Please submit the following form following registration:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch5u51o2H9Lg2QFgQ9AT-2CqDeUjz29tTaw8P3xb_gx_G8qg/viewform?usp=dialog

“Operation Proximate Causes”

Introduction:
The causes of World War II have been given considerable attention by historians. The immediate precipitating event was the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on September 1, 1939, and the subsequent declarations of war on Germany made by Britain and France. During this time the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Soviet–Japanese border war was occurring in East Asia. Then on 10 May 1940, Germany invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and parts of France.

Event Summary:

Operation Proximate Causes is a three game thematic tournament event focused on thematic armies, giving players an opportunity to try out forces they wouldn’t usually get a chance to use at other organized tournaments. This event will be set in the Early War era (1939-1941), with tables set up to represent various themes and battles during that timeframe.

Event Details

Main Contact: Kurt Klaus; Discord (#KKlaus) or email (kurt.klaus0715@gmail.com)

Date: May 2, 2026 (Saturday)

Location: Thunder Forge Gaming, 30 East Main St., Tipp City, OH 45371

Entry Fee: Free! Donations to offset the cost of terrain, mats, etc. is greatly appreciated. Please contact Kurt Klaus if you would like to donate.

Player Capacity: 24 (any further registrants will be considered on the "Waitlist")

Force List Turn in Deadline: April 27, 2026

• All lists must be submitted as an EasyArmy, Warlord App PDF or Plain Word document.

• Please email lists to kurt.klaus0715@gmail.com

Force Selections and Restrictions: 

This event is meant to showcase Bolt Action as a historically plausible wargaming system. We encourage thematic/theater accurate force lists. When writing your list, please consider the ‘theme’ of your force and should be representative of specific nations, time, and fronts (be it TOE, a specific battle or unit, etc.). You may find it useful to refer to campaign books and theatre selectors form v2 (found on easyarmy.com) to help when deciding on your list composition. When you submit your list, please title it accordingly – for example John Diggs - Battle of France German Pioniere.

• Point Limit: 1250

• Dice Limit: 16

• Period: Early War (1939-1941)

• Nations: Any

• Nations with an Armies of rulebook published by March 1st must have Early-War selections from them.

• If an Armies of book is not published by then, we ask players to look at previous campaign books (available in EasyArmy) or some research to see if a unit is available.

• TOs reserve the right to deny lists and ask players to resubmit, in cases of inappropriate lists, rules oversight that would cause serious imbalance, resulting in a list not in keeping with the spirit of the event or is “un-sporting”. Please contact TO if you have any list questions.

Timetable:

This is a rough outline of the timetable for the day. Please treat as approximations and for some deviation.

Arrival: 10:00-10:30

Announcements/Game Prep: 10:30-11:00

Game #1: 11:00-1:30

Lunch Break: 1:30-2:15

Game #2: 2:15-4:45

Break: 4:45-5:00

Game #3: 5:00-7:30

Awards/Debrief: 7:30-

Missions

If there is an equal balance, TOs will do the best they can to divide players into Allies and Axis and pair players based on nation/theater, otherwise table placement will be random.

The event will be three rounds. Each round will be only six Turns.

A mission pack will be published after the list submission deadline on April 27th to allow players to familiarize themselves with the missions in use and any special rules.

Each round will allow Reserves and Outflanking Manoeuvre.

“Last Turn” will be called 15 minutes before the end of the game. Players should finish the turn they are on and not start a new turn.

When “Time” is called, no further order dice will be pulled from the bag. Players should then complete any rolls/resolve any actions for the order die and end the game.

Scoring

There will be a Primary and Secondary Objective for each round. 

• Winning a Primary is worth 3 Points, Draw is 1 Point, Loss is 0 Points.

• Winning a Secondary is worth 1 Point.

In the event of a concession, the player that does not concede will be awarded a Victory and assumed to have claimed all of their opponent’s Order Dice! The conceding player will be awarded a Defeat, and assumed to have claimed no Order Dice – this is regardless of the situation on the tabletop at the point of concession.

All players will also track how many units they destroyed and how many they lost. In case of a tie, the Kill/Loss ratio will determine the winner.

To encourage and keeping to the spirit of thematically looking tables, a fully painted force is worth an additional 1 Point.

Miniature Rules

• All applicable minis should be on appropriate size bases.

• While the game of Bolt Action is a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) game, and we encourage models to be modeled accurately, minor proxying may be allowed. Please contact the TO for guidance if your force contains a proxy. Exceptions may be allowed for, but not limited to:

  • Minor variation/option differences

  • Pintle MGs but not used

  • Vehicle frame antennas

• Proxying must be explicitly clear to the opponent and that there is no like models with option differences to cause confusion.

Terrain

Tables will be pre-set, please do not move terrain. If terrain has been accidentally moved, please let the TO know to readjust it. Each table will have a printout of terrain on each table, and if any additional rules.

Note: Most of the shorter obstacles (Sandbags, Stone Walls, etc.) and hills are approximately 1” tall. Please keep this in mind regarding when you work out whether a vehicle is in cover or not and use the 50% rule (pg. 138). We understand vehicles come from different sources. However, if a player is found to have a vehicle that is unreasonably scaled for advantage, TOs may ask that vehicle to be replaced or use a template to determine LOS.

Sportsmanship/Floor Rules

• Rule #1 is to have fun!

• Good sportsmanship is required. We encourage players to try and handle disagreements themselves. Players should call upon a TO in disputes when both players are unable to reach an agreement. A TO ruling is final.

• If a player unintentionally moves or knocks over a miniature, objective area template or token, the player who did not is responsible for replacing the moved piece back into the original position without changing the original facing or direction.

• If a die is considered to be cocked or rolls off the table, it must be re-rolled.

• Dice should be rolled in a manner that is reasonably visible for a player to examine. (ex. Do not roll dice into a box that an opponent cannot see into without having to lean across or move around the entire table, and undisturbed reasonably long enough to be examined.)

• Unsportsmanlike conduct (such as, but not limited to, cheating, obscene or vulgar behavior, communication or clothing) will not be tolerated and will lead to an ejection being issued.

• We encourage players to play fairly and in a timely manner. Intentional slow play will be addressed and may be considered unsportsmanlike and have warnings and/or ejections issued.

Awards/Prizes

Awards:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd

• Best Painted

• Best Themed

• Best Sportsmanship

• “Wooden Spoon”

Prizes:

There will be enough prizes for every participant. Prizes will be done via random draw.

Prize Table Support

Please send thanks to our sponsors for this event!

• Warlord Games

• Rubicon Models

Other Items

Lunch/Food:

The venue is located in downtown Tipp City Historical District, with many local restaurants within walking distance or short drive away. Thunder Forge also sells snacks and drinks.

Parking: 

Parking may be difficult in this busy downtown area. If you happen to find street parking nearby, awesome! However, there are several public parking spaces, one is the church parking about a block or two away.

Q&A

Q) What is considered thematic?
A) Thematic lists can be as basic as having a full rifle platoon and support, loosely following a Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE.) It can also be inspired by historical units and battles, photographs of plausible units fighting together, or a movie.

Q) What is considered a "not in spirit/unsporting" list for this event?
A) We acknowledge that there are many event packets out there, with a lot of variance, with a similar goal of trying to balance gameplay, and usually have certain restrictions to force building. Other than the OD limit (which is more so for speed of play), methods have been, but not limited to, no more than two Flamethrowers, MLRS, FOs, etc. or even as far as restricting how many of certain platoons. Those examples will be taken into consideration if a TO should deny a force list. Even some thematic lists can be unsporting.