Team Yankee Model Preview - The Game Itself.

[Major Rawne]

Today on Breakthrough Assault​ we have a preview of Team Yankee, including details on how it plays, the rulebook and much much more.

Check it out here

Thanks Ben

[Arrigo]

Well,

1) funny thing the novel has been out for years, I read it several time, I like it. The "revelation" on it is not such a big deal...
 
2) Tanks and APC/IFV in plastic looks good. 

3) if that FoW thingy is re-doing  the engagements  in the book there are some problems with the models... first you need M3 (for the scout platoon in first blood), and the soviet used also T-62 and BTR60. Without them you cannot play the defence of Hill 214...

4) they want to retain the "depth and complexity" well they did not say anything about realism... ahahaha...  I wish the people at BF tone down their pronouncements a bit.

5) from the pictures it appears another tanks engage at pistol range game  so I doubt it is a "new game". But maybe it is just the pictures... let's see...


Conclusion:

BF soviet style propaganda (I am not criticizing Ben and his blog, it appears that several sentences are coming from BF material)... but with some interesting models, sadly a very annoying limited choiches (who need the planes right now? Better to have spent the money on M60 and T-64).

[mdauben]

3) if that FoW thingy is re-doing  the engagements  in the book there are some problems with the models... first you need M3 (for the scout platoon in first blood), and the soviet used also T-62 and BTR60. Without them you cannot play the defence of Hill 214...

I can't speak for Battlefront, but I was under the impression this is just the initial release, and there are more miniatures coming after?  Could be the M3 and T-62 are next.  Even if not, its not like there aren't other companies making 15mm cold war era armored vehicles.

5) from the pictures it appears another tanks engage at pistol range game  so I doubt it is a "new game". But maybe it is just the pictures... let's see...

I'm expecting this is just FOW with new miniatures, so if FOW WWII bothers you, I'm expecting this will too.  Realistically, though, would "true" 15mm tank gun ranges work on a typical 4x6 table?  I think most of the cold war era tanks guns would be pretty much "anything on the table is in range".   

[Arrigo]

Still,

if the initial release was supposed to follow the book... the M163 were not included... like the SA-13... well we will see...

as my point number 5... they market it as a new game, but I feel it will be a rehash with a new name. FoW is s silly game, but what bother me is FoW marketing, sometimes is really bad taste (especially when some specific formations are involved), usually it seems the same style from politicians' announcements...

Now what is the bad part in having the whole table in main gun range?    CoC does this for WW2 and it is a really good game. Let's see what happens... (not that my expectation are high...). I will use the miniatures with better rules anyway... 

[mdauben]

as my point number 5... they market it as a new game, but I feel it will be a rehash with a new name. FoW is s silly game,

THe way I look at it, is that its a game. Its fun to play and generally rewards good players who make good decisions.  Its not my personal first choice for WWII (or Vietnam or Cold War) but its tremendously popular and if that means I can play count on finding an opponent without too much trouble, that's a nice benefit IMO.  On the other hand if you don't like it, or prefer some other game system, well, I can't argue with that!   

but what bother me is FoW marketing, sometimes is really bad taste (especially when some specific formations are involved), usually it seems the same style from politicians' announcements...

It is perhaps over the top at times.  Not sure about "bad taste" but I know it rubs some people the wrong way.

Now what is the bad part in having the whole table in main gun range?   

Nothing, I suppose, as long as you have plenty of terrain to block LOS.   

[grant]

The whole thing just leaves me cold. And not in a good, Cold War kind of way. 

It comes across as very "cheesy". 

[Arrigo]

THe way I look at it, is that its a game. Its fun to play and generally rewards good players who make good decisions.  Its not my personal first choice for WWII (or Vietnam or Cold War) but its tremendously popular and if that means I can play count on finding an opponent without too much trouble, that's a nice benefit IMO.  On the other hand if you don't like it, or prefer some other game system, well, I can't argue with that!   
 
It is perhaps over the top at times.  Not sure about "bad taste" but I know it rubs some people the wrong way.
 
Nothing, I suppose, as long as you have plenty of terrain to block LOS.   

Well have a walk around and you find a lot of LOS blocking terrain, more than on the average gaming table!

About the marketing the bad taste was the way they described some specific WW2 formations as they were clean heroes while in fact they were not. One thing about their marketing is that it reminds me of politicians during elections...

FoW attract people certainly, how hugely popular it is? Well it is difficult to really took the pulse of our hobby. Hugely popular products often have just an hugely vocal following and a large visibility in glossy magazines and websites. Oh well I know more people who plays the way of the lard than FoW...

[Arlequín]

I think what 'people you know play' tends to be self-perpetuating. Most the people I 'know' via the internet are Lardies to a greater or lesser extent... because that's what I play/meddle with. Because I don't play FoW, I can't say that I know anyone else who does... but I'm sure they exist.

It is however hard to argue that it is not popular, or hard to say that the company's hype is not a reflection of that popularity. If it did not sell the company would not survive, let alone keep producing models.

Of course arguing that it is 'the most popular set of WWII rules' is somewhat easier and different than arguing that they are 'the best WWII rules'; and that of course would bring quite a number of possible sets into the equation. Add in the proponents of 'it gives a good game', versus those of 'it gives an accurate game' and then the field is wide open.

 

[mdauben]

FoW attract people certainly, how hugely popular it is? Well it is difficult to really took the pulse of our hobby. Hugely popular products often have just an hugely vocal following and a large visibility in glossy magazines and websites. Oh well I know more people who plays the way of the lard than FoW...

I can only speak from personal experience but I've lived in three different cities in the last 10 years  in two different states and FOW was being played, often quite activly, in all three gaming communities.  No other WWII rules were being used except sporadically by individuals (which included me!) who set up and ran occasional one-off historical scenario games.

Personally, I've played Blitzkrieg Commander, Battlefront WWII, and a couple other old WWII rules sets and IMO each of them was superior in one way or the other to FOW.  The problem was getting other people to commit to them.  I usually didn't have trouble getting people to game WWII with me... if I created the scenario, set up the table and supplied the miniatures for both sides.  With FOW, on the other hand, I know at least a half dozen serious players with more than one army who game regularly, and at least as many more casual players.  

Getting back on-topic for a bit, I was recently trying to interest some people in doing some Cold-War gaming, using the Cold War Commander rules and 6mm miniatures.  Some people expressed interest in doing the Cold War, but they all seem to want to use the new Team Yankee rules and 15mm miniatures.  Since they are already involved in Flames of War in 15mm they feel more comfortable sticking with that system and scale.

[Arlequín]

Since they are already involved in Flames of War in 15mm they feel more comfortable sticking with that system and scale.

I hope that the rule changes BF are talking about trialling with TY continue to provide that comfort. 

I'm a firm believer that added complexity does not necessarily equal added authenticity, but by the same token while simpler games can actually be very good and encourage more concentration on 'tactics' than 'rule-mongering', they can also sometimes fail completely too.

[mdauben]

I'm a firm believer that added complexity does not necessarily equal added authenticity, but by the same token while simpler games can actually be very good and encourage more concentration on 'tactics' than 'rule-mongering', they can also sometimes fail completely too.

Cough-Age-of-Sigmar-Cough   

[Arlequín]

Cough-Age-of-Sigmar-Cough   

Careful... "The game is also faster is the rules are stream lined, there will be cards (more info on this next week) and reference sheets so there is less time looking in the rulebook and Another change from normal FOW is the rulebook doesn't attempt to have all the answers. It states the rules. There will be a living on-line that will cover the gaps between this simple game and the completeness of FOW. ".

Is a lot like... "According to Games Workshop it is a product that will remain supported and updated using a "living document", meaning it will be constantly updated rather than re-released as a new thing each time (for example, version 1.2, version 1.3, version 1.4, and so on). The initial rulebook only consisted of four pages which can be found for free online, with additional updates to come. Every model in the older Warhammer (or at least the models still in production when it was released) receives stats through a "Warscroll", a downloadable stat card."

People in glass houses and all that...   

[commissarmoody]

I like it because it will bring more exposure to the era. Also since I have gamed in both the US and Europe I think its just different communities when it comes to gaming. Or at leas my experience was different. In Europe the hobby was more club driven, and in the US its more store driven. You don't meet as often in your buddies basement or at the rented community hall here in the US. So the stores push the product or game that will keep them going. Companies like GW, Privateer press, and Battle Front keep on producing a product that will keep people coming to the store.
Rules and games may not be the best but they get folks interested and help bring new people into the hobby. 

[mdauben]

People in glass houses and all that...   

My house is not frangible!   

I'm certainly not trying to defend TY, at least not until I actually see the rules and play a game or two.  If it was totally up to me, I'd be getting ready to play Cold War with a different set of rules in a different scale, but unfortunatly (for good or bad) the interest around here is in FOW so that's probably the road the local group will travel.  If its really as bad as AoS (and personally "living rulebook" and "cards" are not what I dislike about AoS) I'll simply ignore it and move onto something different.  Its not like I don't have a dozen other game systems for a dozen other genres in my collection to chose from...   

[Iain R]

I'm still pinning my hopes on Battlegroup NORTHAG. Some time away yet, but still...