By Howard West

Background – a group of us at Legions Games in Pittsburgh, PA have been playing Flames of War for many years and Team Yankee since it was released. Several of us wanted to start playing something different but not that far away for our passion for Flames and Team Yankee.

A smaller group of us had already started assembling NAM armies in the Winter of 2018/2019 and several of the Flames guys thought NAM would be a good 2nd game for them vs TY or Fate of the Nation. So now we are off to the races. As I was completing several of my units for my NAM force several of our folks asked me how did I paint the completed units.

Following a successful campaign, is due to release additions to their in the coming months. These additions include a variety of US and Russian miniatures including nine-man fire teams for both nations. The metal models come in a healthy variety of poses as they shoot, move, and communicate around the battlefield. This month we’ll take a look at the US miniatures.

Clean sculpt lines make painting them painless although even the best sculptor in the world can do nothing about the challenges of painting OCP camouflage. My one criticism is that the shoulder straps of the US load-bearing vests come off as noticeably high and cleaning the flash around fiddly-bits like the carrying handles of the US M249s can be precarious.

The guys are back: Prepping for the online convention, updates on Firelock Products, What the game means to us, and Promoting good questions and voices from the community.

By Tom Mullane

This is Part 1 of a series of articles that will cover the campaign missions from the back of the new British D-Day book.

Up here in Danbury, CT things have calmed down enough for me to feel comfortable getting in a few games with my friend Shane.

As wargamers go, Shane is a professional. He has every army for Flames of War, including more Russians than I’ve ever seen in one place. Shane doesn’t just play Flames, he is also a big Bolt Action player, 40k player, Firelock Models, and even has some beautifully painted Napoleonic Minis in 28mm (a mark of sophistication in my opinion.) – note, the author doesn’t have Napoleonics.

I’ll also take the opportunity to put a plug in for his Blog – . He taught me quite a few tips and tricks as a painter, and a gamer in general. Shane is generous with his time and patience. He’s just a stand-up guy….

Which is why over the next few missions I will try to destroy him.

By Matt MacKenzie

A hot release of the red machine is upon us, Flames of War has a brand new Soviet forces book for 2020. Grab your vodka, there is a lot to cover, and be careful what you shoot at, most things in here don’t react too well to bullets.

These releases are putting the final touches on the revamp of V4 that Battlefront took on a few years back. With where things are in the world right now, you have ample time to get some models painted and have some socially distanced battles in the very near future.

While Desperate Measures was a decent book and had lots of lists to choose from for your Late War Soviets, Bagration sticks with giving you the basic lists and the addition of command cards once again offers you a few more choices.

Just a few weeks ago I told you all about the new from . Some of the new models contained in that kit was the Soviet T-80 tank and the BMP-3 Armored Personnel Carrier. As the humidity lowered here at the NDNG headquarters I was able to finally head outside and spray a base coat on these new models and attempt as the worst painter on staff to paint these vehicles and give you my thoughts on how these new vehicles may play in Team Yankee.

By Chris Wolz

A letter of reflection on how to approach gaming in a COVID19 world. 

An excellent article was outlined by Mr. Reed on how this pandemic has affected the gaming community as a whole. I think it was well written and informative in laying out how this pandemic has affected the gaming industry and the individual gamer. The article got me thinking about how to get back to enjoying this wonderful hobby but still maintaining a good deal of safety and responsibility. 

About myself, I am currently both a licensed paramedic and a third-year medical student currently doing rotations in a large, community hospital system. I do not intend this article to be taken as personal medical advice, as I am not in a position of authority in which to give any personal medical advice. With that said I hope this article does lessen some anxiety and does allow some to make a better-informed decision.

This should be a starting step of gaining the knowledge needed to make the decision on whether to return to the gaming store, convention, or friend`s house. I do not stand in judgment of anyone’s opinion or choice when it comes to their own health. That is for you to decide, I merely want to offer some insights for you that may help you to make a well-informed decision about your own well being.  

By Tom Gall

With the release of the Bagration Soviet book for Flames of War version 4, you might think this is a book that has no interest to you when you have no Soviet forces. There is some gold at the end of the book that might just change your mind.

The majority of the book is devoted to Late War Soviet forces, true. There are 50 pages of list material to consume.

After that there, several sections of extra material that I think will pique your interest. Remember a key feature of the D-Day series of books for version 4 has been extra missions and mini-campaigns. While I’m sure you’re familiar with the  the D-Day books and now Bagration added further missions for you to try your hand at.

It has been years since I consistently picked up a Real Time Strategy title but those days are definitely over. Combat Mission Shock Force 2 fills a perfect gaming niche for these pandemic days, with challenging scenarios and replayability. I was able to play through the tutorial and jump into battle feeling about as prepared as any fresh trainee does. There were some learning curves in the first battles outside training and overall I think those reflect more on my skills as a commander than the game. After a few battles, it was gratifying to see a well-orchestrated maneuver sweep an objective.

By Mitch Reed

There is no doubt that Battlefront is trying to grow the popularity of and this will help us bring new players into the game. The new box comes with everything you need to play the game except for a tape measure.

It includes 16 vehicles for you to get a great feel for the game. Over the last few months I have seen numerous posts made by potential Team Yankee players that seem to ask the same question; “where does one start”, this new box set gives them a great starting point and will act as an amazing gateway into this game.