The upcoming Bolt Action Armies of France book is expanding far beyond the familiar battles of 1940.
Free French forces receive their own flexible army list built around Allied equipment and determined infantry. Meanwhile, Vichy France offers a deliberately more restricted force with some unusual tricks and specialist units. Together, they should give French players two very different ways to continue fighting beyond the fall of France.
Free French and Vichy Armies Expand the French Experience
Free France is presented as the Forces of Liberation, representing French troops fighting across Europe, Africa, and other theatres. Importantly, this is not intended to serve as the main French Resistance army list. That role will instead appear within the Partisans section of Armies of Europe. However, Free French commanders can still bring Resistance elements alongside their regular troops. Historically, Free French forces relied heavily upon British and American equipment, and the army list reflects that relationship.
Players gain access to numerous Allied units while still receiving special rules that give the army its own identity. Most notably, widespread Stubborn should make French infantry and artillery considerably harder to shift through Morale pressure. That feels appropriate for an army whose historical identity revolved around continuing the fight despite France’s defeat. Meanwhile, Sacred Ground improves the reliability of well-timed outflanking moves. Therefore, Free French armies should have more options than simply forming a conventional Allied gunline. La Resistance allows Resistance units to support the army directly.
Additionally, selected troops can represent the Armée d’Afrique and gain Fieldcraft, adding another useful mobility option. One highlighted Resistance choice is a massive 15-man Green infantry squad. These units cannot satisfy compulsory Platoon requirements, but they can flood important areas with cheap bodies. Consequently, opponents may need to waste valuable firepower clearing units that are not central to the French battle plan. Intelligence Gathering also introduces some dice-bag manipulation, giving these otherwise basic troops an extra tactical wrinkle.
Vichy France heads in almost the opposite direction. The Armistice Army represents the military permitted under the collaborationist Vichy regime after France’s defeat. As a result, players should expect fewer modern tanks, less heavy artillery, and generally older equipment. In gaming terms, it resembles a reduced version of the early-war French force rather than another fully equipped Allied-style army. That limitation should make Vichy an appealing challenge for players who enjoy squeezing value from imperfect tools. However, the army retains Colmater, allowing commanders to make use of the strong outflanking style associated with the wider French rules. Lack of Radios also remains, while Foreign Legion troops provide a potentially dangerous elite element.
Morale introduces another unusual feature, since Vichy units can behave unpredictably when tests are required. Interestingly, that unpredictability will not always hurt the player, creating situations where a supposedly negative characteristic produces unexpected opportunities. Vichy also receives unique formations specifically suited to combating Resistance activity.
The standout example is the GMR section, which looks far more aggressive than its Regular rating might suggest. These squads carry substantial numbers of SMGs, giving them obvious close-range potential. Furthermore, one GMR section per Platoon can gain either Infiltrators or motorcycles. Regular infantry rarely receive that combination of deployment and mobility options, so these units should feel genuinely distinctive. Their Counter-Partisan Tactics rule may be even more important. It creates a huge 24-inch bubble against enemy Infiltrators, directly countering one of Bolt Action’s strongest deployment abilities.
As a result, GMR units could dramatically complicate plans built around forward-deployed troops. These two armies are only part of the larger Bolt Action Armies of France book, with additional revised and newly introduced units still waiting to be shown.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Bolt Action Armies of France is shaping up to offer considerably more variety than a straightforward 1940 army update. Free France combines Allied equipment, resilient troops, Resistance support, and useful movement tricks. Meanwhile, Vichy France embraces limitations while compensating with unusual morale effects, outflanking options, and specialist anti-partisan units. Most importantly, neither force feels like a simple reskin of the standard French army. For players who enjoy historically distinctive lists with some genuine tabletop personality, both look promising.
