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M247 Sergeant York

2023-02-16T10:54:46Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* IRL */

{{Fail}}
[[File:M247 Sergent York.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Its as derpy as it looks]]
{{Topquote|I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.|Thomas A. Edison}}

Really? We're really doing this? Fine.

The M247 is a SPAAG (Self-Propelled Anti-Air Gun) developed by the US Army as part of the DIVAD (DIVision Air Defense) Program. In theory, the M247 was going to replace the [[M163 VADS]] as the US Army's primary self propelled Anti-Air platform, but theories are such fragile things.

The M247 is armed with twin 40MM Bofors AA gun linked to an innovative search and track radar system in a friggin' massive turret balanced on top of a M48 chassis.

==In Team Yankee==
[[File:M247 Sergent York Stat Card.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Stats (from Bizzaro world)]]
In the Team Yankee Universe, apparently the M247 didn't turn out to be a dismal failure and in fact was well on its way to replacing the M163. The U.S. Army gets this radar-controlled, twin-Bofors-guns-wielding beast all to itself, for whatever that's worth, so the Marines- as usual- will have to make do with something else.

The M247 has the Dedicated AA & Radar Special rules, which means that it can use its full rate of fire when targeting aircraft and ignores the +1 to hit penalty when shooting at Aircraft beyond 16 inches. The complicated radar-based fire control system the Sergeant York mounted is quite capable and effectively grants the U.S. Army a direct answer to the ZSU-23-4 "Shilka", giving us a glimpse of what might have been had anything in the M247's main armament, you know, actually worked.

In Addition, the Sergeant York is a little more tailored to the combat environment of Team Yankee than the other American SPAAG, the M163 VADS. See in Team Yankee, (And in reality often enough) SPAAGs tend to get pressed into combat as armoured fighting vehicles, a role the M247 is slightly better equipped to deal with then either the M163 or even it's nearest commie-competition the [[ZSU 23-4 Shilka]]. It may not be the Gepard you were hoping for, just a decent SPAAG.

First, the M247 has an extra armour point over the M163 on all facings and much more than the Shilka, with a front armour of 4, side of 3, and top of 1. Now, this does not mean that you should be driving these things into the teeth of Soviet AT positions, but it will do better against things like MGs and Artillery.

Also, the 40mm Bofors is slightly better at dealing with vehicles than the M168 Vulcan Gatling Gun. With an AT of 7, the Bofors is going to auto pen things with armour 0 and stand a decent chance of penetrating armour 2 (i.e. most APCs), and with a Fire Power 4+, you will be destroying your target half the time, rather than a third. The ROF, while halted, is not as good as the Gatling gun, only 5 to the M168s 7, and Shilka's 6, but they all have the same moving ROF, so make of that what you will.

You can take the M247 Sergeant York in your US armies as a platoon of 2, which will cost you 4 points, or as a platoon of 4, which will cost you 8.

==IRL==
[[File:M2472 Sergent York.jpg|300px|right|thumb|One of the very few surviving examples]]
Where to start with this thing?

The M247 Sergeant York was developed by Ford Aerospace (A company that is better known for making cars rather than AA platforms, this story doesn't get much better think of it as a weaponized Pinto) in response to a US Army request for a Self Propelled AA gun that could keep up with the M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley at cruising speed. However, because someone in Procurement had a bug up his ass about reusing stuff that had been sitting in the spares bin, this new SPAAG had to be mounted on a M48 tank Chassis and use as many off the shelf parts as possible to keep R&D costs low. The ideal weapon for this practically kitbashed platform was determined to be the Bofors 40mm autocannon made famous by the Navy during WWII then pulled from ships that had been mothballed for three decades, and a couple more of the same pulled out of ancient M42 "Duster" self-propelled AA guns. To turn this relic into a viable weapon on the modern battlefield, it would be equipped with a shiny new (and very expensive) proximity fuzed ammunition using preformed tungsten shrapnel for fragmentation. Radar? Oh, that's the best part. They wanted to pull the ancient--even then--Westinghouse AN-APQ79 radars out of the noses of mothballed F4 Phantoms rusting in the desert at Davis-Monthan AFB, and somehow they were going to make this radar designed as a target tracking and missile illumination radar for jet fighters, somehow, by magic or wishful thinking or unicorn farts, or something, SOMEHOW they were going to bolt it onto a self-propelled antiaircraft gun and use it as a gun-laying radar, despite it not having been designed with that functionality.

The Army was particularly concerned about the threat of Anti Tank missile equipped enemy helicopters using "Pop-Up" tactics, where a helicopter hides behind terrain features to conceal it from AA fire, then pops up for just long enough to loose a missile, then ducks back into relative safety. The SPAAG the army was at the time using, the [[M163 VADS]], could not pick up nor engage a helicopter before a missile was inbound, a problem the soviets definitely were not having with their [[ZSU 23-4 Shilka]].

Ford Aerospace soon came back with the prototype for the M247. Their design was armed with the iconic 40mm Bofors AA gun linked to a search and targeting system derived from the radar equipment ganked from mothballed F-4 Phantom jets. After beating out an (arguably superior i.e its tracking Radar was copied from the Phalanx CIWS) design from General Dynamics. The M247 was approved for production and dubbed the "Sergeant York" after Alvin York, a hero of the Great War.

Now you will note that every single individual part of this. . .thing was successful. AA guns on tank chassis are well understood, Bofors 40mm's are incredible guns, hell Lithuania gave Ukraine a few batteries to deal with drones, the radar in theory was proven in being able to target aircraft successfully. On paper this should be good machine. In practice. . .it was a disaster. See the Army decided that it was high time to show off their shiny new toy and put together a demonstration in 1982, inviting VIPs, high ranking brass and the press to come and see. With everybody expectantly waiting, a target drone was launched and the radar was activated. [[Machine Spirit|Immediately the M247 swung its turret toward the grand stand, confirmed target lock, and cheerfully requested permission to fire.]]

After the resulting stampede of influential persons trying to get out of the line of fire was calmed down, it was determined that a glitch in the radar system was responsible for the dangerous error. A radar glitch that was caused, according to the representatives of Ford Aerospace, by the M247 being washed prior to the demonstration, to which a member of the press responded, "Don't they know that it tends to rain in Europe?"

The radar system was the bane of the M247. While it was a great system, in a plane in the sky--that was what it had been designed for in the first place, after all--it just did not work on the ground. Everything from trees, to latrine fans, to stationary targets, to the Sergeant York's own gun barrels when firing at extreme elevation threw the targeting system into a tizzy. It was noted at the time that even bolting on the primitive and obsolete range-only radar and fire control system from the VADS it was supposed to replace would have been an enormous improvement. Eventually Congress had to come down and cancel the funds for the M247 before any more money got sunk into the wreck. Decades later the Army would be forced to buy trailer mounted Phalanx units in to cover the gap left by the retirement of the VADS and the cancellation of the York. The lingering bad taste of this experience persists to this day. Almost forty years later there's still not a replacement for the VADS. No one wants to touch it. Partially out of sticker shock and partially because the US in that time has spent so much on there airforce that there more likely to call there own planes to deal with air combatants then need to turn to a SPAAG. In the gulf war alone almost three '''thousand''' aircraft were involved on the coalition side alone. There just is no pressing doctrional need in the US style of war that requires something like the York, Though with the advent of drone warfare Ukraine is showing the SPAAG's are one of the few cost effect responses to a drone buzzing over.

Presumably the reason the York shows up is that the project was canceled the same year the Cold War goes hot: 1985. As the M163 VADS was always suppose to be a stop gap after the MIM 46 Mauler was canceled, the logic might have been they needed to get some kind of heavy SPAAG onto field: ASAP, the Duster being based on a light tank would have lacked in armor, while the York was suppose to advance with the tanks like the Commie [[ZSU 23-4 Shilka]] it was built to match.

Given that the Sergeant York does not suffer from crippling penalties to reflect its real-life Sears catalogue of unresolved problems at the time of cancellation, a different radar system (maybe one actually designed for use on the ground?) was found or devised for use on the M247, and thus, it is one of "Team Yankee's" main alternate history features. We play this game in a world where the Sergeant York can actually do its job- hence why it appears.

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]

A-10 Warthog

2023-02-16T10:29:30Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* IRL */

{{America}}
[[File:A-10.jpg|300px|right|thumb|If you hear the sound of it, you're either on the right side, or you're next.]]
{{Topquote|You can shoot down every MiG the Soviets employ, but if you return to base and the lead Soviet tank commander is eating breakfast in your snack bar, Jack, you've lost the war.|Anonymous A-10 Pilot, USAF}}

Officially called the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Warthog is a brutal ground attack aircraft used by the US military. The A-10 was designed with one purpose in mind: destroying anything and everything that could possibly stand between the US and total victory. [[Dakka|This thing was basically built around the GAU-8 30mm Avenger Gatling Cannon, which fires depleted uranium rounds at up to 4,200 RPM.]] The recoil from which is so powerful that it basically [[Awesome|halves the forward thrust of the two engines while firing.]] If the seven barrels of GAU-8 weren't enough for you, the A-10 also can mount a staggering amount of ordnance on its wing rails, ranging from the devastating Maverick missile, to CBU-52 cluster bombs, to AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles for dealing with Helicopters.

The A-10's reputation has become far more mixed in recent years with the advent of people looking into the development and operational history of the aircraft, but what cannot be denied is that the A-10 has earned its reputation for destructive capability

==In Team Yankee==
[[File:A-10 Stat Card.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Stat Card]]
Whoo boy, this thing is epic, if ludicrously expensive. 5 points each, for something on the board only 50% of the time! The A-10 is the tankiest ground attack aircraft in the game, offset by its extreme cost. The GAU-8 Avenger makes it superior to the SU-25 for marginally more versatility. With a Rate of fire of 4, you can BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR at exposed infantry and APCs like an airborne [[M163 VADS|VADs]] firing on the move, with pretty strong chances of mass-bailing lightly armoured units to death.. With an AT value of 11, the Avenger Cannon is suitable for destroying cheap tanks like the T-55AM2 from the side; and is simply overkill for transports. Also, since the GAU-8 Avenger doesn't have the HEAT Special rule, BDD armor and Bazooka Skirts don't affect the armor value you are rolling against. Sadly, the mediocre 5+ FP also makes it a rather unreliable choice for killing, but a decent option to force bails. As an added bonus, its also anti-helicopter, so those Hinds the Soviets like to spam are suddenly looking a lot less secure.

For dealing with more robust things like Main battle tanks, the A-10 packs the Maverick missile. An AT 27(!) firepower 2+ tank buster, the Maverick is ridiculously good at tearing armoured vehicles a new one. Its also got the special rule ''Brutal'' which means successful unarmoured saves must be re-rolled (sweet). The other two rules, ''Guided'' and ''HEAT'' are great as shooting at targets with the Maverick basically ignoring the penalties for firing at long range, so you can snipe things from well outside AA range. However, there are some downsides, like the 8-inch dead zone, and the fact that it cannot shoot infantry if they're not twiddling their thumbs in slit trenches (but then again, ''why'' would you use a Maverick on infantry?).

Speaking of infantry you also get a one-use Template in the form of the CBU-52 cluster bomb, though the range is even shorter than that of the Avenger. With a 6+ Firepower, this bomb will devastate infantry in the open but is next to worthless against entrenched infantry.

The A-10's legendary durability is reflected in-game as its 3+ aircraft save is the strongest of any strike aircraft.

You can buy a Squadron of 2 A-10s for your American army for 10 points, and a squadron of 4 for 20.

Any competitive player wondering why they haven't seen Warthogs being spammed in games despite it being "the best ground attack aircraft"? It is overcosted and has a very specific role: engaging armour with its missiles, or isolated support units like artillery. Much like the Leopard 2, units in Team Yankee become competitive on their cost efficiency and NOT being the 'best'. Your A-10 might be pretty, but a company of mechanized infantry will outperform it every time. While its 3+ save is undeniably its best trait, it cannot make its point cost back if your opponent can simply whittle your ground forces down. Ground-attack aircraft in Team Yankee are typically geared towards the anti-tank role, but the meta favours large infantry blobs, rendering the Frogfoot and A-10 virtually worthless for any form of serious play. Combined with the fact that Warthogs need to be called in on a 4+, and you get a unit which disappears half the time (or every single time you need it).

For the role of sniping or forcing AA to spread, Cobras are the superior choice due to the fact that you control when they engage, not the dice. You could purchase a flight of 4 Cobras for 14 points, with almost the same level of firepower. Should the enemy forget their anti-air or have it wiped, your Cobras' ROF 6 can actually make their points back, unlike the Warthog.

HOWEVER, the Warthog is a key part of an American air-cavalry list spamming helicopters. Used as the tip of the spear to pop enemy air-defence, their durability allows them to trade points for tempo, while your Cobras provide the killing power. Apart from that, it remains rather unusable until expensive tanks re-enter the meta (looking at you, T-80s and M1A1s).

==IRL==
[[File:A-10 irl.jpg|300px|right|thumb|[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33teK7L4DM4 BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT]]]
The A-10 was first developed by the US Air Force as a response the US Army's development of the AH 56 Cheyenne. The Army had come to the conclusion that nuclear-armed tactical aircraft aren't all that helpful in a conventional war and had begun to come up with its ground support airframes. The Air Force took one look at the Army's plan and immediately had visions of the Army dominating the close air support niche (and subsequent control of the air support budget), and that would just not do, no sir. When the A-10 was rolled out, the general consensus from the Army was, "This is just what we wanted! That wasn't so hard now was it?" The Air Force brass then had to grit its teeth and spent nearly the next 5 decades trying to get rid of the A-10 at every opportunity, though that [[Fail|didn't quite turn out the way they wanted]].

The Warthog has served in multiple conflicts, like the Gulf War, the Balkans Conflict, The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and most recently in the War on Terror. Originally, there was a plan to retire the A-10 by the year 2022 and replace it with the F-35. However, the defense committee in Congress eventually got tired of the USAF's hateboner for the A-10, and so put the kibosh on their attempts to retire it, effectively telling them to cut that shit out. They concluded that while the F-35 should be good enough (in theory), in the ground attack role and even though the GAU-8 is no longer ''quite'' the ultimate tank killer gun, there really isn't any substitute for the A-10 in the light bomber role. So the A-10 is slated to remain a part of the US Inventory "for the foreseeable future," alongside other mainstay platforms like the B-52 and F-15. Also, whenever the Air Force tries to retire it the Army casually mentions that it wants to buy and refit them and GEE GOLLY WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!

Ultimately, the reason that the A-10 exists in the first place is because it can loiter around the battlefield for a long time, it is resistant to return fire, can take off from and land on roughly-prepared air strips, and it also has the capability to accurately deliver a lot of ordnance. And while it's not particularly fast the A-10 is highly maneuverable. You can find videos of them training by flying through a forest, nailing targets. Not "flying ''over''", flying ''through the damn forest, '''dodging trees'''''. Not that it has to, though. The A-10 was designed to fly with one engine, one stabilizer, and half of one wing '''GONE'''. Not any one of those, ALL OF THOSE, at the same time. The engines are reversible, one side being mounted upside down. The hydraulic controls have mechanical backups. The landing gear stick out when retracted so it can belly flop. The cockpit is armored to resist 23 mm autocannon rounds [[ZSU 23-4 Shilka|(gee we wonder why)]]. It also hard counters enemy attack helicopters, being the airplane with the most chopper kills by a large margin.

The A-10 is the source of multiple [[memes]], whether it's the sound it makes (BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT) or the fact that "it's not a plane with a gun strapped to it, it's a gun with a plane strapped to it." It is more than just a joke, though: the GAU-8 is so [[awesome]] a weapon that the A-10 frame had to be specifically designed around it. The engines are so far at the back to act as counterweight, the frontal landing wheel is slightly off-center as to allow the huge gun to be perfectly centre-line and the recoil must be taken into account by the pilot when the gun is fired. There is a lot of truth to 'it is not a plane with a big gun strapped to it, it's a big gun with a plane strapped to it'.

All this being said, the A-10 has some serious problems in the modern battlefield. Modernization to prevent friendly fire incidents(something the A-10 does all too frequently) would cost more than the aircraft is worth. The A-10's legendary tank killing abilities also are fiercely debated between aircraft nerds and military buffs. A 1970s test of the aircraft determined that in ideal conditions, the A-10 would perform well, but these tests did not simulate AA fire, air cover, or even have the test tanks moving (To be fair, this would be pretty ambitious, but still) which would substantially alter the results. The A-10 flying at low altitude is also like the Russians and Ukrainians at low altitude: They are trying to evade advanced AA systems. Which is fine, except that the MANPADS(A missile launcher on a grunt that can send an enemy pilot into the shadow realm) are now an essential part of most military force's arsenals now in some way. (Of course, it does come with both flares and chaff) While the A-10 CAN thoroughly eat damage, this does not mean it should, and the aircraft has been shot down. Frontline troops have regularly reported that they hate hearing A-10s are their air support, because with rare exception the GAU-8 tends to throw ammo over a wide area that includes where said frontline troops are. To be fair, they are far less critical when said A-10 decides to throw missiles or bombs at the target rather than just BRRT things to oblivion.

With re-winging complete, the A-10 will likely serve until the late 2030s. Although a number of different replacements have been proposed from time to time, none are in the pipeline. There were some plans to mod A-10s to be remote controlled/optionally piloted drones, but those programs appear to have been canned. The Ukrainans also asked for 100 on there Christmas list to Uncle Sam: Who promptly said they shoot there eye out and denied it. Leaving aside the practicality on if it would be useful (given some of the junk the Russians are fielding answer says it would not hurt): training time and supply of parts and ammo alone probably be a practical problem.

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]

Team Yankee

2023-02-16T10:19:00Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* Asian Powers */

[[File:Team-Yankee-cover.jpg|250px|right|thumb|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 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 elected as the Premier of the Soviet Union, which would eventually lead to its collapse, but in the Team Yankee universe an old Stalinist took his place instead.

Believing that after the disastrous war in Afghanistan, the best way to reassure the people of the Union's 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 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 Strait 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 Warsaw Pact subsequently invaded West Germany, driving through to part of the Netherlands, but their efforts have met with stiff resistance, and the fortunes of war could soon turn the other way.

==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 on historically based equipment at a specific point in 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 and mechanized infantry. 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. Some armies have more unique options, but those will be discussed on their respective pages.

NATO armies 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) and it can be used in four armies.

Want a cheaper single army? Buy American (or any other NATO power). Want a cheaper collection and several army lists? Buy Soviet.

'''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 as 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 [[Motor Rifle Company|IFV-mounted infantry]] or a unit of [[Huey Rifle Platoon|heliborne infantry]]. This is where your list building 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 [[AMX Roland|crucial support roles but won't win the war for you]] to [[ADATS|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 all want to kill each other and are much more uncaring in where they get their gear from). Additionally, smaller factions may have allied units that fall under the same lines as Divisional 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 tabletop. [[M247 Sergeant York|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.

===List Archtypes===

Like any other tabletop game, each army has its own pros and cons leading to very distinct archetypes: just like the real-life counterparts, an infantry company will have a much happier time holding a town than a bunch of tanks. Here are a few of the many variants, found in the tournament scene and casual table:

====Mechanized Infantry====
Kings of the tournament scene, mechanized infantry are THE premium choice for players seeking cost efficiency, holding power or firepower in some cases. Over 90% of all infantry in the game arrives in a motorized tin can of some sort, meaning that these lists have an overabundance of machinegun fire. Some lists might use infantry fighting vehicles such as the [[BMP]] or [[Marder Zug|Marder]], but most are characterized by hordes of cheap infantry in the cheapest transports. Mechanized lists are incredibly split in specialization depending on your faction of choice as well.

In tournaments, the French and British are defined by the sheer amount of Milans they can bring to the field. They may lack in firefighting capability, but their ability to destroy armoured lists are second to none. They can be used in urban operations as well, but excel in open fields where their Milans can chew through tank after tank.

The Soviet, Iranian and Polish lists are the Communist equivalent of the Milan horde; trading the latest in wargear for the latest in childbearing technology. While these troops lack in weapon systems that can engage armour from a distance, they are characterized by sheer numbers coupled with 3+ morale stats allowing them to keep pushing forward when other armies would fall back.

On the other end of the spectrum are the spam lists of Czechs and Iraqis. Characterized by their horrendous morale, and basic weaponry, these lists have little to no offensive capability. [[Imperial Guard|However, their low pointage allows you to bring waves of men to the field that will HOLD the line like no other.]] In an urban setting, these troops can turn all buildings on your side of the field into deathtraps for enemy armour.

Somewhere in the middle are Soviet [[BTR-60|BTR]]/ [[BMP]] and Dutch [[YPR-765]] lists. Typically, these lists would feature armoured elements and focus more on punching through the weak points of the enemy's line with the superior firepower of infantry fighting vehicles complementing a couple of tanks. A jack of all trades list, these forces are capable of defending and can counterattack on a dime when required.

Universally feared by all players and the cheapest unit in any force, the mechanized infantry are the benchmark of every other unit: a platoon only needs to kill 1-3 tanks to make its points back. For tournament players, prepare to build lists that counter infantry. For casual players, expect to see some form of them in every single game.

====Armoured====
The poster boys of the game, Armoured forces rely on the overwhelming superiority of tanks to crush virtually any opposition in its path. These units represent the fastest, heaviest units in the army that are not only capable of taking ground, but holding it. Strong in standard games and deadly in larger tables, Armoured forces would be unmatched if not for their Achilles heel: overpriced units.

Tank units often cost dozens of points for a single platoon, leaving them as niche choices for the average player. In a tournament setting where every point counts and every wasted unit may cost you the game, tanks are treated as specialized units in different lists. Some may use armour as [[Chieftain|firebases]]; [[M1 Abrams|maneuver elements in a hammer and anvil force]], or solely as snipers [[Leopard 2|to destroy armour]]. Regardless of their tournament viability, here are the traditional makeups of armoured lists.

With unparalleled mobility and firepower, armoured lists excel on the attack. This greatly favors offensive nations such as the West Germans or the Soviet Union who can conduct ‘blitzkrieg’ tactics on the tabletop scale: rather than exploiting strategic weaknesses, these lists employ a mix of tank killers like the [[T-64]] and the [[Leopard 2]] to compliment the firepower of support tanks: outdated models that may not beat the latest metal boxes, but could chew through any other vehicle like a masochist on a sanding belt.

Protection against missiles comes in the form of artillery. Other lists may occasionally get away without running artillery, but is not optional in the current meta. Used to protect your tanks from Milan spam or the tank killers of the enemy force, smoke is probably the most important task of the artillery in an armoured list, neutralizing Milans for you to get within their firing range, forcing Chieftains to move or even dividing the force to reduce the amount of return fire.

The strongest armoured lists are anachronisms; with no nation having a single tank that does the job of both a tank killer and support. Hence, they are generally defined as lists that run a substantial amount of armour (two platoons or so) with singular platoons of infantry, artillery, reconnaisance, etc. For a competitive player choosing the path of an iron grave, consider using allies for access to ROF 2 brutal tanks to compliment your AT22 tank killers. If you are a Soviet player, rejoice! Your tanks all-in-one and are countered by any form of missile, tank cannon or bomber. Have fun!

====Cavalry====
Distinct from the armoured and mechanized archetypes, cavalry forces employ fast, mobile vehicles to outmaneuver the enemy while avoiding head-on engagements with the heaviest elements of the enemy list like tanks or infantry. While WILL be employing their own infantry and tank forces, cavalry forces are defined by their reliance on autocannon-armed vehicles to destroy soft-skinned vehicles like APCs, anti-air and artillery.

Generally used for reconnaissance in a combined arms list rather than serving as the frontline troops who fight and die on your behalf, the British are known for having some of the best cavalry units with the Scorpion and Scimitar coming in low, cheap and with both variants having the firepower to take on anything but battle tanks. Hampered by their mediocre moving ROF, their main purpose is to deny spearhead movement to your opponent while threatening their soft skinned vehicles, providing an extremely dangerous (but easily answered) threat that hamper much more expensive units such as infantry and tanks from doing their job on the frontline.

The only true Cavalry lists seen in tournaments are US Marine LAV lists, employing hordes of moving ROF 3 LAVs to outmaneuver, threaten, and destroy soft-skinned vehicles. However, it must be noted that cavalry forces still rely on infantry and armour to actually win the game: your cavalry are force multipliers to neutralize the support elements of your opponent, not the ones who will carry the day on their own.

====Air Assault====
Rarely seen in the tournament scene aside from Soviet VDV lists, Airborne lists employ helicopter infantry and their superior mobility to win battles. Almost universally worthless in a 6x4 game where the marginal infantry buff and loss of fighting transports can be crippling, air assault forces have a niche of larger team games spanning several maps. Whether used to grab vulnerable objectives or serve as firemen where the line is weakest, air assault troops have greatly different roles among the nations that can field them: the USA, Soviet Union and British.

The American air assault list is the archetypical airborne force: lightly equipped, highly trained and absolutely deadly in firefights, these units are barely worth their weight against armour but are almost unparalleled in a firefight. Combining Soviet morale with American firepower, heliborne infantry may not be able to kill a tank to save their life but are best suited to urban warfare or any other setting where dug-in infantry must die.

While the US Huey technically has its M60s, consider them one time use guns that cannot be considered fire support unlike an M113.

Soviet VDV lists are THE most accurate depiction of a proper air assault operation: deploying highly trained, versatile troops in highly dangerous environments while supported with helicopter gunships. The most ‘competitive’ of the three nations, VDV troops are equipped not only to win infantry fights, but also carry the heavy weapons that make infantry what they are: unmovable rocks that take a disproportionate amount of firepower to move, while having the tools to destroy armour that strays too close. While your infantry are few, your transports are terror on rotors: enter the Hind.

A flying tank unmatched by the West until the development of the Apache, the Hind is one of the only gunships with transport capacity. While nerfed by its lack of stationary ROF and 3+ to hit, Hinds have a weapon for any target. See a Merkava? The Hind can kill it. Unprotected artillery? The hind can kill it. Infantry hordes in the open? The hind can fuck them all at the same time.

By playing the VDV, you are committing to a list that combines air assault and air cavalry through the investment of points into gunships. Add on some Frogfoots and the VDV becomes a tournament worthy list that preys on any meta without sufficient anti-air. Not to mention, your blue berets are more than a match for the average foot soldier from the capitalist west...

The British air assault list are a competitive unit that sees fringe play, albeit as a fever dream that would make the Sergeant York wet. Worthless on their own and pathetic in a firefight, the Gordon highlanders see their niche as a Milan horde that happen to ride in helicopters.

====Air Cavalry/Leafblower====
Air Cavalry lists, unlike their real-life equivilants, are forces that spam airpower to win battles. Combining strike aircraft with helicopter gunships, these lists aim to destroy air-defence units before destroying the enemy force piece by piece. While most nations have access to bombers and ATGM helicopters, only the USA, Soviets and French have access to true leafblower lists; given their access to gunships like the [[MI-24 Hind]], [[Cobra|Cobra]], and [[Gazelle Helicopter|Gazelle]].

Prospective commanders should note that these are all-in lists with over 40 points being funnelled into airborne units and are easily countered by tournament metas. Essentially, you are praying that your opponent does not aim to counter your lists; given that Air Cavalry aims to outrace a platoon of dedicated air killers like [[SA-8 Gecko|SA-8 Geckos]] or [[Tracked Rapier|Rapier]]. Uncounterable for the casual player who does not plan ahead, and easily beaten by tournament players who do their homework. They may fufil your ride of the valkyrie fantasies, but will lead to games which end faster than your opponent's patience.

Not recommended if you wish to stay friends with your opponents. Acceptable (but weak) if you want to win games.

====Combined Arms====
Like most tabletop games, Team Yankee favours players who can mix and match each of the previous components; diluting the strength of each troop type and compensating with the power of diversity (yay!). As implied by the previous articles, building a spam list of infantry or tanks might be acceptable in a multiplayer game but will lead to your quick and laughable defeat in a competitive 1v1 game. Without artillery, your infantry and tanks can’t attack without taking a million casualties. Without cavalry, your tanks risk being flanked and blown up. Without infantry, your tanks and cavalry will not take objectives.

The overwhelming majority of competitive lists feature an infantry or armoured company with support elements to cover all angles. While an infantry list might see itself playing the defensive under ideal circumstances, the counterblow from a tank platoon coming from reserves can decisively swing games in your favour. Similarly, armoured lists require smoke to cover the advance of your tanks or mounted infantry. Experienced players may dabble in ‘all-in’ lists, but you, prospective general, will find the best results when your lists have no clear weakness.

Want to muddy the mixture? Consider taking combat troops as allies with your ‘chosen’ nation providing nothing more than combat (and moral) support.

Mandatory:
2-6 Combat Troops (2 platoons of tanks or infantry, 1 platoon of infantry/tanks)
1-2 Artillery (for smoke and pinning)
1-4 Recon (for spearheading and/or denying spearheads)
1-2 Air Defence (Multirole air defence acceptable below 26 points, dedicated air defence required above 30 points)

Optional:
1-2 Air support (used as suicide units)
1-1 Armoured ATGM carriers (overlaps with combat troops)

==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===
{{topquote|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 generally more beginner friendly, but varies between nations when it comes to cost and budgeting.

====United States of America====
{{topquote|I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.|General Jack D. Ripper}}

Difficulty: 1/5 (excellent for beginners!)

They may not have shown up on time for the last two world wars, but they sure have brought some firepower into this one. The principal founder of NATO and its strongest military power, the United States moved immediately to bring its full strategic might to bear against the seemingly-endless masses charging west from behind the Iron Curtain.

Three of the U.S.A.'s armed forces feature in this game, primarily their Army; 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 most advanced weapon systems rumbling into war with them (including the first ever METUL BOX). Particularly the principal tank of the US forces in Europe, the M1 Abrams is arguably the most influential main battle tank of the 80s, influencing almost every other tank design in the Western world.

''Stripes'' covers most frontline combat units in the US Armed Forces, from an Amphibious Assault Unit to an Airborne Infantry Company. Their units may not be the best in the world, but you have so many options in your list that you should have a counter for anything your opponent brings up. This versatility makes them the only faction to rival the Soviets, matching their cost efficiency with incredibly flexible listbuilding.

For players concerned with historical accuracy, remember to toss out the Yorks, RDF/LTs 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.
*Ability to upgrade entire force to carry AT23 TOW2s
*Capitalism

;Weaknesses
*Second most expensive faction in-game.
*Poor cost efficiency compared to other NATO equivalents.
*The TOW tax quickly adds up.
*Capitalism.
*Can't point out the enemy on a map.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Solid and cost-efficient. 4/5
Transports: The best 'free' transports in the game. 3/5
Tanks: All the flavors of M1s. 4/5
Anti-Tank: No longer cost efficient, but packing serious heat. 4/5
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: Overpriced. Where's the air force?? 2/5

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}

====Great Britain====
{{topquote|Why do you suppose we went into it?" "To strengthen the brotherhood of free western nations." "Oh really, we went in to screw the French by splitting them off from the Germans.|Yes, Minister}}

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

Steadfast, courageous, and absolutely devoted to their time-honoured traditions of tea, crumpets, and silly hats, the British Armed Forces became a founding member of NATO after World War II, in which they earned great fame for their many triumphs over impossible odds. Two major commands, British Army of the Rhine and Royal Air Force Germany, were dedicated to stand guard against the threat of Soviet invasion and have dutifully done so for 40 years. The British military is well-known for its discipline, professionalism, and for actually showing up on time for world wars (not like those louts across the pond).

Thanks to a little disagreement on the far side of the Atlantic in 1982 (not to mention the decades long troubles in Northern Ireland), the British military is one of only a few in NATO with combat veterans in its ranks going into the fight. They may not have the numbers or superpower status that they did in the glory days of the Empire, but as Argentina could tell you, they can still fight with the best of them. When the Warsaw Pact barged westward and brought war to Europe for the third time in a century, the British forces in West Germany stubbornly refused to give ground, forcing their enemy to bypass them rather than sacrifice the entire invasion's timetable. The rules for these tea-chugging bastards are found in “Iron Maiden” and updated rules can be found in "WW3: British".

The Brits lack the cutting-edge advanced technology of the other NATO forces (Advanced Stabilisers, Thermal Imaging except on the Challenger) but compensate with sheer firepower and ridiculously well-armoured tanks. 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.

Also there is one other slight thing to mention with regard to the British during this time period: they are Troubled, the good Friday agreement which ended (or at least paused) The Troubles would not be signed for another 13 years (1998). What does that mean for team Yankee? well likely nothing but in real life you could bet your ass the Soviets would love to pour gasoline on that little fire to try and distract the Brits, so if we ever get a partisan list or something, maybe keep an eye open for that.

Defining Units: [[Chieftain]], [[Milan Section (Mechanized)|Milan Section]]

;Strengths
*One of the strongest factions on the defensive.
*Best infantry in the game with plentiful ATGMs on human (and armored) platforms.
*Ideal for defensive or infantry players.
*Has the almost invincible, if overcosted, Challenger.

;Weaknesses
*Lacks units that can effectively fight while on the move.
*Seriously struggles to damage heavy MBTs.
*Vulnerable to smoke and rushes; units rely on staying still to deliver the most firepower.
*Commonly seen as the seal clubber's favorite due to superior infantry stats and milan spam, which makes new players ragequit.
*Everything, absolutely ''everything'' stops for tea at four o'clock.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Excellent defence and long ranged AT, poor offensive abilities. 4/5
Transports: Average APCs and IFVs alike. 3/5
Tanks: Expensive, armoured monsters with deadly firepower but incapable of mobile warfare. 4/5
Anti-Tank: Excellent options for dealing with previous generation tanks, struggles against 20+ armour. 3/5
Recon: Dangerous but squishy. 3/5
Artillery: Good mid-low caliber pieces. 4/5
Aircraft: Best bomber, overcosted helicopters. 3/5
Anti-Air: Excellent Rapier, ludicrously good Marksman, mediocre Spartan Blowpipe. 4/5

{{British Forces in Team Yankee}}

====West Germany====
{{topquote|Well that certainly doesn't apply to the Germans..." "No no, they went in to cleanse themselves of genocide and apply for readmission to the human race.|Yes, Minister}}

Difficulty: 4/5 (Challenging listbuilding.)

Following the complete destruction of Nazi Germany in 1945, about half of the country was occupied by the British, French and Americans, who merged their three occupation zones to form the Federal Republic of Germany. From its capital in Bonn, West Germany's leaders have focused their efforts on redeeming (West) German standing in the world through a restored representative democracy, a careful and conservative foreign and defense policy, and some truly outstanding cars, wurst and beer. And thanks to their longstanding membership in the NATO alliance, (half of) Germany gets to be the ''good guys'' this time!

West Germany was the first featured expansion in "Team Yankee," centering around the Bundeswehr's Heer, one of two current successors to the legendary German Army of the past. With their homeland invaded for a second time by their enemy from two previous world wars, the West Germans are intensely motivated and have all the tenacity, discipline and professionalism of their fathers and grandfathers. Their former countrymen, the East Germans, are among the leading forces of the Warsaw Pact, making the war especially personal as both German armies do their utmost to see that their cause triumphs. The West Germans are literally battling in their own streets, homes and fields, while the East Germans are leaping at their chance to forge a unified, socialist Germany. The Rules for the West Germans can be found in "West German", which replaced Leopard and Panzertruppen.

The West Germans have continued the famous German tradition of quality over quantity and then some: their units rank among the very best (and most expensive) in the entire game. The perfect example is the Leopard 2, a monument to armoured superiority that costs eleven points per tank, as opposed to a mere four per tank for the East Germans' T-72M. 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 the Panavia Tornado fighter-bomber, 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]], [[Marder II Zug]]

;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.
*Forgot their cold-weather gear AGAIN.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Effective, but few and expensive. 2/5
Transports: Strongest transport in the game, but no built-in missile. 4/5
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. 2/5
Anti-Air: Versatile, competitive options. 4/5

{{West German Forces in Team Yankee}}

====France====
{{Topquote|Going to war without France is like going hunting without an accordion.|Jed Babben}}

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

The gall of those cultureless, crass Americans! We hate all of them! Our king bankrupted us to save them in their "Revolutionary War," and now they make memes of us on the internet!

Despite the many dank memes and jokes about French military incompetence on the internet today, France has a long, long history of kicking ass with one of the largest and most powerful armed forces in human history. It may seem funny to mock them now, but nobody was laughing as Napoleon stomped one opponent after another into the dust, and millions of French soldiers held the line against the Kaiser's armies in the Great War, whereas the Americans couldn't be bothered to show up until 1917. France also <s>let the Germans take everything</s> was one of the major Allied powers in World War II, and French soldiers repeatedly making last stands against the Germans bought badly-needed time for the British evacuations at Dunkirk, saving not only <s>those stupid English</s> their British allies from getting overrun by the Nazis, but maybe also the world.

As explained in "Free Nations," France sort-of left NATO under Charles de Gaulle, a... very complicated man whose egomania could well have one-upped Douglas MacArthur if they hadn't been kept on totally separate sides of the planet. To summarize, de Gaulle fought nails and teeth (and all the rest too) to keep ''his'' France independent: politically, economically and militarily. This lead to France having its own military industry and designs and also lead to it leaving-but-not-really-leaving NATO and expelling all non-French military forces stationed on French soil. Secret agreements were made, however, and France retained the right to declare its re-integration into the NATO military alliance if it saw fit to do so; i.e. in case of WW3/something grave enough that would threaten France directly. The reasons for de Gaulle's stubbornness are multiple but the two main ones were that he wanted no part in what he fully expected to be "League of Nations II: Incompetence Boogaloo" or being pressured into sending his soldiers into conflicts where France had neither cause to nor interest in participating. Early in the events of "Team Yankee", seeing that a major war in Europe was on the horizon for the third time in a single century, France officially rejoined NATO in full. The Communist hordes will not find us such easy prey <s>as the Germans did</s> as they may expect, ''mon ami''.

As of 1985, France is one of the few NATO nations with genuine combat experience after World War II, 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. The French ORBAT is unlike any of the major military powers, with their early Cold War history covering the first and second Indochinese (Vietnam) wars and their different mission needs. The post-WWII/Indochine French army has a doctrine that can be summarized in one sentence: "Engage the enemy on your own terms; never his!". Lacking a tank capable of trading blows with any modern platform and near-universal <s>cowardice in the ranks</s> 5+ morale among French personnel, 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 eventually adopt autoloaders for their main battle tanks (starting only with the Leclerc, though), 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 Helicopter|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.
*<s>Cowards</s> 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

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
A Quick Note About the Morale Thing
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
Almost universally in Team Yankee, the French have ''shit'' morale, and this is a little weird at first glance. After all, the "ha ha, France = surrender monkeys" meme is about as nuanced and accurate as a company of Soviet motor rifles - especially by 1985. The French army has more actual recent combat experience than nearly any other playable nation, and previous morale crises have only improved the ''Armée de Terre'''s ability to deal with such issues. So, what gives?

Turns out, much like a few other terms for various Battlefront franchises, "Morale" is a slight misnomer. To be precise, the poor roll value that the French have isn't to represent that they are somehow more cowardly (the parallel 3+ Courage roll indicates as much), but rather to integrate French doctrine into the game, since most nation-specific special rules have been removed in order to streamline the rules. You see, in older FoW versions there used to be a dozen different special rules indicating unique attributes that would modify the two base values for specific traits. Courage, Rally, Assault and Counterattack are all new, and were created so as to whittle down the truly obscene rules clutter that was starting to really drag down games of FoW.

But that still doesn't answer the question ''"Why are my goddamn frogs running away so much?"''. The answer is simple: <s>the chemicals in the water turned them gay</s> they're being ordered to retreat: the French just don't stick around for a slugging match they fully know they simply can't win! If the French learned anything from the various wars of the 20th century, it's that they have to be able to give ground for time and that they absolutely do not have the ability to engage in attritional slogs and trade casualties for the same. As they quickly realized going solo meant they would never be able to field armor in the same volumes the Soviets could, the French army doctrine evolved into a very mobile and elastic thing that put their entire emphasis on high mobility with lighter motorized units, creating a 1985 doctrine of maneuver warfare with lightly armoured units. [[skub|The more callous say they just mixed Guderian's ''blitzkrieg'' with Model's ''schild und schwert'']], however nobody can deny they are very efficient at what they do best: hit hard, fast and overwhelmingly where the enemy doesn't expect it then redeploy before they can strike back.

This is well-represented in-game by the French having good skill but poor morale scores. This is also why the Czechoslovaks, despite being far less motivated than the French in every respect, have a better Morale rating despite literally having worse morale. Such a broad and encompassing term as Morale isn't restricted to the one stat that shares its name, and is technically the collective sum of all the stats on the left half of the base section since it was broken into those three in the first place.
</div>
</div>
{{French Forces in Team Yankee}}

====Canada====
{{topquote|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 (FYI, they did eventually get a Tim Hortons in a trailer)}}

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

[[Imperial Guard|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'' showed up to the fight with a [[Leopard 1#Canada|tree grinder]], intending to reenact that scene from Fargo.

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 apologize for borrowing American and German units, such as aircraft and heavy tank platoons.

<s>Defining Units</s> ''Standard List in BMP/T-55 Meta'': [[ADATS]] and as many [[Leopard 1#Canada|Leopard C1's]] as you can take

;Strengths
*Units tend to be agile, multi-purpose or hard-hitting. Sometimes, all three.
*Ideal for offensive and maneuver-minded players.
*Actually pretty good at fighting.

;Weaknesses
*Glass cannons whose vehicles can cost a pretty pound of points.
*The Americans don't like you for some reason.
*Apologize every time they shoot at anybody.

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}}

====The Netherlands====
''"Lucas, get out of the lingerie!"''

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

The Netherlands! A country so friendly and fun to visit that when World War III finally kicked off in August 1985, the Warsaw Pact drove a spear right through West Germany and brought the party to them. 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. With the holy trifecta of Leopard 2s, IFVs and Carl Gustavs, Dutch lists have few weaknesses, with numbers and the ability to deal with armour from just about any range and IFV hordes.

They are less advanced than their alcoholic West German brothers (infrared), but are 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
*Long ranged 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

{{Dutch Forces in Team Yankee}}

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

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

Legendary for their daring, elan and professionalism, the armed forces of Australia have a long record of making somebody ''very'' sorry that they picked a fight with the Empire. Or with Australia. Or that there was a fight going on, and the Australians heard about it and showed up. 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. The Queen calling for aid? 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. (Though historically ANZUS was falling apart at the time due to New Zealand's Nuclear-Free stance putting it at odds with the United States).

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 Australians may not actually be in NATO at all, but having decided to show up anyway, they're polite, they're efficient, and they have a plan to kill everyone they meet.

The ANZACS have British support units such as the Tracked Rapier and Harrier, thanks to their plea deal with the crown.

Defining Units: [[CVRT#Kiwi Variant|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}}

===Warsaw Pact===
{{topquote|The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.

'''''Working Men of All Countries, Unite!''
'''|Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto}}

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 Russians, Czechs or Russians disguised as <s>Ukrainians</s> Poles.

====Soviet Union====
-''What should a Soviet soldier do if he finds himself in an immediate vicinity of a nuclear explosion?''

-''Stretch out his arms and hold his assault rifle in such a way that no molten metal get on state-issued boots.''

- Soviet army joke

Difficulty: 3.5/5 (Tough to learn, easier to master.)

Massive, heavily armed, and with a record of Nazi-stomping in World War II that makes the whole Western front pale in comparison, the Soviet Armed Forces were a force to be reckoned with through the entire Cold War. Far outnumbering their adversaries and their own voluntold allies, the Soviet military possessed enough tanks, artillery, aircraft, automatic rifles and machine guns to make all of NATO's vaunted quality-over-quantity ideas count for absolutely nothing in a real war. Rules for the Soviet Hordes can be found in the Team Yankee Rulebook, “Red Thunder”, and, most recently, the "Soviet" book.

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 were the best infantry that the PACT can buy.

With the release of the new book, the Soviets gained access to the T-80 Shock Company formation. This elite formation is closer to a NATO force than other WarPac formations. Platoons of 2-3 tanks hit on 4+ with 3+ skill break the traditional horde structure and come with a hefty points cost to boot. They can also take a platoon of 2-3 recon BMP-3s with the same stats AND a company of BMP-3 mechanised infantry (with the option to downgrade to shock BMP-2s). Expensive as hell with the usual low ROF of Soviet armour, expect to be heavily outnumbered.

As a Soviet player, you are the proud owner of the most advanced army among REDFOR, rivalled only by the US (in games without allies, that is). Point for point, few armies can equal your ability to bring reliable firepower. 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, although you must be prepared to counter your low skill ratings.

Defining Units: [[Motor Rifle Company]], [[2S1 Carnation|2S1 Gvozdika]]

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

;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

{{Soviet Forces in Team Yankee}}

====East Germany====
''"For the protection of the workers' and the peasants' power" ''
-Motto of the Volksarmee

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

After getting stomped into oblivion by the Soviets during World War II, half of Germany has been rebuilt in the Soviet image. Founded in the mid-1950s, the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic, known as the Nationale Volksarmee (National People's Army), [[Mordian Iron Guard|combine Prussian heritage, iconic German military discipline, and Soviet mass-unit doctrine]] to forge one of the most formidable enemies NATO will ever face on the battlefield. Even though they must make do with downgraded Soviet export equipment, they fight with a tenacity that rivals that of their forefathers. NATO military officers have consistently rated the NVA as the best force in the Warsaw Pact based on its discipline, thoroughness of training, and the leadership ability of its commissioned officers. Following Soviet tradition, the Volksarmee lends the names of various Communist heroes to regimental-sized units and above, such as Panzerregiment 23 "Julian Marchlewski", one of the three armored regiments of the 9th Panzer Division. 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 Guardsman would question your value for human life. Your soldiers are as zealous as your Soviet counterparts and have more skill than <s>the illiterate peasants in the Red Army</s> 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. The majority of the Volksarmee gets the T-55AM2, which is great at exploding, and the first-rate armored regiments get the T-72M, which is also great at exploding but shoots better. You may be (mostly) 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 with 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 National People's Army stands ready to invade capitalist-occupied West Germany at your order.

Defining Units: [[Motor_Rifle_Company#Mot-Schützen Kompanie|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.
*Communist Prussians

;Weaknesses
*Units outmatched by most NATO equivalents; West Germany has much, ''much'' better Panzers.
*Players must rely on superior planning to win games due to the VAST technological gap.

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}}

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

Difficulty: 4.25/5 (Mix of decent units but nothing to write home about, with a cost that suggests more. Vets only.)

Coming from a background of militarism, Poland has had a fairly shitty history in the 20th century. They've been stuck in wars since the Great War (despite not being a nation), and Poland has become a plaything for the powers of Europe. Poland was the first country the Nazis occupied (as opposed to annexing), and thanks to the Soviets "liberating" them 40 years ago, by 1985 the original Polish government has been waiting to return home for nearly half a century. Yay. There's some division on that, however, as the Polish People's Army was first organized in 1943 and fought well on the Eastern Front against the Germans before establishing themselves as Poland's official armed forces for the next 40-plus years. Florian Siwicki, the Minister of Defence under the Polish People's Republic in 1985, first joined up in 1942 and has thus shot at (West) Germans before.

The Polish People's Republic has one of the largest and strongest armies in Eastern Europe short of the Soviets (complete with their own 6th Airborne Division and a specialized amphibious landing division), and possesses its own arms industry, manufacturing more cheap tanks and guns than anybody except the USSR. Their foreign customers include the East Germans (a lot of those commie Panzers are, ironically, from a Polish factory) and those fun guys in North Korea. They've kept the old Polish national anthem, and, bizarrely for a Soviet bloc state, the Polish People's Army provided chaplains to its troops throughout its existence. The Polish People's Army is large, well-armed, and well-trained; going into World War III, they can dish out and take plenty as the Warsaw Pact and NATO have a frank exchange of ideas over the fate of Europe and the world.

In Team Yankee, the Poles are troops with 4+ skill, 3+ courage and 3+ rally, giving them the determination of Soviets with the skill of the NVA. Second only to the Afgantsy 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 best 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: [[Motor_Rifle_Company|Zmotory Kompania]], [[T-72M]], [[T-72B]]

;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, it's reliable! 4/5
Aircraft: Passable. 3/5
Anti-Air: Pretty solid, actually. 4/5

{{Polish Forces in Team Yankee}}

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

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

Ah, yes, Czechoslovakia, the Reluctant Conscript of the Warsaw Pact. Lied to and annexed by the Nazis, then brutally occupied for years, then "liberated" and forced to join the Soviet Union in the Warsaw Pact. What fun! 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. They ''really'' don't want to be there.
*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}}

====Cuba====
-'' Hasta la victoria Siempre; always until victory !''

- Ernesto "CHE" Guevara

Cuba is a rather interesting subject when it comes to the Cold War. In 1959, Castro and his forces overthrew the Batista government and established a Communist government right in America's backyard. 2 years later, the US tried and failed to topple the government through the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Then we get the missile crisis where Russia began stationing Nukes on Cuban Soil. And lets not forget the countless assassination attempts on Castro's life. In most cases, this is where the story ends, a foot note in history. Not Cuba. Throughout the Cold War (and even today) Cuba was something of an abnormality. For starters Cuba had a tendency to get involved in foreign conflicts, offering medical and military aid. In 1973 they joined the Yom Kippur War against Israel, and so far as they're concerned (both in 1985 and 2022) that war never actually ended. Cuban forces were very prominent in Africa, and even fought directly against the South African Defense Forces in Angola. This is turn meant that compared to their Communist Allies, Cuba had a substantial amount of military experience. Despite this and their close ties to the Soviet Bloc, Cuba never officially joined the Warsaw Pact, probably because they didn't want to so visibly poke the superpower next door. Despite this, Cuba was something of a well-regarded ally for the Soviets.

Do you remember when East Germany was the goblin hoards of the communist forces? I miss those days. The Cubans are what you want to play if the Czechs aren't cheap enough and the Iraqis aren't skilled enough. Armed with weaponry straight from the Arab-Israeli wars of the 1960s and 70s, they fight bravely (if suicidally) for the liberation of American working peoples. To help them in their quest, they have the skill and motivation of the East Germans, making pulling off movement orders and using artillery less incredibly frustrating thanks to their combat experience in Angola. Their best tank is the base model T-62, roughly equivalent to East German T-55AM2s, and their worst is the SU-100, a vintage WW2 tank destroyer with absolutely no redeeming qualities in this era, other than that it costs less than a point per tank. If you like large amounts of subpar equipment, lots of painting, and killing communists, Cubans are just the army for you!

Cuba is present in the new Red Dawn book as a Warsaw Pact force. The justification for Cuba's presence is twofold. The first is that as a Communist nation right next to the US, Cuba would have been seen as an asset during any invasion of the Americas. The second is due to their presence in the movie as something of a Rear-Guard force and leader of the Spanish speaking allies.

Defining Units: [[SU-100]]

;Strengths
*
*
*

;Weaknesses
*
*
*

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

{{Cuban Forces in Team Yankee}}

===Middle Eastern Powers===
{{topquote|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}}
What's that, the folks in Europe are shooting each other again? The War To End All Wars ended up getting another sequel?! Time for a renewed surge of violence in the Middle East!

Apart from Turkey, which did join NATO, nobody anywhere near the Middle East (except maybe the various Soviet "Stans" depending on where exactly your draw the middle east's borders) ever actually joined NATO or the Warsaw Pact. Both of those coalitions made overtures to the various nations in that region, partly because they knew the other was going to, and partly because some of those Middle Eastern countries are absolutely loaded with oil. Iran, Iraq, and Israel are the three major players as World War III in Europe inevitably spreads into the Middle East, and the one thing they agree on is they all hate each other with pretty much equal intensity.

In 1985, Iran is a theocratic Islamic republic that was westernizing until a few years ago when they decided to tell America to get rekd. Their neighbor is Iraq, a one party authoritarian dictatorship enjoying the benefits of America's new "Fuck Iran" policy. The two have been at war since 1980, and to pour gas on the fire they follow different branches of Islam.

Meanwhile on the coast, Israel is at war with... well pretty much everyone. The Yom Kippur War broke out in 1973, pitting Israel against Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq, Libya, Kuwait, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Pakistan, Lebanon, and [[What|Cuba because why the fuck not]]. Officially most of these countries are still technically at war with Israel in 1985, although the fighting is mostly confined to Lebanon.

When WWIII winds its way into the desert, it finds two wars in full swing and a mess of complex backroom deals for arms and oil. The easiest case to understand is Israel. Israel in the 80's is the west's BFF, but they're regarded as a loose cannon for their tendency to [[That Guy|start shit and assassinator people]] seemingly just to remind the world that they exist. They're also known for not throwing ANYTHING away; in a serious fight their reservists would be using WW2 vintage hardware if they had to.

The Soviets best friend in the region is Iran, although this loyalty is only skin deep. The Ayatollah is no communist, he simply hates the decadent, heretical westerners. Right up until 1978 the Iranians had been getting the best hardware the west was willing to sell them. America wanted to make Iran a big fortress of freedom keeping the Soviets away from all the oil, but the revolution threw those plans out the window.

Iraq for their part had never really been anyone's friend. The Ba'athist party came to power in 1967 basically because the army was really mad at Israel. The Soviets were willing to sell them weapons but not the best stuff. But after Iran flipped off America, the CIA and the Saudis got really interested in propping up Iraq as an angry puppet against Iran.

Which brings us to the most notable non-participants in WWIII, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. The Saudis in 1985 are disgustingly rich, chummy with NATO but not vocal about it, and very vocal about hating Israel but talk is cheap. Meanwhile, Egypt in the 80's is under the leadership of a reformer who is less interested in war and more interested in using the Suez as an economic engine to rebuild Egypt (of course, even if Egypt were to not take sides in WW3, the Suez is just too strategically important to ignore...). Then there's Turkey. Turkey joined NATO in 1952, so it would very much be in this fight, and with it's location keeping the Black Sea fleet in the Black Sea and not causing trouble in the mediterranean, they very quickly be a front the Soviet would open to uncork that fleet and let it cause some real chaos, yet the Turk's lack an army list. . .yet.

In summary, the Middle East of the 80's is a mess of ambiguous allegiances colored by both extremely old and very new animosities. But in practical gameplay terms what it means is the opportunity to wield PACT hordes with the support of the latest western airbrrrrrrt (Iraq), or field older NATO tanks at Soviet discount prices (Iran), or shred <strike>goyim</strike> BMP and Milan spam with equal efficiently (Israel).

====Israel====
{{topquote|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: 3/5 (Effective against other Oil War armies, struggles against v2 armies)

Forged by near-constant war since State of Israel declared its independence in 1948 (instantly starting a war as its enraged Muslim neighbors all attacked), the Israel Defence Forces stand as one of most effective armies in 20th-century history. They are an army of Jews, sworn to act as the sword and shield of the long-dreamt-of Jewish homeland, and they are both well-trained, battle-hardened, and fiercely motivated. The IDF have lived with a "backs to the wall" mentality since the beginning; they know that losing once in the wrong time and wrong place could well mean losing Israel. But they also know that they're safer being feared; eighteen years before Team Yankee, Israel fought the Six Day War against all its neighbors and won, virtually obliterating the Egyptian and Jordanian air forces while taking the Sinai, and six years later held their gains in the Yom Kippur War.

Driven by constant pressure and the endless threat of danger and defeat, the IDF has been extremely innovative and adaptable with their equipment right from the start. They deliberately use literally ''anything'' they can get their hands on, with an array of weaponry ranging from World War II-vintage Sten SMG's, Soviet-made Shilkas captured from their not-so-friendly Muslim neighbors, purchased American tanks and a handful of home-grown items. While the WW2 tech has been passed to the reservists by now, Team Yankee's IDF options largely ignore this ramshackle history beyond a few looted wagons, which is a shame because M50 "Super Shermans" would be fun to use. You could, if you really wanted, use "Flames of War" and "Fate of a Nation" units to put together an IDF reservist force, but that would require extra work. The IDF in any format are well-trained and well-motivated. No matter what they're driving, flying or shooting, they are skilled and brave, making them a formidable enemy to anyone who goes up against them.

Israeli battlegroups have one of the deadliest anti-infantry arsenals with napalm bombers, tanks with Brutal and ROF 2 on the move, and infantry that could outfight the Americans' legendary 82nd Airborne. Anti-armour is a clear weakness, you only have a handful of units able to punch through previous generation tanks and nothing capable of hurting the latest tanks from the front. IDF units have nearly identical stats to the West Germans: 3+ stats across the board, except for 4+ assault and courage.

The Israelis may take allied NATO formations in their battlegroups.

Defining Units:
[[Merkava]], [[Pereh]]

;Strengths
*Deadliest anti-infantry weapons currently in the game.
*Infantry platoons which can beat tanks, and excel at firefights.
*Ideal for combined arms players with some experience.
*The closest thing IRL has to Cadians.

;Weaknesses
*Extremely few units which can penetrate 3rd generation tanks.
*Mediocre anti-air arsenal.
*Literally everyone else expects you to stab them in the back at some point.
*Terrified of shellfish.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Good at firefighting with strong stats but not much else. 3/5
Transports: The metal box of the free world...again. 3/5
Tanks: Great fire support, terrible tank killer. 3/5
Anti-Tank: Seriously lacks tools to deal with heavy tanks. 2/5
Recon: Mediocre, but cheap. 3/5
Artillery: 3+ skill, and you have an artillery piece for every mission. 4/5
Aircraft: Slightly weaker anti-armour, excellent anti-infantry. 4/5
Anti-Air: Solid SPAAGs, but suffers against NATO aircraft. 3/5

{{Israeli Forces in Team Yankee}}

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

Difficulty: 4/5 (The challenge of a WARPAC list, made easier with NATO allies)

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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War 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 material 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.

Iraqi lists are 'constructed' at the Division level, meaning that you have access to support units that would usually be found at the company level in other armies. While you do have a few French units, your combat troops have Soviet equipment and can be expected to perform like poorly trained PACT troops. Iraqis have 4+ stats across the board, except for 5+ assault and 5+ skill. They also operate at the company level like other PACT armies.

Uniquely for a faction with as much soviet gear as they do, Iraqis may take NATO allied formations in their battlegroups, if you've ever fantasized about a functional Iraqi-US coalition force. In game terms, this lets you have cheap conscript horde working alongside the best of the West. If you want a tarpit of conscripts protecting objectives while your Leopard 2s or Merkavas tear things up, this is the faction for you. You also have the USAF providing air cover with Warthogs and Harriers.

The Syrians are an official modification to the Iraqi list, losing the AMX AuF1, VCR/TH, AMX Roland, AMX-10P, US air support and all NATO allies. In exchange, they get access to the SU-25 and PACT allied formations.

Defining Units: [[T-62M|T-62]], [[Motor Rifle Company]]

;Strengths
*Large unit sizes with a point cost between East Germans and Czechs.
*Access to NATO tools like the AMX-AuF1 and the Gazelle HOT.
*Ideal for WARPAC commanders dabbling in NATO equipment and allies.

;Weaknesses
*Almost all support units at the divisional level.
*[[Planetary Defense Force|Units have the morale of WARPAC troops and the training of Russian conscripts.]]
*Addicted to nerve agents.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Tanned Pact troops with Ruskie training videos. 3/5
Transports: Many mediocre options for versatility. 3/5
Tanks: Inferior to Pact tanks, in training and tech. 2/5
Anti-Tank: Very fragile, but you can beat 3rd-gen tanks. 3/5
Recon: Cheap scout that can't kill anything. 2/5
Artillery: High-tech, average cost, low skill. 2/5
Aircraft: Nothing overpowered, but you have a solution for every problem. 4/5
Anti-Air: Plenty of options for the perfect AA net! 5/5

{{Iraqi Forces in Team Yankee}}

====Iran====
{{topquote|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}}

Difficulty: 4/5 (Excels in the hands of veterans, unfriendly to beginners.)

Formerly an American ally of convenience, and already at war with Iraq before World War III started in August 1985, the Islamic Republic of Iran has wound up as a de-facto ally of the atheistic Warsaw Pact. The underdogs of the Middle East, the Iranian military lack the generations of combat experience of the Israelis or the raw numbers of the Iraqis but compensate through sheer fanaticism. By the Iran-Iraq War, the Iranian military was only able to repel invading Iraqi forces thanks to foreign equipment and local militias slowing the initial Iraq advance.

Iranian armies featured iconic Soviet platforms but typically used 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. But politics can make for strange bedfellows indeed, and this fiercely religious state's alliance with the explicitly atheist USSR and its client states in Eastern Europe is far from the only unusual partnership of the 20th century.

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. The Americans and British are obviously no longer supplying spare parts, but the Iranians manage somehow, running their bizarre mishmash of NATO and WarPac machines and weapons, some of which are still in service today. Statwise, the Iranians are more fanatical than Soviets with 3+ across the board, but with 5+ assault and skill. Your illiterate hajis won't understand orders but are guaranteed to outlast nearly any foe on the battlefield in a contest of attrition.

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. If you like NATO tanks, painting desert camo and <s>unironically saying Allahu Akbar </s> getting placed on FBI watchlists, boy do I have the army for you.

Defining Units:
[[Chieftain]], [[Basij Infantry Company]]

;Strengths
*Insanely cheap platoons that let you bring several companies easily.
*High morale means units can practically disregard pinning/bails/losses.
*Beige.
*Literal jihadists.

;Weaknesses
*Extremely squishy armour formations capped at 3 tank platoons.
*Atrocious anti-armour capability.
*I hope you like painting beige.
*Literal jihadists.

The Breakdown:
Infantry: Good balance between infantry spam and mediocre infantry. 4/5
Transports: Average transports with quite a bit of choice. 3/5
Tanks: Soviet tanks and outdated Chieftains. 2/5
Anti-Tank: Your strongest AT platoons can't penetrate an M1IP. 1/5
Recon: Passable: not bad, but not great. 3/5
Artillery: A calibre for every target and every list. 4/5
Aircraft: Passable anti-tank, lacks a bomber. 3/5
Anti-Air: Nearly identical to PACT anti-air. 4/5

{{Iranian Forces in Team Yankee}}

===Asian Powers===
You may have noticed that this may be a 'world war' but there is one notable part of the world currently left out of the fighting: Asia, and by Asia we mean China, and to a much lesser degree Japan and Korea. Korea is an easy one: that is a situation that would almost 100% pop off in a world war three situation. In our world Russian reduiced aid to North Korea in 1985 under Mikhail Gorbachev, but in Team Yankee we got a military Hawk which is what set all this off. So this is a fight the USSR would be stoking if for no other reason then the USSR would love to draw US troops away from Europe and really put America's claim of being able to fight "Two-and-a-half wars" to the test. North Korea with heavy support from the USSR would also likely go for it. Japan meanwhile is still technically barred from waging offensive wars, but in 1960 they signed a defensive treaty in place with the USA that also is the legal justification for US military bases. So in a WW3 situation, USSR declares war on Europe, NATO triggers so America is at war, then the "''Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan''" triggers and Japan is also at war with the USSR, and presumable North Korea in the aforementioned situation where the USSR start's that up. So USA, Japan and South Korea VS the USSR and North Korea. There you go battlefront just wrote the plot of an entire expansion for you.

And now to address the Dragon in the room: China. China is. . .complicated. They are 100% a communist power and had this game been set during the late 50-60's China would be in this fight as well on the USSR side since the USSR helped the early Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in one of the Cold War's first proxy conflicts with the USA supporting the Nationalist who would later be reduced to Taiwan. But the two nations would drift apart and by the time of Team Yankee the two communists governments are very much split. Now a days China is seen as a super power and by 1985 it's very much a regional "Big Dog" just starting to flex it's international muscles in ways that it's still doing to this day. The big question of course is if WW3 started between the USSR and NATO: would China get involved?

That is very hard to predict. You could say they join, reluctantly, with the Russians to prevent the USA from taking all of North Korea and putting a unfriendly power on there border. You could also say that the USA could preemptively strike China expecting them to join a war and wanting to get a cheap shot before there ready, which would make them join Russia that way. You could make the argument they would join the American/NATO side in order to get territory grabs from the USSR and resolve some territorial disputes while there distracted. You could also arge the same from the other side, join the USSR to get territory protected by the USA that they claim (COUGH-Taiwan-COUGH) You even could even reasonably expect them to simply do the opposite of whatever India does, (Which would also mean it end up on the same side as Pakistan). Really it's a crap shoot with them. And despite how logical it is for Asian action in this WW3 alternate history Battlefront is using, it's an open question they even show up at all given how touchy the CCP is about depictions of China and how tense things are between China and the west.

===African Powers===

Though it might have been called the 'Cold War' it was anything but in the patchwork of states formed in the wake of colonial rule across the continent of Africa. Africa was a key front in the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union as both sought to woo newly-independent African nations to support one side or the other.

First thing to note is that Cuba is a surprisingly active player in Africa sending troops to at least 17 African nations and three insurgencies, in fact introducing Cuba as a Faction in an African expansion rather then a Silly "Red Dawn" movie themed expansion would make more sense, wolverines be darned.

As far as native African powers there are a couple of note: first is the Union of South Africa. They were and a major military power in Sub-Saharan Africa and were a state built upon Apartheid, a system where the black majority were disempowered and disenfranchised by the ruling white minority, the global opposition to this system of government saw South Africa develop a siege mentality of standing alone against a sea of foes within and without. With its fellow state of Rhodesia consigned to the dustbin of history by 1985 after its own long and bloody war, South Africa was in a tight spot by 1985 as it clashed with African and allied Cuban forces in Angola. To this end South Africa had invested heavily in its armed forces, including the indigenous Olifant Tank (An upgrade of the Centurion) and the Eland and Ratel-90 armoured cars. As stated they were a bit political isolated, but in WW3 there fighting Cubans so gosh darn it, there USA's going to back them!

From there though there are not a lot of good options. There different nations but Rwanda,Uganda,Tanzania,Burundi,Zaire (That last one no longer exist and is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) are militarily a bit interchangeable. Very few African nations make there own patterns of military equipment, and some times what they have they don't have a lot of. Rwanda for example has T55's. . 34 of them in fact. Additionally for the scale Team Yankee works at you really want vehicles to be unique to set the faction's apart. Who cares if the Ethiopian version of the Ak has a light on it, you won't notice that in the model. In fact you could probably cobble a list for most African nations out of existing gear and adjust the various skill values depending on what you thought was fair for that nation.

===Unofficial Rules - Alternative Nations and Special Forces===

Unlike the Swedish, who will undoubtedly get their own rules in years to come, you can follow the link below to play as one of the following nations: Spain (which actually joined NATO in 1982), Greece (joined NATO in 1952), Ireland, Yugoslavia, Albania, Denmark, Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Finland, Italy, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Portugal, Mexico, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, and Cuba.

You can also find unofficial rules for US Army Rangers, British Royal Marines, ANZAC SAS, Polish Spec Forces, Canadian Airborne, Iranian Spec Forces, East German Paratroops, Czech Airborne, French Foreign Legion, Soviet Naval Infantry, Iraqi and Syrian Republic Guard, Israeli Commandos and West German and Dutch Marines. You can even play now as Terrorists/ Guerrillas!

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344587741_TEAM_YANKEE_UNOFFICIAL_RULES_COMPENDIUM_-_NATIONAL_AND_SPECIAL_FORCES_RULES

Also it's not been done ''yet'' (and probabby in bad taste to do so just yet) but you could easily cobble together a pair of army lists to represent the Ukraine and Russian in there ongoing War given that most of the vehicles involved are already stated. The only thing you'd have to figure out would be how the hell to represent drones and it be a relatively easy project.

===The Neutral Powers===

(Only mentioned at the BF open so far, but don’t let that get your hopes down)

====Sweden====
Maintaining a policy of armed neutrality (leave us alone, we have guns) since 1814, Sweden never joined NATO despite its neighbors Denmark and Norway being among the first to sign up. The idea being that if ww3 ended up in an atomic fireball, Sweden be at the bottom of the target list and have a better then average chance of making it through, Finland had the same tactic BTW and went so far as to make literally every building a bunker to live through it.. However, it is extremely likely that in the event of a war, the Swedes would have broken their long-standing neutrality to support their Scandinavian comrades against the Communist threat to their way of coffee breaks every 2 hours.

This actually happens in Sir John Hackett's novel ''The Third World War: The Untold Story'', which Harold Coyle's ''Team Yankee'' is set within- the Swedes don't take kindly to the Soviet Air Force repeatedly invading their airspace to bomb Norway, and Sweden becomes a de facto NATO ally when they attack the Soviet bombers and the Soviets retaliate. So far that hasn't been made canon in Team Yankee: The Tabletop Game, but Battlefront Miniatures could change that at any time.

The Swedish military of 1985 was armed with some of the most distinctive weapons of the Cold War thanks to their homegrown defence industry. Designs, like the Stridsvagn 103 (or 'S' tank) and the Saab 35 'Draken' and 37 'Viggen' were strange even for the time. The Draken was of the first aircraft to successfully implement a delta-wing configuration and Viggen the canard delta layout; the design used in modern interceptor aircraft like the Rafale and the Typhoon fighter jets.

Sweden's infantrymen of the 80's had access to an excellent selection small arms, pragmatically picked from the best designs Europe had to offer. Their basic kit includes Glock pistols and a domestic clones of the H&K G3 and the FN FNC rifles, supported with 84mm Carl-Gustafs and a bewilderingly diverse inventory of machine guns. Their latest homegrown gadgetry at the time of Team Yankee is the then-prototype m/94 Strix, a 120mm mortar round with anti-tank heat-seeking terminal guidance; essentially a poor man's copperhead but in some sense a better overall system.

As with other Scandinavian armies, their forces were rather small. This meant that their funding per soldier was almost equal to other Western European nations, giving them a small force of well-trained and equipped troops that constantly stink of pickled herring.

Defining Units:
[[Strv 103]]

;Strengths
*Free shipping for orders above $50.
*Excellent cars and fishes.

;Weaknesses
*Has [[Munchkin|min-maxed tanks]]
*Screwdriver sold separately.

The Breakdown:

{{Swedish Forces in Team Yankee}}

==FAQ/General Bulletin==
*There are three kinds of teams: Tank Teams, Infantry Teams, and Aircraft Teams
**Tank Teams include every type of ground based vehicle, not just literal tanks. It is further broken down into Armoured, Unarmoured, and Transport types
**Infantry Teams include all units made up of men fighting on foot
**Aircraft Teams are comprised of Strike Aircraft and Helicopters

*For most units moving will lead to worse shooting (or not being able to shoot at all)
*Tactical Speed allows you to shoot after moving
*Dash speed prohibits shooting and the maximum distance depends on the unit and the terrain
*Tank Teams must roll higher than their Cross value when moving into or through terrain or immediately end their movement
*Movement can be enhanced using various orders based on Skill or Motivation
*Friendly Tank and Infantry Teams can move through each other
*Tank Teams can never move through other Tank Teams (except wrecks)

*Units are hit based on their own Is Hit On value and not the shooting team's skill
**A unit's Is Hit On value is modified by Concealment, Smoke, and other factors
**Remaining in place and not shooting will make your units Gone To Ground
**Units that are Gone to Ground and also Concealed are even harder to hit
*Infantry, aircraft, and soft skinned vehicles that are hit must make a saving throw or be destroyed
**If the infantry unit is in Bullet Proof Cover the shooting team must also pass a Fire Power test
**Armored vehicles take the armor value (AV) on the card, add a d6, and compare it to the shooting weapon's anti-tank (AT) value
***If the total is less than the shooting weapon's AT then the target fails their Armour Save (if the weapon's AT exceeding your AV by 6 or more you will automatically fail)
***If the total is the same as the shooting weapon's AT then the target also fails but the shot does limited damage
***Failing an Armour Save does not mean automatic destruction. If the shooting unit then fails a Firepower roll the target stays alive (but is possibly Bailed Out)
***The hull and turret are considered separately. Roll a d6 if both are exposed. On a 4+ the turret (if there is one) is hit instead of the hull
****This only matters if the shooting unit is flanking the target (behind a line drawn across the front of the hull or turret)
*Long Range shooting carries a penalty to hit and AT (but this is often negated by rules for Laser Range Finders or Guided Missile technology)

*You will find the rules on the back of cards, but just in case you're simply browsing, here are what they all mean
**Brutal: Forces infantry units to reroll saves against this weapon
**Laser Rangefinder: Negates penalty of shooting at longer range
**Advanced Stabilizer: Increases the units maximum Tactical Speed
**Stabilizer: Increases the units maximum Tactical Speed, but adds a penalty to shooting when moving beyond the standard Tactical Speed
**Dedicated AA: Allows you to use full ROF against air units instead of just one die
**HEAT: Negates Firepower penalty for Long Range
**Guided: Negates hit penalty for Long Range
**Thermal Imaging: Allows unit to ignore smoke, friendly or foe

==Books==
<gallery>
File:Team-Yankee-cover.jpg|Da Big Rulebook
File:Iron Maiden Cover.jpg|Iron Maiden
File:Leopard Cover.jpg|Leopard
File:Panzertruppen Cover.jpg|Panzertruppen: sort of an addendum to Leopard
File:Volksarmee Cover.jpg|Volksarmee
File:FW909.jpg|Red Thunder
File:Stripes cover.jpg|Stripes
File:Freenationscover.jpg|Free Nations
File:Czech book.jpg|Czechoslovak Peoples Army
File:Polish book.jpg|Polish Peoples Army
File:Oilwar.jpg|Oil War
File:WWIII-BRITISH-cover.jpg|British Book II
</gallery>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:McPizza_King.jpg|Ramirez! Defend the <s>Burgertown</s> McPizza King!
File:Lynx & Btr-60s.jpg|''Gott im Himmel'' there's hundreds of them!
File:Marinecorps AAVP7.jpg|ONE TWO THREE FOUR, I LOVE THE MARINE CORPS!
File:CheiftainvsT64.jpg|Take that you dastardly Russians!
File:Afgantsy Choppers.jpg|Like a swarm of angry hornets.
File:Cheiftain on the road.jpg|Yes, the might of Great Britain has arrived.
File:New Bradley Mini.jpg|
File:Desert Bradley.jpg|

</gallery>

==External Links==
[http://www.team-yankee.com/ The Official Team Yankee website]

[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrwatpGKP655UI1CjcmKQrcY5uiO_HHB7/ A somewhat outdated starter guide]

[[Category:Wargames]]
[[Category:Battlefont Miniatures]]
[[Category:Team Yankee]]
[[Category:Flames Of War]]

Marine Rifle Platoon

2023-02-16T10:10:57Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* IRL */

{{America}}
{{Topquote|They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Recruit_Depot_Parris_Island mould]them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interceptor_Body_Armor armour] shall I clad them and with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle mightiest guns] will they be armed. They will be untouched by [http://theconversation.com/how-world-war-ii-spurred-vaccine-innovation-39903 plague or disease], no sickness will blight them. They will have [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_unit_tactics tactics], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapfrogging_(strategy) strategies] and [[AAVP7|mac]][[M1 Abrams|hin]][[UH-1 Huey|es]] so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against [[Communism|the Menace]]. They are the Defenders of Freedom. They are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Nicholas The Marines] and they shall know no fear.|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington George Washington]}}

[[File:Rifle Platoon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Semper Fi!]]
The United States Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy along with "the" Navy and the C̶o̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶G̶u̶a̶r̶d̶ (Currently part of the Department of Homeland Security), though in practice they are very much treated as their own separate branch of the military. The United States Marines Corps is one of the largest marine forces in the world, and the until recently was the only one with combined arms, possessing its own armor, artillery, recon, and air capabilities for performing amphibious and deep-strike missions far from naval bases. Whether you need to fight a campaign against a [[Japan|sprawling sea empire]] or send a [[Raven Guard|well-equipped reconnaissance team deep behind enemy lines]], accept no substitutes. Oorah!

==In Team Yankee==
[[File:Marine Rifle Stats.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Stats]]
The less mobile option for marine forces operating from AAV7 landing craft and Hueys (for fluff players). They also pack more punch than most other infantry platoons, capable of tackling anything on the ground (given the right tools). The options for the marines focus heavily on fire support weapons and can include M60 LMG teams, two SMAW teams and one 60mm Mortar team.

Due to the different organizational structure of the Marines having less artillery with an average of 2 mortars per company, the rifle platoon serves a different purpose as well. Unlike the mechanized platoon whose typical role is to protect armor or hold positions (due to their dragon ATGMs and smaller size), the Marines have WAY larger unit sizes which rival smaller Soviet companies. This means your troops can go on the offensive rather reliably, with the numbers to take MG fire if your defensive smokes fail.

Their primary counterpart is the US Airborne, who serve a similar role as shock troops with the numbers and 5+ rifle fire to reliably close in and destroy the enemy. However, they have access to SMAW teams which allow them to have a legitimate chance to actually hurt tanks at close range.

In terms of options, you may purchase an additional weapon team for a point each. M60 teams are swapped with rifle teams instead. While players may consider purchasing all of them (which isn't necessarily a bad choice), those who wish to use their platoons for a specific purpose may choose to adapt their unit composition instead.

As a rule of thumb, platoons in an offensive role would take the 9 rifle team for sustaining casualties and adding on 2 SMAWs. Conversely, the M60 and Dragon excel in a defensive role due to their range increases and stationary requirements. Taking a 6 team platoon is ideal, as the 3 cost for 3 additional rifle teams would be somewhat unnecessary. Note that Marine infantry mortars do NOT have smoke(<s>THE ONLY SMOKE WE NEED IS FROM THE CORPSE OF THE COMMIES WE KILL</s>) We need to do something about this R. Lee Ermey ghost.

A solid infantry unit which may replace the British hordes as the meta NATO army, due to their superior numbers and options.

==IRL==
[[File:Marine Rifle IRL.png|300px|right|thumb|Does anyone know where my sunscreen is?]]
Marines have a bit of a reputation to be had, and act like they're a step between regular army soldiers and Special Operations Forces like Rangers or Force Reconnaissance. And that might ''Technically'' be true, but in reality, marines are VERY well trained infantry but a far cry from any special operations forces. There not as much of a step up from the army as they think and much more of a step down from the special forces. They might not have better training or equipment than their Army counterparts, but determination and bravery decide firefights more than equipment. Given however that they are the primary force used to perform amphibious landings, which are often done in the face of enemy aggression, and expeditionary warfare which involves fighting away from supply's base, it is not hard to see where the Marines' (in)famous esprit-de-corp comes from. Most assuredly, the Germans, who dubbed them the "''Teufel Hunde''" or "''Devil Dogs,''" or the Japanese who had islands after islands clawed away from them, would not be one to dispute their right to have their attitude.

The root of the Marines' tough reputation lies in their history of shoestring budgeting. As a department of the Navy, Marines get the scraps of whatever is left after spending on fancy warships and missiles. Historically their equipment has lagged behind whatever the army was using by years if not decades. This created a culture of making more with less: the Marines had to perform as well as the Army despite fewer resources. With a focus on an exceedingly strong esprit-de-corps that some would consider cult-like, no one denies that the Marines are a force that works.

Today as with much of the Cold War, the Marines are an expeditionary unit expected to be the first frontline combat troops deployed to any hotspots around the world, with expeditionary units in various regions worldwide. Doctrinally, expeditionary warfare focuses on infantry tactics due to tanks on beaches being science fiction for the moment and incredibly silly thanks to the power of ATGMs. As many marines would tell you, the core of the Corps is the riflemen.

The coming changes for the Corps indicate that the Marines are being redesigned for the purposes of Urban warfare and island defense, and are losing their Abrams and some of their shorter range artillery systems. The rationale is that Marines will act as rapid response light infantry and specialize for these roles due to a [[China|certain country]] having wrong opinions on Formosa.

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}

Marine Rifle Platoon

2023-02-16T10:10:46Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* IRL */

{{America}}
{{Topquote|They shall be my finest warriors, these men who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Corps_Recruit_Depot_Parris_Island mould]them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interceptor_Body_Armor armour] shall I clad them and with the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M16_rifle mightiest guns] will they be armed. They will be untouched by [http://theconversation.com/how-world-war-ii-spurred-vaccine-innovation-39903 plague or disease], no sickness will blight them. They will have [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_unit_tactics tactics], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leapfrogging_(strategy) strategies] and [[AAVP7|mac]][[M1 Abrams|hin]][[UH-1 Huey|es]] so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against [[Communism|the Menace]]. They are the Defenders of Freedom. They are [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Nicholas The Marines] and they shall know no fear.|[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington George Washington]}}

[[File:Rifle Platoon.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Semper Fi!]]
The United States Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy along with "the" Navy and the C̶o̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶G̶u̶a̶r̶d̶ (Currently part of the Department of Homeland Security), though in practice they are very much treated as their own separate branch of the military. The United States Marines Corps is one of the largest marine forces in the world, and the until recently was the only one with combined arms, possessing its own armor, artillery, recon, and air capabilities for performing amphibious and deep-strike missions far from naval bases. Whether you need to fight a campaign against a [[Japan|sprawling sea empire]] or send a [[Raven Guard|well-equipped reconnaissance team deep behind enemy lines]], accept no substitutes. Oorah!

==In Team Yankee==
[[File:Marine Rifle Stats.jpg|300px|left|thumb|The Stats]]
The less mobile option for marine forces operating from AAV7 landing craft and Hueys (for fluff players). They also pack more punch than most other infantry platoons, capable of tackling anything on the ground (given the right tools). The options for the marines focus heavily on fire support weapons and can include M60 LMG teams, two SMAW teams and one 60mm Mortar team.

Due to the different organizational structure of the Marines having less artillery with an average of 2 mortars per company, the rifle platoon serves a different purpose as well. Unlike the mechanized platoon whose typical role is to protect armor or hold positions (due to their dragon ATGMs and smaller size), the Marines have WAY larger unit sizes which rival smaller Soviet companies. This means your troops can go on the offensive rather reliably, with the numbers to take MG fire if your defensive smokes fail.

Their primary counterpart is the US Airborne, who serve a similar role as shock troops with the numbers and 5+ rifle fire to reliably close in and destroy the enemy. However, they have access to SMAW teams which allow them to have a legitimate chance to actually hurt tanks at close range.

In terms of options, you may purchase an additional weapon team for a point each. M60 teams are swapped with rifle teams instead. While players may consider purchasing all of them (which isn't necessarily a bad choice), those who wish to use their platoons for a specific purpose may choose to adapt their unit composition instead.

As a rule of thumb, platoons in an offensive role would take the 9 rifle team for sustaining casualties and adding on 2 SMAWs. Conversely, the M60 and Dragon excel in a defensive role due to their range increases and stationary requirements. Taking a 6 team platoon is ideal, as the 3 cost for 3 additional rifle teams would be somewhat unnecessary. Note that Marine infantry mortars do NOT have smoke(<s>THE ONLY SMOKE WE NEED IS FROM THE CORPSE OF THE COMMIES WE KILL</s>) We need to do something about this R. Lee Ermey ghost.

A solid infantry unit which may replace the British hordes as the meta NATO army, due to their superior numbers and options.

==IRL==
[[File:Marine Rifle IRL.png|300px|right|thumb|Does anyone know where my sunscreen is?]]
Marines have a bit of a reputation to be had, and act like they're a step between regular army soldiers and Special Operations Forces like Rangers or Force Reconnaissance. And that might ''Technically'' true, but in reality, marines are VERY well trained infantry but a far cry from any special operations forces. There not as much of a step up from the army as they think and much more of a step down from the special forces. They might not have better training or equipment than their Army counterparts, but determination and bravery decide firefights more than equipment. Given however that they are the primary force used to perform amphibious landings, which are often done in the face of enemy aggression, and expeditionary warfare which involves fighting away from supply's base, it is not hard to see where the Marines' (in)famous esprit-de-corp comes from. Most assuredly, the Germans, who dubbed them the "''Teufel Hunde''" or "''Devil Dogs,''" or the Japanese who had islands after islands clawed away from them, would not be one to dispute their right to have their attitude.

The root of the Marines' tough reputation lies in their history of shoestring budgeting. As a department of the Navy, Marines get the scraps of whatever is left after spending on fancy warships and missiles. Historically their equipment has lagged behind whatever the army was using by years if not decades. This created a culture of making more with less: the Marines had to perform as well as the Army despite fewer resources. With a focus on an exceedingly strong esprit-de-corps that some would consider cult-like, no one denies that the Marines are a force that works.

Today as with much of the Cold War, the Marines are an expeditionary unit expected to be the first frontline combat troops deployed to any hotspots around the world, with expeditionary units in various regions worldwide. Doctrinally, expeditionary warfare focuses on infantry tactics due to tanks on beaches being science fiction for the moment and incredibly silly thanks to the power of ATGMs. As many marines would tell you, the core of the Corps is the riflemen.

The coming changes for the Corps indicate that the Marines are being redesigned for the purposes of Urban warfare and island defense, and are losing their Abrams and some of their shorter range artillery systems. The rationale is that Marines will act as rapid response light infantry and specialize for these roles due to a [[China|certain country]] having wrong opinions on Formosa.

{{US Forces in Team Yankee}}

Planegea

2023-02-16T08:03:14Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* The Black Taboos */

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'''Planegea''' is an upcoming third-party setting for [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition]] that seeks to explore a very unique question: "what would your typical D&D world look like during the [[Stone Age]]?"

==Setting Conceits==
===No Tech, High Magic===
Planegea isn't "Historical Fantasy, Hard Mode", it's "Primeval D&D" and "Caveman Pulp". This is a world of Primordial Fantasy, and the corebook actually suggests that DMs contemplate the term "stonepunk", in the vein of [[steampunk]], when it comes to designing terrain features and factions. Planegea is a world where you might find floating islands, cities built on the backs of mammoths, temples hanging from the boughs of giant trees, a tribe that flies using gliders of skin and wood giving lift by strange glowing crystals. Don't be "realistic" to the point of just making it all about the mud, the blood, the hunger and the thirst. In other words it's D&D if instead of Reading lord of the rings, Gygax had been reading Conan the Barbarian.

===The Black Taboos===
Planegea isn't just a primordial fantasy world, there are forces actively keeping it in that state. All know that there are certain acts which a person MUST NOT DO, lest they bring the wrath of the dread Hounds of the Blind Heaven down on their heads. These forbidden behaviors, which will summon one of these eldritch entities to hunt and slay the transgressor, are collectively known as the Black Taboos, and consist of four commandments:

Writing is Death: Whilst pictures and patterns are permitted, the use of abstract symbology to communicate draws the Hounds raging from the Blind Heaven to devour whoever attempted to write.

No number higher than 9: Planegeans are only allowed to count individual numbers as high as 9; anything after that is "many". Attempting to use higher numbers will draw the Hounds. (we wish to also quickly note that chimps can count higher then 9)

Do not use wheels: Attempting to stick a wheel on an axle will draw the Hounds. (pottery wheels seem to be ok though)

Do not use money: Planegea runs on the barter economy, ''period''. Attempting to create or use abstract fiscal currency will draw the Hounds.

On a meta level these exist to keep your player's firmly in the right technology level and mind set. Even without meta gaming a player would find it hard to not just invent things. Take the Money Taboo for example, it's natural a player get annoyed with the idea of bartering everything and start hunting down some thing they know is culturally valued and so can be used as a barter item but is easy to carry, such as cowrie shells (bet you thought I was going to say gold? Nope Cowrie shells were among the first and longest lasting form of money even more then gold) since there pretty, can be used as decoration, and so have intrinsic worth and thus can be traded for other items without running into the taboo. . .Except as soon as you say 'this sword is worth <s>200 </s> enough cowrie shells to be equal the number of legs on two <s>centipedes </s> many legs', (we can't say 'centipede since 'centi' means 100 which is a number we can't use, meaning we have to call it a 'Many Legs')* congrats you actually have invented money and the hounds are coming for you. That thought process is how money was invented and it can be extremely hard to not even accidentally go through the steps to reinvent that or any of the other items. Hence why the GM needs a metaphorical stick to swing at players to remind them to not meta game even more then in standard fantasy settings.

*This whole extended bit is it self another way to cheese the 'no number bigger then 9' taboo. You don't say '14" you say "as many as there are legs as on a crab atop a wolf" or something, which depending on your GM this sort of neanderthal math might actually be acceptable.

===Nascent Pantheons===
Planegea is an age of proto-gods, when the first spirits are forming and beginning to take command over aspects of reality. There are no great universal gods with dominion over entire aspects of reality - Planegean gods are animals, plants, or elemental beings that have learned to tap into the primordial energies of the world and begin exerting their authority. They are physically bound to a sacred place, a Hallow, and attempt to lure mortals into providing them with worship, offerings, and act as their agents as part of their ongoing struggles to survive, grow, and conquer.

===Clanfires and Hallows===
The traditional D&D mainstay of the Tavern is replaced by the Clanfire; the central ever-burning fire that is the heart of clan life. All but the wickedest maintain a tradition: if you leave your weapons in the gloom before the firelight circle, you may approach the Clanfire and be welcome. Here is where you can rest, find information, and trade.

But if you need magic? Then you need to seek a god's Hallow, and offer worship or services in exchange for what you desire.

===The Three Themes===
In the corebook's own words, these are the three themes that define Planegea:

'''Kinetic Action.''' In Planegea, you don’t stand still and hit things. Battles are fought on the backs of mammoths, on racing ice floes, on trees bent before a magical gale. The battlefield is never constant here—fires fill the air with smoke, hungry scavengers gather at the edge of combat, and enemies leap through the air, bodies and blades twisting as they throw themselves at you without regard for life and limb. Planegea is built for over-the-top action, where combat is never just a combat, but a story in itself and an explosion of dangerous, chaotic energy.

'''Primordial Horror.''' Sometimes there isn’t a name for the thing that slithers by your skin in the shadows. Sometimes you can’t control the voice you hear whispering your name at night, scratching at your tent flap, begging to be let in. In Planegea, mortals have barely any control over the world around them. You are surrounded on all sides by the unknowable, the unstoppable, and that which means you harm. The fundamental horror of Something Out There in the Dark is ever-present here, requiring great courage—or a little darkness of your own—to confront it.

'''Mystic Awe.''' Wonder isn’t about what you see… it’s about what you feel. It’s about coming to the edge of the infinite and discovering how small you have always been. It’s about the beauty of losing yourself in something greater. Planegea is a world of countless gods, of immaculate natural wonders, and of stars that spin above and whisper stories to the mortals below. In Planegea, you can fall into astonishment, seeing the world with fresh eyes, beholding everything as if for the very first time. And as you do so, all is made new again, and stories you thought you knew become strange and wonderful once more, like painted deer on a cave wall in flickering firelight.

==Kinships of Planegea==
The races - or "kinships" as they are called in Planegea - largely consist of primordial versions of the classic 5e PHB races, as well as a handful of new ones. But, the Planegea corebook itself reminds readers that it only represents a small sample, and that there is plenty of room on Planegea for other, weirder races, calling out [[beastfolk]] and [[golem]]-like creatures as examples. The one thing to remember is that this is a young world, and all the races are new and relatively half-formed.

'''[[Dwarf|Dwarves]]''' on Planegea are creatures of living stone which only recently tore themselves from the womb of the earth. Half flesh and half mineral, whilst the youngest generations are growing more fleshy as they are born rather than carved from the earth, all dwarves are known to be stubborn and hardy. The greatest builders and stone-shapers of Planegea, they are known to be friends of the [[giant]]s, who admire their construction skills... perhaps too friendly for their own good. "Hewn Dwarves", those carved from the stone, use Hill Dwarf stats, whilst "Born Dwarves" can use any of the other dwarf subraces.

'''[[Elf|Elves]]''' are denizens of the realm of Nod, the dreaming [[plane]], a place that sits somewhere between being the [[Plane of Dreams]] and the [[Plane of Faerie]]. Living dreams (or nightmares) brought to life in humanoid shape, elves show their mystical nature through the translucency of their flesh and the unearthly colors of their bodies. Whilst any elfish subrace can be found in Planegea, the most common and the most solid-looking are the "Exiles of Nod", who use High Elf stats.

'''[[Halfling]]s''' on Planegea largely consist of the "Quietkin" (Lightfoots); silence-obsessed masterful hunters who view all the world as both enemy and prey. Those who reject the teachings of the quietkin become the Walkaways, and might be represented by any other halfling subrace.

'''[[Human]]s''' are, of course, every where, and the constant influx with all manner of racial cultures and blood makes their versatility second to none. Planegean humans are particularly noted for their ability to domesticate beasts, and so they can take the optional racial trait "Beast Tamer", which lets them apply double their Proficiency bonus to Animal handling checks made against wild animals.

'''[[Dragonborn]]''' are the youngest race to appear in the Great Valley, as the known world of Planegea is called. They claim to be the direct descendants of the Worldheart Dragon, who broods on Blood Mountain, and to have sailed up the Unfalls on rafts made from the trees of the Venom Abyss to bring the Worldheart's will to Planegea. These primordial dragonborn only have [[Chromatic Dragon]] ancestry, as the [[Metallic Dragon]]s don't exist on Planegea.

'''Godmarked''' are less a race and more a scattering of families, tribes or lone individuals who encountered a god and were physically transformed as a sign of either its blessing or curse. Mechanically, they use the [[tiefling]] stats.

'''[[Gnome]]s''' are loathed by all the other kinships of Planegea as a race of sneaky, dishonorable scavengers who rely on trickery, subterfuge and deceit to get ahead. With their willingnes to pick over kills, scavenge from trash piles and steal whatever they believe will help them, these cunning tinkerers prioritize survival over honor or shame. The mainstay of these "Scavenger Gnomes" use slightly tweaked Rock Gnome stats, but those gnomes lucky enough to be adopted into other tribes may express talents comparable to different subraces.

'''[[Half-Elf|Half-Elves]]''' are commonly known as Twilight Children or Dawn Children. An often physically uneasy mix of human and elven traits, half-elves are equally likely to be raiders and entertainers, and for this reason are held at bay by the other clans. The instability of their lineage means that certain unique half-elves are "Blood Dancers", able to shapeshift from their birth form into a purely human form and a purely elven form, which are all but impossible to connect (this trait replaces Skill Versatility).

'''[[Orc]]s''' are doing incredibly well in the world of Planegea; whereas their counterparts on more civilized worlds are regarded as at best savage brutes and at worst little more than humanoid vermin, the orcs of Planegea are revered and respected, regarded as beautiful and blessed. They are the nobility of this savage world, few in number but great in ambition, skill, strength and courage. They are a spiritual people torn by the rising prominence of the hunters and warriors... and their future may not be so bright. A growing blight on orcish nobility are the clans of "Monsterblood Orcs", or "The Doomed", who have devoured beings they should not have and who are being twisted into rage-fueled beasts. Planegean orcs use the [[Half-Orc]] stats, whilst monsterbloods use [[orc]] stats.

As for the four new kinships of Planegea? They consist of the '''[[Dreas]]''', trees sprung to life as humanoid beings; '''[[Half-Ooze]]s''', a fusion of a parasitic slime and the corpse of its humanoid kill; the '''[[Saurian]]s''', the obligatory [[dinosaur]] [[beastfolk]]; and '''[[Starling]]s''', sapient stars fallen to Earth.

==Classes of Planegea==
So, you're probably wondering: how does Planegea fit the usual motley crew of [[adventurer]]s into its Primordial Fantasy setting? Well, a lot more easily than you'd expect.

Let's get the easy ones out of the way first: [[Barbarian]]s, [[Fighter]]s and [[Ranger]]s are all well represented and resepcted. Barbarians tend to be either highly respected warriors, or else outcasts whose clanmates only keep them around so they can be shoved in the direction of the enemy, depending on how good they are at telling friend from foe whilst raging. Fighters are the hunters and warriors upon whose backs rests the survival of their people. And rangers are the masters of surviving in the ever-hungry wilderness, revered for their skills and respected as leaders in the dangerous lands they call home.

[[Rogue]]s are known as '''Scavengers''' on Planegea, and are reviled for their willingness to prey on the weak and vulnerable, no matter what - or ''who'' - they are.

Surprisingly, [[Monk]]s exist on Planegea too; trhey are known as '''Ascetics''', and they are a nascent class of warrior-saints, slowly building up the principles of using self-discipline and self-abnegation to unlock superhuman feats of physical prowess.

[[Bard]]s are known as '''Chanters''', and both respected and distrusted, for they are deeply involved in the preservation of the clans throgh their mastery of the libraries of oral lore that preserve all there is to know about one's people.

[[Cleric]]s, known as '''Shamans''', are the direct mouthpiece of a god, and represent its will, as well as brokering to it on behalf of their clan. Shamans tend to be homebodies, because in this early era of the world, a god's inflence and ability to grant its pawn magic are strictly limited.

[[Paladin]]s, known to Planegeans as '''Guardians''', come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are raised from an early age to be the champions and protectors of the clan's shaman, others have directly bargained with deities for power in exchange for service. And some simply swore an oath to an ideal with such fervor that it unlocked power within them, power to make their oath reality.

Ironically, [[Warlock]]s are actually greatly respected in Planegea, for they fill a role similar to that of the Shamans - it's just that warlocks act as go-betweens for much darker and more alien powers than the gods in their Hallows.

Strangely, [[Druid]]s are hated and feared on Planegea; their divine magic is powered by tapping directly into the ambient primal magic of the world itself, the same fuel that can grow a spirit into a fll-fledged deity, and this makes the gods paranoid and wrathful. Druids are known as '''God-Leeches''', and whilst they serve a vital role in limiting the divine power of fiends and evil deities, they must keep their true natures a secret.

As for arcane magic... [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|Sorcerers]] make up the vast majority of mages in Planegea, though of those most only wield the most basic powers of their mystical bloodlines. But [[Wizard]]s, known as '''Spellskins''', aren't unheard of either. Though they constantly flirt with drawing the attention of the Hounds of the Blind Heaven, Spellskins continually seek to refine and improve their arcane art. Each Spellskin maintains a secret lair, typically a cave, where they construct elaborate pictures that trap magic into permanent shape, creating spells. By using special tattoos to resonate with each spell-picture, a spellskin can draw upon that spell-picture's power from afar and shape it into practical effects.

===New Subclasses===
The Planegea corebook offers the following new subclasses:
* '''Way of Abnegation''', the iconic Planegea Ascetic (Monk), who excels at resisting and deflecting suffering.
* '''Path of the Farstriker''', a Barbarian specialized in the use of throwing weapons combined with instinctive air [[elementalism]].
* '''Dream Sorcery''', a Sorcerer with an intuitive connection to the realm of Nod, imbuing them with the powers of visions, dreams and nightmares.
* '''The Dark Forest''', a patron for warlocks representing the ominous and fearsome intelligence at the heart of the deeep, dark woods.

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Settings]]

Bronze Age

2023-02-16T07:59:09Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* Notes */

[[File:Mesopotamian farmers.jpg|250px|thumb|right|When you get the basics of farming down and your food supply is secure...]]
[[File:Babylon.JPG|250px|thumb|Right|...you can aspire to greatness.]]
The '''Bronze Age''' is a period usually marked out by the development of Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin and a period in which human civilization really got going. In the late [[Stone Age]] basic agriculture had been worked out and a few farming communities had emerged, small permanent and semi-perminant villages and towns with a few workshops and storehouses surrounded by farmsteads. By the Bronze Age these had developed into fairly substantial and sophisticated societies with a high degree of specialization and stratification, complex governments, laws in place of customs and widespread trade networks reaching for thousands of kilometers. Writing and mathematics were developed as tools of governments and were used to build large scale projects. At this time cities' populations grew into the tens of thousands, first as independent city states and later as empires.

Beyond these early centers of civilization newer if smaller scale agrarian societies would emerge and rise while nomadic pastoral peoples would develop along their own lines and would trade and fight with both the growing city states, the small scale farming clans and the remaining hunter/gatherers. The more developed civilizations soon came to see them as [[Barbarian]]s.

Technically the Bronze Age was preceded by the '''Copper Age''' in which the basics of metalworking were worked out and first applied and which developments in other areas were made such as construction and ceramics, but for sake of simplicity on this site it's getting lumped in with the Bronze Age. Copper smelting began 8,000 years ago. Bronze Smelting began around 5,700 years ago in the Fertile Crescent and China about the same time and would spread from those two points although in 2013 tin bronze foil was discovered in the Balkans and dated to 4650 BCE indicating that bronze may have been discovered independently in a much wider area. It should also be noted that Bronze took some time to fully replace copper to tool use.

Generally speaking, the Bronze Age ended in the Fertile Crescent region after the Bronze Age collapse, in which several old civilizations fell or were devastated as ferrous metallurgy began to catch on. When civilization recovered and rebuilt, [[Classical Period|new ones rose in their place]]. In China the end of the Bronze Age was more gradual and less dramatic, iron working showed up and superseded Bronze without too much fuss between 900 BCE to 500 BCE. Several Native American civilizations (such as the Incas and the Aztecs) would reach a Bronze Age level of development before the arrival of more advanced Europeans. Their development was hampered by a lack of large domestic mammals suitable for draft purposes or riding (and the lack of Poxes from those animals would cause an accidental genocide as the colonial forces, on top of already destroying the Aztecs (with local help as the Aztecs were arguably the biggest assholes in the Americas. Turns out human sacrifice of prisoners makes one resented) pretty much unwittingly committed the largest act of biological warfare in history). The Andeans had llamas, which was better than nothing but was no horse or ox.

==The Fertile Crescent==
The Earliest agrarian societies on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea and what is now Iraq, which saw the emergence of the first and the most successful bronze age civilizations.

===Mesopotamia===
Located in the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys, Mesopotamia is often called the Birthplace of Civilization. It was the site of the first agrarian communities in the neolithic period and latter saw the emergence of city states as we would understand them. Numerous cities would rise along the banks of these rivers, using it for transport and more importantly irrigation. This was a place with little rain and the rivers were rather unreliable. To make it productive, a lot of channels and ditches were required and you'd also want reserves of food set aside in granaries and water in reservoirs. Doing so was both labor intensive and required a lot of coordination. That said, properly managed it could support cities with tens of thousands of people. Possibly more than a hundred thousand.

There were numerous city states in Mesopotamia, which would wax and wane in power. In particular there was Uruk, Akkad and most famous Babylon. Power would shift between Priest Kings to more military monarchs. In particular, this gave rise to the notion of The Rule of Law with legal codes such as that of Hammurabi, which was set in stone in steles in public places for all to see. While it was rather brutal ("An Eye for an Eye") it laid out the notion that there is one set of laws for everyone, even (in theory at least) to the King. It was filled with double and triple standards of course, but it was certainly better than the near literal no standards from before.

There were several cultures which neighbored Mesopotamia. To the east in what was now Iran there various bronze age cultures emerging shortly after Mesopotamia and following it's lead. It was home to overland trade-routes with India. To the west in what is now Turkey was a set of similar cultures, most notable of which were the Hittites that rose towards the end of the Bronze Age.

===Egypt===
Ancient Egypt is probably the most famous archetypal Bronze Age civilization. Modern Egyptology started with [[Industrial Revolution|Napoleon]], who took an interest in the pyramids such and hired artists, reporters and scholars to study the ruins (most notably finding the Rosetta Stone that let them decode their written language) and report back to France and has been going strong ever since. It helps that Egypt is a very desiccated place and we have a lot of records buried in the sand.

Like Mesopotamia, Egypt is based around a river which ran through a desert. Unlike Mesopotamia, the River was easy to work with. Between May and August the Nile would flood. Once it receded, the flood plain was both wet and fertile from freshly deposited sediment. In practical terms this meant that Egyptian Agriculture was on easy mode. High yields with little work and during inundation people had a lot of free time on their hands, which they often spent building Pyramids. There was little point for Egypt in making war; all the surrounding lands were barren desert, and most of their neighbors depended on trade with Egypt for food anyway. This meant the Pharaohs could easily afford enough men, horses, and chariots to keep anyone else from getting ideas (at least until the Greeks and Romans showed up).

A really outstanding fact about Egypt is that it was remarkably stable. From roughly 3150 BCE to 525 BCE Egypt existed as a political entity without much internal societal upheaval. There were periods of disruption and instability, but they were always fairly brief with people returning to the status quo with Pharaohs, priesthoods, nomearchs and so forth. Similarly there was a lot of continuity of culture. A few new technologies were introduced (Bronzeworking and chariots) but the overall impact on people's day to day lives was highly limited. It's easy to identify what dynasty an Imperial Chinese porcelain plate was made in based on it's style or what century a picture of a medieval knight was made in based on his armor. In contrast you would be hard pressed to find the stylistic difference between an Egyptian statue of a Pharaoh from 2600 BCE and one from 26 BCE of Caesar. Hell, Augustus's Pharaonic statues from around 10 CE look barely different from Narmer's palettes from around 3000 BCE.

===Canaan/Israel===
Of particular note because of how much of the legends and histories of this particular region has shaped Western culture and fantasy, Canaan/Israel is probably the second-most famous Bronze Age civilization after Egypt. While debate continues as to whether the legends passed down in the Hebrew Bible date from the Bronze or Iron Age, it is nonetheless some of the earliest documented history, if such a term be applicable, of the Fertile Crescent available to modern audiences. Modern conceptions of angels, sin, sacrifices, and other theological practices as well as the ideas of ancient progenitor bloodlines and the manner of Bronze Age customs, especially before the archeological renaissance of the 1800s, can be traced to the ancient Isrealite/Canaanite culture and lore.

==East Asia==
[[File:Bronze Age Zhou China.jpg|250px|thumb|right|We may not have huge stone buildings, but our Feng-shui is auspicious af.]]
The first use of bronze in China is dated at around 3100-2700 BCE although more concrete delineation is a bit difficult due to aforementioned smooth transition to the Iron Age and bronze being in continuous use since it was seen as a fancy material alongside jade. Chinese historians roughly equate ''early Bronze Age'' with the Shang Dynasty and ''late Bronze Age'' with Zhou Dynasty. In terms of cultural and social sophistication it was basically ˝China-lite˝ as the various elements that will come to define China were just getting started though as the picture on the left shows they were as advanced as the Egyptians and Sumerians.

Korea had begun using bronze by 1000-800 BCE which they adopted from the neighbouring Liaoning and Manchu cultures though they developed their unique style and culture. The Bronze Age in Korea corresponds generally with the Mumun period during which their societies progressed from isolated villages of pit-houses in the classical part to sprawling settlements numbering hundreds of houses secured by several ditch enclosures along with megalithic burial sites. During the late Mumun there was apparently an increase of conflict as the amount of settlements decreased and many transformed into hilltop forts with even more elaborate ditches, at this time iron also started entering use as well.

[[File:Japan Bronze Age.jpg|250px|thumb|Right|May not look like much, but we grow through the ages, watch this space with care.]]
Japanese Bronze Age corresponds roughly to the Yayoi period at around 300 BCE when it was brought by settlers from Korea to northern Kyushu and then spread out north-west. This period was also marked by a complex interplay of migrants from the Korean peninsula and the more native Yomon - the former being displaced by the more chinese-like northerners, there is however little evidence of conflict and the two cultures apparently merged and bolstered Japan with new tech and culture (sounds kinda familiar, hmmm...).

==Americas==
Agriculture started up a bit latter in the Americas than in Eurasia or Africa starting with Squash in Mexico and [[Potato]]es in the Andes 10,000 years ago and taking until about 6,000 years ago to come into it's own as new cultivars were domesticated. By 2000 BCE Gold Smelting had begun in the Andes followed by copper smelting by 1100 BCE and limited bronze-working was under way by 500 BCE. In Mexico, metalworking had begun by 800 CE with copper and gold, but even with limited metallurgy both regions did produce sophisticated civilizations which had evolved along their own courses in isolation from Eurasia.

In the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Maya people gradually rose and really came into their own around 250 CE. They were not a single nation, but a collection of city states, some of which would make alliances or conquer their neighbors from time to time. But despite their lack of beasts of burden or metal tools, the Maya did build some sizeable cities with large pyramidal monuments, raincathers and worked out a system of writing and some fairly advanced mathematics and astronomy. Unfortunately they went into decline around 900, never quite collapsing but they were definitely diminished. Exactly why this happens [[skub|is unknown and disputed]], though a new power would rise to the West.

Around 1250 or so, a bunch of people called the Aztecs moved south. As the story goes, these migrants were looking for a place to settle following a prophecy that they'd find it when the say an eagle eating a snake on a prickly pair cactus. Eventually they found the sign, on a small island in the middle of a lake. Despite everything they built their city of Tenochtitlan in that lake along with a bunch of farms on reed mats. By 1428 the Aztecs got into some alliances and went a conquering, becoming an Empire. They were a Feudal Society with lords and hereditary warrior classes and they could field vast armies which they used to extract tribute from their rivals, including captives to either work as slaves or be sacrificed. Their city never really died; ancient Tenochtitlan today sits at the very center of Mexico City, and many colonial era buildings were built from Aztec ruins.

[[File:Pachacuti.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Pachacuti, Sapa Inca]]
To the South, things went in their own unique way. See the Andes are the second tallest mountains on earth and so even though they straddle the equator it can still get cold up there in the thin mountain air. It also varies a lot with Rain-forests, glaciers, cool peaks, grassland, scrubland and desert all packed up real tight. There were a bunch of cultures rising and falling and generally doing their own thing. One these was the Kingdom of Cusco, ruled by a dynasty that claimed to be the children of the Sun God Inti. In 1438 got a new leader called [[The Emperor|Pachacuti (Reformer of the World)]] who pulled off a successful [[Great Crusade]], forging ''Tawantinsuyu'' ("The Four Parts Combined") or more commonly known as the Inca Empire.

The Inca Empire was freaking huge, covering 2,000,000 km² linked together by a vast network of roads and way stations. If you bordered them, the Inca would offer you gifts and promise you that you'd keep your old position of power and get access to stored wealth of the Empire in exchange for having to contribute to Tawantisuyu. If you refuse the Inca would send forty thousand men with maces, bows and spears to murderize you and put someone better in charge. Most people went with the former. They did not have a system of writing but they did have something roughly similar for keeping records called a Quipu, basically a set of strings with a code of knots tied into them.

Unfortunately for the Maya, Aztecs and the Incas, First Contact with Europeans was disastrous. Diseases ravaged their population, soldiers with horses, guns and steel armor and weapons could best their armies with obsidian swords and bronze star-head maces and they caused a lot of political instability and exploited it to dominate.

==Notes==
* [[Money]] did not really exist back then. Peasants would give each other gifts and would do stuff for each other as they could (you give me some pots and I'll fix your roof when I can), governments paid people wages of food and goods and merchants haggled various goods with local officials, regular people and each other as they went. There were a few things that merchants preferred to deal in which were easier to deal with (bolts of cloth, ingots of metal, cowrie shells) but it was still an informal matter. This would vanish later, and China, Greece, Egypt and Philistines had all established currency a hundreds of years before 1000 B.C. (possibly earlier). That said, the earliest forms of money were contrived as aides to accounting by bronze age bureaucrats, since shifting large amounts of grain about from hold to hold is hard work with a Shekel being pegged at a bushel of barley.
**despite the general lack of money there was a lot of trade, Often at great distance. To make bronze you need copper (common) and tin which is pretty rare actually. Most of the tin used in the Mediterranean is believed to be from England of all places. In fact the World's oldest customer complaint, a clay table addressed to "Ea-nasir" regarding some poor quality copper dates to 1750 BCE, right in the middle of the Bronze Age.
* The shift to agriculture meant that humans started needing supplemental dietary salt to live, as well as to preserve meat. [[Dune|Salt trade]] with areas able to mine or harvest it in useful quantities would become the first major form of commerce between empires.
* Pastoral Peoples emerged during this time. They had herds of livestock which they moved around with for food and fiber, sometimes engaging in a bit of agriculture on the side. Since they were always on the move, they lived light with stuff they could transport and they often played an important role in trade between city states. Often there would be clashes with Pastoral people and Agrarian nomads. Though they would decline as more areas turned to agriculture would often be the case until fairly recently (like 1500 years ago). The Mongols were the last great Hurrah! of pastorals.
* Many of the more developed Bronze Age societies had many aspects of society organized by the government. The government told peasants what to grow, collected taxes of food and similar from them, took them to central warehouses, gave artisans wages of stuff for making tools and weapons which they would use to pay people and distribute to people who needed them. All of which managed by castes of scribes and nobles. Basically think of the [[Imperial Tithe]] minus most of the Grimdark.
* Chariots! Animal domestication lead to animals that could pull carts, which were then weaponized. In places where flat land was plentiful, it was very hard to engage in a combat against a wheeled cart that was shooting arrows at you, and even harder if there was a full formation of the things. Cart, animals, trained soldiers, and weapons got expensive in a hurry, especially for chariots which need two animals. As such they were replaced by cavalry once we bred horses to be big enough to take a human rider by it self, drastically reducing the price and support resources.
* A lot of what we think of as being part of the Classical Era has its roots in the Bronze Age. For example, the Egyptians have an extremely long history that stretches from the dawn of civilization to the rise of the Hellenic empire, much, much later. And the most famous Greek stories we know of by Homer, were written prior to the Classical age in what we know as “Archaic Greece,” and he was talking about a Greece even older than that that was effectively lost to its own Dark Ages. Much of what we know about this time period comes to us indirectly from the oral traditions of classical poets and historians, especially if the writing system of those societies became lost.

==The appeal of the Bronze Age==
The Bronze Age is the earliest period that we have accounts of, even if they are scant, fragmentary and incomplete. It is in this time that the earliest forms of civilization are gradually taking shape, and we know more of the shapes it took in those formative years than about the specifics of any particular band or tribe of stone age people. From big things like the Codes of Hammurabi to the fact that some fellow in Mesopotamia around 5,200 years ago was named Iry-Hor.

To the eye of the romantic, priest-kings reign over populations of devoted followers who demand that their legacy be set in stone with great monuments and by fire and blood as they clash for power and prominence. Ranks of spearmen and bowmen march into battle led by charioteers which clash on burning sands with the winners taking the losers as spoils of war. The heroes might be favored faithful servants to their city and their king and the new world that is rising or barbarian warriors seeking glory, freedom and plunder on the frontiers. Their deeds to be remembered in epic poetry, or inscribed into clay tablets by scribes.

If we want to get more fantastic, this period has produced complex mythologies with pantheons of squabbling gods and epic tales such as the story of Gilgamesh and the Trojan Wars. All of which are ripe material for a fantasy writer to mine. This is the time period for the [[Sword and Sorcery]] genre, as most of the myths that we know of from the classical period take place in this epoch. This gives the Bronze Age an air of mystique and grand adventure, where larger-than-life heroes fought against monsters and gods. Something that’s generally not possible with the even earlier Stone Age as the culture of that time period is too primitive to tell such grandiose stories, and where survival is really all that’s possible.

In addition to the above, the Bronze Age is also one of the main influences that gave us the "Lost Ancient Ruins"-trope. We have only very vague ideas of why the Bronze Age ended, and what followed was a long, barbaric time where things regressed hard. Unlike the fall of the Roman Empire and many of the Chinese Dynasties, the Bronze Age gives off this sense of complete mystery; who were these ancient people? How come they dissappeared, and how could they have been so advanced? In popular fiction culture, those lost civilizations are often eventually revealed to have been decadent priesthoods who built insanely huge monuments and made outstanding crafts (relics and macguffins our heroes and villains can fight over), but had some large flaw that was their downfall. Apart from the relics of incredible power, the Bronze Age has all these features.

The people of the bronze age had a very tangible relationship with their deities, constructing temples and shrines on scales seemingly beyond the means available to them... and begging the question whether forces beyond the knowledge of history played a part. Fantasies of aliens visiting Earth in the distant past and being received as gods by primitive humans are lent an air of credulity by the enormity of the monuments the ancient empires left behind. Not the part where all pyramids look the same though. The only thing that lends credulity towards is the fact that that is simply the best way to lay down a huge structure without concrete or steel.

In the Bronze Age, a rough template for a social order for agrarian societies would be outlined. There would be city states and kingdoms who's population would be divided up into various largely hereditary classes of kings, nobles, priests, scribes, warriors, artisans, merchants, peasants and slaves. Most of whom were rural supporting a few urban centers, wealth was mostly calculated in terms of food and agricultural productivity, most people never travel more than 20km from the place of their birth, work would be done mostly by hand with some applications of animal power and a few instances of utilizing wind and running water (boats with sails and traveling down river). While there would be exceptions, significant changes within these parameters and a lot of variations on the theme, this set up would predominate until the [[Industrial Revolution]].

==Bronze Age inspired Games, Factions and Settings==
* [[Conan the Barbarian]]
* [[Tomb Kings]]
* Stargate
* [[Mythic Vistas]] - This series of [[splatbook]]s by [[Green Ronin]] started with "Testament", a fairly beefy splatbook centered around Bronze Age [[Historical Fantasy]] using the "Biblical Era" as its starting region.

{{Time Periods}}
[[Category: History]]

Leopard 1

2023-02-16T07:27:48Z

2601:1C0:4500:A540:4156:952A:2BD0:4BB7: /* ANZAC */ a classic 40k joke fits a bit better on this wiki

[[File:Leopard-1.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Hey Baby, wanna ride in my BMW?]]
{{topquote|Panzer vor!|[[Girls und Panzer]], all the time.}}

The Leopard was the very first tank produced by Germany post WWII, and boy did they knock it out of the park. Armed with the legendary Royal Ordinance L7 105mm main gun and and capable of a top speed of 65 kph, the Leopard set the benchmarks for MBT design alongside the Centurion and T-55, when it first took to the field in 1965.

==In Team Yankee==
The Leopard 1 is an increasingly obsolete vehicle by 1985. It will definitely struggle to defeat any modern main battle tank like the Abrams or the T-64, and therefore typically serves a support role. All Leopard 1s share the same movement profile of 10" tactical movement with a moving ROF of 2, encouraging their use as a mobile firebase. While all models are excellent at popping light armor or enemy tank skirts, certain nations do gain access to brutal main guns which turn them into absolutely versatile and deadly units.

Assuming the meta continues revolving around BMP/BTR + infantry spam, the Leopard 1 will become an increasingly comfortable tool to the commanders of the free world. Cheap enough to be bought in numbers and mobile enough to engage targets of opportunity, the Leopard 1 excels against anything with less than 16 frontal armor. While unacceptably squishy against ATGMs, such fragility can (and SHOULD) be offset through the use of orders. Unlike most tanks, Leopard 1s have 2+ cross and excel in maneuver warfare: you can drive through a treeline and deliver a full volley of rounds in the same turn. (Insert Ardennes joke here)

Most come with machine guns, allowing you to return fire against charging melee troops or charging melee helicopters.

==West German==
[[File:Leopard-1 Stats.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Die Statistik, ja!]]
The ancestor of the Leopard 2, the Leopard 1 serves as the spearhead of armoured recon forces (PanzerAufklarung) and the backbone of Leopard 1 Panzer Kompanies (found in PanzerTruppen) in the West German arsenal. While inferior to the Leopard 2 in movement, AT and technology (Advanced Stabilisers, Thermal Vision), the Leopard 1 has a key role in providing affordable anti-armour firepower. While incapable of engaging any modern armour, the Leopard 1 can comfortably engage other Second Generation tanks like the T-55AM2 and the Patton. At close range, the L7 gun has an AT value of 19, which means that enough shots may eventually penetrate the front of a T-64. However, AT19 means that the Leopard 1 may have a use to players capable of getting a Panzer Zug into your enemy's flank where their moving ROF of 2 can threaten tanks from the side or artillery pieces with their 2+ FP.

However, the affordability of the Leopard 1 comes at a severe cost: the absence of any notable armour. With a pitiful front of NINE, [https://www.team-yankee.com/portals/0/Documents/TeamYankee/FM101-FAQ.pdf bazooka skirts grant front AND side armor of 10 against HEAT]. While immune to autocannons, the Leopard 1 collapses in the face of most anti-tank weapons. RPG-18s and BMP 1s can reliably defeat Leopard 1s, with the winner in such engagements being the one who gets the first shot off. As with most other tanks, the Leopard 1 can put out 4 MG shots against infantry within 16", or probably as defensive fire against helicopters and assaulting infantry.

Overall, the Leopard 1 is a competitive option, if somewhat inferior to some other nations' offerings. The second cheapest NATO tank in-game at 3 points each, the Leopard 1 can be purchased in platoons of 2, 3, or [https://www.team-yankee.com/Default.aspx?tabid=878&art_id=6015 4]. Part of the Armoured Recce Company, they may also be taken as a Leopard 1 Kompanie under the rulings for Panzertruppe.

Addendum (Free Nations): the Leopard 1 has been dethroned! See ANZAC and Canadian Leopard 1 entries for the strongest tank in the game!

==Canada==
[[File:TNAAB1-20.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Sorry for the latecoming, eh?]]
The boys from the Royal Canadian Dragoons have arrived, and they're ''not'' happy with the BMP meta.

Designated the Leopard C1, this vehicle is a Leopard 1A3 with an upgraded targeting system. On a surface level, it appears to be about as effective as the regular West German variant despite costing an extra point to field. However, one key detail makes the C1 better than the standard Leopard 1: '''BRUTAL'''. The Leopard C1 can engage infantry and light targets using the main gun with dramatic efficiency. Forcing these unarmored targets to re-roll successful saves has turned the Leopard C1 into a bare-faced killing machine. This versatility meshes incredibly well with the Canadian list as a whole, considering how most of their units are already versatile options in and of themselves. Though still more expensive than the German and Dutch Leopard 1s, the same philosophy applies to fielding them: field lots of them. Get as many of these evil little cats on the table as possible, and let your [[M150 TOW]] and [[ADATS]] platforms worry about the big nasties.

You can take a whole fucking lot of C1's, too. Up to 63 of them for a theoretical 238 points (just 4 points under what it would cost to take 22 Leo 2s), if the math lines up. The C1 Armoured Troop is one tank larger than the West German counterpart, enabling a much needed increase in both firepower and unit survivability. Your command unit is also mighty beefy, being up to 3 units strong and therefore capable of getting into the thick of it. However, you do ''not'' want to bring these to the table on their own, so don't get too Leopard-happy if that means you're missing out on necessary supports. Never skimp on the essentials for just one more tank; remember your backbone units such as the [[M113 Blowpipe|Blowpipes]] and the [[Lynx Reconnaissance Patrol|Lynx]]. While the C1 will be the centrepiece of any competitive-oriented Canadian list, neglecting your support will inevitably result in some gargantuan blind spots arising in inopportune moments, regardless of the Leopard's multirole capabilities.

That said, the lack of armour is still present and a problem. Start your tanks in cover when possible, and take every effort to be the side to fire first. If these things can be accomplished, then the ball is firmly in your side of the court.

Tank HQs come in 1-3 vehicles for 4, 7 or 10 points, while tank platoons (armoured troops) come with 3-4 tanks at 10 or 13 points respectively.

==Dutch==
[[File:TNAAB1-15.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Sometimes, you see smoke from the hatch outside of combat.]]
This thing is probably the worst Leopard 1 iteration. That's not to say it's bad - the Leopard is pretty damn good at what it does - but the Dutch iteration is not great compared to its counterparts. It might actually be worth it to take their Leopard 2 formation instead, seeing as how much of the Dutch fighting capacity comes from their APCs and TOW platforms. It lacks the Brutal or Skill 3+ that make the other models so great, and isn't quite as abundant, either. It'll still serve its role, but will struggle on some move orders and can't do the same infantry-hunting as the Commonwealth versions. Consider the alternatives when possible.

Though, if you're sticking exclusively to the Dutch, this may be your only real option if you're unwilling to burn points on a Leopard 2. If so, there is still a way to use it. Specifically, treat it like the British treat their armour: be defensive, don't try moving around too much. It may even be worth it to treat them akin to how AT guns work in vanilla Flames of War. Worst comes to worst and there's really nothing to shoot at, you can still drop smoke on friendly targets in need of cover. In fact, it may be wise to use this function as a means to get your other units into position a lot of the time.

All in all, not great. But still a Leopard 1, and therefore a pertinent option nonetheless.

Tank squadrons may only purchase 1 tank for their HQ at 3 points, while platoons come in 3-4 tanks at 3 points each.

==ANZAC==
[[File:TNBX01-15.jpg|300px|left|thumb|“Drive me closer, I want to hit them with my sword!”]]
{{topquote|If there's two things he loves it's fighting and... Fightin' Round The World!|South Park}}
Another upgraded Leopard 1A3, the AS1 is a bit of a monster. Just look at those base stats: the Australians just '''do not''' give a fuck. While not as abundant as the C1, this thing is a force of nature in its own right. When taken all together, the Skill, Courage, and Assault values of this tank should give you a good idea of what it's for. The AS1 should be right up in the enemy's face, squarely at ramming speed. Use your [[M113 MRV|MRV's]] to propel your AS1s forward or into cover, then make a beeline into the enemy, guns-a-blazing. Firing on the move is your friend, as is soft cover. You can play this thing like a more traditional Leopard 1, but you're wasting the points you spent for the AS1's uniquely ANZAC attitude towards life.

As previously stated, this thing is a little hard to bring ''en masse''. Consequently, it probably won't be the fulcrum of your list. Instead, it should be on the board to dish out Brutal shots and [[DISTRACTION_CARNIFEX|draw attention]]. If these things are right up in the opponent's business, chances are they'll be so focused on it that they'll be less worried about your [[Land Rover]] or MRVs flanking and taking objectives. Casualties will be high.

Tank HQs come in 1-2 vehicles for 4 or 7 points, while tank platoons (armored troops) come with 3-4 tanks at 10 or 13 points, respectively.

==IRL==
[[File:Leopard-1 IRL.jpg|300px|right|thumb|A Canadian Leo-1 at the Bovington Tank Museum]]
The Leopard 1 was a second generation MBT for the west Germans. It was meant to hold the line until the MBT-70 program bore fruit. That never happened so the west was at a severe disadvantage in MBTs. The Leopard 1 would serve well into the 21st century with the Canadian military but overall the tank is not that innovative or ground-breaking. Mobility had priority, while firepower came second; armor was seen as literally useless, since while maybe that spaced armor could stand up to a RPG, APFSDS was like a needle through fabric.
{{clear}}
{{West German Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Canadian Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{Dutch Forces in Team Yankee}}
{{ANZAC Forces in Team Yankee}}

[[Category:Vehicles]]