An informal collection of thoughts from members of the r/BoltAction Community.
Rules/meta stability, alternating activations, it’s really hard to for sure win a game before the 4th turn. – Majsharan
Leaving aside the historical aspects, the system itself makes for a fantastic gameplay that swings back and forth. You can play the same two forces against each other multiple times, playing the exact same mission, and because of the nature of random, alternating activations, every game will feel new and different. – Dexion1969
I’m a huge history fanatic and I also build models as a hobby. I got interested in Bolt Action because I thought it would be fun to both build models and use them in a game about a huge historical event (WWII) and after only playing it for a week I’m already buying a Support Team and a German Grenadiers set. – Scared_Lawyer_3966
Huge WWII buff, easy to learn and play, and the x-factor I just love how many people make a list built with a theme and lore instead of just trying to min/max a list so you don’t constantly see the same units/factions but instead all sorts of different unique awesome looking models. – Temporary_Goat42
I’ve always been a fan of World War II history, that was my entry point. I’ve been playing tabletop wargames for a long time and Bolt Action is without question my favorite. I’ve been playing consistently since First Edition. It’s also the low cost of entry, the absolutely stupid variety of companies that make WWII minis, the history, the genius simplicity of the Order Dice mechanic and this incredible community. – DoctorDH
The rules, while simple are very solid. Alternate/random activation has a strong impact during the game which can either really mess with you or make your strategy work out perfectly. The model range is not locked into any manufacturer – which means competitive prices and not everyone’s army looks like they came off a factory line. The setting – there is so much you can do with it. You can go accurate, thematic, find a platoon/scenario and go wild or just go for game mechanics. – Blind_Guzer
It’s a very approachable game. Using the Generic Reinforced Platoon for army composition has a consistent and easy-to-understand structure. The blind-draw activation makes flexibility one of the most important skills to have once the game has started (meaning it’s very difficult to ruin your entire game by getting one activation wrong in the early turns), and the “try hard” meta is easy to avoid through simple “Don’t be a dickhead” house rules. – foxden_racing
I think it’s a combo of how the game can scale up and down in points and be relatively balanced the whole way through. The turn order mechanics keeping me engaged. It lets me do some historical modelling and painting while still allowing me to play a game that feels familiar and the option to play Weird War in Konflikt ’47 which I’ve always been a big fan of (thanks Wolfenstein). – MagentaStick
Player base is generally more mature than the average Warhammer player. Historical side of it is really cool. You can build forces for certain years and theaters of war. Rules are easy to pick up on and Warlord Games has far better customer service than other game companies. You wont get crapped on for using non-Warlord Games miniatures. Rubicon makes some outstanding stuff along with other companies and its all legal on the table. You really don’t need a stupid amount of miniatures to play and its relatively cheap. You don’t have to worry about units not fitting the rules after a couple of years like 40k or Fantasy. You wont have to replace anything when new editions drop. – Financial_Newt_2737
Honestly, I couldn’t stand GW and the players (mostly the players), it was too competitive for me. I was already into WW2 gaming with Flames of War, did that for a long time. My friend got me into Bolt Action on a lark. I bought a Late War Grenadier box to build and paint and use for the FUBAR rule set, he showed me a game that was running and the guys that was playing loaned me basic force and I had a blast. Two years later I have over six armies (all painted), plus terrain to match. I love that you can created a themed force and it be viable. Most of the Bolt Action players I met, have been very inclusive and positive. I think I ran into one rivet counter, but he got shouted down by the other players for being such. The group I play with basically, if you show up, you can play. It didn’t matter if your forces are painted or not or fully assembled. If you don’t have an force, Among the group, we have about 15+ armies to choose from any period. – Grimmhoof
Unless you play super specific meta list, is really hard to “auto win” due to having a better army. The units are generally levelled down, so you win by playing better than the opponent or just being luckier. Also, stuff is really hard to kill, which allows for more aggressive style of play without being obliterated in return. The alternate activation system is godly good and fun. There are far fewer rules in place than other systems, and matches are generally won at the end of the last turn, making it a race to the objective utill the end. Finally, miniatures are way cheaper to buy, easier to paint (due to military uniform being very bland in style) and everyone is ok with 3D printing stuff. – Mister_Kokie
Chicago Dice 