Well, What Aboot That Then....Eh*? Canadians in Team Yankee

*With apologies to our Canadian friends...we just couldn't resist.

I reckon that the Canadians were one of the most hotly anticipated additional nations for Team Yankee. Since we saw the release of the Leopard 1 for the West Germans, there have been scores of questions asking when the Canadians are coming, and I'm pleased to say they're here!

Free Nations allows you to run a couple of different formations bearing the Maple Leaf; a Leopard C1 Armoured Squadron and an M113 Mechanized Company. There is specific Canadian brigade level support as well.

Let's get stuck in then.

Leopard C1 Armoured Squadron

The Canadians ordered over 100 Leopard 1 tanks and fitted them with a Belgian fire-control system called SABCA and this tank effectively became the Leopard C1. Armed with the mighty 105mm L7 gun, there is enough firepower here to take on any Pact armour but be warned, you aren't that heavily armoured yourself.

Your Armoured Squadron HQ can be fielded as 1, 2 or 3 tank options, which I think is great. Additional firepower never hurt anyone....well, except the enemy...

You must have at least 2 Leopard C1 Armoured Troops in your formation and these are bought in either 3 or 4 tank troops.

You can then fill your formation our with optional choices. There are 2 more slots for further Leopard C1 troops if you want them. You then have the option of taking:

- an M113 Mechanized Platoon (which we'll cover later)
- an M150 TOW Anti-tank section, and
- 1 - 3 Lynx Recce Patrols.

The M150 is an M113 that has been adapted to mount an Improved TOW missile for some additional AT support. You can buy 2 or 3 TOW tracks in your section.

The Lynx offers you your Scout/Spearhead option to get your tanks closer to the enemy if you need it. The Lynx is similar to the M113 but is much smaller and lightly armed. It excels at finding places to hide though and the MG fire should also be a deterrent to infantry getting too close. There are 2 Lynx's in each patrol.

M113 Mechanized Company

As we've seen with the other nations in Team Yankee, Mech Infantry is now the standard and the Canadian forces are no different. They're riding into battle in the versatile M113 that many other nations use.

Your Mech Company HQ consists of a C1 Rifle team riding in their own M113.

From there, you create your formation. You have to take at least 2 Mech Platoons and they can be fielded as either of the following sizes:

- 3 x C2 SAW with integrated M72 LAW, 3 x Carl Gustav AT teams, 1 x C5 GPMG team and a M19 60mm Mortar team. They all ride in 4 M113's.
- 2 x C2 SAW teams, 2 x Carl Gustav teams, 1 x C5 GPMG ans 1 x M19 60mm Mortar. There are 3 M113's to ferry these guys around.

Once you've bought these, you then have optional slots which can be filled with:

- another M113 Mech Platoon,
- a Leopard C1 troop,
- 1 - 3 M150 TOW Anti-tank Sections,
- 1 - 3 Lynx Recce Patrols, and
- an M125 Mortar Platoon

The M125 Mortar platoon gives you some artillery on the go, just in case you need to give some infantry the impetus to get out of their foxholes. You can buy a platoon of either 2, 4 or 8 tubes!

So with your formation options looked at, we can have a look at the Canadian brigade support. There are a couple of choices to look at here.

For your Brigade level artillery, the Canadians field the M109 SP Howitzers. You can field a battery of either 3 or 6 guns and there's also an M113 OP to help them spot their targets.

In your air defence slots, you have a couple of choices. First up, let's have a look at the ADATS Air Defence Platform. This is a Swiss made short-ranged SAM missile, that could also be used as an AT weapon as well. These are currently being tested for use by the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery and you have access to either 2, 4 or 6 systems.

Finally, you have a choice of taking 3 or 6 M113 Blowpipe tracks which have a man-packed portable air defence system in them (MANPADS).

As you have no Canadian options for either Helicopter or Fast Air support, you also have the option of taking both US and West German support options in limited numbers which can give you access to both the heavier tanks such as the Abrams and Leopard 2, as well as air assets such as Cobras, PAH and A-10s.

This makes the Canadians a pretty well rounded option for your force of choice in my opinion and are definitely worth a look into.

The final volume in our Free Nations degustation will be the Dutch forces. Keep an eye out for that one!

I Come From a Land Downunder! Australian's in WWIII

Let's remember going into this article that Team Yankee is set in a hypothetical 1985 so the inclusion of Australian and New Zealand troops in Western Europe is most definitely plausible! Likely, they were included as part of exercises with other NATO powers and just got caught up in the whole mess.

Fielding an ANZAC force in Team Yankee has limited choices in terms of your formation. You can take either a Leopard AS1 Armoured Squadron or an M113 Mechanised Company. As with other Free Nations forces, your ANZAC force can also include a formation from another NATO party as an allied formation. There is also specific ANZAC Brigade support as well as British support options for you to choose from.

Let's dig in...

Leopard AS1 Armoured Squadron

The Australian regiments started using the West German Leopard 1 in around 1976, relieving the long-serving British Centurion as their MBT. 

To field this formation, your HQ selection will consist of either 1 or 2 Leopard 1 tanks.

You have to field at least 2 Leopard AS1 Armoured Troops at a minimum. From there, you have optional choices of:

- an additional Leopard Armoured Troop, and
- either another Armoured Troop or an M113 Mechanised Platoon, and
- up to 2 M113 Cavalry Troops.

Your Leopard Troops can be bought in either 3 or 4 tank troops depending on how many points you want to spend. 

We'll take a look at the M113 Mechanised Platoon shortly, but also inherent to the Armoured Squadron is the M113 Cavalry Troop. These guys effectively act as your Recce section, scouting ahead for the all clear.

There are a few options here in terms of the size and make-up of your Troop. You can choose to make them up of. 

- 4 x M113 LRV and 1 x M113 MRV,
- 3 x M113 LRV and 1 x M113 MRV
- 4 x M113 LRV, or
- 3 x M114 LRV

As you can tell, these are both based on the American M113 hull. The M113 LRV (Light Reconnaissance Vehicle) is armed with a .50 cal MG as well as the standard 7.62mm while the M113 MRV (Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle) has an improved Scorpion turret housing a 76mm gun which, in the side of most tanks, should be enough to dispatch them!

While the M113 MRV has a slower Tactical move than the LRV, it also has the Sneak and Peek rule which allows it to move 10"/25cm Tactical if it doesn't fire it's 76mm gun.

These guys I see as being very complimentary to the Leopards, giving them Scout and Spearhead capabilities as well as being pretty well powered to handle threats.


M113 Mechanised Platoon

Like other NATO nations, the Australians are now utilising mechanised infantry battalions as part of their make-up. Riding in the American M113, the Diggers of the 1st Brigade are ready to take to the fight!

Your formation HQ is made up of a single SLR rifle team riding in an M113.

From there, you have to take 2 M113 Mechanised Platoons at a minimum and can then add:

- Either another M113 Mechanised Platoon or a Leopard 1 Squadron, and
- an M125 Mortar Platoon, and
- up to 2 M113 Cavalry Troops, and
- up to 2 Milan Anti-tank Sections.

You have 2 options for you Mechanised Platoons:

- 4 x M60 teams w/ integrated M79 LAW, 3 x Carl Gustav AT teams and 4 M113 APC's, or
- 3 x M60/LAW teams, 2 x Carl Gustav teams and 3 x M113 APC's.

Alongside the infantry, you also get access to some artillery support in the form of the M125 'Mortar Track'. You can choose to take either 2, 4 or 6 tubes depending on the points you spend.

And giving you access to more Anti-tank capabilities, you can pile in a heap of Milan teams with their own designated transports as well. You can choose to take either 4 Milans with 4 M113's or just 2 and 2. If it were me.....I'd take 4. 

Australian Brigade Support

Now, here's where things start getting a bit interesting! There are a few support choices here specific the Aussie's, and I think they're pretty cool!

Let's start by taking a look at the Anti-tank Land Rover Section. What you have here is effectively Jeeps with 106mm recoilless guns mounted on them! Yeah, that's right! These things serve a dual-purpose role in that they're reasonable anti-tank weapons and they're also fantastic at getting infantry out of foxholes....by vapourising them!! You get to take either 2 or 4 of the buggers!

Because you really don't want to be deprived of AA in Team Yankee, you also have access to the M113 Redeye. Mounted on the M113 hull, you can take 2 AA tracks.

And finally, what Aussie force would be complete without our Kiwi cousins! The Queen Alexandra's Squadron are here assisting the Aussie on their maneuvers in their nimble Scorpion tanks! You get access to either 2 or 4 of these and with the Spearhead special rule, can get them into the thick of it! You also have the option to take 2 of these as part of your force.

I think these are a must add in any Australian force. If you're not using the main gun, the get Sneak and Peek so can get around pretty quick, causing all sorts of potential flanking issues for your opponent. They'll also ruin BMP's days pretty smartly as well.

Divisional Support

As mentioned at the start, your divisional support is taken from the British. Here, you have access to:

- Artillery in the form of either an Abbot battery or M109 battery.
- AA support in a Tracked Rapier SAM section.
- Choppers in TOW Lynx Heliarm Flights. You can take 2 of these!
- Fast movers in the Harrier Close Support Flight.


All in all, an Australian force, despite it's limited choices, has the potential to be pretty well rounded and can cause some concerns for any opponent. Definitely a fun army to take a look at!

Next cab off the rank....let's look at some Canadians...eh?

France in WWIII

The coming release of Free Nations will soon give you the opportunity to field NATO forces from either Canada, France, the Netherlands or Australia in your Team Yankee games.

Today, we're going to have a bit of a deeper dive into the French forces.

French equipment development certainly lagged behind that of the other NATO powers, and by the time the 1980's came around, the French Armee de terre did not have a MBT to rival the power of the Abrams or Leopard 2. Their tank, the AMX-30, was more akin in capability and power to the Leopard 1 even though the AMX-30 in service was more developed then its initial design.

To account for this lack of armoured firepower, the French would bolster their infantry divisions and equip them with Milan and HOT missile systems to take on Pact armour.

As discussed in our initial article, you have 4 formation options for the French in Team Yankee.

We'll take a look at the formations first and then cover off the support choices at the end.


AMX-30 Escadron Blinde 

The French armoured squadron fields the AMX-30 tank. Armed with a 105mm F1 gun which has a similar performance to that on the West German Leopard 1 but has no stabiliser.

To field the AMX-30 formation, you'll need to take the HQ of a solitary AMX-30. 

As you can see, the French commanders are pretty skilled but are somewhat reluctant in the morale stakes. The AMX-30 itself is pretty lightly armoured, so you're definitely going to want to take advantage of terrain and speed, as well as a Spearhead move if you can get it.

You have to take a minimum of 2 AMX-30 Peloton Blinde. These are feilded in groups of either 3 or 4 AMX-30 tanks. You then have 2 optional slots which can be filled with more AMX-30 platoons, up to two, or the you can forgo the 4th tank platoon and replace it with a Mech infantry platoon in AMX-10 transports.

For me, I'd definitely be look at weight of numbers here, given the low front armour on the AMX-30. You're really going to need a heap of them heading toward the enemy so you can ensure getting through to the objectives. Your support options will also be key here.


AMX-10 Compagnie de Chasseurs

The new means of warfare introduced in WW2 has not been forgotten and forces the world over have embraced this into the new world. Mechanised infantry is standard and the French are no different in this respect.

Equipped with the new AMX-10P AFV, the French infantry certainly does pack a punch into a reasonably small area. The AMX-10P is also armed with a 20mm autocannon and the option for the addition of a Milan missile for more firepower.

You have to select your Compagnie de Chasseurs HQ initially which is a single FAMAS Assault Rifle team riding in an AMX-10P

From there, you must take at least 2 AMX-10P Section de Chasseurs which come in 2 strengths:

- Full strength with 5 x FAMAS teams with anti-tank grenades, 2 x LRAC 89mm anti-tank teams and 4 x AMX-10P transports.
- Part strength with 3 x FAMAS teams, 2 x LRAC teams and 3 x AMX-10P's.

Both options also allow you to replace one of your LRAC teams with an APILAS team and you also have the option of adding 2 x Milan missile teams with their own AMX-10 transport. Obviously, there are point costs involved in these changes.

Your final 2 slots can either give you 2 additional Sections, or 1 section and an AMX-30 platoon.

The French infantry is a really great option in my opinion. They has a heap of firepower available to them, they can protect themselves from incoming chopper fire as well as protecting themselves from enemy AFV's and tanks. Supported by some armour to take some of the heat off, I think these guys have the potential to cause some serious trouble!


Escadron de Cavalerie

The French force developed some pretty interesting weaponry and included in that is the AMX-10 RC which was supplied to the Escadron de Cavalerie for use in their scouting roles. Unlike a lot of their NATO counterparts though, the AMX-10 RC sure packs a punch, being armed with a massive 105mm gun!

If you take an Escadron de Cavalrie formation, your HQ selection is each with a solitary VAB truck.

Your formation must then include 2 AMX-10 RC Peloton de Cavalerie at a minimum. These are equipped with the AMX-10 RC armoured car. Based on the AMX-10 hull, but adapted to be a 6x6 wheeled vehicle, it mounted the 105mm F2 gun in a turret.

You then have the option to take either another platoon of AMX-10 RC's or a VAB Section D'Infanterie. 

This one is an interesting one for me. The AMX-10 RC is definitely a glass cannon, it packs a massive punch but it's going to die to anything with a decent AT. It does have Scout and Spearhead which will help, but you're really going to need these protected if you want the formation to survive.

The other side of the Escadron de Cavalerie is the infantry, namely the VAB Section D'Infanterie. Similar in construction to their mechanised brothers in their AMX-10 transports, these guys are riding around in the VAB transport.

Your formation HQ consists of a sole FAMAS team in a VAB.

From there, you must take at least 2 VAB Sections, which can be fully equipped or partly equipped, as follows:

- Fully equipped with 7 x FAMAS teams with anti-tank grenades, 2 x LRAC 89mm anti-tank teams and 4 x VAB transports.
- Partly equipped with 5 x FAMAS teams, 2 x LRAC teams and 3 x VAB transports.

Again, you have the option here to pay to replace one of your LRAC teams with an APILAS team and you can also add a Milan team.

Once these are locked in, you can then choose to add 2 more sections to your formation. You then have a final optional slot which can include either:

- an AMX-10 RC Peloton de Cavalerie,
- an AMX-30 Peloton Blinde, or
- a Milan Section Antichar.

The Milan Section Antichar is pretty easy. Its a heap of Milan teams riding around in their own VAB transports! There are 3 section sizes, of varying point costs:

- 8 x Milan teams with 4 VAB transports
- 6 x Milan teams with 3 VAB transports, or
- 4 x Milan teams with 2 VAB transports.

That should sort out any pesky tanks that wander on by!

French Divisional Support

You're going to be relatively spoilt for choice in the support option you have at your disposal here, but they all have specific jobs to take care of and potential gaps to plug if you're short in any particular areas. Let's take a look at them.

VAB Mephisto Peloton Antichar

Mounting a HOT missile on the top of a VAB transport, the Mephisto adds another anti-tank option to your force. You can buy these in either 2 or 4 truck groups. The Hammerhead rule also means that you can fire their HOT missile and still retain your Gone to Ground status, meaning they're just a little more survivable.


AMX AuF1 Batterie d'Artillerie 

Built on the MAX-30 hull but sporting a mighty 155mm howitzer, the AuF1 serves as the mobile artillery for the French. You can buy these in batteries of 3 - 5 guns and with the Autoloader rule, you reduce the score needed to hit teams under a template by 1.


AMX Roland Batterie de Missiles Sol-Air

Mounting the Roland SAM missile system on an AMX-30 hull allows for AA capability to be brought to bear in the field. You can select either 2 or 4 SAM tanks.


AMX-13 DCA Peloton de Defense Anti-Aerien

Adding to the French air defence capabilities, the AMX-13 mounts twin 30mm cannons in its turret, enough firepower and ROF to dispatch enemy air and possibly keep some AFV's at bay as well. You can buy 3 of these for your force.


Gazelle HOT Patrouille d'Helicopteres Antichar

Much like the West Germans, the French also decided that strapping HOT missiles to choppers to chase armour all over the place was a great idea. Can't say I disagree...! You can get either 2 or 4 choppers here.


Gazelle 20mm Patrouille d'Helicopteres d'Attaque

As well as HOT missile, the French also equipped the Gazelle helicopter with a 20mm gun to act in a helicopter deterrent. Again, you have access to either 2 or 4 Gazelle's.


Mirage 5 Patrouille de Chasse

In your strike aircraft role you have access to the Mirage 5. Armed with both Belouga cluster bombs and a 30mm auto-cannon, this has the firepower to sort pretty much anything out. Your flight will include either 2 or 4 aircraft.

So there you have a run-down on the French forces you'll be seeing on Team Yankee tables pretty soon. I think they look like a pretty decent force, despite the lacking in the heavy tank department. You can get around this by adding a NATO tank formation from another nationality though.

Their Mech Infantry is pretty exciting and if you pay the extra points and add the APILAS to your platoon then any Pact armour is going to have a tough time getting close to you. The AMX-10P adds protection from BMP's but you still need to be careful here so as to not get overwhelmed by their numbers.

Let us know what you think of the French!

Next up, let's have a look at the Aussies!