A new series of army list books is coming for WW2 game Bolt Action in the first quarter of 2025, starting with ‘Armies of Germany’. The new book will “provide extensive rules and unit profiles allowing players to field the might of the German military on the tabletop” in games of Bolt Action: Third Edition, according to publishers Warlord Games and Osprey Publishing.
Bolt Action is the de facto miniature wargame for refighting WW2 battles using 28mm scale figures. The new Armies of Germany book will feature rules for forces ranging “from the armoured fist of the Panzer divisions to the die-hard Fallschirmjäger paratroopers, and many more besides”.
Warlord plans to release “subsequent national supplements” each quarter. Bolt Action is a pretty exhaustive WW2 game, with rules for just about every Axis or Ally force you can think of, from French Resistance to Finnish sniper teams. The firm adds that we should also expect “a wave of fantastic new miniatures” with each release.
Bolt Action third edition was announced just last month, and details are still scant. Warlord Games promises “refined and updated rules and starter army lists to get new players straight into the action”, plus “new tactical depth in the detailed force composition mechanics and a wide variety of fresh challenges in the scenario generation system” to entertain returning players. How much the core mechanics of the game will change remains unclear.
If you haven’t played Bolt Action yet and you’re curious about the next edition, we recommend the YouTube channel Games Night. They play a lot of Bolt Action second edition, with fun narrative scenarios, and exceptionally well-edited video battle reports. Their recent Lego Bolt Action battle report was absolute carnage – and this report of the battle for Pegasus Bridge is excellent:
If you’re not sold on a game that involves painting miniatures before you get to play, check out our guide to the best WW2 board games which are all hot to trot.