Publisher/Date:
Le Franc Tireur (2006)
Product Type:
Periodical
Country of Origin:
France
Contents:
80-page magazine, 10 color scenarios on glossy paper inserts, sheet with 2 overlays
Le Franc Tireur No. 9 (LFT9) came out nearly a year late, due largely to the posting overseas of editor/publisher Xavier Vitry, a serving French Army officer, and the illness (and, alas, eventual death) of Jean Devaux.
LFT9 continues the practice established in the previous issue of including much of the article content, as well as the scenario cards, in English, rather than French, to make it more accessible to an international audience. The many different product reviews are still in French, but most of the gameplay articles are in English. Two of the major articles are actually continuations of articles begun in the previous issue, so readers who do not have LFT8 may be somewhat left out.
The scenarios in LFT9 were for some reason printed not on cardstock but on glossy paper. As a result, they are flimsy (this may be particularly important to American consumers because they are printed on the standard European paper size, which is longer than the standard American size, which means that Le Franc Tireur scenarios might stick out). Moreover, some of the scenarios are hard to read, such as FT60 (Bloody Brothers). Hopefully, future issues will go back to cardstock scenarios, as they are much preferable.
LFT9 also includes two very attractive hill overlays (see picture, below).
Each issue of Le Franc Tireur is centered around a common theme; the theme for LFT9 is Yugoslavia (one of three different ways the country’s name is spelled in the magazine!). Three of the scenarios can be combined for a mini-campaign. Actions featured include Italians. vs. Yugoslav Army (with Yugoslav Air Support!), Croatian puppet troops vs. Yugoslav partisans, Germans/Cossacks vs. Yugoslav partisans, Germans vs. Yugoslav partisans, Waffen SS. vs. Yugoslav partisans, British/American special forces vs. Germans, and Germans/Croatian puppet troops vs. Yugoslav partisans.
LFT9 was one of several ASL products released around the same time that included Yugoslav partisan scenarios (the others included Fanatic Enterprises’ Balkan Wafare and MMP’s ASL Journal #7). Of these scenarios, those in LFT9 are the most accurate, especially regarding partisan weaponry. Although not perfect, many of the Le Franc Tireur scenarios reflect the fact that partisan weaponry had no Soviet support weapons until late 1944, but instead were primarily armed with Italian and British support weapons. However, the representation of the 7th SS “Prinz Eugen” Division seems very generous for a unit that really wasn’t elite.
The scenarios in LFT9 are about evenly divided between large scenarios and tournament-sized scenarios. Several look particularly interesting, including FT59 (War the Italian Way), FT62 (New Model Army), and FT67 (Knin Pocket).
One of the scenarios, FT68 (Red Lightning), uses Board y from the ASL Starter Kit 1.
Due to printing problems, the following ERRATA is CRUCIAL to play some of the scenarios:
FT 61
SSR 4 : All 5-4-8 / 2-3-8 are Cossacks. They have an underlined Morale [A 19.132 is NA] and are treated as Russians for Heat of Battle/Leader creation/deployment only. They do not possess Infantry Smoke Grenades nor Panzerfausts and use German MGs with no penalty. To form a multilocation firegroup with Cossack units and non Cossack units, a Leader must be present in each location of this FG.
FT 63
Partisan OB: Rearguard Elements of the 7th Proletarian Division [ELR : 5] set up on / East of hexrow F {SAN : 4}
German OB : 7th SS Gebirgs Div. Prinz Eugen, II/1 8th Kompanie [ELR: 5] enter on / after turn 1 by the West Edge {SAN : 2}
FT 66
German OB : Marine Troops of the Solta Garrison [ELR: 3 – See also SSR 4] set up anywhere on board 46 {SAN: 3}
Allied OB: Unit B 2671st Special Reconnaissance Battalion [ELR: 3] set up on board 18 on / South of hexrow 7 {SAN: 2}
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