Camp Cromwell does Bolt Action at Cancon 2014

Camp Cromwell's expedition to Cancon 2014 comprised Chris & Jim, both playing Bolt Action.

Bolt Action 1000 pts Competition
The main event was 1000 pts standard reinforced platoons - 5 rounds over 2 days.  The comp was fully booked up with 40 players and 20 tables.  The players spanned a broad demographic from spotty to grizzled.  They seemed to mainly comprise fantasy players trying something historical for a change, or jaded FOW players.  They were a jovial bunch - all our games were played in great spirit with never a cross word.   The armies included all sorts, including Polish cavalry & French Colonials - clearly picked for looks rather than success.  The standard of modelling was generally excellent (Chris & I didn't even bother putting our armies on the judging table). 

The terrain too was generally excellent - the odd planish table, but most were a joy to play on.  The TO, Blair Oakley, did a great job. 

We both drew a good mix of enemy armies & we both did ok - finishing around the middle of the pack.  Our style of play & type of army was really little different to the others.  The mainlanders do tend to get more into fringe stuff like snipers, flamethrowers, medics & air power than we do.  The main difference is that they had a more WYSIWYG attitude to terrain than us.  Being able to see through any amount of woods with just a -1 to hit, & being able to see over hills, just doesn't feel right for us Tasmanians.

Jim's Panzergrenadiers 23rd place:
R1: Polish cavalry:  Win.
R2: Australians: Loss (this bloke came 2nd).
R3: Japanese: Draw.
R4: US: Win.
R5: British: Loss (this bloke came 3rd).

Chris's Soviets 28th place:
R1: Germans: Loss.
R2: French: Loss.
R3: Italians: Loss.
R4: Japanese: Win.
R5: US: Win.

Armies present from 12 nations: British, Australian, Japanese, Soviet, French, German, Scots, Chinese, US, Italian, Vichy & Polish.  British & Commonwealth armies were the most successful taking the first 3 places with a Japanese army 4th, Russians, 5th, French 6th & the best German 7th.

Prizes were given out in a democratic way.  There were 40 prizes on the table ranging from some big boxes down to blister packs.  Best general got 1st pick, then best army, then 2nd & 3rd generals, then I think each in turn from the last up got a pick.  I scored a big spray tin of  Dunkelgelb primer.

The TO in the orange vest and a fine body of Bolt Action players at the prize giving.

2 x 1250 pts Armoured
On day 3 we did some just-for-fun armoured action with players in pairs each with 1250 pts armoured platoons on 12'x4' double tables played lengthwise.   My motley collection of Stug, Marder, Hetzer, Luchs & 2 squads of panzer grenadiers with lots of fausts was paired with a young lad with MkIVs against British and Polish platoons.  Only a few players stayed on for this and we only did one round as everyone was pretty-well battled out, but it was good fun and well worth doing.  It was really an experimental battle as the armoured platoon supplement book hasn't come out yet.  Again there was a prize for everyone, most tanks killed got 1st pick, then by dice off. I had killed a Cromwell for no tanks lost & scored the German Allies supplement book.  My only regret was that I never got to fire even one of my 8 panzerfausts - the British artillery wiped out one of my panzergrenadier squads in the approach & the other found out the hard way what happens when Gukhas charge home.