Tiki Two Cents - Bolt Action Tournaments are great for meeting new groups/people, fully testing a new army you have built, and getting alot of games in, in a short time, if you have a busy life. If you want a big narrative and/or laidback game with lots of chit chat breaks and no stress I'd recommend casual meet ups. Both are great, Bolt Action really shines in both.
Alternating activations, the absence of gotcha stratagem combos, and the relative lack of re-rolls all make Bolt Action a far more compelling game to play competitively than 40K imo.
40k players in my local area tend to be literally more “sweaty” than the Bolt Action group. I think this is because in Northern Virginia where I am at most of the Bolt Action players are either currently in the real military like myself or are veterans or retired so personal hygiene has been literally beaten into us. Lol
w40k 10th ed is what finally pushed me towards other games, Bolt Action being one of them. The smaller player scene I view as an asset for the game. It may be more difficult to find a player but it presumably is for the other player as well, so we are all incentivized to be on our best behavior.
My area had no scene as well; I recommend you makr a nice table and run some demo games then try a escalation league. We have 10 active players now at our shop and we're planning our 2nd tournament.
I've never left a Bolt Action tournament and not had an amazing time. The criticisms are definitely real, and I feel they're a symptom to the competitive scene still being relatively new compared to 40k! There's a lot of little pockets of competitive scenes doing their own thing - rather than one big one working together, but things are moving in that direction. The issues raised I've absolutely experienced, however, they're definitely less of an issue at the 7 "Major" UK events, especially when it comes to what missions and rules to expect. I'd highly recommend the English, Welsh or Scottish Open or National tournaments, as well as the Warlord GT hosted in Leicester this year. The Nationals and GT tend to be a more serious environment where as the Opens usually have list requirements that stop folk bringing completely historically impossible, win at all cost, lists.
Competitive anything is going to bring out some tryhard sweatlords. That said, bolt action skews older, and dudes in their 40's and 50's arent as gung ho about WAAC. BA's casual/narrative scene is incredible, thank god. Rock up to your lgs/club and say you want to play something fluffy and you just made someone's dad's day
Scrolling the store, I found CG-4A Gliders and Infantry wearing leggings. I think I'll be looking into this for an early war Airborne unit...Thankfully my WH40K army is put together!
Thanks for the breakdown! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?
I've learnt a new word, "sweatlord". Never come across the expression before, hoorah for reddit explaining it. Can't say I've seen anyone like that for a long time, seen it in 40K and other rules systems, even at a demo participation game at a convention where the umpire got sweaty. It seems to me that players in Bolt Action tourneys are more playing because they enjoy the game rather than playing for "ego" sake and trying to win
Well for me I got out of Bolt Action due to the players in my area. Super sweaty would only play competitively, even for narrative games would bring the best possible configuration. Bit sad as I enjoyed the setting.
@@wellhungindung They're certainly still strong, however, the cost of taking them is much higher now and they're twice as likely to run out of fuel. The current consensus in the competitive scene is they're not worth the price, yet plenty of folk are still trying to figure out a way to make them work! It should be noted that the current top rated UK player is having great success with flamethrowers so there's clearly a knack. Armies of Germany book is just round the corner, and perhaps that'll bring the final changes to bring them into the fold of popular play
The flamer does a bunch of hits to the roof of the vehicle. Its dangerous because it forces to the dice. I have played the flamer team in a jeep. I have played the flamer on a 7+ armoured car. I suspect the flamer on a 9+ tank is your best bet simply because it allows you to move the flamer up. If your flamer is a 7+ youre gonna have it hiding behind a building.
Most BA players are fine but I have encountered cheating a few times including in events. This includes everything from "liberal" approach to measurement, rules cheating and looking into dice bag when grabbing dice. I mention this because relative to other games I have played (40K and Flames of War), I have experienced more overt cheating in BA than other games which is especially lamentable as local BA community is smaller than either FOW or 40K communities at their peak (locally FOW is dead and 40k much shrunken). So I play against a small handful of players who play a proper gentleman's game without any cheating.
How do you guys get around the issue if nobody wants to play a side or something? Like 40K larps it as “well there is only war and maybe those enemy space marines are heretics” but how does bolt action do the US vs US or Germany vs Germany?
For casual play most people collect both sides or a club/group will decide on a theater and sides for collecting. For tournament play it doesnt matter, axis vs axis, allues vs allues, early vs late, all different theaters fighting etc
Interestingly enough the germans actually fought each other really late into the war. There were a few holdouts who didn’t surrender and the recently conquered german army was sent out to take care of them.
I understand your point but also not being called sweaty for not spellling out every rule in my army for my opponent is also a thing. I'd be doing their homework and I don't have the time.
That is BS. You don't have time to explain what is in your list? Wtf is that about? You are exactly the kind of player that gives these games a bad name and results in feel-bad experiences. There are far more accurate names that identify you than just sweatlord. A$$hole comes to mind right off.
Tiki Two Cents - Bolt Action Tournaments are great for meeting new groups/people, fully testing a new army you have built, and getting alot of games in, in a short time, if you have a busy life. If you want a big narrative and/or laidback game with lots of chit chat breaks and no stress I'd recommend casual meet ups. Both are great, Bolt Action really shines in both.
Alternating activations, the absence of gotcha stratagem combos, and the relative lack of re-rolls all make Bolt Action a far more compelling game to play competitively than 40K imo.
40k players in my local area tend to be literally more “sweaty” than the Bolt Action group. I think this is because in Northern Virginia where I am at most of the Bolt Action players are either currently in the real military like myself or are veterans or retired so personal hygiene has been literally beaten into us. Lol
w40k 10th ed is what finally pushed me towards other games, Bolt Action being one of them.
The smaller player scene I view as an asset for the game. It may be more difficult to find a player but it presumably is for the other player as well, so we are all incentivized to be on our best behavior.
Bolt Action makes you have to try to be more clever. Which is, obviously, a good thing.
What are the army lists like, as in "How historically accurate are they?" or "There no pershing/jagdtiger spam for example?"
Man, the terrain is fantastic and the models are beautiful as well.
Sadly my area doesn't have much of a Bolt Action scene, though I did notice my LGS has the 3rd edition stuff at his store, so here's to hoping.
Same my local store started stocking bolt action so I’m hoping some people get into it
Same. Been trying to run demo games but haven't had much luck.
My area had no scene as well; I recommend you makr a nice table and run some demo games then try a escalation league. We have 10 active players now at our shop and we're planning our 2nd tournament.
I'm in the same boat. No stores in SW Idaho carry it so it's hard to find games. My kids have fun though.
I've never left a Bolt Action tournament and not had an amazing time. The criticisms are definitely real, and I feel they're a symptom to the competitive scene still being relatively new compared to 40k! There's a lot of little pockets of competitive scenes doing their own thing - rather than one big one working together, but things are moving in that direction. The issues raised I've absolutely experienced, however, they're definitely less of an issue at the 7 "Major" UK events, especially when it comes to what missions and rules to expect.
I'd highly recommend the English, Welsh or Scottish Open or National tournaments, as well as the Warlord GT hosted in Leicester this year. The Nationals and GT tend to be a more serious environment where as the Opens usually have list requirements that stop folk bringing completely historically impossible, win at all cost, lists.
Really appreciate the tournament insights.
Going to my first tournament in Feb, hope i don't get a sweat lord.
Competitive anything is going to bring out some tryhard sweatlords.
That said, bolt action skews older, and dudes in their 40's and 50's arent as gung ho about WAAC.
BA's casual/narrative scene is incredible, thank god. Rock up to your lgs/club and say you want to play something fluffy and you just made someone's dad's day
3:22 The Terrain is so great!!!! BOLT ACTION is such a GREAT GAME!
8:50 SweatLords ^^
Scrolling the store, I found CG-4A Gliders and Infantry wearing leggings. I think I'll be looking into this for an early war Airborne unit...Thankfully my WH40K army is put together!
It’s a personal failing I suppose, but back when I did competitive play, one bad opponent would ruin the whole day/weekend for me.
How can the TO's help with the sweaty play?
adding a must share/discuss list pre game?
thank you
Thanks for the breakdown! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: I have a SafePal wallet with USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (alarm fetch churn bridge exercise tape speak race clerk couch crater letter). How can I transfer them to Binance?
I've learnt a new word, "sweatlord". Never come across the expression before, hoorah for reddit explaining it. Can't say I've seen anyone like that for a long time, seen it in 40K and other rules systems, even at a demo participation game at a convention where the umpire got sweaty. It seems to me that players in Bolt Action tourneys are more playing because they enjoy the game rather than playing for "ego" sake and trying to win
Well for me I got out of Bolt Action due to the players in my area. Super sweaty would only play competitively, even for narrative games would bring the best possible configuration. Bit sad as I enjoyed the setting.
I don't want to upset anyone => sub-community of sweatlords 😂 Never change
Sweatlords 😂
I only go to local clubs with local rules...
My local scene has comped flamethrowers at 1 per army.
@williamkarl-gustafmoller8492 Are they powerful in version 3? I have the rule book but haven't played with them or heard much talk about them.
@@wellhungindung The comp at my local scene was introduced before 3rd came out
@@wellhungindung They're certainly still strong, however, the cost of taking them is much higher now and they're twice as likely to run out of fuel. The current consensus in the competitive scene is they're not worth the price, yet plenty of folk are still trying to figure out a way to make them work! It should be noted that the current top rated UK player is having great success with flamethrowers so there's clearly a knack.
Armies of Germany book is just round the corner, and perhaps that'll bring the final changes to bring them into the fold of popular play
The flamer does a bunch of hits to the roof of the vehicle.
Its dangerous because it forces to the dice.
I have played the flamer team in a jeep.
I have played the flamer on a 7+ armoured car.
I suspect the flamer on a 9+ tank is your best bet simply because it allows you to move the flamer up.
If your flamer is a 7+ youre gonna have it hiding behind a building.
Most BA players are fine but I have encountered cheating a few times including in events. This includes everything from "liberal" approach to measurement, rules cheating and looking into dice bag when grabbing dice.
I mention this because relative to other games I have played (40K and Flames of War), I have experienced more overt cheating in BA than other games which is especially lamentable as local BA community is smaller than either FOW or 40K communities at their peak (locally FOW is dead and 40k much shrunken).
So I play against a small handful of players who play a proper gentleman's game without any cheating.
How do you guys get around the issue if nobody wants to play a side or something?
Like 40K larps it as “well there is only war and maybe those enemy space marines are heretics” but how does bolt action do the US vs US or Germany vs Germany?
For casual play most people collect both sides or a club/group will decide on a theater and sides for collecting.
For tournament play it doesnt matter, axis vs axis, allues vs allues, early vs late, all different theaters fighting etc
By having it not be an issue? BA players are adults and we’re not made of glass
Interestingly enough the germans actually fought each other really late into the war. There were a few holdouts who didn’t surrender and the recently conquered german army was sent out to take care of them.
I have seen this happen and the two players just got on with it US vs US in reality I'd say playing a game is better than just bystanding all day
I understand your point but also not being called sweaty for not spellling out every rule in my army for my opponent is also a thing. I'd be doing their homework and I don't have the time.
That is BS. You don't have time to explain what is in your list? Wtf is that about? You are exactly the kind of player that gives these games a bad name and results in feel-bad experiences. There are far more accurate names that identify you than just sweatlord. A$$hole comes to mind right off.
Learn the rules of the game
@lucianaurelius2418 I do my best, I only have so much time and a certain amount of inclination.
@lucianaurelius2418 I was a rules tester so slow your roll, bro.
@ your motivation isn’t your opponent’s fault, if you play a game with someone it’s a requirement to be professional