I originally started playing Soviets in Team Yankee because I liked the idea of the Hind as a transport for my troops. Basically, place my troops anywhere on the gaming table by having them being moved to the location by them flying in the Hind.
However, it just never worked out. The Hind is a great helicopter to use as a transport in Team Yankee but it is much better suited to destroying tanks and other enemy forces than transporting troops around. Also, when it lands, for the troops to be able to disembark, it becomes very vulnerable to enemy fire. So, I have never effectively used it as a transport.
I have looked more into the Iron Maiden book for Team Yankee.
The British in the Iron Maiden book may just have the air mobile transports I'm looking for. The force is called Lynx Airmobile Company.
This allows you to take helicopters as transports, like the Hind, but they seem more effective to me. I will go through the points of why I think this.
The helicopter the British use, called the Lynx, is harder to for the enemy to hit. However, if it is hit it does have a worse save then the Hind. That doesn't worry me too much. I don't see this helicopter hanging around the battlefield during the game. Basically, pick up the troops, or already have them loaded in the Lynx, and then land the Lynx where you want the troops to disembark.
The Lynx also has another point that makes it a better transport than the Hind; it can hold one more stand than the Hind. The Hind can transport two stands and the Lynx can transport three stands. So, the Lynx is able to get more troops where needed than the Hind. That may also mean you don't need as many transport helicopters.
Another advantage the Lynx has over the Hind for being a transport is that the Lynx has no weapons. This is the problem with the Hind; it's weapons are just so good that you want to keep it in the air and trying to use it to destroy enemy targets. With the Lynx you only use it when it is time to transport troops.
The Lynx also has a better skill rating than the Hind. The Hind has a 5+ for the Soviets and 4+ for the Afgansty force. The British Lynx's skill rating is a 3+. This will allow the Lynx to perform Movement Orders much more easily. For example, you can have the Lynx loitering off the table full of troops. Make a skill check to do the Blitz Movement Order. If successful the Lynx can then come in and land within 4" of any edge of the battlefield. The troops can then disembark that turn instead of having to wait until that player's next turn to disembark. The troops can then try to make their own Blitz check. If they succeed they can disembark and shoot at their halted rate of fire. The Lynx can then take off and leave the battlefield and loiter again. This can help save the Lynx from being destroyed, get troops quickly where needed, the troops can attack when they disembark, and can capture the objective on their next turn.
Start Edit 1-29-17
***After some research turns out the helicopter cannot come in on any table edge. Phil Yates said this "Helicopters fly, they don't teleport, so they have to move on to the table in the same manner as any other team, and from exactly the same places. If loitering, they will move on from the table edge in the deployment area, if arriving from reserve, they will move on from the marked reserves area. Cheers" Here is the forum Phil's quote was taken from : http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=126&aff=145&aft=576516&afv=topic ***
End Edit 1-29-17
There are other reasons I am thinking about playing this force but being an air transport is one of the main points. The support choices for Lynx Airmobile Company are great in my opinion and I cannot wait to try them out. Right now I'm looking at nine Lynxes to be used as transports (meaning no weapons) and eight lynxes being used as attack helicopters. I will have plenty of antitank equipment, antiaircraft, anti-infantry equipment and tremendous mobility. It all just seems like it would be a blast to play.
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