Junior Officers - Bolt Action Unit Guide

patreon.com/HollywoodWargaming

[@sheacorduroy5565]

I have such a love for the German national trait allowing you to make bigger death stars.

[@kanrakucheese]

Worth noting even a junior officer’s Snap To can bypass the handful of units with a negative ability where they can’t be your first move. As for three man with free ARs, I think it's better in low point games with OD caps where you need every body to actually be useful, have smaller groups to take on, and can't take an inexperienced (because Germany). Germany is still pretty bad in those unless all the free unit national rules are banned/nerfed though. Really though, BA3 should drop the "tax" and give every list a "free" regular 2nd Lt that can be upgraded and let players spend their points on things that aren't mandatory.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

I agree with the tax part. It does get a little feels-bad in lots of list builds, especially for people like me who don't like creating activation bubbles. But I think that may just be an issue with raw points balance more than anything else.

[@rich_john]

Another useful video

[@nehrigen]

Germans: 2lt 1 aide, 2 assault rifles. Everyone else: 2lt 1 aide 2 rifles.

[@nehrigen]

I don't take smgs as I find officer die at 12 inches but survive at 20.

[@arkenhemnall6224]

100% auto-include for me is the 2 extra guys with the officer and all with SMGs (or StG44 for the Gerries). It makes snap to a viable ability that your paying for regardless. If not making the most of snap to then it truly is a waste of points ot take an officer. Working on the rule of 6 (ie that most of the time you will need a 6 to hit enemy units until the mid-late game) that means 6 shots are needed to come out of a unit minimum to get the pin. The lone officer or with just one guy isn't enough.

[@arkenhemnall6224]

Also this is where (as a lover of using a Snap to order) the Germans actually have an advantage to the other nations with their extra snap to as it makes the officer viable, provided the player using them likes and can indeed use the 'You men Snap to Action' ability.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

I like your philosophy of the rule of 6, but personally I'm not sure if I agree with its application to a 3 man SMG team. With SMGs you have the Assault keyword, meaning you don't suffer the move and shoot penalty. You also have a 12" Range, which means you can likely close ground and eliminate the long range penalty also with a 6" move. From my experience, you're rarely hitting on 6 with SMGs unless your opponent takes a down order. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I feel like your officer is in a bit of a hail mary situation if it does. But overall I'm splitting hairs, as a 3 man SMG team can be quite lethal even if theyre not applying pins.

[@arkenhemnall6224]

@@HollywoodWargaming hey, thanks for responding, and amen to splitting hairs. The amount of conversations had about one way is better than another only to find when you work it out there's half of a percent difference or other insignificant amount. Well I tend to have all the infantry squads and of 6 guys each with rifles, so you have 2 or 3 squads skirmishing their way forward (as the main push) with the officer with 2 guys just behind/ mixed in to support. The squads all put out 6 shots each (unless you're the Brits that pump the extra 2 shots) After the first turn short range for rifles is possible, if not by second turn. That's when you use Snap-to to hit your opponent with 3 pins if German and 2 if anyone else (assuming 2nd lieutenant taken) and overwhelm the opponent's line if possible (I've pinned out whole squads of vets by 3rd turn before) The modifiers work out as the same being needed to hit usually between the rifles and SMGs though. So let's say an enemy unit ahead in soft cover; - rifles have -1 to hit and -1 for soft cover - SMGs have -1 long range -1 soft cover Both need 5+ to hit, obviously 6 if target in hard cover. With any of those 3 units that 6 shots each so fingers crossed at least one hit is scored. As long as you keep the HQ among friendly units the they are a viable attack and suppress unit. Double the case with Germans when using ARs. The lack of move and fire penalty balances out the HQ weakness of being a smaller vulnerable unit. Also, the HQ units are about the only place to get any free stuff so the 'free' SMGs etc is a bit too much to pass up and balances out the officer tax. I tend not to assault unless I'm desperate or the odds massively favour me, so its basically a startegy at aiming to drown enemy units in pins. My army build is vulnerable in kill point missions and large blast templates but more than holds it's own otherwise. And so the HQ with 6 shots is effectively like another infantry squad choice. I'd take all infantry if I could, but alas the army lists on single platoons is restricted. I have used the officer with 3 rifles with the British and thus with rifle rapid fire that makes a handy mid field to back line holding unit that puts pins on, but again still needs 2 extra guys to be fully effective. If there was a single man with the officer or none, personally I feel that makes the officer ineffective as a unit. He struggles to put pins out due to low dice count otherwise, and unless German using Snap-to is a waste of time because if pulling a dice and decide to use Snap-to 4 out of 5 times the officer doesn't do anything as such and you might as well just activate the unit adjacent you wanted to use in the first place. I say all this as an intermediate level player that hasn't played anyone that's a real challenge. All the guys in my club have been playing only about a year or less (because I've pimped put the system to them all) and I've struggled to find anyone more experienced to hand my ass to me, of which there are plenty out there. Loving the game though, and I'm compiling a list of amendments and improvements that I think are needed for V.3 of the game. I have spoken to the guys at Warlord and they are welcoming of any and all suggestions, hopefully some of my ideas will be included! All the best amigo, keep up the good work, I've listened to several of your vids and enjoy them, top stuff! Oh, and hi from the UK too!!

[@Spursfan-jv3xw]

For German lists assult rifles all the way sometimes 3 as its a decent amount of dice. all others reg or inexperinced as a min 1 man. thought US paratroopers for Normandy can have the LT + 5 as a squad all smgs.

[@ahappypikachu9753]

Welcome back! I'd love to see you do a faction review for the Anzacs/extended commonwealth

[@jonathanbirkeland1085]

For Americans having a small three man team with just rifles is a nice move and shoot extra pin. Rapid fire can give a three man British officer team four shots. Just taking rifles on officer teams are pretty underrated, but without the national special rules to boost them it’s still a good choice to take the free SMGs and free sturmgewers is the best of all.

[@Castillo525]

Hey hollywood, love your vids, and Im very sorry for this but... vote for a how to build italians video 😊

[@HollywoodWargaming]

in the pipeline

[@Castillo525]

​@@HollywoodWargaminggood to know!

[@zielisawzielony9366]

Cool vid.

[@durzod2052]

Great video, though I was a bit surprised that you didn't mention the effect of national rules. At present, I almost always choose a 2nd Lt all alone. That's because I add in a captain, but that's another video.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

Am I missing any National Rules directly regarding officers? Edit: Ohhhh the German one for +1 snap to. Yeah. Big miss. I'll mention it in the next video. Got too wrapped up in Assault Rifles

[@arkenhemnall6224]

How do you find using the extra officer/ Captain? I haven't used one in the past nearly 2 years, although in a scenariod game we used one last summer. I feel they are inefficient for the points (if taking them as the only officer then it might work) Do you have success with them?

[@jonpoor8753]

Seeing officers as a "tax" unit is a big mistake. I use a 2nd Lt with 2 others as a small unit that can add critical support to weaker teams, and then follow up as the death blow.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

If you're playing a more elite army it can be pretty hard to justify the 50-70 points on them when your list could use it elsewhere. That's a Medium AT gun that can lock enemy vehicles out of an entire flank if you think about it. Don't get me wrong, even a 2nd Lt can be put to fantastic use, but I feel that they're overcosted for such a small team.

[@Andrew-yl7lm]

Ah the Germans getting assault rifles is interesting yes. If I could give attendants 2 BARs in my US list I'd definitely take 2 extra guys and use them to support bazookas or something.

[@wife9571]

engagement

[@jacqueslandry2319]

Cool stuff but ya gotta fix the audio... can't hear you

[@wifi_soldier5076]

Must be your end. Audio is fine for me.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

Still persistent?

[@jacqueslandry2319]

Everything else is fine on my end ,I'm lm watching via cell phone,I'm just saying audio is barely legible...not a personal attack,I like your content,just thought you might wanna know

[@HollywoodWargaming]

@@jacqueslandry2319 No It's fine I have been having major audio issues in my new recording studio. I have had issues with echo and white noise, which ive been working on eliminating. I think I did so properly here but the max volume seems to have taken a hit from the post editing.

[@battlefieldcustoms873]

no free way to make a list online really sucks.

[@Toastmeester]

Easyarmy is free! And the Warlord app is as well.