Avanti: Italian Forces in North Africa 1942-43

Okay, this is one of those "for some reason I return to it, then it doesn't take off" projects that always seem to run through my hobby life.

After enjoying Flames of War years ago (as in, almost a decade), for some reason I was sucked in to buy this army book and the starter box for the italians a while ago, in a promotional action late december.

Paint for the past AHPC?  Throw myself in some tournament left or right?  I have no clue why I did it in hindsight, and I'll probably end up selling them off again at Crisis or such.  But that doesn't mean I couldn't have a good look at the book first.

Now, at a 48 page hardcover, it is a rather slim volume to be honest, and as I hadn't read the main rulebook yet at time of writing, the organisational charts seemed a bit weird to what I was used to.

The book starts with the special rules for the italian forces, who I must say seems to focus around the M14 and the Semovente 75, so a far more restricted selection then back in the days to play with.  All the small hotch potch tankettes and the likes seem to be relegated to oddities in forces, and one seems to be "pushed" to either a Carri force, or a Bersaglieri one on first impressions.

We then get a bit of history, on how the italians fared during the desert war, both independantly and later as part of the DAK.

Know your Carri takes a look at the various vehicles you will be able to field in the force, and there my point is proven, where are the M11's or even the CV33's in this edition?  Not to mention all the smaller trucks with guns...

Next up is the bread and butter of the book, the army lists.  Apart from a "generic" force, you also ghave options to field Ariete and Centauro armoured divisions, and 2 Bersaglieri regiments, one for the static weapon form, and one with the more mobile rifle company.  But that is is, next up are support units, and for later in the war battles allied German units.

No Folgore parachute froops, no rifle company... no joy from me for this book to be honest.

The final section is the essential paint and basing guides and showcases, but I must admit that in the end, I'm severly disappointed in this army book, and it isn't motivating at all to actually rip the plastic of the starter set and begin building an italian force again for Flames of War...