France in RUSE is a very, VERY specialized faction.

Now, that could be said about a few of the factions in RUSE, mind you, but France in particular stands out for its excellence in one particular field. DEFENSE. With two of the toughest fortifications in the game, which, between them, can fight back against armored, infantry, AND airborne targets with a fair degree of success, hardy armored units with thick hulls, cheap and efficient artillery and bullishly tough elite infantry, they're a force to be reckoned with...

Until about the 20 minute mark.

France has arguably the second sharpest dropoff over time in all the factions (after Italy, of course). In the early game, France's Char B1 Bis, H35 and Somua 35 punch far above most other early-game faction's weight classes, and easily accessed early-game arty and AT guns ensure that you will have a strong offensive and defensive position in the early game with proper play. The relative inexpensiveness of French units also means that a sustained assault is not as much of a drain on your economy as it is for the British or Germans. However, as the game goes on and your enemies grow more advanced, you will struggle to best them- at best, you will be racing to match their gains with units of your own.

I'd honestly compare France to Italy, because that is a LOT of what people did when this game first got big. The two factions seem like polar opposites, but really, they're not. Both Italy and France focus on a specific time and facet of the game, and excel in that role, but struggle outside of it. So, let's explore this a little bit further.


PROS

+Strong, cheap armor

France's armored units, like those of the Italians, are extremely good in the early game. The B1 bis is one of the most powerful early game heavy tanks, with ridiculous armor for such an early game vehicle to offset it's somewhat mediocre gun. I'd almost compare it to the Churchill in terms of it's role. It's not an armored dogfighter, that role would arguably go to the S35, but it's very good at soaking up fire for your more delicate units and bricking enemy structures while surviving all but the worst riposte. The Panhard is an excellent all around armored recon unit, capable of contending with all but the most advanced of its foreign counterparts in a straight fight. The S35, as previously stated, is a fine all around tank, although it doesn't particularly excel in any field, and the Hotchkiss H39 is quite simply the best barracks tank you can get in the game, with ridiculous armor and a gun comprable to any other light tank in the early game making for a potent early game offensive or defensive weapon. Though France's armor is slow and plodding, it's a dangerous enemy to have to face head on, especially if the French player has had time to shore up defenses and place his units on advantageous ground.

+Well-balanced Infantry

The French infantry, available from the barracks, is available side-by-side with no research fee. For 5 credits, you get the FFL, and for 10, the Legionnaires. The FFL are an excellent stopgap unit capable of holding down woods and city squares against non-advanced infantry, and have bazookas that make them efficient commerce raiders and anti-tank ambush units. Meanwhile, the Foreign Legion are DESTRUCTIVELY powerful elite infantry that can go toe to toe with almost any equivalent force, and unlike most of these equivalents- they're available in every war era.

+Early-war dominance and little research time

This is sort of attached to the previous point- some of France's best units require no research and are available in the 1939 warmode. The B1 Bis is, along with the KV-1, the ONLY heavy tank available in 1939. The Canone GPF 155 is available from 1939 as well, doesn't overwrite the GPF 75, and overall is just a good gun. Even advancing into 1942, where AT guns are a factor, the French get two separate AT guns for economic and tactical flexibility, both of which are at least at par in 42, while the Laffly is a fragile but monstrously destructive unit at that stage in the game. French armor is the same way- none of their first-echelon tanks require any research, and their research costs for any tank that isn't the ARL-44 is surprisingly lenient.

+Versatile Prototypes

The French Prototype Base does very little to correct what ails France, but what it does is compound what makes them strong. The FCM F1 has a token AA defense built in, the only super heavy tank to have such a thing, but it is capable of matching all but the most powerful of enemy retaliation on the ground. The ARL-40 is capable of smashing even light tanks with a concentrated barrage, and is one of the hardiest SPGs in the game. Finally, the EBR is simply astonishing, matched only by the Puma in terms of effective armored recon- armor equivalent to a sherman with a gun that equals the Panther makes for an ambush unit capable of giving even a Super-Heavy tank pause.

+Rock-Solid Defense

The French have, without question, the heftiest bunkers in the game to defend themselves with. The Fortified Position bears an AT gun that can stop early game tank rushes dead, and an AA gun that at least allows it to do middling damage, but is cheap enough that they can be massed to deal with air encroachment around your base. The Maginot Bunker, meanwhile, shreds infantry and light vehicles with a flamethrower and an even bigger AT gun. Both of these buildings, meanwhile, are comparable in durability to a production building, with the Maginot Bunker being as hardy as a Prototype Base. Only Japan's Pillbox and Germany's Siegfried Blockhaus are anywhere near the hardiness of the French defensive structures.


CONS

- Aerial inferiority

The French Air Force is better called the French Air Farce. Their craft are abysmal, with only the Potez aerial recon and Guppy fighter bomber doing anything at the level of their contemporaries. The Amiot is pound for pound the worst bomber in the game in terms of both low speed and fragility, the Skytrain can barely deliver its payload before it's shredded, even the French upgraded fighter, the D. 520, can barely match the likes of the ME-109 or Typhoon.

-Anti-Air Impotence

The French have to get a prototype base to get something resembling a SPAAG. Let that sink in.

On top of that, they have only two units capable of fighting off enemy air assault- the Camel, agreed to be the single worst towed AA gun in the game, and the Fortified Position, which is basically an AT bunker with a Camel duct-taped to the top of it. France relies on either an ally or sheer volume to contest enemy air support, but their hardy units are able to at the very least make do in the face of dive bombers.

-The Slow Crawl

France's biggest hurdle on the offensive is by far speed. All of their units, with scant few exceptions, are slower than their compatriots, even their mediocre aircraft. While their armor and infantry can take a beating, and dish one out in equal measure, it will take time for them to reach the point where delivering their own punch is possible.

France's best bets are in the early game- up until around the point that the first few hits of research are going off, France is capable of matching, if not besting, every other faction at a comfortable economic weight. Let's explore some of your options in flexing your early game muscles.

The Char B1 Bis: Goliath

Where does one start with the B1? A lumbering, titanic heavy tank available in even the earliest warmode, capable of slugging it out with enemy tanks of all but the most advanced designs. The B1 is unbelievably cheap for such a potent unit; for the forgiving asking price of 20 credits and a lenient production time, you get an Armor Class 4 tank with a devastating anti-fortification/building assault gun in the chassis, a servicable if not in any way exceptional 47mm AT gun, and the ability to take hits from even Flak 88s and swing back. While the B1 lumbers across the map at a pace only slightly faster than some factions' super-heavies, it more than makes up for it in cost-effectiveness. The B1 Bis shines as both a defensive wall that can stop most infantry rushes dead, and even give enemy armored assaults a reason to balk, or as a slow but steady march across the map, eviscerating enemy fortifications while taking the worst enemy riposte one can offer with very little to show for it but a few bruises. Fanaticism+Blitz B1 rushes are just as horrifying as Fanaticism/Terror B1 bastions.

The Laffly: ...Sting Like A Bee

The Laffly is one of the cheapest TDs in the game, and it pays for itself. With a gun superior to both of the French towed AT guns, a respectable 32 km/h speed, and exceptional attack range, the Laffly is capable of sticking a pin in enemy armor and escaping to tell the tale, or being thrown en masse at particularly girthy enemy armored stacks and chipping away at them with minimal economic wear.

The Canon GPF 155: S T O N K S

Do you like erasing things from the map without having to pay an entry fee? The GPF 155 is for you. Available straight out of the gate with a downright sexy 0 upright research cost, the GPF is the standard by which all heavy artillery is judged. Available side by side with the unbelievably cheap and cost effective GPF 75, the 155 has the capability to reach out and touch somebody frighteningly early and with alarming accuracy. Given proper support and escort, the GPF 155 can slam enemy fortifications and production facilities with minimal fear of retaliation, and at an unmatchably early stage of the game.

The Legionnaires: Foreign Elite

Living up to the 'Elite Infantry' moniker, the Foreign Legion demolishes its equals in the early game. Available straight out of the gate, only the Bersagliere and Sogekihei can surpass them straight from the barracks in a one on one fight, and even then, only from an ambush position. With heavy grenades, elite-class weapons and a heavy bazooka for AT work, the Legionnaires are an early-game menace capable of reliably cutting down any enemy that encroaches on French territory from the ground. While they cost more than most ground infantry (the only barracks infantry to cost 10 credits), the price is well worth the product, as with a robust economy a French player can basically perform a Strelki Rush, only the Foreign Legion can actually beat down tanks once they get into range.

The Sau 40: Why not Both?

It appears that someone in France must have once said "I need a good SPG, and a good medium tank", then proceeded to snort three lines of crack cocaine, take a tab of LSD, and shoot a solid ounce of blacktar heroin into both of his arms before deciding that he didn't want to choose between them, then shat on the drafting paper and decided to make the resulting ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ into a tank.

Though the damage of the Sau 40 doesn't quite match up to its foreign counterparts in the Advanced Medium category, it does make up for a lack of AT in a very, very big way. Its downright busted SPG component is comparable to that of the Sturmtiger, and its armor is at the very least respectable for a medium tank, about at the level of a Sherman, perhaps a bit sturdier. Essentially a Lee on steroids, the Sau 40 performs a similar role to the B1 Bis, but with a bit more zest and more pep in its step, and makes a serviceable replacement for the B1 when it is upgraded to the ARL.

The Maginot Bunker: The Wall

In effect, a Siegfried Blockhaus but with more concrete.

The Maginot Bunker is rightly feared- capable of demolishing both infantry and tanks, for the same price as the Blockhaus, you get an even more durable structure, capable of tanking a bombing run from all but heavy bombers and still fighting back. The Bunker's flamethrower can melt enemy infantry and light armor up to point blank range, while the bunker's AT guns can make short work of whatever tanks attempt to rush through its line of sight. Even arty and dive bombers will have trouble destroying this structure unless used en masse, meaning that should they be called in, the French player has plenty of time to prepare himself for their answer to the Bunker.

The EBR: Chupathingy, How About That?

Imagine the Puma. Scary thing, capable of mauling all but the heaviest enemy units when lying in ambush. Fast, mobile, and with a generous effective range.

The EBR does that entire shtick better, faster, and for 5 credits cheaper.

Bigger gun, heavier armor, faster, and with longer range, the EBR is a Cold War-era design thrown into WW2, perhaps an apology for a player who has likely been screaming and tearing their hair out regarding France's impotence in dealing with enemy air power. The EBR, from ambush, is capable of instantly routing an Armor Class 4 tank, and can instantly kill anything below that armor class. Anything that the EBR can't kill from ambush likely will not be able to retaliate in time before either the second EBR joins in the fun, or the lone EBR runs away, waiting to strike again. With a generous range, it's also capable of throwing haymakers up to a comfortable distance, and with armor equal to the Sherman, it's capable of surviving a solid hit from all but the heaviest tanks and tank destroyers.

The FCM-F1: Big, Mean Mother Hubbard

It took the French until 1945 in this game to research self-propelled AA, apparently.

The FCM-F1 comes in with a WHOPPING three separate guns, each with their own unique purpose- a heavy AT cannon, a middling AT/HE cannon, and a dedicated AA gun, all for 55 credits. Now, the AA gun isn't going to win many gunfights with just about anything, but it's the closest thing you got, and it certainly doesn't hurt to have a few of these guys packed together on the advance to at least take out whatever's about to drop a bomb on them as they go to leave. They absolutely MULCH enemy tanks and infantry, and can fight off just about all but the most powerful fighter-bombers with little issue. Never say no to an FCM.

Here I'll be covering France's 1v1 matchups with every country under the sun, and how they complement/counter each other.


French Mirror Match: The Slow Grind

A France mirror match will be, to put it plainly, a slugfest. France's units are slow, but mighty, and their defense is ironclad. Two French players duking it out will likely result in a back and forth pendulum of attack and defense, with the winner being either whoever has the best tactics or the most grit, and likely a combination of both.

France vs Germany: The March of History

"Who are you?"

"I'm you, but stronger."

Germany, once it gets its research going, is almost incomparable in terms of unit quality. To defeat Germany, France's best bet is to go for the jugular early, when Germany is at its weakest, and force Germany on the defensive, where it cannot contend with France's hardier, cheaper units. If it cannot defeat Germany in the early game, then an ironclad defense mixed with tactical savvy and resolve is the only way that France can eventually topple Germany, with the French having few answers for the most powerful of German units. The ARL-44 matches the Tiger, but will struggle against the King Tiger, while Camels and FCMs will do little to stop a rush of Ar-234 Blitz jet bombers.

France vs Italy: David and Goliath

A clinic in specialist faction calculus, a fight between Italy and France will most likely result in something similar to this: Italy will immediately rush in, intent on overwhelming the French with fast, cheap armor and frighteningly efficient early game infantry, while France, in response, will attempt to lock down its sector of the map with more sturdy armor and more pricey, but superior infantry units and robust fortifications. Even as the game goes on, the theme remains the same: while Italy has speed and the economy on its side, France is without fail going to be a costly foe to crack. One of the few things that France cannot answer of Italy's force, however, is that Italy has both serviceable AA and a respectable air force, meaning that the Italian player can put a lot more pressure on France in that regard.

France vs Japan: Swinging at a Swarm of Bees

Japan will face a similar story to Italy. In the early game, its best bet is to attempt to drown France in cheap, but fast units, but the Ha-Go, Konoe, and Chi-Ha will face stiff reprisal from the Legionnaires, the H39, and the B1 Bis. However, France must also face a similar situation to their previous contest with Germany- if it does not end the fight quickly, Japan's highly advanced air force will become too powerful for the French AA and air force to fight without the advantage of numbers. That being said, on the ground, France will almost always be able to match Japan, with only the Japanese TDs and elite infantry giving the French advance pause.

France vs Russia: Not One Step Back

France vs Russia is, once again, a story of endurance. However, it is more similar to Japan in that Russia has better armor in the late-game with the IS-2, and a superior air-force, though the gap is not as steep as with Italy and Japan. However, Russian infantry and artillery are capable of going toe to toe with their French opposites, and in the case of the Gaubitsa and the Heavy Artillery Position, outmatching them. Against Russia, the French must endeavor to form a defensive lock on their home sectors, and then focus on beating the Russians to air superiority and technological superiority, thus strangling them. The most advanced French units are more than capable of matching or besting their Soviet equals, with the EBR comfortably engaging the IS-3 from ambush, the FCM-F1 and Camel making respectable work of the PE-8, and the ARL-44 capably facing off against the IS-2 in a one-on-one fight. Even France's mediocre air force is, save for the Guppy, pretty much equivalent to that of the Soviets, with the D. 520 even keeping respectable pace with the Yak-3. France's biggest advantage is in the defensive in this situation, but if Russia is not allowed time to prepare its own offensive, or is cut off from its chain of supply, France can secure a victory.

France vs the USA: Twin Revolutions

France against the US is a similar story to their matchup with Germany, but it's slightly more favorable to France. While the US is strong in the late game, with cheap and well-balanced units, France out-muscles the Americans comfortably in terms of artillery, armor, and defense. The Sau. 40 Medium Tank is well-rounded like the Sherman, but also is more efficient against buildings and has heftier armor with equivalent AT capacity. The B1 Bis is available long before and for a fair sight cheaper than the Pershing, the ARL-44 is a perfectly even match for said tank with the only hurdle being a higher price, and the French artillery, down to the prototype ARL-40, is simply miles away from the American answer, and much more cost efficient and accurate. Again, however, France is plagued by its absolutely abysmal air force, as America can own the skies without fear and throttle French ground forces with the P-47, decimate their air cover with the Mustang, and flatten their structures with the B-17. An early game rush against the Americans is advisable, but if one decides to run down the clock, a solid AA bracket is an absolute must.

France vs the UK: Old Rivals

A game of diametric opposites.

France, without question, completely outclasses Britain on the ground in every area that isn't AA or towed AT guns. The Legionnaires can comfortably wrestle with the Guards and SAS alike, the ARL-44 is capable of outfighting any tank that the British field as well as the Firefly, if they outnumber the little bug or get the first shot off, the EBR alone is capable of smashing any British ground unit at a brisk pace, and French artillery makes up for in affordability and accessibility what the British have in accuracy and rate of fire.

But then there's air power.

Britain, in both AA and Air Force alike, completely and utterly outclasses France in every conceivable way, down to even having an aerial recon unit with a machine gun just like them, giving them a claim even Germany couldn't lord over France. The D. 520 limps after the Spitfire, the Lancaster outpaces and outguns the Amiot, and the Hurricane, for the same price as the Guppy, does the Fighter and Bomber shtick better- we won't even get started on the Typhoon, which is more than capable of beating a D. 520 on its own. Meanwhile, the Bofors blows the Camel out of the water, and the Skink can easily rend any token effort at an air assault by the French to pieces. France must go to any length at any cost to keep the fight on its terms against the UK. The English cannot be allowed to field an air force. If they get planes in the air, then the airfield cannot be left alone, and must be removed with artillery. In all fairness, Britain's prototype armor, with a strong economy, can prove a tough opponent for France, with the Cromwell and Firefly proving a rather annoying thorn in a French commander's side, while the Churchill soaks up a frankly infuriating amount of damage and the AVRE makes a respectable job out of demolishing French fortifications while remaining a respectably tough nut to crack on their own.

Now we will be covering France's team dynamics, and how France can mix and match with its allies to play to its strengths and cover its weaknesses.

Eye in the Sky: France and a superior Air Force

France + The US/UK/Japan

This strategy, quite simply, is France bricking up its biggest weakness- a lack of ability to deal with threats in the air.

France, when paired with a more powerful air force, suddenly need not worry about the Camel, or choking his base with Fortified Positions in the hope that it's enough to stop the majority of the enemy's aircraft. The French, in return, lend their considerable early-game might to their ally as well as their powerful artillery and respectable armor.

Particularly, Japan and the UK are extremely well-suited to joining hands with France, as not only do they cover France's weakness, but France covers theirs. Both Japan and the UK struggle to field equivalent units to their opposition up until the late game, save for in the air, and France can do more to stem this tide than most other nations, in addition to being, meta-wise, a peerless damage sponge. While Japan can support France with specialized units that can ease the burden on them, particularly the cheap and efficient Ta-Se, as well as the hardy Pillbox and devastating 105mm artillery position, as well as a more efficient AA fortification, the UK can extend the reach of French artillery and defensive structures with the Outpost and Howitzer Position, the Churchill and AVRE can perform a similar duty to the B1 Bis and ARL 40 to lighten the load on their ally, and the Skink can provide similar, if not superior results to the Ta-Se.

The Lunch Break Game: Ending the Fight Fast

France + Italy/Russia

This particular strategy focuses on ending the game as fast as possible, a field in which both Russia and Italy excel. France is already an early game behemoth, with the rock-hard B1 Bis, goliath Canon GPF 155, and both of its sturdy and reliable structures available with zero research costs, so combining it with two of the game's early-game offensive juggernauts is a recipe for success.

Italy in particular hits an extreme with this match, as it is quite literally a 'do or die' for the team. France and Italy are polar opposites of the same coin, with both excelling at different things in the early game, but losing any semblance of superiority at the end. Though they can initially cover each other's weaknesses, by the end of the match they will flounder rather ignobly in the face of a technologically superior foe.

Russia, meanwhile, softens the blow somewhat. By the endgame, Russia can, with a stable economy, match any faction in any field not including the air war, and unlike France, Russia has respectable, if not exceptional AA to compensate for this, and a very good fighter bomber. The two factions are not as diametrically opposed as Italy and France, but they still complement each other well, with both factions also having access to inaccurate but grossly destructive early-game heavy artillery and a brutish, heavily- armored early game tank (the B1 Bis and the KV-1). This strategy performs best with a combined French and Russian rush directly into the enemy's heart, but the game going on doesn't exactly hurt them as much as it does a France and Italy team.

Playing The Long Game: France as the Gatekeeper

France + Germany/Japan/The US

This strategy was how I played France in non 1v1 games. France excels in the early game, particularly in defense, where notably a few other factions struggle. Factions that, in the end, prove a powerful force to be reckoned with in the late game.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

France, in this strategy, is using its affordable and durable defensive might as a buffer, buying time for their teammate to build up their economy and perform crucial research. Should the strategy be played to the hilt, the faction France is allied with will likely be able to field advanced units far earlier into the flow of the game than previous, and if it's a faction that has some rather useful AA and aircraft straight out of the gate, so much the better.

Do you see where I'm going with this? (times two)

Germany in particular benefits from this strategy, as the Flak 20 and Flak 88 are available very early, as is the Pak 36, the Panzer 4, the Me 109, the Stuka, and the Sdkfz 222. This gives France something to work with until the German war machine cranks into fifth gear, and the jets and advanced tanks begin to surface. Once Germany fully mobilizes, the game is now France simply soaking up damage for the Germans and pounding them with artillery.

The strategy also works with the US and Japan, but both of these rely more on both commanders working in synergy and combining their strengths, rather than France simply pulling a "I can't beat you, but he can".

Japan is a much more risky example of this strategy, as it requires that the French player practically walk the Japanese player's ground forces throughout the game, as French units on the ground (save for AA) will outclass Japan all the way through the game. However, the Japanese player is also rewarded for understanding of Japan's deep and eclectic unit roster, as the Japanese player can rapidly shut gaps in the French defense- snipers can lock down forests or pick off AT crews in the path of the French advance, Renzan bombers can level enemy strongpoints without the French having to slow down or take casualties to best them, and Shinden fighters can easily keep the sky clear of fighter bombers that may make life more difficult for the French. The French, meanwhile, ensure that more delicate Japanese units are kept safe from armored and infantry attacks, before clearing out infantry or production centers with concentrated artillery fire.

The Allied Powers: Joining Hands

France + The US, UK, and Russia.

This strategy for 4v4s is a favorite of mine, and involves each player knowing how best to play their role.

In this strategy, France is the early game gatekeeper for his allies, alongside Russia. While the UK builds up air power and the US works to create a war machine that can support the numbers that make America truly great, France and Russia use the likes of the B1 Bis and KV1, the Strelki and the Legionnaires, and the French fortifications to lock down the allied zone of control and ensure that the enemy, whoever they might be, must break through both of them before reaching allied territory. Once the UK gets its aerial might in full swing, and the US follows suit , throwing the most advanced units it can muster out with the aid of its likely burgeoning economic backbone, France can now turn its attention to the offensive with heavy armor, potent ambushes with the EBR and Legionnaires, and batteries of heavy artillery that complement the combined strengths of their allies- the UK's mastery of the air, the US's well rounded generalist playstyle and top-tier mobile AA and AT, and the Russians' powerful artillery and cheap yet destructive infantry and armor.

Overall, France was often derided during my time on console as something of a niche faction. You traded efficiency and staying power in the late game for early-game ♥♥♥♥♥♥ strength and a lot of artillery.

However, with time, practice, and a study of both your and of opposing factions, you really come to respect that France is no pushover. Every faction in this game is viable, and France is no exception. If you like big, meaty tanks, lots of heavy artillery, and enough concrete to block the finger of God, then maybe give France a try. You won't be disappointed.