German Nachtjäger Squad
The following rules deal with the limited visibility and uncertainty caused by night operations. They can also be used for battles that occur in other situations of limited visibility, like in heavy fog, snow blizzards, sandstorms and the like. We have found that these rules add a layer of complexity to games of Bolt Action, and slightly slow down game-play, but they create a very different gaming experience, with different tactical challenges and extra tension that, we feel, perfectly captures the fear and confusion of fighting at night.
Whenever you are about to pick a scenario for a game of Bolt Action, you can agree with your opponent that the game you are going to play is going to simply follow the normal game rules, or that it is going to be a Night Fight, in which case the Reduced Visibility rules (below) will apply throughout the game. Alternatively, you can decide that you are playing a Dawn Assault game, a Longest Day game, or a Flare! game.
German Nachtjäger Squad
In a Dawn Assault, the game begins with the Reduced Visibility rules, but you must roll a die at the beginning of each turn after the first, and add the current turn number to the result (e.g. +2 on turn two, +3 on turn three, etc.). On a modified total of 8 or more, the Reduced Visibility rules immediately cease to apply and visibility returns to normal for the rest of the game.
In a Longest Day, the game begins with normal visibility, but you must roll a die at the beginning of each turn after the first and add the current turn number to the result (as above). On a modified total of 8 or more, the Reduced Visibility rules immediately begin to apply and last for the rest of the game.
In a Flare! game, the action takes place at night, with Reduced Visibility throughout, but you must roll a die at the beginning of each turn after the first. On a roll of 4 or more, a powerful flare goes up (or series of flares are parachuted in, or a heavy fog curtain lifts temporarily…) and visibility is normal for that turn only. Roll again for visibility the next turn, and so on.
If you cannot decide on which type of game to play, you may instead roll on the chart below at the same time as you roll for the scenario being played:
| NIGHT FIGHTING SCENARIOS | |
| D6 Roll | Scenario |
| 1 | Night Fight |
| 2 | Flare! |
| 3 | Dawn Assault |
| 4 | Longest Day |
| 5 | Normal visibility game (or, if both players agree, roll again) |
| 6 | Players roll-off and the winner chooses |
When you are determining whether a unit is able to see a target (for shooting, assaulting, etc.) at night, first follow the normal rules for line of sight. If the target would be visible according to the normal rules, then start the normal shooting procedure and declare the target. Then, before the ‘target reacts’ step, you must take a spotting roll for the acting unit to see whether they can actually identify the target through the darkness:
Roll 2D6 and add/subtract any of the modifiers listed below, down to a minimum modified total of 2.
| Visibility Modifiers | |
| The target has a Fire, Advance, Run or Rally order die on it | +6" |
| The target has a Down order die on it | –6" |
| The target has a 'Muzzle Flashes!' marker on it | +6" |
| The target is a small unit | –6" |
| The target is a vehicle | +6" |
| All modifiers are cumulative | |
If the modified total is equal or higher than the distance between the firing unit and the target, then the target is visible and the firing/assaulting sequence continues as normal – target reacts etc. If the total is lower than the distance to the target, the attacking unit cannot shoot/assault the target and its action ends immediately (the acting unit’s Order Die is simply left as it is), as the men nervously scan the darkness in search of targets.
The worst thing a unit can do at night is to open fire, as the loud noises and particularly the flashes of their weapons will reveal their position to the enemy. And tracer rounds are infamous for ‘working both ways’. To represent this, when a unit fires any weaponry against an enemy, it must be marked with a ‘Muzzle Flashes’ marker (a coin or other token). This token makes the unit more visible, as shown in the chart above, and will remain with the unit until it receives another order. Note that it is possible for a unit to receive a Fire order die, but then to be unable to actually open fire (because of a failed spotting roll, for example). These units do not receive a Muzzle Flashes! marker – you only get one when you actually fire a weapon at the enemy.
Burning vehicles or buildings illuminate a surprisingly wide area at night and anyone near them is very likely to get spotted. Count any unit within 6” of a building or vehicle that’s on fire as having a ‘muzzle flashes’ marker even if they haven’t fired.
BEF Bren Light Machine Gun Team
If a unit successfully declares an assault at night and the targets reacts by firing at the assaulting models, the target unit must first make a spotting roll to see if they can see the assaulting models (before they are moved). If the target unit fails this spotting roll, it may not react, just as if the assaulting unit was within 6” when they declared the assault – a blood-curling Surprise Charge out of the darkness!
If a weapon with Indirect Fire has ‘zeroed in’ onto a target, there is no need of making another spotting roll to fire at that target, simply roll to hit on a 2+, as normal.
When an Artillery Observer calls in a Barrage, it does not get a Muzzle Flashes! marker, as he’s not firing any gun (unless of course someone else in his team does fire a weapon as part of the same order). When calling in a barrage, the observer does not need to make a spotting roll, but can instead place the marker anywhere on the table, as he would be relying on maps and noise/gun flashes rather than direct observation of targets. However, to simulate the increased chances of something going wrong, you suffer from a –1 on the Artillery or Smoke Barrage charts (down to a minimum of 1). Air Strikes cannot be called at all at night, making Forward Air Observers quite useless.
American M1 Garand
