Ken and I played a 75 point Team Yankee game this afternoon on my "small" 6 x 4 table. I set the terrain up to slightly mimic the "first battle" chapter from the Team Yankee book, although admittedly this battle had a few more "toys" and some crazy "firsts." I'll explain.
Even though we've played quite a few games of TY, this game was kind of like a refresher for both Ken and I as we haven't played for awhile.
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| Hind Flight! |
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| Mean looking T-72s pour across the Inner German Border, churning their way towards the Rhine! |
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| town of "Amburg" in the middle. Still setting up. |
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| M1s in their Battle Positions |
In case you were wondering, the US fielded an Armor Combat Team with 2 M1 platoons and 1 M113 platoon (all 3 vehicles each) along with a FIST track, 3 M109 howitzers and of course the M901 ITVs. I think around 76 points.
Ivan had a 10 tank T-72 company, with a 6 BMP-2 company, 3 2S1 SP Howitzers, a flight of 2 MI24 Hind gunships, and 2 SU-25 Frogfoots! Incredible value for the points!
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| And of course the ZSUs...Cannot forget those |
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| BMPs move through a German field on their way towards the objective |
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| First blood! An American M1 scores a hit on a BMP. Actually MOST of my BMPs had hits on them. I got lucky though as Ken didn't pass the FP tests for the others! Whew! Bailed. |
My plan is to race ahead to the objectives. I was originally thinking a nice, slow meandering Warsaw Pact infantry advance with the BMPs on my left would be fun, occasionally stopping to take shots at the Yankees. Ken showed me that my plan needed some adjustments...the BMP has nice mobility and crappy armored protection (duh) so they needed to cross the killing field quickly!
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| T-72s taking fire! |
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| deploy online! |
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| meanwhile the dismounted crew from the destroyed BMP moves into cover! |
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| Another is pinned! |
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| Frogfoots inbound! This turn they would kill 2 M1s! |
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| Hinds also inbound. |
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| Meanwhile the FIST moves up to the treeline |
We had a HIND gunship shot down by ADA but the more extraordinary is yet to come!
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| A Frogfoot on a "routine pass" trying to kill some juicy M901s gets SHOT DOWN BY THE M60 LMG on the ITOW! |
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| His comrade would be joining him soon. Most of the air kills were by on-board AA machine guns. |
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| The Soviets race like hell to get to the objective and the Americans pour the fire on to contest it! Ken counter attacked the objective but the defensive fire stops them cold. The M113s and Dragon teams (as Ken discovered) bug out after losing their morale test. |
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| Ken bogs the Company Commander's M1 in the woods attempting another counter attack and he decided the single M1 contesting the objective would probably have been killed the following turn. |
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| GIs assaulting the objective! Nice MERDC! |
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| T-72 in the woods |
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| ITVs with nice MERDC! |
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| Soviet artillery gun tubes went cold. The crews are brewing tea. |
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| carnage! |
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| US Artillery gun tubes also silent. The guys are swapping snacks out of their MREs... |
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| bogged company commander tank! |
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| Ivan on the objective |
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| A near run thing |
So this game was fast and brutal. A 6x4 table and the speeds of the vehicles coupled with their engagement ranges pretty much guarantees you're shooting from turn 1. I am starting to understand the logic of the reserves now. With 50% less units on the table, there is more maneuver room. This was a straight up brawl that might have used a little more terrain.
Ken and I both needed a refresher on the rules and I think this game was it. I think I need to read up a little on the rules especially now that the "Leopard" and "Iron Maiden" supplements and minis are out! sign me up for the German collection!!!
This was a great game and never once lacked for any excitement or variety. Say what you want about Team Yankee but in a single 4 hour game, we played with all of the combined arms toys in the arsenal ranging from M-16s and SAWs to tank cannon, machine guns (yes you actually USE your on board MGs!), Air to Ground missiles, ATGM, and auto cannon. So I think the game definitely serves its purpose.
I still really, really like the Battlegroup series best, but I do not think they can deliver this fast of a game (a Soviet battalion and a NATO company match fought to conclusion in 4 hours) with crashing aircraft, careening missiles, choppers, tanks, troops, and APC/IFVs all tear-assing around the battlefield. Mission accomplished.
Now THAT looked like heaps of fun! Nice job Ivan :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd somebody give that M60 gunner a Silver Star :-)
Paul,
DeleteThe short distance made the game a quick one. Ivan's numbers really came in handy and by turn 3 they were up in NATO's faces.
Yes that was an incredible shot! I couldn't believe he did it. What did we used to say in the artillery....big sky, little bullet.
Looks like a great game. Lately T.Y. caught my attention as well... Interesting setup...
ReplyDeleteStefan, it's a fun game that really showcases the equipment and the enhanced capabilities that modern systems bring to the battlefield.
DeleteFantastic pics Steve and superb narrative.
ReplyDeleteLove the shot with the BMP watching the Hinds flying over toward the objective.
Reading this made me think that a mini campaign based on ww2 Market Garden would be unique. Three linked battles with a soviet counter punch trying to capture bridges across a river in order to get the drop of the yanks in the Fulada gap. (Smaller scale than real thing of course, but could also involve soviet parachute elements).
Great game again. I may have to buy TY
Cheers, Darren. It was a very fun game. I highly recommend you play a game or two of it - I think it would literally be perfect for microarmor as it would "look and feel" right on the table.
DeleteYou could link some scenarios into a campaign that would be alot of fun.
It's not my go-to set but it's definitely worth owning I feel. Lots of fun.
Very cool Steve, great fight. It makes me want to bust out my Cold War stuff again; just something cool about having so much raw killing power on the table!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to more, particularly if you get into the West Germans. I love Leo IIs and Marders.
Oh, and based off seeing yours on the table, I went to Warzone and finally bought myself some real hills.
V/R,
Jack
Jack,
DeleteYes it was a lot if fun and no doubt lots of killy stuff on the table. Life is cheap on a vokd war battlefield.
Im definitely looking to get leos and marders on the table. My wallet is not!
I think youll like the warzone hills. Theyre pretty versatile.
Great post Steven. I loved the Hollywood action with the M60 MG.
ReplyDeleteNicely shot as well.
Cheers Paul no shortage of hollywiid action with the M60 lol. You and i bith know what probably would have happened!
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