Uh-huh, and winged primates shall emerge at high velocity from my rectum. Most tabletop wargamers are like me, and even though what I said makes sense and is the most efficient path to follow, most us lack the self control to follow that advice. Yes, me included. When I first decided to get into Team Yankee 6mm, a few years back now, I bought up a bunch of American and Soviet minis from the original version one TY rulebook. I added some more Americans after the original Stripes book came out for the US, but beyond that, most of what I picked up was rather basic. And too much. Our escalation league is only going to 200 points and even going with the most basic M1 Abrams - not IPM1s, M1A1s, or M1A1HCs - I can use all 20 M1 Abrams I have in my collection, but only if I leave a mere 40 points for all the supporting teams and formations. An Abrams "horde" force would be interesting, but I think it's a bit inflexible, tactically. Yes I can pick up almost everything from the support list - air, artillery, anti-air, infantry - but you just cannot get much of any of it, just a bare smattering. Not to mention that starting with an Abrams force at 50 points, if I did want to build towards that 20 tank horde in the escalation league, means starting with a mere 5 Abrams (the absolute smallest number of M1 Abrams you need to make a legal M1 Armor Company formation) and only 10 points of support elements.
Oh well. With the miniatures I already have in my collection, here are my lists for the next two jumps in our escalation league, from 50 to 75 and on to 100 points.
American M113 Mech Combat Team
The classic infantry strong force. The Americans are not known for having the strongest infantry, without the numbers of the Brits/Soviets and the Dragon ATGM instead of the Milan, and the M113 is one of the weakest APCs out there, with barely any armor, though at least the classic Ma Deuce M2 .50cal is better than the 7.62 FN MAG/M240/G3 that some APCs call their only weapon. Not to mention the Bradley is better than both the M113 and the M901 ITV, but I have not bought any Bradleys and do not want to, nor do I want to let all the M113s and M901s I already have go to waste. Definitely not an optimized force, I went for as strong as I could get it with a bunch of support options, keeping in mind the above limitations.
50pt force
1pt M113 Mech HQ (1 M113 and 1 M16 Rifle team)
6pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams)
5pt M113 Mech Platoon (3 M113s, 2 M47 Dragon teams, 3 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
5pt M113 Mech Platoon (3 M113s, 2 M47 Dragon teams, 3 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
16pt M60 Tank Platoon (4 M60 Pattons)
3pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (3 M106s)
3pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s)
7pt M109 Artillery Battery (3 M109s, divisional support)
3pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (2 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
For the first jump, just more of the same. The Mech Platoons become maxed out, we see a ton more AT firepower in the form of M901 ITVs and a Scout Section, and get a little more artillery and AA. This is definitely a force I will be choosing Defense when it comes time to pick a Mission, as there is hardly any maneuver elements inherent to the force.
75pt force
1pt M113 Mech HQ (1 M113 and 1 M16 Rifle team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
16pt M60 Tank Platoon (4 M60 Pattons)
2pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901)
6pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (6 M106s)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
3pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s)
7pt M109 Artillery Battery (3 M109s, divisional support)
6pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (4 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
And again, more of the same. Every section with TOW missiles is now TOW-2 equipped, our venerable M60s have been swapped for M1 Abrams, though with just 4 of them in the platoon, they are not moving far from the M901 "gunline", and we get even more tubes in our arty battery. Still very much a Defense type force when it comes time to choose a mission.
100pt force
1pt M113 Mech HQ (1 M113 and 1 M16 Rifle team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
32pt M1 Tank Platoon (4 M1 Abrams)
3pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901 TOW-2)
6pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (6 M106s)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
14pt M109 Artillery Battery (6 M109s, divisional support)
6pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (4 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
M60 Patton Armored Combat Team
The M60A3 Patton tank is not quite the M1 Abrams, but is still a terror to both T-55s and T-72s, particularly the "monkey" copies that the East Germans, Poles, and Czechs field in their forces, and is screamingly affordable when compared to the other "apex" tanks out there. This is more of an Attacker type force than the Mech Team, but is not quite as maneuverable as I would like it to be, especially at the 50 point level. The Pattons are good mobile, but not much else in the list is. I will probably pick Attack over Maneuver just to force Night engagements more often, but the majority of the force works better deployed into prepared defensive positions.
50pt force
4pt M60 Armor HQ (1 M60)
12pt M60 Tank Platoon (3 M60s)
12pt M60 Tank Platoon (3 M60s)
3pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s)
3pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (3 M106s)
5pt M113 Mech Platoon (3 M113s, 2 M47 Dragon teams, 3 M249 teams, plus extra M47 team)
7pt M109 Artillery Battery (3 M109s, divisional support)
3pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (2 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
Again, if I had waited to build my lists before purchasing minis, I would have more M60s at this point level. But building to what I had already purchased and no more, I am restricted to 10 (two packs of 5 from GHQ, which is still a significant savings over 15mm at $24 vs $100) M60A3s, so I maxed them out to the 10 I have. I could have gone a full two tank HQ element with two four-tank platoons, which would have strengthened each team's morale, but I went instead with a one tank HQ element and three three-tank platoons for a bit more flexibility in my tactical choices. Otherwise, more of the same. The added Scout Sections provide Spearhead to the Force, and provide a modicum of AT firepower. The Mech Platoon gets a boost, as does the AA and the Heavy Mortars.
75pt force
4pt M60 Armor HQ (1 M60)
12pt M60 Tank Platoon (3 M60s)
12pt M60 Tank Platoon (3 M60s)
12pt M60 Tank Platoon (3 M60s)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
6pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (6 M106s)
2pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901)
2pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
7pt M109 Artillery Battery (3 M109s, divisional support)
6pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (4 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
M1 Abrams Armored Combat Team
Even though I started with the M60 formation, it was M1s that I was aimed at all along. Yeah, I could have done it sooner, but as we are trying to keep our games Blue on Red for the league, I knew I needed as many guns at all stages to fight off "horde" WarPact forces. Finally, at the 100 point jump, I felt like I could field a sufficient number of M1s, plus I did not want to buy anymore M60s and I had maxed out those out at the last point jump. I could have just added a platoon worth of M1s onto the M60 force, but at some point you have to go with a base M1 team to get more than four M1s in the force, and the support options are identical between the two forces, so now was a good point to merely replace the M60s with M1s, plus some other little goodies added here and there. And the M1 has been my goal for playing TY since the beginning, both from admiration and from national pride. Even the base M1 is a nasty tank for WarPact forces to deal with, much more so the IPM1 and M1A1/HC variants.
100pt force
8pt M1 Abrams HQ (1 M1 Abrams)
24pt M1 Abrams Tank Platoon (3 M1 Abrams)
24pt M1 Abrams Tank Platoon (3 M1 Abrams)
4pt M901 ITV AT Platoon (2 M901s TOW-2)
6pt M106 Heavy Mortar Platoon (6 M106s)
3pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901 TOW-2)
3pt M113 Scout Section (1 M113 and 1 M901 TOW-2)
7pt M113 Mech Platoon (4 M113s, 3 M47 Dragon teams, 4 M249 teams, plus extra M47 Dragon team)
14pt M109 Artillery Battery (6 M109s, divisional support)
6pt M163 VADS AA Platoon (4 M163s, divisional support)
1pt M113 FIST (1 M113, divisional support)
East German Mot-Schützen Bataillon
I was not trying for a horde force, but, yeah, Volks Armee infantry, kind of hard to field that force and not go BMP/BTR horde. And why East Germans and not Soviets (or Poles or Czechs)? Or why not wait until the new WarPact book comes out later this year? For the second question, Battlefront has already pushed that back with the global slowdown here at the tailend of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the first, well, I wanted to go with even cheaper troops than what the Soviets field, and I went East Germans as I have long been fascinated by the thought that the EGs, following WW2 and their annexation by the Soviets, tried very hard to be more Soviet than even the Russians were managing. Something about that German mindset of taking everything (science and technology, social planning, morality) to the extreme, so even while the majority of the nation was chafing at not being a united Germany, so many East Germans were striving to be the best Socialists they could be.
Mot-Schützen Bataillon, pretty much like all the rest - lots of nasty infantry to sit in defense (or assault, if you can keep them from getting pinned on the way to the assault), some tanks for a mobile strike force, some arty, some gun AA (because light armor and infantry just HATE Shilkas chewing them up), and a bunch of BMPs. Again, I went with the units and vehicles I did because that is what I bought - no BMP-2s or -3s, no fancy T-64s or T-80s, nor any T-55 or BTR hordes.
50pt force
1pt Mot-Schützen HQ (1 MPi-KM rifle teams and 1 BMP)
7pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (4 BMPs, 4 RPG-18 teams, 3 RPG-7 teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
6pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (4 BMPs, 4 RPG-18 teams, 3 RPG-7 teams)
6pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (4 BMPs, 4 RPG-18 teams, 3 RPG-7 teams)
19pt T-72M Panzer Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
6pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (3 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
More of the same moving up in points, mostly more infantry. A lot of infantry. Even with as much miniatures as I originally picked up, I had to pick up another pack of Soviet infantry (no one is going to notice the difference at this scale between Soviet and East German infantry, plus GHQ does not make Cold War era East German infantry) to finish out the infantry stands for the 50 point force, so more infantry was going to happen anyway. Also, this is when the BMP horde appears as the list hits 30 BMPs in the deployment.
75pt force
1pt Mot-Schützen HQ (1 MPi-KM rifle teams and 1 BMP)
15pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
15pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
14pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams)
19pt T-72M Panzer Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
6pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (3 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
At the next point jump, it is all about support, not so much the infantry. More BMPs, more artillery, and finally, some air support. Not a lot, but a flight of two SU-25 Frogfoots is not very many points (so if they never appear due to poor rolling on my part, I am not too broken up about it) but still a very nasty surprise when they do show up.
100pt force
1pt Mot-Schützen HQ (1 MPi-KM rifle teams and 1 BMP)
15pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
15pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
15pt Mot-Schützen Kompanie (9 BMPs, 7 RPG-18 teams, 6 RPG-7 teams, 2 PKM teams, plus an extra BMP and AGS-17 GL team)
19pt T-72M Panzer Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
4pt BMP Aufklärungs Zug (4 BMPs)
12pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (6 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
2pt 9K35 Strela-10 Flak Zug (2 SA-13 Gophers)
5pt Grad Raketenwerfer Batterie (3 BM-21 Hails, divisional support)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
7pt SU-25 Aviation Company (2 SU-25 Frogfoots, divisional support)
T-72M Panzer Bataillon
Not sure what I want to say about this one. I do like the T-72Ms better than the T-55AM2s the Volks Armee gets, even though their -72s are "monkey copies", which is why I bought them and not the -55s. And really, horde is the only way you can succeed with tanks like the -55, but I want to have different tactical choices. I still try to stuff as many -72s in while still having some support options. I do notice now that I am missing Spearhead from many of my 50 point lists, but managed to get it here, as I have foregone any infantry and went with all vehicles to make this my most mobile, attack-oriented list.
50pt force
3pt T-72M HQ (1 T-72M)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
15pt T-72M Kompanie (5 T-72Ms)
2pt BMP Aufklärungs Zug (2 BMPs)
6pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (3 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
This jump in points just brings more tanks to the table, and a few more BMP-1s in the scout section.
75pt force
3pt T-72M HQ (1 T-72M)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
4pt BMP Aufklärungs Zug (4 BMPs)
6pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (3 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
I could have definitely continued stuffing more tanks into the formation, but instead, I am using this batch of points to add in fun stuff, like more artillery and air support.
100pt force
3pt T-72M HQ (1 T-72M)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
19pt T-72M Kompanie (6 T-72Ms)
4pt BMP Aufklärungs Zug (4 BMPs)
12pt 2S1 Gvozdika Artillerie Batterie (6 2S1 Carnations)
4pt ZSU-23-4 Shilka Flak Zug (4 Shilkas)
5pt Grad Raketenwerfer Batterie (3 BM-21 Hails, divisional support)
3pt BMP Aufklärungs Zug (3 BMPs)
1pt BMP OP (1 BMP, divisional support)
7pt SU-25 Aviation Company (2 SU-25 Frogfoots, divisional support)
What do I have planned for the future? At this point, I am not too sure. I think for my Americans, I will be combining my formations into one, but keeping my Volks Armee lists separate so I can maximize the better aspects of each. But, as you may have noticed between my last TY post and this one that the changed my T-72 list, so as I have roughly three months before the league hits 125 points, I have some time to ponder and play around with the lists.
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