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How Do You Get Started in the Hobby Side of Bolt Action?
Getting started with any miniatures games hobby is going to have its challenges, but there’s something that’s unique to historical wargaming that you don’t run into with something like Warhammer 40k. With Warhammer, very few people are going to be complaining that your Space Marines are painted the wrong color, or that you don’t have the right decal in the right place.
(Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s always THAT GUY, but we try to stay as far away from him as possible.)
But in historical wargaming, there are people who spent inordinate amounts of time going over the color of every strap and bag, every coat and boot, to make sure that they’re being historically accurate. These people are often referred to as “rivet counters” or “button counters” and they’re the THAT GUY of the historical wargame scene.
Fortunately, while Bolt Action is the game that I play the most and own the most of, I have never actually run into one of these people at a games store. And one of my favorite YouTube channels for Bolt Action painting tutorials, Sonic Sledgehammer, dives really deep into this kind of thing, and I tend to find it absolutely delightful.
I love that there are people who care so much about the little things. I’m not one of them, but I love that there are people like that. Just so long as they don’t judge the rest of us (which Sonic Sledgehammer never does).
So the question is: how do you get started in the hobby side of Bolt Action? Where do you start? Fortunately, it’s really easy, and it’s really (relatively) cheap.
Miniatures
You can technically play Bolt Action with any miniatures that you’d like. This is different from Games Workshop where you’re restricted to Games Workshop models at Games Workshop events. Warlord Games makes ideal sets of miniature figures and vehicles, but you could just as well buy Perry miniatures or Victrix miniatures and no one would bat an eye. It’s very welcoming in that way.
But, if you want to get started in Bolt Action, then the easiest way is through one of their Starter Sets.
Starter Sets
There are two main Starter Sets available right now, and I’m defining “Starter Sets” as boxes that have two armies to fight, plus the rules, plus the templates and dice, and all the ephemera. These boxes are great values.
Band of Brothers
The first of these, and the easiest and cheapest way to get into Bolt Action, is the Band of Brothers boxes set.
This really is a steal, currently $85 USD on Amazon, it comes with 24 US Airborne, 12 German Grenadiers, a half track, a ruined house, plus the full rule book (albeit in small scale) and all the markers and dice.
As the name Band of Brothers suggests, it’s set in Normandy on D-Day, with the 101st Airborne dropping into France. It’s a great, quick way to learn the game
Island Assault
The second starter set is Island Assault, which is also a killer deal, too. It’s currently a little more expensive–$97 USD on Amazon–but is worth every penny as it comes with 24 Imperial Japanese soldiers, a Chi-Ha tank, 24 US Marines, a halftrack, 1 pillbox, 2 spider holes, and all of the other things you need for a tabletop game.
Getting either one of these starter sets will start you well on your way into the Bolt Action hobby.
Starter Armies
Now, once you’ve played the Starter Sets and you’ve gotten a taste for what the game is like, you’re going to want to build an army of your own, and Warlord Games has gone out of their way to create a huge array of Starter Armies for almost every major faction in every theater.
These Starter Armies consist of, usually, about a platoon worth of soldiers (almost always 30 or 36 men, because Warlord Games puts six men on a sprue) plus usually a mortar, an anti-tank gune, and a vehicle. Very often the vehicle is a tank, though sometimes a halftrack. (And in some Starter Armies, like the US Army, there’s a tank AND a halftrack.)
The Starter Armies available on Amazon right now are:
United States:
Great Britain
Soviet Union:
German Army:
Japanese:
Terrain
Of course, being in the wargame hobby, miniatures are nothing without terrain to build. And there are a lot of options for terrain building, especially because of the fact that–again–Warlord Games doesn’t require you to play with their models. You can buy from anyone, and there are a lot of options.
Store Bought Terrain
I’m only going to recommend models from companies that I have used (and most of these don’t have affiliate links–I just like the products).
Warlord Games
Warlord has a lot of terrain that they sell and make, and all of it is good. The first thing that I’d recommend getting is their Anti-Tank Obstacles. This is just good scatter terrain that will make any battlefield better, whether out in the country or in the city streets.
I also am a fan of their Anti-Tank/Flak Bunker (which is remarkably similar to their Coastal Defense Bunker–I have both).
They sell a Ruined Farmhouse, which is a good little kit, and they sell a Ruined Hamlet–but the Ruined Hamlet is just three Ruined Farmhouses, so buyer beware. If you want that many, get them.
There’s a great Stone Bridge that makes a good objective. And the Wrecked House is different enough from the Ruined Farmhouse to make it worth having on your shelf.
Sarissa Precision
Sarissa Precision makes laser-cut MDF models that, once painted, look really phenomenal. I’m just going to refer you to their website–they have dozens and dozens of World War II buildings. But I am going to link you to their Pegasus Bridge, which I don’t have (because it’s too big for me to put anywhere) but which looks incredible.
3D Printed
There are a LOT of 3D printed World War II buildings out there, and I’ve found that, in general, you get what you pay for. I quite like Printable Scenery, and have bought several things from them including their Farm and their Church.
Handmade Terrain
Getting into handmade scenery is an entirely different conversation, but something that’s important to talk about when getting started in the Bolt Action hobby.
Handmade scenery can be tons of fun to make and play with, and making scenery can become a hobby all on its own, something that overtakes building the models.
I like to think that I am a decent enough scenery maker that I’ll point you to one of my Bolt Action scenery pieces (back when I ran my YouTube channel focused on terrain building.)
In this video I am recreating a scene from the Battle of the Bulge episode from Band of Brothers.
And this scene is not exactly Bolt Action–it’s 1/35 scale, not 28mm scale, but it’s from the Battle of Stalingrad, and I think it turned out rather nicely.
But I would be foolish not to point you to the kings of terrain: first off is Mel Bose, aka The Terrain Tutor (read my review of his book here–a must-have for wargaming terrain makers), and Luke at Geek Gaming Scenics.
Here are a series of videos from The Terrain Tutor showing how he builds a massive D-Day wargaming table. (Note: take this as inspiration, but don’t be intimidated by it. It’s definitely for the advanced terrain maker.)
Here’s a video of Luke at Geek Gaming Scenics making a Band of Brothers board (which is also for the advanced maker, but he does a good job of showing you how he does everything.)
Hobby Tools
So what tools do you need for getting started in the Bolt Action hobby? I’ve gathered up all my essential tools here. (Note that these are just the essentials. I’ve written an article about some overlooked tools here.)
Clippers
If you’re going to be cutting miniatures off of sprues, you’re going to want some flush clippers. Make sure you get flush clippers (that is, clippers that are flat on one side) so that when you cut you don’t have any remaining sprue sticking out.
There are many brands you can get, and this is one case where going to the hardware store isn’t really going to save you a ton of money. I have the Citadel clippers, and I like them a lot. But there is a cheaper set of clippers from Army Painter that will get the job done–I just don’t think they feel as good in my hand.
Xacto Knife
When you’re clipping sprues you’re inevitably going to have leftover bits of sprue or flashing from the models. (There are also a million reasons why you’ll want a knife on your hobby desk.) I go with the regular old Xacto blade. Simple, cheap. There’s a reason it’s a classic–because it works so well.
Plastic Glue
When you’re assembling your miniatures, you’re going to want plastic glue (most of the models we’ve talked about for Bolt Action, either from Warlord Games or from Perry Minatures are hard plastic).
Plastic glue actually melts the plastic, so that when you press two pieces of plastic together, it forms a chemical reaction and the plastic actually welds together. Other glues don’t do this, so they’re not as strong.
For my money, the only plastic glue worth mentioning is Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. It works well, and it comes in a bottle with a little brush. Very easy and it doesn’t run everywhere.
Superglue and Kicker
One thing you’re going to learn dealing with Warlord Games models is that they make the most infuriating anti-tank guns you can imagine, that are just a mess of metal parts with no rhyme or reason, not photo or instructions. I have to consult research texts to see what a British 6 Pdr looks like to put it together. And did I mention that they’re metal?
For metal, plastic glue won’t cut it. You need superglue, otherwise known as cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. But superglue doesn’t work immediately. It takes a while to dry and bond, and you get it all over your fingers and pretty soon you’re glued to an anti-tank gun.
This is what kicker is for, also known as superglue accelerator. Put some superglue on something, hold it in place, then spray a little kicker on it and BAM, it’s frozen solid. I know that most people learned about kicker long before I did, but when I came upon it it was a revelation. So, in the odd chance you’ve never used it, get some. I use the Mitre Apel brand.
Painting Supplies
Now it comes to painting miniatures. Painting miniatures is an essential part of the hobby, and one that can be a lot of fun. You’ll find that, as opposed to something like a Space Marine, an infantryman is very forgiving. A handful of colors, a wash, some edge highlighting (well, just highlighting) and you’ve got a great looking model.
Paint Brushes
When it comes to paint brushes, I have clear favorites, which I’ve written about here. Suffice it to say that I really like the Army Painter Starter Set, particularly the Regiment brush, which kind of can do everything. But there’s a good variety of brushes in there, and they’re all great. There’s even one Kolinsky brush, which is the one I use for any detail work. It’s a great set.
But if you’re just getting started then you can 100% start with this bulk set of synthetic brushes. Art supplies are cheap if you’re just getting into the hobby, because you don’t need the fanciest stuff. In fact, I know excellent painters–Golden Demon-level painters–who use packs of cheap brushes and throw them away when they lose their tip, because each brush only costs like 20 cents.
Paint
I have also written an entire article where I break down my favorite paints for painting miniatures, and while that article ultimately lands on Citadel, in the case of getting started with Bolt Action I’m going to recommend Vallejo. Vallejo specializes in making specific paints for specific purposes, and one of those purposes is World War II.
For this purpose, I recommend these sets:
Spray Primer
I have written an entire article about spray primer, too! But the gist of it is that I like Vallejo’s spray primer the best, and they’re easy to find on Amazon and come in a wide range. You can check them out here.
Palette
You’ll notice that Vallejo paints come in little dropper bottles, which means that you’re going to need a palette for them. If you want a cheap art supplies palette, you can get this one. But you may want something else.
Wet Palette
The more you get into the hobby, the more you’re going to realize how useful a wet palette is. A wet palette is basically a wet sponge with a piece of porous paper laying on top of it. It keeps your paints wet for a long time, helps with blending and thinning, and really helps you just to level up.
If you want to go the absolute easiest way, here’s a video from Uncle Atom from Tabletop Minions about how to make your own wet palette from stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.
If you want to move up a level and see what a real wet palette can do, here’s a video from Squidmar (a truly excellent painter) about the remarkable things a wet palette can do.
Water Pot
The very first article I ever wrote for this website was about whether or not the Citadel Water Pot was worth it. I firmly believe that it is. But you could just as easily use a mug, a Mason jar, or a paper cup. I just like the Citadel one.
Basing Materials
So now you’ve got your models looking great—you need something to base them with. That’s where basing materials come in.
Texture Paste
I love texture paste. I used to use a lot of Citadel’s texture pastes, until I learned that they were essentially the same thing as Vallejo’s and Vallejo’s are an eighth the price.
You can take something like Vallejo Russian Mud and use it simply as a soldier walking through mud, or you can take Pumice Paste and let it dry and then paint it however you want–it can be rubble on a street or it can be sand in the desert. There’s no end of neat things Vallejo’s texture paste can do.
Grass Tufts
I go through SO MANY grass tufts. I think I keep Army Painter in business. A nice base with some texture paste and then a grass tuft (one of a dozen colors). A simple, classic look.
Base Ready
I have recently gotten into Luke’s Geek Gaming Scenics Base Ready. Basically, he mixes up a bunch of different kinds of ground cover, from a green meadow to a desert wasteland, and then you paint PVA glue (Elmer’s Glue-All) onto the base and sprinkle the Base Ready on it. No need for painting or grass tufts. Simple and quick. The downside is that I don’t like to buy in bulk and buying in small quantities makes shipping expensive.
How-To Guides for Getting Started in Bolt Action Hobby
These are some videos from a few of my favorite Bolt Action painting tutorial YouTubers, Pete the Wargamer and Sonic Sledgehammer.
