Bolt Action’s future looks busy for Third Edition players. After several army books, Warlord is outlining the next wave.
However, this roadmap is not just vague hype. It explains which nations are coming, what PDFs become, and why plastic matters. This is a summary of a Warlord community blog post found here.
France, Europe, and Partisans Push Third Edition Forward
The update starts by acknowledging how far Bolt Action: Third Edition has moved since launch. The main rulebook gave “get you by” lists for Britain, Germany, the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, other nations used free PDF lists until fuller support arrived. Six army books are already out, with Armies of the British Commonwealth arriving soon. After that, Armies of France opens for pre-orders, and that feels like a major milestone. The book covers the 1939-40 French army, Vichy Armistice Army forces, and Free French troops. Better still, it comes with a new plastic French infantry kit, which should make building the army easier. The article also frames this as a serious upgrade, similar to Armies of Italy, with deeper options than before.
After France, Warlord turns to Armies of Europe. This book collects Belgium, Poland, Finland, Hungary, and Partisans into one volume. That is smart, because these forces deserve proper treatment, even if they cannot each carry a standalone range. The four national armies receive expanded rosters and new special rules, moving beyond placeholder PDF status. Partisans are handled differently, with common units and core army rules alongside Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Balkans variants. That sounds like a practical way to represent different resistance movements without making one messy universal list.
However, not every PDF nation is getting a book. Warlord says the remaining free lists will be improved into fuller PDF versions, but they will stay digital because no dedicated model ranges support them. Still, new nations are being written, including returning forces and one brand-new Bolt Action army. The model roadmap may be the most exciting part. Warlord plans more plastic artillery, heavy weapons, infantry, and vehicles. Some kits will refresh older plastics, some will replace metal or resin, and others will be new. As more plastic arrives, all-plastic starter armies become more realistic, which means better value and easier entry points. Finally, the article teases a large future project that adds new ways to play.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Overall, this roadmap makes Third Edition feel healthy and planned. France gets its spotlight, Europe gets broader support, and PDFs are not being abandoned. Meanwhile, the plastic push should make armies cheaper and cleaner.
