – When fired against buildings, treat as a HE 2″ weapon.

HE

When firing against Infantry or Artillery you must use fire HE. Against vehicles you can fire either HE or AP. Note this means that a gun on Ambush with AP loaded cannot Ambush fire against Infantry or Artillery.

When firing multiple HE templates (such as an Autocannon) the HE Templates do not need to touch when placed over the enemy unit. Each model can only be hit once, even if more than one template hit them.

Diameter	Pen	Pins	Hits v Targets in Buildings	Change
2″	+2	d2	d6	Down from d3 Pins
4″	+4	d3	3d6	Down from d6 Pins

Spotters

Vet and Reg weapons and vehicles can fire using the line of sight of any Spotter or Forward Observer (with the exception of Multiple Launchers). Previously Spotters could only spot for their own unit and Forward Observers could not spot for any units.

Additional Pen Modifiers for Heavy Weapons Against Armored Targets

Note this +1 Pen does not apply to HE or Flamethrowers.

Criteria	Modifier	Change
Point-blank Range	+1 Pen	New

---

Close Quarters

The Close Quarters Procedure has changed. In Close Quarters, damage is rolled simultaneously when assaulting a unit in the open. This is a change from the Attacker rolling damage first previously. If the Defender is in a Defensive Position or the Attacker moves over an Obstacle or through Rough Ground, the Defender rolls damage first.

If the Defending unit is Down, they do not benefit from Defensive Position and damage is rolled simultaneously.

Unit Special Rules

Cavalry – Always have -1 to their Cover Save.
Fanatics – If unit has at least two models, ignore Pins on Morale Tests (like Stubborn). Previously Fanatics would automatically pass the Morale Test.
Fieldcraft – Universal rule that treats Rough Ground as Open Ground.
Green – Only upped to Regular on a roll of 6. Not a 5-6 as it was in previous Editions.
Tough Fighter – Re-roll failed damage rolls in close combat against enemy Infantry/Artillery. This is a change from the “exploding hits” mechanic of Second Edition.
Sniper – When firing as a Sniper (12-36″ range) the shot has +1 To Hit. Shots against Infantry/Artillery also have +1 Pen with no Cover Save allowed. Sniper can remove Team Leaders as a casualty.

---

Officers

• 1st Lts, 2nd Lts, Captains and Majors have been removed. Officers are now either a Platoon Commander or a Company Commander.
• Platoon Commanders have a +2 Morale Bonus, Snap To 2 units and have a command range of 6″.
• Company Commanders have a +4 Morale Bonus, Snap To 4 units and have a command range of 12″.
• Command Vehicles have a Morale Bonus of +1 for friendly armored vehicles, can Snap To 1 friendly non-command vehicle, and have a command range of 12″.
• Snap To can be issued to and from units inside of soft-skinned and open-topped armored transports.

---

Vehicles

• Superficial Damage and Full Damage (no changes) are now on two separate damage charts.
• When rolling to damage a vehicle, add +1 to the Pen value if firing at Point-blank range.

Vehicle Special Rules

Machine Guns on Vehicles – All vehicle-mounted machine guns half the number of shots they fire (rounding up). Except for pintle-mounted machine guns firing Flak.
One-Man Turret – Must always Order Test to Advance and can only fire 1 weapon at a time. There was no restriction on weapons firing previously.
Command Vehicle – Vehicles with the Command Vehicle Special Rule grant a +1 Morale Bonus to any friendly vehicle within 12″. Previously this bonus was only applied to friendly armored vehicles. Additionally, Command Vehicles can issue a single “Snap To” to a friendly vehicle within 12″.

Transports

• The special abilities of officers and other HQ units mounted on transports work as normal if the transport is a soft-skin or open-topped armored transport. For fully-enclosed armored transports, the officer’s abilities only affect the transport and any other units aboard.
• If a transport takes damage and is either On Fire or Immobilized, the unit aboard must dismount.

---

Buildings

Units can enter a building with a Run or Advance. If they Advance, they cannot fire after entering the building. Every model in the unit must move within 1″ of the building. Previously only one model needed to reach the building.

Buildings no longer have the Extra Protection rule. Thus, Vets are damaged on 5+, Regs on 4+, and Inexp. on 3+.

---

Chicago Dice Bolt Action: Third Edition Community FAQ

Living document containing FAQs created by the Chicago Dice Team. These are the rulings we use when playing and in events we run.

---

Return to the The Bolt Action Beginner’s Guide.