Team Yankee Leopard Week – Will The Conflict Spread To New Theatres?
July 19, 2016 by dignity
With the new addition of the West Germans to Team Yankee by Battlefront we ask Phil Yates where the war might spread within the narrative.
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Will we be seeing more NATO nations joining the fight or even smaller civil wars kicking off in unexpected places?
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What nations would you like to see join the fight?
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Nice…I want Denmark going into the Baltic States to support those small nations against The Motherland.
As an inhabitant of one of the Baltic States, I find this interesting. Any particular reason you’re interested in the Baltic in specific?
Also, from what little I know of Team Yankee and it being based on the 80’s Cold War era … the Baltic is still part of the Soviet Union, sadly. So getting there to help them would be a bit tricky.
So would you be launching an offensive to liberate the Baltic? Depending on what country you start with it could be pretty tricky. The Baltic countries were built up with a potential European war in mind after all. From nuclear silos to army hospitals, multiple military airfields, army bases, coastal fortifications and submarine bases.
Still, sounds fun.
I kinda want to do a dutch army resisting the red tide… must research! it’d be neat to do a bit of desert warfare too.
The tanks are already in for the Dutch as we have Leopards and a similar heli (attack helicopters like the Apache are relatively new for us).
We had these for armored transport YP408 :
http://tanknutdave.com/yp408-wheeled-apc/
And a M113 variant named ‘YPR-765’
(source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIFV )
M109 self-propelled gun
http://tanknutdave.com/the-us-m109-series-self-propelled-gun/
The F-16 was (and still is) our fighter/bomber.
I’m just commenting to win me som wargaming goodies!
Honestly there is lots of scope for this gamer to expand further, I’m just waiting for the Brits to show up.
I’m happy to see Team Yankee taking this to a global scale. With the announcement of the British, I am very excited to see what other nations join the battle.
I’m still waiting for my East Germans to come.
In case of China, I think they would take the opportunity to take Taiwan and end their civil war. Of course they would have to help the North Koreans by their approach to the south. Because I think N. Korea wouldn’t let this chance fly by… the US is busy with the mighty Soviets so that would be the chance to end this war, too.
New Zealand decides to invade Australia… That would be hilarious! Jandals v Thongs.
Turkey vs Russia could be another scenario…
After WW2 the Allies were happier to deal with Mao (Chinese Communist Leader) rather than Chiang Kai Shek who led the nationalists in China. After the civil war Shek relocated to Tiawan, the allies were opposed to China invading Tiawan. Then the Korean War started, Moa was reluctant to get involved and said to the North, China will assist if the US go above the 38th parallel, when they did he had no choice but to provide troops. At this period China was in bed with Russia, but 69 there were clashes along the China/Russian which ended relationships. There has recently been released documents that Russia was prepared to bomb Chinese cities with conventional and nuclear weapons. During this time Russia strengthen relations with North Korea. Then with the death of Mao China started opening up to the west.
The more likely scenario would China try to take advantage of what’s going on in Europe to take back Manchuria, and in doing so I believe Russia would aid North Korea in attacking Northern China. As this would force China to fight on two fronts, and in turn China may look to South Korea for assistance.
It would also be interesting to see where Japan would fit into all of this, they wouldn’t be happy with either Japan, Russia or North Korea getting stronger so close to them.
Japan has been restricted from building an effective military after WW2. They have a civil defence force, but it wasn’t strong enough to go on the offensive.
Yeah but i guess when WW3 breaks out that could change a lot
Another very interesting and informative video, thanks for that … team yankee sounds more and more like i should take a closer look into it.
In 79 China invaded Vietnam because it didn’t like the between Russia and Vietnam. Part of the cultural purges in China during the 70’s was to rid influential party members who had ties with Russia. There has always been a tense relationship between North Korea and China, they are basically tolerated as they’re not deemed to be a threat to China.
So miffed I missed the bootcamp last year! This week has got my gaming brain going bonkers and I’m having to fight off the urge to buy, buy, buy, build, paint and play!!!
Damn you Justin, John and Phil!
we missed you
Nice video that touched on a lot of the topics I was curious about in Team Yankee, for instance the technological development during the war and potential conflict zones around the globe. Personally I would be interested in playing scenarios in the baltic region.
I’d totally do a Winter War 2.0 for Finland’s desperate defence against Soviet troops in the forests. The Finnish Defence Force at that time was an interesting mix of Soviet equipment, western equipment and some homemade stuff like the PASI APC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patria_Pasi … these things are crazy.. if you ever get a chance to ride in one take it. 🙂
The MBT of the Finnish Defence Force at the time was T-72 so some interesting T-72 vs. T-72 action would be available as well.
Then again only some of the tanks from the batch of those 60 T-72s had been delivered in 1985 when Team Yankee takes place and crew training was still underway. So if Finland was to end up participating in the war, FDF of the time period would most likely be operating the venerable T-54/55 with a company of T-72s alongside them (T-72 possibly crewed by the instructors, considering they were the only ones with experience in the new tank model).
Most Finnish T-72s were actually bought from former Warsaw Pact countries in the 90s.
As a fan of early Tom Clancy novels, particularly Red Storm Rising, I would like to see an invasion of Iceland scenario, which would include amphibious assets and naval support missons, much like a very cold version of the pacific theatre in WWII. 🙂
As far as a WWIII scenario ramping up R and D so we see more and more advanced vehicles and weapons….I don’t see it. By this point technology had advanced to the point that farming out making an Abrams tank to the local Ford factory, let alone putting together F-15s and advanced strike fighters. I really see a continuation conflict degrading quality down to an earlier and more easily mass produced weapons systems, if it ever got to that point. But honestly, Any party close to losing would switch to their nuclear capability before anyone could really lose. I seem to recall a story about how woefully unprepared the US contingent of NATO was in the late 70’s after Vietnam, and the Soviets coming to the conclusion that if they attacked in Germany, the would win so handedly that the US would HAVE to go nuclear, making it a non-option.
Very good update. Looking forward to the British later this year.
Very nice video , love the topics .
the Alaska invasion I believe was a mini series called World War 3 1987 ish
interested to see if the expand the conflict, so many nations and theaters that could be brought out. want some Apaches and Bradley’s 🙂 🙂
and Stingers!! hmm sensing a trend here… still want to do Soviet army
British for me! The question is, do I start one of the existing sets in the meantime?
GIMME more Team Yankee nations and scenarios. The possibilities sound really nice!
Aside from putting the other Nato nations (France, England, Denmark, Belgium etc) and the other Soviet states (Poland, Ukraine etc), to me I think the most obvious flare up points would be:
Saddam invades Kuwait and looks to expand his Middle eastern area of control supported by the Soviets. There was “relative” peace between Israel and it’s neighbors at this time, the hatchet with Egypt having been buried after the Jom Kippur war but I doubt a united Arab army (Iran, Syria, Egypt etc) would be able to stand up to Saddam if it included Israel (too much bad blood to be allies but not too much for as I said “relative” peace). Israel would probably look to take matters into their own hands though to slow Saddam from getting to the Israeli border, perhaps by doing a back room deal with Jordan who I think was friends with the USA and the Brits?
This would play perfectly into the Soviet’s hands. By supporting Saddam, he attacks nations that Nato relies on for oil, pressuring them to divert troops into the middle east, drawing resources away from Europe. Allow the USSR to attack Turkey almost unopposed.
If Britain was occupied on main land Europe then Argentina would have almost certainly had another crack at the Falklands which despite being fairly well re-enforced at this point, was still a long way from home (bring on the Royal Marine Commandos and Harrier support!!!).
If China decided to go on the march, it’s highly conceivable that it could sign a non-aggression treaty with the USSR and then march south into Thailand, Vietnam, and then look at Japan and the Philippines. This would cause a flare up between China and Australia who would side with Japan, as would the US making for a unique pacific island hopping war with modern day equipment.
I’m really liking the idea of the USSR launching a surprise invasion of the USA and yeah Alaska is the most obvious choice… hence why it would be heavily defended. It was this reasoning why the allies landed at Normandy, not Calais…. so could the USSR launch a beach assault on California? The red army takes Los Angeles? The blow to the nations moral for loosing the crown jewel of the west coast must be a valuable asset for the Soviets to consider….
China would look to regain it’s terroritries first before anything else, which would include Manchuria, Tiawan and possibly Hong Kong. They lost face loosing them, so will seek to take them back. Plus at this point in history, they were really anti Russia, so the opportunity to retake Manchuria and make the Soviets loose face would be too great a temptation.
If you consider that in the 1980’s California was one of the biggest states for military bases and personnel. It would have been a big mistake to try and do that. They would have had move chance of success invading Alaska, being that it was so remote.
the British are coming!
Nordic states, China, South Korea, North Korea, Mexico a leftist coup and invade Texas… Brazil, France…. Heck the whole world!!!-
Would be interested in China joining the fun. Tend to agree that it would be a ‘land grab’ for the surrounding states, and likely to initially have a ‘peace’ with the Soviets. Also remember that communism in China was different to Soviet communism.
The other thing to take into account is that China was ‘modernising’ it’s forces at that time – it may have had a Huge army, but the kit it had was not great, and generally rip-off’s of Soviet Armour. So, it would be choosy in it’s targets.
Agreed, could see the China of that time (although funnily not today) stepping in on some surrounding areas. Although, I don’t see the ‘imperial’ ambition that you have with the USSR and US.
Looking foreword to the British gear being released
A Baltic scenario book with the armies of Scandinavia. Yes please.
I really like the idea of arctic/Scandinavian/Baltic theaters, they seem the most likely considering the hypothetical needs of the belligerents. The middle east and east Asia would be cool as well, especially with the Arab-Israeli war miniature line allowing for second tier equipment that several of these combatants would be using to a large degree. There really is a ton of wiggle room for this game (I’m still waiting for the desert storm release using upgraded M1’s and Bradley’s). Keep up the great videos and interviews.
Again where can I get the t-shirts?
Anybody who might be interested in studying the Cold War era, I highly recommend Twilight Struggle, either the board game or the computer version. It gives a great deal of insight to the setting. While I was watching this video I constantly found myself thinking that Justin and John gain a great deal of insight on the complex political landscape of that era playing Twilight Struggle.
I think China could well be pragmatically and jealously look to their north and the reserves of raw materials in Siberia and see this was the only opportunity to acquire these vast lands.. Besides which of course Russia would be unable to send the manpower to the east as well as fighting in the west and elsewhere. North Korea could easily be cut off along its small land border with Russia, besides which NK will most probably already have started aggresive moves against South Korea. Cutting off North Korea from Russia would be a great bargaining chip for the Chinese with the west as it would help South Korea and reduce the threat to Japan. (Taiwan will just be left wondering on its future, a situation that China would quite happily accept until later in the war or even after it.)
I want to see if Finnland can win this war as well
With Scandinavia we can have Finn-Swede Alliance against the Red Menace.
Please, please, please make it happen!
Alaska was mentioned – originally ‘owned’ by Russia, sold to the Americans (ignoring the native peoples who had been there for thousands of years). That is just a little ironic.
M1A1 – production started in 1986 so not that far off the Team Yankee timeline.
Soviet attack into Finland/Sweden and Norway, paving way for basing large numbers of strike and fighter aircraft closer to Britain so they could swamp the air defences and cut off sea lanes of communication (and close down North Sea oil production).
I think Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish Border would be very interesting. It might also be a valid entry point for the russian forces.
I think the fate of the world would be decided not in the war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, but between Liechtenstein and San Marino.
Really would like to see more “Afgantsy” style supplements for minor nations. Love to see a book for China, as it really could be played as a wild card, since it was not friends with the Soviets by this point. I can see the States offering up Taiwan as an incentive to be swayed to their side and open another front against the Soviets, as NATO would be under huge pressure to put the Soviets on the back foot. However, I can see the Soviets trying to offer something, like Mongolia, to try and keep China from opening that second front. I feel like China would be in a position to negotiate the best terms for itself, but would try to keep it’s influence limited to “tip-toeing” so that it could emerge fairly unscathed after everything happened.
Also, thank you Phil. Your eyes when John had mentioned China and the Soviets were friends… It’s something most westerners assume too often.
Though China won’t get a decent MBT until 1988… Could be interesting. Also, Battlefront doing this would essentially create a monopoly on Cold War Chinese models. There’s essentially nothing out there…
If China were to attack anywhere, it’d be Japan, Chinese momeories from WW2 are still quite raw, even today. I know a lot of partners family espially the older generation hate the Japanese for what they did during the war. So there is a possibility some quarters of the Chinese military maybe pushing for revenge.
Hmmm. … Lots the consider
We need a Red Dawn like scenario! LOL Russians dropping in on some unsuspecting teens! Or at least some US based fights.
There are certainly lots of places that this conflict could expand in to.
Gallipoli, the Causcusus. Finalnd.
so many rematches re-imagined.
Man this is getting more and more tempting.
Bring on the Soviet allies. A bring on the Prizes!!
I don’t know who I want, yanks are looking good. Ah decisions
A 2nd Hungarian revolt would be fun, so I can get pro-NATO equipment.
This is looking better and better. Firstly, Red Dawn! Also, Brits wants list. Chieftan and Scorpion tanks, and a nice pack of Phantoms please.
Interesting discussion there, I’ve already been planning to use my m1a1s and T72s to do a desert themed board up.. A nice reason to make up some new terrain and a change from my mostly West front European ww2 battlefields..
Team Yankee sure does seem like it has alot of scope that it could cover and I like it.. It’s good to be able to come up with some creative scenerios on the tabletop and get your game on.. Looking forward to the rest of the week been good so far
Defending the Dardanelles sounds like an interesting option. Which brings up another point; Will the game be expanded with naval action?
Has to be the Canadian annexation of Alaska, Greenland and Iceland, after the Soviets Invade of course.
The more I Think about it: Why not Mid and South America? It would also offer the possibility to still use WW2-equipment.
Or even imagine the drug cartells building up their own army and carving their own kingdom(s)?
Are we going to see Beasts of War world wide WW3 campaign?
With regards to the idea of other countries having been supplied by the major powers, is it possible that we will get supplimentary lists for these nations? I’m thinking for Iran/Iraq as an example: the lists will say what formations these nations used, using the models from the Soviet/British/American model lines.
Invasion Isle of Wight. You could play it 1:1 scale.
Iceland is probably what interests me most at the moment, strategically hugely significant. But then again I’m another fan of Red Storm Rising so bound to say that 🙂
Inspiring video
It sounds as if there are interesting things on the horizon
Saw this at my local club a few weeks ago. Looked interesting but was waiting for some other forces other than the US
With the British coming, what about the great conflict between Leeds and Manchester United?
another Russo Sino war, halting the push west, would be interesting
Winter mode, soviet revenge on the Fins. Just so I could see Russian butts getting kicked again.
Agree with looking forward to seeing the British, but this game is just never ending in what can be done, the variety for the theatre of war is huge.
Mirroring what others have said, but cannot wait for the British expansion. The Army of the Rhine is such a cool themed force, Battlefront will surely do it the same justice that they have done with the West Germans. In the meantime, the leopard tanks are calling to me…
Plenty of theaters to look at really, on another note my brother will be happy to hear the British are on the horizon.
This I love to see – in game terms at least. World War 3 should be truly a world war and it’s great to see theatres other than Germany being acknowledged.
Awesome stuff! I’d love at some point in the future to see developments in the South Pacific involving Australia and New Zealand.
This is really interesting seeing Battlefront acknowledging that they will expand into new theaters etc. When I first heard of Team Yankee as a wargame I got really excited but was afraid that only the factions present in the book would be represented. Now with the release of Leopard and this video I’m comforted. Already got the rulebook, so I’ll definitely get me some more stuff from Battlefront. And I’ll also need someone to play with me.
As said earlier i will make a Sarajevo/ Bosnia-Herzegovina themed board and get some spanish decals to run as otan blue helmets or something, another cool One would be some us coastal city like on a pc game that urrss invades usa, maybe new York, san Francisco??…
Interesting…. Very interesting…. For me I would maybe looking at doing Team Yankee in 6mm (1/285th) scale…… I just feel 15mm causes that ‘tank car park ‘ look…. Sorry…..
So if there is a Red Dawn supplement will we see a Wolverines base and a Patrick Swayze special character?
I would like to see a more Modern Middle East/North Africa, South Africa, Antarctica, Iceland/Greenland, of coarse Alaska or South/Central America, there is just so many cool places.
How about some classic WOPR Scenarios…
INDIA PAKISTAN WAR
MEDITERRANEAN WAR
HONGKONG VARIANT
SEATO DECAPITATING
CUBAN PROVOCATION
CUBAN PARAMILITARY
NICARAGUAN PREEMPTIVE
Great video.
I can’t wait to see the british
I am glad we are going to see growth and more fictional theaters. I am not sure how far from the core they want to get right away and I think the German and British releases make sense with some more Warsaw Pact units coming up as well. Spill that over into smaller factions at first then bring in some really interesting what if scenarios like the pacific and American being invaded red dawn style .
US Marines vs China in Taiwan O-Yeah
So glad to here Phil talking about the wider world with Team Yankee. I’ve already started getting Fate of a Nation minis for modern day (80’s-90’s-00’s) Middle East. Most of the Russian stuff from the 60’s was and still is being used there. Adding late model US/NATO just make it even better
Justin, Please do some research, your killing me with you knowledge of history.
Loving the idea of heading into Norway and making a winter table, plenty of tall pine trees for helicopters to hide behind etc
Do like the look of this game, just wish it was more affordable. Watched a game being played locally and it looks like great carnage fun on the tabletop!
Something themed around a resistance or elite units would be good, so maybe a particular SAS theme, or French resistance
Cuban commando raids into the USA sound like fun!
Honestly, I’ve been tinkering with the idea of a North American theater for the way since I first heard the game was coming. Plenty of model railroad buildings available to layout a Midwestern USA board for Red Dawn.
4cmbg supporting either 3PzDiv or 7th US Corps is looking very doable…bring on the expansions!
Yeah, I’d be up for that. Send in the Cougars 🙂
I just comment to win.
Wow….that was an unexpected release….are we looking at a naval expansion? I mean the scope of modern global conflict would include a massive amount of “off board” ordinance.
A Scandinavian theater would be fun
I’m hoping there’s some expansion for more interesting vehicles. What held me back from the first American purchase was the proliferation of M113’s Bradley fighting vehicles would be a big improvement for the Americans. Also, updating the cobra to super cobra and perhaps LAV’s and even amphibious fighting vehicles for Marines perhaps for the Mediterranean. On par with this would also be the later models of the M60 Tanks.
Also, Fin’s being my favorite WW2 army I would love to see more soviet block units perhaps even countries like Finland being both Pro Soviet and using the interim conflict for rebelling or being separatist factions.
How about British are they going to join in on the frey?
I am curious as to where the next step in Tech will take every force, plenty of interesting options.
So much scope for other areas
N vs S Korea is certainly something that I’d like to see for TY!
Good call – although I wonder if something like this could fill its own release for BF.
You would already have a lot of the range available (use of Shermans in Korea etc.), but it would be cool to then include the British from that period as well.
Us, Russian or German??? Or should I wait and buy the British. Or do what I usually do and buy them all and stop trying to be sensible
Just finished the us army. German or Russian next?
Looks nice
So much new stuff with the germans it is almost a bigger release then team yankee itself alot of hype
Agreed – those Leopard tanks do look gorgeous.
Do like the idea of a Soviet tank horde, although I keep coming back to the German hardware and cute little Pah helicopters 🙂
What I would like to see would be the middle east because that means we can get the Israeli Merkava! For Israel will be attacked and it will most likely start dropping their nukes that they are not suppose to have.
I call the world setting The Hackett Continuum because of the book that started it all: The Third World War. Before Team Yankee was announced I had the following settings in mind:
* MesoAmerica/The Caribbean: Cuban forces win in Grenada, which leads to an air campaign against by the U.S. against Cuba itself. Meanwhile a communist government arises in Guatemala which leads to a border war with Belize and Hondura, and the Nicaragua/El Salvador/Panama madness escalates to open warfare.
* South Africa: Zimbabwe and the Republic of South Africa go to war with each other while the Angola invasion of Namibia intensifies.
* Central Africa: Burkina Faso is invaded by its neighbors to the West.
* Korea: The DMZ flares up and the ROK gets support from other transPacific nations.
* The MidEast: The Iran/Iraq and Yemeni wars spill to the Emirates and the Saudi Kingdom.
Very interesting stuff! Maybe slightly Eurocentric, but I guess that’s where all the world wars start and end 😀 I’m prompted to start digging up history books to see what else I can do with it.
One way of looking at these rules is the conflict between Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. 1984 is bang on for the time period 🙂
“Oceania was at war with Eastasia: Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.”
That’s actually a brilliant call!
Awesome stuff
Somewhere between thinking Canadians would be cool. But then remembering how much of an underfunded horrorshow the Forces were in the 80s…
A scandinavian campaign and taiwan are my dream theatres right now.
I don’t think that China would come down on anyone’s side but her own, until they thought there was a real prospect of them coming out on the winning side, and just like the Western allies did in WWII, seriously doubt they would have any problems about communism in Beijing.
If WW3 did kick off, then every one would have been involved. I reckon the Chinese would have backed the Russians and invaded the far east.
This talk of global sites really opens things up, the only limit is your imagination
Can’t wait to get my hands on this force
The idea of having multiple conflicts to sandbox essentially sounds pretty awesome! I guess all wargames do that though…
Interesting stuff this is.
Israeli Defense Force v everyone else in the middle east
N v UN forces on the Korean Peninsula.
As Europe goes to war other areas erupt would be a blast.
Commenting to win, good luck all.
more warzones equals more fun, so keep them coming. Massive airlandings, deep forests, small ilands with vulcanis activities or such stuff. Lokal partisans or paramilitary forces would also be great.
i like the most urban ares for this time period. with the technology keeping more men alive for longer you have to up the stakes by fighting in the most dangerous terrain which is a dense city
Before we go anywhere else I think we have to sort out Denmark. There would have been an amphibious operation by East Germany to secure the Baltic approaches and to permit Soviet submariens to sortie from Kaliningrad and Leningrad. This would mean T-72s and T-55AM tanks for the EastGermans (NVA), We would also need the Danes. Motivation for the NVA would be quite different for the NVA than it is for the Soviet. They always had a chip on their shoulder, always needing to probe that they were the better socialists.
Team Yankee is a great game. I wish I could afford to expand my forces quicker. I’ve thought a lot about playing it with micro-armor.
SOLD SOLD SOLD! BRITS BRITS BRITS!!! So happy OMG!
Challengers or Chieftans for the Brits in TY??
What about British Aircraft? It’s got to be the Harrier Jump jet surely?
What about British Choppers?? The gazelle?? Love that lil thing
Where I would be fighting, the North German Plains and the Middle east Old Fields
I will defiantly be getting some TY now. I have been holding out but the videos this week have sold me.
As to China, Just read Tom Clancy’s The Bear and the Dragon
Korea Larry Bond’s Red Phoenix
South Africa Larry Bond’s Vortex
the list is endless………………….
As long as I have been war-gaming it just never occurred to me to wargame novels. Yet we do it all the time with Science Fiction. Just look at Starship Troopers.
With the Germans coming out now and the Brits by Christmas…. what new force will be planned for the Warsaw Pact? Most of the equipment used would have been Soviet so not much expansion there except different fluff and new unit cards. Middle East sounds like a hot bed, again a lot of the same equipment (though second line stuff, older).