Butcher and Bolt: A Deep Dive Into the New WWII Commando Skirmish
There’s a special kind of excitement in wargaming that comes from recreating history, or even better, your favorite war movies. That feeling of a small, elite squad behind enemy lines, with everything on the line, is a powerful hook.
At Essen Spiel, our CEO Bart sat down with the team behind Butcher and Bolt, a new WWII skirmish game that is all about capturing that narrative, “commando” feeling. It’s a model-agnostic sandbox, and we got the full deep dive.
Our Interview with the Butcher and Bolt Team
A Narrative Sandbox for WWII
Bart – Head of Studio:
Could you begin by explaining the core concept of Butcher and Bolt?
Butcher and Bolt:
It’s a Commando Skirmish World War II wargame, so each miniature represents one person. It’s designed to be played in four different sizes, from small to very large. A small game would be about six miniatures per side, and a large game would be 30 to 40 miniatures per side.
It’s a deeply narrative game with a big toolset of different rules you can use to enrich your narrative experience. For example, in this mission, they are using patrolling mechanics and some vehicle mechanics. You can shoot barrels, and they blow up. You have different items you can take, like enemy uniforms, diving kits, ropes, and hooks. It’s really a sandbox you can dive into.
The good thing is that it allows you to regulate how complex and narrative-driven you want your game to be. If you want a simple game, just head-to-head combat, you can have it. Or you can have a more narrative game with NPCs, vehicles, or storylines.
PvP or PVE?
Bart:
So, it’s primarily a PvE game?
Butcher and Bolt:
No, it’s pure PvP, but you can add NPCs or events. It just gives you the freedom to do that. It’s still a pure PvP wargame, and you’re still getting that wargame experience with strategy, tactics, and activations. We are giving you a toolset and operation packs that allow you to enrich your experience narratively.
This game allows you to recreate historical events. For example, their mission is an actual historical operation in Greenland. We recreated it down to the number of soldiers and the divisions used in that operation. This other one is a historical mission, but it’s inspired by several historical events rather than based on a specific document. You can also recreate movie scenes from your favorite World War II movie.
A Model-Agnostic Wargame
Butcher and Bolt:
It’s also a miniature-agnostic game. If you have a big World War II collection, any 28-millimeter miniature will work. We cover all theaters of war and all periods from ’39 to ’45.
The game itself will come in a box with the rules, templates, dice, and tokens—pretty much everything you need except the minis and terrain. We give you the freedom to decide on those. We’re also going to introduce Operation Packs, which will be additional missions. But every single rule and accessory you need will be in the main box.
How Activation Works: Bags and Dials
Bart:
Could you explain the activation process? Is it a “you go, I go” system, or does it follow a different method?
Butcher and Bolt:
We have an activation system where you decide how many units you want to activate. You can activate each miniature by itself or activate them in different squads. You get that many colored dice. For example, if I want to activate five different units, I’ll use five dice. If you want to activate ten soldiers individually, you’d use ten dice.
We put all our dice into a bag and add two white dice. If you pull the first white die, it allows you to reorder your troops. If you pull the second one, the turn stops. Then we pull out dice, and the color pulled determines whose turn it is. However, you can’t just activate any model; you must activate the one you pre-selected on your activation dial before the turn.
We also have a system where your last action is remembered, which gives the game a continuous, flowing feeling. It’s not just “you go, I go;” it’s “you react, I act.” It’s simultaneous, basically.
Game Size, Time, and What’s Next
Bart:
What table size is needed for the game?
Butcher and Bolt:
It depends on the size of the game. For example, this demo is a large versus a medium-sized game, which requires a 6×4 table. If you play a small game, you can play on a 4×4, maybe a 3×3, or a 3×4. It also depends on the scenario you’re playing; you might want something more narrow.
Bart:
How long is a typical game?
Butcher and Bolt:
Again, it depends on your army size. If we’re talking about a small game, I would say two hours. If we’re talking about a big game, it could be four or five hours.
Bart:
Can players use their own historical World War II models, or do you provide them?
Butcher and Bolt:
Any 28-millimeter World War II models will suit. We are a model-agnostic game, so you can use any miniatures you like.
Bart:
Would you describe your game as a real-life Commandos video game? Sure it looks like it.
Butcher and Bolt:
Yes, I would say it’s a Commando Skirmish Wargame. We are modeling the daring raids of commando units.
Rulebook and accessories
Bart:
Will there be a core rulebook with expansions and supplementary books for each conflict, or just one main rulebook? What are your plans for the game’s future development?
Butcher and Bolt:
We will have one core box with all the rules and accessories you need. Then we will have Operation Packs and Campaign Packs, which will include different missions, scenarios, and campaigns for your narrative experience. With the sandbox rules we are creating, you have so many opportunities, and we will provide you with solutions. You can take an operation pack and have an amazing narrative experience.
Bart:
So, this isn’t a one-off, then? You have a long-term plan to support the game?
Butcher and Bolt:
Yes, exactly. It will be supported by Operation Packs and Campaign Books. That’s how it’s going to be released.
Bart:
Sounds good. Thank you.
Butcher and Bolt:
Thank you.
Your War, Your Models
One of the coolest things about a model-agnostic game like Butcher and Bolt is the freedom it gives you. You can finally deploy those great WWII models you’ve had sitting in your “pile of opportunity” for ages, or even mix and match parts to build the right squad for a specific mission.
You get to be the director, picking the models for your “war movie.”
But that also means there’s a challenge. You want your historical minis to have a paint job that really captures the gritty, narrative feel of the game. You’ll need accurate painting schemes, and consistent basing to make the whole squad look great together.
Your job is to plan the mission and assemble the team. Our job is to get them painted, based, and ready for the table.
Book a commission here.
