Combined Arms! Ever since a copy of the Combined Arms rules fell onto my desk (suspicion rising – ed.), I’ve been wrapped up in trying to decide which nation I’d like to play. Others around the office had decided we should get together and run a Combined Arms campaign, but most had already chosen their faction and were well on their way to completing their chosen forces!
Then it struck me, Italians: the subject of our very latest plastic infantry kit that I’ve been staring at every time I walk through the HQ Store. I had to do it. Looking over the release schedule I could see that we’ve also got other Italian releases coming soon (as seen and previewed at our most recent Open Day) and thought now is the time! Brand new models and sculpts – perfect.
I set about gathering my forces, turning first to the naval aspect, the Victory at Sea Regia Marina Starter fleet was more than adequate to kick me off and they came together beautifully. This was my first time ever painting ships and at the start, I was slightly nervous about how good they would look when I’d painted them. The models however really lend themselves to ease and with small amounts of detail work and weathering they looked amazing, and I managed to paint all of them over one weekend! Big tick!
The plastic Italians were my next grab and like other more recent plastic kits, their assembly was simple but with minor work and thought many different dynamic poses could be made. The scope too is wide-ranging and thus would be suitable should I wish to create Western Desert Italians, for example – so many choices.
As we don’t currently have any Italian Aircraft in our Blood Red Skies range, for my Regia Aeronautica component I’ve grabbed a box of German Messerschmitt 109s and painted in Italian colour schemes. This was trickier to accomplish as there are also currently no decals for the Italian Air Force and I ended up having to freehand them.
I’m really excited for all 3 elements of my Italian force coming together and I already have plans for what I want to get next! Heavy weapon and vehicle support for my ground troops, 2 more heavy destroyers for my fleet and one more squadron of Messerschmitts to complete my Air Force!
Roll on the campaign!
Combined Arms
Bolt Action – Combined Arms is a strategic board game that commands the players to face off, seize the initiative and outwit their foe amidst the fog of war. Each game will see you fighting for control of air, land, and sea in order to claim objectives and hold them against the enemy.
Choose your theatre of war, from the western and eastern fronts to North Africa and the Pacific. Each theatre has its own challenges and opportunities, some rewarding control over the sea, some rewarding control over the skies. How many of your precious resources will you sink into each, and how much will be left to control the land? Will you rely on stealth as you move units secretly, springing up where you are least suspected, or will you attempt to overwhelm your enemy with brutal overkill?
Combined Arms can be played as a stand-alone game or players can incorporate Bolt Action, Blood Red Skies, Cruel Seas, or Victory at Sea for an epic continent-spanning campaign. Unique cards link your campaign with your chosen wargames, meaning your choices in the campaign could mean victory or defeat on the tabletop.
This box contains:
- Rules booklet
- 4 game maps covering North West Europe, The Eastern Front, North Africa and The Pacific theatres of operation.
- Orders Board
- Operations Board
- 6 Card decks
- 67 Tokens
- Plastic Army markers
- Plastic Objectives
1 comment
That is a fantastic paint job on the ME 109, bravo. I believe the insignia you painted was the ANR not the RA. It will still work of course, particularly for late war up north.
Bravo.