[Stuart Harrison]

Can they choose whether to use HE or AP (PEN) rounds?
Yes, they have both a pen value and a HE template size which fits the ‘for instance’ example given (anti tank guns, which also have a pen value and a HE template size) rather than only having ‘HE’ in the pen column. P100, Weapons, Weapon Special Rules, HE (High Explosive), first para.

If fire against infantry, it must be HE, right?
Yes, as stated for all weapons with that ‘choice’. Same para, second to last sentence.

What about against vehicles?
Against vehicles, it’s free choice with the player being required to state which he is using. Same para, last sentence.

What about against infantry inside a building? How do we resolve the whole shooting process? Could somebody provide me with an “in-game example” of it? Let’s say, a Wirbelwind not moving shoots against a veteran 10-man squad in a building. How is it done?
Vs units in buildings, you roll to hit as normal then for each hit you score it becomes D3 hits with +1 Pen (HE chart, 1″ template row).  Regardless how many hits you end up with, it’s still only D2 pins, p100, Weapons, Weapon Special Rules, HE (High Explosive), Multiple HE Hits, last para).

 

Can they choose whether to use HE or AP (PEN) rounds?
Yes, they have both a pen value and a HE template size which fits the ‘for instance’ example given (anti tank guns, which also have a pen value and a HE template size) rather than only having ‘HE’ in the pen column. P100, Weapons, Weapon Special Rules, HE (High Explosive), first para.

If fire against infantry, it must be HE, right?
Yes, as stated for all weapons with that ‘choice’. Same para, second to last sentence.

What about against vehicles?
Against vehicles, it’s free choice with the player being required to state which he is using. Same para, last sentence.

What about against infantry inside a building? How do we resolve the whole shooting process? Could somebody provide me with an “in-game example” of it? Let’s say, a Wirbelwind not moving shoots against a veteran 10-man squad in a building. How is it done?
Vs units in buildings, you roll to hit as normal then for each hit you score it becomes D3 hits with +1 Pen (HE chart, 1″ template row).  Regardless how many hits you end up with, it’s still only D2 pins, p100, Weapons, Weapon Special Rules, HE (High Explosive), Multiple HE Hits, last para).

 

[Stuart Harrison]

See the close quarters procedure, p106.  The part that changes is step 5 (Fight first round of close quarters).  Everything up to the model moving into contact still applies (confirmed in the FAQ, currently last question)

[Stuart Harrison]

Green units are inexperienced, not all inexperienced units are green. You are correct in that interpretaion, Green doesn’t come automatically with being inexperienced.

If a unit is Green, it will be stated in the unit’s entry in the relevant army list.  Example, AoG3 p35, Replacement Army Squad is not Green, the only special rule they have is Shirkers.  The Sicherungs (Security) Battalion Squad on the other hand IS Green.Soviet example, AoSU3 p33, Rifle Squad is Green, on the next page you have the LMG and SMG squads, neither of which has any reference to Green.

[Stuart Harrison]

No.

That only applies to anti-tank guns, not all anti tank weapons.  Anti tank guns are four lines of the weapons chart, the rule even says “All anti-tank guns (from light to super-heavy, including those mounted on vehicles)”.

[Stuart Harrison]

I just went into Easy-Army and added one to my existing third edition AoIJ list and it shows the transport capacity.  Might be worth checking that you’re using an AoIJ3 list rather than an MRB list (‘v3 Armies of Imperial Japan-…’ rather than ‘Version 3 – Japanese Army-…’).

[Stuart Harrison]

See p151, Vehicles, Vehicle Special Rules, Turret Rear-Mounted Machine Gun.  The rear mounted mg can only fire into the opposite arc that the main/co-ax fires into.  This is the general rule, there are a few vehicles that combine turret rear mounted mgs and one man turret rules, in those cases it’s either the front weapon or the rear weapon (eg: Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go).

[Stuart Harrison]

In the other cases, it’s described as a turret mounted HMG with coaxial MMG or turret mounted light automatic cannon with coaxial MMG – they would have to errata out the coaxial bit for it to apply as coaxial weapons don’t get to fire with the main weapon, it’s either/or.  If they changed that for the British, they’d need to change it for every other nation too.

It’s more likely they’ll errata the errata to avoid that can of worms.

[Stuart Harrison]

1. Yes, unless inexperienced.  The ability to use a spotter is tied to being a regular or veteran indirect fire weapon.  A multiple launcher uses indirect fire, it just doesn’t benefit from ranging in.

2. No.  Indirect fire weapons can’t be fired by units that were in Ambush that turn – p100, Wepaons, Weapon Special Rules, Indirect Fire, 8th paragraph.

[Stuart Harrison]

You appear to be making a common mistake about Bolt Action’s interpretation of direct vs indirect fire.

Common perception – direct fire = with LOS, indirect = via spotter/other crew members.  Bolt Action apparent interpretation – direct fire = through a scope/sight laid on the target, indirect = range and bearing used to land a round on a plotted target.

A 2″ mortar doesn’t hit a target by laying a sight on it.  The firer lines it up on a target, then inclines it based on the range, plotting how to land the round where he wants it.  This fits Bolt Action’s interpretation of indirect fire, not direct fire.

The second part of you ‘fix’ makes smoke a virtually guaranteed hit due to the size of the smoke template.  Assuming no movement or other modifiers, you either score a 4,5, or 6 landing it exactly where you wanted, or the movement is too small to prevent the smoke still achieving your objective for it. (an LOS blocker 3″ closer or further from you is still blocking LOS as you intended).

I agree that smoke needs to be fixed, but I feel any random distance needs to start at the template diameter plus a random factor – eg: smoke template size plus D6, or some multiple of what you missed by on your to hit roll as examples.

[Stuart Harrison]

They don’t have special rules in V3, just field them as regular or veteran British sections.

[Stuart Harrison]

“Choose which model becomes the loader – you can pick any model in the squad, and you must mark this model clearly, so that both you and your opponent can easily recognise it.”

Your loader is a once off choice – you can’t change it during the game or replace it if you remove him as a casualty.

[Stuart Harrison]

From the FAQ:

“Page 147 “The special abilities of officers and other HQ units
mounted on transports work as normal, as long as they are being
transported in soft-skinned or open-topped armoured transports.” Does
this mean that an observer in an open-topped or soft-skinned transport
can call air strikes and artillery barrages?

No, they cannot do that because you would need to
issue a Fire order to the observer, and you cannot do that
on transported models. That sentence allows the use of
passive abilities, which do not require specific orders, like
a medic’s area of effect, or the ability of an observer to spot
for indirect-firing units.”

[Stuart Harrison]

In the MRB list, the veteran premium is only applied to the base anti tank rifle team cost with the panzershrek as a fixed price upgrade.  In AoG, the veteran premium is applied to the regular panzershrek team as a whole.  It’s a function of the unit pricing system throughout Bolt Action.  Opinion – all options should have pricing by experience level, not just the option to add additional men.

[Stuart Harrison]

Nothing stops you taking a spotter with an inexperienced unit, that doesn’t change the fact that only regular and veteran units can use them for line of sight.

[Stuart Harrison]

20th June 2025

Bolt Action: Third Edition Errata & FAQ

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