Bolt Action Battle Report: Campaign Operation Barbarossa 02. Battle of Strikoff Village

[@howardeverton2847]

Great game. The osprey books are a fantastic resource. Looking forward to game 3 👍☺️

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you, and yes the Osprey book enables us to check some of the history behind the battles and for us to work out scenarios and armies etc. Thanks 👍🏻

[@wetaas1972]

Thanks for another great battle report. Love the beautiful terrain and miniatures. combined with the setting it draws you back to WW2 for an almost real experience. Keep up the good work 🙂

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you, we have plenty more battles planned on the Eastern front as part of this campaign, running all the way through Stalingrad and back to Berlin! Thanks for the comment and positive feedback 👍🏻

[@longstreet0163]

Great report, thanks fir posting. Your board looks amazing!! The buildings and fences are really well painted and weathered. You probably know by now, but not only is the Ba 64 anachronistic, but so is the sdkfz 250/9. It saw troops trials a year after Barbarossa and went into production at the end of 1942. Keep it up guys.

[@theministryofminiatures]

@@longstreet0163 thank you for the feedback and the comments, glad you enjoyed it… we are somewhat limited but the figures and vehicles we have inout collections, but hopefully that didn’t ruin it too much for you 👍🏻😉🤞🏻 Thanks again

[@longstreet0163]

​@theministryofminiatures It didn't spoil it at all, I enjoyed it. I also learned more about this game from you guys than from anywhere else. I informed you of the discrepancy because you mentioned that someone would do so in the comments. Just trying to help.

[@theministryofminiatures]

Lol, that made me smile, both for the kind words, but also about leaving the comment 👍🏻😂

[@RubberToeYT]

Great battle, really enjoying the campaign

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you, it was a fun game and has us looking at the future battles in the campaign… Glad you enjoyed it and thanks again for the feedback 👍🏻

[@MrKaio2418]

Nice Battle !

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you, it was a great game, looking forward to our next in the series!

[@ronsmith3905]

This was a fun watch. Respectfully...I think the battle should be re-played. With the Russian's having so many "inexperienced" units, I noticed that none of them got to benefit from the "Green" rule on pg 90. After losing their first casualty, they should have had an opportunity to become "regulars". Seemed like because the German force was so superior, the Russian force lost a possible opportunity. Unless you omitted the rule for your purposes. Good game, thanks for sharing. Cheers!!

[@theministryofminiatures]

Hi, we wanted the game to be themed… the Soviets struggled at the start of Operation Barbarossa and so we want that to reflect in the battle. As the campaign progresses the Soviets will get stronger and more reliable with bigger armies… so, as in history the tables are likely to turn. Also, the LMG squads don’t have green, but the rifle squads do. We can’t replay as it is a campaign battle, just have to see how well the Soviets develop over the next few battles! 😉

[@DukeExeter]

Not all inexperienced units have the green rule

[@theministryofminiatures]

Indeed, the rifle squads do, but the rest were LMG squads.

[@rossburkenstock4939]

Enjoyed watching! Great board and army assortment. By my tally it was roughly 867 pts of Soviets vs 837 of Germans. We like playing historical scenarios and always a challenge to find the right point totals. Per some of your comments, agree that early Barbarosa the Germans are supposed to win so not challenging the results here! With no one starting out in defensive positions, made sense for close to equal point totals.

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you for the comment, that sounds about right for points, and fits with historical events… however as we all know the dice can easily influence the outcome! We are enjoying working through Operation Barbarossa. Thanks again

[@ChrisS-fh7zt]

The Soviets did have a few groups that was above inexperienced at the start and they was the Frontier troops, Border Guards and a few NKVD groups. The Border guards had deep green furashka/ brim visor caps and shoulder boards over the common red army type boards. You could proxi the BA-64 as a BA-20 armored car as the BA-64 didn't see combat until very late 42 to early 43 plus unlike the BA-64 it isn't open top also you have the option of either taking LMG or a flamethrower for weapons. Can't wait to see the next game/scenario

[@theministryofminiatures]

Michael is very up on his Stalingrad history and his project on this is amazing… great that we are able to play through the campaign and see how it turns out.. …I am in the process of pulling together some bits for the finale in Berlin, but I have a feeling months before that needs completing! Glad you enjoyed it, And thanks for the comments 👍🏻

[@omminojacko4891]

Another great batrep. Can you share the link for the company that does the buildings and and fences, please?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you, I will ask Michael where the buildings were from, he does say in the intro, but he might have a link. Most of the fences are from Renedra: www.renedra.co.uk/product/palisade-fencing/

[@omminojacko4891]

Awesome! Thanks.@@theministryofminiatures

[@johnthompson9899]

Love watching your videos! I am just now getting into this game and your videos help so much. I was wondering how to get to your patreon page I would like to help you make more videos.

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thank you that is very kind of you to first give such nice feedback and secondly for the offer. Our PATREON link is in the description for the video, I don’t usually push it so that anyone wanting to help can do without pressure, the link is: patreon.com/TheMinistryofMiniatures Huge thank you for any support you can offer as it all helps us with support straight into the channel.

[@johnthompson9899]

@@theministryofminiatures thank you so much for letting me know how to support your awesome channel and your great videos. I just became a captain member of your channel. I didn’t see a way to send you a direct message so I just added it onto here.

[@theministryofminiatures]

@@johnthompson9899HUGE THANK YOU! Very much appreciated. I have sent you a message in Patreon, and will prep your name tag ready for battle! Awesome, thanks again.

[@ShooterNumberOne]

Watching this while I build my first force of German grenadiers

[@theministryofminiatures]

Great news! Let me know how you get on with the build, try not to over do the assault rifles and SMG’s! Easily done but rifles will be your back bone of your army… you do want some though 😉👍🏻

[@ShooterNumberOne]

@theministryofminiatures so far I have made 6 men, an nco with smg, 3 rifles, 1 assault rifle and 1 lmg.

[@theministryofminiatures]

@ShooterNumberOne great start. Work out your starter platoon. Officer and two sections… German LMG is almost a must have 👍🏻

[@ShooterNumberOne]

@theministryofminiatures so what I have done now is a valid squad? I need another and an officer? Then I'm thinking my Panzer 3 and one more 6 man section to make 500 points?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Sound great 👍🏻 Won’t be long before you can field them in a game

[@christopherstaerck1112]

That was great! Just goes to show that inexperienced troops don’t last long and a smaller force of better quality units can do a lot of harm. As ever, the board, scenery, models etc top notch. What next? Thanks guys!

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thanks for the comment, was a great game! We are thinking either Battle of Kiev or crossing the river Don… …We need to head to Moscow, then Stalingrad… then back to Berlin (just in the process of buying Berlin buildings etc… but have a few months before we get there! The Soviet army will get more experienced and bigger, what would you suggest we should do next?

[@christopherstaerck1112]

@@theministryofminiatures thanks for asking. I'd like to see Kiev, a huge encirclement operation, where the Russians in places put up stiffer resistance. Maybe get that lovely 88mm back into action, and throw in a T34 or KV ...just for fun! Seriously, whatever you decide will be great - your battles are very well planned and laid out, and there is a dynamism to the game play that keeps the pace going. Up to you though, but I'll be watching. Really appreciate you guys putting this out there - cheers

[@theministryofminiatures]

…Kiev would be good, need to get planning then 😉 Thanks for the reply, we enjoy the games and sharing so we are glad people enjoy them also.

[@christopherstaerck1112]

@@theministryofminiatures Awesome - very much looking forward to it!

[@CharlesMcCall-nf9xq]

Try Annie at Bad Squiddo for ducks and other farmyard animals. She also has some WWII Russians

[@theministryofminiatures]

Yes I have seen her stuff, very impressive! We already have the Warlord Games farm animals so will probably just use those! But thanks for the suggestion…. Might have to check out Soviets though, not seen those yet 👍🏻

[@CharlesMcCall-nf9xq]

Sure. I got her mooses and beavers for FIW North America. I think the soviets are mostly women but that’s quite appropriate for Soviets

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thanks… could make a cool squad for future battles!

[@rossburkenstock4939]

Good to see you back on the Eastern Front! Do you have handy the point totals for the two armies?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Thanks for the comment, I have asked Michael to comment on this as he pulled the armies together.

[@tabletopminiatures7139]

Hi Ross, I didn't actually use points values and came up with 2 historically themed forces based on inspiration from the Osprey Books.

[@Wraithnine]

Where do you get the road pieces guys?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Hi, the roads are from Fat Franks on ebay, they are reasonably priced and nice, flexible roads. Hope this helps 👍🏻

[@DDMjes]

Where did you get that terrain from?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Hi The buildings are from Things from the basement, Facorum (4Ground) and Sarissa Precision I believe. The mat is from Deep Cut. I believe we go through most of it at the beginning of the battle report 👍🏻

[@artbagley1406]

I've seen some BA gamers rate infantry (not artillery or tanks) shooting over/thru 2 or more "soft cover"s (like fence lines or rows of bushes) as "hard cover" instead of "soft." Any experience with that tweak?

[@theministryofminiatures]

Yes I have seen that too, but also seen it where it then becomes a line of sight blocker… I think I just like the idea of it being a simple hedge can easily be shot through, so wouldn’t stop a bullet… I am also waiting to see what happens in version 3… …we will see 😉

[@artbagley1406]

@@theministryofminiatures Appreciate the interpretation!