Bolt Action third edition eBook and PDF now available.

 Bolt Action third edition eBook and PDF now available.

If anyone's considering the Bolt Action third edition eBook version here is a screenshot of what it looks like on the PC. It's fully searchable nicely laid out and generally just a fantastic presentation of what will hopefully be a great rule set. If you have ever experienced a GW fixed layout eBook this is NOT that!!

It's also available as PDF 'eBook' version so make sure you get the one you want.

Ebook (Mobi and Epub)
https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/bolt-action-third-edition-9781472863805/

PDF (sort-of-an-ebook, but fixed pages. Does not re-flow on a smaller device but looks exactly like the printed rules… I assume)
https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/bolt-action-third-edition-9781472863829/

If you're like me and you don't enjoy reading books with small text or if you just like to read on the run or have your eBook reader speak the text aloud while you're driving or mowing the lawn then this is a great choice. I got mine direct from the osprey web store for US$35, and after a couple of hour delay of error messages (something about watermarking) I have now successfully downloaded and transferred to my phone.

Finished my last V2 game 48 hours ago and now tooled up for Version 3 with 2 hard cover rulebooks, one softcover and an eBook (yeah don't ask…!), bring it Bolt action V3!

Its hyperlinked as well...

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147 Hits
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Soviet Gaz jeeps, 3d Printed and painted by me (work in process)

Soviet Gaz jeeps, 3d Printed and painted by me (work in process) love the appropriate passengers, also being able to print them out at the exact 1/56 size is soothes me as well.

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29 Hits
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Cranky with Vallejo (for no reason)

Just purchased a restock of various Vallejo paints, imagine how cranky I was when 70.922 is now 'a completely different colour'...

However the difference is the new actual bottle by the looks of things. See below the 2 colours (sorry one not mixed fully). They look pretty similar to me. Thanks the paint gods. Go back to your seats nothing to see. :-) 

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24 Hits
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First successful attempt at contrast paint

First successful attempt at contrast paint. In fantasy for Warhammer: the old world Thanks Ian for the modified slapchop method

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26 Hits
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Long weekend hobby

We just had a long weekend and I wanted to do something completely frivolous. Here it is, my forest base version 2. Just needs some anti shine clear coat and its done.

Video to follow (...eventually)

  441 Hits
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441 Hits
1 Comment

With everything I have half finished makes sense to...

With everything I have half finished makes sense to... start a whole new theater of operations.

Armed with my book Painting War 3: WWII Japan & USA Armies i'm looking forward to just painting rather then spending weeks on the research phase.

  648 Hits
  4 Comments
648 Hits
4 Comments

It's Official! Bolt Action: Third Edition Lands September 2024

It's Official! Bolt Action: Third Edition Lands September 2024:

https://warlord-community.warlordgames.com/bolt-action-third-edition-september-2024/

  819 Hits
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819 Hits
3 Comments

A Bridge Too Far

As a build up to me rewatching A Bridge Too Far movie (which really is a true story) with mates in a few weeks time I thought I would post a few interesting facts about the movie (no spoilers). Comment below (and chose "Subscribe to this blog post") and I will update the chat with interesting titbits over the next few weeks.

​A Bridge Too Far is a classic war film that was released in 1977. Directed by Richard Attenborough, the movie depicts the Allied attempt to capture several strategically important bridges in the Netherlands during World War II. Based on Cornelius Ryan's best-selling book of the same name, A Bridge Too Far features an ensemble cast of talented actors, including Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Anthony Hopkins.

This gripping film not only provides a thrilling account of a major military operation, but also offers a deeper exploration of the human cost and sacrifices made during wartime. With its powerful storytelling, intense battle sequences, and rich characterization, A Bridge Too Far has become a beloved war movie that continues to captivate audiences to this day. (content borrowed from https://facts.net, I'm sure they won't mind... :-/ )

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2147 Hits
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"The Eagle has landed" movie is true after all...

"The Eagle has landed" one of my all time favourite war movies (and books) is 100% true after all... After so much wanting this to be a 'based on fact' story for so long I'm pleased to announce that on the strength of this book cover I consider this irrefutable proof that it is in fact a true story and Jack Higgins had inside information all along.

... at least I'm 40% sure.

  1288 Hits
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1288 Hits
2 Comments

The beginnings of a new early war German army

The beginnings of a new early war German army for Rex, thanks Dan for the colours you know colour research isn't my favourite thing.

Still a couple of more things to do.

  1497 Hits
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1497 Hits
2 Comments

WWII Soviet paint recipe updated and uploaded

WWII Soviet paint recipe updated and uploaded, I'm reluctant to call it 'finished' (because its not) but if you find it useful your welcome to it. I'm moving onto early war Germans (on a time limit!) so this is 'complete' for a while.

New format, if you love it or hate it let me know here

Get it here: https://www.valhallagames.net/index.php/downloads/download/6-paint-guides/25-paint-guide-soviets-winter-quilted-and-greatcoat-types

Soviet paint recipe updated and uploaded
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1178 Hits
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EP30: MOAB 2023 with special guest Aaron Russell

Rex, Dan and special guest Aaron Russell unpack the 2023 MOAB Bolt Action open in Sydney, Australia, October 2023. Did Rex improve his competitive standing for this year in line with his hobby goals? Did Aaron manage to pull off *another* tournament win? Was Dan envious that he didn't attend this year? How many hot dogs did we eat? Get it all here in this bumper 2 hour plus episode of Valhalla Games podcast.


Subscribe in your podcast app by searching for Valhalla Games or play in the web player by clicking on the image below​.

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1653 Hits
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New paint range from The Army Painter

 New paint range from The Army Painter. Brave claims to be the best paint in the world! Keen to have a look at these.

  1202 Hits
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1202 Hits
4 Comments

15mm armies I saw at the recent MOAB wargame event

 15mm armies I saw for sale at the recent MOAB wargame event. Click on the thumbnail to see the full sized image. If I had a spare $1000(!) I would have purchased them, nicest 15mm armies I have ever seen.

Mainly I'm putting this here as a permanent record of what I want my 15mm armies to look like one day... when I get them out of the shrink-wrap.

  1225 Hits
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1225 Hits
1 Comment

Soviet reinforcements have arrived...

Soviet reinforcements have arrived... just in time as they need to fight at the MOAB Bolt Action event 0830 tomorrow. Although its only 7 guys its nice to have painted something from beginning to end and have them complete not just "90% done and I will sort the rest out later". My painting skill is improving again, another couple of squads and I will be back up to the standard I was at a 2 years ago. Interesting how with no painting getting done I had a noticeable drop in skill!

I have revamped my Soviet paint guide as well, more detail better layout. I will upload it to the files/download section when I have time.

Edit: there is the same thing with moving pictures... https://youtu.be/H9WDeZfXO0k?si=VoGt3usmqL1zc2u8

  1564 Hits
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1564 Hits
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Podcast EP29: Hobby goal update

Join Rex and Dan as they give a summary on their hobby goals 2023 progress year-to-date at the three-quarter point. Have we completed our hobby goals? Have we purchased enough plastic and lead to keep the furnaces of hobby production stoked? Find out here along with news and lots of chat.

We hope you enjoy listening to this and hope it helps you paint a few more figures toward YOUR hobby own goals!

Subscribe in your preferred podcast to you don't miss an episode by searching for Valhalla Games or you can listen in the web player by clicking on the image below.

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1819 Hits
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Bolt Action - Assaulting vehicles flowchart

 Bolt Action - Assaulting vehicles flowchart PDF version 1 is available here:

*Now including 1 of 2 rules confirmations received back from Warlord Games

>>Download<<

If you spot any issues let us know here https://valhallagames.net/contact

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1867 Hits
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Soviet Cav

​Found these photos of Soviet cav... I don't think I have shown yet. Looking back i'm pretty happy with them. Pity I only purchased and painted 3(!) less than useful.

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1438 Hits
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Rex's hobby update

Final decision: Angkor Wat, 'mostly' grey plus lots of greenery

Over the last few days, I have managed to find a bit more hobby time than normal. Mainly I have been obsessing and worrying over paint, techniques and paint colours for 3D printed building terrain. Having just received 25GB of new STL files from a recent fantasy building Kickstarter I'm need to have a specific (and good) recipe to go forward with. After toying with the great looking colour scheme, that was shown in the Kickstarter I have gone back and forward but settled on grey (yep the same grey that every other wargamer uses from age 14 onward has used). In my defence I'm inspired by the temple of Angkor Wat Cambodia so hopefully I will push it slightly past my 14 year old self.

I have been having difficulty using my normal method of brick/wall painting for a couple of reasons. 

  1. The spray on primer/paint seams to have changed recipe and 
  2. the new and improved technique of using XTC 3D or resin has proven to be not such a good idea as it nets a result that wont take a wash at all and behaves like some sort of weird contrast paint. 


I had also planned on some Gondor-white buildings for something else, that DID NOT work so I abandoned it this time round. Long story short I have the technique and can now move forward.


The beginning of something, some Normandy brick walls done. Everything else is WIP

The other thing I have been obsessing over is gaming mats. Since I stored away the realistic Primosole bridge board I have been dis-satisfied with almost all of the terrain mats I own for various reasons.
After toying with the idea of making my own terrain mat for 5 years and with my dissatisfaction for existing game mats coalescing, with having a couple of evenings free with no responsibility and I have all my ducks in a row!

  • Yesterday I gathered the required materials
  • Today I washed and dried my paint sheet to preshrink it and also to get rid of the heavy folds from it being packaged.
  • I think I have thought of everything (famous last words), roll on tomorrow!
5 years in the making, tomorrow is the day
  1294 Hits
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1294 Hits
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The master plan: #1 BIG armies, BIG battles...is that the plan?

Hi Dan here, the first in a series of occasional articles mapping out what's in my mind. 

So. What to do with the armies I collect that are getting bigger and bigger?

Or...is that partly the answer and not the question? Should I ask myself what collections should I invest time in to make them bigger? Or should I be enjoying making smaller themed armies for different theatres, different types of basing to denote different environments? 

The reality is that I could go in either direction and have fun collecting, modelling, painting and playing with my forces. The idea about being able to invest time in a small bespoke force is a great one, and one I've seized upon a number of times such as my 'small Fallschirmjager force to represent a part of the battle for Primosole Bridge'...look how that turned out! 

But one of my wargaming dreams /goals has always been to play BIG games of fully painted armies on the battlefield in WW2 battles. Ever since our mother bought me the Orbis book of 'Model Soldiers' and I salivated over a picture showing what appeared to be a corner of a larger battle incorporating an amphibious landing. Of course, I had -as a young boy- vast armies of 1/72 green and grey plastic 'army men' and tried to emulate the picture and had many many happy hours doing so! But now I want to do so with beautifully sculpted metal and plastic figures and terrain and build it on a scale where i can provide everything, yet others can join in games in my version of 'Valhalla"!

So...time for a Q&A for myself;

What Scale would I choose for these big collections and big games?

Bigger games in my definition are lots of figures, possibly (probably) multiple players per side, large playing areas. My vision is 28mm miniatures so they can be seen by players flanking each other while playing on a ( or multiple) long/deep playing surface. However...I already have 28mm in Historical WW2- armies that continue to get larger- so that's a no brainer for me. in Fantasy and 40k i have nice armies, but not huge armies so if i wanted to choose a different scale I could. And the same goes for other historical periods. For instance; I have a desire to do American Civil War ( ACW). I have a great start waiting for me in the Perry Miniatures Battle in a box set...but I have been thinking is that the right size for ACW battles? should I be into 15mm/12mm/10mm for it? The Warlord Games Epic Black Powder ACW starter sets in plastic are great value ( although the individual sets start getting more expensive than metal manufacturers for some reason...) and inspiring to perhaps be worth a look. Watch this space for decisions, lol. 


What periods would I collect figures & terrain for to play in Big, Big games?

The reality is that I would need BIG forces, that would be capable of splitting into decent commands for a number of generals to control in the games. its one thing to look at a 'big' force on your shelves at home, but when it hits a table the size of those in my vision it will be eaten alive by the table that wont even notice the tiny morsel! "Figures...Fahsounds of them, Sah!" are what is required.  But what periods? 

WW2..has to be. The original, and once again, love...of course! But what else?

ACW has interested me as above. Total painted ACW miniatures at the time of writing; Zero. But i DO have that big box of figures in the pile of shame, so...that counts, right?!

 Napoleonics. Yep...I have about 22 cavalry figures 'finished' for the napoleonic period ( a box of Hinchcliffe French Empress Dragoons that I bought second hand painted in a style 'of the time' (early-mid eighties i guess, judging from the Humbrol enamel finish)  because I had the opportunity and I wanted to own a Hinchcliffe unit because the brand is hand-in-hand with classic big wargaming at places like Peter Gilder's ( and those that have followed) Wargames Holiday Centre in the UK. 

 But I ALSO have a few boxes of Perry and victrix British in the that pile...and a desire to acquire Victrix French Guard Lancers, which are some of the most beautiful miniatures I've ever seen, so- that again, is an exceptional start, right?! 

On Balance I'd say I'm well ahead of the game then... I've just turned 49, and deciding to take on three periods that normally take collectors a lifetime to do one alone ( plus I have an unnatural desire to play the Sudan, but that can wait until I've knocked off these simple, short goals!!). And I've just been prescribed glasses in order to be able to hobby at point blank range in anything smaller than 1:1 scale. Simples! ;)

  But here's the thing; I'm inspired. And motivated. And this is making me make some SANE decisions along with the insane decisions we've talked about above; 

  •  Work on these goals for long term gratification and triumphant conclusion, and not to chase the next new game system on the block. LESS BREADTH, MORE DEPTH in what I do.
  • The fact that I do this may occasionally be less sexy and appealing as I grind out the next batch of 35 figures in the same uniform, but EMBRACE THE SUCK as I see those goals get closer with every unit I finish.
  • ENJOY THE PRICE, not PAY THE PRICE of the journey to completion. I enjoy the full spectrum of the hobby; Historical research, collecting, modelling, painting, and the wargaming. I also enjoy the spectacle- just enjoying the display or photos of a beautiful game, the figures and the terrain ( or truly scenery) on the table. The journey is as important to me as the destination, as the hobby as a whole continues to entertain, inspire and allows me to decompress from stresses in life, particularly work. Even the small things such as assembling and kit bashing/converting plastics are immensely satisfying to me. So while others might avoid the time it takes and prefer to get into painting metals quicker, I enjoy including both.
  • DIRECTION OF COLLECTION...i can look at things like what types of terrain, playing surface, buildings, even the ground cover based on theatres of battles/campaigns. I can narrow down and plan effectively, It  allows me to cascade these decisions down into workflow decisions and aesthetics such as coherent but versatile basing decisions for my troops bases.
  • TIMING IS EVERYTHING...Understanding and planning short/medium term goals such as games we want to play and record for our Channel, and working them into this greater long term, over-arching goal. For instance; I can base models for a summer historical engagement that we want to film as long as Im clever with the materials used I can then overpaint, apply snow, etc. But the reverse is more difficult and is likely to involved completely new physical bases. Doing urban bases on models can in the same way be changed to rural bases, if the 'rubble' doesnt contain walls etc, and the rubble is more gritty, with small pebbles instead of square edged bricks and the effect is gained somewhat from paint to get the effect. 


All these things can be well executed with effort and practice...as well as restraint and long term goals in mind! I'm learning how to do them better and better all the time. 

With all this in mind, I am quite enjoying setting out on my journey. I hope to achieve such armies as befits a warrior king to accompany him into the afterlife, as seen when I visited Xian a few years ago. I hope you enjoyed this brief outline of my intended trip into meglomania, and join me sometime soon for another installment of my 'Master plan' !. 

I'd be interested in your thoughts and feedback below as to whether you've tread this path, why or why not and any advice you may have- or disagree with. 

Dan 

  1091 Hits
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1091 Hits
3 Comments

Latest podcast

Podcast EP24: A chat with Jon Russell:

The latetst podcast episode is live now. This should appear in your podcast app if you have subscribed (Search for valhallagames podcast in your app) or you can listen on web player (link below).

Podcast EP24: A chat with Jon Russell.

In this bumper episode, we are joined by Jon Russell of Warlord Games fame. In addition to his dedicated work for Warlord, Jon is a multifaceted wargamer and also veteran of many years service.

In this episode we spend time learning about Jon's wargaming pedigree, before learning more about his role at Warlord, the writing of 'Bolt Action: Korea', and Jon shares with us what he can about what Bolt Action V3 might look like, and the 'Raiders Attack!' Supplement that still has much life left in it.

All this plus Warlord event support, balance in tournaments and other definitely non-controversial(!), highly entertaining and informative topics. Sit back and enjoy a chat with Jon, and us, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Subscribe in your favourite podcast app (search for valhallagames) or click here to listen in the web player.

Don't forget to check out the YouTube channel at https://valhallagames.net/youtube

...and don't forget if you would like to support us https://valhallagames.net/patron