Today is a big day. For me personally and for Bolt Action as a whole. Today we not only have a new Armies of book for Third Edition, we also have the first dedicated Armies of book for Italy, and the first PDF Army List replaced with a book. As someone who has played Italy since First Edition, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long, long time. I cannot wait to dive into Armies of Italy: Third Edition. But before we crack open the new book, we must first see how far we’ve come. There is a lot of ground to cover, so lock in.

If you’d rather not join me on a stroll down Italian Bolt Action memory lane, skip to 2026 – Armies of Italy: Third Edition.

2013 – Armies of Italy and the Axis – Bolt Action: First Edition

Armies of Italy and the Axis contained the Army Lists for Italy, Finland, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. These were dark times my friends. Playing as Italy was a struggle. If often felt like you were fighting against your own force rather than the opponent. Allow me to explain; the Army Special Rules for Italy were:

“Avanti Savoia!” – At the beginning of each game turn, subtract the number of units lost by the Italian army from the number of units lost by the enemy (keep track of the Order Dice lost by both sides). If the number is -3 or worse (i.e. the Italians have lost three units more than the opposition), all friendly Italian units reduce their Morale by 2. If the number is +3 or better (i.e. the battler is going really well of the Italians), all friendly Italian units increase their Morale by 2.

This rule was brutal. Not all game use Kill Points for VPs and “Avanti Savoia!” completely ignored the situation on the ground during a game where Kill Points had no bearing on the victory conditions. You could be holding every objective on the table but be down on kills and ooop! every single one of your units now has -2 Morale. You could even have more Order Dice in the bag than your opponent, made no difference. It was also a rule that snowballed. Typically, if you are down Order Dice, the battle is probably not going your way, so let’s make it really difficult to get back into the game. Or, on the other had, if you are up on Order Dice and are in a good spot, let’s make it really, really hard for your opponent to break your units. As I said, sometimes it felt like you were playing against your own troops.

Defensive Strategy – This was an Army Special Rule that only came into play if:

• You were playing an attacker / defender mission (rare) and
• you were the Defender.

It was a rare sight indeed when I got to use Defensive Strategy. But when I did? My goodness it was good:

• Your opponent could not Run on Turn 1.
• You could re-roll to see whether your Artillery Bombardment arrived.
• Any of your units that deployed on the table could start in Ambush, and
• You got to place d3 sets of defensive walls in your deployment zone (counted as Hard Cover).

Defensive Strategy was a strong Army Special Rule! Unfortunately, due to the restrictions on when it applied, it almost never came into play. Thus, for years, we Italian Commanders had one Army Special Rule that we rarely got to use and another that actively made your army worse if the tide of battle started to turn against you. Mamma Mia.

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2018 – Campaign: The Western Desert – Bolt Action: Second Edition

Although completely overshadowed by Commonwealth Army Special Rule madness (looking at you India), Campaign: The Western Desert also included Army Special Rules for Italy that fully replaced the existing Army Special Rules from Armies of Italy and the Axis. After five long years with Armies of Italy and the Axis we initially thought workable and usable Army Special Rules for Italy had arrived. We were wrong.

These were not additional Army Special Rules, no no. These replaced the existing ones. And my goodness what on earth are these about. The new Army Special Rules were:

Avanti! – Italian Infantry units may re-roll failed Order Tests to Advance or Run if the Italian player is currently winning the game. Ok not bad. At least you are not being punished if you are losing the game.

Avanzare – Italian Anti-tank Guns may Forward Deploy as per Snipers and Forward Observers in any mission (even those that prohibit Forward Deployment). At first glance this rule looks solid, but remember, this was before Artillery Platoons existed and 0-1 Artillery unit was the order of the day. It was far from the advisable choice to forward deploy your lone ATG with no support.

Poor Officers – Italian Officers only add their Morale Bonus to Order Tests for Ambush, Fire, and Rally. Just … why? The Officers were made significantly less effective for the same cost. Sure it might be thematic but what’s the upside?

Prudente – Italian infantry units take an additional -1 penalty to all Order Tests. Brutal. Just brutal. Good thing you can re-roll Advance and Run; you are going to need it!

Forza D’Animo – All Italian Artillery, SPGs, and Folgore Paracadutisti Infantry remove d2 Pins whenever they pass an Order Test. I mean, this is astounding. It’s Guards before Guards existed. Buuuuut, it’s gonna be hard to pass an Order Test with a global -1 and your Officer unable to help if it’s anything other than Ambush, Fire, or Rally.

Testardo – Italian Infantry units has the Stubborn special rules. Ok this one is great. No downside here!

Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts – Italian Medium and Light Tanks with this special rule may re-roll any failed Order Test to Advance or Run as long as this would bring them closer to an enemy unit. I love it. A thematic and solid rule that lets players pull all kinds of silly moves. This is what you want to see.

Some of these are great! Infantry get Stubborn! Tanks get to re-roll Advance and Run Order Tests! Infantry get to re-roll Advance and Run Order Test! Wait, only if you are “winning”. Huh? Wait … all Infantry take an additional -1 to all Order Tests? All the time? Oh, I get to remove d2 Pins! But I’m not gonna pass an Order Test am I? Oh, and my Officer only grants there Morale Bonus to Order Tests for Ambush, Fire, and Rally? I repeat: Mamma Mia.

These Army Special Rules are once again punishing the player for having the gall to run Italians. Maybe there will be a new book to help address these issues?

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2023 – Campaign: Case Blue – Bolt Action: Second Edition

After another five long years, enter Campaign: Case Blue. Case Blue was the final Campaign book of Second Edition and not only provided new Army Special Rules for Italy, it also previewed the style of Army Special Rules that would be granted to every Armies of book in Third Edition. The Army Special Rules for Italy in Campaign: Case Blue were:

Improvised AT – When rolling to pen enemy vehicles using AT Grenades or Weapon with less than +3 Pen, the player may elect to re-roll the result. A great rule. Especially considering it also applies to Light Autocannons and AT Rifles.

Large Squads – Italian Infantry units that have 14 or more men remaining cause d2 Pins instead of one when performing a shooting attack against an enemy unit. Not going to happen often, but still cool. I like the concept of this idea for Bolt Action in general. It’s an interesting way to represent the significant weight of fire a squad of 14 pours on.

And now the big one – Credere, Obbedire, Combattere. Select one of the following bonus to add to your army:

• Credere – Blackshirt squads and Regular HQ units gain Fanatics for free.
• Obbedire – Alpini Squads gain Stubborn for free. Veteran HQ units modelled as Alpini gain Stubborn and Mountaineers for free.
• Combattere – Bersaglieri squads and Veteran HQ units modelled as Bersaglieri gain Fire & Maneuver special (the US Army Special Rule that allows units with Rifles to fire on the Advance with no -1 To Hit).

Now we’ve got some flavor! Not only are these rules interesting, they are clearly a direct predecessor to the style of Army Special Rules we are seeing in Third Edition such as Defend the Fatherland!, By Land, Air, and Sea, For King and Country, and Hammer & Sickle. At the eleventh hour Italy was finally granted with a set of solid, interesting, unique Army Special Rules. Sadly, we didn’t get much time with Case Blue. Third Edition would arrive just over a year later.

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2024 – Italy PDF Army List – Bolt Action: Third Edition

When Third Edition dropped, the Army Lists for the “Big Five” were included in the Rulebook. The Army Lists for the “Further Axis and Allied Nations” were released as free PDFs. The PDF Army Lists, much like the Rulebook Army Lists, condensed down the unit options and Army Special Rules. Italy was no exception. The Army Special Rules for Italy at the dawn of Third Edition were:

Defensive Strategy – Italy only had this one Army Special Rule but it continued three rules in one. Defensive Strategy included:

• The player can re-roll the die on the Artillery Barrage and Smoke Barrage table.
• During the first turn of the game, the enemy cannot order their units on the table to Run as they cautiously probe the terrain in front of the Italian line for minefields and make their way across the barbed wire. Units deployed as part of a first wave can be ordered to Run as normal to enter the table.
• Any Italian unit that is set up on the table before Turn 1 may start the game already in Ambush. If you decide to do so, set one of your order dice in place next to them, as if you had ordered them to Ambush, before drawing the first order die on Turn 1.

Gone is the punishing “Avanti Savoia!”. Gone are the d3 sections of Hard Cover Walls. And gone is the flavor that made this army feel unique. But this was both expected and not a worry. Third had just released and it needed time to develop. As each Armies of book for the new edition arrived, we were all simply waiting to see what Italy would get “when the book dropped.”

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2026 – Armies of Italy: Third Edition

I. The Italian Army in World War II

Over 11 pages, The Italian Army in World War II provides a sweeping overview of modern Italian military history starting in 1922 with Mussolini rising to Prime Minister. The invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and the Pact of Steel in 1939, and declaration of war against France in 1940 are given brief mention to set the stage. The initial failure of the Regio Esercito (Royal Army) are covered along with the major reforms in 1942. The Italian participation in Stalingrad is also covered; all a precursor to July, 1943 and the Allied invasion of Sicily. The armistice with the Allies was signed only two months later but the Italian Civil War was just beginning. The Italian Socialist Republic (RSI) remained loyal to the Axis powers and the Co-Belligerent Army joined the Allies. The authors sum it up thusly:

The story of Italy in the Second World War is ultimately one of defeat – an under-prepared army thrust in a war it could not win to satisfy one man’s imperial dreams. However, against this backdrop, it can still be said that Italian soldiers fought hard, and in many cases extremely well, and some continued to do so long after their original reason to fight had disappeared.

We now focus on the four branches of the Italian Armed Forces that will feature in the Avanti! Army Special Rule starting with the elite Alpini (Mountain Troops), then the Bersaglieri light infantry, followed by the Paracadutisti (Paratroopers), and finally the militia Camicie Nere (Blackshirts). These sections have always been an enjoyable read in the previous Armies of books with each page providing both historical background and notes on how these troops are represented in the game.

II. The Army List

Army Special Rules – The Italians have five Army Special Rules:

• Ferrear Mole, Ferreo Coure (Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts)
• Alzo Zero! (Open Sights!)
• Mixed Quality
• Defensive Strategy
• Avanti!
  • Bersaglieri
  • Paracadutisti
  • Alpini
  • Camicie Nere (Blackshirts)

Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts was first introduced in Campaign: The Western Desert and has returned to the Italians. Albeit with one critical difference. Any Italian vehicles with this special rules (there are seven) may re-roll failed Advance or Run Order tests. This rule does not apply when coming onto the table from Reserve or Outflank, and it also does not apply to assaults.

Open Sights! makes your Artillery units Soviet. All Italian Artillery units may re-roll any failed Morale Tests, just like The Soviet Great Patriotic War, but only Artillery, not Infantry. A solid rule that will keep your gunline intact.

Mixed Quality is an interesting one. Across the board, all Inexperienced Italian Infantry units have Green. Makes no difference if it’s an MMG Team or unit of Combat Engineers. If you are Infantry and Inexp, you are Green. As a quick reminder, Green is when the unit takes its first casualty, roll a die:

• On a 1, the units takes an additional d6 Pins and goes Down.
• On a 2-5, nothing happens and no further Green rolls are made.
• But on a 6, the unit is immediately up-rated to Regular with a Morale value of 9.

This makes an already unpredictable Inexperienced force even more interesting. Make no mistake, if you are running Inexp. Italians, you are in for a wild time (be sure to take a look at Milizia Volontaria below).

Defensive Strategy is back but with slight adjustments. This rule has traveled all the way from First Edition and was even included in the PDF Army List. Has it reached its final form? There are three rules in one for Defensive Strategy:

• During the first turn of the game, the enemy cannot order their units on the table to Run. This does not apply to First Wave.
• Any Regular or Vet Italian unit that is deployed on the table before the start of the game can begin the game in Ambush.
• In any Attacker / Defender scenarios, the Italian player can choose to be the Defender or not. 

Defensive Strategy not applying to First Wave is a bummer and major hit to the effectiveness of the rule. But, any rule that slows your opponents movement is a boon. The option for units to begin the game already in Ambush is always great to have in the toolbox and getting to pick (instead of being forced) to be the Defender is a great update.

Avanti! is the Italian version of the German Defend the Fatherland!, the American By Air, Land, and Sea, etc. The options are:

• Bersaglieri
  • Units must be Veteran.
  • Units must be must be given Di Corsa! for +1pt per model.
    • Di Corsa! – The unit may re-roll failed Advance or Run Order Tests. This rule does not apply when coming onto the table from Reserve or Outflank, and it also does not apply to assaults.
• Paracadutisti
  • Units must be Veteran.
  • Units must be given Stubborn for +1pt per model.
  • Units of Paracadutisti may be given ATGs for +3pts per model (so 1pt more expensive than usual), but you get Folgore!
    • Folgore! – The unit can re-roll misses against vehicles in assault.
• Alpini
  • Units must be taken as Veteran.
  • Must be given Fieldcraft for +1pt per model. This also applied to Light AT Guns and Light Howitzers.
  • Winter Equipment
    • Any infantry unit may take Skis for free.
    • Any Artillery unit may be upgraded to Mountain Guns for no additional cost. Any Gun Shields must be removed. Mountain Guns are not affected by Difficult Ground like other Artillery units. Instead they may move through Difficult Ground in the same manner as Infantry.
• Camicie Nere (Blackshirts)
  • Units have the Milizia Volontaria rule for free and it replaces Green.
    • Milizia Volontaria – Immediately before the opponent rolls to hit when shooting the unit, or for casualties in close combat, the controlling player rolls a d6:
      • 1-2 – Gain Shirkers.
      • 3-4 – Remains the same and fights as normal.
      • 5-6 – Gain Fanatics.

Tremendous. This is a wonderful collection of Army Special Rules. A list that is solid, unique, flavorful and effective. You know the rules are good when I cannot decide which flavor of Avanti! I want to try first. Bersaglieri would be a lot of fun; bringing some real speed to the table. Paracadutisti is as dependable as always but with added AT flavor. Alpini is so, so strong and cannot be ignored. And Blackshirts? Well, how much nonsense to do you want to have in your game?

I do have one question though for Milizia Volontaria. Surely this rule would be resolved like Green and you only roll once per unit? And after that rule it’s resolved for the game? Rules as written, you make your Milizia Volontaria roll every time the unit is shot at or assaulted. That could be multiple times in a single turn! Now, I’m all about the nonsense but even that seems a tad extreme.

Quartermaster’s Stores – Specialized equipment and rules for the Italian Army include:

• Demolition Charges

Annnnnnnnnd that’s it.

The only piece of equipment is the Demolition Charges. They are the same for the Italians as everyone else. Only the 10th Regiment Arditi and Guastatori Engineer Squads have the option to bring them. Unlike the Imperial Japanese and Soviets who have Quartermaster’s Stores loaded with interesting and unique options that have a significant impact on the overall force options, Italy got nothing. Zip. Nada. Zilch. And that is a major disappointment.

The Units

The strength at the disposal of anyone taking up command of the Regio Esercito is all contained in The Army List:

• HQ – 4 unit entries (4 Imperial Japan / 4 Soviet Union / 4 Great Britain / 4 United States / 4 Germany)
• Infantry Squads & Teams – 20 unit entries (25 / 30 / 20 / 28 / 45)
• Artillery – 8 unit entries (12 / 14 / 10 / 12 / 17)
• Vehicles
  • Tanks/Tankettes/SPGs/AA Vehicles – 20 unit entries (19 / 31 / 43 / 47 / 55)
  • Armored Cars – 6 unit entries (9 / 6 / 21 / 5 / 20)
  • Transports & Tows – 4 unit entries (11 / 7 / 20 / 17 / 18)
  • Ambulances – 0 unit entries (1 / 1 / 2 / 2 / 2)
    • Interestingly the last page of the Army Lists includes a reminder that the vehicles listed in the Rulebook under Common Transport Vehicles are also available to the Italians.
• RSI – 7 units entries included in National Republican (RSI) Army List
• Total – 69 unit entries (81 IJ / 108 USSR / 137 GB / 115 US / 183 Germany)

New Unit Special Rules – Within The Army List are some new unit special rules that are worth calling out:

• Arditi Camionettisi – Also known as Mechanized Infantry, this special rule on the X Arditi Squad is the perfect combo when you load a squad of five into a AS.42 Sahariana. Not only can they re-roll any Order Test to mount or dismount a Transport, they also only take d3 hits (instead of d6) if their Transport is destroyed. A fantastic rule for any mechanized units.
• High Rate of Fire – Here we go again. Italian AT Rifles have two shots. At only 30pts Reg (+5pts more than a typical AT Rifle), you get to act like an Autocannon and fire two AP shots. Now, this version of the AT Rifle does have Fixed, but c’mon, that’s a trade I’ll make all day. But, unlike the IJA version, there is no option to add additional crew. And there are vehicles with this too! Both the L3 Tankette and AS.42 have the option to bring an AT Rifle and both have High Right of Fire. What’s not to love?
• Lanciafiamme Mod. 41 d’assalto – It’s the one-shot Flamethrower! Both the Flamethrower Team and the Guastatori Engineer Squad have the option to swap their standard Infantry Flamethrower for two one-shot Flamethrowers. They are just as potent as the standard Flamethrower, but you can only fire once. This is a powerful option that can catch out your opponent as you unleash multiple devastating volleys. The new Warlord plastic Paratroopers kits includes the one-shot versions on the sprue so there is no excuse not to use them. Plus you can give Avanti! (Alpini) to both the Flamethrower Team and the Engineers to ignore any pesky Rough Ground on your way to point-blank range.
• Ferrea Mole, Ferreo Cuore (Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts) – There are seven tanks with this new Army Special Rule. It would have been great to see the option included on a Transport or two, like the Autoshariana but it’s still a strong rule. The only issue I have it that you cannot use it to Tank Assault; what a bummer.
• Anti-tank and Heavy Anti-tank Ammunition – A bit like Versatile, Anti-tank Ammunition and Heavy Anti-tank Ammunition are special rules that grant SPGs with Howitzers the ability to fire as a Medium or Heavy Anti-tank Gun respectively. Having two firing modes is fantastic. Especially considering you’ll get the +1 To Hit against enemy vehicles if you use a Fire Order just like the British 25-pdr with AT Shells.
• Improved Ballistics – There is only one tank with this special rule, the M15/42 Medium Tank, but it’s a fantastic little upgrade. Although only armed with a Light AT Gun, when firing at ranges of 24″ or less, the Light AT Gun goes from Pen +4 to Pen +5. Add in Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts and you’ll be able to close within critical threat range no problem.
• Additional Armor – You don’t often see the option to upgrade a Soft-skin to an Armored Car. The AS.37 Sahariano starts at Armor 6+ and Recce but for just 10pts you can up the truck to Armor 7 (but you loose Recce). A fair trade to become immune to damage from small arms. The perfect escort vehicle for your fleet of Armor 7 AS.42 Sahariana Transports.

Like Armies of Imperial Japan, AoI is another small but mighty book and one that should not be overlooked. There is much more buried in these pages than first meets the eye.

III. Sample Armies

Armies of Imperial Italy includes four sample armies that give players (especially new ones) a sense of what a Bolt Action army actually looks like. The included forces are:

• Paracadutisti – 749pts
• Bersaglieri – 1,000pts
• Defense of Italy – 1,000pts
• Western Desert – 1,250pts

I always appreciate Sample Armies. They are not for me (a grizzled Bolt Action Veteran), but they provide great examples for new players on how to shape their Italian force. The Sample Armies give context. Each Sample Army utilizes a unique mix of units and a different historical setting to out a themed force on the table. Frustratingly, we are once again faced with poor layout and design decisions. The layout splits each army photo across the page break. And the models in the army photos are too spread out. While the models are beautifully painted and displayed, there’s a lot of dead space. All five previous books have this problem – fingers crossed it’s addressed for Armies of the Commonwealth.

IV. Force Selection Guides

As with all Third Edition Armies of books, AoI includes Force Selection Guides. But unlike the other books, this section only includes Early War and Mid-War Force Secltion Guides. With Theater Selections removed from Third Edition (except for the 1944 Operation Rosselsprung German Force Selector), these Guides offer an easy-to-reference list of units for Early War and Mid-War. While broad, they are perfect starting points. Players can choose a period, consult these Guides, and then delve deeper into historical details – or not! One of the great aspects of Bolt Action is that you can be as historically “accurate” as you like.

V. Appendix: Late-War Italian Forces

The final section of AoI contains two additional Army Lists in the guise of Force Selection Guides. This is not your typically Force Selection Guide, oh no. The Appendix gives players two full Army Lists plus new Army Special Rules for both the Axis National Republican Army (RSI) and Allied Co-Belligerent Army. The the first 80 pages didn’t provide you with enough unit options and variety or if you want to get real niche with your Late-War selections, these are the eight pages you have been waiting for.

The National Republican Army (RSI)

These are rules for creating the army of the Italian Social Republic (RSI) that fought along side the Germans from October 1943 to 1945. This force remained loyal to the Mussolini and Italian pro-fascist regime commanded by the Germans and was often referred to as The Army of the North. The RSI Army Special Rules are:

• Civil War! – All Infantry and Artillery units, except for Camicie Nere (Blackshirts) and units taken as Camicie Nere, Republican National Guard and units purchased as Shirkers or Fanatics, have the Conflicting Loyalties special rule.
  • Conflicting Loyalties – Immediately before the opponent rolls to hit when shooting at this unit, or for casualties in close combat, roll a d6:
    • 1-3 the unit gain Shirkers for the rest of the game.
    • 4-6 the unit against Fanatics for the rest of the game.
• No Defeatism! – All friendly units within 6” of a Platoon or Company Commander ignore the effects of Shirkers.
• German Support
  • Any LMG and/or MMG can be upgrader to a German Machine Gun for free, gaining the Hitler’s Buzzsaw special rule. Note, the model must be actually equipped with a MG 34 or MG 43 machine gun for the rule to be in effect.
  • In addition, any infantry unit, except for support weapon teams and HQ units, may be equipped with up to two Panzerfuasts for +15pts each.
  • Finally, you may add some units from Armies of Germany as indicated by the Force Selection Guide. These units don’t have any of the Germany Army Speical Rules and instead have the Army Speicla Rules for the Italina National Republican Army given here.
• The RSI also have access to Avanti! So you can still build out your units to be Alpini, Bersaglieri, Blackshirts, and Paracadutisti.
• Plus an additional seven units are available! 

Ok, lots to unpack here. Firstly, there are seven additional units only available to the RSI. This includes vehicles like the P26/40 Heavy Tank and the SPA 35 Protetto Transport. Not only that, the Army List includes two units from Armies of Germany for some additional Late-War punch. If you are playing RSI you’ll be able to build a force that ranges from elite, Fanatic Vets to massed Shirkers. But when combined with No Defeatism! you have ways to mitigate Shirkers and keep your Inexp. troops under control. As noted with Milizia Volontaria, certainly Conflicting Loyalties is only rolled once, right?

You also have massive modeling and hobby opportunities. You can mix and match the growing range of Italian plastics with the existing German kits to build a truly unique force. Don’t forget, in order to qualify for Buzzsaw on your LMGs they need to be modeled as German MG-42s – don’t miss out!

The Co-Belligerent Army

These are the Italian forces that fought alongside the Allies from October 1943 onwards. Also know as the Army of the South, they have their own Army Special Rules as well:

• Vendetta! – Before you take an Order Test, if there is any enemy unit within 12”, roll a d6. On a 4+ remove one Pin and then take the Order Test as normal. If you removed the only Pin you must still take an Order Test.
• Inter-Allied Coordination – Artillery Forward Observers may re-roll the dice when rolling on the Artillery or Smoke Barrage tables. Intelligence Officers may re-roll the dice when resolving their Intelligence rule check.  
  • Additionally, you may add some units from Armies of the United States and Armies of Great Britain as indicated in the Force Selection Guide. These units don’t have any of the British or American Army Special Rules and instead have the Army Special Rules for the Italian Co-Belligerent Army given here.
• The Co-belligerent Army also have access to Avanti! So you can still build out your units to be Alpini, Bersaglieri, and Paracadutisti. But not Blackshirts.

The Italian Co-Belligerent Army build forces by taking units from three different Armies of books; Armies of Italy, Armies of Great Britain, and Armies of the United States! There are 11 British units and 9 US units included in the Army List. Looking at the list of Armored Cars, you could roll up with an Armored Platoon containing an Italian Autoblinda, a British Recce Carrier, and an American M8 Greyhound – fantastic. Simply fantastic. We rarely see this level of customization in an Bolt Action Army List, especially in Third Edition. With this new approach I cannot wait to see what Warlord does with Armies of the Commonwealth and Armies of France (bring on the Vichy).

And now we know why Armies of Italy couldn’t be the first Armies of book for Third Edition. It needed Armies of Germany, Armies of the United States, and Armies of Great Britain to be already published in order to pull units from those books into the Army Lists of the RSI and Co-Belligerent Army. It wasn’t a slight to Italy and Italian Commanders. Warlord was merely laying the groundwork required to publish the mighty Armies of Italy: Third Edition.

What’s Missing?

Not much. Although Armies of Italy is tied for the slimmest Armies of book so far, there is no shortage of units and options. The only things missing are:

• Unique Quartermaster’s Stores – Yeah this one hurts. How you gonna say that Italy didn’t have any specialized equipment other than the universal Demolition Charge?
• Infiltrators – Just like the US there are only two units with Infiltrators – the Sniper Team and Forward Observer. Considering all the behind enemy lines activity in North and East Africa I was surprised to see no Infantry Squad with Infiltrators.

Overall Impressions

Armies of Italy delivers on all fronts. The Kingdom of Italy in Bolt Action has been slandered since Day One and not without justification. Their original rules were, frankly, terrible, and required a Commander of a certain devil-may-care attitude to pilot effectively on the table. We saw flashes of brilliance in The Western Desert and the short-lived Case Blue but it was never enough to bring Italy to the level of the “Big Five”. Foremost of the Axis “Minor Powers”, Italy has finally been raised up and out of the PDF Army List collection to stand tall with a dedicated Armies of book. It’s been a long 13 years (my word can that possibly be correct?) but it was worth the wait. If I may quote the book’s Introduction:

Italian armies can range from small, highly skilled forces to great hordes of inexperienced militiamen, and everything in between. In addition, Italy’s unique collection of slightly old-fashioned tanks and tankettes give an astute commander some fascinating options for armored warfare. An Italian force is able to take on any challenge, and presents a real ‘wild card’ army for new and veteran commanders alike.

Yeah, that just about sums it up. Forza Italia!

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Thank you to Warlord Games for providing a digital copy of Armies of Italy: Third Edition featured in this article.

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More Third Edition Armies of reviews:

• Armies of Germany
• Armies of the United States
• Armies of Great Britain
• Armies of the Soviet Union
• Armies of Imperial Japan