This is not a secret any more, the last 2 specialisations available to the Russian army that you didn't play yet are "Motorised infantry" and "Mechanised infantry". You may have seen them in action during the latest press-event organised recently.
Some of you were surprised to see that the Russian specialisations present in the first beta were different during the second. Some units were added, others removed. This is because the distribution of the units in specialisations has been regularly reshuffled during development, and the number of specialisations has increased with the number of units we added to the game over time. Initially we thought about a system where the player would have a common trunk of units and specialisations would only unlock a few specific units. Then we tried 3 independent specialisations with unique units based on the US brigades combat teams logic: Infantry/Stryker/Armored. This number was later increased to 4, as more units were added to the game, with the rule that you pick 2 specs in order to make the players less specialised in case they don't play with an arranged team. And finally we increased that number to 5 to re-balance the number of units between specialisations and offer a unique identity both visually and in terms of gameplay to each of them. Some concepts have totally disappeared like US support, some have been transformed to give them better identities like Air-mobile which was originally a mix of Airborne and Stryker. Some have been created like US special forces. Similar modifications happened on the Russian side, the Naval infantry specialisation was created, the idea of a support specialisation was abandoned and we made a major reshuffling of units between all the specialisations. So much so that the Motostrelki specialisation that we presented 2 years ago doesn't exist any more.
As a result the last 2 specialisations available to the Russian army that you didn't play yet are "Motorised infantry" and "Mechanised infantry". In reality the Russian army call both formations “Motostrelki” but some are based on the wheeled BTR armored vehicles while others are based on the tracked BMP platform. So we have kept this logic in the game and pushed it to the rest of the units of these specialisations to create a stronger gameplay identity.
The Motorised Infantry specialization is composed exclusively of wheeled vehicles including the K-17/K-17 Bumerang previously assigned to the Guard Tank Regiment specialization, supported by long range S-300PM surface-to-air missiles and multiple truck based MLRS like the 9K51 Grad, previously assigned to VDV. The specialisation doesn’t have access to any tanks but can count on a large panel of infantry squads, including some elite units like the Spetsnaz GRU or the SSO, Diversanty groups (infiltrators) equipped with RPG-30 rocket launchers immune to active protection systems. In the air this specialization inherited the planes and helicopters previously assigned to Motostrelki with the addition of the legacy Mi-28 that was transferred from VDV spec.
It is a very solid specialization focused on fast infantry deployment, infiltration and deep artillery strikes. It is also the Russian specialisation offering the best supply capabilities with numerous trucks of various sizes.
The Mechanized Infantry specialization for its part is entirely composed of tracked vehicles. It includes novelties like the UR-77 Meteorit, an engineering vehicle able to throw two heavy explosive charges at short range. Devastating against infantry entrenched in buildings. This specialisation allows you to send wave after wave of infantry and BMPs supported by massive artillery barrages of mortars and howitzers of every caliber including the 2S4 Tulpan 240mm mortar and 2S7M Malka 203mm Howitzer. T-72 tanks are also available in large numbers and for a cheap price achieving to turn this specialisation into a mechanized steamroller.
The Special Operations Forces distinguish themselves from the regular military units by their training to accomplish raids on high value targets, often located behind enemy lines, rather than frontally attacking the enemy forces.
The success of these operations relies on 3 main factors: speed, stealth and a high level of support proportionally to the number of soldiers involved. And in Broken Arrow, this army specialization is the embodiment of these principles: Hard hitting infantry coming from the various Special forces groups and the 75th Ranger regiment, equipped with the latest weapons, airdropped or transported by fast vehicles and helicopters from the 160th SOAR (special operations aviation regiment), and supported by stealth drones and planes.
RECONNAISSANCE
Special forces reconnaissance is a fighting recon. They have the stealth and optics but on top of that they have the weapons. Blend into the shadows, keep your eyes on the enemy at all times, and strike when it hurts the most.
Rangers RRC: The Regimental Reconnaissance Company is a group of elite soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment extensively trained to conduct special reconnaissance. In the game they are represented as a 6 man team equipped either with suppressed weapons like the HK-416 D10RS and Mk 46 machine gun, particularly deadly at short range. Or with a loadout more dedicated to standoff engagement distances with 7.62mm guns like SCAR-H, Mk 48 machine gun and SCAR Mk 20 marksman rifle as well as M3E1 MAAWS recoilless rifle.
Ranger Snipers: A 3 man team with the best stealth and optics that can be equipped with suppressed rifles and laser designator: - Mk 12 Special Purpose Rifle, a designated marksman rifle in 5.56x45 caliber - M110 Semi Automatic Sniper System, chambered in 7.62x51 - M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle, chambered in .300 WM reaching longer distances Alternatively an anti-materiel configuration is possible with a Barrett M107 chambered in 12.7x99 and the two soldiers holding security equipped with M4A1 Mod.II rifles and AT4 rockets.
Green Berets: Specialists of infiltration and behind enemy lines operations, the 4 man Green Berets teams come equipped with 3 very different, sometimes unconventional, but always deadly loadouts: A long range “Sniper contest” loadout with 4 different sniper rifles each with a different range and caliber (SCAR Mk 20 in 7.62x51, MRGG-S in 6.5 Creedmoor, Mk 22 ASR in .338 Norma Magnum and M107 in .50cal) A medium range loadout with MRGG-A rifles, Mk 48 machine gun, SCAR Mk 20 marksman rifle and the XM-25 Punisher grenade launcher. A short range loadout with suppressed HK-416 and Mk416, and a M202 Flash incendiary rocket launcher.
Pararescue/STT: The air force special forces come as a 6 man team with two possible loadouts: CQC Pararescuemen with suppressed HK-416, Mk46, shotguns, multiple charges of smoke grenades and flashbangs which instantly panic the enemy squads located in the building they assault. Special Tactics Teams equipped with long range weapons (MRGG-A, KAC AMG, MRGG-S) Stinger anti-aircraft missiles in their newer J variant as well as a laser designator.
M-ATV: a mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle regularly used by special forces. It is equipped with a remote weapon station which can be fitted with M2 browning, a Mk19 automatic grenade launcher and optionally a Javelin top-attack anti-tank missile. A special force operator is also picking out from the vehicle to engage targets with its M107 .50cal sniper rifle (when the vehicle is not on the move of course).
RQ-170 Sentinel: Seeing without being seen is a powerful ability provided by this fast and stealthy high altitude drone. Enemies who know they are being observed act carefully and change their position regularly. While those who don’t know are easy targets, unless they fall into paranoia because they feel constantly observed.
MQ-9 Reaper: The Reaper drone is the most heavily armed drone in the US arsenal with the possibility to carry 2x 500lb smart bombs, up to 8x Hellfire missiles and to combine Stinger or AIM-9 anti-air missiles.
INFANTRY
Delta Force: A full detachment of 12 men with the best training and equipment. Limited in numbers but deadly wherever they go. Equipped for CQC with suppressed weapons, shotguns, M32 multiple grenade launchers and flashbangs, they can clean buildings in seconds with this loadout. Or for long range engagement with the newest MRGG-A rifles, MRGG-S marksman rifles, KAC AMG, all chambered in 6.5mm Creedmoor, a very performant munition (and very expensive) designed for competition shooting and adopted by the US special forces.
Rangers: This 9 man squad is the backbone of the specialization. They can be equipped with SMAW-D bunker buster ammunition on top of M4A1 Mod. III, M249 Para and M320 grenade launchers, or trade the SMAW-D for a pair of SCAR-H marksman rifles and a RAWS (Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle).
Rangers RAWS: This is a 6 man team dedicated to short range anti-tank duty with 3 RAWS launchers that can be upgraded to M3E1 MAAWS with more range and more armor penetration. This team leaves very little chance to escape to enemy armor even if they are equipped with active protection systems because of the sheer volume of anti tank projectiles fired.
Rangers support AT/AA: A 6 man team composed 2 pairs with MG338 machine gun, a modern machine gun chambered in .338 Norma Magnum with very long range similar to a M2 Browning. And one pair equipped with either a Stinger-J anti-aircraft missile or a Javelin top attack anti-tank missile fitted with the newer Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) giving it a longer engagement range.
Mk47 Striker: A 6 man team equipped with 2x Mk47 Striker automatic grenade launchers shooting 40mm programmable airburst grenades able to hit the usual ground targets but also helicopters if they don’t fly too fast.
VEHICLES
The Special Forces deck offers no independent fighting or support vehicle, but proposes a variety of transports that can be customized with different weapons able to provide a highly mobile fire support.
Ranger Special Operations Vehicle (RSOV): Based on the Land Rover Defender, this light transport can transport up to 6 men at speeds of up to 130km/h on roads which makes it the fastest non-flying infantry transport available to the US faction. It is not armored at all but a M2 Browning or a Mk47 grenade launcher can be mounted on it.
Flyer GMV: Slightly slower than the RSOV, with a maximum speed of 120 km/h, this vehicle can also carry 6 men, but has access to a wider range of weapons, including the M2 and Mk47, but also the GAU-19 .50cal minigun and M230LF 30mm autocannon, which will make mincemeat of enemy reconnaissance units and can wreak havoc in enemy rear lines.
LMTV War Pig: A conversion of the LMTV truck stripped from absolutely everything that is not mission essential to make room for more weapons, ammo, fuel, spare parts, etc. This truck is designed to conduct long range missions behind enemy lines. It can carry up to 12 personnel at a speed up to 95 km/h. It is equipped with a M240 medium machine gun for the front passenger as well as a second pintle mount weapon in the back. You can choose between another M240 to make it as cheap as possible or a M2 Browning, Mk47 Striker, Fletcher laser guided rockets or TOW-2 to support the infantry at longer ranges.
HELICOPTERS
The special forces are supported by the helicopters of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
Transports helicopters:
MH-6M Little Bird: A very agile helicopter able to carry 6 soldiers and small enough to easily land between 2 buildings. Its agility is required as it doesn’t have any countermeasures to lure enemy missiles. It can be upgraded with an optronic ball to turn it into a cheap recon helicopter.
MH-60M Blackhawk: The most modern version of the medium lift helicopter, equipped with better sensors and electronic countermeasures than the regular army version. With a carrying capacity of 12 to can transport 2 ranger fire teams at once. Allowing to occupy a position with a mix of anti-tank and anti-air units in one go. Each side is covered by a M240 machine gun that can be upgraded to a GAU-17 minigun or a GAU-21 fast firing .50cal.
MH-60X Silent Hawk: This top secret helicopter featuring noise reduction and stealth technology enables the infiltration of troops deep inside enemy territory without being detected. It is however completely unarmed and its flight performance is not the best.
MH-47G Chinook: This version of the cargo helicopter incorporates advanced countermeasures and sensors as well as extra armor and 4 weapon stations instead of 2. So you can install up to 4x GAU-21, lift up to 12.5t of cargo and carry up to 32 fully equipped soldiers. The protection can be further upgraded with Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) pods.
CV-22B Osprey: The tilt-rotor aircraft is used by the air force 352nd Special Operations Wing to transport Special Tactics Teams. This aircraft can fly as fast as a plane and land like a helicopter. The downside is that it requires time to slow down so you cannot improvise an emergency landing with it. It can be upgraded with a belly-mounted GAU-17 minigun.
Reconnaissance/Attack helicopters:
AH-6M Killer Egg: The armed version of the Little Bird cannot transport troops but instead carries 2x GAU-17 miniguns and the possibility to assign on each side a different weapon to choose between GAU-19B .50cal minigun, A pod of 7 Hydra rockets, 8 DAGR guided rockets, a pair of Hellfire missiles, a pair of stinger missiles. Like the MH-6 this helicopter has no countermeasures and must count on its agility to fly low between buildings but in expert hands it can be extremely cost efficient as it is very cheap.
MH-60M DAP: The Direct Action Penetrator version of the Blackhawk is half transport as it retains the possibility to carry 6 soldiers, half combat helicopter as it can be equipped with a large variety of weapons including M230 30mm chain guns, unguided and guided 70mm rockets, Hellfire and Stinger missile. It is also equipped with one of the best ECM protections.
RAH-66 Comanche: In broken arrow alternative timeline the two prototypes of RAH-66 stealth helicopter have not been shelved as museum pieces but have reached active service in the 160th SOAR to escort the MH-60X in their perilous missions. They feature retractable weapon bays which can carry a mix of guided and unguided rockets, Hellfire and Stinger missiles. A radar can also be installed on top of the rotor to increase the detection range and see first in addition to being seen last.
AH-64E Guardian: The most advanced variant of the AH-64 helicopter can be equipped with a large payload of guided or unguided rockets, JAGM anti-tank missiles with extended range compared to Hellfire. The wingtips can also be equipped with additional Stinger missiles or extra ECM protection. This helicopter is the bane of any enemy armored groups which can be destroyed in a matter of seconds by volleys of top attack missiles.
PLANES
AC-130U Spooky / AC-130J Ghostrider: The famous gunship aircraft will unleash a hailstorm of fire on enemy units located within its turn radius. In the game we have decided to let you mix multiple versions of the aircraft so you can choose between the U version with 25mm GAU-12 Equalizer + 40mm Bofors cannon + 105mm howitzer or the J version with a 30mm GAU-23 autocannon + 105mm howitzer But on top of that you can equip all the most modern guided weapons like GBU-53 Small diameter bombs or Hellfire missiles under the wings and Griffin missiles launched through the rear ramp on targets laser designated by the aircraft itself.
MC-130H: Special force version of the C-130 aircraft fitted with additional counter measures, ideal to airdrop special forces and their light vehicles from low altitude in contested airspace. Up to 64 paratroopers or 20t of equipment can be airdropped.
F-117 Nighthawk:The iconic black jet officially retired in 2008 is still flying to this day and continues to be certified for new capabilities. Will it get a second life ? At least in Broken Arrow it will. This stealth aircraft is a precision bomber able to carry 2 smart bombs of 500lb, 1000lb or 2000lb as well as the new JSOW gliding bombs with their cluster warhead or a pair of JASSM cruise missiles.
F-35A Lightning II:This is the air force version of the stealth multirole aircraft with conventional take-off and landing. The lack of a vertical take off capability allows this aircraft to carry heavier loadouts than its USMC counterpart. Each of the 2 weapon bay doors has an AMRAAM air-to-air missile attached to it and the bay itself can contain a large panel of weapons:
2 additional AMRAAMs
1 500lb or 2000lb smart bombs
4 GBU-53 StormBreaker small diameter bombs
1 AGM-154 JSOW smart cluster bomb
1 AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missile
1 Joint Strike (cruise) Missile
F-22 Raptor: Initially designed as a pure air superiority fighter, the F-22 lost most of its purpose at the end of the cold war and gained additional air to ground capabilities. It carries by default a pair of short range infrared AIM-9X sidewinders and each ventral weapon bay can contain up to 3 air to air missiles, either AIM-120 AMRAAM or the newest AIM-260 JATM with longer range. Two missiles can be sacrificed to carry a 1000lb bomb, either JDAM or JSOW or 4 Stormbreaker small diameter bombs.
B-2 Spirit: The giant flying wing is the most deadly bomber in the US arsenal with a stealth capability allowing it to approach its target undetected and drop its huge payload of conventional, guided or nuclear bombs. The bomb bay can contain:
80 Mk.82 500lb bombs
16 Mk.84 2000lb bombs or their guided equivalent the GBU-56 LJDAM
16 AGM-154 JSOW 1000lb cluster gliding bombs
16 JASSM cruise missiles
A B-61 tactical nuke (16 in reality but that’s a bit overkill at our scale :D )
All US specializations have now been revealed!
You now know the 5 different specializations available to the US faction.
Marine Expeditionary Unit
Armored Brigade
Airborne Infantry
Stryker Cavalry Regiment
Special Operations Forces
To build your battlegroup you need to choose 2 of them meaning that there are 10 possible combinations: Marine + Armored that you could play during February 2023 Beta. Marine + Airborne and Armored + Airborne which were added for the second beta in November 2024. And so 7 more combinations will be available at release. This more than triple the diversity of the battlegroups you’ll be able to play and face on the battlefield.
We are very excited to see the game's full potential finally unleashed, and eager to see tens of thousands of players facing off in massive multiplayer battles at release to see which strategies will emerge, how fast counters will be found, and of course adapt the game whenever it is needed to offer a truly memorable, long term experience to our players. Multiplayer is what bound our team together and gave us the motivation to create our own game. We really wish to offer this opportunity back to the world and hope that many will be able to experience what we experienced.
Sincerely, Steel Balalaika Team
Stryker Cavalry Regiment army specialization
The Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles requested by the United States army after the end of the cold war to be able to deploy a more transportable force that would strike a balance between heavy armor and infantry.
The Stryker which is based on the Canadian LAV III was originally supposed to be an interim solution but as is often the case, temporary solutions tend to become permanent and many variants continue to be developed even now. So much so that we were able to base an entire army specialization on this vehicle platform.
In Broken Arrow, the Stryker Cavalry Regiment army specialization embodies the balance between armored and infantry units. The speed of the strykers is inferior to the light transports of the airborne specialization, but they bring way more firepower with them. Meaning that the infantry they carry is not the main fighting force but rather a support for the vehicles.
All the Strykers armor can be upgraded with an explosive reactive armor kit on top of which an active protection system can be added. Fully upgraded Strykers thus become very hard to destroy but each additional level of protection comes at the cost of a lower maximum speed as this vehicle was not originally not designed with such heavy upgrades in mind.
Stryker RV
The Stryker Recon Vehicle is a variant with exceptional optics and ability to provide laser designation. The basic M240 medium machine gun can be replaced by a M2 heavy machine gun, a Mk19 grenade launcher or a much more powerful 30mm Bushmaster II autocannon with the possibility to add a Javelin top attack missile on top of that. The vehicle can also carry a team of 6 Scouts.
Stryker ICV & Dragoon
The Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle is the most common version of the vehicle which can transport up to 9 dismounts. It is armed with a remote weapon station equipped with either a M2 HMG or a Mk19 grenade launcher with the possibility to add a Javelin top attack missile on it. It is also possible to replace this RWS by a larger turret armed with a 30mm Bushmaster II autocannon to become a Stryker Dragoon. The infantry carried by the Strykers are called Troopers and they come in two variants, one dedicated to fighting armored with AT4 rockets and Javelin missiles and the other dedicated to anti-air combat with Stingers missiles as well as a M240L medium machine gun.
A variant called Stryker Engineering Support Vehicle is also available, it doesn’t have access to the Dragoon turret and carries the 9 man strong Combat Engineers squads equipped with shotguns and bunker buster rockets powerful against infantry but also capable of destroying unarmored vehicles.
Stryker MGS
The Stryker Mobile Gun System is a version of the vehicle equipped with an auto-loaded and fully stabilized 105mm gun. Although it's not cut out to take on tanks this gun can prove deadly against anything lighter and provides long range fire support against infantry.
Stryker ATGMV
The Stryker Anti-Tank Guided Missile Vehicle is equipped with a turret carrying 2 TOW missiles, either the TOW-2A direct attack missile or the TOW-2B with top-down attack to bypass tanks frontal armor and hit them through the thinner roof armor.
Stryker M-SHORAD
The Stryker Maneuver-Short-Range Air Defense offers excellent protection against drones and helicopters. A large choice of armament is available from a simple M2 HMG and two pairs of Stinger missiles to a turret incorporating a 30mm M230LF chain gun and various combinations of Stinger and Hellfire missiles as well as APKWS laser guided rockets.
Stryker MC
The Stryker Mortar Carrier equipped with high-explosive, smoke and laser guided 120mm shells is excellent for dislodging infantry hidden inside or behind buildings. With the strykers the mobility is the key so you cannot let enemy infantry slow you down for long. If the resilience is too strong, smoke rounds can actually be the best option to block their line of sight and pass through their defense instead of eliminating it. And of course laser guided rounds can prove extremely deadly even to tanks when they hit their roof armor with pinpoint accuracy.
Stryker SPH
The Stryker Self Propelled Howitzer is a prototype we have decided to include into the game. Equipped with a long-range 105 mm cannon, it delivers highly accurate fire at distances greater than those of the usual 152/155 mm howitzers. Several vehicles were built and test fire occurred but the acquisition program was finally canceled for budgetary reasons.
Truck based units
The specialization doesn’t stop here. Truck based equipment complement the Strykers like Patriot PAC-3 & MSE surface to air missile systems, HIMARS multiple rocket launcher, Multi mission launcher carrying 15 Stinger/AIM-9/Hellfire missiles, the Centurion C-RAM equipped with the Phalanx CIWS radar guided gun, HEMTT and PLS supply trucks.
M10 Booker
The M10 Booker recently officially adopted by the US army was also incorporated into this deck with the possibility to customize it with potential future upgrades like the Iron Fist active protection system or exchange the 105mm gun for the XM913 50mm auto-cannon.
Air support
The Stryker Cavalry Regiment army specialization doesn’t come with helicopters but two drones are available:
MQ-1 Predator: A slow, high flying drone that can be equipped with a pair of Hellfires or 4 Stingers or 4 Griffin missiles, well suited for back line reconnaissance but easy prey for any long range SAM system.
RQ-7B Shadow: The inverse of the Predator, it's a low flying unarmed drone that can get closer to the front line necessitating short range missile or AA guns to be shot down.
The F-16 family of planes is also attached to this specialization. While they can fill various roles with their loadouts, it's not able to do everything at once and they have a very limited amount of fuel without additional drop tanks.
F-16C Fighting Falcon: The workhorse aircraft of the specialization, it can be used as a fighter or can mount various bombs including the heavy Mk84 2000lb bombs, Rockeye cluster bombs and Mk82 Snake Eye with tail retarding device for low altitude drop. Up to 6 Maverick anti-tank missiles can also be equipped.
F-16CJ: A SEAD variant of the F-16C, it comes with AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles well suited for countering enemy SAM systems. You must choose between equipping it with two additional HARMs, mounting ECM pods to increase its survivability, or fuel tanks to increase its loiter time.
It is also able to hold its own in aerial combat with up to 4 AIM-9 or AIM-120 air to air missiles.
F-16V Viper: The most modern F-16 variant available, it features conformal fuel tanks which lessen the need to bring external fuel tanks and a respectable amount of smart bombs, from 4 JSOW anti-tank glide bombs to HE bombs ranging from 250lb to 2000lb. Additionally, it can mount a targeting pod to guide its smart bombs in and a self-protection ECM jammer.
And finally the B-52H Stratofortress: A massive bomber bringing an equally massive amount of firepower to the battle, with up to 20 AGM-86C cruise missiles, almost 60.000 pounds of bombs, possibility to carry JASSM cruise missiles, JSOW glide bombs, 2000lb JDAMs, this plane is nicknamed the BUFF for a reason.
Tactics and Synergy with other specializations
Even though none of the Stryker variants have been certified for airdrop in reality, successful tests have been conducted so we have decided to make the Strykers airdropable to improve the synergy with the Airborne specialization with up to 3 Strykers dropped from a C-17 and 1 from a C-130. This capability is lost if you decide to install additional armor however.
Combining the Stryker and Armored deck means you won’t have any helicopter available, but you also detain in a single deck enough artillery and anti-aircraft power to support an entire team. You can focus on the support during the first half of the match, slowly accumulating money as you don’t take losses, then spend your reserve to break through the enemy lines before the end of the second phase to score a maximum of points. Just make sure to communicate your plan to your team as too much resources invested in support means there is nothing left to hold the frontline.
The combination with the USMC specialization provides one of the most powerful air tabs of the game with every role covered except the nuclear capability. The USMC also provides some helicopters and heavier tanks while the Stryker specialization brings the long range support that USMC lacks. The main limitation being the high price of the infantry as both specializations work with large expensive squads so each loss of infantry will be meaningful while keeping a reserve and rotating squads to rearm will be more difficult.
This concludes our dev blog, we hope that you enjoyed it, see you next month for the reveal of the 5th and last US specialization.
You might have noticed that articles and videos will be popping up this week, featuring some never-seen-before content of Broken Arrow.
We have decided to give media an exclusive first look at the game, but fear not: we're going to deep dive on it ourselves on next week!
Join us on our Twitch channel on February 26 at 4 pm GMT for an exclusive first look at new single player story campaign content. Edmon, Community Manager, will be playing, and Félix Habert, Creative Director at Steel Balalaika, will be taking part in the stream to reply to all your questions.
Reveals at Slitherine Next
Yesterday was an eventful day for Slitherine.
We had our yearly Slitherine Next show, where we had several announcements, reveals and launches. Broken Arrow couldn’t be missing, now, could it?
First off we had the first public reveal of a mission from the single player story campaign. Watch it here: 20 minutes of exciting gameplay commented by Félix Habert, Creative Director at Steel Balalaika, and Neil McKenna, Senior Producer at Slitherine.
Then we released a new video interview where members of the team talked about what is next for Broken Arrow.
But we all know what you were all waiting for. We’re finally ready to announce when Broken Arrow will be released.
Mark it on your calendars: Broken Arrow will be out in June 2025.
In the next few months leading to the release of the game the team will focus on finishing the single player campaign, improving optimization, implementing a robust anti-cheat system and much more.
It’s been a long ride, but we’re finally getting there. Follow us in the next few months as we approach the release and we’ll keep you entertained with many releases and showcases. Until then, happy holidays!
We are gearing up for a major live show on December 10th.
Join us at Slitherine Next on December 10th at 6 pm CET on our Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/slitherinetv or on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNMPY51noiw
We'll be live with Félix Habert, Creative Director of Steel Balalaika, and we'll be revealing a special video interview, never-shown-before footage from the single player campaign and, last but not least, a much anticipated reveal for all Broken Arrow fans.
Broken Arrow will be one of the highlights of the show, but it will also be an occasion for Slitherine to release new DLCs for Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius and Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance, plus news related to some of our other franchises including Starship Troopers: Terran Command. In addition, we'll be unveiling something entirely new, so this will be a must-watch for all fans of strategy games.
Mark your calendars for December 10th at 6 PM CET — you won’t want to miss it.
The Multiplayer Open Beta is now available
The Multiplayer Open Beta for Broken Arrow is now available.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ox9ZRdKG1M
Get ready to engage in exciting 5vs5 games with new specializations available, new maps and new functionalities, including custom lobbies, PvE coop scenarios, matchmaking and more.
Important information:
It's a beta, so please expect bugs and technical issues. These tests are useful to the development team in order to polish and refine the game.
We don't have a closing date for the Open Beta yet, but it will run for a few weeks. We'll keep you posted on when we intend to close it.
There are no NDA restrictions. Please feel free to stream the game, create video content, share screenshots or just talk about it with your friends.
Should you spot anyone who you suspect of cheating, please open a ticket in this section of our Discord.
Please make sure to join our Discord and engage with us, reporting bugs or issues and offering your feedback on the game. It is also a great place to meet players to play with and make friends or get awesome advice if you are just getting started.
We'll be updating the game as the beta proceeds, so expect to have to have the occasional sizeable download.
If you're already in the Closed Beta, you should have been switched to the Open Beta automatically on Steam, and all you'll need to do would be to close and re-open Steam and launch the Broken Arrow Playtest from your Steam Library as usual.
In order to know how to download and install, please refer to the section below.
You will need to click on the green button which says REQUEST ACCESS. You will be given access automatically and "Broken Arrow Playtest" will appear in your Steam Library. Then, all you need to do is to click Install and the download will start. Please note that you might be required to close and relaunch Steam in order for the download to begin.
Have fun!
Dev Diary #12 - Novelties and changes
Hello and welcome to the final dev blog before the launch of the open multiplayer beta on November 12th.
This week we would like to present to you the new game mode called “War Goals”, the improvements of the automatic matchmaker, the custom and scenario matches and the evolution of the army builder rules.
WAR GOALS GAME MODE
During the previous beta we proposed a very simple game mode where you had to capture all the zones or hold more zones than the opposing team at the end of a 45min timer.
This game mode had several advantages:
Extremely simple to understand
Rushing the points early is not mandatory, it’s a strategy with risks and rewards.
You had time to come back if you lost the initial engagement.
But it also had one main downside: everything was determined at the last second of the match. So the optimal strategy was generally to play very defensively, hoard money until the end of the match and make a big assault at the end, sacrificing all your units like lemmings to capture one more point than the enemy team just before the timer ran out.
To remedy that problem, without losing the advantages, we’ve come up with a new game mode called War Goals.
War Goals game mode is played in 3 phases of equal duration (3x15min by default).
During each phase there are 6 war goals: 3 conquest goals consisting in capturing more objectives than the enemy and 3 destruction goals consisting in destroying more units than the opposing team.
At the end of each phase we count how many war goals each team has achieved and we grant victory points.
The war goals are worth 1 point during phase 1, 2 points during phase 2 and 3 during phase 3. Which means that even if you had a bad start you still have the opportunity to come back during the next phase.
We have good hopes that this new game mode will please everyone as it has many advantages:
Rewards both conquest and destruction
Still allows a comeback at any stage of the match
More dynamic than the previous mode as you cannot stay on the defensive for 45 minutes
Still gives you time to prepare your counter attacks instead of being forced to send your units immediately to the meat grinder as there is no loss of points every second.
End match rush is not a viable option any more.
MATCHMAKING IMPROVEMENTS
In the previous beta you had to create teams of 5 players using a lobby system and then the matchmaker was putting you against another team of 5.
This system still exists but has been improved in several ways:
Quick search
You can now use the quick search function to find a match rapidly without having to create/join a lobby. This is ideal if you are alone and just want to rapidly play a balanced multiplayer match with random allies and opponents.
Incomplete teams merging
You are no longer forced to wait for all the slots of your lobby to be filled. Just close the slots you don’t need and start the search. The matchmaker will complete your team with another incomplete team or people using quick search.
Rating
Players now have an ELO rating value which is used by the automatic matchmaker to propose balanced matches. The rating works as follow:
The rating of your team is compared with the rating of the opposing team to form a prediction: The team with the higher rating is supposed to win.
If you win against a team with a better rating or you lose against a team with a lower rating it means the prediction was wrong so the ratings are modified to better predict the next matches.
If you win against a weaker team or lose against a stronger team it means the prediction was correct so the ratings will not change much - or even not at all.
You don’t have any rating during the first 3 matches, this is the calibration phase.
Invitations
It is now possible to invite your friends to your lobby. You can do so from your friend list in your profile or by using Steam overlay. This is a simple method to play together without having to find your friend’s lobby name in the list.
CUSTOM MATCHES
It is now possible to create custom matches without an automatic matchmaker. It means that both teams will gather in a single lobby and the player creating the lobby called “the host” takes all the decisions.
This will allow you to train with friends, organize tournaments and test unusual game rules. Custom lobbies can be played by any number of players from 1v1 to 5v5 including unbalanced numbers like 1v5. The host decides which map will be played, which faction each team will play including the possibility to let people choose a mix of USA and Russia within the same team. For the moment the game rules are the same as a standard match but later we will add more options to change the economy, the duration of the match etc…
Custom matches don’t affect your rating as they don’t use the automatic matchmaker and the rules of the match can be modified by the host. This also means that we cannot guarantee the fairness of custom matches as the host is responsible for that.
MULTIPLAYER/COOP SCENARIOS
A scenario is the layer containing anything that is not the map itself. So a multiplayer game mode is a scenario, a campaign mission with cutscenes and dialogues is a scenario, 3 units placed on the map to make a test is a scenario. The game will contain an integrated scenario editor, accessible from the main menu, which will allow you to create all that. Any scenario created with the editor can be configured to be multiplayer PvP or PvE, uploaded on Steam workshop and played in versus or coop mode. You don’t have access to the editor yet but to test this functionality we will add some cooperative scenarios to the beta.
One of them is a kind of tower defense where you gain money by killing enemy waves. The other resembles Battlefield’s assault mode where you need to capture sectors in a zone to progress to the next zone.
EXPERIENCE, MEDALS AND PROFILE CUSTOMIZATION
When you play a standard or custom match you will be granted experience points at the end of the match.
The amount of XP you gain depends on the type of match (x2 for standard), the level of victory or defeat (+/-10% for minor, +/-25% for major, +/-50% for total), and your individual performance during the match. Destroying enemy units, capturing zones, resupplying your allies and keeping your units alive all increase your score. Additionally you can gain special medals if you achieve certain conditions like having the best kill/death ratio or winning against a team with a higher rating than your team. To access your profile and see which medals you have earned click your portrait on the top right corner of the screen.
You will find statistics about yourself, the possibility to customize your avatar, your friend list to invite people to your lobby and the leaderboard to see how you fare compared to other players.
Gaining experience allows you to increase your rank globally or per specialization which unlocks customization options for your profile.
ARMY BUILDER RULES IMPROVEMENTS
As mentioned in a previous dev blog, infantry will now be able to ride any vehicle or helicopter present in your battlegroup, provided there are enough seats. But vehicles are still associated with infantry during battlegroup creation, so you won’t be able to use the Marines new ACV-30 for instance if you don’t add some USMC infantry to your battlegroup first.
The second improvement is that we have added a 10% tolerance margin to the number of points you can assign to each category. Which means that if you have a limit of 1000pts for planes as an example you will be able to fill the category up to 1100pts. If you are above the base value but within the 10% tolerance margin the number of points in this category will be displayed in orange. If you go beyond the 10% margin the value will be displayed in red and the battlegroup will be invalid. The total limit of 10,000 points for the whole deck remains, meaning that any extra points you put in one category will be missing from another.
This makes battlegroup creation more flexible as you can transfer points from one category to another. And it also removes the frustration of being stuck because one of your units is 5pts too expensive to fit in a category.
SEE YOU ON THE BATTLEFIELD COMMANDERS!
This was our final dev blog before the start of the open beta on November 12th. We hope to see a maximum of players taking part in it, so don’t forget to tell your friends to join you on the battlefield and team up against thousands of other players from around the world.
Cheers, Steel Balalaika Slitherine
Dev Diary #11 - Upcoming Beta Maps and Tools
Hello everyone, we have presented the new specialization in previous dev blogs US Airborne and Coastal Troops.
Now it’s time to introduce the battlefields where they will face each other.
Previous multiplayer beta proposed 6 maps so we have decided to ramp up things a bit and propose 8 brand new maps this time. We have selected a panel of very different layouts to let you experiment various gameplay situations and see what you prefer. All these maps are large enough to host an intense 5v5 multiplayer match and still have room on the sides to let planes maneuver and to give room for infiltrations and flanking attacks. They are also full of details and contain unique visual elements, lighting, weather…
Kaliningrad
At the heart of the Russian exclave located between Lithuania and Poland lies the city of Kaliningrad. It features the only ice-free Russian port on the Baltic Sea, making it strategically paramount. The city is characterized by a fortified historic center divided by several waterways, at the center of which lies an island on which stands Königsberg Cathedral. A large industrial harbor spreads from the city center to the estuary of the Pregolya river and is interfaced with a large railway classification yard surrounded by large hangars and numerous bridges. A massive stadium surrounded by multiple parkings is situated on the other side of the city and countless urban and commercial districts surround the city center. The battle for Kaliningrad promises to be fierce as both teams start relatively close to each other on the western part of the map but on a different side of the estuary. They must rapidly progress East in the direction of the city center where the bridges are located to secure crossing points and capture objectives located on the other bank. Of course amphibious units will prove their usefulness here more than anywhere else as their ability to cross the waterways allows them to infiltrate recon on the flanks or to launch assaults away from the heavily defended bridges.
River
Far away from the hell of urban combat, this map proposes to fight in a much more open landscape mainly composed of fields surrounded by treelines, small villages and isolated farms. A river runs through it with several shallow water passages allowing any vehicle or infantry to cross at reduced speed. These large open spaces might look like the perfect place to send formations of tanks on the attack, but beware, guided missiles can fully express their range advantage here. And high in the sky a drone might be watching you, maybe even designating you with its laser to guide artillery projectiles already flying in your direction. So run! Run from cover to cover, follow the treelines whenever you can and use smoke to conceal your movements. Otherwise, the apex predator of the open plains will swoop down on you with a roaring sound, and leave nothing behind but a carcass.
Refinery
Countries fight to spread their influence in order to secure access to resources vital for their development. So what better symbol of this than to fight for the control of an oil refinery? This large map features a huge oil refinery located on a plateau, separated by marchlands from the nearby city also located on another plateau. The number of objectives proposed on this map is more than twice the usual number, separated into two main groups located in the refinery and the city. This unusual layout forces the teams to make a choice of repartition of their players. Will you play a classic 2xCity / 1xMiddle / 2xRefinery best suited for defense but that will fail to achieve numerical superiority anywhere or will you play an aggressive 0 / 2 / 3 or 3 / 2 / 0 to focus only on one side and the middle? Having multiple possible strategies means that the victory will go to the most adaptable team, able to identify the enemy configuration, communicate and react accordingly. For instance, dismounting your infantry early is a good reflex if you are going to be outnumbered but doing that when there is nobody in front of you and you failed to notice it means that someone else in your team is fighting 2v1.
Ruda
Inspired by the area around the city of Kazlų Rūda in Lithuania. The city is surrounded by a large forest full of small clearing cut by agricultural expansion. A military training ground and an airfield are also carved in the middle of the trees. The unique layout of the trees on this map creates a different experience: instead of crossing fields to jump from one patch of cover to another, here you can follow narrow strips of forest to stay covered. This can facilitate infiltrations but it can also make troop movements slow and predictable. If an enemy is spotted progressing in a treeline you can easily guess where they are going and prepare an ambush or decide to move fast on a road instead as they won’t be able to react rapidly.
Dam
Kaunas, the second biggest city of Lithuania is situated near an artificial lake created by a Dam. We have faithfully represented this area which corresponds to the southern part of the city, the Dam itself and the zigzag of the river offering an interesting layout for a multiplayer battle. The shape of the river impacts the layout of the roads and as a result each team has an advantage to push on one side of the map resulting in chaotic situations where both teams have successfully pushed their side which means they are now both located in each other’s back but on a different side of the river, meaning that they can cross the river to cut each other’s supply line resulting in a double encirclement hamburger.
Airbase
This map represents Chkalovsk naval air base situated a few kilometers North-West of Kaliningrad. It’s a single long airstrip surrounded by hangars and bunkers hidden in the middle of the woods. Infantry can be concealed in the Il-76 cargo planes landed near the hangars. Beware, though, as they are not resilient at all so using them as a fighting position is taking the risk to see your squads disappear in a pile of debris. You can see the suburbs of Kaliningrad stretching out in a corner of the map while the rest of the city can be seen in the distance. The objectives are split in two groups located on both sides of the airstrip, generally resulting in the action being concentrated there and nobody paying much attention to what is happening on the airstrip itself. This is the occasion to try daring maneuvers across the airstrip or in its axis, all the way to the enemy rear where the fragile and expensive artillery and air defense units are located.
Airport
Based on the international airport of Riga and its surroundings, this map proposes a unique and spectacular scenery for an epic battle. The airport is surrounded by large highways leading to it and to the capital city of Latvia. Fun fact: the house of one of the moderators of the official Discord server is located on this map. Please avoid nuking it! The objective zones are evenly spread and the frontline is large due to the fact that it is played in the diagonal of the map. Trying to create an impervious frontline in such conditions is not very efficient as there is too much ground to cover. It is more cost effective to keep just a few spotters surveilling key points or use drones to deal with infiltrators and use the rest of your resources to create a mobile group of units supporting each other which can maneuver and pick isolated enemy units one by one.
Klaipeda
The coastal city of Klaipeda is the only large harbor in Lithuania, making it a vital supply hub. The city spreads over a large area and features a big quantity of high rises but is not extremely dense. The districts are split by large avenues merging on giant roundabouts and plenty of parks create open areas where long range missiles and tanks can maneuver. This map is much deeper than wide so the frontline is rather narrow resulting in fierce urban battles. This does not mean the battle is completely static as there is a large quantity of streets that can be used to outflank the enemy. It is hard to progress unnoticed with a column of vehicles but at the same time easy to bypass an enemy defensive position by simply using the next roads and outrun the infantry.
Tools and performance
Compared to previous beta we have managed to optimize the game and you can now benefit from the best graphics with a smaller configuration. We have introduced the support of AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR 3) which is compatible with a large quantity of GPUs and increases the performance a lot with minimal visual degradation. We have also optimized the lowest graphic settings to let people play with configurations that were previously impossible. This beta will be the occasion for us to get statistical information about players’ performance and continue the optimization wherever it is needed.
We have also improved the drawing speed of the line of sight tool by a factor 6. Press Alt to display this tool which will help you to understand where the line of sight is blocked. If you have a unit selected the detection distance will be automatically adjusted to the optics value of this unit. The tool also snaps to buildings now. We are also working on another tool to display the elevation curves and a color overlay on the map to help you verify the reliefs if you have a doubt. Finally you can now see which command your units are following by selecting them and pressing Shift key. A line will be displayed between the unit and the position of the current command with a color code depending on the type of command.
That's it for today, we hope you enjoyed it. See you next week for the final dev blog before the launch of the open beta on November 12th.
Dev Diary #10 - Coastal Troops Army Specialization
Coastal Troops (Beregovyye voyska)
The Russian Coastal Troops are not really an equivalent of the US Marines. Conducting amphibious and air assaults is also part of their operations but is not their main focus, as they are also a defensive unit responsible for defending coastal installations and repelling amphibious and air-assaults coming from the sea. They are represented in the game as a mix between a light motorized/mechanized group lacking modern equipment and relying on old soviet armored vehicles, working alongside top of the art cruise and ballistic missile systems and equipment dedicated to arctic warfare.
Reconnaissance
Morskaya razvedka: A 5 man recon team equipped with suppressed weapons which have less impact on a unit's stealth when shooting. They also carry several RPG-27 disposable rocket launchers to defend against light vehicles. PDSS: A team of 4 combat divers able to swim across waterways. They are extremely stealthy and can be airdropped, making them superb at infiltration behind enemy lines. They can be equipped either with ADS rifles able to shoot underwater or DP-64 double grenade launchers. Spetsnaz VMF: A 6 man special forces team equipped either in close quarter configuration with Bullpup PKP machine guns and SVU-AS marksman rifles or long range fire support with ASVK anti-materiel sniper rifles. They can also provide laser designation and be airdropped. BRDM-2: An old wheeled armored car with a variety of weapons options available including a mix of Kord 12.7mm and KPVT 14.5mm heavy machine guns, automatic grenade launcher and KPVB 23mm autocannon. The optics can be upgraded with the modernized “Bekas” module/ 1V14 Mashina-S: tracked recon platform with a laser designator which can be upgraded with MRU advanced recon module to increase its detection range. BTR-90 is a transport exclusive to naval troops’ recon teams. This is basically an upgraded BTR-80 using a BMP-2 turret with its 30mm autocannon and Konkurs ATGMs and optional AGS-17 grenade launcher. It is also compatible with the BMD-4 turret called Bakhcha-U featuring a 100mm and 30mm gun, or the Berezhok turret with 4 Kornet launchers. The vehicle armor can also be upgraded with a kit comprising additional metal plates, a cage armor and several reactive armor bricks to better protect the crew of the turret.
Infantry & Transports
Morskaya pekhota: Also called morpehi, they’re a versatile 7 man assault squad armed AK-74 rifles, RPK-74M light machine guns, underbarrel grenade launchers and 5 punchy 105mm RPG-27 anti-tank launchers. Chernye Berety: A 14 man squad of veteran morpehi equipped either with RPG-27 or larger 125mm RPG-28s. They are a formidable unit in any situation but come at a high price and the number of available squads is low. Gornostrelki: Mountaineers consisting of 7 man team, armed with medium range weaponry including 2 SVD marksman rifles and a light Metis ATGM. They are best used as skirmishers engaging enemy infantry and light vehicles outside of the usual combat range and falling back once the enemy gets in range. PTRK Konkurs: A dedicated anti-tank team manning a Konkurs ATGM launcher which can be upgraded to the Konkurs-M with additional damage and armor penetration. Its long range makes it an efficient deterrent against any armored vehicle but will still lack the teeth to seriously threaten modern tanks' frontal armor. SPG-9 Sapog: This support squad is equipped with 2 SPG-9 recoilless rifles providing long range fire support against infantry and vehicles but low armor penetration. The transports available to both recon and line infantry consist of: The old BTR-80, which can be upgraded to the BTR-80A standard replacing the old 14.5mm gun with a 30mm autocannon and the capability to add an AGS-17 grenade launcher to the side of the turret. But increasing the firepower doesn’t solve the main downside of this vehicle, which is its underpowered engine keeping the maximum road speed to 80km/h, which is barely better than most tracked vehicles. The armor can be upgraded with additional metal plates and cages but the extra weight reduces the speed of the vehicle even more and removes the amphibious capability. The vehicle can transport up to 8 soldiers. The BMP-3F, a navalized version of the BMP-3, which can provide some serious firepower to any infantry battle with its 100mm gun + 30mm autocannon. The “Sodema” fire control system can be installed, providing better optics, weapon range, and access to the more powerful gun launched Arkan-M missiles. No armor upgrades are available to keep the vehicle amphibious but it is possible to install the “Shtora” missile jammer and extra smoke pods. Up to 7 soldiers can be carried. The BT-3F, is a turretless version of the BMP-3 with an enlarged troop compartment allowing up to 14 soldiers to be transported which allows it to bring 2 squads at once. It retains the 2 forward facing PKT medium machine guns of the BMP-3 on the hull and is equipped with a remotely operated machine gun on the roof, either another PKT or a Kord heavy machine gun or AP-23 autocannon. The vehicle's can be equipped with additional reactive explosive armor without losing its amphibious capability.
Combat vehicles
BMOP Toros: A lightly armored tracked vehicle, it nonetheless offers a variety of weaponry, from a 30mm autocannon and grenade launcher, additional Kornet ATGMs, 57mm S-60 anti-aircraft gun or even the Rapira 100mm anti-tank gun. BRDM Konkurs/Kvartet: A BRDM-2 chassis equipped with 5 ready-to-fire ATGM tubes on the roof. The loadout consists of 10 Konkurs-M anti-tank missiles and 10 smaller Fagot missiles for use against infantry. The turret can be replaced by a modified BRDM-2 turret equipped with 4 ready to launch Kornet missiles and 4 additional missiles in reserve. PT-76: This light amphibious tank has been in service for decades in the Naval troops. The original 76mm gun is now completely obsolete and can only be expected to deal with the lightest vehicles or as fire support against infantry. On top of that the mobility of the vehicle is incrediblyy limited with a maximum speed of 45km/h, unless you upgrade the engine to reach 60km/h - which is still not great but better. Of course a vehicle with such low performance is extremely cheap in the game allowing you to call-in many of them at the same time and follow the adage “Quantity has a Quality All Its Own” (commonly misattributed to Joseph Stalin or pretty much any famous military leader) But several interesting upgrades provide more fire power: a BTR-80A turret with 30mm autocannon and AG-17 grenade launcher can be fitted, or even a 57mm autocannon which can even pose a threat to tanks from the side. In the end a fully upgraded PT-76 can cost more than 3 times its initial price. T-80BV/BVM: This tank is assigned to naval troops because its gas turbine engine works better in the extremely cold temperatures of the arctic where the naval troops are operating. The base BV version is pretty old, its armor is still good enough to resist even the most powerful autocannon rounds but will be pierced by pretty much any tank gun. The armor piercing rounds are pretty old too and will barely scratch an Abrams at maximum range. But this tank has other advantages: it is fast and has an advanced autoloader providing a good rate of fire. So it is perfect to counter numerous vehicles or to provide fire support against infantry. The BVM version is a major upgrade of pretty much everything: optics, firepower, armor, speed. Additional lateral protection can also be added to the BVM.
Support
DT-30 Vityaz: This vehicle is an all terrain mechanized workhorse able to carry an outstanding 30 tons of supplies through land, river, swamp, snow. The very large tracks limit its speed on road resulting in an almost constant speed whether it is on road or not. The best way to use this vehicle is not to drop the supplies and send it back to the base. It is better to consider it like a mobile logistical base that you move around and deploy wherever it is needed. And you keep it constantly filled with supplies with small cargo helicopters. 2S23 Nona-SVK: A 120mm mortar mounted on the wheeled BTR-80 platform making it mobile on roads and amphibious. It can trade speed and the amphibious capability for more armor and can be upgraded with rocket assisted and laser guided mortar rounds. The ammo reserve is low, meaning you will frequently have to resupply it. 2S39 Magnolia: The opposite of the Nona-SVK, this is a mortar based on the slow DT-30 chassis towing a 120mm mortar system. A large quantity of ammunition is stored and you can choose between high-explosive rounds efficient against infantry in buildings and cluster rounds spreading their damage over a larger area and effective at disabling vehicles. 2S1 Gvozdika / 2S34 Hosta: The Gvodzika is an old 122mm howitzer rather inaccurate and with a low rate of fire equipped with high explosive and smoke rounds as well as a few HEAT rounds for self defense. It can be upgraded to the more modern 2S34 Hosta with a faster rate of fire, more accuracy and it can access laser guided rounds. A222 Bereg: This coastal defense system equipped with a 130mm gun usually mounted on Russian war ships. It can be used as a standard howitzer but can also engage ground targets and helicopters with special rounds equipped with proximity fuzes. 9K720 Iskander: This long range missile launcher can be equipped either with 2 large ballistic missiles or 2 to 4 cruise missiles. Ballistic missiles fly high in the sky before falling back at high speed making them hard or impossible to intercept by short range air defense. On the contrary, cruise missiles stay as close to the ground as possible to avoid radar detection and require short range air defense to be intercepted. Tor-M2DT: This is a DT-30 chassis with a Tor-M2 module towed. This anti-aircraft system stores 16 vertically launched missiles, that are very efficient against helicopters and against airplanes at short range. Activating the radar increases the range of detection and engagement, and gives the ability to target projectiles like cruise missiles. The Tor module can be upgraded to a Pantsir module with 18 missiles with more range and damage. ZSU-23-4 Shilka: An old anti-aircraft system equipped with four 23mm cannons, it can still prove a menace at short range against low flying aircraft, even more so when upgraded with additional Igla MANPADS. It is also possible to use it as a fire support vehicle, with more ammo but no radar. This is how it was used during the Soviet–Afghan War since there were no air threats and the high elevation of the gun allowed it to engage enemy fighters attacking from elevated positions in the mountains. S-350 Vityaz: This modern anti-aircraft defense system mounted on a truck holds 12 vertically launched missiles. The missiles are smaller and have less range than the S-300 which makes it less efficient against aircrafts but better at intercepting saturation attacks with cruise and ballistic missiles.
Helicopters
Ka-29: The classic medium lift helicopter of the Russian navy with 16 seats and a capability of transporting 3 tons of supplies, it can also pack some serious firepower with a GShG 7.62mm minigun, 30mm autocannon, S-8 rocket pods, GSh-23L gun pods and 8 Kokon or Ataka ATGMs. Ka-52K Katran: A navalized Ka-52 attack helicopter with only 4 pylons instead of 6 to make it easier to store on the deck of a ship. On top of the usual Rockets and ATGM carried by the regular Ka-52 it has exclusive access to some exotic weaponry: Kh-31P anti-radiation missiles, Hermes-A fire and forget ATGMs, and even Kh-35U cruise missiles. Mi-38T: A recent evolution of the Mi-8 intended for use in the arctic. This is an unarmed medium lift helicopter, it can transport 30 men or 7 tons of supplies in one trip at a relatively fast speed.
Aircraft
AN-72P: A light cargo aircraft capable of deploying up to 52 paratroopers or 7.5 tons of cargo. It can also be equipped with a GSh-23L cannon and S-8 rocket pods for light ground attack work. MiG-29K: A lightweight fighter, agile but with a low autonomy designed for interception. There is a joke saying that this plane grants you air superiority over your own airfield. It has 6 missile stations carrying older R-27 or newer R-77 medium range air-to-air missiles or R-73 short range infrared missiles. Alternatively, you can arm it with up to 4 Kh-35U cruise missiles for striking ground targets. Su-33: This old multirole aircraft is limited to R-73 and the older semi-active R-27 missiles for anti-aircraft duty. It also lacks the avionics to use guided air-to-ground munitions so it is limited to dumb bombs and rockets but has access to a large choice of yield for them. Make deadly dive attacks with 6 340mm S-25 rockets or bring the hail with 50x OFAB-100 100kg bombs. Tu-142: Naval patrol variant of the Tu-95 “Bear” strategic bomber, it carries a smaller bomb load than its sibling, but can still deliver 8 Kh-35Us cruise missiles, 32 FAB-250s, 6 FAB-1500s or a single FAB-3000. Tu-22M3: This large supersonic maritime strike aircraft makes an appearance delivering up to 3 very fast Kh-32s missiles, or utilizing its afterburner to deliver fast bombing runs with a multitude of bomb options, including 8 KAB-1500 laser guided bombs. Yak-38M: A slow and lightly armed VTOL aircraft, it stands little chance in a direct air to air engagement, but can still prove valuable in hunting enemy helicopters with gunpods and old R-60 missiles, or performing a light bomber role.
Tactics & strategies
Choosing a specialization grants access to a unique roster of units but also determines the amount of points you can assign in each category. Coastal troops specialization is very versatile, you have a bit of everything which is nice but also means that the points repartition is spread thin. As a result this specialization will either be used to compensate for the shortcomings of the other specialization you have selected. For instance VDV offers few support points but many helicopter points. So it can be interesting to focus the support points on anti-aircraft and equip the Ka-52K with Kh-35 cruise missiles and use them as makeshift artillery pieces. Or this versatility will be used to reinforce an existing strength: for instance, Coastal troops + VDV offers the most aircraft points, allowing you to select the Tu-160 with its nuclear missile and still have some points left to add other planes. It is also possible to use the points of the other specialization to reinforce one of the multiple facets of the Coastal troops. For instance the Guard Tank Brigade specialization can bring the support points required to play with multiple Iskander cruise/ballistic missiles.
This is a foretaste of the numerous possibilities that the army building system of Broken Arrow offers. The beta will grant you access to 3 specializations per side and the game will contain 5 per side at release, which makes a total of 20 very unique combinations, each of which are playable in a number of ways. With such diversity, we aim to offer an exciting multiplayer ecosystem in constant evolution, full of experimentation and crazy combinations between players.
Thank you for your attention and see you next week with a new dev blog.
