Las Vegas Open 2024 WWIII: Team Yankee Event Report By Kevin Morris From January 18th to the 21st the Rio Hotel and Casino hosted the Las Vegas Open, one of the world’s largest gaming conventions and competitions.  The American West Coast Nationals for World War III: Team Yankee took place on Friday and the clash of players was an epic sight to behold with beautifully planted armies and captivating strategies on full display.

To help those traveling with both WWIII: Team Yankee and Flames Of War armies from across the globe the tournament was set at a lower 76 point level.  I am glad to report that while smaller in points the armies still had plenty of variety.  I saw armies with combinations of helicopters and planes like that of Devlin Lucas’ Iranian Cobras with allied Soviet Afgantsy Air Assault Hinds or Harold Crossley’s Soviet VDV with Hinds and Fitters. At a glance the most popular vehicle on the tabletop was the Leopard 1 tank in all its various national forms, however, I did see a few players using modern tanks such as the M1 Abrams like those used by Richard Gagliasso. Other players, like John Cedarberg, believed in the list building philosophy and possible Joseph Stalin quote, “Quantity has a Quality all its own '' and sent column after column of Soviet men and their BTR-60s across the tabletop. Congratulations to the champion John Meier who’s ANZAC’s were the only undefeated army of the day. Vincente Arroyo’s French came in second and David Vigor’s Americans rounded out the top three. Close on their heels were players with lists including the Dutch, Iranian, Swedish and more, highlighting that there are many ways to compete at a high level within the Team Yankee system.    Ludvig Lund traveled from far flung Finland with his exquisitely painted Israeli tank force and received a near unanimous best painted award. One player remarked that Ludvig’s models are the type of thing that belongs “in a museum”. While everyone seemed to have a great time, those that played Carl Bellatti seemed to have even more fun and as such he was narrowly awarded Best Sportsman. Thank you to all players that made the trek to Las Vegas this year to participate, because of your efforts West Coast Nationals has earned its reputation as one of the premier events in the WWIII: Team Yankee space. I would also like to thank the organizational efforts of the entire Lost Angeles Historical Gaming group and especially Igor Torgeson who helped make this weekend possible.

We hope to continue to run events at LVO as long as there is interest.  For those wishing to help plan, provide terrain, suggestions on how to improve the experience or looking for a good dinner reservation idea please join our Community Discord...

WWIII: Team Yankee 2024 Players

Ludvig Lund’s Best Painted Israelis	Abrams tanks getting ready to cross a river obstacle

Players gathering together before the tournament

Igor Torgeson and Chris Hansen	Keith Gilmour and Chris Jackson