Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set
With John Lee

With the launch of the WW3 Warsaw Pact, I thought I would look at how a new player could, or someone on a budget, could get a force on the table that would be competitive or at least hold its own with new equipment such as the T-72B, T-55 and the new starter set.  For the new player, it opens the door to playing WW3 without needing to buy, assemble or paint too much and get into playing the game quicker.

So, if we look at what we get in the excellent value starter set, that will help decide what formations to run.  The starter set contains the following:

  • Complete A5 Rulebook
  • “Start Here” booklet
  • 9 x BMP-1 or BMP-2 Armoured Fighting Vehicles
  • 9 x Assault Rifle Teams
  • 6 x RPG-7 anti-tank teams
  • 5 x T-55AM2 or T-55 Tanks
  • 2 x BRDM-2, Spandrel or SA-9 Gaskin vehicles
  • 2 x SU-25 Frogfoot aircraft with flight stands

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

The bonus here is that the rulebook is included in the box – so the new player makes a saving right away.  One very cool thing about this starter box – it includes nine BMPs!  Now if we look at what formations are in the WW3: Warsaw Pact book, we can see what we can maximize from what we get in the starter box.  The best formations to maximize this straight out of the box are the BMP Motor Rifle Battalion and T-55AM2 Tank Battalion.  Each of the three Warsaw Pact nations can run both formations.  The composition of both formations is almost identical for each nation.  We are going to look at the BMP Motor Rifle Formation first:

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

NB: Only the Czechs can take the M53/59 PRAGA AA Platoon.

Straight out of the box we can maximise all the BMPs, T-55AM2s, Infantry, and BRDM family of vehicles as part of the formation and apply the SU-25 Frogfoots as support.  To build a force for 100pts, we need to get two or three starter boxes and add a couple of extra options.  Starting with the East Germans:

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

A solid core formation with a medium sized BMP-2 company and a small BMP-1 company along with a maxed-out T-55AM2 company rounded out with recon BMP-1s and some AA.  A total of seventeen AT19 and AT21 missiles!  Adding a T-72B missile armed tank company gives you a strong multi role unit that can be used to come on from reserve, assault enemy infantry with near impunity with its ERA armour (giving it SA16 against HEAT weapons) and take on enemy MBTs with AT22 and fire AT21 missiles on the move. Supporting this force is a maxed-out SU-25 Frogfoot unit that can be used to take on any MBTs front on with AT27. BM-21s to provide counterbattery fire and pinning enemy infantry.

 We have achieved this by combining two of the excellent starter sets (using almost everything from those boxes) and adding a few more specialist boxes to flesh it out. To buy this army, you need only to purchase the following for $418.50:

2 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

  220.00

1 x TSBX29 T-72B Tank Company (Plastic)

    50.00

1 x TSBX08 BM-21 Hail Battery

    41.50

1 x TSBX20 SU-25 Frogfoot Aviation Company (Plastic)

    35.00

1 x TEBX02 East German Mot-schutzen Kompanie

    47.00

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

$418.50

Onto the Czechs now – they are cheaper so you will need more troops and gives you an extra Infantry company.  As well as the extra Infantry unit, we are going to use DANAs for their AT4 FP2+ template and Autoloader.  There are twenty-five AT19 and AT21 missiles in this list!

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

We have achieved this by combining not two but three of the excellent starter sets (using almost everything from those boxes) and adding only a couple more specialist boxes to flesh it out. To buy this army, you need only to purchase the following for $486.50:

3 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

   330.00

1 x TSBX29 T-72B Tank Company (Plastic)

    50.00

1 x TWBX01 Dana SP 152mm

    41.50

1 x TSBX18 Motor Rifle Company (Plastic)

    40.00

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

$486.50

Rounding out the BMP lists are the Poles. They are better trained so more expensive.  Keeping the DANAs as well but we have gone with three small Infantry companies.

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

Again, combining two of the excellent starter sets (using almost everything from those boxes) and adding only a couple more specialist boxes to flesh it out. To buy this army, you need only to purchase the following for $336.50:

2 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

   220.00

1 x TSBX29 T-72B Tank Company (Plastic)

    50.00

1 x TWBX01 DANA SP 152mm

    41.50

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

336.50

We are now going to look at the T-55AM2 Tank Formation.  This is made up of:

  • 1 T-55AM2 Tank Battalion HQ
  • 1 T-55AM2 Tank Company or T-55AM2 Missile Tank Company or T-55 Tank Company
  • 1 T-55AM2 Tank Company or T-55 Tank Company
  • 0-1 T-55AM2 Tank Company or T-55 Tank Company or T-72M Tank Company
  • 0-1 BMP-1 Motor Rifle Company or BTR-60 Motor Rifle Company
  • 0-1 BMP-1 Recon Platoon or BRDM-2 Recon Platoon
  • 0-1 SA-9 Gaskin AA Platoon or SA-13 Gopher AA Platoon
  • 0-1 ZSU-23-4 Shilka AA Platoon or M53/59 PRAGA AA Platoon
  • 0-1 2S1 Carnation Artillery Battery

NB: Only the Czechs can take the M53/59 PRAGA AA Platoon, and the Poles do not get access to T-55AM2 Missile Tanks.

This time around, we are going to look at combining both new Starter Boxes.  Straight out of the box we can maximise all the BMPs, T-55AM2s, T-72Ms, Infantry, and BRDM family of vehicles as part of the formation and apply the Mi-24 Hinds and SU-25 Frogfoots as support.  To build a force for 100pts, we need to get two or three starter boxes and add a couple of extra options.  Starting with the East Germans:

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

 No T-72Bs in this list but you could replace the T-72M company with T-55AM2s and take a smaller unit of T-72Bs as formation support.  In this list we have a mix of T-55AM2s, missile firing T-55AM2s, and T-72Ms.  Three small platoons of infantry and twelve BMPs.  Nineteen AT19 and AT21 missiles.  Add to that eight AT23 and AT27 flying missiles!  Two units of recon and the smallest infantry unit can be carried in the Mi-24 Hinds.  Lots of flexibility and firepower in this list!

We have achieved this by combining two BMP Starter Boxes and one T-72 Starter Box (using almost everything from those boxes) and adding a box of Hinds and Hails to flesh it out.  To buy this army, you need only to purchase the following for $436.50:

1 x TWPAB01 Warsaw Pact Starter Force – T-72 Tank Battalion

   110.00

2 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

   220.00

1 x TSBX29 T-72B Tank Company (Plastic)

    50.00

1 x TSBX08 BM-21 Hail Battery

    41.50

1 x TSBX04 Mi-24 Hind Helicopter Company (Plastic)

    40.00

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

436.50

 Next up is the Czech version of this list.  Having cheaper units means you get more on the table.  Extra infantry and an extra BMP-1 recon platoon and adding more SU-25 Frogfoots and a couple of Spandrels and our trusty DANAs of course!
Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

 Just need to add one more box of SU-25 Frogfoots to what we have listed for the East Germans.  To buy this army, you need only to purchase the following for $471.50:

1 x TWPAB01 Warsaw Pact Starter Force – T-72 Tank Battalion

   110.00

2 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

   220.00

1 x TWBX01 Dana SP 152mm

    41.50

1 x TSBX04 Mi-24 Hind Helicopter Company (Plastic)

    40.00

1 x TSBX20 SU-25 Frogfoot Aviation Company (Plastic)

    35.00

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

471.50

 Last up is the Polish version.
Building a WWIII: Warsaw Pact Forced Based on the BMP Starter Set

Same items needed as the East Germans except we trade out the BM-21 Hails with DANAs, but the price is the same:

1 x TWPAB01 Warsaw Pact Starter Force – T-72 Tank Battalion

   110.00

2 x TWPAB02 Warsaw Pact Starter Force - BMP Motor Rifle Battalion

   220.00

1 x TWBX01 Dana SP 152mm

    50.00

1 x TSBX04 Mi-24 Hind Helicopter Company (Plastic)

    40.00

1 x TSBX20 SU-25 Frogfoot Aviation Company (Plastic)

    35.00

1 x WW3-06 World War III: Warsaw Pact Book

    25.00

TOTAL

436.50

 That pretty much covers it, but you could also use this starter box in conjunction with building a Soviet force as well.  As you can see, the BMP Motor Rifle Starter Set is a very useful starting block to build your choice of Warsaw Pact army and provides lots of different options based on what sort of list you want to run, whether you are on a budget, or want it flesh out that last part of your list.  I will be getting a box to flesh out my remaining BMPs and T-55AM2s!
~John