On the last Day of Historicon, Pete Simunovich and John Matthews of Battlefront sat down with a group of gamers to discuss the current changes and the near future plans for Battlefront, Flames of War, and Team Yankee. This article is an effort to share that discussion with the larger Flames of War and Team Yankee communities. Though I cross-checked my notes with others present at the Q&A to try to make sure I was as recounting the comments as accurately as possible, the reader must keep two caveats in mind with this article. One; the comments that follow are what I thought I heard. There is ample room for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Two; Battlefront plans two years out. Anything below that will take more than two years to get to is subject to change.Before I get too much into the nitty-gritty details, let me thank both Pete and John for talking with the gathered players. Let me also note that they were very keen to hear our comments and ideas to improve Flames of War and Team Yankee going forward. Pete took many notes and was willing to listen to any and all issues. I hope those of us present did a good job representing the Flames of War and Team Yankee Communities.
Flames of War Version 4
1) "First to Fight," the next Mid-War book, will have US Tank, Armored Rifles, and Rifle lists.
2) There will be a later British MW book (Rifles/Matilda/Valentines).
3) There will be a later German MW book focused on the 90th Afrika Division that will have FK36(r)s!
4) Dianas will be a "Wild Card" option in the future.
5) In addition to the known US, Italian, and 2nd British and German V4 Books, there will also be an Airborne forces book with both Fallschirmjagers and Paratroopers.
5) Next year there will be V4 LW starter sets/Army deals that will include a code for Forces of War access to the same list included with the boxed set.
6) The "More Mission" PDFs are living documents. Pete acknowledged that V4 is creating more draws than is desirable for a Tournament setting. They want to improve on that and see More Missions PDFs as a way to do. They are interested to see what the FoW community does with Tournament packet modifications and may set up an area in the forums for suggestions.
7) MW Pacific is still planned as a "card" release.
8) Each Mid-War book release will have Command Cards assoitiated with it.
Team Yankee
1) The "Red Thunder" and "Stripes" books totally replace the US and Soviet lists in the Team Yankee base book, but those are still usable.
2) Team Yankee will be on Forces of War!
3) Team Yankee base rules will eventually move to be aligned/updated with V4 but the current TY "V1" list and cards will be what's used with the new updated rules set.
4) Team Yankee will have three periods:
1) The "Red Thunder" and "Stripes" books totally replace the US and Soviet lists in the Team Yankee base book, but those are still usable.
2) Team Yankee will be on Forces of War!
3) Team Yankee base rules will eventually move to be aligned/updated with V4 but the current TY "V1" list and cards will be what's used with the new updated rules set.
4) Team Yankee will have three periods:
- Early Team Yankee will be Arab-Israeli and 60/70s Europe focused
- Mid Team Yankee is where the game is now
- Late Team Yankee will have T-80s, BMP-3s, M2 Bradleys, AH-64 Apaches, better M1s, and Merkavas.
- Mid Team Yankee is where the game is now
- Late Team Yankee will have T-80s, BMP-3s, M2 Bradleys, AH-64 Apaches, better M1s, and Merkavas.
5) "Stripes" will include USMC forces with LAVs
6) Canadians and ANZACS are next for Team Yankee after "Stripes."6) Pete still wants to push TY into other modern theaters like South Africa and Iran-Iraq War.
"Nam"
1) New "Nam" book is ready for the printers and due out in January.
2) The book is 234 pages long, it includes a full rules set that looks basically like V4
3) The book includes all lists for Nam from 1965 up to 1975 to include US Army, USMC (Ontos and LVTP-5s), ANZAC, PAVN, and VC
4) Nam is the first "modern" book to move to V4, when the main TY book does, you'll be able to run Vietcong against East Germans in events...if you wanted to.
We certainly have a lot to look forward in the next year or so. Most significant for me were the comments that indicated that the variants of Flames of War would have a more common rules framework in the not too distant future.
Tom has been playing wargames since the late 70’s, and Flames of War since 2007. He maintains a gaming website www.battlevault.com for the BattleVault Gamers of Kentuckiana and posts and moderates WWPD as Iron-Tom.
