Bolt Action Island Assault Starter Set - Unboxing and review

[@tadwilliams8403]

I just bought this box! I had been telling a local games store owner about my interest in another YT channel, The Unauthorized History of the War in the Pacific, when he reached up on a shelf and pulled this box out to show me. I decided that the shelf was no proper place for such a boxed set and took it home with me! There are so many small battles that took place in the Pacific that even people relatively knowledgeable in history have never heard of! Thanks for showing this unboxing as it has given me a heads up on potential problem areas. Being a natural modeler I am sure that I can find a way to make it work!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

We had Seth on the live show from the podcast you mention. Grest guy.

[@techsaint]

I love the detour into the history associated with an unboxing. It makes it so much more interesting. A great unboxing, best one yet. 👍🏻

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thank you very much!

[@Captainkebbles1392]

Old video but since you were curious, OFFICIALLY. The USMC had green mixed and also yellow/brown mixed camo uniforms. Same as their helmets, however, these where rare, as they already had so many of the faded looking green uniforms, plus the uniforms were muuuuch more expensive and slow to produce. You see some marine radars with the camo uniforms, but mostly the helmets were the things with camp and the uniforms the faded green which became faded with coral dust, wear and abuse, sun, sea water from landings. Ect. Another gun fact, some of the same helmet covers were raised in Vietnam if a Marine or army soldiers lost or had his camo cover destroyed. Rare, but still can be spotted throughout the war until about the Tet offensive. One final note, the helmets could be untucked from the back of the helmet, which these covers had big flags to be tucked under the 2 part helmet, the flap in the back could be left untucked and left hanging over the back of the neck, which on peleliu can be spotted often. This was easy and quick protection from the sun after the foliage had all be blasted away

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Interesting, thanks.

[@SianiAnne]

It's called a 'cover' in the Corps. Soft cover. :) Old Marine here, Recon and 1/6 2nd Marine Division. Long time ago. Love the Marine miniatures.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

They;re nice models - have a real 'on campaign' look about them.

[@jvcpaints]

Looks like a fun set to get stuck into doing the Pacific Islands. My Warlord box set dice are notorious for rolling 2s. You guys should check yours.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

2s eh? Not even the satisfaction of the lowest possible roll, but equally useless! Nice one.

[@greywulfslair]

Brilliant and informative review, thanks! I have my copy and it's a brilliant set. I love the terrain from Band of Brothers but it's a fair trade to drop that for a fun little tank and the resin pieces. Grab a handful of plastic palm trees from a pound store or ebay and you're sorted.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

For sure - it is a good set.

[@MiniatureRealms]

Brilliant review, loved the history lesson tangent in the middle as well.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thank you kindly!

[@WarGamingNewbHistorical]

Oh man, I held off on watching this video until I got my copy of Island Assault. Thanks for this great unboxing. Can't wait till you guys play it out of the box!

[@WarGamingNewbHistorical]

The floppy hat is the foraging cap.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Yeah, it looks like a dockers cap though.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

We will be, we are about half way thorugh the painting.

[@hamsteronthepaintingtable6465]

Nice unboxing and then along came the atom bomb, boom! Tip for bi pods and fragile bits, plastic cutters. Nip off the sprue and then go for the part and snip weakest part 1st then strongest attached part. Works for me 👍🏻

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Ah, you mean clip the sprue around the item and then try and remove it?

[@hamsteronthepaintingtable6465]

@@ModellingforAdvantage yep spot on remove the sprue around it and then clip it. I find that some sprues have tension in them so as soon as you try to snip it, it then snaps. Also if attached in two places, tackle the weakest bit first👍🏻

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

I have done that sometimes, when I remember - need to bring that forward into active memory space for the next time it happens!

[@hamsteronthepaintingtable6465]

@@ModellingforAdvantage yep theres far too any things to remember 😂

[@kaipoh265]

The World War III Team Yankee starter had a set of tokens printed on the box... I draw the line at printing the ruler though!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Yeah, I mean, it is nice they do that for rookies - but saying on the box it includes a ruler - definitely a strech!

[@memorarenz]

Great review. If you get a chance Max Hastings' Nemesis is a fantastic book on the late war in Asia/Pacific. It's on Audible, if you like to listen to history while you paint/assemble.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Need to take a look at that.

[@GuidonMinis]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXbViox4g6h7npY Another great painting background soundtrack. Dan Carlin always brings an informed and often unique perspective to history.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

I will have to have a listen to this.

[@rich_john]

Great video...an unboxing with a bonus history lesson! 🤗🤗🤗👍

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Cheers mate, some of the history might even be true!

[@phildent7534]

Great video today chaps and a nice bit of military history as well

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

One of my 'wild detours' into history...

[@Panzer_Scott]

Marine units typically did not have division patches like Army Units. I usually dont watch unboxings, but I really enjoy your banter!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thanks mate - our unboxings are usually full of waffle content. Kaiser does like to talk history. Sometimes he is even right!

[@15mmGustavus]

I've built a few chi ha's they are pretty easy to put together.. Way easier than the panzer 3

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Good to know, thanks.

[@gkspain1]

Really enjoyed the video, all the best, Garry

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Cheers mate, always appreciate the comments & views!

[@mattcappelli5822]

Looks like a decent starter force. I agree that a jumble board will be a bit of a challenge to make look good. My only gripe about these sets is assuming you expand your force, you need to be more order dice and they are stupid expensive for what they are.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

They are quite expensive for what they are, I agree - I suppose it encourages you to buy extra sets. Although with Band of Brothers, I found I got quite random colours in those. Both these sets contained 'correct' colours...

[@ronsmith3905]

Noticed a small dialogue on the US Marines carrying shotguns. As much as I can appreciate the attitude of...Why would I pick this over a rifle? Well that's a game attitude and I'm not knocking it. But in real life, the Marines chose shotguns for a few reasons. When the Japanese Bonzai happened...a shotgun shell would spread out on advancing incoming infantry before having to resort to hand to hand combat. Another reason I heard was when a Marine had to go face them in a tunnel. New to the game myself, so not sure if shotguns carry a special rule for these situations or not. Just thought I'd throw in some of what I've learned. Good video guys. Cheers!!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Oh for sure there are situations where different weapons are more useful. As you mentioned, some of the tunnel fighting it has obvious advantages. I am just part of a school of thought that doesn't necessarily feel a rule system needs to make a new rule for every possible weapon variant... and in a game like Bolt Action played on the tabletop you are almost never going to be in the right kind of situation for a shotgun to be the right choice over a rifle.

[@BrushQuill]

Nice review/unboxing of the set guys. Always nice to sit through a Kaiser ramble, free learnings right there! I was reading an online article about using figures as tokens which was interesting as one suggestion was a prone figure to denote units that were "down" or taking cover. Your mention of prone figures reminded me of that.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Good call!

[@ΑυγουστίνοςΜπαϊρακτάρης-ρ5ο]

I trully like your videos, I enjoy with your joy, especially when you play bolt action and you make those gun shots sounds...however your Greek pronunciation of the greek words is pretty bad... I talk about the video of the Mortal Gods unboxing starter set. Thank you honestly.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

You are not wrong sir. My Greek pronounciatioin is awful.

[@ΑυγουστίνοςΜπαϊρακτάρης-ρ5ο]

@@ModellingforAdvantage you should listen to my english pronunciation...

[@rjpunkin]

The flagpoles can also be lunge mines a must have

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Yeah, I forgot about that!

[@Bskijr]

I love watching your reviews and especially appreciate the tidbits of history that are interspersed throughout.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Why thank you. We try to make them different from what everyone else is doing.

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Look at these views and up votes!!!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Cheers buddy. Not sure everyone sat through the beastly chunk of Kaiserwaffle in the middle, but people sure do like this game system.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

About Japanese tanks during WW2 I can't think of any game that underrepresents them but then again I don't play many historical Turn-based games... Which men of war, Madel of honor shows them as they should as being weakest but still good... Battlefield until V just had them as a reskin of the US marines tanks. Which in the 1950s or so in South America there was a war where only one faction had tanks they were stuarts and they decidedly won. Also, those tank kits scare me... still though thinking about getting that set... also thanks guys great video!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Oh my bad, I maybe mis represented myself. I am normally annoyed about how good Japanese tanks are in WW2 games. They are a bunch of junk relative to most ww2 tanks but historically, they are in a theatre were the other guy doesn't have any tanks or reliable AT weapons.... PC games usually have to boost the significantly to make the factions 'balanced'. which irritates me.

[@GreenBlueWalkthrough]

@@ModellingforAdvantage Yeah that's true I mean even their late war tanks were undergunned/armored for their size.

[@Kevin.Mitchell]

Looks good - tempted (as always) but I've not got anything I could use as jungle scenery so this is going to stay on my list rather than joining my somewhat embarassing pile of opportunities!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Ah, the pile of opportunities! Yeah, one to set aside unless you are up for the huge terrain effort, or already have a desert board you can re-purpose.

[@gettubetur10]

Great video, agree on the M3 halftrack, very easy to mess up.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thanks mate.

[@Billa2720]

I would really love to see a campaign linking Bolt Action with Cruel Seas and victory at Sea.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Worth thinking about.

[@brettsimpson1505]

I just discovered this channel and love both of your enthusiasm for the hobby and knowledge of military history. I’ve played quite a bit of the Pacific Theatre in 20mm using the Crossfire system. I look forward to watching your videos on Bolt Action in the Pacific.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thanks for having a look - our next BA project is going to be a Combined Arms campaign in NW Europe.

[@watchdogwargaming]

Love the Bunkers 👍👍 Great Vid 😁

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Yeah, nice features.

[@senint]

”Commando comics art style”, eh? I do have some of those comics on my shelf at parents’s house (mix of mine and my old man’s).

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Nice.

[@senint]

Aye. As a little extra fact; the Commando comics are published here in Finland under the names of ”Korkeajännitys” ( High Voltage, with slogan ”Strikes like a million volts”) and ”Siivet” (”Wings”, specializes mainly on flight stories). The comics have been published in four stories in one booklet format, and the style has also inspired some of Finnish comic writers and drawers into making a few Finland centric comics in Commando comics style. One of which was a Commando comic version of a famous poem novel from where the Finnish anathem originates from.

[@hobbyspotnz2833]

Boys boys boys use them large nail scissors on those bipod bits much easier

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Pro tip, thank you

[@smoothbrush4722]

Nice unboxing

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Thanks mate.

[@kornklone]

Does this not have assembly instructions?

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

I think it does, I can't recall now but they generally do for the vehicles - the infantry are multi-pose so you mix and match the arms & legs.

[@Reagusmage]

How many points on each side?

[@jbatchelor85]

I'd say around 500-600 points.

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Depends how you build them, but somewhere around 500 in most combinations I reckon.

[@theflyingdutchie2585]

Im a bit late, but does anyone know the colours of the order dice?

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

IIRC they were a tan and green.

[@whips_and_buckets]

Love the historical banter

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Delighted to hear - we have a lot of that here.

[@jackpenn2956]

Really enjoyed that. subscriber earnt!

[@ModellingforAdvantage]

Welcome aboard!