TM

Kellys Heroes
www.boltaction.com
Recreate scenes from the film in Bolt Action
Rarely, if ever, have the words war and comedy somehow been so successfully combined as in MGMs
1970 classic movie Kellys Heroes. However, the movie which was originally entitled The Warriors
underwent a major transformation process from its inception to its release, including the cutting of entire
scenes and characters and the addition of extended action sequences. Several members of the cast and
crew voiced their disapproval of the changes which altered a grittier war movie with depth of character and
an integral romantic sub-plot into an action-packed, farcical comedy. However, the cult following which
Kellys Heroes enjoys nearly 50 years later and the plethora of infinitely quotable lines is perhaps the best
proof that the final cut hit the nail right on the head. The following information is taken from the final cut
of the movie, Burt Hirschfelds accompanying 1970 novel of the same name, (based heavily on the original
script) and the real life history behind the units portrayed in the movie
September 1944, and our titular heroes are whats left of a
reconnaissance platoon of the 35th Infantry Division,
recruited mainly from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Most of the men first saw combat when the division
landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day, and have subsequently
been blooded in the fighting in Saint-L and the Cotentin
Peninsula before crossing the Moselle in September.
Private Kelly, a soldier with a past, captures a German
Colonel whom he subsequently interrogates. Discovering
the whereabouts of some $16,000,000 worth of stolen
gold under German guard in a bank behind enemy lines,
he quickly sets about assembling a team to sneak through
the lines and carry out the perfect crime
As the movie was aiming more at laughs rather than
documentary realism, we suggest you view the following
rules in the same light. These aint for tournament players!

Special Rules
Hollywood: Hollywood soldiers are a special calibre of fighting man, better even than Bolt Action
veterans. Hollywood soldiers are treated as Veterans but require a 6+ to be damaged, and also enjoy
a +1 to hit on all shooting dice rolls.
Hollywood Cannon Fodder: Matching up a Hollywood soldier against historic fighting men simply
wouldnt be cinematic. Far better to have waves of cannon fodder with inexplicably high numbers of
MP40s all charging headlong at the good guys across open ground with no real use of cover or
tactics. Hollywood Cannon Fodder are treated as inexperienced but require 2+ to be damaged and
can never claim a cover bonus.
Mulligans Mortars: Mulligan is on time? On time and on target? He aint ever been that yet!
Any pre-game bombardment used by Kellys Heroes, Crapgame-induced or otherwise (see overleaf),
is activated on the roll of a D6. On the roll of a 1-2 the American force is hit. American soldiers
cannot be killed by Mulligans Mortars, only pin markers can be distributed. On a 3-4, carry out the
normal rules on the enemy force. On a roll of 5-6, Mulligan is late: try again before the next turn.

Component code: 4070200002

 Private Kelly (Ex-)1st Lieutenant
Cost: 150pts (Hollywood)
Team: 1 (Ex-)officer and up to 2 further men
Weapons: Submachine guns
Options: Kelly may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +16pts per man (Hollywood)
Special Rules:
Sergios Champion: Eastwood never ran from a fight. Eastwood never hit the deck when he was
supposed to advance. Kellys team and any Hollywood unit within 6" automatically passes order
checks and morale checks. This rule is only valid as long as the player still rolls the dice, but does
so with squinty eyes and a poker face. Any emotion displayed invalidates this special rule.

Staff Sergeant Crapgame Private Babra

Cost: 100pts (Hollywood) Cost: 20pts
(Hollywood)
Team: 2 men
Team: May be added
Weapons: 1 Medium machine gun, to any Hollywood
2 Submachine guns Infantry Squad or HQ
Special Rules: Team which contains
Big Joe
Team weapon (MMG only)
Weapons: 1 SMG
Fixed (MMG only)
Special Rules: Ive got your equipment,
Logistical Hustler: Up to two Joe!: Loyal tag-along Babra might be one of
squads in any force containing Crapgame may have any the reasons why Big Joe survives any
model exchange a rifle for an SMG for +3pts per model and firefight completely unscathed. Possibly. As
include an LMG for +20pts. MMG and Bazooka team long as a unit contains both Big Joe and
choices in the Theatre Selector are also doubled. Babra, a single successful attack (one dice)
against the unit per turn can be converted
Mortar Support: Even if the scenario does not call for it, any into a failure.
force containing Crapgame receives a pre-game
bombardment. However, this comes courtesy of Mulligan; Do me a favour would ya
see the special rules on the first page. dont call me Barbara.

Master Sergeant Jake Big Joe Diamond

Cost: 200pts (Hollywood)
Team: 1 Hollywood NCO (counts as a Major) and up to 2 further men
Weapons: Submachine guns
Options:
Big Joe may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +16pts per man (Hollywood)
Big Joe can be taken as one member of Kellys Command Team instead of forming a
unit of his own. In this case, Big Joes vastly superior leadership is used instead of Kellys.
Special Rules:
Hollywood NCO: West Point cant teach no leadership. Only the school of hard knocks in the lower ranks can teach real
leadership. Big Joe counts as a Major.
Hollywood one-handed Tommy Gun maestro: Big Joe rolls 3 dice to attack with his Submachine gun rather than the
normal 2. All rolls to hit are successful on a 2+, no matter what modifiers are in play. This rule is only valid as long as
the player adopts a feet astride, semi-lunge stance with one elbow tucked into the hip for rolling. One handed rolling
only; anything even close to emulating a proper firing stance invalidates this rule.
Oddballs Shermans
Oddballs Shermans are officially part of the US 6th Armored Division, but their Commanding Officer was decapitated by
a German 88mm gun. The three tank crews have neglected to report this fact, which has allowed them to enjoy the delights
of the French countryside in a rear echelon position, deliberately adopting the faade of a combat weary unit just out of
action. The three tank commanders are Oddball, Whiskey and Moe; each of them commands a Sherman tank which has
been heavily modified by Moriarty, the mechanical genius who occupies the co-driver position in the lead Sherman. These
modifications include engine and gearbox improvements (forward and reverse), custom ammunition and decoy weaponry.
In reality, the tanks are Yugoslavian Army M4A3E4 Shermans, a variant which featured a 76mm gun fitted to the original
75mm turret and mantlet. With post-war Yugoslavia being a treasure trove of Second World War vehicles and equipment,
these werent difficult for the movie team to acquire for filming.
The Oddball Sherman can be used as a normal M4A3 Sherman 76mm as detailed in the Armies of the United States book.
However, if you want to lay down the smack like three Shermans in a trainyard defended by scores of MP40 wielding
goons, you could try using the rules below:

Oddball Sherman
A specialist platoon of three Shermans from the 321st,
heavily modified in the field. Principal Service: 1944.
Numbers Manufactured: 3.
Cost: 292pts (Veteran), 350pts (Hollywood)
Weapons: 1 gyro-stabilised turret-mounted heavy
anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward-facing
hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (medium tank)
Options:
May add a turret pintle-mounted MMG for +15pts
May upgrade to Moriarty Detroit Motors for +20pts
May add a 90mm drainage pipe for +10pts
May add Paint Ammunition for +10pts
Weve got our own ammunition; its filled with paint. When we
fire itit makes pretty pictures. Scares the hell out of people.
(If Paint Ammunition taken): Before firing the heavy
anti-tank gun, the player may declare he is using paint
ammunition. If so, his targeted unit must immediately
make a morale check (there is no roll to hit, you only
have to get close). If the check fails, the targeted unit
immediately executes a Run order directly away from
the Sherman. If the check is passed and the unit has
not been activated this turn, remove their dice from the
dice bag for 1 turn as they stare in utter confusion at
the splurge of pink paint which has impacted the
ground near them. The same unit cannot be affected by
paint on two consecutive turns. In addition, when
targeting any unit with conventional ammunition, there
is a chance that Paint Ammunition will be selected
inadvertently. If the exact roll to hit is rolled (i.e. a 2+
to hit is required and a 2 is rolled) then Paint
Ammunition has been accidentally used and the rules
above apply.

May add Loudspeaker for +20pts (one tank per force) A Sherman can give you a very niceedge.

Special Rules:
These tanks are faster than any other tanks in the Europe
Theatre of Operations. Forwards or backwards. See man, we like
to feel that we can get out of trouble quicker than we got into it.
(If Moriarty Detroit Motors taken): vehicle movement
distances counts as Wheeled instead of Tracked.
We added a piece of pipe onto it and the Krauts think
maybe its a 90 millimetre.
(If 90mm drainage pipe taken): Any enemy vehicle
which can trace a line of sight to the drainage tube
must pass an order check to activate, even if it does not
have any pin markers. The Sherman crew are immune
to Tiger Fear, because 90mm is more than 88.
Weve got a loudspeaker here and when we go into battle we play
music very loud. It kind of calms us down.
(If Loudspeaker taken): At the end of each turn the
Sherman equipped with the Loudspeaker and any
other Oddball Sherman within 12" loses D3 pin
markers, such is the soothing power of Hank Williams
Jr. 1970 classics.
 The Nexus of Positive Energy
Its not superior training, equipment or tactics which wins a fight, its a positive outlook on life and thats how
Oddball took down two Tigers with a Sherman. Positive waves can swing the outcome of any battle, but beware it
only takes one miserable cynic with their negative waves to ruin everything and next thing you know, entire bridges are
being blown up.
At the beginning of every turn roll 1D6 and consult the table below for the effects of Positive and Negative Waves for
that turn:

Factor In Game Effect

+2 or higher Crazy... I mean like, so many positive waves... maybe we cant lose, youre on!
Righteous and Hopeful: The American player may convert one failed dice roll into a success or vice
versa. The American player chooses the first dice to be drawn out of the bag this turn.
+1 Its a mother beautiful bridge, and its gonna be there
Have a little faith: The American player may add or subtract 1 to a single dice roll of his choice at
any point this turn.
0 Im drinking wine and eating cheese, and catching some rays, you know.
Neutral: No effect this turn.
-1 Ive done nothing but have good thoughts about that damn bridge ever since we left!
Crap: The American players opponent may add or subtract 1 to a single dice roll of his choice at
any point this turn.
-2 The bridge is still up!... No it aint.
Always with the negative waves: The American players opponent may convert one failed dice roll
into a success or vice versa. The American players opponent chooses the first dice to be drawn out
of the bag this turn.

Modifers:

Dice Roll:
1-2: -1
3-4: No modifier
5-6: +1
Oddball is on the table: +2
Moriarty is on the table: -1
Why dont you knock it off with them negative waves!
Oddball has tried to convince Moriarty about the power of
negativity on many occasions. If the American player makes a
single negative comment about his game during the turn, a -1
modifier is applied to the Nexus roll at the turns end.
Definitely an anti-social type. Woof, woof, woof!
That's my other dog imitation.
The American player may carry out a dog
imitation to lighten the mood in times of
tension and invite positive waves. This may
only be carried out twice
per game, as Oddball has
two clearly defined and very
different dog imitations.
Activating the Woof gives
a +1 modifier to the
Nexus roll at the end
of the turn.
 Sergeant Oddball
Cost: May be added to any Hollywood-rated tank crew for +25pts
Special Rules: The Nexus of Positive Energy: See table opposite

To a New Yorker like you, a hero is some type of weird sandwich,

not some nut who takes on three Tigers!

Private First Class Moriarty

Cost: May be added to any Hollywood-rated tank crew for +25pts
Special Rules:
The Nexus of Positive Energy: See table below
Mechanical Genius: Without Moriarty, no Oddball Sherman may take any optional
upgrades except the pintle-mounted MMG

Its a piece of junk! The fuel system leaks all over the place! Its a piece of junk!

Turk and the Other Guy

A Sherman was typically manned by a crew of 5; commander, gunner, loader, driver and
co-driver. Oddballs Sherman is manned by four; Oddball himself in the commanders
seat with Moriarty in the right side of the hull as the co-driver.
Oddball shares the turret with Turk; a man with no background and no lines whose Fez
and moustache combo makes him characterful for the movie and a dream for scale
modelers working on iconic custom jobs.
Less well known is that other guy, who by a process of elimination must be the driver.
The Tiger
For the movie industry, the Tiger is often the go to tank when depicting German armour in the Second World War.
Unfortunately Tigers are exceedingly rare to the point that there is currently only one working Tiger left in the entire
world. The 1969 Yugoslavian war epic The Battle of Neretva found a clever way around this by converting a number
of T-34 tanks to look like Tigers, a cost effective solution due to the number of surviving T-34s available at the time.
Whilst Tiger experts would instantly recognize the lack of interlacing wheels and the position of the turret relative to
the hull, most would agree that the movie crew did a fantastic job! Which was precisely why the crew for Kellys
Heroes used three of the Neretva Tigers when they started filming in Yugoslavia.
For using your Tiger-34 in Bolt Action, it can be used as a normal Tiger tank with the rules in Armies of Germany.
However, if you want something a bit more Hollywood, cant afford to spend the points or just fancy a change, the
following rules can be used for the Hollywood Tiger:

Hollywood Tiger
Represented in movies by everything from Cold War American tanks to heavily modified T-34s, the Hollywood
Tiger may have many guises but always steals the show in any scene it appears in. Principal Service: 1951-2001
Cost: 180pts (Hollywood Cannon Fodder), 200pts (Inexperienced), 245pts (Regular), 300pts (Veteran)
Weapons: 1 turret-mounted uber-heavy anti-tank gun with co-axial MMG and 1 forward-facing
hull-mounted MMG
Damage Value: 9+ (medium tank remember, its a T-34!)
Special Rules:
Tiger Fear
Slow Traverse: The Hollywood Tiger cannot be given an order until at least one unit on the same side has already
been given orders (whether successful or not)
Inexplicably weak turret motors: Whenever the Hollywood Tiger wishes to fire a weapon from the turret, the
player must rotate the models turret to line up on the target. If during the traverse the gun barrel impacts with
any scenery or other model, for example a small dry stone wall or a thin tree branch, the player must gently
attempt to rotate the gun barrel into the scenery 2-3 more times before abandoning the endeavor and ending his
turn. Traverse motor noises are encouraged, but not mandatory.
A Tiger has only one weak point. Thats its ass.: Any anti-tank weapon hitting the Tiger from the rear arc will
penetrate its armour and cause exceptional damage on the roll of a 2+.
Planet Destroying Death-Ray: According to Hirschfelds novel, the Tiger is equipped with a staggering 110mm
cannon. Its a shame the genuine Tigers one movie outing didnt feature this weapon to deal with those tricky
short-ranged shots against Sherman armour:
Uber-heavy AT gun: Range: 100"/Shots:1/Pen: +8/HE(3D6)
The Bavarian
Cost: May be added to any Hollywood Cannon Fodder rated tank crew for free.
Special Rules:
Ve have gasolene all over ze place.
Given the nations fantastic education system, the average German is actually a lot
better at speaking English than the average Englishman is at speaking German but
why let that get in the way? Hollywood doesnt! As soon as any tank commanded by
The Bavarian is activated, the German player may choose to adopt a clichd, war
movie German accent. Actual native German players, this means you too. If the
German player continues this accent for the entire activation, he may add or
subtract 1 from a single dice roll of his choice during the Bavarians activation.
Limited Tactical Awareness: Putting on a funny voice to change a dice roll comes at a price. If youre in a town
square in a built up area assaulted by enemy troops with no sign of your own supporting infantry, whats the
plan? Simple! Stay stationary in the open and start blasting every empty house and shop window you possible
can with your rather limited ammunition! To represent The Bavarians questionable tactical capacity at the
movies climax, if his tank cannot draw line of sight to any enemy unit, roll a dice. On the roll of a 1-3, it holds
position and blasts random buildings with every weapon at its disposal. This has no in game effect and counts
as the unit having no orders for the turn, but certainly looks and sounds very dramatic. On the roll of a 4-6 the
tank can be given an order as normal.
Youze Amerikan armee.

You can download a PDF of these rules, along with

enhanced character background and scenarios at:
www.warlordgames.com/oddball
 Other Warlord Games products that
will be ideal to help you recreate the
scenes from Kellys Heroes can be
found in your local hobby store or at:
www.warlordgames.com

German Flakvierling anti-aircraft gun for

the shoot-out at the tunnel.

Ze Germans! Our heroes have to have something to mow down after all!

No US war film would be

complete without an M3
half-track and squad of GIs.

M4A3 Sherman to use as

Moe and Whiskeys tanks.

TM

www.warlordgames.com