Bloody Bucket campaign page

After some inactivity it’s time to kick off another campaign - this time Bloody Bucket! 

Detailed battle reports are a bit too much effort so this is going to be more of an online campaign diary/notebook…


House Rules


As usual we re making some modifications to the rules to suit our preferences.


Modifications to the Bloody Bucket campaign rules


German platoons

We have rolled up all the platoons in advance and just randomise which one appears in Area A at the start of each turn from 2 onwards. Platoon 1 the starting platoon on turn 1.


Modifications to the Chain of Command rules


4.3.1 Deploying from Jump-Off Points

Vehicles that are forced to deploy off road (no road or road blocked) need to roll +4 to deploy.


9.2 Hand grenades

Hand grenades against trenches. 

If the total rolled is greater than the range in inches, the target unit takes 2 hits as if in Light Cover. If it's still greater after subtracting 4, the target instead takes 3 hits with no cover.


Rifle grenades

The US has access to rifle grenades as per the basic rules, i.e. one grenade per leader initiative.

The German player’s rifle grenade team has 4 rifle grenades per man and can dice to restock on a JOP like other crewed weapons like light mortars, bazookas etc. 


11.6 Vehicle movement

Off Road movement counts as Soft Ground, bogging down when rolling doubles. Moving through woods counts as Heavy Going, bogging down when doubles and not adding +1/+2 för average/fast vehicles.


15.1 Force Morale Tracking

The Green German troops use the rules in the Far East handbook. The German player uses the same Force Morale tracker as the Canadian Infantry platoon 1941 on page 47.


16.1 Engineering Works

Barbed Wire and Roadblocks are placed before the Patrol Phase. Minefields after all Patrol Markers are locked down but before placing Jump off Points. Entrenchments are placed with a deploying unit as normal.

Entrenchments and Minefields remain where placed in future battles. Roadblocks and Barbed Wire can be moved by the US player between battles. 

All fortifications are cleared if the German players wins the battle.


17. Advanced rules

Unit Activation (page 70 main rulebook)

The leader needs to be either with a unit (within 4") or within command (6"/9") and within Line of Sight to command a unit.


Targeting and buildings (page 70 main rulebook)

See full description on page 70 of the main rulebook.

Snipers ignore this rule.


Campaign Turn Sequence


1 New German platoon arrives.
2 German player decides which battlefields to attack and which platoons to infiltrate/interrupt.
3 New US support arrives.
4 Relocating US support departs.

5 First German attack (+ blitz attack).
6 Second German attack (+ blitz attack).

7 Relocating US support arrives if uninterrupted.

(Step 1-4 is done simultaneously by the German and US player)

The Germans

German strategic map with infiltration routes


German strategic map with possible interceptions of US reinforcements


The organisation of a german Volksgrenadier division

Volksgrenadier forces


Volksgrenadier morale tracker


1. Komp. 

Hauptman Harald Faltermeyer

1. Sturm platoon. Leutnant Stephan Remmler. School - HJ - Reichsarbeitsdienst - Heer. Age 22

2. Sturm platoon. Feldwebel Gert Krawinkel. Inner city School, father at munitions factory, Age 21

3. Rifle platoon. Feldwebel Peter Behrens. Inner city School, father at munitions factory, Age 25


2. Komp. 

Hauptman Maximilian Stransky

4. Sturm platoon. Leutnant Rolf Steiner. School - HJ - Reichsarbeitsdienst - Heer. Age 23. Gamekeeper background.

5. Sturm platoon. Feldwebel Karl Riesenauer. Farm boy. Age 24

6. Rifle platoon. Feldwebel Joseph Keppler. Farm boy. Age 24


3. Komp. 

Hauptman Werner Riedmann

7. Sturm platoon. Leutnant Erwin Köster ”Der Alte”. Doctor of Engineering. Age 39

8. Sturm platoon. Feldwebel Gerd Heymann. Farm boy. Age 23

9. Rifle platoon. Feldwebel Leo Kress. Farm boy. Age 24


4. Komp. 

10. Sturm platoon. Feldwebel Markus Mörl, ”Der Spaßmacher”. Promoted through the ranks. Age 25, +1 men’s opinion


The US

US strategic map 

US forces

BATTLEFIELD ONE
1st plt, L coy.
1/Lt Thomas Baker, 25. New Milltown, PA. Son of a farmer.
T/Sgt Al Johnson, 49. A pre-war regular solider.

BATTLEFIELD TWO
2nd plt, L coy.
1/Lt Patrick O’Brien, 27. Philadelphia, PA. Stockbroker.
T/Sgt Charles Parker, 25. Scranton, PA. Native American heritage, construction worker.

BATTLEFIELD THREE
3rd plt, L coy.
2/Lt Alex Christiansen, 24. Harrisburg, PA. City boy.
T/Sgt Ruben James, 27. Philadelphia PA. Office worker.

BATTLEFIELD FOUR
1st plt, I coy.
1/Lt Raymond Doyle, 25. Bareville, PA. Son of a farmer.
T/Sgt Gus Martin, 27. Gettysburg, PA. Electrician.

BATTLEFIELD FIVE
2nd plt, I coy.
2/Lt John Robinson, 22. Dalton, PA. Son of a preacher.
T/Sgt Ralph Eubanks, 27. Allentown, PA. Salesman.

BATTLEFIELD SIX
3rd plt, I coy.
1/Lt Jimmy Fox, 29. Stevensville, PA. Promoted from the ranks.
T/Sgt Morris Holder, 24. Scranton, PA. Native American heritage, construction worker.


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