"Team Yankee: The BTR vs. BMP" Topic

Here's an interesting article on playing BMP and/or BTR mech infantry formations. Some food for thought here for Soviet players to chew on.

Being a cash strapped player I have to go BMP myself. The costs (dollars!) for both are the same, however you get more bang for your buck with the BMP battalion. I also like the fact that the BMP is a threat to all battlefield units (it's basically a light tank) and it can carry a pretty fair infantry compliment. In the real world the BTR provided the Soviets with a cost effective means to mechanize what would otherwise be regular infantry units. This gives them the operational mobility then need to support true heavy units in theater. This, in the game, allows the Soviet player to field huge infantry forces pretty cheaply. But for a player the actual dollar cost is the same as the BMP.

Anyway, interesting stuff to chew on.

link

33 BTRs?!

Decisions, decisions…

GHQ and C in C. It's the only way to go. Generally I take 2 Mech Infantry companies and 2 tank companies. Infantry holds one objective, the other Mech Inf company swings around the weakest flank. One tank company pins them frontally, the other swings around the strong flank. The holding infantry's BMPs are in reserve. Works 90% of the time.
Getting my BTR 60s ready for the next onslaught. The East Germans could be the '100 stand Army'.

It should actually be 34.

You have three 11 BTR companies (the extras are for the PKM squad added to each platoon) and one BTR for the battalion command. That is one AK74 team (battalion command), 34 BTR60s, 30 AK74/RPG18 teams, 27 RPG7 teams, and 3 PKM MG teams. This totals up to be one formation with 3 units and 95 vehicle/infantry teams! It's all yours for the paltry cost of 46 points. Dollar wise… YIKES!!

The BTR60s only will set you back $280 USD and you'll need three infantry company packs which cost about $36 USD each too, so call that $108 USD for the crunchies.

That's a lot of building and painting…

I might build a BTR company, but my money is going towards building my BMP battalion.

of course with the Old Glory Army card they are @ $5.00 USD each

No 33 BTRs in battalion, but 46 (if we say about BTR-60) – 36 in motorized rifle companies (12 per company – 1 company command, 3 per 3 inf. platoons, and 2 in MG platoon), 4 in AT platoon, 3 in AA platoon, 3 in communication platoon.
A looooot of painting.

Which is why I'm building a light 'battalion' with only a company of crunchies in it!

The BMP was … overrated as a light tank. particularly in the -1, reloading the ATGM was … hazardous. It was a pretty terrible weapons as well. The cramped two-man turret meant terrible crew efficiency.

Operationally, I think the BMP made sense. Tactically, much more limited.

The BMP-3 (and BMD4) with the 30mm autocannon and 100mm gun are scary. Still no armor to speak of, but able to put HE, rapid fire, or even GL-ATGMs downrange. Got something for any target type!

Fortunately, they didn't show up during Team Yankee's timeline.

Ah BTRs! Comrades you still need to seize the means of production to be able to afford these luxuries…

The BMP was designed to exploit a nuclear battlefield in Europe where it would carry it's troops across a contaminated battlefield.

Tally Ho!

BTR-60PBs are NBC proof as well.

Having been in the military at the end of the Cold War (served from '79 to '94) I'd rather be picking vehicle types based on what actual units that were there ready to fight at the time, and there were a lot of BTR units then. So i'd rather buy the cheapest BTRs I could find and be correct than just cherry pick the best (as determined by the rules writers).

I hate FoW and TY's "choose only the most perfectest super units" philosophy.