Same here! Had a BoB starter box that had been at my LGS for over a year. Finally picked it up when they announced you could get the small version of the rule book for free by emailing them. Pretty great idea on their part to curry favor with the customer base. Plus I love the A5 rule books. Don’t have to lug around the full size hardback.
Hello! Do you have any suggestions and tips for building one of the starting armies if you've never played Bolt Action, don't own any of the current 2nd edition rules, and just wanted to get a head start on building and painting for 3rd edition? Without any of the materials I feel like I'm blind looking at this box and all the weapon options.
Kudos to Warlord for offering to replace the rulebooks in these starter sets once 3rd Edition hits. Good move. I already had full 8th army and DAK when the gentleman's war starter released or I would have jumped on it.
I started with the Band of Brothers set. If you want to expand the US Airborne, get the support weapons (bazooka and light mortar) plus another box of standard airborne infantry (note, they are the late war 44-45, not mid 43-44 airborne). They generally don’t have vehicles but as the can move and fire without a penalty this isn’t too much of an issue. For the German grenadiers, I’d build the half track so you can switch the light AT and the MMG (251/1 - MMG version is much move useful) again at least one extra box of infantry, command squad (officers, MMG & medium Mortar) and then whatever takes your fancy, as long as it’s a STUG 3 😂
2 years ago I did exactly what you suggest to get into the game. Bought the Gentlemen's War starter set and went on to buy both DAK and 8th army starter armies. Problem was that most people I ended up playing with usually play late war armies (Germans, US or Soviets mainly). Especially the 8th army couldn't hold up very well without proper tanks and AT. In the end to make it more balanced, I bought the late war British/Canadian Army as well. Good for WG I guess. :D So now at home my girlfriend and me play DAK vs 8th Army and when I play others it's usually late war brits I bring to the game.
BEEEF - All of your rational is on par, and you are correct, but of course, it has British troops. I mean a 222 is a great light armor, and the Humber Armor car is cool looking...UGH I like Mid War also.
I think for my interest I will go with band of brothers AND buy the battle of the bulge set. I am going to my LGS in a few days and ask about ordering. Thanks for this comparison!!
All three starter sets are better if you buy 2 or 3 of them. The Band of Brothers set has 5 order dice per side so three sets will give you 15 per side and enough infantry for everyone. The other two sets come with 6 order dice per side so buying 2 sets gives you a standard 12 per side, but 18 per side is better. Each kit is also easily supplemented with another box of different infantry to give more options to each side. For example, if you buy two sets of “A Gentleman’s War” and add in a box of “German Grenadiers” and a box of “British and Canadian Army Infantry (1943-1945)” you’ll have plenty of infantry for both sides and the extra bits to kitbash pretty much anything you could want. German Afrika Korps painted in field gray mix perfectly with the Grenadiers for a mid to late war force and the British 8th Army mix well with the British and Canadian infantry to represent troops in North Africa, Sicily, Italy or Normandy.
My advice is if u are starting out bolt action is join ur local club and try out few armies and learn the rules then u buy ur print start army and win models in compettions or buying off ur friends.
