Welcome To World War III | Team Yankee
February 12, 2020 by johnlyons
We sat down with Battlefront Miniatures to introduce the world and geopolitical situation of Team Yankee.
John is joined in the studio by Chris to discuss what makes Team Yankee one of the standout modern wargames of the last decade. Building on the novel of the same name, the game explores the military consequences of the Cold War breaking into a global conflict in the 1980s. From the Middle East to Europe Battlefront Miniatures have been expanding this corner of alternate history as the 21st century continues to heat up.
What would be your ideal scenario to explore in Team Yankee?
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I’ve heard “Iron Maiden”? Will Eddie be there too? EDDIE!
I would like to see an amphibious assault sets in the 80’s. battlefront did release a invasion of Iceland campaign but would like to see Soviet naval landing brigade in action.
Invasion of Iceland ?
Isn’t that in ‘Red Storm Rising’ by Tom Clancy ?
ooh … does this mean we get the F-19 aka F-117a Nighthawk ?
Maybe not as a battelfield asset, but definitely somewhere in that timeline, right ?
Wiki says ’83 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-117_Nighthawk )
Would be good to see a table full of Chieftains an Challengers.
The only thing I’m wary off with the advance in the timeline from Team Yankee is the disparity in technology that appeared AFTER 1985.
In the original novel the M1 Abrams are just coming on line, US infantry are still in the venerable M113 (although the Bradley AFV was starting to appear in the scout formations), and the Apache is there in it’s first iterations. On the Pact side it’s mainly T72s and T64s and a few BMP1s and BTR60/70s. The US M1s and Bradley had the early versions of thermal imaging (and this technology is the game breaker), while everyone else was still using IR sighting systems (both US REFORGER units in things like the M60A3, Chieftains, Leapards etc.
By advancing the timeline to add Challengers, Leopard IIs (in number), Bradleys replacing ALL the M113s, Warrior IFVs the NATO technology that allows them to dominate the game becomes more numerous. The Soviets get T80s and BMP2s, but they come nowhere near in closing this technology gap.
Basically Team Yankee set in 1985 was that last years of the cold war that still allowed a “balanced wargame”, and as I think back to those days as the rules added things like thermal imaging and allowed players to field all this new kit the popularity of modern wargames (although it was all 6mm back them) just fell away as the games just became imbalanced and you couldn’t afford to field a Warsaw pact force numerous enough to overcome NATO’s latest kit.
It’s similar to Oil War for anyone trying to fight the Israelis (with those Merkavas) with a Soviet kit the Arab Armies are equipped with (even the Let’s Play here had them just form a gunline and wipe the Arab Forces off the map with minimal losses). HOWEVER move the clock back earlier to the original 7 Days War and things suddenly aren’t so one sided (and you get a good game again).
So wondering is wargaming history is going to repeat itself again, and as the new version of Team Yankee adds the very same kit that caused the popularity of modern wargaming to wane back in the late 80s…..will we see the same happen again.
Basically suggesting that you don’t run out to buy all the most powerful units, and instead continue to use the units that were even in the early 90s more prevalent (historically).
*readying his fur lined snorkel and bunny boots* I believe there was a little bit of a hint to “Ice Station Zebra”… I wonder if there will be defenses from steel pipes. Then again there’s room for @warzan and his ‘Gaming in the Gaps’ to pull a Yugoslavian move under the auspice of Belgrade to move into the southern defences of NATO.