Forces of Freedom is Michigan’s premiere Bolt Action gaming weekend. The weekend will comprise of two separate Bolt Action events over MLK Day Weekend. The event will take place on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 (Operation: Grizzly) and Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024 (Warbirds!) at VFW Post 9283 – 16200 Dix Toledo Rd, Southgate, MI 48195.

Registration and Army Lists Submission

The ticket for the full weekend is $70 until Dec. 23, 2023 and will be $80 at the door. The weekend ticket includes a lunch meal voucher ($10 value) for each day at the event hall, as well as admission into both Operation: Grizzly and Warbirds! tournaments. Tickets for individual days are $40 each with lunch included for the single day.

Reserve your spot via PayPal (crackerjax514@gmail.com) and email Jackson at crackerjax514@gmail.com with your intent to play and army list(s) by Dec. 23, 2023. Early registration/list submission will be rewarded with an additional 5 Battle points to your score.

Note: After the list submission deadline, players are locked in to their submitted lists. Any changes following the submission deadline will result in revoking of the 5 Battle points bonus.

Operation: Grizzly (run by Jackson) is a three-game tournament on Saturday, Jan. 13. This event welcomes all players – both new lieutenants and veteran generals. There is a painting requirement and is more of a traditional tournament combining thematic army design with healthy competition.

Warbirds! (run by Jeff) is a three-game tournament on Sunday, Jan. 14. This event strongly geared toward newer players with heavy army list comp allowing players to be introduced to the game with just an infantry box and a tank to their name. Every collection takes its first steps with these two kits! Veteran players may join in with the goal to help new players get some experience with tournament play and meet others in our growing community. There is no painting requirement (but models must be at least primed – no bare plastic), but does include a painting competition for players who want to show their stuff!

Players are encouraged to participate in both events, but are not required. You may use different armies from one day to the next.

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Operation: Grizzly

Army Construction
Points: 1000 Order Dice Limit: 14 Platoons: 1

• The Leadership Standard: The Morale level of the Lieutenant must be equal to or greater than the Morale level of the majority of the units in the platoon (rounding up).
• Armored Platoons are not allowed this event.
• Players are required to use a Theater Selector for their Platoon instead of the Generic Reinforced Platoon.
  • Your Theater Selector must be approved by the TO.

Army List Clarifications

• Maximum of 100pts worth of free units or upgrades can be taken (Schutzen LMGs, Soviet Conscripts, Luftwaffe Defense Force bunkers, etc.) in your force.
  • Example: Player A takes a free 10 man Regular Rifle section using the Indian Army Special Rule “Manpower of the Empire” (100pts) while their opponent takes a combination of 4 free LMGs in their DAK Light Infantry Platoon Schutzen Squads (80pt value)
• Maximum of 2 flamethrowers – whether they be a unit upgrade, vehicle upgrade, or weapon team.
• Maximum of 1 unit with a Heavy Howitzer, either as Artillery or on a vehicle.
• Maximum of 1 unit with a Multiple Launcher, either as Artillery or mounted on a vehicle.
• Maximum of 2 “Gurkha” Sections (including Gurkha Paratroopers) in your platoon should your Theater Selector allow them.
• Maximum of 2 IJA Bamboo Spear Fighter Squads in your platoon should your Theater Selector allow them.

The Ban List – These units and Selectors are not allowed at Operation: Grizzly:

• 37mm M2 Canister Round – Campaign: Mariana & Palau Islands
• British Forward Naval Observer – Campaign: D-Day: Overlord
• Forward Observer (Super-Heavy) – Campaign: Italy: Tough Gut
• Any Heroes/Special Characters
• War Reporter – Optional rules
• Warplanes – Optional rules
• Campaign: Korea

While this event does not reference a specific time of the war (Early, Mid, or Late), I encourage players to center their armies around a specific theme – be it a certain theater, a battle you want to recreate, etc.

In-Game Clarifications

• Wrecks: Leave the wrecks of knocked-out vehicles on the table. The wreck counts as Soft Cover.
• Turret Jam: The Turret Jam rule will not be used.
• Tiger Fear: Tanks that cause Tiger Fear are not affected by Tiger Fear.
• Sewer Movement: Missions that allow Outflank will also allow “Sewer Movement” for applicable units (ex: Hungarian Vanay Flying Battalion).
• Players will battle to Turn 6. There will be no rolling for Turn 7.

The Ringer

• Should there be an odd number of players, the TO will play as the Ringer against a random opponent for Game 1 and for Games 2 and 3 will play against the player with the lowest combined score (Order Dice lost and W/L record).
• If the Ringer wins the game, then the match will be ruled as a Draw for the opposing player. This is to prevent the same player from playing the Ringer twice in a row.

Scoring

The overall score for each player is a combination of:

• Battle – 75pts (Win 25pts, Draw 10pts, Loss 0pts)
• Painting – 30pts
• Sportsmanship – 30pts
• Theme/Comp – 5pts
• Early Army List Submission – 5pts

Painting Scoring

Paint will be scored using a rubric:

Sportsmanship Scoring

Operating on the assumption that all players are good sports, opponents are automatically granted 10 points for Sportsmanship for each game. If it turns out that player’s opponents are less than good sports, players need to report it to the TO, before the start of the next round, using the following categories and examples as a guideline. Keep in mind: Everyone gets a little salty now and then, forgets (or misplaces) their tape measure once in a while, temporarily forgets how a rule works, or changes their mind about a decision, etc.

Salty Attitude: Complain a lot. Constantly ask to see your rules—even for basic things. Act put-out if you ask to see their rules. Do not communicate intentions or establish agreement with regard to movement, line of sight, etc. Are impatient, dismissive, curt, etc.; sore losers or ungracious winners.

Unprepared for Play: Show up very late. Haven’t read the tournament rules. Haven’t read the mission description. Don’t have the majority of the things needed to play the game (have to borrow a lot)

Incompetent Play: Unable to execute the core rules of the game without frequent referencing or coaching. Spend inordinate time looking things up (i.e. do not have materials prepared, marked, or printed for quick reference).

Questionable Play: Not quite cheating, but not aboveboard either. ‘Generous’ measurements or movement. Frequently take back movement or other decisions after they are in process. Not clearly distinguishing between similar units. Not keeping track of scoring. Abuse ‘playing by intent’ by failing to establish what their intent is, but taking advantage of what it ‘could have been’.

Sportsmanship Deductions: In all cases, the judge(s) will decide whether the described behaviors are Minor, Major, or Extreme instances.

• Minor instances will be minus 1-4 points each.
• Major instances will be minus 5-9 points each and a visit from the TO.
• Extreme instances will be minus 10 points and a visit from the Head TO.

Theme/Comp Scoring

Theme, also referred to as Comp, is a soft check against hyper-competitive, WAAC army lists. All army lists submitted by the deadline start with the full 5 Theme/Comp points. If the army list contains a force construction more geared towards a competitive event, points will be deducted. Examples of a deduction include:

• Inclusion of an Inexp. Indirect Fire weapon when the rest of the force is Reg. and/or Vet.
• Inclusion of an Inexp. Transport/Two when the rest of the force is Reg. and/or Vet.
• Unit spam (Cavalry, Dakka Stuart, Flamethrowers, Howitzers).

To put it another way, Operation: Grizzly is a hobby-first. Yes, we are all playing to win, but not at the expense of the opponents experience.

Schedule

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024:
9 – 9:30am – Check-in and table setup
9:30am – 12:30pm – Game 1
12:30 – 1:15pm – Lunch Break, Paint Judging, and Battlefield Judging
1:15 – 4:15pm – Game 2
4:15 – 5pm – Dinner Break, Paint Judging, and Battlefield Judging
5 – 8pm – Game 3
8 – 8:30pm – Closing Ceremonies

Awards

• Best Overall Player – combination of Battle, Painting, and Sportsmanship score.
• Best Allied General – Highest in-game scoring player in the Allies faction.
• Best Axis General – Highest in-game scoring player in the Axis faction.
• Best Painted Army – Combination of Player votes with TO as tie-breaker.
• Best Sportsman – Players vote on who was their favorite opponent of the day – TO tiebreaker.
• Best Battlefield – Players who provide terrain for the event will be eligible this award.

Results

Place	Player	Nation	Score	Award
1	Henry S	US	115	Best Overall
2	Jason S	Soviet Union	100	Best Allies
3	Franklin M	Soviet Union	94
4	Anthony W	Germany	90	Best Axis
5	Ben C	US	85
6	Ryan L	Soviet Union	85
7	Isaac P	Germany	85
8	Joe V	Soviet Union	84
9	David N	France	84	Best Painted
10	Charles S	UK	75
11	Spencer M	Italy	75
12	Rusty P	Japan	75	Best Sportsman
13	Aaron N	Germany	75
14	David S	US	74
15	David C	Germany	70
16	Pat S	Germany	69
17	James T	UK	65
18	Brianne H	Soviet Union	50
19	Jacob O	Germany	50
20	Todd F	Germany	50
21	Christian B	US	40	Purple Heart

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Warbirds!

Army Construction:
Points: 750 Order Dice Limit: 10 Platoons: 1

• Armored Platoons are not allowed this event.
• Players are required to use a Generic Reinforced Platoon.
• The Platoon must be selected using the Army List Section of the Bolt Action Rulebook, one of the Armies of… books, or an approved Generic List of a minor country that does not have an Armies of… book.
• Approved books:
  • Armies of Germany Second Edition, Armies of United States, Armies of Great Britain, Armies of Soviet Union, Armies of Imperial Japan, Armies of France and the Allies, Armies of Italy and the Axis
• Approved Generic Lists of Armies without a Book:
  • Australian Reinforced Platoon, French Late-War reinforced Platoon, Chinese (Communist) Reinforced Platoon, Chinese (Nationalist) Reinforced Platoon, Chinese (Warlord) Reinforced Platoon

Army List Clarifications:

• No free units or upgrades may be taken for this event.
• Maximum of 1 flamethrower can be taken – it must be an infantry-carried flamethrower.

The Ban List – These units and Selectors are not allowed at Warbirds!:

• Vehicle Flamethrowers
• Heavy Howitzers
• Multiple Launchers
• 37mm M2 Canister Round – Campaign: Mariana & Palau Islands
• British Forward Naval Observer – Campaign: D-Day: Overlord
• Super-Heavy Artillery Observer – Campaign: Italy: Tough Gut
• Any Heroes/Special Characters
• War Reporter – Optional rules
• Warplanes – Optional rules
• Campaign: Korea

Painting

Painting:

• As a beginners’ tournament, there is no painting requirement for your models. However – models must be primed at a minimum ( bare plastic, resin, or metal will not be allowed on the table).
• There will be an optional painting competition for this event.
  • Players may submit 1 unit or tank to be judged in the competition.
• Models must be WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get).

Schedule

Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024:
9 – 9:30am – Check-in and table setup
9:30am – 12pm – Game 1
12 – 12:45pm – Lunch Break, Paint Judging, and Battlefield Judging
12:45 – 3:15pm – Game 2
3:15 – 4pm – Break, Paint Judging, and Battlefield Judging
4 – 6:30pm – Game 3
6:30 – 7pm – Closing Ceremonies

Awards

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place – Mission VPs + Kill Points for tiebreaker.
• Best Painted Army – Combination of Player votes and rubric.
• Best Sportsman – Players rank their opponents from favorite to least favorite on the day.
• Best Battlefield – Players vote on their favorite battlefield.

Results

Place	Player	Nation	Score	Award
1	Isaac P	Germany – Panzergrenadiers	90	1st Place
2	Ben C	US – Army	89	2nd Place
3	Brianne H	Soviet Union	80	3rd Place
4	David C	US – Army	74
5	David N	Germany – Blitzkrieg	74
6	Joe P	US – Army	70	Best Painted
7	Joe V	Soviet Union	70
8	Gerald A	US – Army	70	Best Battlefield
9	Anthony W	US – Army	70
10	Jacob O	Japan	70
11	Todd F	Germany – Fallschirmjager	60
12	Dave D	UK	60
13	Jason S	France – Partisans	50
14	Christian B	US – USMC	49	Purple Heart
15	Henry S	US – Airborne	40	Best Sportsman

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Questions?

For Operation: Grizzly, contact Jackson at crackerjax514@gmail.com.

For Warbirds! questions, contact Jeff at DetroitWGTournaments@gmail.com.