Team Yankee

FREEDOM BITCHES!!!

"Sunday, August 4, 1985 the Warsaw Pact thundered across the Iron Curtain. 6 Soviet Armies, backed up by the forces of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany, hammered into the NATO forces guarding the border. The Americans, supported by the armies of West Germany, Britain, and France, are strained to the breaking point at the Soviet Advance. It is 1985, and the Cold War has just gone hot."

Welcome soldier to Team Yankee, Battlefront Miniatures alternate history game where World War 3 breaks out on the fields of central Germany. Maybe you're here for the cool tanks, maybe you're here to fight to spread your preferred form of economic system, or maybe you're here to titillate your Acronym fetish. Team Yankee is based on the book of the same name by Harold Coyle, the story of Team Yankee follows a unit of the US Army named Team Yankee (of course) as they struggle to hold off those damn commies, with viewpoints from the other armies added in their respective Army rule book.

The Story

So obviously the story of Team Yankee is a bit unrealistic but bear with us alright? In 1985 the Soviet Union is dealing with a mounting internal issues and with the death of Leonid Brezhnev, the USSR was faced with a choice between Mikhail Gorbachev or another hard line communist. In our world Gorbachev was selected as the Primer of the Soviet Union, which would eventually lead to its collapse, but in the Team Yankee universe, a old Stalinist took his place instead.

Believing that after the disastrous war in Afghanistan, the best way to reassure the people of the Unions strength would be a victorious war with the west, and any seized resources could be used to immediately shore up the slumping economy (incidentally this is probably why there was not a nuclear exchange and the subsequent destruction of the world).

It was in the Persian gulf that the USSR found its excuse to begin preparing for war. The Iran-Iraq war had been blazing for 4 years and though it was an active warzone, the trade of Oil continued mostly unabated. That was until a pair of Iranian Jets attacked and sank a Saudi tanker with huge loss of life. The United States began increasing its Naval presence in the gulf to both prevent additional attacks on commercial vessels in international waters. As part of this action, on the 27th of July, the destroyer USS Charles Logan was patrolling off the Straits of Hormuz when it was rammed by a Soviet Cruiser, which was ostensibly there to do the same thing. In the confusion, both ships fired on each other before retiring to their respective ports

Claiming that this was a blatant attack on a Soviet warship, the Warsaw Pact issued a statement of solidarity and then began to increase troop movements toward the Iron Curtain. In response the United States began to react in kind, and over 100,000 national guardsmen were federalized as front line combat units started moving to their wartime posts.

The Game

Team Yankee is a 15mm (about 1:100 scale) Table Top Wargame, usually played on a standard 6x4 game table. To play Team Yankee, you will need a tape measure (both Inches and Centimeters work), a whole bunch of D6 dice, an army of models, and some friends to play with (that one will probably be the toughest, to be honest).

Playing the game

Example Turn

What Follows is a basic layout of a standard turn

1. Starting Step
This is where most of the administrative stuff happens. Check the Morale of your formations and units, roll for reserves, rally pinned units, free bogged down tanks, remount bailed out tanks, remove smoke from the previous turn, etc. etc. etc.

2. Movement Step
Move your units (duh). The amount a unit can move is dictated by the terrain they have to deal with. The majority of orders are given in this phase as well.

3. Shooting Step
No problem cannot be solved through the application of superior fire power. Team Yankee uses abstraction rather than true line of sight, meaning that tanks clearly visible behind slopes may not actually be seen due to terrain height rulings. All shooting and artillery occurs in this phase, with smoke being fired before any other shooting.

4. Assault Step
Time to get up close and personal. Units charge into close quarters to beat the enemy to death with their rifle butts or crush them underneath their treads. Infantry teams don’t get saves in close combat so be wary.

List Building

Note that all lists are based off historically based equipment at a specific point of time, even if that equipment was unique or incredibly rare.

Army lists in Team Yankee are usually built from a single book, or 'codex' which tells you what your country has access to. Each nation has different 'sub lists' but most follow three types: armoured, mechanized infantry and reconnaissance. Armoured companies let you bring several platoons of tanks, while mechanized infantry does the same with infantry that can come in your bog standard metal boxes or a metal box with an autocannon. Reconnaissance companies are a NATO exclusive, letting you bring smaller platoons of tanks and infantry in the same company.

Force Command
Your force will always have an HQ. Your Force Commander and 2nd in Command (also known as the meatshield) represents you in the game, commanding the battle on foot or some vehicle. If the Force commander dies, your army will begin to panic. Lose too many platoons and you will immediately lose the game. At higher point games, you may have two or more force commanders to mitigate this (as you will probably be forced to utilize multiple formations to fill out the points). For NATO Players, the Force Commander is generally a company commander wielding his company and any company level support the higher ups have deemed to send his way. For PACT players, the Force Commander is usually at the Battalion level, which is made up of several companies, to balance out the power differential between the average NATO and PACT units.

HQS usually DO NOT count as platoons for Company, or even Battalion strength. They function like 40k independent characters do, so you would have 4 units on the field whether your company commander joined a platoon or ran around on their own.

Combat Platoons
AKA Troops choice: like with 40k, each organization chart will have a minimum requirement of a Company Commander and two platoons of troops, which could be IFV-mounted infantry or a unit of heliborne infantry. This is where your listbuilding starts, with the size of your unit and taking additional weaponry like anti-tank weapons, medium machine guns, or anti-air missiles.

Platoon Support
Unlike 40k, platoon support is unique to each company. This is the reason you selected the specific Company: access to unique toys that your other companies or nations can't take. Historically, this would be a platoon from the support company of the battalion: infantry companies might have a mortar platoon, while armoured companies might have a platoon of vehicle-mounted ATGMs. Your platoon support may also have platoons of the alternate unit type: tank companies almost always have the option to take a platoon of infantry, and vice versa.

Division Support
These are the rarest systems in your army, and often among the most expensive options. Historically, it would be things like air support, heavy artillery or attached helicopter squadrons. This varies from nation to nation: some countries have platforms that serve crucial support roles but won't win the war for you to snowflake units that provide the teeth to your force. These options are open to all company types, and should therefore be used to round out the weaknesses of your list. Additionally, platoons for troops like tanks and infantry might be purchasable here.

Allied Support
These are your 'Allies of Convenience', to continue the 40k analogy. Generally, only one allied formation (company, battalion, whatever) is allowed. Generally this would mean NATO Allies for NATO countries, and vice versa for the Warsaw Pact (but not the Middle Eastern powers who want to kill each other). Additionally, smaller factions may have allied units that fall under the same lines as Division Support, just with a different flag. For example, Canadians have access to German Leopard 2s and American Abrams' to round out their lack of modern battle tanks.

These units do NOT count as platoons which add to your last stand count, so your army may rout if the last Canadian troops have been picked off even if half of your (American Allied) units are on the table. Like Division Support, this is taken to smooth out the rough edges of your list and might be very interesting if you like the idea of a British-French coalition battlegroup, or are a powergamer who just wants the best companies of each nation.

As a disclaimer to the young teens reading this wiki and calling themselves a military expert, Team Yankee is a HISTORICAL FANTASY game. The models might represent real weapon systems, but the organization of lists ranges from relatively accurate to outright blasphemous. Pretty much all your tanks and artillery fired across kilometres in real life, but only fire up to several hundred meters on the table top. Prototypes that never made it past the testing phase can be found, while organizational details have been simplified for gameplay purposes.

For the prospective kommandant who reached this point, consider reading the rulebooks at your FLGS or read on to decide which nation might be for you.

The Forces of WW3

With the new Ally rules, take the following with a pinch of salt. Using the combat units of an ally faction as the bulk of your force while keeping your 'actual' faction for its support choices is a totally legal (if cheesy) option. The scores are strictly in relation to one another; and does not account for terrain, list building and other stuff.

The Breakdown Scores:
5: Auto-include for competitive lists.
4: Good for the purpose, if overshadowed by other factions.
3: Not terrible, but needs a good reason to be included.
2: Not recommended due to inefficiency.
1: Overshadowed by other options in the same force organisation. 
-: Role filled by Allied units within the force organisation. Minor nations only.

NATO

"The Parties to this Treaty reaffirm [...] [t]hey are determined to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. They seek to promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area. They are resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security. They therefore agree to this North Atlantic Treaty"

– The North Atlantic Treaty

The free world takes their freedom seriously, and armies operate very differently from one another. Entries for similar units (M113 mortars) will have different roles when used in another nation, while most countries have their own unique units which may similar versions but nothing completely identical. NATO is the most beginner friendly, but on the budget side it is a bit of a mixed bag.

NATO armies to tend to be cheaper thanks to their smaller sizes, while PACT forces have much more units that are identical across the 4 nations. If you buy an M1 it can only be used for a USA army: paint a T-72 in Soviet green (without national emblems) it can be used in four armies.

Want a cheaper single army? Buy American (or French, or Canadian). Want a cheaper collection and several army lists? Buy Soviet.

United States of America

"Time to liberate the shit out of some Commies!"

Difficulty: 1/5 (excellent for beginners!)

The United States Army is one of the most technologically advanced forces on the Battlefield. An all-volunteer force, the average US Soldier is backed up by some of the finest equipment ever to rumble into war (including the first ever METUL BOX). Particularly the principal tank of the US forces in Europe, the M1 Abrams is arguably the best main battle tank in existence. Unfortunately, in the same time period, they wore something known as the PASGT. Adding to that, the ISAPO didn't appear until 1998. Why does this matter? This means infantry couldn't survive shots from rifles, just pistols.

Post Stripes: the new options have added a HUGE range of options, able to represent almost all frontline combat units in the US Armed Forces, from an Amphibious Assault Unit to an Airborne Infantry Company. New additions like the Chaparral, Marines and M1IP Abrams put the US in direct competition with the Soviets for the best faction, by virtue of flexibility. For players concerned with historical accuracy, remember to toss out the Yorks and the Hueys (except for Marine Airborne)!

Defining Units: M1 Abrams, M163 VADS

Strengths

• Most versatile faction in the game, with options to fill almost all roles.
• Ideal for Armored and combined arms playstyles, with the flexibility to attack or defend.
• Decently easy to learn, and is rather straightforward.

Weaknesses

• Second most expensive faction in-game.
• Poor cost efficiency compared to other NATO equivalents.
• Capitalism.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Solid and cost-efficient. 4/5
Transports: The best 'free' transports in the game. 3/5
Tanks: Good against PACT, poor against NATO. 4/5
Anti-Tank: Cost-efficient, but small units. 2/5
Recon: Decent Army options, Good Marine options. 3/5
Artillery: Decent, if expensive mortars. 3/5
Aircraft: Best helicopters, mediocre aircraft. 4/5
Anti-Air: Expensive but essential. 3/5

Great Britain

"For Queen and Country!"

Difficulty: 2/5 (Good for beginners and vets!)

The British Army of the Rhine has carefully guarded the border between the East and West for 40 years. When war came to Europe for the third time in a century, the British stubbornly held their ground as the Soviet Hoards swept over the continent, forcing the commies to bypass them. The rules for these tea-chugging bastards are found in “Iron Maiden”.

The Brits lack the advanced technology of the other NATO forces (Advanced Stabilisers, Thermal Imaging, Artillery-Minelets) but compensate with sheer firepower. Thanks to their Assault 3+ Infantry and abundance of units which benefit from staying still and taking potshots like the Chieftain and Milan, the British excel on the defence; sipping tea and destroying anything which strolls into their fields of fire. Should the enemy fix bayonets, you have assault 3+ on most infantry and vehicles, a lynchpin that makes the entrenched British rifleman one of the most resilient units in the game.

Defining Units: Chieftain, Milan Section

Strengths

• Cheapest units in NATO.
• Best infantry in the game with plentiful ATGMs on armored and human platforms.
• Ideal for infantry or defensive players.

Weaknesses

• Least effective offensive force in the game.
• Units rarely effective when smoked or on the move.
• Wankers.

The Breakdown: 
Infantry: Meta-defining, but contested. 4/5
Transports: It's cute... but harmless. 2/5
Tanks: Incapable of maneuver warfare. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Meta still defined by Milan spam. 5/5
Recon: Dangerous but squishy. 3/5
Artillery: Good mid-low caliber pieces. 4/5
Aircraft: Best bomber, overcosted helicopters. 3/5
Anti-Air: Cost-ineffective or specialized. 3/5

West Germany

"We’re the Good Guys for once!"

Difficulty: 4/5 (Challenging listbuilding.)

The Heer of the Federal Republic of Germany were the first expansion for Team Yankee. Once again fighting the Russians Dogs, the army of West Germany is a powerhouse indeed. The Rules for the West Germans can be found in “Leopard” and the subsequent expansion “Panzertruppen”.

The West Germans have the most costly units in the game (11 points per Leopard 2, compared with the 4 points per T-72), making their units superior to most other NATO counterparts, but paying far more points to compensate. One exception is the Leopard 1; your budget tank at 3 points. In addition to Thermal Imaging, they field devastating units like the Gepard Flakpanzer and Tornado Bombers which can make their points back over several times in the hands of an effective commander. A well-balanced army capable of different playstyles, but ultimately held back by its inability to sustain losses. Expect to be outnumbered 2-1 against NATO, or 3-1 or even 4-1 against PACT forces.

Defining Units: Leopard 2, Leopard 1

Strengths

• Strongest armoured units in the game. Soviet-equivalent morale.
• Ideal for aggressive or challenge-seeking players.
• Hard-hitting units that can punish your opponent's mistakes very harshly.

Weaknesses

• Small units with some of the game's most expensive models.
• Poorly suited to attrition tactics.
• Ex-Nazis.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Effective, but few and expensive. 2/5
Transports: Overcosted for what you get. 3/5
Tanks: Overcosted Leopard 2s, decent Leopard 1s. 2/5
Anti-Tank: ATGMs expensive and few. Role filled by Leopard 2s. 1/5
Recon: Cheap and dangerous. 3/5
Artillery: Solid NATO artillery. 4/5
Aircraft: Good bomber, overcosted helicopters. 3/5
Anit-Air: Versatile, competitive options. 4/5

France

"Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion." -- Jed Babben

Difficulty: 3/5 (Beginner unfriendly, many glass cannons.)

Widely considered a meme in the 20th and 21st centuries, the French Army was nevertheless a very respectable force by the 1980s. It is one of the only NATO nations with genuine combat experience after World War 2, alongside the United Kingdom and the United States, and it has the third-largest number of atomic weapons in the world - a distant third behind USA and the USSR, mind you, but third-largest nonetheless. With the majority of France's battles being asymmetric against local guerillas as it tried to hold its empire together, the French ORBAT is unlike any of the major military powers.

With their post-colonial military history, the French excel at maneuver warfare with lightly armoured units. Lacking a tank capable of trading blows with any modern platform and near-universal 5+ morale, a French Commander must rely on maneuver and a terrifying abundance of gun platforms with Brutal to cripple an enemy's force before taking significant damage. In fact, among the NATO nations, the French were the only ones to adopt autoloaders for their main battle tanks, but they also tend to come from the 'speed is armour' school of tank design, which made them a bit glassy both in and out of the game. While similar to the Canadians in their lists naturally countering BMP and infantry spam, they lack the moosemen's balls and require a different playstyle to excel. They do have Milan spam if that's your thing though (you powergaming bâtard).

Defining Units: AMX-10 RC, Gazelle 20mm

Strengths

• Strong firepower on even the lightest units
• Milan AT spam on par with the Brits.
• Ideal for aggressive or experienced players.

Weaknesses

• Tissue-thin armour made from stale baguettes.
• Cowards Unreliable (seriously, do NOT expect Morale 5+ troops to stay in the fight.)
• Smell like bad cheese.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Good firepower but unreliable morale. 3/5
Transports: You get what you pay for: very solid. 4/5
Tanks: Incapable of tanking damage for the army. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Milan spam just got stronger. 5/5
Recon: Deadliest 'recon' units in the game. 5/5
Artillery: Lacking in utility arty. 2/5
Aircraft: Fragile but VERY deadly when played well. 4/5
Anti-Air: Respectable, but expensive. 3/5

French Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	AMX-30
Transports:	AMX-10P- VAB
Troops:	Section d'infanterie/Chasseurs - Milan Section Antichar
Artillery:	AMX Auf1
Anti-Aircraft:	AMX-13 DCA - AMX Roland
Tank Hunters:	VAB Mephisto
Recon:	AMX-10 RC - AMX-10P VOA
Aircraft:	Gazelle HOT - Gazelle 20mm - Mirage 5

Canada

"I know a lot of you are going through separation anxiety... but there's nothing I can do about getting a Tim Hortons in Kabul."

– Col. Al Howard

Difficulty: 3/5 (Limited unit variety, technical playstyle.)

Cadians! Wait. Not quite. Though, they too have an amazing, cost-effective and plentiful tank option. As for their place in Team Yankee, the Canadians took one look at the current infantry spam meta, and they decided that they hated it. Where the US brought their meanest guns and the West Germans brought their biggest machines, the 4th CMBG appears to have brought the devices specifically for turning BMPs and their contents into communist confetti.

While you're fairly limited in what you can take, the options Canada does have can be both versatile and extraordinary. Between a nearly-universal +3 skill roll and an abundance of options for laying down smoke, you can acquire the firing positions you require while denying the enemy any of their own. Agility is essential to Canadian lists, using evasion rather than armour in a naturally offensive force. In essence, the Canucks seem at their best in vehicles and on the move, shadowing the enemy line until it has been withered beneath a barrage of precise and overwhelming fire.

The Canadians apologise for their borrowing of American and German units, such as aircraft and heavy tank platoons.

Defining Units: Leopard C1, ADATS

Strengths

• Units tend to be agile, multi-purpose or hard-hitting. Sometimes, all three.
• Ideal for offensive and maneuver-minded players.

Weaknesses

• Glass cannons whose vehicles can cost a pretty pound of points.
• Apologize every time they shoot.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. 3/5
Transports: It's cheap, it's free! 3/5
Tanks: Best generation-two tanks, and you can take a LOT of them. 4/5
Anti-Tank: Enough TOW platforms to do damage, plus the spillover from AA. 3/5
Recon: Sneaky, but not much else. 2/5
Artillery: Some mortars, some howitzers. Nothing special. 3/5
Aircraft: Grounded by lack of parts. -/5
Anti-Air: Your primary AA platform also cracks open heavy tanks... for a price. 4/5

Canadian Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Leopard C1
Transports:	M113 APC
Infantry:	Canadian Mechanized Platoon
Artillery:	M109 Field Battery - M125 81mm
Anti-Aircraft:	ADATS - M113 Blowpipe
Tank Hunters:	M150 TOW
Recon:	Lynx RECCE Patrol - M113 OP
US Support:	M1 Abrams - M60 Patton - US Mech Platoon - A-10 Warthog
WG Support:	Leopard 2 - Marder Panzergrenadiers - BO-105P - Tornado

The Netherlands

"Lucas, get out of the lingerie!"

Difficulty: 2/5 (Versatile units with some drawbacks. Beginner viable.)

High on weed and hookah, the Dutch wade blindly into battle with a combination of dated equipment from the early 60s and the cutting edge of modern weaponry. Clearly influenced by the Wehrmacht of yesteryear, the Royal Netherlands Army boasts one of the toughest mechanized lists around, less advanced than their alcoholic West German brothers but considerably cheaper.

The Dutch share many similarities with the Americans and the West Germans, playing as a middle ground between the two. Much of their equipment is West German in origin, from the terribly pricy Leopard 2 (with a 1 point discount, no less) to the terrifyingly effective Pantserluchtdoel PRTL, or "Dutch Gepard". Your units have training similar to the Americans rather than the underequipped West Germans.

The strength of the Dutch lies in their mechanized forces. While their tanks are mediocre compared to other NATO nations, they are unique in their ability to pump out infantry fighting vehicles while carrying full-sized platoons with some very scary firepower, unlike their French and German counterparts. The West Germans have also granted support units to your Dutch band of (definitely straight) brothers.

Defining Units: Leopard 2, YPR-765

Strengths

• Able to spam IFVs with infantry to boot.
• Ideal for mechanized players or jacks of all trades.

Weaknesses

• Anti-tank capability only from Leopard 2s.
• Jack-of-all-trades faction without any overpowered units.
• Drug peddlers.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: decent, but made deadly by virtue of their transports. 4/5
Transports: It's cheap, and also the best NATO IFV. 4/5
Tanks: Not great, but you don't have any other AT options. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Expensive, fragile and mediocre. 2/5
Recon: Does the job, but nothing more. 3/5
Artillery: Below-average, but still passable. 3/5
Aircraft: Our pilots are still in rehab. -/5
Anti-Air: Weaker than the West Germans, but still very strong. 4/5

ANZAC

"Oi! Mate! Get off the fekkin' gun and stab the bloody cunt!"

Difficulty: 4/5 (Beginner unfriendly. Vet recommended.)

Where Canada runs in circles around the enemy and France runs away from the enemy, the Aussies and Kiwis run at the enemy. By all accounts they really shouldn't be present, they aren't even officially part of NATO (due to that whole "North Atlantic" thing), yet here they are in 1980's Germany. Down-under magic? Down-under magic. Or maybe has something to do with the complicated system of alliances in the pacific that were thrown around very early on in the cold war. The Aussies and Kiwis both had actually signed a treaty referred to as the ANZUS with the US in the 50's guaranteeing defensive cooperation if any hostilities were launched against them or a number of allied states, hence their military presence in Vietnam and now, in Germany.

Your PACT players are going to be wondering: "Wait, aren't we supposed to be ones who're invading?". This will occur just as several packs of foul-mouthed Bogans roll around the corner, firing on the move and charging into melee from their tanks to show the Gopniks how it’s really done. Keep in mind, this is during an era whereby that shit should not fly. But looking at their stats, that's specifically what they're here to do. Skilled, courageous, all while packing lots of tools designed for staring the dirty communist in the eyes as you kill him. Your infantry may not be amazing, but your scorpions and leopards can literally roll over the communists with assault 3+.

The ANZACS have British support units such as the Tracked Rapier and Harrier, in exchange for spending their jail time in combat.

Defining Units: Scorpion, AT Land Rover

Strengths

• 'Tank' units are nearly unmatched in close quarters, and set to win damn near every melee they enter.
• Ideal for you melee junkies out there.

Weaknesses

• Suffers from yet another serious lack of organic support.
• Units are few as is, but a lack of variety can seriously limit flexibility.
• Can't handle cold.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Average NATO infantry, but essential in any list. 3/5
Transports: It's free I guess.... 3/5
Tanks: Your tanks can shred light armor on the move while running infantry over.  4/5
Anti-Tank: Good against light armor, terrible against high-end tanks. 3/5
Recon: Kiwis go hard. 2/5
Artillery: Mortars only, but the Brits can help you out! 2/5
Aircraft: They haven't discovered aviation yet. -/5
Anti-Air: It's bad. It's REALLY bad. 1/5

ANZAC Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Leopard AS1
Transports:	M113 (T50)
Infantry:	ANZAC Mechanized Platoon - Milan AT Section
Artillery:	M125 Mortar Platoon
Anti-Aircraft:	M113 Redeye SAM section
Tank Hunters:	AT Land Rover
Recon:	Scorpion - M113 MRV - M113 LRV
British Support:	Abbot Field Battery - M109 Field Battery - FV432 FOO - Harrier Jump Jet - Lynx HELARM

Warsaw Pact

"Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win."

– Karl Marx

Unlike NATO, standardization was enforced in the Warsaw Pact at most levels of the military. From the caliber of firearms to the strategies used by commanders, each country only made the slightest of adjustments. Expect little variation in equipment compared to NATO. Tactics do vary of course, but always rely on numerical superiority to win the day. Most Pact nations have inferior equipment to the Soviet Union which was historically accurate: Soviet Union entries can generally be used for your own faction. The playstyles vary more on your army list than individual factions: an infantry list is going to play very similarly, whether there are Russians or Poles in their ranks. For budget players without care for bling and army decals, consider leaving all units in the standard Russian green and they can be Poles, Czechs or Russians disguised as Ukrainians Poles.

Soviet Union

"Proletarians of all countries, unite!"

Difficulty: 3/5 (Tough to learn, easier to master.)

The Armies of the Soviet Union were some of the most feared in the west. The thought of thousands of Soviet tanks storming the border backed up by thousands of APCs carrying hundreds of thousands of the noble sons of the motherland was almost enough to make any NATO strategic thinker quake in his books. Rules for the Soviet Hordes can be found in the Team Yankee Rulebook and “Red Thunder”.

In addition to the mechanized forces of the Red Army, Red Thunder gives you the rules for running an Air Assault Battalion from the VDV. They have a totally different list from other PACT factions and are the best infantry that the PACT can buy.

As a Soviet player, you are the proud owner of the most powerful army in the game (since the arrival of Stripes, perhaps the USA have come very close to this power level, if not equalling it). Point for point, no other army can match yours in terms of raw value. Near universal 3+ Remount and Morale ensures that your glorious Communists will (probably) never falter against the Capitalist pigs. While their 3+ to hit ensures that they suffer losses at a far greater rate, the USSR has viable units in almost every archetype. Whether it's a tank battalion, an air assault list, artillery spam or half of a motor rifle brigade, the USSR is cost effective enough to make most archetypes work. An ideal army for the experienced or the powergamer.

Defining Units: Motor Rifle Company, 2S1 Gvozdika

Strengths

• Cheap, cost-effective units for all roles but tanks. Excellent morale.
• Ideal for veterans to Flames Of War, horde and powergamers.

Weaknesses

• Reliant on effective combined arms tactics.
• Units will lose 1-on-1 confrontations against most NATO counterparts.
• Communism.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Cheap and insanely cost-efficient. 5/5
Transports: Meta defined by BMP parking lots. 5/5
Tanks: Cheap but mediocre. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Cheap, but tiny unit sizes. 2/5
Recon: Acceptable, but not amazing. 3/5
Artillery: Unreliable, weakest PACT artillery. 2/5
Aircraft: Good; only competitor to the US. 4/5
Anti-Air: Cheap but deadly. 5/5

East Germany

"The future belongs to socialism."

Difficulty: 4.5/5 (Weak units and weak list. Vets only.)

The East Germans are almost as well equipped as the Soviets. Even though they must make do with Soviet Export equipment, they fight with a tenacity that rivals that of their forefathers. Rules for the East Germans are found in “Volksarmee.”

As the Volksarmee you stare enviously at USSR-Sempai and employ 30-year-old tanks with such reckless ambition that an Imperial Guardsmen would question your value for human life. Your soldiers are as zealous as your Soviet counterparts and have more skill than the illiterate peasants in the Red Army your honored Soviet allies. The downside you might ask? You are using whatever even the Soviet Union thinks is too unsafe for their soldiers, using all the hand me downs with gusto. You may be bringing tanks from the mid-50s, but you can bring 30 of them for a little less than the cost of 2 West German tanks. Hell, even if you fight against the Soviets, you will outnumber them more than 2 to 1 (Even both of you bringing T-72s). If you want the discount of non-Soviet PACT nations without the lopsided characteristics of the Poles or the Czechs, the East Germans stand ready to cross the border at your order.

Defining Units: Motorschützen, T55AM2

Strengths

• Second cheapest units in the game, with rather decent stat lines.
• Ideal for horde players with too much money, or tactical geniuses.
• Sweet spot between the elite Poles and the conscript Czechs.

Weaknesses

• Units outmatched by most NATO equivilants.
• Players must rely on superior planning to win games due to the VAST technological gap.
• Wehrmacht influenced Communists.

The Breakdown
Infantry: Soviet numbers with low-end NATO stats. 3/5
Transports: Like the Soviets, but slightly worse. 3/5
Tanks: Useless in head-on engagements, good as flanking units. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Tanks do it better than these pieces of crap. 1/5
Recon: On par with Soviet Recce (AKA pretty bad). 3/5
Artillery: NATO skill and Soviet arty? Pretty good! 4/5
Aircraft: Decent air force. 3/5
Anti-Air: Cheap but lacks high-end anti-air missiles. 3/5

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

Poland

"When the Red Army makes a mess, why do we always have to clean it up?"

Difficulty: 4.5/5 (Specialized units and weak list. Vets only.)

Coming from a background of militarism, Poland had a pretty shit history in the 20th century. They've been stuck in wars since the Great War, and Poland has become a plaything for the powers of Europe. By 1985, they've been occupied by the Nazis then invaded by the Soviet Union by the end of World War Two. Yay. They were the only PACT nation to maintain expeditionary divisions, apart from the USSR.

In Team Yankee, the Poles are troops with 4+ skill, 3+ courage and 3+ rally, giving them the determination of Soviets with the skill on the NVA. Second only to the Afghansty VDV veterans, the Poles are some of the best-trained forces of the Warsaw Pact. Despite costing almost as much as the Soviets, they have even less equipment than the East Germans with the same downgrades by PACT forces, except for a handful of special units to even the balance. Boasting the most well trained motorized infantry of the PACT armies, Polish battlegroups rely on the superiority of their infantry to win the day while vehicles serve in support roles.

Defining Units: Zmotory Kompania, T-72M

Strengths

• Reliable units unlikely to get pinned or bailed.
• Best PACT infantry at firefighting and attacking.
• Ideal for players who want a horde of morale-resistant units.

Weaknesses

• Poor anti-tank capability.
• 2nd tier equipment with near-Soviet costs.
• Will carjack your vehicle wrecks.

Infantry: The best PACT infantry in firefights, at a cost...  3/5 
Transports: Like the Soviets, but slightly worse. Few BMP-2s. 3/5
Tanks: Good at flanking, bad at tanking/killing tanks. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Your tanks do the job better than these things. 1/5
Recon: Cheap but bad. 3/5
Artillery: It kills, its reliable! 4/5 
Aircraft: Passable. 3/5
Anti-Air: Pretty solid, actually. 4/5

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

Czechoslovakia

"To be honest, I'd rather fight for NATO. please don't kill us"

Difficulty: 5/5 (For hardened vets only.)

A year ago, someone wrote (rather accurately) that the NVA were the enthusiastic conscripts taking the equipment that the Soviets were afraid of using. Now, imagine these same conscripts, but terrified of death and shivering in their boots. As of October 20, the German goblin hordes have been dethroned by the Czechs! Second-line, underequipped, cowering Slavs being shoved into battle by the Soviets and marching in hordes that would make the Chinese blush (seriously, you'll outnumber the damn East Germans in most scenarios.)

The Czechs take the hordes concept to the next level, with their armies outnumbering the other PACT armies. As the least willing participants of the conflict, virtually all their stats are 5+ apart from 4+ skill and 4+ morale. They might have the least trustworthy men in the game, but their discounts allow you to bring enough 125mm cannons and RPGs that a pinned/bailed unit won't save your opponent from the wall of firepower you can produce. The Czechs favour two playstyles: an aggressive list with enough T-72Ms to ignore losses or a defensive list that literally buries your side of the table with men.

Defining Units: T-72M, Dana SpGH

Strengths

• Units are 20-33% cheaper than Soviet counterparts.
• 4+ skill for aggressive tank pushes and artillery spammers.
• Ideal for horde players and rich blokes.

Weaknesses

• Least reliable units in the game, vulnerable to pinning and morale shock.
• Units without support are almost guaranteed to lose any engagements.
• Constantly hungover.

Infantry: You get a horde...but they won't listen to your orders. 2/5 
Transports: Like the Poles, with untrained crews. 2/5
Tanks: THE cheapest tank hordes in the game. Good for alpha strikes. 4/5
Anti-Tank: No missiles that can reliably beat heavy tanks, but your T-72s fill the gap. 1/5
Recon: Cheap but bad. 3/5
Artillery: Cheaper, but just as deadly! 4/5 
Aircraft: Passable. 3/5
Anti-Air: Cheaper and scarier. 4/5

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

Middle Eastern Powers

"The whole melodrama of the Middle East would be improved if amnesia were as common here as it is in melodramatic plots."

– P. J. O'Rourke

While not technically part of NATO or the Warsaw Pact, the Nations of the Middle East were still swept up in the great conflagration of the third world war. You will note with Israel and Iraq taking NATO formations that the greater war has, for the moment, swept up the regional conflicts. Iraq and Israel both hate each other, but Iran's getting USSR rubles and tanks and so it's the enemy of the moment that they fight against... for now. Which is why they are a category unto themselves: not quite Apple pie, not quite Vodka.

In terms of equipment, Middle Eastern powers use a strange mix of stuff from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Iraq, for example, has Western aircraft but Eastern tanks, while Iran flips it. Meanwhile, Isreal has a few homemade vehicles, lots of Western stuff and enough scavenged platforms from its neighbours that Battlefront could sneak in an Eastern vehicle or two if they wanted.

The rules for these forces will arrive sometime in April with the release of 'Oil Wars'. More to come.

Israel

"Let me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses: He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil. "

– Golda Meir

Difficulty:

Forged by near constant war since the nation was formed, the Israel Defence Forces stand as one of most effective armies in 20th-century history, using technology from World War Two, scavenged wrecks abandoned by Arab crews, purchased Western equipment and a handful of homegrown weapon systems. The WW2 tech has been passed to the reservists, and the IDF's army options largely ignore this ramshackled history beyond a few looted wagons.

IDF units have nearly identical stats to the West Germans, except with a 3+ counterattack. Most Isreali battlegroups are constructed as a balancing act between a handful of expensive modern units like Merkavas to a horde of outdated platforms like Jeeps with dudes firing missiles.

The Israelis may take allied NATO formations in their battlegroups.

Defining Units: Merkava

Strengths

Weaknesses

The Breakdown:
Infantry: 
Transports: 
Tanks: 
Anti-Tank: 
Recon: 
Artillery: 
Aircraft: 
Anti-Air: 

Israeli Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Merkava - M60 Patton
Transports:	M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
Troops:	IDF Infantry Platoon
Artillery:	M109 Howitzer -M106 Heavy Mortar Carrier -M125 Mortar Carrier
Anti-Aircraft:	M163 VADS - ZSU 23-4 Shilka - M48 Chaparral - Redeye SAM Platoon
Tank Hunters:	Pereh - M150 TOW - Jeep TOW
Recon:	M113 Recce - Jeep Recce
Aircraft:	AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter - A4 Skyhawk

Iraq

Why are we on the same side as Israel?...and why are those Abrams giving me Déjà vu?"

Difficulty:

Universally feared in the Middle East as the strongest conventional military force in numbers and technology, the Iraqi Armed Forces boast a mix of Western and Soviet equipment and the largest military in the region. Despite being bested by the Israelis during the Six-Days War, the 80s Iraqis were a very respectable force in the context of a head-on conventional war. By 1990, they were the 4th largest army in the world with over 900,000 troops in the military with one of the largest tank fleets in the Middle East, though take that statement with a grain of salt about their effectiveness since by 1991 they had the second largest army in Iraq. That being said, this all took place well after 1985, when back in 1979, despite Iraq being in the Soviet sphere of influence, the US gave some materiel support to Iraq during the Iraq-Iran war. You can make an argument for Iraq being on either NATO's or PACT's side in this conflict.

Iraqis have 4+ stats across the board, except for 5+ assault and 5+ skill. They also operate at the company level for the most part like other PACT armies.

The Iraqis may take NATO allied formations in their battlegroups, if you've ever fantasized about a functional Iraqi-US coalition force. You also have the USAF providing air cover with Warthogs and Harriers.

Defining Units:

Strengths

Weaknesses

The Breakdown:
Infantry: 
Transports: 
Tanks: 
Anti-Tank: 
Recon: 
Artillery: High-tech, average cost, low skill. 2/5
Aircraft: 
Anti-Air: 

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

Iran

"Throw away your prayer chain and buy yourself a gun. For prayer chains keep you in stillness while guns silence the enemies of Islam."

– Ayatollah Khamenei

The underdogs of the Middle East, the Iranian military lack the combat experience of the Israelis or the raw numbers of the Iraqis. By the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian military was only able to repel invading Iraqi forces thanks to US support. Iranian armies typically used Soviet equipment, but often used second-hand Western vehicles - without the latest upgrades, of course. It’s strange to see Iran side with the Soviet Union in this scenario, if only because they were one of the major backers of the Mujahideen in the Soviet-Afghan War. Then again, common enemies tend to make strange bedfellows, as was often the case during the Cold War.

The Iranians play with NATO vehicles using PACT doctrine (holdovers from the last regime, when the Americans propped up Iran as a buffer state against the Soviet Union), operating M113s and Chieftains as the backbone of their force. While they may not have the same skill and 4+ to hit that make NATO troops so dangerous, the Iranians make up for it with greater numbers. You won't outnumber the Soviets, but you have a chance to outnumber the infidel Westerners' more often than they'd like.

Iranian armies operate at the platoon level much like NATO's forces except for the Basij, and may take allied formations from the Warsaw Pact despite the communist hatred of all things religious.

Difficulty:

Defining Units: Chieftain, Basij Infantry Company

Strengths

Weaknesses

The Breakdown:
Infantry: 
Transports: 
Tanks: 
Anti-Tank: 
Recon: 
Artillery: 
Aircraft: 
Anti-Air: 

Iranian Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	T-55 - T-62 - M60 Patton - Chieftain
Transports:	M113 Armored Personnel Carrier - BTR-60 - BMP-1
Troops:	Iranian Mechanized Platoon - Basij Infantry Company
Artillery:	M109 Howitzer - BM-21 Hail - M125 81mm
Anti-Aircraft:	ZSU 23-4 Shilka - ZSU-57-2 - SA-8 Gecko
Tank Hunters:	Jeep TOW - Jeep 106mm Recoilless - M113 106mm Recoilless
Recon:	Scorpion
Aircraft:	AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter
Soviet Support:	SU-25 Frogfoot

Books

• 

  Da Big Rulebook

• 

  Iron Maiden

• 

  Leopard

• 

  Panzertruppen: sort of an addendum to Leopard

• 

  Volksarmee

• 

  Red Thunder

• 

  Stripes

• 

  Free Nations

• 

  Czechoslovak Peoples Army

• 

  Polish Peoples Army

Gallery

• 

  Ramirez! Defend the Burgertown McPizza King!

• 

  Gott im Himmel there's hundreds of them!

• 

  ONE TWO THREE FOUR, I LOVE THE MARINE CORPS!

• 

  Take that you dastardly Russians!

• 

  Like a swarm of angry hornets.

• 

  Yes, the might of Great Britain has arrived.

External Links

The Official Team Yankee website