Tactics Team Yankee

Team Yankee – Mobile Offensive!

Remember when Team Yankee first released, and we all took Tank Formations and threw them at each other in a mess of destruction and violence?

Mobile Offensive! is an idea borne of our local group’s discussions on how to make Team Yankee punchier and quicker to play by imposing a couple of additional rules.  These are meant mainly to prevent Infantry spam, but by default, this also reduces ATGM spam.

The Rules of Engagement

So the rules are as follows:

  • No infantry formations may be selected, at all.  To determine if a formation is an infantry formation, look at the HQ.  If it contains an infantry team, it is an infantry formation.
  • No more than one infantry platoon/(Warsaw Pact company) per 40pts of an army.
  • On missions with attackers/defenders, the attacker must start with all infantry mounted.  On missions with the meeting engagement rule, both sides must start with all infantry mounted.

So with the rules above, we push towards limiting the amount of infantry on the board, and also reducing their start-of-game foxholes reliance.

We will also be playing through an escalation-style campaign, with initial forces starting at 40pts then moving to 64pts / 85pts / 100pts.  To give the chance to use the primary MBTs of each army, we will ignore minimum unit/formation requirements for MBTs whilst at 40pts only.  For the 40pt games, we will use the Quick Missions supplement, then for the rest, we will use the More Missions supplement.

Force Mobilisation

As I’ll be playing the US, I will use my force as an example.

Allowed formations :

  • M1 Abrams Armored Combat Team (No MBT minimums apply)
  • M60 Patton Armored Combat Team (No MBT minimums apply)
  • Armoured Cavalry Troop (No MBT minimums apply)
  • HMMVV Cavalry Troop
  • M60 Patton Tank Company (No MBT minimums apply)
  • LAV Company

For the first game, I’m going to run with the Armored Cavalry Troop as the core of my force.

  • HQ – 1 x M113 Scout – 1pt
  • M113 Scout Section – 2pts
  • M113 Scout Section – 2pts
  • IPM1 Abrams x 3 Platoon – 27pts
  • AV-8 Harrier Attack Flight x 4 – 6pts
  • HMMVW SAM Platoon x 2 – 2pts

I’ve eschewed infantry altogether (rifle platoons aren’t cheap when you’re fielding Abrams as well!) but what’s there should put the fear into most forces.  The Harriers are the real ace in the hole in my opinion, as they will force enemies to field their AA or get kicked really hard.

Let’s see how the first games go!  Keep your eyes peeled for Batreps coming your way.  And feel free to try this yourselves and let us know how it goes!

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6 comments

Kantoken

That’s a neat idea, actually, and something I proposed to my gaming group as well. What also helped to get a couple of more people playing Team Yankee was to propose to use the version 4 rules of Flames of War, since most came from there. They don’t have to learn new rules, just how they fit the Team Yankee system.
Steffen Mikkelsen

Love this initiative,I have also come to find that infantry formations only slows down the game. sometimes to ridicules levels.
I have a theory that, a lot of people came over from FOW and found the game to be too killy from what they are used to, then they found infantry formations that could bring the pace of the game down to a level they where more familiar with. just a theory though.
anyhow love the idea, hope it gains some popularity.
Horsti

“I have a theory that, a lot of people came over from FOW and found the game to be too killy from what they are used to, then they found infantry formations that could bring the pace of the game down to a level they where more familiar with. just a theory though.”

There were some players a bit smarter than the average “nice elite tanks, blood for the bloodgod!”-players that really quickly realized that BF had screwed up the balancing and that infantry in TY is far superior to the expensive MBT. So players use infantry to win a game, not to slow it down.
    Lee Long

    MBTs can win games, they just need a great deal more players skill to do so and really punish minor mistakes.
anon

A huge major flaw with your set up. You are excluding the Dutch and West Germans MBT.

Single LEO 2 platoon with a tank HQ = 50/55 points. Having a 2 tank platoon is not workable either for those that can not save when rolling west german morale.

Seeing people work with reducing MBT points appear to be a better solution. But people who want to spam infantry will do so no matter what. I think the prevention of infantry needs to be a gentleman’s rule and the intent of the people making the lists.
    Lee Long

    There is no exclusion. These rules make it easier to field expensive MBTs, not harder. For instance you could take a HQ and 1 single Leo 2 as your formation – there are no minimums. Or just field Leo 1s. If it’s a majore concern I suggest you start at a higher pts value – 64pts or 85pts. That way you can get a good spread in.

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