French Force for Bolt Action - Redux

Almost ten year ago, I painted up a force of early war French, nominally for Bolt Action (first edition!?). You can find them here:

Early War French for Bolt Action

(and a few weeks later I added a Renault R-35):

French Renault R-35

I've pilfered the pictures from those posts to use in this one. Because the pictures in those posts are fine and I'm feeling lazy... 

This is kind of to illustrate the changes between the editions...  

The old bog-standard "Reinforced Platoon" is what EVERYONE built their Bolt Action armies around in the previous editions:

1 Lieutenant - First or Second
2 Infantry Squads

Plus: 

0-3 Infantry Squads
0-1 Captain or Major
0-1 Medic
0-1 Forward Observer (either Artillery or Air)
0-1 Machine-Gun Team
0-1 Mortar Team
0-1 Sniper Team
0-1 Anti-Tank Team
0-1 Field Artillery, Anti-Aircraft, or Anti-Tank Gun
0-1 Armoured Car
0-1 Tank or Tank Destroyer
0-1 Transport Vehicle or Tow (soft-skins or armoured) PER Infantry or Artillery unit in the Reinforced Platoon

Here's what this force looks like as a Reinforced Platoon for 1st/2nd Edition Bolt Action

1 First Lieutenant + 2 men (Veteran) - 116 points

1st Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points

2nd Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points

3rd Section - 1 NCO and 9 men (Regular), + LMG, + loader with pistol, + VB Launcher - 137 Points

Medic (Regular) - 23 points

Forward Observer Artillery + 1 man (veteran) 128 points

Machine-Gun Team  (veteran) - 65 points

Medium Mortar Team (Regular) - 50 points

Light Artillery (veteran) - 60 points

Renault R-35  (veteran) - 144 points 

Total: 997

Easy Peasy, right? 

I could tinker with which units are Veteran and Regular, but I've got a force here that CAN be fielded as a 1000 point Bolt Action Reinforced Platoon. 

BOLT ACTION - THIRD EDITION

I cannot field this force in Third Edition... 

I can still field the Platoon Commander and three Infantry Sections, and the Medic and the Forward Observer Team as part of my basic Rifle Platoon - of which everyone needs at least one! 

It's the rest of the stuff that's become a problem... 

If I want to field the Machine-Gun Team and Mortar Team, they need to be fielded as a Heavy Weapons Platoon - lead by a platoon commander (and potentially joined by up to two MORE Medium Mortar teams AND two MORE Machine-Gun Teams AND up to THREE Anti-Tank Teams!?)

If I want to field the 75mm Artillery piece, it has to be as part of an Artillery Battery, again, commanded by a Battery Commander... and potentially joined by up to THREE MORE Artillery pieces of any sort - light, medium, or heavy howitzers, or anti-aircraft, or anti-tank guns!? 

If I want to field that Renault R-35... I need at least ONE other tank (or tank destroyer, or assault gun, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicle or armoured car).. then either the Renault or the other vehicle has to be designated a Platoon Command Vehicle... and then can be joined by up to THREE MORE  tanks or tank destroyers, or assault guns, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicles or armoured cars!?

So, if I want to field ALL the things I currently have... I need to acquire at minimum two more officers (to command Heavy Weapons Platoon and Artillery Battery) and another tank or tank destroyer, or assault gun, or self-propelled artillery or anti-aircraft vehicle or armoured car.. to join the Armoured Platoon (Troop?).

It's not THAT big of a deal, I guess... I just need to pick up those things and then monkey around with which units stay as veteran and which have to be downgraded to Regulars to make it all fit into 1000 points? I'm still annoyed by it... 

I've seen it suggested that this is more "historical"... but my "armoured platoon" could include an AMC Schneider P16 Half-Track, an AMD Panhard 165/175, a Laffly W15 TCC, a Char 2C, and the good old Renault R-35.. I'm not sure that was a historical thing... My Artillery Battery could include a 47mm Mle 1937 anti-tank gun, a 25mm Hotchkiss anti-aircraft gun, a 75mm model 1897 field gun, a 1913 Schneider 105mm howitzer, and 155mm Mle 1877 gun...? I mean, I get it... sometime scratch units were put together with whatever was available... but that seems silly to me...

I GUESS there IS some more flexibility in this... but I also feel like there will be far more opportunity for abuse and min-maxing... Not that I have ANY interest in leagues or tournaments, so... who cares...? 

AM I going to run out and try to buy a few more French officers and a tank just so I can field this army...? Well... probably not RIGHT AWAY... maybe I'll wait and see if I actually get playing the game... 

Not going to lie... the Char B1 bis Platoon does look tempting... 

I have a playable Italian force of 999 points that I've sorted out (though I need to PAINT 24 more infantry and four vehicles for that to be playable...!?). 

I haven't re-orged them yet, but I'm certain I could field a German, Russian, or Canadian force (and possibly a Canadian or British Parachute force?) without buying or painting a single thing... Wow, looking back through this blog those Canadians and Russians were painted FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!?