Thoughts on the Warsaw Pact lists for Team Yankee

Now that the new Czech and Polish lists have been published for Team Yankee, I thought I would take a look through the four Warsaw Pact nationalities that are now available. On the surface they are all very similar, but there are some differences that will affect the way they play on the table.

Infantry

The easiest comparison between the lists is on a BMP1 company, being an option in all four . All four nations have the same unit structure and a To Hit stat of 3+. All have a different combination of skill/motivation stats, and there are a couple of minor weapons stat differences as well.

Warsaw Pact Infantry Unit Stats

	Soviet	East German	Czechoslovak	Polish
Courage	4+	4+	5+	3+
Morale	3+	3+	4+	4+
Rally	3+	4+	5+	3+
Skill	5+	4+	4+	4+
Assault	5+	5+	5+	5+
Counterattack	3+	4+	5+	3+
Weapons Difference	FP5+ AK-74 teams	-	-	FP 5+ AKM teams, No RPG-18s or AGS-17
Mid Size Price	14pts	14pts	10pts	16pts

To summarise what this means on the table, we have:

• Soviets: hard to break, rally easily, good at clearing out entrenched infantry due to their ROF3 FP5+ AK teams and good counterattack rating, but poor at skill-based orders.
• East Germans: hard to break, but otherwise average.
• Czechs: poor in assaults, don't rally well, but are significantly cheaper.
• Poles: Aggressive due to passing Follow Me orders on a 3+ and having FP 5+. Hard to keep pinned, reasonable in assaults, but expensive and lacking the AT14 RPGs and AGS-17 grenade launchers of the other nations.

In all cases, you need numbers due to the poor To Hit and Assault ratings. A minimum sized company only gives you four teams with Assault 5, and the rest either Assault 6 or Heavy Weapons teams. Full size companies seem quite unwieldy, particularly as they result in units of  12 BMPs running around, so the mid-size two platoon option seems optimal.

Looking at the transport for the infantry companies, the Soviets are the only nation that can take a battalion of BMP2. The others get the option of a company of BMP2s as part of a BMP1 battalion. The Soviets also have the most flexibility for transporting the infantry supporting their tank battalions.

Warsaw Pact Tank Battalion Infantry Support

	Soviet	East German	Czechoslovak	Polish
T-64	Any	-	-	-
T-72/T-72M	Any	BMP1	BMP1/BMP2	BMP1/BMP2
T-55	-	BTR	BTR/OT-64	BTR/OT-64
T-62M	Any	-	-	-

My favourite infantry option is still the Afgantsy, with Assault 4+ and a consistent 3+ across all motivation stats. If running a BMP company, the choice between nations will be influenced by game size: I would only run Czechs in larger games where I can make the most of their lower price, while probably favouring the Soviets in smaller games due to their Firepower and motivation.


Still the best Warsaw Pact infantry, limited only by Formation size

Tanks
A major difference between the Soviet and other lists is the tank technology. The Soviets have the better equipment, while the others have the lower-quality T-72M and T-55AM2. This has changed slightly with the release of T-62M cards, giving the Soviets a cheaper option (six for the price of four T-72, or seven for the price of four T-64). It's an interesting call: a few extra dice that are almost as effective as those of the more expensive tanks, but vulnerable to AT19. I'm not yet sure what my opinion on it is.

Warsaw Pact Tank Stats

	T-64	T-72	T-72M	T-55	T-62M
Front	17	16	15	14	14
Side	9	8	8	9	9
Top	2	2	2	2	2
AT	22	22	21	17	21
Tactical	14"	10"	10"	10"	10"
Terrain Dash	16"	16"	16"	14"	14"
Crosscountry Dash	24"	24"	24"	20"	20"
Cross	3+	3+	3+	4+	4+
HEAT Protection	BDD Armour	BDD Armour	Bazooka Skirts	Bazooka Skirts	Bazooka Skirts
Point of Difference	Advanced Stabiliser, Brutal	Brutal	Brutal	Slow Firing	No Stabiliser
Optional Extra	AT-8 Songster	-	-	-	AT-10 Stabber

The T-64 is much more effective while only being slightly more expensive than the T-72, so would be my preference for Soviet lists. I haven't used them, but on paper I don't rate the T-55. Sure you can get huge numbers, but unless your fighting Leopard 1s or AMX-30s, they need to get into the flanks to do any damage, and Slow Firing really hampers them there. My pick of the bunch is probably the Volksarmee T-72M for the overall package of armour, gun, price, and motivation stats.

A good all-round performer, at three for 7pts, then 4pts each.

Support

The Soviets have the most complete range of support, with the Storm, Acacia, and BMP2 scouts, plus the option of having tank and infantry companies as support units. The East Germans are hardest done by, not having the Gecko or Acacia due to the order of product releases, despite having used both.

The support unit most obviously missing is the towed mortar battery of eight 120mm tubes that each Motor Rifle Battalion included. For some inexplicable reason Team Yankee occurs in a universe where mortars do not exist unless they're bolted to an M113. This lack of cheap and historically plentiful indirect fire support is a fundamental flaw in the lists.

Looking at the artillery options that they do have, all of the lists have access to a regimental battery of 2S1 Carnations, plus support from a battery of heavy artillery (except the poor East Germans), and a battery of rocket launchers.

Warsaw Pact Artillery Stats

	2S1 Carnation	2S3 Acacia	DANA	BM-21 Hail	RM-70
Front	2	2	1	-	1
Side	1	1	1	-	1
Top	1	1	1	-	0
Artillery AT	4	4	4	3	3
Artillery FP	3+	2+	2+	4+	4+
Direct Range	24"	16"	24"	-	-
Direct AT	21	14	14	-	-
Direct FP	2+	1+	1+	-	-
Point of Difference	No AA MG	Optional Krasnopol	Autoloader	Salvo template, No AA MG	Salvo template

In the small 45pt games we are playing a the moment, I wouldn't take any of these. Dual-purpose everything is absolutely the name of the game there, and artillery is too specialized and sinks too many points to be viable. Far better to take an extra tank or two. I've tried a trio of Carnations in a small game before, but I lost them to infantry due to their lack of a self-defence MG. At 80pts I would look to take a full battery of six of something. Infantry hasn't been a huge part of the local meta so far, but it will come, and at that point I'll need to consider whether a second battery can be justified.

The most intriguing artillery option is the DANA. The Autoloader rule gives them a -1 to hit, which, combined with Skill 4, FP2+, and a further -1 for being in a unit of six, makes them a great antidote to Milan spam: veterans are being hit on 2s, at best 3s if they are gone to ground. The DANA's performance will be even better, edging ahead of the French AuF1 and British eight-gun M109 batteries, with the expected changes for next year's 2nd Edition. Rocket batteries will also become better, and it will be an interesting decision between a 10" template with FP4+, or a 6" template with FP 2+. Compared to how ineffective I see it as being now, artillery will become a thing to fear and will jump up the list of priority targets to be second only to air defence assets.

Arguably the best artillery in the game

For anti-aircraft, the Gecko is potent at ROF 3 and FP 3+, but with the advent of the French 'Gun Slinger' Gazelle they're terribly vulnerable, and the points are probably better spent on twice the number of Gophers.

Gun Slinger: Shoots before AA.

All of the other support options are pretty similar: Hinds, Frogfeet, Spandrels, and BMP1 or BRDM scouts, with the same variations in skill and motivation as discussed earlier. It would have been nice for the other nations to have the option of MiG23s or SU22s rather than being limited to Soviet SU-25s, but that's really just cosmetic. The only really differences would be worse save and a slightly less effective cannon, for a small points break.

Summary

I couldn't quite understand why the internet seemed so keen on more Warsaw Pact lists, given how similar the equipment was going to be. But now that the books are out, I appreciate the new models that have come with them, and the way that we have been given variety in the unit stats to create a number of distinct choices:

• Do I want the better tech options? Then I have to go with the Soviets.
• Do I want to build a list around the most effective (and best looking) artillery piece? It's a choice between the Czechs and Poles.
• Do I want to pay a premium for an aggressive list? Then it's the Poles.
• Do I want numbers, on the understanding that they won't hang around once they start to take damage? That would be the Czechs.
• Or if I am happy with middle of the road stats and prices, at the cost of a reduced variety of units to choose from, then it's East Germans.

I can seriously see myself playing lists from all of these nations from time to time. I definitely plan to get a couple of boxes of DANAs in the near future, but don't think I'll go down the path of T-55s, T-62s, or BTRs. A little way further over the horizon is 2nd Edition, which is likely to move the timeline along and open up an even wider range of options than we currently have, and I am looking forward to that.

First Run with the East Germans

On Saturday I took my Team Yankee 45pt East German list for a run at the club, against Che's Dutch. With my Gaskins still winging their way over from the UK, I swapped them out for two Gophers, who weren't needed anyway as Che didn't bring any air support.

T-72M Tank Battalion - Volksarmee

Battalion HQ - 1 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

BMP1 Motor Rifle Company - Minimum size plus AGS-17 and SA-14 Gremlin

BRDM-2 Scout Platoon - 4 x BRDM-2

SA-13 Gopher Platoon - 2 x SA-13 Gopher

Spandrel Platoon - 3 x Spandrel

Hind Helicopter Company - 2 x Hind

Che's list was based around a YPR-765 platoon backed up by PRATs, PRTLs, Stingers, M113 C&V, and a pair of Leopard 2s. We rolled up No Retreat, with the Dutch defending a village.

The table viewed from the East German end

Che put his Leopard 2s, PRTLs and M113 C&V units in reserve, with his PRATs in Ambush. The infantry held the front objective in the village, with his HQ sitting on the rear objective and the Stingers lurking at the back.

I pushed my infantry through the middle, with one T-72 company on each flank. The PRATs popped out of ambush on my left, but completely missed with their first round of shooting. The Leopards arrived from reserve, and made up for it by killing two T-72s, again on the left.

Turn 2, I decided that I needed to commit the Hinds before the PRTLs arrived from reserve and made air operations impossible.  They made it through the Stingers and bailed out one Leopard, forcing the platoon to run. They then pushed their luck too far and were shot down trying to strafe the PRATs, but for the second time in two games the sacrifice of a unit of Hinds had brought about a huge return by taking out a platoon of Leopard 2s. Meanwhile, the infantry cleared the Dutch pickets out of the first line of houses, and prepared to push on through the rest of the platoon to the objective. Everything appeared to be going according to plan.

Turn 3 saw the PRTLs arrive, who demonstrated how big a threat they are by killing a T-72 with flank shots. The East German infantry set up for another assault, hoping to push on rapidly while the defenders were still pinned, but were driven off by defensive fire. The next turn was huge, as the PRTLs killed yet another T-72 breaking the platoon on the right, the PRATs finished off the last T-72 on the left, while the Dutch infantry rallied and counter-attacked, clearing my infantry out of the village. By the start of turn 5, the East Germans had no offensive capability remaining, having been reduced to the Battalion HQ, Spandrels and Gophers. We called the game at this point as I wouldn't be in a position to be within 8" of an objective by the end of Turn 6 to keep the game going.

The game turned quickly. I was well-placed at the end of Turn 2, had the table position I wanted, had drawn out the Dutch TOW ambush away from my main attack, and through some good fortune had eliminated the Leopards. But the Dutch infantry proved to be tougher than expected, and I possibly should have taken an extra turn or two to set up properly to reduce them before throwing in another assault.

A few thoughts from the game:

• The game confirmed that 45pts plays really well on a 6x4. The model density was good, and we were finished in about 90 minutes.
• 45pts is a very difficult size for 3rd Generation MBTs. They're still scary, but in two-tank platoons  they are incredibly fragile.
• The minimum-sized motor rifles aren't a great assault force, only having four teams with Assault 5+, and everyone else sitting at Assault 6.
• The PRTLs taking out T-72s from the flank was a nasty shock, and they deserved greater respect than I afforded them.
• I really need to take more photos during my games.

The game also served as an opportunity to use some minefield templates that I had made the night before. CDs are the perfect size, so I covered a couple of spare CD-Rs with basing material to match my army, and the hole in the centre covered by the official token.

In other news, the Czechs are now up on Forces, and my list above comes to 38pts. The gain of 7pts through the reduction in motivation stats would be enough for an observer and three DANAs, or a couple more T-72Ms. I am tempted to remain with the East German stats, however, as Rally/Remount 5+ units are going to be so much more difficult to use. More to ponder over the next few days before the lists needs to be locked in.

List for Remember December

This week I’m sharing the list I’m planning on taking to Remember December, an upcoming 45pt Team Yankee day at the club. I have decided to take a T-72M battalion from Volksarmee, as a change from the Soviet lists I've been running to date, and as a stepping stone towards running them as Czechs.

I couldn't quite see the reason for the demand on the internet for adding other Warsaw Pact nations to the game, as any new lists were still going to be based around T-72s, T-55s, and BMPs. However, now that they are on their way, the Czechs and Poles are welcome as they provide variety in ratings, and add DANAs and OT-64s to the range of models.

One disappointment with the Volksarmee lists is that you cannot take T-72s with BTRs without running multiple formations, and from the spoilers it looks like the Czech lists will be the same: if you want BTRs or OT-64s, you are limited to T-55s.

Back to Remember December. The basis of this East German list is T-72Ms, backed up by all the BRDMs, and a platoon of infantry in BMP1s. I expect the Czech lists will become available in the next week or so, so I'll have a decision to make then: stay with the Confident Trained East Germans, or see how many points are freed up by moving to Reluctant Trained Czechs, then finding things to fill the gap.

T-72M Tank Battalion - Volksarmee

Battalion HQ - 1 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

BMP1 Motor Rifle Company - Minimum size plus AGS-17 and SA-14 Gremlin

BRDM-2 Scout Platoon - 4 x BRDM-2

SA-9 Gaskin Platoon - 4 x SA-9 Gaskin

Spandrel Platoon - 3 x Spandrel

Hind Helicopter Company - 2 x Hind

Most of the list is painted and ready to go, just needing to paint a platoon of East German infantry, and wait for a box of Gaskins to arrive in the post.

I've arranged to take the list for a run next weekend, so my next post will be a review of how it performed.