Wolverines! A Red Dawn Overview

By Mike Rafferty

An 80s classic, Red Dawn provides a crazy scenario where the US is invaded by Soviet forces along with their Latin American allies. The same situation doesn’t work in the Team Yankee universe, but Battlefront created a vaguely plausible scenario so I can live out my resistance fighter fantasies.

If you’ve been following the background material in the Team Yankee books, NATO has started a counterattack in Germany that is pushing the Soviets back. NATO and Iraq have stabilized the Iranian front while the Israelis push the Syrians back.

Overall, things are not looking optimistic for the Soviets. What do the Soviets do? Sue for peace? Nuke everyone? Tease us about opening a front in Asia and bringing in Chinese and Japanese forces (I wish)? Nope, the Cubans arrive with a plan to invade the US.

This invasion would feature heavy use of Soviet airborne forces, the Vozdushno-desantnye voyska or VDV. The Soviets plan to invade from the Far East into Alaska and the Northwest and from Cuba into Texas.

The Soviets travel 3238 kilometers from Komosomolskaya Bay on the Bearing Sea coast, somehow avoiding the US or Canadian Navy, to Prince Rupert in British Columbia. The navy was very sad that day.

The VDV are fully fleshed out with new lists. BMDs are everywhere now, providing a full mechanized army list for the VDV along with various support options. Also included is an 82mm mortar team, which marks one of the first gun teams in Team Yankee. After the VDV the Soviets also have upgraded T-64BV and T-72B lists.

A new airborne assault mission is included, and this mission isn’t limited to just the Soviets. Included are designs for US Army, USMC, British Airborne, VDV, West Germans, and Cuban lists. This book also sees the release of models for MI-8, CH-46, CH-47, and CH-53 to provide transport for airborne forces.

The Cubans are added to Team Yankee using existing Soviet vehicles and a noticeable lack of cigars. Cuban forces are on the lower end of equipment with standard morale and skill. T-62s and T-55s make up their forces along with BMP-1 and BTR-60 infantry. They’re going to rely on numbers and machismo to get the job done.

Rallying to their defense, the Americans get a few additions.  The American Motorized, Armored, and USMC lists are the same as from the American book, but now added are militia groups that can join American lists.

Militia groups are a cheap infantry option with assault rifles and RPGs. They also get an ambush-style rule to represent their local knowledge and appear from nowhere. The most important part of the militia groups is that they can take pickup trucks armed with machine guns. This is the best part of the book by far.

I make a few jokes about the implausibility of this scenario, but it’s a fun scenario that should lead to some great themed terrain and boards. The fact that I can get Americans in pickup trucks with machine guns is just awesome. I hope Battlefront explores more options with alternate history and continues to have some fun with the Team Yankee setting.