Team Yankee Allied Formations - Merry Christmas, Volks Armee now owns Meta.

Volks Armee players need to thank Santa Phil for an early Christmas gift called Allied Formations. Thanks Phil! Whether intended or inadvertent, VA needed the love and VA players should happily accept.

The strong suit of the VA has always been the beloved and much maligned T-55 spam (in an upcoming blog, I will explain why spam is good). The main problem with T-55 lists is the inability to economically kill NATO MBTs from the front, as the T-55 horde moves forward seeking the (hopefully) eventual side shots. VA T-55 armies need to hold it together and take their lumps as they move forward on the NATO MBTs which are impervious from the front to aged 100mm D-10T. Once the T-55s are in position for side shots, the story changes, but only after the T-55s have sustained horrible losses. The VA desperately need something that can reliably kill NATO MBTs as the T-55s advance. The T-55 horde with massed 100mm D-10Ts and often dozens of dice of machine gun shots should be up to all other tasks (including taking out reasonable numbers of dug in Brit infantry..again, for another post).

Currently, the VA have a few options to front kill NATO MBTs, but none are better than mediocre. The first option is the arguably over priced T-72M which has limited ability to kill NATO MBTs from the front, but is prohibitively expensive and thus cannot be fielded in numbers that make it effective. The second option is to field BMP-2s and BRDM-ATs with Spandrels. These are good choices in regards to points, but the VA list does not allow for these vehicles to be deployed in sufficient numbers to have a reliably significant impact on the battlefield. The third option is to deploy Mi-24 and Su-25s. Aircraft are relatively effective at destroying NATO MBTs from any aspect, but are easily countered by NATO AA units. None of these options really give the VA the needed capability.




Allied formations change everything for the VA. Allied formations help every army to varying degrees, but by adding a BMP-2 formation to a VA T-55 army, I believe the overall impact is unmatched. A Soviet BMP-2 formation provides up to 43 BMP-2, up to 4 BMP-2R and up to 3 BRDM-AT vehicles armed with Spandrels. Now, the issue will be points rather than availability of Spandrel carrying vehicles. This formation allows a VA player to field a significant force capable of killing NATO MBTs from the front economically. Each vehicle costs 2 points or less.

Now, with charging T-55s and supporting Spandrel launching vehicles, the VA have a proper One-Two punch. One, drive the T-55 horde forward like bats out of hell until they can machine gun enemy infantry, blast away light/medium vehicles and side shot MBTs. Two, support vehicles dump tons of Spandrels from long range on MBTs and significant targets of opportunity.

Meanwhile, the NATO player will have some variation of two difficult choices. The first NATO choice is to engage the Spandrel armed vehicles. This choice will help  reduce the immediate losses at the expense of allowing the T-55s to close the distance without sustaining significant immediate losses. The second NATO choice is to engage the T-55s. This option has the upside of trying to break formations and limit the number of T-55s that close for side shots. The down side is that the NATO vehicles will still need to weather the storm of incoming Spandrels. Some players may choose partial options. Regardless of the option chosen, there will be lots of maneuver and tactics, but in the end, the NATO player will need to choose...

...and, for the moment, VA owns Meta.

After Action Report - Total Victory 300 points

8 Aug 1985, Battle Group 'Dario', a combined NATO force of American, British and West German armored and mechanized units, was heavily engaged by the East German Panzer Regiment 'Helmut Lipschitz' and elements of the GSFG 369th Motor Rifle Regiment.

 0600 Hours, Aug 8. A view of the battlefield from the North several hours before the engagement.

0600 Hours, Aug 8. A view of the battlefield from the South several hours before the engagement.

The 'Lipschitz' center ready to move out.

The 'Lipschitz' North flank ready to move.

Early in the day, a Leo 2 was destroyed by a Soviet Spandrel from a BRDM-2 AT. As the day progressed, the remaining Leos would score a high number of T-55 kills on the 'Helmut Lipschitz' regiment.


'Lipschitz' T-55s on the move and grabbing an objective early.

Leo 2s getting some 120mm smoothbore payback on their East German cousins.

Recon BMP-1s attempt to give Abbots some special consideration and miss with all 4 73mm shots.

American M1s preparing to counterattack.

American M1s boldly cut a swath through the East German regiment's T-55s, but 'Lipschitz' still holds the objective!

Bundeswehr Luchs drive up to the McPizza King and bail out 4 ZSUs in the Pact backfield.

These Chieftains had 16 AT-5 Spandrels shot at them without a single hit at 4+. Later an investigation uncovered that a defective shipment of ATGMs was sent to the 369th. All the workers from the factory that manufactured these missiles were later sent to Siberia.

In a final gesture of defiance, two brave Cobra pilots moved in for a pop-up rocket attack on a battery of SAU-152s. The entire Southern flank engaged the pair with AA fire. A lucky BMP-2 cannon shot downed one Cobra and the other fell victim to a the fire of a T-55 AA HMG.

Debrief: Warsaw Pact Victory

The battle concluded with Pact 8 VP and NATO 6 VP. Each side held 3 objectives within their respective zones and the Pact had control of one neutral objective, Both sides were bloodied but in overall good order. The short 2 turn game resulted in moderate losses on both sides. If the game were to go 4 or 5 turns, no doubt there would have been massive casualties across the battlefield.

I want to thank (in alphabetical order) Bill, Chris, Dan, Justin, Kel, Matt and Paul for a great game and a great day with old and new friends.

WIP: East German Panzer Regiment 'Helmut Lipschitz' and Soviet 369th Motor Rifle Regiment move west.

177 points of East German and Soviet combined arms from the East German Panzer Regiment 'Helmut Lipschitz' and Soviet 369th Motor Rifle Regiment.

Some units are partially painted.

SU-25 are from Academy and purchased online for $3.69 each!
https://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Model_Aircraft/ACD00004439/product.php?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9siav-Le1QIVi4hpCh0dJQgvEAQYASABEgKIzPD_BwE

ZSU-23 and BTR-80 are from Zvezda.
http://www.zvezda-usa.com/games/hot-war/7419/
http://www.zvezda-usa.com/games/hot-war/7401/

T-55-AM are from Plastic Soldier Company.
http://theplasticsoldiercompany.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=93_94_95&products_id=1336

Everything else is from BattleForce.

Oh! Woe Is Me: Butthurt NATO Players Crying About So-called BMP Spam!

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For months, I have seen and heard the moaning and bitching about BMP spam. 

"OMG so many BMPs,"  they would cry.

Well Martha, there's a reason they call those troops motorized and that reason in this case is the BMP.

BUTTHURT Complaint #1: The BMP is too strong
The fact that its ATGM can only be fired while halted.somehow doesn't seem to be considered. The paper thin armor of the BMP is also overlooked  as  a weakness. This so-called juggernaut of the Red Army can be killed from the front by a .50 cal HMG (whereas a Marder and M113 cannot). Lastly, like all Soviets, THE BITCH GETS HIT ON 3+!!! Combine paper thin armor with getting hit like the only woman on a pirate ship and it is not uncommon for an entire company to be destroyed in a single turn by incredibly modest firepower. 

BUTTHURT Complaint #2: The BMP is too cheap
Let's compare a unit of 3 BMP-2 to 2 ITV (equal points). Offensively and defensively there is absolutely no comparison. The ITV win in every category and will kill many times their point value. In a straight up shoot out, the BMPs get hit on a 3+ and the ITV get hit on a 5+ or 6 (using the  Hammerhead). Equivilent West German and Brits produce similar results.

BUTTHURT Complaint #3: The BMP is spammed
This complaint is the lamest of the lame but needs to be addressed. It is so lame that I want to start a go fund me page to buy t-shirts for everybody that uses this complaint. The T-shirts will simply say "my momma raised an F#CKTARD!". To say a player with a motorized rifle battalion is spamming BMPs is like saying my hot chocolate is too chocolatlty. Again, lets use the ITV as an example. US M113 MCT can spam 4 ITV teams in a 21 point formation that has 8 ITOWs (on hammerheads) and 4 Dragons. Pointswise, this is arguably the most spammable AT formation in the game. Mayybe we should keep the ITV spam a secret or else Uncle Sam will stop building M1s. 

The BMP serves a central role in the Soviet MRD exactly as it does in TY.  It costs what it is supposed to cost, it does what it is supposed to do and the BUTTHURT shall evermore remain... 

HEY KID, WANNA BUILD A WALL? - TEAM YANKEE EASY DIY WALLS

HEY KID, WANNA BUILD A WALL? is Siberian Reds' first in a series of DIY terrain building tutorials. This is a step-by-step guide to build Team Yankee walls that are so cheap that you won't need to ask Mexico to pay for them.


The main materials are thick corrugated cardboard (on top) and thin cardboard (on bottom). Both of these pieces have been used for spray painting and have been thickened (which is good but not required) with multiple layers of spray paint.


The thin cardboard will form the base. Cut the thin cardboard into 1-1.25" wide strips. The width should be determined by the thickness of the corrugated cardboard. If the corrugated cardboard is thin, use 1" strips for the bases. For thicker corrugated cardboard use 1.25" bases. In the example shown the corrugated cardboard is medium thickness and the base is cut to 1,125" width.

The corrugated cardboard will form the wall and should be cut to 0.5" wide strips.

Both base and wall should then be cut to matching lengths. 5" to 8" are recommended as the most suitable lengths. If the cuts are not clean, use sand paper on the corrugated cardboard as required, Don't worry, it doesn't need to be even or pretty, but roughly close.

Center the wall strip perpendicular to the base strip and glue with wood glue or hot glue. Wait until glue sets before proceeding.


The next step is to give the wall and the surrounding ground some texture. This is done by covering it with sand. Mix 50% wood glue and 50% water. Paint this mixture onto the entire wall and base but do not allow excess to soak deep into the cardboard. Then pour sand over the entire wall and base. Make sure no cardboard remains uncovered. Wait until completely dry and apply several coats of spray on matte clear coat. repeat clear coat until all the sand remains secure to the surface.

Paint the wall grey and the base brown.


Add some static grass to the base (preferably 2 or more colors) and some random flock to the wall. Then its time for a few more coats of matte dull coat and our wall is complete!



     

The Quick And Simple Counter To NATO Uber Tanks That The Soviets Never Got!

A fellow Team Yankee comrade over at Reddit has a cool KA-50 model and wants to play in in TY. Although its a late development for a standard 1985 timeline, it would fit into an expanded timeline and be a hoot for friendly house games. 

The Kamov KA-50 was designed for the Soviet army, but did not enter service until 1995, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Based on what we now know of the helicopters development, it could have easily entered production years earlier if the need presented itself. 

Intended to fulfill the role of a pure attack helicopter without the Hinds limited transport capability, the KA-50 is often considered it vastly superior to the American Cobras and the Soviet equivalent to the Apache attack chopper. In its primary role as an anti-tank hunter killer, the KA-50 dramatically increases the capability of the Soviet (Russian) forces. The KA-50 is an excellent counter to M1, Chieftain and Leopard 2 MBTs. 

CAPABILITIES: The KA-50 is definitely a hunter killer and is known to be equipped with a full suite of enhanced thermal imaging. The chopper has armor almost equal to the MI-24, but has additional defensive systems that far exceed the Hind. It seemed reasonable to assign a save of 4+. 

WEAPONS: The are a multitude of possible weapons load-outs for the KA-50. The ATGM/rocket pod configuration is one of the most common. The Spiral-2 specifics are based on a review of published data and comparison to other in-game ATGMs. The Spiral-2 has a Thermobaric variant and a common load-out would have 2 of these resulting in Brutal special rule.

POINTS: The MI-24 has a point value of 2.5 points. After reviewing the capability of other choppers, I assigned the KA-50 a point value of 4 points. The main reason for the increase is the HUNTER KILLER ability. However, this ability is mitigated by the base hit number of 3+. Before using this unit in your game, discuss it with your opponent and get their agreement. Vary the points of this unit as you and your opponent see fit. If you cannot agree on a point value, don’t use this unit. 

This unit is intended for non-competitive house games and is home brewed by http://siberianreds.blogspot.com/ which makes no legal claims to Team Yankee and all that lawyer stuff. This is just for fun.  

      

Zvezda BTR-80 Review and Soviet APC Paint-up

I bought the Zvezda BTR-80 to add some diversity to my soviets and use it as an Observer Post in lieu of a BMP-1. The model cost around 10 USD. It was simple to put together and all the parts fit properly. So far, I have not had any problems with Zvezda kits. The models often lack detail, but this was not the case with the BTR-80. Overall, I was happy with the kit and would rate it a 7.5/10.


This BTR-80 is painted with the typical Siberian Red Quick & Dirty Soviet Green.

Step 1 - Primer Light Grey
Step 2 - Paint hull, turret and hub caps with 2 coats of watered down Olive Green.
Step 3 - Paint tires, gun ports, optics and gun barrel with Black.
Step 4 - Dry brush select edges and panels with Light Rust.
Note: For table top quality models you need more rust than for contest quality models. On the gaming table, subtle rust is not noticeable. So you usually need to go a little heavier than usual. Still, do not go too crazy with the rust.
Step 5 - Cover the entire model with an uneven coat of Seraphin Sepia. I prefer more on the sides and front.
Step 6 - Apply a thin layer of spray dull coat or matte.
Step 7 - Apply decals
Step 8 - Cover decals with paint on varnish
Step 9 - Cover decal unevenly with Seraphin Sepia.
Step 10 - Apply multiple thin layers of spray dull coat or matte until surface appears 'rough'

This method won't win any awards, but it will get a reasonably painted army on the table pretty quickly.


BTR-80 side view


BTR-80 front view


BTR-80 rear quarter



BMP Battalion commander top front view.


BMP Battalion commander side view.


BMP side view


BMP rear view


BMP company commander front view


BMP company commander side view.

Open request to Battlefront Miniatures: Please add North Koreans to Team Yankee! (Part 2)

MAIN BATTLE TANKS: The Korean Peoples Army Ground Force is ready to crush any opposition with armored columns of Ch'ŏnma-ho tanks. These are locally constructed based on the export version of the T-62. This series of tanks has seen constant upgrades and is so envied by the entire world that even Iran has purchased a precious few from generous and benevolent North Korean government.



LIGHT TANKS: It's hard to get respect as a bloated North Korean copy of a Chinese copy of a Soviet PT-76, but that is exactly what this bad boy does. Meet the PT-85 light tank built exclusively in the DPRK. Mounting an 85mm gun and Sagger ATGM (mounted in front of tank commander), this is the Kim family's version of a Bradley recon vehicle.



ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS: The VTT-323 (say that 3 times fast) is a license built Chinese APC. If a BMP and a BTR-60 were to get it on, this would be their offspring. The KPAGF typically arm the vehicle with a turret mounted 14.5mm gun and a co-axial 7.62mm MG. Dual 14.5mm guns is a secondary option. What makes this APC Bob Bitch'n is the optional armament that can be mounted in the back:  107mm MLRS, 82mm mortar, AT-3 Sagger or SA-7 Grail. However, with these weapon systems mounted, it seems the troops in the back are kinda screwed.

LOTS OF FUN: I hope I have convinced you that having North Koreans in Team Yankee would be a worthwhile addition, but if you are still undecided, this video should help.

When pigs fly: Team Yankee Alternate A-10 that plays and feels more like the real thing.

Full disclosure (for those that haven't figured it out): I play Soviets in Team Yankee. So somehow, I feel like I am helping the wrong team and ultimately cutting my own own throat, but so be it! When it comes to gaming, I am good at making bad decisions. 

Here we go.....The Team Yankee A-10 SUCKS!  

This is a plane built around a bad ass 7-barrel 30mm gun that shoots up to 4200 depleted uranium rounds per minute and sounds like gawd almighty breaking wind when it does, but in Team Yankee, it is pretty much just another 30mm gun. Yes, it has a little more ROF and penetration, but most players will decline gun-play and elect to use the far more effective (in game) Maverick. We need to up gun this pig!

The second issue of pain is the lack of armor on the TY A-10. It gets 1 (3+) better save than an SU-25. As an American taxpayer, I simply find this unacceptable! It needs some way to show its resistance to small arms yet still be vulnerable to large SAMs. 

The Third and final point of dissatisfaction is the number of A-10 on the battlefield. A flight of four A-10s on a TY sized battlefield is beyond the ridiculousness of 20 pounds of bovine feces in a 10 pound bag. Four gimped out A-10s won't unbalance the game, but a 100-150 point battlefield shouldn't be seeing 4 real A-10s. Flight size needs to be reduced and they need to operate solo or in pairs without running away.

Take a look at Siberian Reds' Alternate A-10 Warthog. 

Try it out for your friendly home games and let me know what needs tweaking. Leave your comments below.

Also, let me know what planes you would like to see in Team Yankee.

Open request to Battlefront Miniatures: Please add North Koreans to Team Yankee! (Part 1)

LEADERSHIP: Team Yankee is all about leadership and the DPRK has the most bad ass generals around. As can be seen in this picture, some senior officers have begun wearing medals on their pants due to lack of available space on their coats.

LIGHT INFANTRY: The armed forces of the North Korean workers paradise is fully integrated and does not discriminate among the sexes. When these women are not cleaning or cooking for the men, they too are fighting imperialism. Organized into so-called 'babe-battalions' these women specialize in domestic warfare.

SPECIAL FORCES: Look at them. These boys is just special. 'nuf said!

NAVAL INFANTRY: If cuties in skirts and sailor outfits doing the goosestep floats your boat, then this should do the trick!

The foot troops alone are a great reason to add the North Koreans to Team Yankee, but wait until we start adding in their awesome Eastern bloc and domestic vehicles!