Bolt Action 3rd Edition – Missions and Scenarios Explained

Bolt Action 3rd Edition refreshes World War II tabletop battles with a new, easy-to-use Battle Scenario generator and a compact set of cinematic Story Scenarios. If you’re building event packs, running league nights, or just want tighter pickup games, this guide walks through every mission element, what it tests, and how to plan for it—including deployment options, objective styles, and list-building tips that actually translate to wins on the table.

How Missions Work in 3rd Edition (36 Quick Combos)

Instead of six fixed missions, Bolt Action v3 uses three “dials” to generate a scenario:

• Victory Condition (roll 1–6): Seek & Destroy, Key Positions, Breakthrough, Top Secret, Demolition, Hold Until Relieved.
• Deployment Zones (roll 1–6): 1–3 Long Edges, 4–6 Quarters.
• Deployment Type (roll 1–6): 1–3 Meeting Engagement, 4–5 Prepared Positions, 6 Fog of War.

That’s 36 combinations that keep games fresh while remaining simple to brief. Pair this with the five ready-made Story Scenarios—Envelopment, Manhunt, Point Defence, Land Grab, Surrounded!—for narrative nights and campaigns.

The Six Victory Conditions—Win Plans & Practical Tips

1) Seek & Destroy

What it tests: Attrition, target priority, order-dice leverage.

How you win: Destroy enemy units and preserve your own. Veterans thrive because they stick around to shoot again.

• List notes: Armoured Platoon and Rifle Platoon blends hit hard here. Take a reliable AT solution, a medium mortar or howitzer for pins, and a small recce element to finish stragglers.
• Table plan: Create firing lanes. Don’t overextend the first wave—trade pins early, trade kills late.
• Common pitfall: Bleeding easy dice. Keep 3–4‑man teams and transports safe once their job is done.

2) Key Positions

What it tests: Objective control and zone denial.

How you win: Occupy and hold central markers by game end; screens and crossfires matter more than body count.

• List notes: Rifle Platoons with multiple squads, plus Artillery or Heavy Weapons Platoons for overwatch. Engineers with SMGs/FT are excellent “last‑turn bouncers.”
• Table plan: Place objectives so neither side can dominate all from a single hill/building. Bring smoke to break stalemates.
• Common pitfall: Leaving objectives to chase kills—guard what you’ve already secured.

3) Breakthrough

What it tests: Tempo, flanking, and route planning.

How you win: Get scoring units into or through the enemy’s zone. Mobility and smoke beat raw firepower.

• List notes: Recce Infantry and Armoured Platoons shine. Small veteran squads in trucks, armoured cars, and recce moves to punch gaps.
• Table plan: Identify two lanes: a decoy push to fix guns and a real lane for the scoring thrust.
• Common pitfall: Telegraphed routes. Fake with a transport, then redeploy your true push behind smoke.

4) Top Secret

What it tests: Mid-board fights and escort discipline.

How you win: Seize a central objective and extract or control it by game end (mission wording determines extraction vs control).

• List notes: Fast veterans, bodyguard teams, and smoke. Consider an assault squad and a cheap screen to hand off the objective.
• Table plan: Build “batons”—move the package from assault unit to a safer carrier while the line pivots to block.
• Common pitfall: Overcommitting the escort and losing both the unit and the package in one activation cycle.

5) Demolition

What it tests: Strike timing and counter‑punches.

How you win: Destroy the enemy’s base/asset while protecting yours; each side must both attack and defend.

• List notes: Engineer Platoons (SMGs, flamers, demo charges) plus a reserve to counter‑assault your own base. Don’t skimp on order dice.
• Table plan: Layer defenses: mines/wire (if allowed), overlapping arcs, and a mobile reserve to swat late-game raiders.
• Common pitfall: Running both strike teams at once—keep one in pocket until the enemy commits.

6) Hold Until Relieved

What it tests: Stamina under pressure and relief timing.

How you win: Defenders must cling to a key point; attackers must break through, pin, and clear.

• List notes: Defenders love Rifle and Heavy Weapons Platoons with LMGs and MMGs. Attackers want smoke, indirect fire, and at least one assault unit.
• Table plan: Don’t dump everything into the objective turn one—build a crescent of pins, then collapse.
• Common pitfall: Sitting “Down” too long on defense; rotate fresh units into the position before the big push.

Deployment Zones—Board Geometry Matters

Long Edges

Classic across-the-table firefights. Expect direct approaches, strong gun lines, and obvious flanks.

• Good for: Medium weapons and tanks with clear lanes; slow lists that prefer methodical advances.
• Risk: Overexposure. Use smoke and terrain to cross killing grounds.

Quarters

Angled fights with multiple front lines. Crossfires and diagonal pushes reward maneuver.

• Good for: Flankers, recce cars, truck‑borne veterans, and any list that creates two threats at once.
• Risk: Isolated units. Keep mutual support within 12″–18″.

Deployment Type—How the First Two Turns Feel

Meeting Engagement

Symmetrical starts. Both sides race to position, probe with recce, and trade early pins. Prioritize units that convert the first two orders into board control—armour that threatens lanes, mortars that start spotting, and a durable anchor in the middle.

Prepared Positions

Defenses matter. Expect rules interactions with Dug In/Hidden and early-cover benefits. Attackers need smoke, multiple threat vectors, and patience; defenders should pre‑sight lanes, keep a small mobile reserve, and avoid exposing support weapons to HE on turn one.

Fog of War

More uncertainty at setup. Expect restrictions and surprises (e.g., reserves, hidden info, or reduced visibility effects depending on the mission combo). Lists with flexible tools—recce moves, spotters, and multi-role squads—handle the unknowns best.

Story Scenarios—Cinematic, Asymmetrical Fun

Use these for campaigns and themed nights. They’re asymmetric by design; brief clearly and agree on terrain before dice go in the bag.

• Envelopment: Attackers push off edges or deep into a zone for graduated points; defenders trade space for time and pins.
• Manhunt: Focused hunt for a key model or unit. Screen, misdirect, and pull with transport feints.
• Point Defence: Defenders hold multiple objectives against set waves—use mines/wire if allowed and rotate squads to keep pins manageable.
• Land Grab: Seize and hold ground early; fast units must establish a perimeter before heavier assets arrive.
• Surrounded!: Central force under pressure. Relief must arrive; prioritize clearing one side to create an escape corridor.

Terrain & Objective Placement—Fair, Fast, Playable

• Density: For 6′×4′, aim for 10–14 meaningful pieces: 3–4 line‑of‑sight blockers, 3–4 area terrains, and scatter. City boards need extra alleys to avoid dead‑zones.
• Objective tokens: Use clear, low‑profile markers that match the table theme. Place so no single vantage point can see all.
• Fire lanes: Give both sides at least two approach routes—one risky (fast) and one safe (slow).
• Night/Weather: Optional rules like Night Fighting, Reduced Visibility, and Weather are great seasoning for campaigns; keep them out of first‑time demo nights.

List‑Building by Mission Family

• Attrition (Seek & Destroy): Toolbox lists win the long game—balanced AT, two templates (mortar/howitzer), and one mobile threat to punish mistakes.
• Objectives (Key Positions / Hold): More units, more pins. Two large rifle squads to sit, two assault elements to clear, and cheap teams to back‑cap.
• Mobility (Breakthrough / Top Secret / Demolition): Veterans in trucks, recce cars, smoke, engineers; keep one strike held back until the enemy shows their hand.

Running Events—A Simple Mission Pack That Works

For tournaments or store leagues, pre‑roll (or pre‑select) scenarios so everyone plays the same mission each round. A robust 1‑day event:

• Points: 1,250
• Order dice cap: 18–20 (TO’s preference)
• Rounds: 3 games × 2h30 each
• Mission mix: One attrition (Seek & Destroy), one objectives (Key Positions), one mobility (Breakthrough or Demolition), with a different deployment type each round.

For 2‑day GTs, run 5 rounds and include one Story Scenario—briefed in advance—to test asymmetric play and list flexibility.

Practical Table Pack (What to Bring)

• Six objective markers, smoke templates/puffs, pin counters, and a clear order‑dice tray.
• Printed quick‑reference sheet and any event‑specific scoring tweaks.
• Two contrasting sets of order dice for speed and visibility.

Link to Shop

Upgrade your force and grab mission‑ready terrain, dice, and kits in our Bolt Action collection: Shop Bolt Action.

FAQs – Missions & Scenarios (tap + to expand)