New to Bolt Action? How the game works and how to start

Bolt Action is a World War II tabletop wargame from Warlord Games. You command a platoon-sized force of 28mm miniatures, usually infantry squads backed by support teams and a vehicle or two. The current version is Bolt Action Third Edition, released in 2024.

The big idea: the dice bag

Most wargames let one player move their whole army, then the other. Bolt Action does not. Each unit gets one coloured order die, and all the dice go into a single bag. Draw a die, and whoever owns that colour picks one of their units and gives it an order. Then draw again. Nobody knows who acts next, which is why battle reports are so much fun to follow.

The six orders

• Fire: stay put and shoot.
• Advance: move, then shoot.
• Run: move further, but no shooting.
• Ambush: wait and react when an enemy moves into view.
• Rally: stay put and shake off pins.
• Down: hit the dirt to make the unit harder to hurt.

Pins: why squads freeze

Units under fire pick up pin markers. Pins make it harder for that unit to obey its next order, so suppressing the enemy is often as useful as killing them. A lot of good games are won by pinning the right unit at the right moment.

Choosing your first army

Pick the force you like the look of, or the one you love reading about. Every major nation is playable. A starter army box is the cheapest way to get a legal force on the table, and you can add a tank or support weapon later.

German Grenadier Starter ArmyA complete German starter force.View at Warlord Minis → Winter Fallschirmjäger Starter ArmyGerman paratroopers in winter kit.View at Warlord Minis → French Army Starter ArmyA force for 1940 games.View at Warlord Minis →

Want two forces at once for a friend? Look at the army package deals and starter and box sets.

What else you need

• The Bolt Action Third Edition rulebook and the army book for your nation.
• Order dice in your army's colour. Olive drab order dice are a popular pick for Allied players.
• Ordinary six-sided dice and a tape measure in inches.
• Some terrain. Bolt Action plays best with plenty of cover: hedges, walls, ruined buildings and woods.

Learn by watching

The fastest way to learn is to watch a full game. Our battle reports show both lists and call out the dice draws turn by turn. Want to try before you buy? See playing in Tabletop Simulator.