Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in World War III: Team Yankee

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in World War III: Team Yankee
with Joe Saunders
In World War III: Team Yankee there are a lot of options for tanks. This is a great thing because the sheer variety gives the model builder a ton of options for their forces.

But of course, not all of them are created equally. This is because like in reality, some vehicles have evolved into their role on the battlefield, have been updated to extend their lifespan, and some are slightly out date (or really outdated in the case of the T-55) but kept in service because of budgets or availability. All of these considerations are rolled up in the points value of the models “in game” which means they are all playable if you understand how to use them. In this multi-part series of articles, I am going to delve into what sets these various tiers of vehicles apart, and give you some ideas on how to use them.

Types Of Tanks
For the most part, distinctions between heavy, light etc. for tanks are not terms used for modern armoured vehicles. Instead, MBT or Main Battle Tank is used as developers try to build each new vehicle to their best level that at least reaches parity, or preferably surpasses any machines used by their current adversaries. Within the class of MBT the only major differences are defined by how the technologies have evolved or have been made obsolete by tactics and time. For this reason, my distinction between types of tanks is somewhat arbitrary and fluid. If you don’t agree with my “classifications” that is fine, and provides an opportunity to explore your own strategies.

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

The Heavy Hitters
This category is the main topic of this article and defines the peak of tank technology in Team Yankee. These are the truly powerful tanks that can take a hit and dish out damage. As a result, in the Team Yankee “time line” they are also the most recent models or those that lend themselves to extending their service life. Let’s take a closer look at these behemoths and explore how to use them.

The M1 Abrams
The Abrams is likely the best known of the top tier of tanks. Despite this, it straddles the definition because it has been the subject of numerous upgrades. The basic M1 and IPM1 have decent armour starting. This makes them able to take a hit from top tier adversaries like the T-80 (with an anti-tank rating of 22 for its main gun) but it is armed with a 105mm gun with an AT of 20.  

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

This makes it slightly under-gunned, as It will not be able to fight back against contenders like the T-80 or Challenger 2. Despite this, the M1 and IPM1 still have a place because they are about 8 points a piece. This is slightly less than most top tier tanks so you can take greater numbers which is a definite advantage when you want to outnumber and overpower your opponent. at Front Armour 18. This brings us to M1A1 and M1A1HC. Here, we have the king of the hill for tanks in Team Yankee. Adding the 120mm canon which brings AT 23 to the fight fixes the disadvantages of the other iterations of the M1. Plus, the armour only gets better. The M1A1HC has a front armour of 21 making it one of the most heavily armoured vehicles in the game.  The stats for American tanks also help as they are decent (Hit On 4+, Remount of 2+).  But this of course means the M1A1 and HC variant are very points intensive, with the M1HC being 18 points a tank!  These are the most expensive vehicles in the game to date and likely the most powerful. However, the result is you will never outnumber your foe.


The T80
The T-80 represents the pinnacle of Warsaw Pact tank technology. Front armour 20, and an AT 22 main gun makes for a flexible and powerful vehicle. The armour can repel other main gun shots fairly consistently and it can shoot back effectively. It also comes in 2 varieties according to the training of the crews; Red Banner and Shock Battalion.  The Red Banner version is Hit On a 3+ and has lesser stats than the Shock Company version but provides a discount in points. The Shock Battalion version is Hit On 4+ and has correspondingly better stats, making it the elite of the communist.  Like a lot of Soviet tanks, it also has a barrel launched missile option with a range of 48 inches.  This gives it a longer reach than NATO tanks which typically have a range of about 40 inches. The 125mm main gun on the T-80 (as well as most other Soviet tanks) has a lower rate of fire than the NATO 105mm and 120mm but has the brutal rule. This makes it versatile for fighting infantry and other armoured vehicles, something NATO tanks lack.  As far as top tier tanks go the T-80 is both effective and more flexible due to its weapons options.

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

The Shock Battalion version is Hit On 4+ and has correspondingly better stats, making it the elite of the communist forces but costs more at about 10 points each. Like a lot of Soviet tanks, it also has a barrel launched missile option with a range of 48 inches. This gives it a longer reach than NATO tanks which typically have a range of about 40 inches. The 125mm main gun on the T-80 (as well as most other Soviet tanks) has a lower rate of fire than the NATO 105mm and 120mm but has the brutal rule. This makes it versatile for fighting infantry and other armoured vehicles, something NATO tanks lack. As far as top tier tanks go the T-80 is both effective and more flexible due to its weapons options.

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

The T-64
The T-64 just barely fits into the Heavy Hitter category but I think is worth mentioning.  Its stats are typical of Soviet vehicles in that they are mediocre (Hit On 3+, Skill 5+) and it’s front armour is not a really a contender at only 17 (I know most players would kill for that rating in Flames of War).  However, where it does meet the “criteria” is its weapons.  It has the same AT 22 main gun as the T-80 and a similar missile with an AT 21 that still outranges NATO tanks.  Because of this the T-64 can do some damage against other high-end tanks. 


The Challenger
Like the M1A1 and M1A1HC the Challenger sports amazing armour. Using the ROMOR Upgrade you can increase the front armour to 21, meaning that the 125mm gun used by common Soviet tanks can only bail the Challenger and is useless at long ranges. Beyond this the Challenger has good stats being Hit On a 4+ and has a Skill of 3+. The only appreciable difference from the upgraded M1 is the main gun. The Challenger has a rifled 120mm gun and while it has an AT of 22 and a halted rate of fire of 2, it has a moving rate of fire of 1 which is lower than other NATO tanks. 

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

The canon does however have the brutal rule meaning it will be more effective against infantry than the other NATO 120mm guns. This difference means that players will probably want to use the Challenger in a roll where it can find a good spot to shoot from and stay put. Tactically then, the Challenger is less likely to be as mobile, but at 13 points apiece offers players a savings in points over the M1A1 and M1A1HC variants of the Abrams.

The Chieftain
The Chieftain is similar to the T-64 in that as far as top tier tanks go, its membership in the club is questionable.  Again, the reason is a front armour of 17 (18 for the upgraded Stillbrew version). However, it sports the same gun with an AT of 22, 2+ Firepower and Brutal main gun as the Challenger. At 6 point each it is an economical choice should you want decent amounts of high AT canons. You can get respectable numbers of them on the board and the solid stats associated with the British make it a dependable choice on the table. 

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee


Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

The Leopard 2
The leopard 2 is a widely exported tank among NATO members so its stats can vary from nation to nation, though they are always really good values.  At front armour 18 the Leopard 2 is a little on the low side for armour value compared to the other top tier tanks, but all other features put it on par.  It has the same canon as the M1A1 variants which means it punches out with 2 shots whether it is stationary or moving, at AT 22. This is sufficient to handle all Warsaw Pact tanks, though it may struggle with the T80.  


The Merkava
The Merkava is just on the verge of not being in the heavy hitter category. This is because it shares the 105 mm canon with an AT of 19 just like the M1 and IPM1 Abrams.  With most of the serious tanks starting at AT19-20, the gun will struggle to cope. However, the Merkava compensates not only with decent armour (18 on the Merkava, 19 on the Merkava 2) but also has good stats with its superbly trained crew. Being Hit On 4+ with a Remount of 2+ and a Skill of 3+ makes the tank very flexible in application and ups its staying power in spite of the weaker gun.  

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee


Playing the Heavy Hitters
No matter which version of these tanks you pick, they will be a good portion of the points in your force. In most cases a 100-120-point Team Yankee list will top out at 7-8 of these monsters. (Or maybe a few more if you choose some of the earlier variants) This means you will not have numbers on your side. Beyond this, it is obvious these vehicles are primarily equipped for fighting other tanks. Each has a smattering of machineguns for AA defense and taking on infantry defensively but none of them have much to deal with hordes of infantry or lighter vehicles. (The T-80 , Chieftain and Challenger may be slight exceptions because of their Brutal main guns.) Clearly the top tier MBTs are best for hunting their opposing counterparts. Fortunately, they are all very mobile and they all have Stabilizers or Advanced Stabilizers so they can drive around the battlefield and shoot effectively. (The Challenger and Chieftain will trade off 1 shot for this.) The most likely strategy for these tanks then is too sit back at a distance and shoot their guns (or missile for the Soviets) at other tanks, relying on their mobility to reposition and get away from hordes of lesser tanks such as leopard 1s, T-55s and IFVS such as the BMP-3. Even with a host of special armour effects like Chobham or ERA upping the side armour values of your MBTS, you still don’t want your 14 point tank destroyed by a lucky side armour shot from a 30mm canon or RPG.  Because of this, saving your movement orders for Shoot and Scoot skill tests will be essential to try to hide from pot shots. 

Kings of the Battlefield - High-End Tanks in Team Yankee

Another strategy you can employ with these tanks is guarding objectives. High armour values can keep the enemy from shifting you while shooting with long range canons (out to typically around 40 inches with main guns, or 48 inches with t-80’s and t-64’s missiles) can create a broad no man’s land around your objectives. Just remember, with small numbers of expensive tanks comes vulnerability to hordes, where you can’t deal out enough damage fast enough! So, watch out for those infantry hordes, or large t-55 or T-62 platoons closing rapidly on your big expensive vehicles.

 Kings of The Battlefield
With the variety of top tier, heavy hitter tanks in Team Yankee, players are spoiled for options. More importantly, though similar, each has qualities that sets it apart. This makes a highly effective fleet of armoured vehicles that you can tailor to your play style.. although likely in smaller numbers. Despite the power of these tanks they are not unstoppable. There is always a down side and this needs another solution to fill the gap, be it infantry support, artillery or other armoured vehicles. We will continue to discuss this in the near future with new articles. In the meantime, go ahead and get out your big tanks and put them on the games table. See if you can use them to earn the title of king of the battlefield!
~Joe