Box Contents

The Lions of the Folgore – Italian Paracadutisti Starter Army is a mix of plastic and resin models containing:

• x7 Italian Paracadutisti sprues (42 Infantry) – Plastic
• Autoblinda 41 Armored Car – Plastic
• M13/40 Medium Tank / Demoventra 75/18 – Plastic
• x2 MMG Teams – Resin
• Medium Mortar Team – Resin
• Platoon Commander – Resin

The Paracadutisti Guastatori List

Breakdown

(x) denotes a vehicle-mounted weapon.

Notes and Analysis

The objective of this list is two-part: 1) use as much of the Starter Army as possible and 2) make a List that works at a competitive level. Please keep in mind, this List was written using only the contents of the Starter Army.

We’ve already created a more traditional 1,100pt force using this Starter Army, so why not go with something well outside the box? The plastic Paracadutisti Platoon includes a single one-shot Flamethrower, the Lanciafiamme Mod. 41 d’assalto, and it ‘s begging to be used. So why not put six of them into a list and see what we’ve got? A 13-OD mixed Reg and Vet force that uses all but two of the infantry included in the Starter Army and all but one of the Flamethrowers – benissimo.

This army list is all about the Guastatori Engineer Squads and their Flamethrowers. But before we get to that, let’s take a look at the supporting units. The required Rifle Platoon is a Vet Platoon Commander with three buddies, all with Rifles. The two required Infantry units are identical Nembo Paracadutisti Squads – six men and one LMG each. I don’t foresee these units doing much of the heavy lifting. They are there to be dependable (as all Stubborn Vets are) and sit on objectives. Nothing fancy, just 20 Vets with Rifles and a couple of SMGs.

For additional heavier support, we have the Heavy Weapons Platoon using everything in the Starter Army. Two MMG Teams and a Med. Mortar Team with a Spotter led by a solo Platoon Commander. All four of these units are Reg and, like the Rifle Platoon, I don’t expect or need them to do much heavy lifting. They are here to reach out and toss some Pins onto the enemy. We need those enemy units to be softened up a bit before the hammer blow falls. The Guastatori are not going to survive a counter-punch from a fully operational enemy force. Your support teams need to put in some work before the Lanciafiamme Mod. 41 d’assalto arrives.

Now onto the spicy hot center of the army list, the Engineer Platoon! Not something you see often these days. The required Rifle Platoon really limits players looking to add Engineers, but we are going to give it a shot anyway. We have a Platoon Commander with four buddies armed with SMGs. We want this PC up close and personal with both the enemy and the two Guastatori Engineer Squads. Both squads are eight men with two SMGs and two one-shot Flamethrowers in each. In support is a single Flamethrower Team, also with two one-shot Flamethrowers. The thinking is, when your Flamethrower finally gets close enough to fire, if the enemy is left standing, your Flamethrower is probably toast. And that’s assuming it didn’t run out of fuel. So, how about we just remove the random chance element and just blast away with everything we’ve got in one go-for-broke activation? Having multiple one-shot weapons also gives you the option for some devastating split fire. You can fire at three separate targets! The squad itself with two SMGs and four Rifles at one target, one one-shot FT at a second, and the other one-shot FT at a third! If your opponent has moved multiple units close together, you have the opportunity to deliver a real knockout blow.

The one-shot FTs may only have a single use, but that single use can also destroy enemy armor. Even if it’s not powerful enough to deal damage, as long as the AFV isn’t Vet, it still has to take a Morale Check just for being hit by a Flamethrower. You have a horrifying amount of firepower in these three squads. The issue is, how are you going to get within range? Without any Transports, these units will be footslogging it across the table. If the mission allows for Outflanking, do it! It may be the only way to get within range. But if you do manage to get close, and I really do mean close, you gotta be point-blank close, oh man. That’s gonna be one hell of a spicy meatball.

As for the armor, I’m just going to copy what I used in the other Breakdown – it all applies here as well:

And finally, we have the Armored Platoon with two classic Italian AFVs: the Autoblinda 41 and the M13/40. The plastic M13/40 kit can also be assembled as a Semovente 75/18 if you’d rather have the SPG, but you will need to find 25pts to make the swap. The Autoblinda is the Command Vehicle as it is more likely to be held in Reserve and/or out on a solo mission down a deep flank. I’ve had an Autoblinda as a 1+ pick with my Italians for years, and I never regret bringing that little speed demon to a game. The turret Light Autocannon always seems to punch above its weight, and the wheeled + Recce combo gives you an insane amount of maneuverability. Armor 8 is no worries if no one can draw a line of sight. Our second vehicle is the classic M13/40 “Medium” Tank. I put “Medium” in quotes as it only has Armor 8, but at just 150pts Vet, it’s hard to complain. The Light AT Gun is your only true, dedicated AT asset, so protect it. But it’s much more fun to use the coax MMG and rip nine MMG shots instead. If only it had Buzzsaw … You won’t be going anywhere fast, the Tank has Slow, but with Iron Hulls, Iron Hearts, you’ll be able to keep on rolling despite a few Pins. Just do what you can to keep your front towards the enemy. Vulnerable + Armor 8 is a real issue if you get hit in the side.

Is this list hyper-effective? No. It’s silly. I wrote this army list because I wanted to. Because the box includes seven of those little one-shot Flamethrowers, and I had to do the math. I think it’s fantastic that Warlord included this unique piece of Italian equipment in the new plastic Paracadutisti kit. As it stands, I wouldn’t run this army list without at least two Transports added in. The Engineers and FT Team simply cannot get up the table fast enough to be effective. But I still think it was worth the thought exercise. If nothing else, just to see the possibilities at 1,100pts.

What’s Next?

Thoughts and musings on where to go from here:

• Transports – Yeah. This list needs some Transports. Anything to get those FTs into point-blank (i.e., effective) range. Anything from the newly Armor 7 AS.42 Sahariana to the big ol party bus that is the Fiat 665. In Third Edition, as with Second, Combat Engineers need to have a Transport.
• Drop the Heavy Weapons – I had to include the full Heavy Weapons Platoon (as we do with all the Starter Army Box Breakdowns), but it’s probably the first thing I’d drop from the list. The Platoon is almost 200pts that could be spent on making the Guastatori both Vet and Avanti! (Paracadutisti). Now your Engineers will be able to survive the march across the table and/or enemy return fire, and they will also hold the line as Stubborn Paras. Plus, it lines up thematically with the models.
• Light Artillery – The list could use some dedicated AT and indirect support. Instead of the Heavy Weapons Platoon and/or the Armored Platoon, what about an Artillery Platoon? A couple of Light AT Guns and Light Howitzers? The ranged support could make an excellent gun line to cover the advance of all those Guastatori.

– Andrew