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==Motor Rifle Company==
==Motor Rifle Company==
[[File:Motorrifle Company.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Ivan! Keep up you ''debil''!]]
[[File:Motorrifle Company.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Ivan! Keep up you ''debil''!]]
{{topquote|In the Soviet Army, it takes more courage to retreat than to attack.|Iosef Stalin}}
{{topquote|Soldier, remember! In critical situation, you won't rise to the level of your expectations but fall to the level of your training.|Red Army poster}}
The base of all Soviet Infantry armed with AK74s for the most part. Additional weapons include PKM light machineguns, RPG-7s and a SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team. The differences in game vary mostly in specializing transport like the VDV with their Hinds and the Hardened veterans of the Afghan wars.
The base of all Soviet Infantry armed with AK74s for the most part. Additional weapons include PKM light machineguns, RPG-7s and a SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team. The differences in game vary mostly in specializing transport like the VDV with their Hinds and the Hardened veterans of the Afghan wars.


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They might be expensive, but are more versatile and have easy access to BMP-2s across most formations, unlike their PACT comrades.
They might be expensive, but are more versatile and have easy access to BMP-2s across most formations, unlike their PACT comrades.
Update: the Motor Rifles are set to receive a boost to their firepower. The upcoming Soviet book will enable all companies to upgrade to the RPG 7 VR for 2 points for the unit, sacrificing 4” range for AT 19 and firepower 2+, as well as the very situational Tandem Warhead. This is a very solid upgrade, finally allowing infantry to be a legitimate threat to tanks with Chobham. Like the TOW tax, all units that can take this upgrade must do so if anyone is so equipped.
====BMP Shock Motor Rifle Company====
[[File:Shock Motor Rifle Stats.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Moar Stats]]
A new variant of Soviet infantry, only available as in-formation support for the T-80 shock company. These are highly capable fighters, whose stats put the Afghantsy veterans to shame. Still having the same rock solid Soviet morale/rally, Shock rifles have a Skill rating of 3+, Assault 4+, and are hit on a NATO-esque 4+. This makes them slightly superior to West German panzergrenadiers, and flat out better than most other infantry. Coming in BMP 3s and rocking the RPG 7 VR stock, as well as having the same heavy weapon options as the standard Motor Rifles, this unit is equipped to handle most battlefield situations. To save a few points, they can be downgraded to BMP 2s. Their transports likewise share their awesome stat line.
Naturally, all of this does not come without cost. Available in small (4 AK, 3 RPG, 4 BMP) and medium (6 AK, 5 RPG, 1 PKM, 6 BMP) size only, the Shock company is smaller than their standard brethren, though still larger than most NATO infantry units in the case of the medium company. They are also quite expensive, with the medium company weighing in at 24 points with BMP 3s, or 21 points with BMP 2s. For comparison, a medium BMP 2 motor rifle company with upgraded RPGs costs 1 point less, and has an additional AK, RPG, and PKM base, as well as three extra BMPs. Having said that, the additional cost may not be entirely unjustified. Being hit on 4+, reliably using orders, and hitting harder in assaults makes the Shock rifles far more self-sufficient. Likewise, their transports can use movement orders and line of sight blocking terrain to play peekaboo with enemy units and stay alive rather than relying on target overload. The unit will certainly require a different approach that Soviet players are used to.


===IRL===
===IRL===
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Their use in battle was to dismount from their BMP, BTR, and MT-LB vehicles at a few hundred meters from their targets, and advance with their attached tanks at roughly equal pace which should, at least in theory, allow for infantry to keep pace with the tanks, allowing the tanks to cover the infantry, and vice versa with targets being pointed out to the tanks through the use of tracers the Motostrelki are given.
Their use in battle was to dismount from their BMP, BTR, and MT-LB vehicles at a few hundred meters from their targets, and advance with their attached tanks at roughly equal pace which should, at least in theory, allow for infantry to keep pace with the tanks, allowing the tanks to cover the infantry, and vice versa with targets being pointed out to the tanks through the use of tracers the Motostrelki are given.


By the time of Team Yankee the Russians have replaced their 7.62x39 AKMs with 5.45x39 AK-74s. This tweaked copy of 5.56 NATO gives lighter, longer range ammo in exchange for less barrier penetration. The AKM remains in use for rear line units.  
By the time of Team Yankee the Russians have replaced their 7.62x39 AKMs with 5.45x39 AK-74s. This tweaked copy of 5.56 NATO gives lighter, longer range ammo with less recoil in exchange for less barrier penetration. The AKM remains in use for rear line units.
 
Bears mentioning that Group of Soviet Forces in Germany was creme de la creme of the Red Army, supplied and trained to a highest standards. Simply being enlisted there was considered very prestigious, as every candidate had to show both physical (or professional) qualities and unshakable loyalty to the Party not to defect to the Westerners (and let's not forget that a lot of western stuff could be bought there, and salaries for conscripted soldiers and NCOs were paid in East German marks). Many officers had families there, as one could call GSFG a state within a state.
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One of the smaller armies of the Warsaw Pact the NVA maintained a high level of readiness like their Soviet comrades in the GSFG garrison, ready to mobilize for war within hours, and remember Berlin was split right in half with western armed forces behind the border in east German territory. If war started the first order of business was wiping those troops off the map as-fast-as-possible so they don't cause trouble. In the event of war, the NVA was to be placed directly into the 5 Soviet Armies of the GSFG, as opposed to their larger allies Poland and Czechoslovakia who would have their own Army-sized units.
One of the smaller armies of the Warsaw Pact the NVA maintained a high level of readiness like their Soviet comrades in the GSFG garrison, ready to mobilize for war within hours, and remember Berlin was split right in half with western armed forces behind the border in east German territory. If war started the first order of business was wiping those troops off the map as-fast-as-possible so they don't cause trouble. In the event of war, the NVA was to be placed directly into the 5 Soviet Armies of the GSFG, as opposed to their larger allies Poland and Czechoslovakia who would have their own Army-sized units.


You might be wondering why the East Germans have their own infantry models while the other to PACT nations have to make do with painting soviet infantry in different colors. When the National Volksarmee was formed in the late 1950s, they desperately wanted to prevent their soldiers from looking like Red Army clones, as the atrocities committed against the German people in the closing days of the war by the soviets were still very much in the public consciousness. In an effort to minimize obvious red army influences, many Wehrmacht traditions were transplanted directly into the Volksarmee, such as goose stepping on parade, and peacetime uniforms were almost a direct copy of the ones worn by their fathers, just with communist iconography rather than fascist ones. Their signature helmet was actually a wartime design, trailed in 1943 but never put into service due to the fact that helmet factories would have to have been retooled (it was thought that the West Germans would keep using the stalhelm, so to prevent friendly fire they needed something different).
You might be wondering why the East Germans have their own infantry models while the other PACT nations have to make do with painting soviet infantry in different colors. Besides staggering laziness and favouritism on Battlefront's part, the Volksarmee wore a distinct helmet which makes using the standard Soviet infantry as NVA infantry impossible.  


The Volksarmee was so proud of its direct lineage from the Wehrmacht, that they often accused their western counterpart of "selling out" to the west in general and the Americans in particular, as the Bundeswehr had gone to great lengths to distance itself from the past by adopting American gear like the M1 helmet and by removing almost all of the past Nazi traditons.
When the National Volksarmee was formed in the late 1950s, they desperately wanted to prevent their soldiers from looking like Red Army clones, as the atrocities committed against the German people in the closing days of the war by the Soviets were still very much in the public consciousness. In an effort to minimize obvious red army influences, many Wehrmacht traditions were transplanted directly into the Volksarmee, such as goose stepping on parade, and peacetime uniforms were almost a direct copy of the ones worn by their fathers, just with communist iconography rather than fascist ones. Their signature helmet was actually a wartime design, trialed in 1943 but never put into service due to the fact that helmet factories would have to have been retooled (it was thought that the West Germans would keep using the stalhelm, so to prevent friendly fire they needed something different). The Stalhelm was also rejected out of worry the offensive it would cause to Soviet and WARPAC citizenry and veterans, since the WARPAC had notionally been formed to prevent renewed German aggression (a genuine worry given West Germany's revanchist stances towards the 1945 Polish border, a matter not fully settled until the ''1990s'').  


The Volksarmee was one of the few outside of Russia to adopt the AK-74 and its more modern 5.45x39 cartridge before the end of the Cold War, and the bayonet remains standard even today because they had so many of them. Many of the obsolete East German AKs in 7.62x39 were given to Soviet allies and remain one of the more common variants to see use by irregulars though they are still far behind the Chinese Type 56 in quantity.
The Volksarmee was so proud of its direct lineage from the Wehrmacht, that they often accused their Western counterparts of "selling out" to the West in general and the Americans in particular, as the Bundeswehr had gone to great lengths to distance itself from the past by adopting American gear like the M1 helmet and by removing almost all of the past Nazi traditions. A number of East German Officers and Generals had even been in the Wehrmacht and League of Free German Officers, a wartime Soviet backed collaborationist organisation that included Wehrmacht and KPD (Communist Party of Germany) members.
 
The Volksarmee was one of the few outside of Russia to adopt the AK-74 and its more modern 5.45x39 cartridge before the end of the Cold War, and the bayonet remains standard even today because they had so many of them. Many of the obsolete East German AKs in 7.62x39 were given to Soviet allies and remain one of the more common variants to see use by irregulars, though they are still far behind the Chinese Type 56 in quantity (though ahead in quality). Remaining surplus has been purchased by Finland (where every man must learn how to use an AK or go to jail) as reserve arms.
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===IRL===
===IRL===
[[File:PolishFlavour1TeamYankee.jpeg|300px|right|thumb|Onwards, when no-one else will!]]
[[File:PolishFlavour1TeamYankee.jpeg|300px|right|thumb|Onwards, when no-one else will!]]
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Polish forces were a mixed bag. The officer corps was without a doubt very Polish and the lower levels sometimes even openly anti-Soviet (there were some parties in 1967, to celebrate “their” Jews defeating the soviet backed Arabs). The Soviets considered them politically unreliable in the long term, and put the Polish troops in the tip of the spear plans so that if there was a betrayal by the Polish military, the best equipped forces the traitors might have would be still engaged with the west. Polish marines were earmarked for some of the most dangerous missions and plans of the war, as expendable troops with acceptable equipment and good training was just what the Soviets wanted for high risk medium reward operations. Polish marine and airborne forces were supposed to try and take over the Danish Belt, supported by some East German units and some of the Baltic Fleet. This was without a doubt a suicide assignment, as they’d be operating with minimal supplies and the landing forces would have to run a gauntlet and a half just to put troops on the ground. Still, they provided the most men out of all the Non-Soviet Warsaw Pact nations.


==Motorizovaná Pěchota==
==Motorizovaná Pěchota==
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With BTR-60 and OT-64 mounted infantry you can purchase a 4 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 vehicles, an 8 point company with 7 rifle teams, 6 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 8 vehicles, or 13 points gets you 10 rifle teams, 9 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 11 vehicles. The BTR-60 is slightly less likely to get stuck in terrain, where the OT-64 is can dash a few inches more.
With BTR-60 and OT-64 mounted infantry you can purchase a 4 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 vehicles, an 8 point company with 7 rifle teams, 6 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 8 vehicles, or 13 points gets you 10 rifle teams, 9 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 11 vehicles. The BTR-60 is slightly less likely to get stuck in terrain, where the OT-64 is can dash a few inches more.


BMP-1 mounted infantry can get a 5 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-1s, a 10 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 9 BMP-1s, or a 12 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-1s.
BMP-1 mounted infantry can get a 5 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-1s, a 10 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 9 BMP-1s, or a 14 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-1s.


BMP-2 mounted infantry can get a 7 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-2s, a 13 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams teams mounted in 9 BMP-2s, or an 18 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-2s.
BMP-2 mounted infantry can get a 7 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-2s, a 13 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams teams mounted in 9 BMP-2s, or an 18 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-2s.


===IRL===
===IRL===
[[File:CzechFlavour1TeamYankee.jpeg|300px|right|thumb|KSC men looking badass, proper firing posture not included. That's not an AK]]
[[File:CzechFlavour1TeamYankee.jpeg|300px|right|thumb|KSC men looking badass, proper firing posture not included. That's not an AK.]]
Probably the most rebellious nation in the Eastern Bloc, Czechoslovak forces were generally quite displeased at being on the Soviet Union's side, especially after the Soviet invasion during the Prague Spring. There was a good degree of mutual animosity between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, so Czechoslovak forces had limited access to or desire to use Soviet gear, often preferring local designs. Humorously enough prior to the 1960s Czech motor rifles would actually be found riding in the German designed SdKfZ 251 half track of World War 2 fame, as these were already in production in Czechoslovakia and they didn't want to switch to making Soviet gear.
Probably the most rebellious nation in the Eastern Bloc, Czechoslovak forces were generally quite displeased at being on the Soviet Union's side, especially after the Soviet invasion during the Prague Spring. There was a good degree of mutual animosity between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, so Czechoslovak forces had limited access to or desire to use Soviet gear, often preferring local designs. Humorously enough prior to the 1960s Czech motor rifles would actually be found riding in the German designed SdKfZ 251 half track of World War 2 fame, as these were already in production in Czechoslovakia and they didn't want to switch to making Soviet gear.


Like most Pact forces outside of Russia proper, at the time Team Yankee is set the Czechs still use the older 7.62x39 cartridge instead of the more modern 5.45x39. Contrary to appearances, the Czech forces do ''not'' use a variant of the AK rifle and instead use a native design in the vz. 58, which operates differently and has no interchangeable parts (not even the magazine). Compared to an AK it is more accurate, features a last round bolt hold open and uses lighter aluminum mags than the overbuilt steel mags used by the AK, but on the downside gets unmanageably hot, even with gloves, much quicker. Today the vz. 58 is being phased out in favor of the CZ 805 BREN 5.56x45 NATO. Due to heavy legal restrictions on rifles based on the AK and AR15 platforms, the vz. 58 remains popular among Canadian civilians since the vz. 58 is not an AK. In addition to not being a restricted firearm, it is able to hit the broad side of a barn, uses readily available detachable magazines, is able to use modern accessories with minimal work and can use the cheap Chinese 7.62x39 all while not being prohibitively expensive.
Like most Pact forces outside of Russia proper, at the time Team Yankee is set the Czechs still use the older 7.62x39 cartridge instead of the more modern 5.45x39. Contrary to appearances, the Czech forces do ''not'' use a variant of the AK rifle and instead use a native design in the vz. 58, which operates differently and has no interchangeable parts (not even the magazine). Compared to an AK it is more accurate, features a last round bolt hold open and uses lighter aluminum mags than the overbuilt steel mags used by the AK, but on the downside gets unmanageably hot, even with gloves, much quicker. Today the vz. 58 is being phased out in favor of the CZ 805 BREN 5.56x45 NATO. Due to heavy legal restrictions on rifles based on the AK and AR15 platforms, the vz. 58 remains popular among Canadian civilians since the vz. 58 is not an AK. In addition to not being a restricted firearm, it is able to hit the broad side of a barn, uses readily available detachable magazines, is able to use modern accessories with minimal work (while never issued with the Soviet side rail, it's easily added by a gunsmith and often imported with one already on) and can use the cheap Chinese 7.62x39 all while not being prohibitively expensive.
 
==Batallon De Infanteria==
 
===In Team Yankee===
 
The Cuban Batallon De Infanteria is ... basically East Germany. Well not quite. Infantry carry the AT-3 Sagger as opposed to the AT-4 Spigot. Stat wise, the AT-3 has longer ranger, but at the cost of double minimum range requirement compared to the Spigot.
Can be taken in either the BTR or BMP-1, with the big difference being if the infantry takes the Sagger or not.
The big take away of the Cuban infantry is just how cheap the rest of their division is. Regardless if you take the BMP-1 or BTR, you will have access to the T-55, T-62, SU-100, the recon vehicles, the anti-tank vehicles, anti-air, and 2S1 Carnations. Given how cheap your models are, it might be wise to consider taking multiple battalions worth of Cubans. Sure you won't have the best tools the Cubans can bring, buts let's not kid ourselves, Cuba is kind of far behind even by Pact Standards.
===IRL===
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (or Fuerzas Armadas Revoluicioanrias...or FAR) is an interesting talking point for Cold War politics. After deposing Batista in the 50s, the 26th of July Movement reorganized itself into an actual army. In 1961, the army had its first taste of combat when US backed Brigade 2506 invaded Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion. This invasion pretty much guaranteed Cuba would side with the USSR. And what do you know, Cuba is right next door to the US. Wouldn't it be nice if the Soviets could station nukes? After all the Soviets have more mid range missiles then intercontinental, and the US is putting atomic weapons in Turkey so it be perfectly fair to put US cities in range, ''What's the worst that could happen?'' One Missile Crisis later, and Cuba basically got a guarantee of existence from the Soviets. Now being next door to the US gave Cuba something of a weird situation. If the Soviets ever wanted to invade, Cuba would become more or less the staging ground for any invasion. Consequently, due to being right next door to the US, Cuba was pretty much barred from joining the Warsaw Pact. Despite this, Cuba received a lot of military aid from the Soviets. Again, because they are right next door to the US.
Not being part of the Warsaw Pact did give Cuba some flexibility. By not being directly under Soviet Command, the Cuban military could operate independently to spread communism. And that is exactly what the Cuban military did. From South America to South Africa, to even the middle east, the Cuban military operated. Technically as advisors for Communist backed insurgent groups, but in some cases as active combatants. By the 80s, Cuba had perhaps the most combat experience of all the Warsaw Pact nations (with exceptions of Russia)
Interestingly, if you read up on how the Cuban Military is organized, most western sources will conclude the Cuban military was based more on Western Structure as opposed to the Soviet Doctrine. Now why this isn't represented in game could be tossed up to development oversight, but there is an easier explanation.
 
===Red Dawn Canon===
 
Yeah, it's safe to say that Cuba in Team Yankee takes more influence from the movie than real life. In the movie, Cuba is used as an in-between for the Soviets and newly organized South American Forces. One can argue that the Cuba list is meant to represent Less of a Cuban force, and more of a Cuban led South American Coalition force.  


==Mechanized Infantry Company==
==Mechanized Infantry Company==


===In Team Yankee===
===In Team Yankee===
Place
[[File:N56.jpg|300px|thumb|right|I surrender! Here, take me!!]]
[[File:Iraqi Mechanized Company BMP-1.png|300px|left|thumb|Run Away!]]
[[File:Iraqi Mechanized Heavy Weapons BTR-60.png|300px|left|thumb|Hadji Weapons]]
The mechanized company is the main objective holder of the Iraqi Army, and also one of the only units that can fight tanks.
 
Like other WARPAC infantry companies, the Iraqis have cheap, spammable infantry with the numbers to beat down Western forces with sheer weight of fire: both from the riflemen and the vehicles they ride.
 
The Iraqis do not have access to BMP-2, but make up for it with a somewhat respectable profile. While your conscripts have the training of Soviet peasants, they have 4+ courage, morale and rally and should be played like a mix of East Germans and Soviets. Thanks to their Western equipment, some units have access to Milan missiles, giving you the option to turn your Iraqis into quasi-British units with spammed Milans.
 
Like the Frenchies, these Milans are one of the only weapons capable of beating 3rd generation tanks and should be positioned to deny areas to enemy tanks, if not outright engaging them. These troops should be aggressively pushed to deny pieces of terrain to your enemy. They might not have the numbers of Czechs, but are extremely close and come with better morale.
 
In the Iraqi arsenal, the AMX-10P could be seen as a BTR with more armour, a (barely) heavier weapon and better off-road performance. Your BTRs have traditionally been the suicidal first wave in an assault, and your AMX-10Ps should take the same role: except they have a chance to brush off autocannon fire from enemy IFVs and won't vapourize under artillery.
 
A BTR-60/OT-64 motorized company comes in at 4 points for 7 AK teams, 1 RPG team and 4 vehicles; 13 AKs, 2 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 9 vehicles for 7 points or 19 AKs, 3 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 12 vehicles for 10 points. Each company may take a team of SA-7s for 1 point, AT-3 Saggers for 1 point, or 1 Milan team for 2 points. All of these units come with a vehicle of their parent company.
 
The BTR-60/OT-64 company can upgrade its vehicles to AMX-10Ps for only 3 points, and can mount Milans if desired: but not Sagger missiles.
 
A BMP-1 mechanized company comes in at 5 points for 4 AKs, 3 RPGs and 4 BMPs, 7 AKs, 6 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 9 BMPs for 10 points, or 10 AKs, 9 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 12 BMPs for 14 points. Each company can add on a team of SA-7s with a BMP for 1 point.


===IRL===
===IRL===
Holder
 
[[File:150303-calbraith-iraq-army-tease fescam.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Modern hajis, because equipping folks with questionable loyalty is a great idea.]]
 
By 1985, the Iraq Mechanized Infantry Company, with it's soviet level of training, either represents an Iraqi force at the start of the conflict, or more likely the Republican Guard units being trained in Western Iraq for the eventual counterattack in 1987. The only truly mechanized units left in the Iraqi army were the Republican Guard forces, mostly because as losses mounted and replacements were not easily available, things broke down and were never recovered. Purchases were starting as funding from the Gulf States allowed the Iraqis to make foreign arms purchases once again, but in general the Iraqi army of this period was by no means a mechanized force in reality.
 
The conscript based Iraqi army was struggling to do anything at all really, and the stalemate was being held to by both sides at this point in the war. The Iraqis had spent their best troops in a meat grinder in 1980 and 1981 trying to seize and siege several Iranian cities, and lost way more than they gained. The Iraqi forces were only really effective fighting in the defense, from static positions - maneuver was practically unknown. Executions for minor infractions were common, and about 80% of the army was Shia, and not enthusiastic about being there, but had to fight or be killed either by their officers or the Iranians. Really, Battlefront, a better model for the base line Iraqi's would be to have morale issues even worse than the Czechs.
 
Historically speaking, the major issues with the Iraqi army wouldn't be solved without major outside assistance and the Iranians pissing everyone off enough that they couldn't buy new equipment. Iraq would be rocked hard in '86, and end up having to resort to absolutely insane amounts of chemical weapon use in '87 and '88 to force the Iranians back and out of Iraqi territory - which for most of the war had been under Iranian control. By this point the Iraqi conscript army was a more professional force probably better deserving the statline assigned to them here, as training and equipment improved over time. This army though had also ballooned in size and expense to the fourth largest in the world, something that would be partially responsible for the 1991 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.


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Latest revision as of 08:09, 22 June 2023

"The Hammer, the Sickle, the AK-47"

– Ahoy

While tanks were the icon of the Warsaw Pact's militaries, it was the infantry that allowed these tanks to lead feared charges into Western Europe. With hordes upon hordes deployed, the Eastern Bloc often combined Soviet doctrine with training and doctrine from World War 2 or even earlier. For example, Poland's militaristic culture combined nicely with Communism while the NVA combined Soviet technology to Wehrmacht doctrine and the German reputation for precision. Regardless of their origins and uniforms, the infantry of the Eastern Bloc lacked the advanced technology that defined NATO forces but made up for it with reliable tools in sheer numbers.

Despite having nearly identical equipment, each faction employs its infantry in different roles thanks to the varying lists and stats.

Motor Rifle Company[edit]

Ivan! Keep up you debil!

"Soldier, remember! In critical situation, you won't rise to the level of your expectations but fall to the level of your training."

– Red Army poster

The base of all Soviet Infantry armed with AK74s for the most part. Additional weapons include PKM light machineguns, RPG-7s and a SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team. The differences in game vary mostly in specializing transport like the VDV with their Hinds and the Hardened veterans of the Afghan wars.

In Team Yankee[edit]

The Stats. Cyka Blyat?

The motorstrelki have the most options for a singular unit. In addition to additional weapons, you have a choice of three transports: BMP-2s, BMP-1s and BTR-60s. A good PACT player can be told from a great one from how they build their motorized infantry lists. There is no correct answer; each of these units are competitive and have their own niche. While your infantry company WILL overwhelm a NATO platoon in a head-on fight, they require support to get there. All the infantry bases in the world are next to useless when hit by machine gun fire and artillery without cover: smoke, artillery and pinning the enemy are essential to making your motor-rifles work, and also a key reason why PACT forces are far less beginner friendly than NATO units which can mostly function on their own (but not ideally).

While their PACT brethren may have 4+ skill, orders are not totally essential when commanding a solid wall of men. The key stats that make Soviet infantry so deadly in the game is 3+ morale and 3+ rally which allow them to recover from pinning most of the time. This means less time spent hugging the ground and more time to carry out your plan, whether its repelling attacks from a building or slowly advancing with smoke to cover. 3+ counterattack is nice to have, but not required in most game plans.

They might be expensive, but are more versatile and have easy access to BMP-2s across most formations, unlike their PACT comrades.

Update: the Motor Rifles are set to receive a boost to their firepower. The upcoming Soviet book will enable all companies to upgrade to the RPG 7 VR for 2 points for the unit, sacrificing 4” range for AT 19 and firepower 2+, as well as the very situational Tandem Warhead. This is a very solid upgrade, finally allowing infantry to be a legitimate threat to tanks with Chobham. Like the TOW tax, all units that can take this upgrade must do so if anyone is so equipped.

BMP Shock Motor Rifle Company[edit]

Moar Stats

A new variant of Soviet infantry, only available as in-formation support for the T-80 shock company. These are highly capable fighters, whose stats put the Afghantsy veterans to shame. Still having the same rock solid Soviet morale/rally, Shock rifles have a Skill rating of 3+, Assault 4+, and are hit on a NATO-esque 4+. This makes them slightly superior to West German panzergrenadiers, and flat out better than most other infantry. Coming in BMP 3s and rocking the RPG 7 VR stock, as well as having the same heavy weapon options as the standard Motor Rifles, this unit is equipped to handle most battlefield situations. To save a few points, they can be downgraded to BMP 2s. Their transports likewise share their awesome stat line.

Naturally, all of this does not come without cost. Available in small (4 AK, 3 RPG, 4 BMP) and medium (6 AK, 5 RPG, 1 PKM, 6 BMP) size only, the Shock company is smaller than their standard brethren, though still larger than most NATO infantry units in the case of the medium company. They are also quite expensive, with the medium company weighing in at 24 points with BMP 3s, or 21 points with BMP 2s. For comparison, a medium BMP 2 motor rifle company with upgraded RPGs costs 1 point less, and has an additional AK, RPG, and PKM base, as well as three extra BMPs. Having said that, the additional cost may not be entirely unjustified. Being hit on 4+, reliably using orders, and hitting harder in assaults makes the Shock rifles far more self-sufficient. Likewise, their transports can use movement orders and line of sight blocking terrain to play peekaboo with enemy units and stay alive rather than relying on target overload. The unit will certainly require a different approach that Soviet players are used to.

IRL[edit]

Ignore the dust comrade! It will only make you stronker!

Soviet Motor Rifle infantry, known as Motostrelki, were the bread and butter of the Soviet Armed Forces since the reformation of the Red Army into the Soviet Armed Forces in 1946. As the name implies Motorstrelki, or MR as they're abbreviated to, were all motorized infantry who were to act as the main Soviet force in any conventional or unconventional conflict. Their job would to act tactically as motorized infantry, and on what the Soviets dubbed the 'operational' level, a level of warfare between the strategic and tactical levels, help in the exploitation, reinforcement, and line holding duties, alongside supplementing tank units, their all motorized nature allowing them to keep up with the extremely high tempo warfare they had planned on.

Their use in battle was to dismount from their BMP, BTR, and MT-LB vehicles at a few hundred meters from their targets, and advance with their attached tanks at roughly equal pace which should, at least in theory, allow for infantry to keep pace with the tanks, allowing the tanks to cover the infantry, and vice versa with targets being pointed out to the tanks through the use of tracers the Motostrelki are given.

By the time of Team Yankee the Russians have replaced their 7.62x39 AKMs with 5.45x39 AK-74s. This tweaked copy of 5.56 NATO gives lighter, longer range ammo with less recoil in exchange for less barrier penetration. The AKM remains in use for rear line units.

Bears mentioning that Group of Soviet Forces in Germany was creme de la creme of the Red Army, supplied and trained to a highest standards. Simply being enlisted there was considered very prestigious, as every candidate had to show both physical (or professional) qualities and unshakable loyalty to the Party not to defect to the Westerners (and let's not forget that a lot of western stuff could be bought there, and salaries for conscripted soldiers and NCOs were paid in East German marks). Many officers had families there, as one could call GSFG a state within a state.

Mot-Schützen Kompanie[edit]

"Franz...are we the baddies, again?"

The Nationale Volksarmee was regarded as the best trained of the Warsaw Pact client states, including both their NCOs and officers who were considered to be a cut above their less motivated allies. Constructed on a base of communist die-hards and reformed ex-Wehrmacht veterans the NVA combined the traditions of a German Army with battle-tested Soviet doctrine. Armed with their older MPi KM (AKM) rifles, the Mot-Schützen lack the added firepower of the under-barrel grenade launcher of their Soviet comrades (reflected in the stats), though they were known for a greater usage of RPKs in the SAW role (not reflected in the stats).

In Team Yankee[edit]

The Stat Card...
and the heavy weapons. Achtung!

Like any PACT army, the East Germans have a tendency towards hordes of men and machines, and the Mot-Schützen Kompanie is no different. They are functionally identical to Soviet motorized rifles with identical point costs. However, they gain 4+ skill and drop to 4+ rally: expect them to pass orders most of the time, but they are more vulnerable to being pinned. Experienced players will realize the importance of 3+ rally when their infantry choose to stay pinned instead of moving forward, which is the main issue stopping the East Germans from being strictly better Soviets. Motorschützen also lack 5+ firepower on their assault rifles. Take note of this when planning attacks on entrenched or garrisoned infantry.

The two fundamental parts of your unit are the AKM Teams and your RPG-7 teams, but added weapon teams make this unit more interesting. For 1 point each, you can take an AGS-17 grenade launcher team, up to two Spigot ATGM teams and/or one Gremlin MANPAD team. Considering that you can take smaller infantry companies to bring more heavy weapons to the field, certain units may become redundant. For example, 3-4 companies of Mot-Schützen with Gremlin MANPADs could fill your anti-air role in games with point values below 30. Spigots are not purchasable for BMP mounted troops, as your transports are already capable of firing missiles.

Points cost for the motorschutzen are identical to Soviet motor rifles, including the cost of transports.

IRL[edit]

East German tourists, posing for a picture near the border.

One of the smaller armies of the Warsaw Pact the NVA maintained a high level of readiness like their Soviet comrades in the GSFG garrison, ready to mobilize for war within hours, and remember Berlin was split right in half with western armed forces behind the border in east German territory. If war started the first order of business was wiping those troops off the map as-fast-as-possible so they don't cause trouble. In the event of war, the NVA was to be placed directly into the 5 Soviet Armies of the GSFG, as opposed to their larger allies Poland and Czechoslovakia who would have their own Army-sized units.

You might be wondering why the East Germans have their own infantry models while the other PACT nations have to make do with painting soviet infantry in different colors. Besides staggering laziness and favouritism on Battlefront's part, the Volksarmee wore a distinct helmet which makes using the standard Soviet infantry as NVA infantry impossible.

When the National Volksarmee was formed in the late 1950s, they desperately wanted to prevent their soldiers from looking like Red Army clones, as the atrocities committed against the German people in the closing days of the war by the Soviets were still very much in the public consciousness. In an effort to minimize obvious red army influences, many Wehrmacht traditions were transplanted directly into the Volksarmee, such as goose stepping on parade, and peacetime uniforms were almost a direct copy of the ones worn by their fathers, just with communist iconography rather than fascist ones. Their signature helmet was actually a wartime design, trialed in 1943 but never put into service due to the fact that helmet factories would have to have been retooled (it was thought that the West Germans would keep using the stalhelm, so to prevent friendly fire they needed something different). The Stalhelm was also rejected out of worry the offensive it would cause to Soviet and WARPAC citizenry and veterans, since the WARPAC had notionally been formed to prevent renewed German aggression (a genuine worry given West Germany's revanchist stances towards the 1945 Polish border, a matter not fully settled until the 1990s).

The Volksarmee was so proud of its direct lineage from the Wehrmacht, that they often accused their Western counterparts of "selling out" to the West in general and the Americans in particular, as the Bundeswehr had gone to great lengths to distance itself from the past by adopting American gear like the M1 helmet and by removing almost all of the past Nazi traditions. A number of East German Officers and Generals had even been in the Wehrmacht and League of Free German Officers, a wartime Soviet backed collaborationist organisation that included Wehrmacht and KPD (Communist Party of Germany) members.

The Volksarmee was one of the few outside of Russia to adopt the AK-74 and its more modern 5.45x39 cartridge before the end of the Cold War, and the bayonet remains standard even today because they had so many of them. Many of the obsolete East German AKs in 7.62x39 were given to Soviet allies and remain one of the more common variants to see use by irregulars, though they are still far behind the Chinese Type 56 in quantity (though ahead in quality). Remaining surplus has been purchased by Finland (where every man must learn how to use an AK or go to jail) as reserve arms.

Kompania Zmotoryzowana[edit]

In Team Yankee[edit]

Polish Stats, towarzyszu!

The motorized rifle company (zmotoryzowana kompania piechoty) have a very weird place in the Pact forces as having the best statline for frontline troops: resistant to morale shock and pinning but paying for it in points and weak equipment. Notably, your rifle teams don't have RPG-18s. All anti-tank duties are delegated to your RPG-7 teams, which may or may not be very significant depending on whether you expect your infantry to serve as all-rounders or to fight other infantry for the most part. They do have 4+ skill, which means you should be using orders whenever possible.

As with other PACT forces, try not to have these teams in close combat. You may have plenty of bases, but 5+ assault means you will only land one hit per three teams.

Polish motorized rifles (BTR/OT-64s) may purchase the following heavy weapon teams: 2 Spigot ATGM teams for 2 points each, and an SA-7 Strela team for one point.

Mechanized rifles (BMP-1s/BMP-2s) may purchase only a single SA-7 team, with the BMP-1 mounted team costing 1 point and the BMP-2 mounted team costing 2 points. Companies above the smallest size get 2 PKM LMG teams though, which offer a very solid base of fire that can pin a NATO platoon or shred through doughboys in the open.

Without mass BMP-2s, Polish players are forced to rely on the BMP-1: a decent vehicle, but lacking the AT21 ATGMs that make the BMP-2 so strong. The cost discounts of NVA and Czech riflemen balance this out, something your Poles do NOT get.

However, they do have the best statline second to the VDV if you want your infantry to push forward or just to bog the enemy down without becoming pinned. With 4+ skill and orders, you will have an easier time giving orders to blitz or dig-in and have the required stats to minimize the chances that they will panic and go to ground when hammered by artillery or machinegun fire. 5+ FP means that they excel in close-range firefights against enemy infantry...once you get close enough of course. Use smoke, artillery and cunning plans to ensure that these men can get close and do their job.

A key point with Polish units is that with BMP-1 and BMP-2 mounted infantry, you are paying premium points for the combination of elite infantry and 4+ BMPs with ATGMs. In fact, the maxed out BMP platoons cost 5 points more than their Soviet counterparts. For once you will probably outnumber the enemy by 3 to 2 instead of the usual 40-1 that your Poles are used to. For those who don't get the joke, this will be one of the few times the Poles aren't horribly outnumbered and destroyed.

Mediocre with BMPs, excellent with BTRs/OTs.

IRL[edit]

Onwards, when no-one else will!

Polish forces were a mixed bag. The officer corps was without a doubt very Polish and the lower levels sometimes even openly anti-Soviet (there were some parties in 1967, to celebrate “their” Jews defeating the soviet backed Arabs). The Soviets considered them politically unreliable in the long term, and put the Polish troops in the tip of the spear plans so that if there was a betrayal by the Polish military, the best equipped forces the traitors might have would be still engaged with the west. Polish marines were earmarked for some of the most dangerous missions and plans of the war, as expendable troops with acceptable equipment and good training was just what the Soviets wanted for high risk medium reward operations. Polish marine and airborne forces were supposed to try and take over the Danish Belt, supported by some East German units and some of the Baltic Fleet. This was without a doubt a suicide assignment, as they’d be operating with minimal supplies and the landing forces would have to run a gauntlet and a half just to put troops on the ground. Still, they provided the most men out of all the Non-Soviet Warsaw Pact nations.

Motorizovaná Pěchota[edit]

In Team Yankee[edit]

Onwards, when no one is left!
We are 'eavy weapons guys

The Rota motorizované pěchoty (motorized infantry company) of the Czechs represent the cheapest infantry one can buy in Team Yankee and interestingly, are the only ones presented as a true conscript force with unmotivated, underequipped soldiers who would rather be getting pissed in babushka's basement than being shot at by strange men shooting at them with big black cannons.

Unlike their Pact brethren, Czech infantry are atrocious on the offensive. Like the East Germans they have 4+ skill to make use of cover, but their 5+ rally stat mean that once pinned by artillery or machine gun fire, they are going to stay there for 3 turns statistically speaking.

In a firefight, the Czechs are rather mediocre. With their Vz.58 rifles having an 8" range, FP6, and pinned ROF 1, they are incredibly unlikely to actually do any damage once suppressed by artillery or gunfire. They may have the numbers, but they don't have the guts to actually fire back at the enemy or close in where their ROF3 Vz.58s can do their work. If you don't run minimum sized companies the Vz.59 LMG team(s) can try to get a few shots off, but you only get one or two depending on your transport choice.

On the attack, a pinned company is a dead company that will fall to machine gun fire, rockets and almost anything that the enemy has to offer. On the defensive? This is where things start to change....

It may seem the Czechs have THE most worthless infantry in the game, which is false thanks to one redeeming factor: cost. While your infantry won't make their points back against all but the worst opponents, infantry in Team Yankee are still the toughest units to dislodge when hiding in taking bulletproof cover. And with skill 4+ you stand a decent chance of digging in. Taken as a single allied company, your conscript horde will HOLD the objective. Any player who has tried to repel dug-in British infantry will give horror stories of these troops gunning down all who tried to get close, before tearing through their men with 3+ assault. NATO players can look forward to sharing their own story, where an objective was protected by 7-21 bases of dug-in infantry. Your dug in infantry company can literally outlast your opponents, having enough bodies that it becomes a mathematical impossibility to capture objectives unless all firepower is focused on killing the defending company. The body-blocking tactics are a possibility with Czech players thanks to their discounts.

You can pay 1 or 2 points for a single stand of AGS-17 grenade launchers and/or SA-7 AA missiles per company with a transport for each team, with the BMP-2 mounted teams costing more. OT-64 mounted infantry also have the option of taking up to 2 stands of AT-4 ATGM for 2 points per team and transport. If you are attacking then these are just extra points for a single stand that will probably spend most of the game moving or pinned down. On the defense the AT-4 ATGM teams, while pretty mediocre, at least mean the enemy can't ignore the company until it is convenient for him to close in, but taking them nullifies any points you saved by not bringing BMPs. Take any points you were considering investing in the AGS-17 and/or SA-7 teams and just bring Shilkas

With BTR-60 and OT-64 mounted infantry you can purchase a 4 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 vehicles, an 8 point company with 7 rifle teams, 6 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 8 vehicles, or 13 points gets you 10 rifle teams, 9 RPG teams and 1 LMG team with 11 vehicles. The BTR-60 is slightly less likely to get stuck in terrain, where the OT-64 is can dash a few inches more.

BMP-1 mounted infantry can get a 5 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-1s, a 10 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 9 BMP-1s, or a 14 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-1s.

BMP-2 mounted infantry can get a 7 point company with 4 rifle teams and 3 RPG teams mounted in 4 BMP-2s, a 13 point company with 7 rifle teams 6 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams teams mounted in 9 BMP-2s, or an 18 point company with 10 rifle teams 9 RPG teams and 2 LMG teams mounted in 12 BMP-2s.

IRL[edit]

KSC men looking badass, proper firing posture not included. That's not an AK.

Probably the most rebellious nation in the Eastern Bloc, Czechoslovak forces were generally quite displeased at being on the Soviet Union's side, especially after the Soviet invasion during the Prague Spring. There was a good degree of mutual animosity between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, so Czechoslovak forces had limited access to or desire to use Soviet gear, often preferring local designs. Humorously enough prior to the 1960s Czech motor rifles would actually be found riding in the German designed SdKfZ 251 half track of World War 2 fame, as these were already in production in Czechoslovakia and they didn't want to switch to making Soviet gear.

Like most Pact forces outside of Russia proper, at the time Team Yankee is set the Czechs still use the older 7.62x39 cartridge instead of the more modern 5.45x39. Contrary to appearances, the Czech forces do not use a variant of the AK rifle and instead use a native design in the vz. 58, which operates differently and has no interchangeable parts (not even the magazine). Compared to an AK it is more accurate, features a last round bolt hold open and uses lighter aluminum mags than the overbuilt steel mags used by the AK, but on the downside gets unmanageably hot, even with gloves, much quicker. Today the vz. 58 is being phased out in favor of the CZ 805 BREN 5.56x45 NATO. Due to heavy legal restrictions on rifles based on the AK and AR15 platforms, the vz. 58 remains popular among Canadian civilians since the vz. 58 is not an AK. In addition to not being a restricted firearm, it is able to hit the broad side of a barn, uses readily available detachable magazines, is able to use modern accessories with minimal work (while never issued with the Soviet side rail, it's easily added by a gunsmith and often imported with one already on) and can use the cheap Chinese 7.62x39 all while not being prohibitively expensive.

Batallon De Infanteria[edit]

In Team Yankee[edit]

The Cuban Batallon De Infanteria is ... basically East Germany. Well not quite. Infantry carry the AT-3 Sagger as opposed to the AT-4 Spigot. Stat wise, the AT-3 has longer ranger, but at the cost of double minimum range requirement compared to the Spigot. Can be taken in either the BTR or BMP-1, with the big difference being if the infantry takes the Sagger or not. The big take away of the Cuban infantry is just how cheap the rest of their division is. Regardless if you take the BMP-1 or BTR, you will have access to the T-55, T-62, SU-100, the recon vehicles, the anti-tank vehicles, anti-air, and 2S1 Carnations. Given how cheap your models are, it might be wise to consider taking multiple battalions worth of Cubans. Sure you won't have the best tools the Cubans can bring, buts let's not kid ourselves, Cuba is kind of far behind even by Pact Standards.

IRL[edit]

The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (or Fuerzas Armadas Revoluicioanrias...or FAR) is an interesting talking point for Cold War politics. After deposing Batista in the 50s, the 26th of July Movement reorganized itself into an actual army. In 1961, the army had its first taste of combat when US backed Brigade 2506 invaded Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion. This invasion pretty much guaranteed Cuba would side with the USSR. And what do you know, Cuba is right next door to the US. Wouldn't it be nice if the Soviets could station nukes? After all the Soviets have more mid range missiles then intercontinental, and the US is putting atomic weapons in Turkey so it be perfectly fair to put US cities in range, What's the worst that could happen? One Missile Crisis later, and Cuba basically got a guarantee of existence from the Soviets. Now being next door to the US gave Cuba something of a weird situation. If the Soviets ever wanted to invade, Cuba would become more or less the staging ground for any invasion. Consequently, due to being right next door to the US, Cuba was pretty much barred from joining the Warsaw Pact. Despite this, Cuba received a lot of military aid from the Soviets. Again, because they are right next door to the US. Not being part of the Warsaw Pact did give Cuba some flexibility. By not being directly under Soviet Command, the Cuban military could operate independently to spread communism. And that is exactly what the Cuban military did. From South America to South Africa, to even the middle east, the Cuban military operated. Technically as advisors for Communist backed insurgent groups, but in some cases as active combatants. By the 80s, Cuba had perhaps the most combat experience of all the Warsaw Pact nations (with exceptions of Russia) Interestingly, if you read up on how the Cuban Military is organized, most western sources will conclude the Cuban military was based more on Western Structure as opposed to the Soviet Doctrine. Now why this isn't represented in game could be tossed up to development oversight, but there is an easier explanation.

Red Dawn Canon[edit]

Yeah, it's safe to say that Cuba in Team Yankee takes more influence from the movie than real life. In the movie, Cuba is used as an in-between for the Soviets and newly organized South American Forces. One can argue that the Cuba list is meant to represent Less of a Cuban force, and more of a Cuban led South American Coalition force.

Mechanized Infantry Company[edit]

In Team Yankee[edit]

I surrender! Here, take me!!
Run Away!
Hadji Weapons

The mechanized company is the main objective holder of the Iraqi Army, and also one of the only units that can fight tanks.

Like other WARPAC infantry companies, the Iraqis have cheap, spammable infantry with the numbers to beat down Western forces with sheer weight of fire: both from the riflemen and the vehicles they ride.

The Iraqis do not have access to BMP-2, but make up for it with a somewhat respectable profile. While your conscripts have the training of Soviet peasants, they have 4+ courage, morale and rally and should be played like a mix of East Germans and Soviets. Thanks to their Western equipment, some units have access to Milan missiles, giving you the option to turn your Iraqis into quasi-British units with spammed Milans.

Like the Frenchies, these Milans are one of the only weapons capable of beating 3rd generation tanks and should be positioned to deny areas to enemy tanks, if not outright engaging them. These troops should be aggressively pushed to deny pieces of terrain to your enemy. They might not have the numbers of Czechs, but are extremely close and come with better morale.

In the Iraqi arsenal, the AMX-10P could be seen as a BTR with more armour, a (barely) heavier weapon and better off-road performance. Your BTRs have traditionally been the suicidal first wave in an assault, and your AMX-10Ps should take the same role: except they have a chance to brush off autocannon fire from enemy IFVs and won't vapourize under artillery.

A BTR-60/OT-64 motorized company comes in at 4 points for 7 AK teams, 1 RPG team and 4 vehicles; 13 AKs, 2 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 9 vehicles for 7 points or 19 AKs, 3 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 12 vehicles for 10 points. Each company may take a team of SA-7s for 1 point, AT-3 Saggers for 1 point, or 1 Milan team for 2 points. All of these units come with a vehicle of their parent company.

The BTR-60/OT-64 company can upgrade its vehicles to AMX-10Ps for only 3 points, and can mount Milans if desired: but not Sagger missiles.

A BMP-1 mechanized company comes in at 5 points for 4 AKs, 3 RPGs and 4 BMPs, 7 AKs, 6 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 9 BMPs for 10 points, or 10 AKs, 9 RPGs, 2 PKMs and 12 BMPs for 14 points. Each company can add on a team of SA-7s with a BMP for 1 point.

IRL[edit]

Modern hajis, because equipping folks with questionable loyalty is a great idea.

By 1985, the Iraq Mechanized Infantry Company, with it's soviet level of training, either represents an Iraqi force at the start of the conflict, or more likely the Republican Guard units being trained in Western Iraq for the eventual counterattack in 1987. The only truly mechanized units left in the Iraqi army were the Republican Guard forces, mostly because as losses mounted and replacements were not easily available, things broke down and were never recovered. Purchases were starting as funding from the Gulf States allowed the Iraqis to make foreign arms purchases once again, but in general the Iraqi army of this period was by no means a mechanized force in reality.

The conscript based Iraqi army was struggling to do anything at all really, and the stalemate was being held to by both sides at this point in the war. The Iraqis had spent their best troops in a meat grinder in 1980 and 1981 trying to seize and siege several Iranian cities, and lost way more than they gained. The Iraqi forces were only really effective fighting in the defense, from static positions - maneuver was practically unknown. Executions for minor infractions were common, and about 80% of the army was Shia, and not enthusiastic about being there, but had to fight or be killed either by their officers or the Iranians. Really, Battlefront, a better model for the base line Iraqi's would be to have morale issues even worse than the Czechs.

Historically speaking, the major issues with the Iraqi army wouldn't be solved without major outside assistance and the Iranians pissing everyone off enough that they couldn't buy new equipment. Iraq would be rocked hard in '86, and end up having to resort to absolutely insane amounts of chemical weapon use in '87 and '88 to force the Iranians back and out of Iraqi territory - which for most of the war had been under Iranian control. By this point the Iraqi conscript army was a more professional force probably better deserving the statline assigned to them here, as training and equipment improved over time. This army though had also ballooned in size and expense to the fourth largest in the world, something that would be partially responsible for the 1991 invasion of Kuwait by Iraq.

Soviet Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks: T55AM2 - T-62M - T-64 - T-72 - T-80 - T-72B - T-64BV
Transports: BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2 - BMP-3 -BMD-1 - BMD-2 - BTR-D
Troops: Motor Rifle Company - Hind Assault Landing Company - Afghansty Air Assault Company - BMP Shock Motor Rifle Company - BMD Air Assault Company - Afghansty BMD Air Assault Platoon
Artillery: 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - BM-21 Hail - TOS-1 Buratino - BM-27 Uragan - 2S9 Nona - BM-37 82mm mortar platoon
Anti-Aircraft: ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA-9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - 2S6 Tunguska - BTR-ZD
Tank Hunters: Spandrel - Storm - BTR-RD - ASU-85
Recon: BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2
Aircraft: SU-22 Fitter - SU-25 Frogfoot - MI-24 Hind
East German Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks: T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B
Transports: BTR-60 - BMP-1 - BMP-2
Troops: Mot-Schützen Kompanie - Hind Assault Landing Company
Artillery: 2S1 Carnation - BM-21 Hail - RM-70 - 2S3 Acacia
Anti-Aircraft: ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko
Tank Hunters: Spandrel
Recon: BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2
Aircraft: MI-24 Hind - SU-22 Fitter
Soviet Support: SU-25 Frogfoot
Polish Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks: T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B
Transports: SKOT-2A - BMP-1 - BMP-2
Troops: Zmotory Kompania - Hind Assault Landing Company
Artillery: Dana SpGH - BM-21 Hail
Anti-Aircraft: ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher -SA-8 Gecko
Tank Hunters: Spandrel
Recon: BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2
Aircraft: MI-24 Hind - SU-22 Fitter
Soviet Support: SU-25 Frogfoot
Czech Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks: T-55 - T55AM2 - T-72M - T-72B
Transports: OT-64 - BMP-1 - BMP-2
Troops: Motostrelci
Artillery: 2S1 Carnation - Dana SpGH - RM-70
Anti-Aircraft: ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-8 Gecko - SA9 Gaskin - SA-13 Gopher - M53/59 Praga
Tank Hunters: Spandrel
Recon: BMP-1 OP - BRDM-2
Aircraft: MI-24 Hind - SU-25 Frogfoot - SU-22 Fitter
Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks: T-55 - T-62 - T-72M
Transports: BTR-60 - OT-64 - AMX-10P - BMP-1
Troops: Motor Rifle Company
Artillery: 2S1 Carnation - 2S3 Acacia - AMX Auf1 - BM-21 Hail
Anti-Aircraft: ZSU 23-4 Shilka - SA-13 Gopher - SA9 Gaskin - SA-8 Gecko - Roland AA
Tank Hunters: Spandrel - VCR/TH
Recon: BRDM-2 - BTR-60 OP
Aircraft: MI-24 Hind - Gazelle HOT
US Support: A-10 Warthog - AV-8 Harrier