Wayne’s Soviet T-72 Tank Battalion Red Thunder Update

Wayne’s Soviet T-72 Tank Battalion Red Thunder Update The release of Red Thunder has got me thinking about what else I might like to add to my Soviet force. I already have well over 100 points painted or in the painting queue, any expansion might be looking at a second battalion, but what? Click here for past updates on Wayne's Team Yankee Soviet Force...

I might as well go for a Motor Rifle Battalion as I already have one full strength BMP-2 Motor Rifle Company painted. To make painting another compulsory unit not too daunting I’ll just add a medium strength BMP Motor Rifle Company, but I’m not sure if I want BMP-1 or BMP-2 transports. I’ll paint the infantry and think about the vehicles later. Later I might paint some BTR-60s so I can either field the whole battalion in BMPs or BTRs. To go with the Motor Rifle Battalion I’ll also add some BRDM-2 recon and some other vehicles based on the BRDM-2 like the Spandrel and SA-9 Gaskin, just because I like the look of them.

The easy support unit to choose was some more anti-tank in the form of the Storm anti-tank guided missile vehicle, who can go past AT23? In addition to the Storms, I’ll add a pair of SA-8 Geckos, which should deal with any pesky strike aircraft. I’ll also add a battery of 2S3 Acacia heavy self-propelled howitzers. These can also have Krasnopol laser-guided projectile, but if I take the Krasnopol I must remember to also get the BMP-1 OP to guide them to their target.

I’m very tempted by the T-64, but I really need to finish my T-72s first. So many other units I could get, but this will do for the moment, well, at least until the idea of a third battalion comes to mind. However, that may require a bigger wargames table, or perhaps a bigger house. Anyway this would give me:

Wayne's T-72 Tank Battalion BMP-Motor Rifle Battalion HQ   AK-74 team (x 1) 1 point BMP-2 (x 1) 1 point   Total: 2 Points BMP-2 Motor Rifle Company (Full Strength) - Already Painted   AK-74 team with RPG-18 anti-tank (x 10)   RPG-7 anti-tank team (x 9)   PKM LMG team (x 2)   BMP-2 (x 12)   SA-14 Gremlin AA missile team & BMP-2     Total: 26 Points BMP-? Motor Rifle Company (Mid Strength)   AK-74 team with RPG-18 anti-tank (x 7)   RPG-7 anti-tank team (x 6)   PKM LMG team (x 2)   BMP-? (x 9)     Total: 14 or 18 Points Additional Units   BRDM-2 Recon Platoon (x 4) 2 points SA-9 Gaskin (x 4) 2 points Spandrel (x 3) 2 points   Total: 6 Points Support Units   Storm (x 3) 3 points 2S3 Acacia (x 3) 5 points Sa-8 Gecko (x 2) 4 points   Total: 12 Points