Italian Faction Review for Bolt Action

[@MADNIKstudios]

As someone who mainly plays Italy, I usually go with the way you play the Defensive Characteristic artillery zeroed rule. I've never encountered anyone who says it's to re-roll the damage of affected units, but that's honestly a very cheesy interpretation as there isn't really a damage chart for the bombardment but rather just a paragraph within the original chart. I also disagree with your appraisal of the sandbags, maybe it's just my experience but not too many people in my group usually don't play things such as Manhunt or Surrounded where the sandbags would have the most impact and the sandbags are so far behind the lines in things like competitive version of Point Defense that if you do choose to hunker behind the sandbags you're going to lose. More often than not they end up hindering my troops on urban maps rather than helping especially, but I often just run by them to get into cover closer to the middle. For your appraisal of Non-Testati, it was FAQ'd that the result for the first roll applies for the rest of the game. I'm very surprised you didn't mention the late-war Paracadutisti which are arguably Italy's best infantry option, Stubborn 14 point infantry that can take fanatic, tons of SMGs, AR NCO's, and Panzerfausts. I agree with you that the Sahariana is good, but Italy's best unit in the tank category is arguably the 100/17 howitzer on a Lancia truck. A Forward or Rear Facing Medium Howitzer on a soft-skin is absolutely deadly, it's only 20 points more I think than a regular medium howitzer and you can also give it a pintle mounted MMG to turn it into a fast-moving vehicle good against both tanks and infantry. I agree that Warlord really needs to give Italy some love (aka National Rules that don't suck), I think Italy's SPG options like the Semovente 75/39 (from Duel In the Sun) as well as the other guns give them decent staying power against late war armor. However, their infantry do need a work up. I've never really seen a reason to bring San Marco infantry at 14 points to ignore a -1 to come on, when they're already vets, why the Alpini don't have the mountaineers trait while the German Gerbesjaeger do, and that units such as the Guastatori (Combat Engineers who were notable for their stunning victory, knocking out Blockhouses at Tobruch with mostly just satchel charges due to short numbers of flamethrowers because of Italy's perennial supply problems) or the San Marco engineers (Who also saw action in North Africa) are completely left out. Not to mention Warlord was very selective with Italy's vehicle options, cutting off some of Italy's late war options such as the AB.43 armored car and the P.40 tank (Which were actually used not just by the Germans but also by RSI units, as at least two P.40's were photographed with camouflage of the Leoncello armored division) because the book "only goes up to the Italian armistice" but then putting in stuff like the Semovente 105/25 and 75/39 that almost exclusively saw action AFTER the armistice. This was a good review, and I agree with the sentiment. Italy is a very flavorful faction, that with some love I think could be a lot better.

[@regnoditalia7711]

impressed that you pronounced Bersaglieri right that means so much to me and my brother! Continuate Cosi!

[@verververververver]

One of my fav anecdotes about the Italians was the general staff received the war report from the Germans on the invasion of France and they essential said "we'll read it once the war is over"

[@aldosamuelgonzalez9560]

If I ever get into Bolt Action, this would be the army for me. Whenever I play (whether it be in Star Wars Legion or Armada), if my forces are not fighting an uphill battle, then something is wrong.

[@regnoditalia7711]

Italy had updated rules in the western desert book making it get about 4-5 special rules and making the rules very balanced to represent italian preformance in 1941-1943

[@HollywoodWargaming]

Yeah Western Desert book makes Italians 100x better IMO. Very good book.

[@godzilos4982]

@@HollywoodWargaming Just getting into BA and your videos are a wealth of knowledge. I really want to make the Italians work out. Would you be reviewing the Western Desert eventually?

[@e-4airman124]

There is a great deal of info here. Do one on Italy- soft underbelly

[@Zsomb29]

Love your rewievs! Are you perhaps planning to do one on the fortress budapest book? I'm really curious about the new hungarian units and platoons. Maybe they get the similar treatment as the Italians in the western desert book. Fingers crossed

[@regnoditalia7711]

yessssssss

[@bobertdapyro]

Are you glad he made a video for ya?

[@HollywoodWargaming]

@@bobertdapyro I was going to make it regardless, though I will say the community interaction inspired me to put them ahead of the French and the Finns.

[@MaliciousMallard]

@Hollywood Wargaming will you be doing an “errata” video for the Italians with the release of soft underbelly?

[@HollywoodWargaming]

perhaps. we’ll see what it entails

[@Samanar]

@@HollywoodWargaming Yes please! Plus we've got plastic Italians finally. Probably something else is coming for them as well after that.

[@stephenmcqueen4029]

Just starting out with an Italian force, early war, Western desert. Not wargamed for many many years, started in 1976

[@ralphiemay8933]

I really considered getting into Italy as my first army for bolt action as I'm an Italian American myself and I feel they are grossly underrepresented in WW2 but their lack of late war units (which makes sense historically) drove me to pick Germans instead as my friend who is also getting into the game wants to run later war since that's where all the fun toys are.

[@e-4airman124]

More on new Blackshirts

[@bryanknecht6860]

Can i play a Panzer III in a late War Army?

[@HollywoodWargaming]

Yes. Panzer IIIs stuck around, mainly in the Infantry Support Role. The Ausf N with the light howitzer was often used as a support vehicle for Tigers. That being said, I'm sure there were Panzer IIIs with the 5cm fighting up until the end in certain incidents.

[@tabletopgeneralsde310]

It is like you often say before, WG does not put much love in factions they do not earn money with it. But I think it allways turns out better if you put even more effort in these factions, because now with "bad" rules and only limited range of miniatures, mostly metal, who is spending money in these armies? Thanks for the series as a whole, looking for the Finns.

[@HollywoodWargaming]

I’m very excited to get into the Finns. Definitely coming soon.

[@tabletopgeneralsde310]

@Hollywood Wargaming, cool i have some games with them under my belt, so i am excited about that ranking

[@Badnercalabrese]

Thanks for this...never played BA but I would consider getting an Italian force if they could move the range to plastic !! I also don't understand why they would not have rules for some of the better Italian tanks like the p40 or even give them the p43 tank (even if it was never actually produced) this would make Italy more competitive in the mid to late game.

[@codyweaver7546]

Wargames Atlantic and Warlord both now have plastic Italians!

[@Schyzofrenic87]

I could never play the Italians in B.A. I know myself to well and my club members are patient but I think that everytime I fail a roll and go "What a mistakah to makah " would grow stale after a few weeks. they are okay with me qouting Sabaton on my rolls tho but there you have plenty of options to keep it interesting.

[@LD-wm7jm]

Try having an inside voice, you must come across as complete cringe

[@Schyzofrenic87]

@LD-wm7jm geuss you are to young to know " 'allo 'allo "

[@LD-wm7jm]

@@Schyzofrenic87 I've seen it, I'm just not a complete autist at gaming clubs

[@zielisawzielony9366]

U do it wrong than.