Warlord Games has given us another peek at the upcoming Armies of France book for Bolt Action, and this time it’s the Free French and the Vichy Armistice Army. Here’s the quick rundown, plus our take.
Free French: the army for people who don’t want the usual suspects
The Free French are France in exile, fighting their way home from the colonies and beyond. They aren’t the Resistance list (that’s coming in Armies of Europe), but they can call Resistance fighters in to help.
The highlights:
- Stubborn across infantry and artillery, so your lines don’t break easily.
- Easier outflanking when fighting on home soil.
- Armée d’Afrique options with Fieldcraft for extra movement.
- 15-man Green Resistance squads that soak up enemy fire and fill the table.
Our take: this list is mostly about flavour, but the British and American Lend-Lease kit gives it a real edge. If you’re tired of fielding the same Germans and Americans as everyone else, this is a great way to stand out without giving up much capability.
Vichy: the underdog challenge
The Armistice Army is what Germany allowed France to keep, which means no proper tanks and no heavy artillery. It still has Colmater outflanking and access to the Foreign Legion. Morale tests can go a bit unpredictable, sometimes in your favour and sometimes not.
Our take: it’s a fun, challenging list for players who like winning the hard way.
The real headline: the anti-Infiltrator bubble
The unit we’re most excited about is Vichy’s GMR section.
Until now, Infiltrators have been one of the strongest tricks in the game. You set them up deep in the battlefield before the shooting starts, grab objectives early, and make your opponent react to you. There hasn’t been much a player could do about it except deploy carefully and hope.
The GMR changes that. Its Counter-Partisan Tactics rule creates a 24″ bubble that shuts down enemy Infiltrators, and that is a huge chunk of the table. Add a squad packed with SMGs and the option to take Infiltrators or motorcycles themselves, and you have a unit that both denies the enemy’s forward deployment and takes ground for itself.
Expect this to shake up how people build lists. Infiltrator-heavy players will need to think twice, and everyone else finally has an answer.
Want to start French?
Armies of France is on pre-order now. We’ll be bringing in the new French releases as they land, but it is on pre-orders in our online store., or drop by the store and talk French tactics with us over a game.
