French Starter Army Bolt Action Unboxing & Review

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Күн бұрын

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@Hedgehog_Prime 10 ай бұрын

The SMG is a MAS-38. Fun fact: like the M16, the bolt recoils into the stock (sort of like how the M16's BCG travels back down the buffer tube in the stock). There is an Alan Furst novel where the French resistance saws the stocks off some MAS-38s to make them concealable, and it has bothered me for twenty years. Glad I could get that off my chest.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Sometimes you just have to get it out there.

@elcasey 10 ай бұрын

I now need to read this novel and, as an American firearms enthusiast, am very glad you brought up such an egregious error. I'll read the novel and be *very* annoyed, so I thank you for giving me that opportunity! 😄

@itsallfunandgames723 10 ай бұрын

The sprue could use several more smoking arms, to be honest.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Indeed!

@michaelwain3198 10 ай бұрын

I was ill in hospital the week after the new French models came out. The good thing when I got home, there was a big box full of Bolt Action French waiting at home for me. I had ordered the huge all in French bundle, so I got the new starter army, the book, a Somua S-35, Panhard Armoured Car, 2 transports, a Light and Medium Howitzer, cavalry, Senegalese troops, weapons teams etc, the only thing I've not got is a Medium anti tank gun and small tank. Good review as ever. You can have one of those VAB launchers (rifle grenade) in each squad, I think it's like a short ranged light mortar. The rule about inexperienced troops, is you have so many inexperienced squads in your army, you can then have a free one. The French can also have regular troops too, and also Vets if you have Foreign Legion squads. They do have one really nice rule, which is if you have one artillery piece (or anti tank gun) you can have another one free. If I've read that right, take a Medium Howitzer and get a free Medium Anti tank gun!

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Sounds like their army list is a bit broken to me...

@michaelwain3198 10 ай бұрын

@@ModellingforAdvantage It's not, inexperienced troops aren't very good and getting a free squad of them isn't that good, even if they are free. They also have a rule that if a French dice is drawn out the bag first, the opponent may make them put it back in the bag and redraw (each round). The free artillery piece is the only good rule they get

@elcasey 10 ай бұрын

@@ModellingforAdvantage Much like the Poles, what few advantages they have (though admittedly free artillery is nice) are more than balanced by the disadvantages. You need to take THREE Inexperienced infantry squads to get a fourth free. And the free artillery must be equal or less points than the one you've paid for, e.g., you can't buy the light AT gun and then take a medium howitzer free. Competitive French seems to be somewhat trendy now (French cav and motorcycles with quite a lot of HE) but I'm in it for the Battle of France scenarios.

@MajorSvenGaming 10 ай бұрын

I am getting this set, no doubt. Regarding the rifle grenades I believe they are called VB launchers, 20pt upgrade for a model and it gives you the following stats.... 6"-18" 1 HE Indirect Fire, HE (1") I think It's like a mini light mortar, but I've not used them yet myself.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Hmm interesting.

@chuck11duck64 10 ай бұрын

Is it still only usable in the Bastogne series?

@trekanbelluvitsh 10 ай бұрын

For the first and crucial part of the battle of France - the so called "Sickel Cut Operation" - I highly recommend the book: FRIESER, Karl-Heinz; BLITZKRIEG LEGEND (available in english). The most imporant and groundbreaking study on the topic still. Focussing on the german side but you've also got a lot of information about the french too.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

I will add it to the list.

@hmiscow 10 ай бұрын

thank you! historical review: amazing!!! really learned a lot. Product review: not one sprue or model shown on camera. :(

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

True - there were only two sprues - not sure how we missed that - we usually do include them.

@rustedplate1845 4 ай бұрын

I admire kaiser knowlage!

@ModellingforAdvantage 4 ай бұрын

too kind sir.

@EdwardEast-x1j 10 ай бұрын

Really like ww1 french, especially in their horizon blue uniform. Making me want to maybe get this 😂

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Spoil yourself for Christmas!

@LooneyPoliticsTunes 9 ай бұрын

In a last levy army we can’t afford mortars and they are to expensive to manufacture lol 😂

@LooneyPoliticsTunes 9 ай бұрын

Well that’s my excuse

@trekanbelluvitsh 10 ай бұрын

In 1940 the French had a good armoured car, the Panhard 178.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Ah yes, thank you

@xXxCAN1B1SN0SC0PExXx 8 ай бұрын

Love the banter in this video!

@ModellingforAdvantage 8 ай бұрын

Glad to hear it!

@renauddaulie3781 6 ай бұрын

In truth you're right ; most tank crews were inexperienced and didn't use their tank properly. So Somua or B1 bis should not be allowed veteran crews if we want to be accurate on a historical point of vue. For exemple Somua had two fuel tanks but most crews didn't know that and never figured out they had to fill up both fuel tanks to reach a 230 km automony. B1 bis had to use kerozene instead of standard gasoline ; so they often fell short of fuel.

@Kevin.Mitchell 9 ай бұрын

Fascinating - somehow missed this 3 weeks ago, really enjoyed the historical information. If I did get this I'd be playing Chain of Command rather than Bolt Action if I wanted to do 1940 specific as they have an excellent Blitzkrieg supplement that this box would be excellent for.

@ModellingforAdvantage 9 ай бұрын

Yeah I recall Lardy's produced a new supplement for the period a year or so back.

@elcasey 10 ай бұрын

Really enjoyed this! I've got the infantry box arriving today as I had been collecting Warlord's previous French offerings for about a year, so I've got everything they do in metal, along with a Char B1 platoon (you could, maybe still can, find these very cheaply online if you look - I got my platoon box for around $50) and several of the resin tanks. The Italeri kit, like most of their stuff, is just ok. I had a gap in the tracks of more than a full link due to poor fit (happy to blame it on my own lack of skill/understanding, but Italeri is very hit and miss). For those interested in doing a French army, the Wargames Atlantic (much of whose offerings I do *not* care for - comically out of scale with most of their recent stuff - their US Airborne were godawful) French infantry are *good*. So you'll have your bases covered with the Starter box and a box of WA French infantry (which include both WW1 and WW2 weapons - I like to kit out my Colonials with WW1 weapons). Keep up the amazing work, MFA lads, and best wishes from Florida!

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

We are just having a look at the WA plastics - the Panzer Lehr and Sentries are okay.

@elcasey 10 ай бұрын

@@ModellingforAdvantage I'd be interested to hear what you think about the WA French. They're not perfect. But they assemble without any major headaches that I can remember and I was surprised at how quickly and nicely they paint up. The French Resistance on the other hand ... literally four bodies and almost entirely British (not even French) weapons. Was hoping to make a box into Poles for Danzig Post Office and Warsaw Uprising. Had to resort to using Blitzkrieg German arms on them. Anyway, I really enjoyed the history bits during this review so much more of that, please!

@OneofInfinity. 10 ай бұрын

Good looking minis, personally not my 28 mm period, nice looking set tho. U forgot to mention the Spanish flu, devastating timing, just before the war ended.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

I suspect it came about because of the war - lots of malnourished folks for it to take root in sadly.

@OneofInfinity. 10 ай бұрын

@@ModellingforAdvantage Yes, lowered immunity as a result.

@rich_john 10 ай бұрын

Another great review and history lesson combo 👍

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

@angrychainaxe2803 10 ай бұрын

Great review! I’ve got four boxes of Wargames Atlantic’s French Infantry for A War Transformed, and I really want to pick these up as well for some variety.

@ModellingforAdvantage 10 ай бұрын

How well do they match up in scale?

@angrychainaxe2803 10 ай бұрын

I don't have Warlord's French infantry yet, but I do have their plastic US Marines and they match up with the Wargames Atlantic French pretty well in scale. I even used some of the Warlord weapons and arms on the Wargames Atlantic kit. @@ModellingforAdvantage