Matrix Games

Wargamers! For anyone who spends time at the workbench, half the magic of Bolt Action happens before your models even touch the tabletop: clipping modular multi-part plastics, matching torsos to weapon-armed hands, gluing on web gear and pouches, applying water-slide decals, and painting authentic camouflage patterns. Personal customization is a foundational pillar of the hobby and bringing that hands-on touch into the digital space was critical for us.

Today, we’re opening up the quartermaster’s depot to show you our Army Customization System, and how you can craft a platoon that is uniquely yours, completely free as part of the base game.

Unit: Heads, Bodies and Gear 

Just like assembling from plastic kits, every individual squad type in your army can be tailored down to its physical equipment and visual style:

• Heads & Headgear: Swap between helmet variants, field caps, bare heads, and iconic national headgear (such as berets or side caps).

• Historically Inspired Uniforms: Select from a variety of historically inspired uniform cuts, field tunics, and seasonal gear (from summer fatigue shirts to heavy winter smocks).

• Gear & Accessories: Layer on functional kit including backpacks, entrenching tools, ammo pouches, canteens, and officer binoculars.

• Facial Characteristics: Choose from a wide variety of facial models and skin tones to reflect diverse frontline troops.

By default, every unit’s customization kit defaults to historically appropriate uniform and equipment options. However, you have plenty of creative freedom to mix accessories and gear to build anything from a factory-fresh garrison squad to battle-worn veterans who have scavenged gear across a long campaign.

Vehicles: Camo, Decals & Variants

Vehicles serve as the rolling centerpieces of your platoon, and we’ve given armor the exact same personal attention, both aesthetically and tactically:

• Camo & Color Variations: Choose from a wide selection of factory base coats, field-applied camouflage patterns, and seasonal whitewashes drawn from historical references. We offer expanded color variations for armor, giving you the freedom to reflect different theaters of war, from European mud to desert dust.

• Historical Decals: Mark your armor with an extensive library of division emblems, tactical unit numbers, and national insignia inspired by period designs (such as Allied Stars or German Balkenkreuz).

• Vehicle Variants & Weapon Loadouts: On the tabletop, specialized vehicle conversions, like a flamethrowing Sherman "Zippo" versus a standard gun tank—are often spread across entirely separate unit entries. In our game, we’ve consolidated these onto a single vehicle hull, letting you select between main gun options, turret variants, and specialized weapon loadouts directly from the Army Builder.

Whether you want a pristine tank straight off the assembly line or a field-modified variant tailored for urban assault, your armor will look and fight exactly how you intend.

Customization Presets 

A great army isn't just one static look, it’s a cohesive force with real visual personality. To make managing your custom looks effortless across multiple army lists, we built a two-step process:

1. Create & Save Presets: In the customization menu, combine your choice of headgear, uniforms, gear, camo, and decals for any unit or vehicle, then save that look as a custom preset.

2. Assign Presets: When assembling your platoon in the Army Builder, you apply these saved presets to each squad or vehicle on an individual basis.

You can store up to 5 distinct presets per unit type across your nation's roster (e.g., Preset 1: Clean Garrison, Preset 2: Winter Gear, Preset 3: Veteran Kitbash).

Because presets are assigned per unit rather than globally across the whole army, you aren't locked into a single theme. If your list includes three identical Regular Rifle Squads, you can assign a different visual preset to each one.

Beyond looking great on the field, this gives you a practical advantage: you can instantly distinguish your assault squad from your defensive squad at a glance during a match.

Quartermaster Policy: Customization is FREE!

For us, customization isn't an afterthought, it’s an essential part of the core Bolt Action experience. We wanted every player to have full access to express their personal style at the workbench without extra friction:

• Included with the Base Game: Every uniform, helmet, gear accessory, camo scheme, and decal is included in the base game. Some customization options are unlocked through gameplay milestones, with no paid cosmetic microtransactions or hidden paywalls.

• Earned Through Gameplay Milestones: Unlocking new gear feels like earning your battle honors. You'll naturally expand your quartermaster inventory by hitting faction-specific milestones across single-player campaigns and multiplayer matches.

• Curated Historical Palettes: To maintain authentic visual fidelity across multiplayer matches, customization relies on curated historical uniform variants and camouflage patterns rather than an arbitrary color wheel.

• Free Ongoing Support: Our commitment to the hobby continues after launch. We will expand your quartermaster options with new headgear, gear attachments, vehicle decals, and uniform cuts as part of our ongoing free updates.

The Road Ahead

Customization is about making your digital force reflect your personal style on the tabletop. Whether you strictly adhere to historical accuracy, matching uniforms, camos, and unit insignias down to the exact theater of war, or lean into creating your own distinctive look  for your platoon, the choice is entirely in your hands.

Community Question: Realistic history or creative custom builds: how are you styling your first platoon? Tell us what theme you're planning to build in the comments!

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