Taken from https://warlord-community.warlordgames.com/en-avant-bolt-action-plastic-french-infantry-inbound/ Written by Marcus Vine from Warlord Games
Well, le chat is out of the bag – the next plastic infantry kit for Bolt Action will be the early-war French Army! You’ve been asking for this one for a while, and it’s finally here, and it’s absolutely packed with options and awesome details – seriously, check it out!
So there’s just a bit to take in – this is arguably our most versatile sprue yet, and allows you to build four (count ‘em!) different troop types right off the bat – no additional parts needed – as well as outfit your squads in a variety of ways. Before we get into that, let’s look at the ‘generic’ bits you get!
Each sprue contains six dynamically posed bodies clad in the iconic French Army greatcoat, with buttoned turnbacks to allow for greater mobility in combat (and just a touch of French style). These are perfect for representing the brave men who defended la patrie in the opening stages of the Second World War, and are absolutely unmistakable on the tabletop, even amongst other ‘greatcoat’ armies. They’re also dead easy to paint, which is always a bonus for people like me who value getting an army on the table quickly! Naturally, there’s also plenty of belt ‘gubbins’ to get them looking fully equipped, including 1935-pattern haversacks, holstered pistols, and a variety of useful tools, including saws, spades, and billhooks – perfect for getting comfy along the Maginot line!
You can’t take on the Germans with just fancy coats and élan, however – you’ll need some weaponry, and the new sprue has plenty of that to go around! The French Army was in the process of adopting the modern MAS 36 rifle at the outbreak of the Second World War, but there were never enough to go around (particularly considering the huge size of the French reserves), meaning that many men would be equipped with the Mle1907/15 Berthier rifle which would have been familiar to their fathers in the First World War. Both are well-represented on the sprue, allowing you to tailor the look and feel of your unit to match your army’s theme. No squad is complete without a rifle-grenadier, and for the first time the iconic VB Launcher is available in plastic, alongside the well-liked and successful FM 24/29 ‘Châtellerault’ light machine gun, and a variety of grenades. There is no chance these bold Frenchmen will be caught lacking in a firefight!
The new French Starter Army is your first port of call, containing no fewer than 36 of the new figures, to be assembled and painted as any of the options outlined above. A medium mortar, medium machine gun and 25mm anti-tank gun provide additional firepower to these brave sons of France, whilst armoured support is found in the Char B1 bis medium tank. The comprehensive Bolt Action range has additional troops and vehicles to add to your army when you are ready to expand your French force.
