Big Changes in Berlin: East Germany in the Warsaw Pact

By Ian Birdwell

Well, it’s that time of year again to ponder what could have conceivably happened if the Soviet Union had tried to adequately equip the Warsaw Pact members with the latest military equipment instead of the dregs they received. You know, normal things.

The latest offering from Battlefront attempts to address that question in the Warsaw Pact supplement for Team Yankee V2, alongside the most important question for us in what Berlin would have done with this new bit of kit and how it changes the game for them in Team Yankee.

The King is Dead. Long Live the King

Let’s rip the bandaid off right from the get-go. The King is dead. The Era of 10 East German T-55AM2s for insanely cheap is done. I’m not entirely sure if this book will replace the Volksarmee book (so some hope remains, potentially), but it certainly puts to rest part of the idea of blending the new equipment with those cheap wonderful tanks. Instead, the Pact book sets the minimum for all T-55AM2s and other T-55s to a relatively high five tanks minimum at the same points level in previous offerings from Battlefront.

This should come as no surprise to any of our dear readers, especially given the online dissatisfaction with the EG version of this approach to T-55s. But it means that the only forces drumming up three tank platoons of the ubiquitous Soviet tank will be Iraqis, Iranians, and Syrians. So NATO players don’t get too comfortable yet as those dastardly platoons will still be around to make your time difficult well into the future of Team Yankee.

That said, the old version of T-55AM2 MSU tank spam is dead. Battlefront is offering us an olive branch in the form of the AT-10 Stabber missile-equipped Raketenpanzer. This AT 21 FP 3+ offering turns the humble T-55AM2 into a vehicle capable of engaging other MBTs and potentially destroying them. With only a single platoon available per battalion of T-55AM2s and a lower platoon max size in comparison with the T-55AM2, they’re not an immediate problem solver but they offer the EG player the option to pack more AT-21 into the list on a tank without picking up T-72s of any flavor.

Additionally, the unupgraded T-55 makes an appearance in this film which could interest inclined players. But at one point less armor, no laser rangefinder, and all the problems of the AM2 cousins with no specific benefits outweighing what you lose out on I don’t see a need to bring them to the table. With those considerations on the table, there looks like a typographical error putting the AT-11 missile on the T-55 frame on page 15 without putting the missile (which is listed to be better than the Stabber!) on the actual vehicle in the T-55 Panzer Kompanie. If this were included, I’m sure all the EG players would be scrambling to get more T-55s into their lists. But alas, it looks like a typo and a potential consideration for future books as the AT-11 is fired from the T-90 series of vehicles and entered service well into the 1990s.

The T-72B Formation

Speaking of the T-72 series of vehicles, Team Yankee takes the jump to fantasy for the Warsaw Pact with the inclusion of the T-72B series for the various Pact states. The big thing this most modern version of the T-72 has over the existing T-72M is the option to fire the Songster ATGM, increased FA/SA, and ERA.

These upgrades give the EG a powerful MBT to take onto the field, but it comes at a significant cost increase relative to the T-72M. Overall, I think this is an interesting inclusion for the EG but I really don’t know how effective they’ll be in a world where high AT ATGMs, Rockets, and main guns are increasingly common in the game. Especially when they’re almost double the T-72M in points cost.

As a single formation, they’re incredibly expensive and fragile tanks but a good option if you’re just starting out and are unsure if you want to do Soviets or another Pact force. But for me, I think they’re just not as up to snuff as the other offerings in the book as I feel the Pact forces do their best with a heavy combined arms contingent. From that combined arms perspective, I think the biggest area where the T-72B will shine is as a support tank.

Either for a general formation to attract fire as a distraction with a threatening gun AT 22 or as a supporting firebase for your T-72Ms within the formation itself. With a force that struggles to put AT-21 on the board at times including a group with a solid armored package and some solid AT-22 isn’t to be ignored, even if it is a single platoon.

Spice for Flavor

Volksarmee was an interesting foray into the EG military, but it lacked a certain kind of substance compared to Warsaw Pact in terms of supporting units brought to the forefront. To provide a shortlist, the Acacia, RM-70, Gecko, and SU-22 Fitters have entered the fray and my oh my are they a lovely addition to what amounts to a strong force. For heavy fire support, the Acacia finally brings in a 2+ FP artillery piece with solid value. In terms of stats it is relatively unchanged from the Soviet version with only differences in its soft-stats.

So in terms of overall offering it really just gives us the ability to punch into emplaced ATGM-equipped infantry more effectively. Likewise, the RM-70 brings a solid salvo template with a MG for self defense and armor compared to the BM-21. So while it doesn’t really bring much more to the table comparatively it does bring in an level of survivability that the Hail currently lacks. Again its stats are unchanged in its raw capabilities but changed in terms of its soft stats compared to the existing Czechoslovak and Polish versions.

The Gecko fits into the same category, it brings in powerful long-range SAMs at a high cost with relatively low survivability. But it fills a high punch AA niche the EG were lacking previously. So I can definitely see it having a role to play in games to come. The piece de resistance for me in this entire book is the humble Su-22 Fitter Fighter-Bomber. It does it all; has a poopy aircraft save, measly skill, solid AT weapons already equipped, and is dirt cheap compared to the Su-25.

I am desperately impressed with how these guys look, and that’s before you even consider adding the Kh-25 air-ground missile with its beautiful AT-27. In short, this plane is an amazing piece of equipment that I think everyone will want in their force. I suspect even that this will become the most auto-included piece of equipment for Pact and even Soviet forces, I think it is that good. I already have a solid flight of four I was proxying to fly as Su-25s and I look forward to bringing the Fitters to the table to strike fear into the hearts of my enemies before the inevitable wave of Gepard fire brings them crashing back to earth.

List building in Warsaw Pact

To bring it all together, let’s look at a list I’m toying with in the new book. I’ll admit, much of this list is inspired by my existing tactics and collection. But importantly, this list still has a large number of T-55s I’ve historically relied on just without the same level of protection compared to my previous list building. The goal of the force is to essentially echelon attack with the T-55s and Infantry focusing on air defenses and artillery while all of the AT-21 assets clear out any medium-level armor and the aircraft take out anything heavier.

It’s a list that has historically served me well, and reducing the number of T-55s I have to keep track of by three is bound to actually be a net increase in my ability to play effectively and quickly. I didn’t throw in any of the new T-72s because I struggle to see where they could be viable if not for reserves and I’ve already got several expensive units in this force that’s designed with only one setting: Attack.

Overall, this book serves as a nice boost to a force that was looking a little long in the tooth compared to the latest iterations of Team Yankee forces. There are some disappointments that weren’t included like hero companies, but on the whole, I’m excited to get some new toys and see how it all shakes out for the EG come to the gaming table.