Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical, Indie
Warno
Milestone MACDONALD Out Now!
Hello commander.
Get ready for another… surprise update by the Eugen team!
That’s right, the moment has come for another WARNO milestone, and guess what, it's available now! Let’s welcome to the stage the MACDONALD milestone. What kind of goodies can you expect from this update? A new British-focused Operation, for instance, plus the new Ranked-optimized Duel maps, a new variant of Airport, and more!
As always, we’ll start off with a historical primer. For you commanders itching to know all the juicy gameplay and update deets right now, best to scroll down further.
But for those of you with a bit more patience, let’s begin!
Macdonald’s Historical Namesake
Ah, Napoleonic history. Why does it matter to our Cold War aficionados playing WARNO? Well, it’s a Eugen tradition to name our milestones after a whole series of famous (and not so famous) French military commanders from the Napoleonic wars. With the latest update, it is the turn for the rather British-sounding (plot twist, he is not) Etienne Macdonald.
Macdonald has often been described as “honest”, in comparison with some of the other more looting or art-stealing French marshals. A loyal but very stern marshal, he took good care of his men, even though he was a strict disciplinarian, and there was little fun and diversion to be had under his command. Enlisted before the French Revolution, Macdonald rose in ranks during those tumultuous years. By 1800, he was a top lieutenant in General Moreau’s employ, who was a direct competitor to the ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte. As history has made it pretty clear, Moreau lost the political battle, which subsequently left Macdonald out of service.
This changed in 1809, when Austria declared war on France, with Napoleon and most of the Grande Armée campaigning in Spain. A new army in Germany needed to be raised double quick. To help command this force, Macdonald was brought back. With impressive battlefield successes, first in Italy and later in Austria, especially during the Battle of Wagram, Macdonald received the prestigious “dignity” of Marshal bestowed in the field - the only one of its kind.
Our commander continued with further service in Spain, campaigns in Germany - where he had to swim across the Elster River near Leipzig after the bridge had been blown up too early - and in 1814, in France proper. An intensely loyal man, he remained at the side of Napoleon until the latter officialy relieved him of his oath, when he went in exile. Having then pledged allegiance to the new French king, Macdonald, true to his word as he was, took up arms against his former commander-in-chief when Napoléon returned in 1815. Even so, the troops under Macdonald’s command, when he tried to rouse them into action against Napoleon, “politely” refused. Instead of arresting Macdonald, he was asked by his subordinates to leave, which he did, joining the French king in exile. After Napoleon’s second defeat, Macdonald was restored to the military, where he served the Bourbon king until his retirement, dying of old age in 1840.
Milestone Macdonald Features
We leave for our summer break with a milestone (MORTIER), and we are back with a new milestone (MACDONALD). What more could you ask for? Well, what’s inside the latest WARNO update, of course! Without further ado.
Milestone Macdonald features:
The new British Operation: Hold Until Relieved.
New Ranked-play optimized Duel variants of existing maps:
Black Forest Duel.
Vertigo Duel.
A new 3vs3 variant of the Airport map.
Operation Hold Until Relieved
We have one new Operation for you, the British-focused Hold Until Relieved. In this scripted single-player mission, the British Army on the Rhine (BAOR), on the boundary between CENTAG and NORTHAG, is fighting a determined rearguard battle against the invading Warsaw Pact. For reinforcements to come from staging points further west, time needs to be bought on the battlefield.
Forward-deployed elements of the British I Corps are hard-pressed as the Warsaw Pact takes Kassel and then nearby Warburg. The British 33 Armoured Brigade at Paderborn, part of the 3rd Armoured Division, deploys as quickly as possible. A screening battalion from the Queen’s Own Highlanders, dug in behind the Diemel River, has been badly mauled but continues holding the line.
In Hold Until Relieved, the player takes control of a small tank detachment from the Blues & Royals regiment, equipped with the heavy-hitting and armored Challenger tanks. They are sent to the Diemel River to reinforce the infantry and defend against a renewed offensive by the Soviet VDV’s 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade.
With very limited forces, you need to beat back a VDV attack on your positions while trying to keep as many units as possible alive. If you succeed, some additional reinforcements become available with the Operation entering its next stage. In this latter part of the battle, every man is expected to do their duty as you aim to destroy a Soviet FOB on the opposite bank of the Diemel.
More Duel maps
The previous milestone already featured the first of its kind, but now get ready for three more Duel maps. These are variants of existing maps specifically designed for Ranked 1vs1 play. The frontline is all yours to manage while you attack and defend smaller command zones. The new milestone MACDONALD features two new Duel maps: Black Forest and Vertigo.
Black Forest Duel
This new version sees players fight their way through very dense West German forests. If the opponent establishes a foothold in the sawmill area, you might want to reassign troops to capture the central town and industrial zones instead. Keep pushing to reach the valuable and easily defendable terrain.
Vertigo Duel
This Duel map features a wide frontline hard to defend (and to attack). Players can position their forces on the farms and forests to guard their flanks. Both sides need to use logistics and recon smartly to win this particular battlefield.
And even more maps
A healthy dose of Duel Ranked play doesn’t mean we have forgotten our other multiplayer modes. Milestone MACDONALD features a brand-new Destruction variant of Airport. This variant has massive Command Zones, fit for intense and savage fights, while still allowing for sneaky flanking attacks to get around your opponent’s units.
Massive gameplay patch, part one!
Get ready, this is one of our biggest gameplay patches yet! We've been working on it all summer to bring it to you now. However, this patch will be delivered in 2 parts to give us more time but also to take into account your feedback! Here are the elements:
Ready now:
Global adjustment of SMG/AR/BR/LMG/MMG/HMG
HMG penetration implemented
Global buff of explosions to be more in line with their area of effect
Global adjustment of ground and ground-to-air autocannons
Improved aircraft maneuverability and flight autonomy
Global adjustment of aircraft guns
Overall adjustment of aircraft HE bombs
Overall adjustment of MORTARS/HOWITZERS/MLRS
Adjustment of unarmed recons to enhance their usefulness
Scheduled for the next patch:
Adjustment of successive shot correction and shot dispersion for all weapons
Distinction between helicopter and aircraft armor to make it more realistic and better balanced
Complete rework of clusters with clarified UI explanation
Complete rework of the vet system, with 4 chevrons accessible mainly via commanders
Application of the same logic to the special forces vet system
Adjustment of the cohesion system
Adjustment of the cover offered by buildings/forests
Adjustment of all ATGMs (realistic and better
balanced reload time)
Adjustment of all optics (improved vision)
Generalization of traits to offer more explanations to players
Adjustment of multiple traits (Shock, GSR, Reservist...)
In addition to this, you'll find over 300 prices and availabilities modified and adjusted, and divisions revised and improved in terms of personality.
We are back in action
That’s all for today. With milestone MACDONALD’s release, consider the Eugen team back in action. Many more cool things are coming WARNO’s way, so don’t forget to check in and read our DevBlog when they drop.
Fix crash on Airport map occurring when destructing some specific buildings
v.101570: MORTIER Patch notes
Operations
The Dieburg Salient: optional character specified in the wording of the "Destroy AA" objective
The Dieburg Salient: enemy T-80UK replaced with T-80BVK
Tutorials
"Infantry - Basic Combat" : - The phase during which the player has to destroy two BMDs now starts when the advisors has endend its previous dialog sequence
"General - Basic I - Camera & Controls" : - Slight improvement of the fluidity of certain dialog sequences
Tutorial "General - Basic I - Camera & Controls" : - Hint : Addition of the mention of game pace control tools (arrows) in the UI.
Maps
New 3x3 Airport map
The highway pathfind of Twin Cities has been enhanced
Delivery of the "1vs1 Duel" scenario for the Two lakes map
Delivery of 10vs10 tactical scenario for maps: Rift, Twin Cities and Triple Strike
Features
New FXs for fuel explosion & helicopter crashes
Code fixes
When a unit asked for supply has reached the supplier, it will follow the supplier if this one goes out of range
It is now possible to use the last day of the month for the anniversary date when creating an account.
Generic
All tanks with reactive bricks now gets a new ERA trait, granting them +2 HP (10-->12) but their extra-armor is restricted to +1front & side armor value compared to their nonreactive counterpart, except T-80UD which get +2/+2 due to its next-gen reactive bricks being more efficient against kinetic rounds too. This affect the following tanks: T-62MV, T-64BV, T-64BVK, T-80BV, T-80BV Izd. 29, T-80BVK, T-80U, T-80UD, AMX-30B2 BRENUS
Very small splah damage added to infantry weapons
Small precision increase for autocanon around +5%
Change behaviour of MMG/HMG/Grenade tripod : 90° yaw angle and -40/+40° pitch angle, now allowing more firing situation
Change behaviour of ATGM tripod : 90° yaw angle and -40/+40° pitch angle, now allowing more firing situation (yes, they can have the high ground, Anakin)
All transport helicopter's price raised by +5 pts
All helicopter's max speed reduced by 10%
All ATGM jeep price increase +5 pts
+5% damage HE on autocanon and +6% on their splah area
Nato forces
Increased M1 & M1IP ABRAMS' 105mm gun's range from 2100m to 2275m (AP changed accordingly)
Gazelle Canon price increase to 50 pts
Puma Pirate price increase to 60 pts
Puma Pirate now avaibale with 2 cards of 4 units each
Decreased all AMX-30 (but BRENUS)'s armor to 9/4/3/2
Decreased AMX-30B2 BRENUS' armor to 10/5/3/2
Increased all AMX-30 (and only AMX-30!)'s 20mm accuracy from 34% to 58%
AMX-30B price decrease to 90 pts
AMX-30B CMD price decrease to 120 pts
AMX-30B2 price decrease to 135 pts
AMX-30B2 CMD price decrease to 165 pts
AMX-30B2 BRENUS price decrease to 145 pts
M1 Abrams price increase to 185 pts
M1 Abrams CP price increase to 215 pts
M1P Abrams price increase to 205 pts
M1P Abrams CP price increase to 235 pts
AMX-30's M621 autocannon renamed M693 as fitting
Increased AMX-30 (all)'s autocannon loadout from 300 to 480
AMX AuF1 Canon modified to match IRL behaviour, with 6x6 round salvos
Chasseurs Paras price increase to 55 pts
Légionnaires Paras price increase to 65 pts
Paras S.A.S price increase to 65 pts
M40A1 price increase to 45 pts
L6 WOMBAT price increase to 45 pts
Rover Wombat price increase to 50 pts
S.A.S price increase to 85 pts
Arm. rifle price increase to 40 pts
HSF price increase to 25 pts
Réservistes price increase to 25 pts
FR.Polizeu-Reserve price increase to 25 pts
Airmobile Gun Group price increase to 40 pts
Dismount Troopers price decrease to 50 pts
Kanjagd price increase to 50 pts
Pact forces
Increased T-64B, BV & BVK's armor from 14/7/3/3 to 17/9/4/3
Decreased T-64B, BV & BVK's AP from 18 to 17
Increased T-64B, BV & BVK's main gun accuracy from 55/45 to 65/55
Renamed T-64B, BV & BVK's main gu from 2A46M to 2A46-2
Decreased T-64BVK's number of auoloader "salvo" from 2 to 1 (halving main gun ammo)
Fix HE of RPO napalm launcher to 0.75 as intended
Fix armor error on T72M1 DDR, et to : 17/8/4/3
All T-72M armor set to 15/8/4/3
All T-72M range reduced to 2100m
All T-72M accuracy set to 55/45
All T-72M CMD ammo reduction to 22
All T-72M1 armor set to 17/8/4/3
All T-72M1 range reduced to 2100m
All T-72M1 accuracy set to 55/45
All T-72 armor set to 15/7/4/3
All T-72 range reduced to 1925m
All T-72 accuracy set to 55%/45%
Removed T-62MK's ATGM, as was the case with command variants
Replaced all T-62M's NSVT with a DShKM
Increased T-62M, M1 & MK's armor from 10/3/2/2 to 14/8/4/2 (it got better "real" armor protection than the "reactive" MV)
Increased T-62MV's armor from 12/6/3/2 to 12/9/4/3
Changed T-80U's armor from 20/9/3/2 to 19/9/5/3
Increased T-55AM2 & AM2B' 100mm gun's range from 2100m to 2275m (AP changed accordingly)
Increased 9M117 Bastion missile's accuracy from 40 to 60%, being IRL laser beam riding
Fupz T55AM2K3 price increase to 135 pts
Kpz T55AM2 price increase to 105 pts
Kpz T55AM2 base avaiability decrease to 8 per card
Kpz T55AM2B price increase to 135 pts
Kpz T55AM2B base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
Fupz T72M price increase to 195 pts
Kpz T72M price increase to 165 pts
Kpz T72M base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
Kpz T72 price increase to 140 pts
Kpz T72 base avaiability to 7 per card
Kpz T72M1 price increase to 190 pts
PAK MT-12 & MT-12 Rapira price increase to 85 pts
BMP-3 price increase to 85 pts
T62M1 price increase to 115 pts
T62M1 base avaiability decrease to 8 per card
T62MK price increase to 145 pts
T62M price increase to 145 pts
T62M base avaiability decrease to 7 per card
T62MV price increase to 145 pts
T62MV base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
T64B price increase to 210 pts
T64B base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
T64BV price increase to 245 pts
T64BV base avaiability decrease to 4 per card
T64BVK price increase to 275 pts
T80BV price increase to 250 pts
T80BVK price increase to 280 pts
T80BV IZD price increase to 255 pts
T80UD price increase to 350 pts
Gaz-66 ZU-23-2 price increase to 45 pts
Gaz-66 ZU-23-2 base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
SPG-9 price increase to 50
FS-SPG-9 price increase to 55
UAZ SPG-9 price increase to 50 / 55 pts (paras)
DESANT UAZ SPG-9 base avaiability decrease to 6 per card
Vopos price increase to 25 pts
K.D.A price increase to 50 pts
PT-76B price increase to 35 pts
T34/85 price increase to 35 pts
Milestone MORTIER Out Now
Hello!
We bring good news, commander. The latest WARNO milestone, MORTIER, is out now!
On the cusp of Eugen’s summer holidays, this major new update brings a host of new maps, from the new Airport map to 10vs10 variants, Duel type map, and a tank family rebalancing.
Keep reading to find out more, including a bit of history on MORTIER’s real-life namesake.
MORTIER’s Historical Namesake
As always, for those not interested in a brief history lesson on Napoleonic military commanders - an Eugen tradition - you can skip this section and jump straight into the WARNO good stuff further below.
Édouard Mortier was another mediocre corps commander during Napoleon’s conquest of Europe. Like many other marshals, he performed well as a leader of men when being a direct subordinate of Napoleon, but once given an independent command, became much weaker. In Mortier’s case, three weeks before Austerlitz, at Dürrenstein, he almost got his corps destroyed, sustaining terrifying losses but saving what he could by sheer personal courage and charisma.
Apart from his unusual demise, see below, his length was also somewhat extraordinary, being very tall for the average stature of men in that era (between 1.95 to 2,02m).
From 1812, Napoleon kept Mortier close by, giving him the command of the entire Imperial Guard (including infantry, cavalry, and artillery forces). Our commander played it shrewdly in 1815 when Napoleon returned from his Elba exile. He pledged himself loyal but conveniently skipped the Waterloo campaign thanks to a rather well-timed illness.
Equally interesting are his years post-Napoleon. Out of favor, he returned to the armed forces before meeting his demise in 1835 by an “Infernal Machine” when inspecting troops in Paris. Essentially a homemade volley gun, being a row of muskets (twenty-five in total) arranged on a wooden frame that could be fired simultaneously. This particular device was aimed at King Louis-Phillipe, in an assassination attempt, but hit Mortier and a few others of the royal entourage instead. A fitting, explosive death for a commander whose name in French means mortar!
Milestone MORTIER
So, what’s the new good stuff brought by the MORTIER milestone? First and foremost, the update will bring an always-top-of-the-list of new content: maps!
We lifted the tip of the veil of the Airport in a previous DevBlog. Check out all the new juicy details, including more info on new map assets and urban combat gameplay.
If you want to read more about the Duel map type, the new 10vs10 maps, or the updates to several tank series, check out this DevBlog here.
What does MORTIER ship?
The new Airport map.
3 new 10vs10 maps, which are uprated versions of Twin Cities, Rift, and Triple Attack.
1 new Duel scenario type (optimized for Ranked play) playable on the Two Lakes map.
Balance pass on several armored units, including the T-72 and AMX-30.
Less DevBlogs during August
Alright, commanders, with the MORTIER stage in the wild, this is also a good time for you to say that the DevBlog rhythm will be much slower in August as many of the team are on vacation.
Another Thursday, another WARNO DevBlog! In today’s post, the time has come to preview one of our new Army General campaigns. Let’s take a look at the strategic, turn-based BRUDERKRIEG campaign.
Before we continue, a very very important disclaimer: this new campaign, detailed in today’s DevBlog, will not be featured in the upcoming MORTIER milestone. Instead, it might find its way in a next milestone, as soon as possible (but no guarantees on timing or which milestone - you know the drill). Clear? Clear!
A brief primer on Army General
You might be unaware of what Army General entails. It was first introduced in Steel Division 2, emphasizing the “strategic” by offering a brand-new playing experience beyond the standard tactical battle. Army General is a turn-based strategic mode where you control dozens of formations on sprawling maps, from platoons to battalions and task forces.
Each turn represents a part of a day, with a campaign running for a number of set days. Within this period, you’ll be able to fight, defend, withdraw, call in reinforcements, decide on tactical options, call in aircraft, position your units for the best possible results, and ultimately achieve the objectives to win the Army General campaign. Once you do battle, you can select your forces and opt to have it resolved automatically or dive into tactical mode, which is our normal battle mode.
WARNO’s base Army General campaigns are all focused on NATO’s CENTAG area of operations, including the famous Fulda Gap. Each campaign will feature its array of formations and units, consistent with the order of battle for 1989, which each campaign playable by one side or the other. Each map focuses on a different sector of West Germany and the Inner German Border, and is massively detailed, based on actual satellite imagery and real-life maps.
You can play WARNO’s Army General campaigns either in single-player, versus, or cooperatively, and each will feature its own introductory video. Initially WARNO would have ship with fourArmy General campaigns, but we have increased this to five by updating and revising a test case campaign to be fully playable. And this new, smallest campaign - BRUDERKRIEG - we’ll detail today.
BRUDERKRIEG Campaign Detailed
Bad Hersfeld lies north of Fulda, which in our World War III scenario is the main axis of advance of the Soviet 8th Guards Army gunning for Frankfurt-am-Main. The flank of this Warsaw Pact offensive piercing through CENTAG needs to be secured. This task falls on the East German National Volksarmee, specifically the 4. Mot.-Schützen-Division (4.MSD). They will attack Bad Hersfeld, a town guarded by the forward-deployed 3-11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Once taken, the East Germans move on to secure Alsfeld, a critical crossroads with more easily traversable terrain further ahead. There, if the opportunity arises, the (4.MSD) would either dig in or continue to advance.
Most pressing would be a NATO counter-attack in this sector. And this threat would come chiefly from the West German 5. Panzerdivision set on not only taking back territory lost but threatening the whole Soviet offensive thrust further south. A series of pitched battles await in BRUDERKRIEG.
Check out a brand-spanking new video briefing we made for the BRUDERKRIEGArmy General campaign:
BRUDERKRIEG’s Gameplay
As we briefly mentioned, the BRUDERKRIEG campaign pits the East-German 4. Mot.-Schützen-Division (4. MSD) versus the U.S. 3-11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and scattered West German battalions, holding out until the West German 5. Panzerdivision (5. PzD) can deploy.
Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact player will be on the offensive. They must first force the defensive positions at Bad Hersfeld before rushing the crossroads at Alsfeld. Dense forests and rugged terrain make maneuvering close to the Inner German Border difficult, but beyond Alsfeld, the countryside opens up a bit. Speed is of the essence as NATO’s 5. Panzerdivision will likely launch a counteroffensive at their earliest convenience.
As you can see in the image, the 4.MSD is arrayed in two battlegroups: one vanguard featuring two infantry regiments (one made up of wheeled BTR, the other of BMP infantry fighting vehicles) with supporting artillery, an assault engineer battalion, and the divisional recon battalion. These are lined up directly in front of Bad Hersfeld. Behind it, the division’s second echelon. These forces are fixed until the town is captured and are composed of a second BTR infantry regiment, a tank regiment, as well as HQ forces, SAM, and MLRS battalions.
NATO Facing them, the lonely 3-11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the only American squadron (U.S. cavalry called battalions squadrons) in this scenario. Behind this force, a few scattered West German battalions while the first brigade of the 5. PzD hasn’t deployed yet. They will be unlocked over time (but not necessarily all at the same moment).
The unenviable task of delaying the entire East German offensive by itself in the first key turns rests on American shoulders. What to do? Fight and die alone in Bad Hersfeld but gain some crucial hours? Or fall back while they can, regroup with the West German reinforcements, and go on a risky counter-attack when the opportunity arises? By giving up the crossroads to 4.MSD, the East Germans can fan out and deploy out of their constricted attack column.
As you can see, the 3-11th ACR features an Attack Value of 18 and a Defensive Value of 11. A single squadron is quite a handful, almost as powerful as an entire East German infantry regiment with support.
The Americans have genuine prospects of holding their ground for a turn or two, even launching a local counter-attack on an overextended Volksarmee. But there is a considerable risk of being destroyed. Withdrawal is always an option, but it might give the Warsaw Pact an early advantage in subsequent fighting centered on Alsfeld.
If and once Bad Hersfeld has fallen, the 4.MSD’s second echelon of units will be made available. The whole division can now rush Alsfeld. Depending on the speed of the march, the East Germans can arrive in the town in about a turn before the first advanced elements of NATO’s 5. PzD reach the outskirts of Alsfeld. From then on, the tables turn. The Warsaw Pact becomes the defender under attack by a newly reinforced and much stronger West German task force.
Army General New Features
As we keep smoothing out our Army General, a couple of new features and systems have made it into the mode. Such as?
Improved Army General UI In the above screenshot of the 3-11th ACR, you might have spotted the Active label. This is one of the many minor improvements we have added to the UI in our strategic mode. It lets a player immediately see which battalions can engage the enemy and which do not. In this particular case, the only forces with enough Action Points left are the three formations with the Active label.
Battle Plan System We have already lifted the tip of the veil on a new feature of WARNO’sArmy General mode, the new Battle Plan system. Read more about the first reveal in this post here. We have continued working on it, allowing you to select any available battalion straight from the Battle Plan’s list, without having to click on them in the field directly. This is especially useful for air assets, which in Steel Division 2 required you to scroll to an airfield on the map to select them.
Depending on their role, battalions will not occupy the same slots:
COMBAT battalions can be placed in 2x slots. These include infantry, tank, and helicopter battalions.
AUXILIARY can be used in a 1x slot. These are recon, territorial or militia forces, and engineers battalions.
ARTILLERY battalions can also be placed in a 1x slot. These are towed or self-propelled gun battalions or Multiple Rocket Launcher Systems (MLRS), which can join the fight from afar.
AIR occupy 1x slot. These are ground attack, fighter, or SEAD squadrons.
New Tactical Choices In each Army General campaign, we have introduced new “tactical choices.” At some point, you might be asked to choose between two options, each with its consequences. These can range from which reinforcement formation, to accepting help from a nearby operational command (or not), deploying heavy equipment, etc. Some will just give you new units, others grant you handy victory points, while others will cost you more.
Coming up next
We are aware that the Army General mode is taking its time. Some of the community are growing restless, we dare say, but please keep in mind the significant undertaking of this major new WARNO feature. Everything from Steel Division 2’s era has been redone, from the introduction to the Battle Plan system, battalion categories, Action Points, the map, and UI. And a very big addition is this BRUDERKRIEG campaign, which we added on top of the four original Army General scenarios currently in the works.
We are talking about a serious amount of work. However, the hard part is out of the way. With BRUDERKRIEG, we established a lot of the new Army General foundations. This means that creating and updating the next ones will be much quicker (and hopefully easier too).
You might notice that BRUDERKRIEG uses only one-third of a much larger map. This is CENTAG’s northern flank, connecting it with NATO’s NORTHAG.
This map will be used in its entirety in our campaigns, with all likely wartime formations present. That’s a serious amount of gameplay right there!
Map Making Stream
Before we leave you be, a brief message from our valued community member Protosszocker. This Friday, three members of the amazing Eugen map-making team will join the SDL stream for another Friday Night WARNO event. They will play games with the community while discussing WARNO’s map creation’s process and ongoing projects.
If you want to have the chance to interact, play with, or against WARNO devs, make sure to join the event.
We hope you are well. As you might know, last week saw the release of the latest WARNO milestone, VICTOR, bringing a bunch of exciting new features and improvements to our game. Check out this dedicated DevBlog to know all the ins and outs of this new milestone.
In today’s DevBlog, let’s lift the tip of the veil on the hodgepodge of new features you can expect to hit WARNO in the coming future, including the next milestone MORTIER.
The MORTIER milestone
The Eugen team never rests on their laurels. We are busy with the next batch of updates. When? Let’s plaster the Eugen trademark of “when it’s done, it’s done” for the time being. But the What? is something we can answer today.
As part of our production pipeline, we are working on the upcoming milestone, codenamed MORTIER. Some of the new features listed further below might be part of this milestone, but only when finished, tested, and ready to ship. What we can say will be part of MORTIER is the following:
The new 3vs3 Airport map.
New 10vs10 versions of existing maps, namely Twin Cities, Rift, and Triple Attack.
A new 1vs1 Map Duel variant of existing maps, used to expand the number of Ranked maps for competitive play.
Other improvements, updates, and changes, including potentially some of those listed below.
Mind you, everything else described next is - in one way or another - very much work-in-progress. Likewise, the release date of MORTIER is still up in the air, but we hope to have it done soon (Eugen trademark).
New Maps
As explained above, we will try to feature several new maps in MORTIER. The first one on the list is the previously revealed Airport map, set for 3vs3 play. Read more about it in this DevBlog here.
We mentioned this before, but the Airport map will feature several new assets and improvements in level design, gameplay, and balance. Dynamic urban combat is one of them!
New 10vs10 variants As is a popular request for quite some time already, we’ve been hard at work at providing even more 10vs10 maps. Part of the work involves tweaking the AI so that they will accommodate the new player count. The next set of 10vs10 maps will be updated versions of the existing Twin Cities, Rift, and Triple Attack.
Let us know what you think. We will keep refining the 10vs10 format, depending on your feedback and comments!
New 1vs1 Map Duel We have also listened to your feedback about wanting more 1vs1 maps, especially balanced ones for competitive play. A new series of maps are in the works, called Duel, which will be offered for Ranked play.
MORTIER will probably feature the first 1vs1 Duel scenario, playable on the Two Lakes map. Other maps of this new type should significantly increase the number of maps available in Ranked. We are also working on a 1vs1 Duel version of the Airport map.
New Operations
We are working on two new Operations. We aim to include a host of single-player battle scenarios intimately tied to our overall fictional World War III. The current roster of Operations range from desperate rearguard combat Black Horse’s Last Stand, Soviet airborne assault in The Kitzingen Ruse to the devastating tank battles in Red Juggernaut.
In the next two Operations, one will take place at the far northern end of CENTAG with the British Army on the Rhine, while another zooms in on the Soviet efforts to breach the NATO defenses on the outskirts of Frankfurt.
Hold Until Relieved
In the first scenario, the British Army on the Rhine will have its glorious appearance. While the British were chiefly responsible for NORTHAG, in our war scenario, a successful Soviet push on the operational boundary between NORTHAG and CENTAG sees several British Army units being pushed further south from the original positions.
In the upcoming Hold Until Relieved, forward-deployed elements of the British Army of the Rhine are hard-pressed by the Warsaw Pact spearhead aimed at Dortmund, with Soviet units first taking Kassel and then nearby Warburg. With only limited forces available, the British 33 Armoured Brigade at Paderborn, part of the 3rd Armoured Division, is rushed to the front to buy time for reserves to deploy in the rear. A battalion from the
Milestone VICTOR Available Now!
Happy days, commander!
We are the bearer of good news. Are you ready for a new major WARNO update? Then get to it, as we have released the new VICTOR milestone today!
VICTOR brings a new 10v10 map, updated T-64 models, quality of life improvements, the new Dieburg Salient Operation, and significant balance changes.
You want all the juicy deets? Keep on reading!
Milestone’s namesake
Before we continue, here is a little historical primer on the VICTOR milestone. For you complainy pants who don’t like to know more about military history (especially the Napoleonic Wars, as is Eugen’s tradition), you can skip this section and dive right into the meat of the WARNO update further below.
Let’s welcome to the stage, Claude Victor Perrin. The only French Marshal who has gone to posterity with his nickname Victor (meaning Victorious in Latin). Pretty gnarly. But Victor is a bit of a red herring because, despite this name, like many others in the top echelon of la Grande Armée, he was not up to leading an army corps. Becoming a marshal was less about his skills and more because, for a very long time, he was Napoleon’s friend.
Always the sub-par commander, one particular battle saw the fate of the whole army rest on Victor’s shoulder, and for once… he transcended his own mediocrity. November 28th, 1812, which is the fateful day of the Berezina Crossing after the long retreat from Moscow. The remains of the French Army were using the makeshift bridges, with Victor’s corps, being the least mangled, used to cover the eastern bank. Greatly outnumbered and lacking any manpower for a defense, he did the only thing he could do in the face of the Russian push… he attacked.
Victor did this so skillfully, switching regiments with each advance, that the Russians thought the whole Grande Armée was coming for them. Our commander stove off the Russians long enough to save many French soldiers. That was Victor’s claim to fame. Afterward, personal blunders in 1813 and 1814 made Victor’s position untenable in Napoleon’s army. He played no further part in the subsequent fighting and political maneuvering of Napoleon’s first exile, return, and fateful last battle. Victor died in 1841.
Milestone VICTOR’s features
Now, back to World War III business. What will the new WARNO milestone bring to the table?
The Dieburg SalientOperation.
A new 10vs10 map, which is an updated variant of Darkstream.
T-64 visual rework, including both T-64B and T-64BV.
The deck editor has a new unit card drag-and-drop feature.
Major balance changes.
Dieburg Salient
A new single-player scenario, a French set-piece called The Dieburg Salient, has dropped. In a scripted defense-in-depth battle, you’ll get to play the rapid French 7e Division Blindée as it is redirected from the south to CENTAG to hold the crucial forward positions near Dieburg against a Soviet armored attack a week into the invasion.
The Soviets are knocking on Frankfurt’s doors, and any relief efforts of this important NATO city will depend on your expert defense of the Dieburg salient, acting as a springboard for a further drive north. As a commander, deploy swiftly and use the full battle space for maneuvering. The open terrain is tank country, but as enemy mobile SAMs are wreaking havoc on French air support. Take care of them first, defeat continued heavy (armor) attacks, and wait for further French reinforcements to claim victory.
Let’s see what you think of the Dieburg SalientOperation!
New 10vs10 map
We unveiled the new 10vs10 map version of Darkstream in our DevBlog last week, together with the new Airport map. As mentioned, it is an uprated version of the 8vs8 Darkstream, with new deployment zones and AI behavior.
New drag-and-drop feature
It’s the small things that make all the difference, right? A quality-of-life improvement has made its way into WARNO’s deck creation editor. The new drag-and-drop feature in the user interface allows you to rearrange your unit cards easily and with the order you set faithfully reflected within the actual game. Rejoice!
Organize your units by priority, combined arms, subcategories, or using the first card as a panic button; the choice is yours. And no fear: fans of the auto sort by price feature can still apply it to your entire deck with a single click of the sort option in the editor.
Balance changes and T-64 model
Like we did with other Soviet tank models, including the T-72 and the T-80, so too the T-64 is getting a much-needed visual overhaul. A remodel, a lick of paint, and this battle tank is ready to shine again on the WARNO battlefields.
Moreover, a host of balance changes and improvements have made their way into WARNO. Be sure to check out the patch log notes when you can!
WARNO League Super Tournament
That’s all for the Victor milestone. But before we leave you, a reminder about the upcoming WARNO League Super Tournament, which will take place on the 8th and 9th of July. To sign up for the second edition of this WARNO tournament, organized by none other than our esteemed community member Protosz, or to check for more details, be sure to visit here.
The two-day event will see the best of the WARNO’s best duel it out across a series of competitive online matches. The competition is a 32-player single-elimination format. There is even a small pot of prize money. Check out the SDL Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/sd_league to follow all the WARNO League Super Tournament action!
See you on the battlefield
That’s it for today. Let us know your thoughts on the VICTOR milestone.
A new 10vs10 map, which is an updated variant of Darkstream
T-64 visual rework, including both T-64B and T-64BV
It is now possible to organize the order of the cards in your deck
Operations
Operation The Kitzingen Ruse: after choosing "Fight to death", the mission will end on a victory when the player has no unit left on the battlefield
In game videos are now smaller in Black Horse's Last Stand and Red Juggernaut
Götterdämmerung
Airplane platoons are now correctly named PAAR
Replaced main sections of Mot.-Schutzen (METIS) with Mot.-Schutzen (BTR), remaining Mot.-Schutzen (METIS) in HQ sections will now use SPW-70 instead of BMP
Fixed miscellaneous typos
Code Fixes
Fixed helicopter and plane corpse textures when loading a game
Fixed the display of the number of smarts groups.
Fixed AI no longer hesitating between multiple targets
Fixed the display of some models in low graphics in the armory
Fixed a bug that allowed foot infantry to stress a nearby vehicle.
Units that have satchel charges will no longer melee a tank they cannot destroy
Disabling the weapons of an armed vehicle now stops the hunt order
Fixed a bug that no longer allowed to give a smart order to a unit during its production
Fixed a crash that occurred in multiplayer mode
Command zone are more transparent
Data fixes
Improved Polish translation
Helicopter transported infantry now suffer damage as ground transported ones when vehicle is destroyed
At canon armor changed to infantry category. Health points reduced accordingly
Removed sorting impacts for HMG and MMG
Removed sorting on automatic grenade launcher
Fixed an issue with Abrams Reco threat level
Typo fixed in multiplayer menu
Fixed MAN KAT trucks not using fuel
Generic
All ATGM missile speed +10%
All ATGM suppression +120%
All infantry AT launcher get +200% suppression & +10% suppress splash
All tank gun -10% suppression
All tank gun +10% dispersion
All tanks rotation speed +10%
All autocannons (except planes) -10% HE
Ground and Helicopter Autocannons accuracy divided by 3, accuracy now display salvo accuracy instead of shot accuracy
Max AP of Helis autocannons modified for: 20mm = AP6, 25mm = AP7, 30mm = AP8
Change effectiveness of several light munition and autocannons on helis
AGS17 and Mk.19 grenade launcher splash reduce to 2 & 3 m
All spaag at 5% accuracy up to 10%
All spaag suppression +5%
All spaag ground range +175m
Time between shots set to 4s for Buks, Kubs, Hawks & Rapier FSA
Time between shots set to 3s for all other missile AA
Inf weapons are not harmonized anymore, HE and supp based on caliber
Small weapons HE modified: 9mm = 0,0375 / 5.56mm = 0.04 / 7,62mm = 0.0475
MMG HE & suppression modified: 5.56mm = 0.375HE and 6 suppression / 7.62mm = 0.13HE and 8 suppression
Stress radius of all 5,56 and 7.62mm set to 6 and 8 m
Reduce splash damage of MG and MMG from 20 to 7 meters
All vehicle / tanks 7.62mm MMG +175m range ground and air
Overall pass on helicopter maneuverability
Shock trait aura reduced to 145m
Major pass on pricing (130+ prices slightly modified)
CMD infantry overall price decreased
Smoke grenade duration reduced to 20 seconds
Decreased inf AT range 850m to 750m
+5% accuracy for all infantry AT
Sniper bolt -175m range / HE decreased to 0.13HE / 100 suppression / 60 ammo
Sniper semi-auto -350m range / HE decreased to 0.13HE / 50 suppression / 100 ammo
Semi Auto sniper rifle Rof set to 20
All Engineers, sapeurs... avaliability reduced
All engineers costs +5 pts
Satchels AP & HE reduced to 1, supply cost x30
Flamethrower HE & suppression decreased to 0.5 HE & 125 suppression
FLamethrower range set to 350m
Flamethrower accuracy reduced to 45%
Infantry napalm launcher supply cost x2
Flash napalm launcher HE decreased to 0.5 HE and 100 suppression
RPO napalm launcher HE decreased to 0.6 HE and 125 suppression
Satchel Charge RoF decreased from 15 to 4
Sniper caracteristics changed: Sniper units gain a +500% damage bonus, +1 Stealth level and Accuracy bonus when not moving. The sniper must remain still for 10 seconds.
Nato forces
Gepard 1A1 & AMX-13 DCA get more ammunitions
Increased all Pivads price from 55 to 75 pts
UH1 transport set to 35 pts
Alouette III transport set to 30 pts
Gazelle transport set to 30 pts
Puma's transport set to 40 pts
Lynx transport set to 40 pts
UH60 transport set to 55 pts
CH-47C transport set to 45 pts
Decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.9's availability per card from 9 to 8
Decreased AMX-30B's availability per card from 12 to 9
Decreased AMX-30B2's availability per card from 9 to 8
Changed M60A3 (TTS)'s base veterancy from XP2 to XP1
Decreased M1A1 ABRAMS's availability per card from 6 to 4, number of cards changed accordingly where required
Decreased M1A1(HA) ABRAMS's availability per card from 3 to 2, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased LEOPARD 1A1's availability per card from 12 to 10
Decreased LEOPARD 2A3's availability per card from 6 to 3, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased LEOPARD 2A4's availability per card from 3 to 2, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased PANZERGRENADIER (CARL G.)'s availability per card from 9 to 8
Removed MIRAGE F1C-200's XP1 choice
Increased TORNADO F.3 [AA]'s base veterancy from XP1 to XP2
Decreased CHAPARRAL's s availability per card from 6 to 4, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased PIVADS' availability per card from 9 to 8
Decreased AB M167 VULCAN' availability per card from 9 to 8
Moved AH-1F ATAS from AA to HELO tab
Increased AIRMOBILE SCOUT's availability per card from 6 to 8
All JAGUAR GR.1A renamed GR.1
5Pz
Decreased PZ.GRENADIER (M113)'s number of cards from 3 to 2
Decreased PZ.GRENADIER (Marder)'s number of cards from 6 to 5
all
Decreased AH-64A APACHE [ROCKET]'s number of cards from 4 to 2
Pact forces
Decreased Tunguska price from 185 to 175 pts
D44 AT guns price increased to 50 pts
AT12 AT guns price increased to 70 pts
Zis2 AT guns price increased to 40 pts
Mi-2T transport set to 30 pts
Mi-8T transport set to 40 pts
D44, T12 Rapira, and Zis2 AT guns accuracy down to 45%
Decreased 2K12 KUB's availability per card from 4 to 3
Decreased OSA's availability per card from 6 to 4, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased D-30 12mm's availability per card from 4 to 3
Moved KA-50 AKULA [AA] from AA to HELO tab
Decreased KPZ. T-55A's availability per card from 12 to 10
Increased KPZ. T-55AM2B's availability per card from 6 to 8
Decreased FUPZ. T-55M2K3's price from 120 to 125
Decreased KPZ. T-62M1's availability per card from 12 to 10
Increased KPZ. T-62MV's availability per card from 6 to 8
Decreased KPZ. T-72's base veterancy from XP2 to XP1
Decreased KPZ. T-72M's availability per card from 9 to 8
Decreased KPZ. T-72M1's availability per card from 9 to 6
Decreased T-80B's availability per card from 9 to 8
Decreased T-80BV's availability per card from 6 to 4, number of cards changed accordingly
Decreased T-80BV IZD. 39's availability per card from 6 to 4
Reduced ammo count on Su 22 UPK Pod
First Look at New Airport Map
Hello, hello!
What’s on the menu for today? Well, a fresh WARNO map is ready to be unveiled in today’s DevBlog. Previously teased as the feature project of a novel landmark, let’s welcome the new Airport map to the stage.
The Kassel Airport Battleground
The map-building team has been hard at work on the upcoming Airport map, set to highlight a typical military objective during the Cold War. In the new map’s specific case, we are looking at the Kassel-Calden Airport, a prime target during our World War III scenario.
The Airport map is a battlefield designed for 3vs3 fights, taking up 80km², chiefly centered on the operations of a military airfield, including runway, taxiways, hangars, hardened shelters, and surrounding terrain.
What makes Airport special?
As you know, we keep a close watch on your feedback on existing maps (and wishes for new battlefields). We always analyze what works, what does not, and what could be changed to fit our vision of WARNO. As we mentioned in last week’s DevBlog, urban combat, in particular, is one special area we are busy developing and improving.
The Airport map brings not only a military airfield but also new built-up areas featuring the upcoming novel approach of close-quarter combat. Players wishing to occupy cities or towns must be able to quickly identify strategic points and determine which sections to deploy to. We want to impart to the players the feeling that their decision-making will directly impact the gameplay. As such, Airport features the new urban “blocks”; they will have certain advantages when it comes to vision and endurance of the buildings themselves. The new map will be the first to contain this type of revised urban combat.
When we published our previous DevBlog, we clearly noted that the size of the districts and the empty areas in between were still a work in progress, and subject to change. We have reworked these particular elements to bring them more in line with player expectations.
Districts will be smaller than initially planned, which will result in denser cities. This process doesn’t stop; we are still working around the clock to improve the gameplay experience within built-up areas.
Please note that the new urban combat mechanics in Airport is just a slice. As we mentioned before, following Airport’s release, other (new) maps will feature even more extended built-up terrain.
Other gameplay changes We have done many internal tests on Airport, all to fine-tune the placement of sectors, assets, and the like. The different Command Zones have been positioned in such a way that it provides an exciting experience to all sides without becoming too symmetrical.
Enhanced Atmosphere We took extra steps to enhance Airport’s atmosphere by introducing a host of “war” events on the map. These include plane crashes, to give the impression of an ongoing conflict unfolding in the background. Our idea really was to say: “Okay, this airport has just been attacked - now it is our turn, guys!”
New Assets Specifically for Airport, we developed a series of new assets (twenty new 3D models, to be exact). The city on the map also features new buildings, structures, and assets. Our 3D artist and level-building teams have redoubled their efforts to create immersive and realistic environments.
A new 10vs10 map
The Airport map is not the only new battlefield coming to WARNO. Also in the works has been a new version of Darkstream, to be playable in our 10vs10 mode. This comes on the back of a popular request to supersize the 8vs8 map. To make this a reality, we had to rewrite the AI to consider this number of players. Now, if any player leaves the match mid-game, in order not to unbalance the session, the AI will try its best to continue playing in the most optimal way.
WARNO League Super Tournament
Before we bid you adieu, a message from our esteemed community member Protosz about the second edition of the upcoming WARNO League Super Tournament.
The WARNO League Super Tournament will take place on the 8th and 9th of July. To sign up, or check for more details, be sure to visit the dedicated page for the competition here. Limited spots are still open!
Once again, the two-day event will see the best of the WARNO’s best duel it out across a series of competitive online matches. The competition is a 32-player single-elimination format. There is even a small pot of prize money for the bestest of WARNO commanders. Who will take the crown?
Prefer to watch the battle unfold from the sidelines? Be sure to check out the SDL Twitch stream at https://www.twitch.tv/sd_league to follow all the WARNO League Super Tournament action!
See you on the battlefield
The map team is, as always, happy to share their latest works. We hope you’ll enjoy the new Airport map - “when it comes out”, Eugen trademark - as much as the team enjoyed creating it. Stay tuned!
We hope you are well! We guess most of you are enjoying the fruits of our recent labors: the new milestone LEFEVBRE. Two new divisions, one new Operation, new T-80 tank models, and a host of updates have made their way to WARNO.
Let’s look at some upcoming changes today, specifically related to urban combat, as well as give a big shout-out to a great community-made resource: the WarYes website.
Feedback, comments and upcoming changes
Before we dip in for real: yes, people, we hear you loud and clear. All the feedback, comments, proposed changes, and other suggested improvements are being taken into account by the Eugen team. If we don’t react immediately, it doesn’t mean things aren’t cooking in Eugen’s kitchen. Mind you to keep the discourse to the developers and other players cool, calm, and collected.
Design choices, be it those affecting weapon stats, units, divisions, mechanics, etc., all come from a rationale powered by realism, historical accuracy, and, most of all, fun. We have been doing this for quite a few years, and we have a clear vision for WARNO. This means an authentic, immersive World War III battle simulator set during a conventional-fought invasion of West Germany in 1989. Our primary focus is making this base scenario exciting and realistic, including tailor-made decks, unit load-outs, strategic campaigns, and single-player scripted Operations.
To address some concerns out there, the Eugen team is hard at work on improving and tweaking the current “tank” meta, as well as revising urban combat (more on that below), introducing a new map (more details next week), and other changes. Have a bit of patience; with the game in Early Access, things are still bound to change regularly until the full launch (and likely after).
With that out of the way, a sneak peek at Urban combat.
A new way of fighting
Throughout WARNO’s Early Access period, many of you have voiced the opinion that combat within urban terrain could be improved. So we went to the drawing board and conducted many internal tests to see what we could do. One of the major elements we decided might work would be to revise the urban density of towns and cities, making them more fun to play.
What does that mean?
Urban warfare In the current way of doing things, combat in built-up areas aims to create defensive positions on the map, encouraging a very high troop concentration. In cities, infantry leads the way.
The upcoming revised approach sees urban districts built around a main street axis instead. Empty spaces between districts will provide clear Lines of Sight. Districts might be linked by uncovered roads. Moving between urban districts will turn into a high-risk-high-reward maneuver.
From density to stealth Buildings that provide garrison opportunities (houses, any kind of structure) will become more or less dense. Consequently, they fulfill a function as Line of Sight breakers, potentially being able to mask your units.
This encourages more dynamic tactical play, using cover and Line of Sight to fight at your own choosing. This also means tanks play a bigger role, shooting down streets but still being dangerously close to satchels, AT rockets, and ATGMs.
Spacing We have created a new development tool that provides the optimal distance to separate garrison spaces. It takes into consideration standard ranges, depending on the weapon type. As such, cities and urban terrain are now built up using the following metrics:
Hand-to-hand range: Satchel and explosive charges.
Close-quarters range: SMG range, supply and Command traits.
Remote range: Assault rifles, medium machine guns, rocket launchers. Beyond this range threshold, structures might be considered out of range of light weapons, but they still might be in the range of sniper rifles and heavy machine guns.
Tank range: tank guns and ATGMs.
Mortar range: this range bracket helps us determine which out-of-town forests and terrain features will be used a lot by mortars, AA, ATGM, and supplies.
Considering all the above lets us design new, more exciting towns and cities. These changes will create dynamic urban gameplay based on movement, quick decision-making, taking risks when needed, or even bluffing.
Urban is still the prime fighting space for infantry, but tanks become more appealing, while equipment and weapon load-out will be a decisive factor before a commander takes the plunge and enters urban combat.
WarYes Website
Now for something a little bit different. We want to shine the spotlight on a most excellent community-made website, the WarYes page. Created by StrikeTeam member Captain Toucan and community member izohek, WarYes provides an easy-to-use comparative tool of everything related to WARNO, from units to weapons, division breakdown and an automated patch note generator.
If you want to take your WARNO experience to the next level, be sure to check out WarYes. Browse the page, and compare one unit to the next. It’s got things like:
Unit browser, including stats (even thoughts not visible because of UI limitations).
Weapon browser, listing all the statistics from turn speeds to how fast specific rounds, missiles, or rockets move once fired.
Comparison features, from infantry to units to weapons and more.
Online deck builder.
Deck library.
Automated patch notes generator.
Division analysis.
Browse the page, search for units, and compare them to others.
Check weapons featured in WARNO and see which units are associated.
Discover the deck library with loads and loads of decks from the WARNO community. High-ranking players are marked, so you can identify those decks that might make a difference. Of course, it's the skills that pay the bills. Filter decks for the divisions you like to play.
It's even possible to import and export decks from the game to WarYes and back again.
Really wanna win that internet fight of who/what/which is the best? WarYes even got a division analysis feature, giving you insight into which divisions are considered being the strongest (and weakest) in specific categories. Inspired by the community, of course.
Worried about another Eugen sneak deployment of a milestone or patch? Look no further and check out the auto-generated patch notes. WarYes analyses the game files between versions to display all changes (even those unseen).
See you on the battlefield
That’s it for this DevBlog. We’ll be back next week!
