It was a close one and it was very exciting for us to follow it.
We really want to thank everyone of you for playing in this tournament and congratulate once again with our champion winter316.
See you next.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - Dev Diary #9 - Ardent Defenders of the Faith
It’s been a while since we shared an update, so let’s get you up to speed with what’s been going on with the development of Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector since the launch of the Necron Faction Pack back in April.
In June, as part of the annual Warhammer Skulls promo, we announced that a full faction pack was in development for the Adepta Sororitas, also known as The Sisters of Battle.
After shipping the last free update in July that added Khorne daemons to Planetary Supremacy, we’ve been working full steam ahead on getting the Battle Sisters ready for release.
Right now, the beta for the Battle Sisters Faction Pack is in progress! Testers have been playing with the new units and sharing their feedback which we’ll use to make the necessary adjustments prior to launch. If you haven’t signed up, there is still time - see here.
Today, we wanted to shine a spotlight on a couple of heavy-hitting units that you might have seen hinted at in the Skulls promo, the Exorcist and Immolator battle tanks!
Exorcist
Few units exemplify the Adepta Sororitas like the Exorcist mobile artillery tank. Covered in heavy armour plating, it can take a lot of punishment on the battlefield. Meanwhile, the artillerist performs inspirational hymnals that enable targeting solutions for the missile payload, and death comes quickly to those on the receiving end of a volley!
The Immolator rolls into combat with heavy flamers primed and ready to spray cleansing fire over the Emperor's foes. Alternate weapons load-outs allow for Twin Heavy Bolters or Multimeltas if those are more your style. As with the tabletop, the Immolator also functions as a troop transport - a new mechanic in Battlesector, allowing your infantry to move up to the front line within the relative safety afforded by the Immolator's heavy armour plates.
Immolator
Battle tanks are a mainstay of the Adepta Sororitas that provide durable fire support to the troops of the line. Combined with an array of well-armed infantry, frenzied penitents and powerful HQ units, the Sisters of Battle is shaping up to be a fun army to play that will add a new dimension to Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector.
The Sisters of Battle Faction Pack, along with a free update containing the new Daemonic Incursion mode will be available before the end of the year.
- The Black Lab Games team.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - Path to Sister of Battle Tournament
Path to Sister of Battle Tournament
Do not miss the chance to sign-up to the new Path to Sister of Battle Tournament which will feature 3 multiplayer maps:
The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here Tournament Rules
The first round will commence on Friday, 23rd September 2022 at 10.00am GMT. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.
The tournament will last 3 rounds,14 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.
Round 3 - Mode: Strategic Command; Map: Fortress of Redemption; Army Points: 2000
Sisters of Battle DLC - Sign-ups are open
In other news, we remind you that the beta of the Sister of Battle DLC is still open. Join the beta here Sister of Battle Beta
The Adepta Sororitas are an elite sisterhood of warriors that serves the Ecclesiarchy, the church which keeps the Imperium of Man together.
For thousands of years they have been at the forefront in the fight against heretics and apostates. Now they are coming to Battlesector!
With their own distinct gameplay mechanics and flavour, the Sisters of Battle bring plenty of new units with them into the fray, including the Exorcist, Immolator tanks, and the fearsome Penitent Engine.
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - The Daemonic Update
Slitherine and Black Lab Games are proud to announce the release of the Daemonic Update for Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector, the turn-based squad tactical game set in the grim darkness of the far future.
This new update is available today for free, both on PC and console. It is a massive update containing a number of new additions, both in terms of content and new features, so let’s jump into it.
What is new in the Daemonic Update
- Added a new minor faction to Planetary Supremacy: Daemons of Khorne. Chaos starts its incursion into Battlesector with a combat force of Khornate Daemons, including the Bloodmaster, Bloodletters, Flesh Hounds, and the mighty Skull Cannon!
- New objective type: 'Siege' is an asynchronous objective available in skirmish, multiplayer and base attack battles for Planetary Supremacy. The attacker must capture 4 strategic capture points, whilst the defender works to eliminate the attacker's army
- 3 new maps: 'Fortress of Redemption' is a Blood Angels-themed map, 'Feeding Grounds' is a Tyranid-themed map, and 'Blackstone' is a Necron-themed map. These maps are used for base attack battles in Planetary Supremacy, and in skirmish and multiplayer.
- Changed the starting positioning for Minor faction units in Planetary Supremacy battles. Instead of starting at the other end of the map, enemy units will now be distributed around the map, similar to the Age of Crimson Dawn campaign.
- Planetary Supremacy Accelerated Reinforcements. You can now spend additional Requisition Tokens to get a unit on cooldown earlier.
This is just a glimpse of what is available with the Daemonic Update. Want to see what else is new? Full changelog here!
In the meantime, development continues. We’ll be back soon with news about what’s coming next, and with more information about the Sisters of Battle. Stay tuned
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - v1.1.29 Update - Penitent Engine and Tech Trees
Today we're releasing a massive patch accompanying the start of Warhammer Skulls Festival 2022.
It contains the Penitent Engine, a new unit for the Sisters of Battle neutral faction in Planetary Supremacy, as well as the highly requested new HQ Upgrades for all factions in Planetary Supremacy.
This is the first round of improvements for Planetary Supremacy: as stated, we're committed to keep expanding it, so you can expect more in the future.
And speaking of the future, today we have quite a few announcements to make... you can read about it on the store page.
As usual, you can find the full changelog below. Please let us know what you think, as your feedback is extremely important for us. Thanks!
Changelog:
Changes ● NEW UNIT! Added the Penitent Engine to the Adepta Sororitas minor faction army in Planetary Supremacy ● Added HQ Upgrades to Planetary Supremacy. Each playable faction now has a full tech tree to unlock. HQ Tokens are awarded for fighting battles. ● Added options when starting a new Planetary Supremacy campaign to control HQ Upgrades settings, including: ○ Whether enemy factions can start with all units and abilities unlocked (for an added challenge) ○ Whether acquiring HQ Upgrades costs an Action Point (in addition to HQ Tokens) ● Added the option in Planetary Supremacy to include allies as neutral opponents. For example, if playing as Blood Angels, it will be possible to enable Adepta Sororitas as a neutral sub-faction. ● Improvements to the strategy layer AI in Planetary Supremacy, including making the AI more aggressive in capturing ground in the early stages of a campaign ● New Planetary Supremacy campaigns now randomise the map type for each hex tile. ● Changed how barks are selected when out of range enemies are nearby, to reduce repetition. ● (QoL) Improved default loadout placement of units. Units now always default to being positioned at the front of the grid, ranked by unit power, rather than a "random" blob or a row at the back of the grid ● (QoL) Added support for displaying expiration time for special ability tooltips ● (QoL) Made the (left-click) Unit Interrogation UI scrollable (for some units, the auto-size panel could go off the screen) ● (QoL) Gamepad controls for the pre-battle "loadout" phase have been reworked to be easier to use ● (QoL) Added the ability to swap units when using a mouse & keyboard during the pre-battle "loadout" phase ● Several adjustments to HQ commands. Made Assault Squad Strike and Scarab Tempest only able to target visible tiles, and disallowed the Interact command for Spore Mines ● Reduced VRAM usage by shaders ● Optimisations to reduce overall memory usage ● Improved the animation transitions for Necron units. ● General reduction of memory usage for ability and weapon visual effects ● Added more animation to the UI, in general. For example, the Command Bar and Unit Info Panel now slide in/out when activated/deactivated.
Balancing (Numbers in brackets are previous values) ● Blessed Ammunition now gives a +1 bonus to Armour Piercing when not empowered (0) ● Increases shots from Baal Predator Twin Assault Cannon to 100 (80) and AP to 4 (3) ● Decreased upgrade cost of Baal Predator Flamestorm Cannon to 40 (60) points ● Reduced Reanimation Protocols % chance to 40% (50%) ● Changed Assualt Terminator 'Shock and Awe' status that is added when Teleporting from a +15% melee damage buff to a -35% melee damage debuff, to eliminate HQ sniping. Changed status name to 'Teleported' ● Put an Ammo limit of 4 on Necron Overlord Orb of Resurrection ● Changed HP for a number of units: ○ Sanguinary Priest: 180 (was 150) ○ Land Speeder: 225 (was 150) ○ Land Speeder Tornado: 225 (was 150) ○ Baal Predator: 400 (was 365) ○ Tervigon: 425 (was 380) ○ Tyrannofex: 425 (was 350) ○ Gargoyle: 30 (was 20) ○ Broodlord: 310 (was 380) ○ Immortal: 55 (was 65) ○ Seraphim: 55 (was 75) ● Change Point Costs for a number of units: ○ Land Speeder: 95 (was 90) ○ Land Speeder Tornado: 125 (was 130) ○ Baal Predator: 205 (was 215) ○ Primaris Librarian: 190 (was 210) ○ Inceptor: 110 (was 90) ○ Lieutenant: 165 (was 185) ○ Librarian Dreadnought: 240 (was 305) ○ Gargoyle: 40 (was 50) ○ Tyrannofex: 190 (was 155) ○ Prime: 185 (was 210) ○ Broodlord: 195 (was 320) ○ Seraphim: 55 (was 45) ○ Necron Warriors: 65 (was 55) ○ Scarab Swarm: 30 (was 20) ○ Immortals: 100 (was 95) ● Adjustments to Necron Weapons: ○ Made Gauss Cannon default on Annihilation Barge ○ Increase Tesla Carbine & Twin Tesla Carbine AP to 2 (was 1) ○ Increase Gauss Cannon damage to 50 (was 45) ○ Increase Tesla Cannon damage to 15 (was 10), AP to 4 (was 2) ○ Increase Twin Tesla Destructor damage to 8 (was 6), AP to 4 (was 2) ○ Reduced Feeder Mandible damage to 3 (6) ● Adjustments to Blood Angels weapons: ○ Plasma Exterminator, Plasma Pistol (Sang. Guard) - Acc to 85 (was 80) ○ Plasma Pistol (Sang. Guard, Adepta Sororitas) - Accuracy to 85 (was 70), Range Falloff 10 (was 15), ArmPen 5 (was 6) ○ Plasma Incinerator - Ranged Falloff to 10 (was 15) ○ Heavy Plasma Incinerator - Ranged Falloff to 10 (was 20) ○ Inferno Pistol, Dreadnought Melta - Ranged Falloff to 10 (was 15) ○ Land Speeder Assault Cannon - Ranged Falloff to 10 (was 15), ArmPen 3 (was 2) ○ Changed the Plasma Pistol upgrade cost to 15 (was 30) ● Adjustments to Tyranid weapons: ○ Increased Devourer w/Brain Leech Worm to AP3, Accuracy 75 (in line with other devourers) ○ Increased Deathspitter w/Slimer Maggots to AP4 ○ Increase Fleshborer shots to 3
Bug Fixes ● Fixed Spanish subtitles for barks using Portuguese text ● Fixed the final mission is not being available when using the “Replay Campaign Mission” feature ● Fixed pressing left and right bumpers while in Empowered ability select target mode exiting select target mode ● Fixed numerous issues with incorrect cover in Planetary Supremacy battles ● Fixed missing Necron Elite Units when selecting a faction in Skirmish/Multiplayer battle setup
Warhammer Skulls Festival - Sisters of Battle announced, massive update and more
Battlesector and Gladius are taking part in the Warhammer Skulls Festival, with quite a few announcements and releases, as well as a sale across the whole franchise.
But let's take a look at it, shall we?
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector
New faction coming soon
First off, we're delighted to announce a brand new playable faction will soon be available as DLC.
The Adepta Sororitas will become playable as a full faction later during the year, with a complete roster of units and tailored gameplay mechanics.
We can't wait to show you more, and we will post more information about how they play and about their units.
We will update the store page with the release date, new screenshots and information as we draw closer to release.
New game mode & Daemon units announced
Alongside Sisters of Battle we will release a free update which adds a new game mode: Daemonic Incursion.
You will need to fend off endless hordes of Daemon units and survive as long as possible in what will be a veritable orgy of slaughter and carnage. It won't be for the faint of heart, that's for sure.
The new Daemon units will be also included for free as a neutral faction in Planetary Supremacy. Stay tuned to learn more about the Daemons and Daemonic Incursion.
And speaking of Planetary Supremacy...
New Planetary Supremacy additions
Today we're releasing a free update, which contains, among other things, the first round of improvements to Planetary Supremacy.
We are adding HQ Upgrades for all factions: each playable faction now has a full tech tree to unlock.
Furthermore, new options when starting new games have been added.
This was a highly requested feature, and it's part of our first round of improvements to to Planetary Supremacy.
And there is more...
New Penitent Engine unit
As a free goodie, we are releasing a new Penitent Engine.
It is available to the Sisters of Battle minor faction in Planetary Supremacy, and it will join the full ranks of the Sisters of Battle as they become a full faction later this year.
Steam Cards, Sale and more
We are of course discounting Battlesector and its DLCs across the duration of the Skulls Festival, so this would be the best time to complete your collection.
It is called the Escalation Pack and it adds one new unit per faction, plus one for neutrals.
This unit's pack includes fan favourites such as Megatrakk Scrapjets for Orks, Skitarii Rangers for the Adeptus Mechanicus, Hive Guards for Tyranids, and more.
Warhammer Skulls is the celebration of all digital games about Warhammer.
There are loads of amazing discounts and new announcements from other studios, too. So we hope that you will check them out here: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/skulls
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - v1.1.25 Update
We're releasing a new update for Battlesector. As per usual, please let us know what you think of the list of changes. Your feedback is essential to keep improving the game.
The team is currently hard at work. We'll have news about new content in less than a month, it's a promise!
Changelog -------
- Added Armour and Evasion to the Army Management UI - Techmarine Omnissiah's Touch ability now removes Corrosion - Improved the presentation of the post-campaign statistics UI when completing Planetary Supremacy - Improved performance and reduced generation/loading times for some Planetary Supremacy procedural maps - Moved the Planetary Supremacy menu item to the main list (instead of under New Campaign) - Added a pop-up display when starting a new Planetary Supremacy campaign to indicate it is in active development, with a link to the forum to provide feedback and suggestions
Balancing ---------
- Necron Scarab Swarms no longer contribute to HQ Command Points - Frag Grenades now hit 9 splash targets, so all models in a Scarab Swarm units are damaged
Bug Fixes --------- - FIX - Necron Warriors summoned by Orb of Resurrection are sometime invisible - FIX - Using Graces of the Angels causes the game to badly stutter - FIX - AI opponents withdraw from thier base in Planetary Supremacy - FIX - Incorrect display of Planentary Supremacy difficulty level in Load/Save game UI - FIX - Units do not gain Movement Point bonus from Overlord aura on turn start - Fix shadow pop-in at low sun angles - FIX - Display the correct game title in the present information for the Epic launcher - FIX - After reloading of a ongoing mission, all dead Necron corpses reappear in the game. - FIX - Hunter's Mark UI indicator fused into model - FIX - Heirs of Azkaellon does not update if HQ unit dies
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector - v1.1.24 Update (Hotfix for 1.1.21)
We're releasing a new update that fixes two issues that emerged after yesterday's launch. These were:
- Some players are unable to connect to multiplayer match if they don't own the Necrons Faction Pack - Players are unable to access Necrons after purchase from Epic Game Store
We are really sorry for the inconveniences caused by these two. Unfortunately, it will take us a few days before the update on Xbox and PlayStation goes live, but in the meantime we are releasing the update on Slitherine, GoG, Epic and Steam.
We are also including some changes earlier than originally planned. Please let us know if you run into any technical issues.
Changes since 1.1.21 -------
- Changed how poison and acid damage works. Poison/Corrision now affects individual models, where previously it affected the unit but only damaged 1 model. Also added UI indicators for models with Corrision/Poison status effect under their health bars. - Added a new procedural map type. - Improvements to terrain modification and placement in procedural maps - Improve rendering performance of procedural maps - Implemented soft clip fading for decals - Updated the image used in the campaign selection UI for Planetary Supremacy - Added the first pass of a new post-campaign UI with numerous stats about the campaign playthrough - Change Thornback Deathspitter to do Acid damage and Devourer to do Poison damage - Reduced the time required to generate a procedural map, especially on consoles. This should improve loading times.
Balancing ---------
- Increase the Librarian health to 250 and Evasion to 15 - Reduced the health of Assault Marines to 50 and the Krak Grenade splash to 2 and AP 7 - Triach Praetorian: Raise point cost to 100, reduce gravity displacement pack movement to +3 - Tesla Weapons. -- Increase attacks of Tesla Carbine to 5 and splash targets to 3 -- Increate attacks of Tomb Blade Twin Tesla Carbine to 10 and splash targets to 3 -- Set cost of Tesla upgrades to 10 - Living Lightning : Increased the chance to attack an adjacent units - Lychguard : Reduced Warcythe upgrade cost to 25 - Fixed Broodlord HP incorrectly configured as 320 (changed to 380) - Adjust fire rate of Lokhurst Heavy Destroyer so that it's better against multi-model units at long range
Bug Fixes ---------
- FIX: Some players are unable to connect to multiplayer match if they don't own the Necrons Faction Pack - FIX: Players are unable to access Necrons after purchase from Epic Game Store - FIX: Overlord is rendered pink after using certain combinations of special abilities - FIX: (XB1/PS4) Crash when loading a save game with some specific Necron units - FIX: Units are in mid-air when re-loading some procederal map save games - FIX: Improved text for clarity for reinforcement cooldowns in Planetary Supremacy army management UI - FIX: Units can move on/into some procedural map terrain where they shouldn't - FIX: Setting targets in Planetary Supremacy difficulty often changes from 80 to 100 - FIX: Adjusted descriptions for Blood Lance & Death From Above to include the number of splash targets - FIX: Necrons do not glow when they reach 100 momentum - FIX: If a Necron unit is completely wiped out, but reanimates, then they have no faction trait status anymore - FIX: (PS4) Post-final mission screen (video) stays black. - FIX: Resource tile shows unknown still - FIX: Can move through enemy units without cost in procedurally generated maps - FIX: Skorpekh Destroyer reanimated after destruction from Plasmacyte Infusion has no visible model - FIX: Options are not saved when force quiting from the Option UI - FIX: Exploit on point capture during overwatch - FIX: Bonus Objective tokens aren't aligned right to match the UI elements - FIX: Gravity Displacement status icon not set - Fixed low volume of audio effects for Tyranid monster melee attacks, and incorrectly configure sound for the Thunder Hammer
ARISE! The Necrons are here.
++ Thought of the Day ++ Suffer not the unworthy to live. The Xenos, the heretic, the mutant, all must be driven from the galaxy by the Emperors' light
Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector.
We are releasing the first major expansion for the game, which includes support for a new faction, the Necrons, and a new type of skirmish campaign, called Planetary Supremacy.
For sixty million years, the Necrons have slept in their tombs. As of now, they are available as a playable faction in Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector. The Necron Faction Pack adds 14 new units, plus the Doom Scythe flyer for devastating HQ Commands.
From powerful HQ units, like the Overlord, Plasmancer and Hexmark Destroyer, to the common troops and supports like the Necron Warriors and Canoptek Scarab Swarms, the Necron army is a versatile collection of undying android destruction.
Do you prefer to launch ranged attacks from afar? The pinpoint accurate Deathmarks and the devastating enmitic strikes from the Lokhurst Heavy Destroyer are here to help.
Want to get up close and personal in glorious melee combat? Ferocious monstrosities like Skorpekh Destroyers or the flesh-hungry Flayed Ones will fit the bill.
The Necron Faction Pack adds dozens of new weapons, from fearsome gauss weaponry to lethal hyperphase technology, and tesla weapons that release living lighting that sears the flesh of multiple foes simultaneously.
A host of new special abilities are also available. Many Necrons are supported by Reanimation Protocols which can repair catastrophic damage, allowing the Necrons to relentlessly continue the fight against the lesser races. The Overlord can use his Orb of Resurrection to summon new Warriors to the battlefield or tailor the combat effectiveness of his forces via Command Protocols, whilst the Plasmancer unleashes utter devastation from all directions via such abilities as the Harbinger of Destruction and the Quantum Orb.
The Necron Faction Pack can be used in skirmish, multiplayer….and the new Planetary Supremacy campaign.
Planetary Supremacy is a new conquest-style skirmish campaign, available to all Battlesector players as part of the base game as a free update.
Three factions fight for control of a forgotten planet, but only one can prevail. Unlike Age of Crimson Dawn, Planetary Supremacy is not narrative-based, so you decide the outcome.
You’ll play on two levels - the overworld game board, and the procedurally generated battle maps. To achieve victory, expand your army and destroy the bases of your opponents, before they destroy yours.
On the overworld game board, you’ll manage your forces, and decide which areas of the map to capture. Some locations will include resources - capture these and you’ll get a bonus, such as a larger army point cap, or reduced cooldowns when reinforcing your army. But be warned: before your arrival, this world has long been at war, and existing forces across the planet will do their best to thwart your progress.
When you proceed to capture a tile, you’ll go into a battle against the current occupier of that location. Each battle will take place on a procedurally-generated map, meaning that each map will be different.
You can play as any faction* in Planetary Supremacy. If you’re a fan of Tyranids, and always wanted to help the Hive Fleet consume a world, this is your chance! Furthermore, as more factions are added to Battlesector in the future, they will instantly be available to use in Planetary Supremacy.
We started the development of Planetary Supremacy after we shipped the Blood Angels Elites Pack and Tyranid Elites Pack in December last year. What we are releasing today is just a first pass of this new style of campaign. We plan to expand this mode in the future, and we want your help. We’ll be seeking feedback from the community about how we expand this system and what new features you’d like to see added. If you would like to give us your feedback, we have prepared a special section of our forum for that purpose, and you can find it here.
*To play as the Necrons, you must own the Necron Faction Pack. You do not need to own the Necron Faction Pack to play against the Necrons.
Last but not least, starting at 6 pm GMT Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector will be discounted at 35% off for a few days.
OK, that’s all for now, though there will be plenty more Battlesector news in the coming months. We hope you enjoy the new Necron faction and Planetary Supremacy. - The Black Lab Games team
v1.1.21 Update - Including Planetary Supremacy campaign
We're releasing a new update for Battlesector, accompanying the release of the Necrons DLC.
The release of Necrons is imminent (just a few minutes now, it will be releasing exactly at 5 pm GMT), but we're making a separate post containing the changelog for the update that accompanies the DLC.
The highlight of this update is of course the addition of the first version of the Planetary Supremacy campaign.
We are extremely interested in hearing your feedback. This is just the first release, but Black Lab Games is fully committed in further developing Planetary Supremacy according to your feedback and expanding it with new content and features, so we want to hear from you. As such, we have dedicated a brand new sub-section of the Slitherine forum where we collect feedback. If you would like to help us improve Planetary Supremacy, please come to this forum section and let us know what you think.
Changes ------
- Support for the Necron Faction Pack. For sixty million years, the Necrons have slept in their tombs. Now they come to Battlesector! >> 14 new units, including the Overlord, Flayed Ones & Skorpekh Destroyers, with dozens of deadly new weapons and special abilities, such as Reanimation Protocols that revives dead units. >> Use HQ Commands to call in the deadly Doom Scythe, to deliver doom from above.
- Support for the 'Planetary Supremacy' skirmish campaign. >> Three factions fight for control of a planet. Eliminate the bases of your opponents to win. >> Battles take place on entirely new procedurally generated maps. >> Capture resource locations to boost your army.
- 'Fast Forward' and 'Skip' button settings are retained in subsequent turns - AI turns now take much less time, particulary when Fast Forward/Skip is used - Added a visualisation of the optimal range of the primary weapon when selecting a unit's destination - Added a new damage type, Acid, which causes a multi-turn status effect, Corrosion. This functions similar to Poison against organic units but instead applies to mechanical units. Changed Tyranofex Acid Splay to do Acid damage.
Balancing --------
- Reduced the Evasion gained from the Adepta Sororitas Devotion faction trait from 0.3 to 0.25 per Momentum - Reduced Seraphim Grace Evasion bonus to 10 - Adjusted the starting position of some Tyranid monsters near the Battle Sisters in Battle for Angels Fall - Increased Hand Flamer (and variants) AP to 2 and shots to 8
