Team Yankee: Afghansty review

Hi Folks,

So with me dipping my toes into Team Yankee - although not in 15mm, check out this video I made yesterday here detailing a quick game of 3mm Team Yankee:

Anyway, with my interest in the game, I decided to pick up the Team Yankee: Afghansty. Having checked prices and such, I was tempted to get the digital copy on my Ipad and then order the printed cards. However I also checked the Flames of War online store - and the printed copy with cards was actually cheaper with free postage than the Ipad version.

The book arrived within a couple of days, and included the unit cards.

The book itself is only 12 pages (including the back page) and includes:

A page briefly detailing Soviet involvement in Afghanistan and the VDV as well as Soviet Air Assault tactics and how they would be Incorporated in a 'hot' war in Europe.

The standard army list diagram, showing the Air Assault Battalion and higher level support options. As well as the Air Assault Special rule:

"An Air Assault unit can only be held in reserve if all other units deployed on table are Air Assault units."

Basically, the way the army list works is that it is assumed the troops have already been dropped on the objective, and the aim of the NATO troops is to smash the VDV forces before the 'Main Body' of Soviet troops can reach and relieve them. As such, the army does not include enough helicopters to transport the whole army!

The base Air Assault list is A Battalion HQ with a min of two (max of three) Air Assault Companies and a similar number of Hind Helicopter Companies (with 4 helicopters in each).

Air Assault Infantry companies have the same weapon options as Motor Rifle companies, but seem to be slightly better in close combat, with a Skill of 4+ and Assault of 4+ (as opposed to 5+ for the MR company), counter attacking on a 3+ (the same as a MR company). The company does have the option to take some different heavy weapon upgrades. These include AGS-17 teams (Automatic Grenade Launchers) with a RoF of 9 halted and 3 moving, AT3 and FP6. As well as AT-4 Spigot ATGW teams (RoF 3 Halted, AT19 and FP3+).

Beyond this, the rest of the army list (support options) are the same as those for the army list in the main Team Yankee rule book.

The booklet gives a short painting and basing guide:

The cards seem to be decent quality and include:

- 1x Afghansty Airmobile Brigade force Card
- 1x Afghansty Air Assault Battalion HQ Card
- 3x Afghansty Air Assault Company Heavy Weapon Cards
- 3x Afghansty Air Assault Company Heavy Weapon Cards
- 3x Afghansty Mi-24 Hind Assault Helicopter Company Cards

The Brigade force card has on the back of it a list of the various special orders that all units can be issued (I've no idea if other TY cards have the same).

Overall I was happy with the quality of the product and the delivery time. I do feel that it's perhaps not worth £8 - I think £6 would have been a more reasonable price for what you get.

The army list doesn't seem to be hugely different from the main Motor Rifle lists, although there is the option for a lot more helicopters. I suppose it may signal the way Battlefront want to approach the introduction of new armies. Only a single blister of VDV heavy weapons needed to be produced for this list to work. Similarly, how much would be required to do a US Armoured Cav list or other similar divergent list from the main ones.

For my own projects, this army should be easy to do with both 3mm and 6mm troops!