Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical, Indie
Warno
Milestone LEFEBVRE Available Now!
Rejoice, commander!
The latest WARNO milestone has dropped, with the new LEFEBVRE update available now!
What can you expect from today’s surprise deployment? Next to two new battlegroups, detailed in last week’s DevBlog, you’ll also get to play with a brand-spanking new Operation, plus updated T-80B/BV tank models.
Before we dive deep, a bit of history to shine a light on the update's namesake (and his rather colorful wife).
Historical background LEFEBVRE
Our latest marshal wasn’t initially a regular one. When Napoleon restored the dignity of being a marshal, he granted it to eighteen active généraux de division. The same honorary rank he also bestowed on four older, inactive generals who were commanders in chief during the Revolutionary Wars. François Joseph Lefebvre was one of the latter. With Napoleon’s new rank, he was also made “senator for life,” with these old warrior commanders now benefiting from a precious golden retirement napping on the (mostly useless) French Senate’s benches.
Born in the mid-18th century, Lefebvre enlisted in 1773 and had risen to the rank of sergeant, the best a low-born commoner could achieve, by the time of the French Revolution in 1789. Popular among his men in the period of the haphazardly organized revolutionary armies, he then quickly made general. Wounded in 1799, Lefebvre resigned from active service, holding only territorial commands, including being the military governor of Paris.
In this capacity, he played a vital role during the bloodless coup d'état that brought Napoleon to power and ended the French Revolution, which almost didn’t succeed. During the so-called Coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799, Lefebvre saved Napoleon and his brothers when they were about to be outlawed as the coup started to go awry, restoring order in the process, and ensuring Napoleon ousted the Revolutionary politicians.
A born leader Lefebvre was rewarded for his support by Napoleon, but instead of retiring, he returned to active service. The old commander was kept in the rear, training and organizing new levies, but Napoleon entrusted him with a campaign posting in 1806, giving him command of the Old Guard infantry. A prestigious position, but with no real initiative, as the Guard was only sent into combat by Napoleon himself. Like many Napoleonic Marshals, a true corps’ command exceeded Lefebvre’s capacities. Despite his military shortcomings, he and his wife were adored by Napoleon, thanks to the commander’s good nature and his wife's rather colorful character.
An interesting companion Bringing us to an ever-interesting footnote: for Catherine Huebscher, Lefebvre’s wife, went on to achieve a greater posterity than her military husband. While few remember the origin of the turn of the phrase, in France to this day, she is known as “Madame Sans-Gêne” (meaning “Lady Shameless” or “Lady Brazenness”) for her outspokenness, combining her modest upbringing with a very sharp wit.
An illiterate laundrywoman when she married Lefebvre, she was a sharp contrast with the imperial court, who likewise came from a humble upbringing. Thanks to the Revolution and Napoleon’s connection, she became part of the nobility, but she never forgot her origins. Her plain language, Germanic accent and directness resulted in no fans with the old nobility who despised her. An unexpected ally was Napoleon himself, who grew fond of her frankness, even when it was directed at him. He created a new Imperial nobility, with the Lefebvre couple being the first one elevated to ducal status, an obvious message to the rest of the court.
Lefebvre remained with Napoleon until the end of 1814, even when all was lost, and he was one of the first to rally to him when he briefly returned in 1815. Too old (and too popular) to be punished after the ultimate downfall, he was left in retirement until his death in 1820. His wife survived him by 12 years.
LEFEBVRE Milestone brining units
With our brief history lesson done, let’s get back to the matters at hand: WARNO’sLEFEBVRE milestone. What can you play with in today’s update?
Two new WARNO battlegroups.
For NATO, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment sees the light of day. As the premier screening force at the Inner German Border, this formation took the brunt of the Warsaw Pact offensive at Fulda in the opening stages of our World War III. Augmented with additional American and West German units and firepower, this new division excels in RECON, TANK, and HELO assets.
For the Warsaw Pact, the armored and heavy-hitting Soviet 119-y Otdelniy Tankoviy Polk, also known as the 119th Independent Tank Regiment, will be introduced. We have reorganized the disposition of tank forces between this new battlegroup and the existing 79th Guards Tank Division. The former is now an “exploitation” second echelon division, heavily reinforced with the latest Soviet tanks, while the latter becomes a front-line first echelon division, set for a grueling fight at Fulda to achieve that much-needed breakthrough. The new 119th Independent Tank Regiment focuses on TANK, HELO, and AIR categories.
Next to the new battlegroups, the milestone will also see the release of a new Operation, the East German-focused Götterdämmerung. The Nationale Volksarmee found itself in a bit of a pickle after a failed advance along the Bundesstraße 22 in a southern flank of the Warsaw Pact invasion. Having recently captured Bavarian Bamberg in the U.S. VII Corps’ sector, the East German 11. Mot.-Schützendivision has been turned back near Erbach and now has a serious chance of being overrun by American and West German forces. The Mot.-Schützenregiment 17 is detailed to secure the valley of Stegaurach on the approaches to Bamberg. They must protect it at all costs while the parent division prepares to protect the city. It's death or glory for you, genosse kommandant.
The Operation itself is a defense-in-depth scenario, with the East Germans being able to deploy and hold several outlying sectors at the start. This part of the battlefield is plain and open, with small hamlets and forests. However, if you lose control of these sectors, they are permanently lost.
Furthermore, these zones give you valuable income points. The last sector is an entrance to the valley itself, which can be reinforced more easily, thanks to the constricted terrain and wooden hills. However, if NATO manages to take hold of this sector, the Operation is over. Making good use of your forces, your income, and your defensive positions is key in holding out long enough as the Nationale Volksarmee in Götterdämmerung.
T-80 Rework
A final new feature of the LEFEBVRE milestone is the rework of the T-80B and T-80BV tank model. As we did with the T-55, T-72, and T-80U series, the new models (and their Command variants) will see a visual upgrade.
We have also taken the opportunity to add another model to the Warsaw Pact’s arsenal: the new T-80BV Izd. 29, a late production variant. With a new, more powerful engine, this tank is faster than its direct predecessors, sporting different rubber side skirts and featuring a turret counterweight. The T-80BV Izd. 29 will be added to the 79th Guards Tank Division to compensate for transferring the T-80U and T-80UD to the new 119th Independent Tank Regiment.
See you on the battlefield
We hope you enjoy WARNO’s latest milestone! Plenty more good stuff is coming. Keep your eye on the prize and check in weekly for a new DevBlog!
Operations end menu now displays a custom conclusion text
Added the new operation: Götterdämmerung
Fix the AI behavior at the end game of the operation "the kitzingen ruse"
Minor IA ressources tweaks.
Tutorials
Corrected a display error in "Deployment" tutorial
Code Fixes
Fixed display of transparent infantry in vehicles
Fixed the display of unit carcasses, when they were destroyed during their selection
Fixed some weapons getting stuck on Reloading
Fixed aircraft progress bar display
Fixed a crash that could occur when pressing the resell button on a unit, while its self reselling was taking place
Fixed a rare case in multiplayer where planes would get stuck in transit
Fixed traits that could activate when deploying a unit that was not actually on the map yet
Increased threshold to pass stun
Helicopter crash survivors receive a lot of stress
Fixed a bug that sometimes displayed a black square on the map or with FX
Vehicule smoke is fired on the front arc only
Fixed a bug of enemy planes that triggered the shock line from the ground units
Correction of a bug which made it possible to activate a line with a unit ghost, not yet on the map
Features
Addition of 2 new divisions: 11acr (NATO) and 119opt (PACT)
Generic
Shock capacity has now an icon and inflict 50% more damage on enemy
Shock and IFV capacities radius have been updated to around 300m ingame.
GBU 27 and KAB 1500kr weapon icons added
Adding a timer in the score bar, which indicates the remaining time before a player saves or lost
NATO
Fix roland 3 price error, now at 135 pts on par with french version
Increased MARDER 1A2 MILAN's speed from 59 to 63km/h, on par with the "vanilla" MARDER 1A2
PACT
Increased SU-24M [CLU2]'s price from 230 to 260
ZiS-2 canon icon added
Added IFV trait to RAZV. BMP-1P & AUFKL. BMP-1
Increased SU-25 [CLU] from 170 to 190
Decreased AMX-13/90 from 65 to 60
Decreased SPW-40P2 KONKURS' price from 85 to 75, on par with its Soviet counterpart
Correcting 2S3's gun name from 2A36 to 2A33
Increasing 2S3 AKATSIYA's number of ammo from 29 to 45
79GTD
Removed SU-24M [CLU] from the division
Added Su-24M [CLU2]
Removed T-62M1 from the division
Removed all T-80U & T-80UD from the division
Added the new T-80BV Izd. 29 (faster T-80BV with better ATGM)
Increased T-80BV "Beast"'s base availability from 4 to 6, on par with T-80BV
3AD
Removed LRS from the division
Two Extra Battlegroups
Hello all!
In last week’s DevBlog, we mentioned that two new, extra free-for-all Divisions would make their way to WARNO. In today’s post, we’ll take a good look at both battlegroups.
On NATO’s side, not entirely unexpected but a welcome addition nonetheless, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment will become available!
For the Warsaw Pact, the armored and heavy-hitting 119-y Odtelniy Tankoviy Polk, also known as the 119th Independent Tank Regiment, will make its debut!
So, what can you expect?
Two new divisions
The two new divisions coming to WARNO will be playable in Skirmish or Multiplayer and give you eager beavers a fresh choice on the battlefield. We mentioned last week that these divisions will not feature any new unit models. That is not entirely true: one new unit, unused from our Army General campaign, will be included. What’s more, we will also introduce several new variants of existing equipment. Each battlegroup will also feature its tailor-made slot allocation in each category (Recon, Infantry, Artillery, etc.).
A final note: the source of these two WARNO divisions are regiments or brigade-size formations. To ensure both have a full complement of interesting military hardware, we have detached elements from other divisions to beef up both battlegroups’ Table of Organization & Equipment. More on that further below.
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
Anybody familiar with the Cold War, and NATO in West Germany, will be aware of the 11th Armored Cavalry “Black Horse” Regiment’s combat role during any conventionally fought World War III. Forward deployed and providing overwatch on the Inner German Border, the various squadrons of this regiment would fight a most-important delaying action near Fulda, Bad Hersfeld, and Bad Kissingen. During a full-scale Soviet invasion, no one was under any false impression: life expectancy in the regiment was counted in hours, and the formation’s screening mission a sacrificial one.
Deployed almost completely by itself along the Inner German Border, the regiment was a unique mechanized force. It featured a substantial amount of tanks and even had its organic air cavalry squadron made up of helicopter support. The “Blackhorse’s” wartime mission was to delay any attacking enemy long enough for fresh NATO reinforcements to mobilize and counterattack - even if it meant dying (calling that a “successful fail”).
In real life, as in our war scenarios, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment wasn’t fighting entirely on its own. The 3rd Armored Division was the formation nearest to the regiment’s squadrons. Next to that, each of NATO’s main divisions close to the border would forward deploy one of their battalions. They would protect their parent division and provide critical support to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s squadrons scattered along the frontline.
These forces include:
Bundeswehr’s 5. Panzerdivision's Panzergrenadier-Bataillon 152 consisting of Marder-transported infantry.
U.S. Army’s 8th Infantry Division's 1-68th Armor featuring M1A1 tanks and M113-mounted mechanized infantry.
U.S. Army’s 130th Engineer Brigade's 54th Engineer Battalion deploying engineers and M728 combat engineer vehicles.
U.S. Army’s 32nd Air Defense Group's 3-52nd Air Defense Artillery with its I-Hawks.
Bundeswehr’s Heimatschutzen and local BGS (Bundesgrenzschutz or Federal Border Guards)
The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in WARNO
To better reflect the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s smaller size, as well as its strengths and weaknesses, we have given the battlegroup extra unit choices from the other formations deployed in support.
In WARNO, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s main features are:
REC will be the battlegroup’s best category. The 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment was an entire regiment geared for reconnaissance, and it shows in-game. The category will have its full range of slots unlocked, all being cheap. Plus lots of choices, such as:
U.S. Army SCOUTS and LRS, backed by German BGS.
These are supported by American BRADLEY CFV and HUMVEE AGL, as well as West German GREEN ARCHER recon radar.
Heli-based recon units include OH-58C SCOUT and OH-58D KIOWA WARRIOR light rotorcraft.
This division’s main feature will be the new M1A1 ACAV tank, also known as the “recon M1A1”. This heavy tank features Good optics and can be forward deployed, like other recon, while also featuring a brand-new skin. This impressive armor is limited to 1 tank per card, meaning that they occupy one slot each.
The TNK category also features a good balance between availability and price. Options are fewer, though, with M1A1 in both standard and as a Command Vehicle (CV) plus a handful of M728 combat engineer vehicles and West German JAGUAR 2.
Thanks to the make-up of 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, the formation could depend on its own sizable organic helicopter support, which we recreated in the HELO category. While the regiment had priority over the most modern ground equipment, as seen with the latest versions of the Bradley and Abrams tanks, this wasn’t the case with its gunships.
Instead of the Apache, the battlegroup can only count on the older AH-1F COBRA and TOW COBRAvariants.
The new C-NITE (Cobra-Night Imaging Thermal Equipment) does make its appearance. With the introduction of the Apache attack helicopters and Hellfire missiles, it wasn’t deemed a priority to upgrade older AH-1F Cobras to more modern TOW-2 standards (even though this option did exist for export versions, including Japanese or South Korean variants). Starting in 1988, some Cobras were nonetheless upgraded with the C-NITE package, allowing the venerable attack helicopters to fire the TOW-2 anti-tank missiles. The new AH-1F C-NITE variant has 4x TOW-2 missiles, 2x 19-round rocket pods, and the onboard nose cannon. It will also receive 10% ECM and an 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment-specific camouflage paint job.
The LOG category is very cramped, with only a handful of slots, all being very pricey. There are several options for supply vehicles, either American or West German.
INF is in the same place, with expensive slot availability. Choices are a bit more varied, though.
Most of the combat soldiers come in a single card each: MECH. RIFLES (LAW) in M113 APCs, AERO-RIFLES, PZ.GRENADIER in Marder IFVs, HEIMATSCHUTZEN, as well as HMG and ATGM teams.
A new unit to the Black Horse battlegroup is the DISMOUNT. TROOPERS. The regiment didn’t have infantry squads, only 2-man scout teams. To reflect the reality on the ground, three of these teams have been merged to form a new combat squad, fielding 3x M16A2, 3x M249 SAW, and an AT-4. These soldiers were originally trained in reconnaissance, so they will receive the Security trait.
AA is not the regiment’s strong point, with a medium amount of slots, quickly ramping in price. Only STINGER teams, PIVADS, and the heliborne OH-58C/S are available. The West Germans contribute some FLIEGERFAUST, while one card of I-HAWK provides a bit more punch.
ART is in a similar place, with an identical slot availability. While choices are few, the units themselves are a bit stronger, with one card each of M106A2 and PANZERMÖRSER self-propelled mortars, and American and West German M109.
AIR, on the other hand, is pretty strong with a focus on F-16 planes and A-10 close support aircraft, coming in a variety of flavors. Almost all load-outs are represented, except for napalm.
Much like its Warsaw Pact counterpart, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s is a clear-cut battlegroup. Major strengths are in the REC, TNK, and HELO categories, but the division lacks in INF, ART, and AA.
119-y Odtelniy Tankoviy Polk
Next up is the Soviet 119-y Odtelniy Tankoviy Polk, or in plain English, the 119th Independent Tank Regiment (the designation we’ll be using in the rest of this DevBlog). Information about this particular unit is scarce, but we managed to do enough research - helped by the community along the way - to fill in the gaps. The 119th Independent Tank Regiment was stationed in Bad Langensalza as part of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, the one spearheading the invasion across the Fulda Gap. Independent tank regiments in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) served as exploitation formations, advancing deep into the enemy’s operational rear once a breakthrough had been made. They would also serve to provide replacements or reinforcements to first-echelon divisions. As such, the 119th Independent Tank Regiment (second echelon) can be seen as closely aligned to the 79th Guards Tank Division (first echelon).
The 119th Independent Tank Regiment actually showcases one of our (minor) deviations from real-life history, to ensure their in-game role is as exciting as possible while also addressing some community feedback.
A new perspective In real-life, with the decline of the Soviet Army and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the role of independent tank regiments became obsolete in the latter part of the 1980s. These formations were downgraded to Motor Rifle Regiments, and many were disbanded soon after. Nothing of the sort will happen in WARNO’s imagined lead-up to World War III.
Furthermore, of the most advanced tanks the Soviet Union could deploy in the latter part of the decade, the T-80U and tT-80UD was one of the latest models to see the light. Some players remarked that this particular variant was not deployed to the GSFG in East Germany, but rather held back in the USSR. As such, it could not be featured in-game in the 79th Guards Tank Division. This is true. In our version of WARNO, the 79th Guards Tank Division didn’t have an organic complement of T-80U but instead received them from the 119th Independent Tank Regiment.
In real-life:
Early models of the T-80U (like ours) were only built in a very small number, 45 in total. These were used for testing in Ukraine. These tanks would have been sent to combat units in our war scenario.
The T-80UD was built in larger numbers and posted to active units, but none in East Germany. Instead, they were positioned in the USSR.
Some upcoming changes Now for our proposed changes. In our updated WARNO timeline, the following happens. The 119th Independent Tank Regiment is designated the 8th Guards Army armored fist for the intended breakthrough operations around Fulda at the start of the war. After other formations have breached the frontline, the regiment would rush through. This means the battlegroup receives T-80U plus the T-80UD tanks. This armored reserve will also be featured as such in our upcoming Army General campaigns, where the regiment will form the core of a smaller Manoeuver Group at the disposal of the 8th Guards Army.
By separating the T-80B and T-80U, the new battlegroup will allow us to correct the perceived mistake of the forward-deployed T-80U and, at the same time, create two new versions of the archetypical Soviet armored division. So what does this mean in WARNO?
The T-80U and T-80UD will be removed from the 79th Guards Tank Division and made available only to the upcoming 119th Independent Tank Regiment.
The 79th Guards Tank Division’s armor will now chiefly be composed of T-80B and T-80BV tanks.
The new 119th Independent Tank Regiment will not have any T-80B, save for a handful of T-80BVK as there wasn’t a specific command version of the T-80U at the time.
A Soviet independent tank regiment would also have little infantry of its own. In theory, just a single battalion, but in the 119th Independent Tank Regiment’s case, it could only count on one oversized company. That’s why the 8th Guards Army has detached several additional formations to bolster the battlegroup in the field. These include elements from:
The 21st Independent Flame Battalion, with combat engineers (providing most of the new battlegroup’s infantry) plus TO-55 flamethrowing tanks.
The 93rd Anti-Tank Regiment bringing BRDM-2 Konkurs, and Rapira anti-tank guns.
Either the 336th or 486th Separate Helicopter Regiment fielding Mi-24.
The 134th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion the 8th Guards Army HQ’s own ears and eyes.
The 390th Cannon Artillery Brigade providing some of its towed heavy reserve artillery.
119th Independent Tank Regiment in WARNO
In WARNO, what can you expect from the 119th Independent Tank Regiment?
Lots (and cheap) TNK slots with access to plenty of T-80U and T-80UD, as well as a handful of T-80BVK command tanks. Additional forces include TO-55 flamethrower tanks, BRDM-2 KONKURS and RAPIRA anti-tank guns.
Not that much infantry is available in the INF category, with slots lacking and pricey. There is only a paltry single card of organic MOTOSTRELKI (BMP). Acting as actual cannon fodder are SAPERI (in command, regular and RPO variants), plus a handful of SPETSNAZ.
Being a regiment, LOG suffers from a mediocre amount of choices and few open slots.
ART is pretty average, with a medium of slots but few options. The battlegroup can deploy 2S1 GVOZDIKA, as well as 2B9 VASILEK automatic mortars. The more modern and new unit (from the Army General campign) 2A65 MSTA-B 152mm howitzer can also be fielded.
With the 8th Guards Army’s own recon battalion at the regiment’s disposal, REC features plenty of cheap slots and multiple choices.
AA is rather mediocre, with some good options, including the TUNGUNSKA, MT-LB STRELA-10, and IGLA teams, but no heavy or long-range SAM systems. There are only a limited amount of slots available.
HELO forces are pretty strong, with plenty of Mi-24V and Mi-24VP.
And lastly, AIR is decent with numerous open slots, all averagely priced. The modern MiG-29 and Su-27S fighters are both available, as well as Su-24M in SEAD, bomber and (new) LGB variant with 2x (1500kg - wowzers) KAB-1500Kr guided bombs. No cluster or ATGM loadout, however.
In summary, the 119th Independent Tank Regiment is a battlegroup with clear strengths and weaknesses, with powerful TANK, HELO, and AIR categories, but lacking in INF, LOG, and AA.
Some more revisions
The arrival of the two new divisions means some changes to our existing roster of battlegroups. These will mostly affect the Warsaw Pact’s 79th Guards Tank Division, but NATO’s 3rd Armored Division will also see a small revision.
The Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division will transfer its most modern armor, in the form of the T-80U and T-80UD, to the 119th Independent Tank Regiment. The number of remaining cards of T-80BV will be adjusted accordingly.
To make up for the loss of the latest T-80 models, two new units will find their way into the 79th Guards Tank Division.
T-80BV Izd. 29, which here at Eugen we have come to call the “T-80BV Beast.” This particular model is a late-production T-80BV with a more powerful engine and a new tube-fired ATGM. It is 10 km/h faster than a T-80BV and can fire the much-improved Agona missile, which can also be found with the T-64. A brand-new model.
SU-24M [CLU2]. This new load-out of the strike aircraft sees a heavy bombload of 8x 500kg RBK-500 cluster bombs (compared to the original 8x 250kg RBK-250 bombs). The plane, together with the SU-24M with LGBs found in the 119th Independent Tank Regiment, will also receive a new livery.
The 79th Guards Tank Division will further benefit from the updated T-80B/BV models. As we revised and much improved the T-80U, T-55, and T-72 vehicles in-game, the T-80B and T-80BV are now done and will be soon implemented in-game.
For NATO, the 3rd Armored Division will lose its LRS. These recon squads were deployed to the Inner German Border. They will now be featured in the new 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
See you on the battlefield
That’s a whole bunch of new info to digest. We can’t wait to hear what you think!
You ask, we answer! On the heels of your requests about lifting “the fog of war” on WARNO’s upcoming development, today we will take some time to highlight what’s coming. It will be brief, but we will share more details about each specific topic in the next few weeks.
Yes, we know: it might only address some of your feedback and comments. Smaller, more intricate changes we will deal with a case-by-case basis. Instead, this post sketches a big-picture overview of new and updated features and mechanics for WARNO’s near future.
BERTHIER Out Now
Before we dig in, the latest milestone to grace WARNO, BERTHIERlaunched last week. Be sure to check out the two new Operations, The Kitzingen Ruse and Backhand Blow, that are now playable in-game, as well as a host of balance changes, unit updates, fixes, and more.
New Operations
Besides the upcoming changes, we can also lift a tip of the veil on the next Operations coming to WARNO:
First up is a change of focus. The GötterdämmerungOperation will shine the spotlight on the East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) in a pitched defense battle in front of the recently captured Bamsberg during the first few days of the war. After a failed advance, and pursued by American and West German forces, the East German 11. Mot.-Schützendivision is in a desperate situation. To save the southern flank of the Warsaw Pact invasion, as well as the division itself, its do-or-die time for Mot.-Schützenregiment 17, who have to hold off NATO for as long as possible in the valley of Stegaurach.
The second Operation highlights a French set-piece called The Dieburg Salient. As laid out in pre-war plans, French forces quickly came to the aid of NATO in West Germany at the onset of the invasion, both in SOUTHAG and NORTHAG. However, their swift deployment is overshadowed by the equally rapid Soviet encirclement of Frankfurt. As such, before everything is lost, the French 7e Division Blindée is redirected to CENTAG to forward deploy and defend a tentative foothold on the approaches to the city. The successful relief of Frankfurt lies in the balance.
Reworked Urban Combat
One of the more frequent feedback voiced is the state of urban combat in WARNO. We are currently in the progress of playtesting various options to improve urban warfare.
While we’ll go into more detail later, we can already mention that adding clearer view zones for units within cities and reworking urban density is part of a package to make fighting in built-up areas more exciting. In general, gameplay in urban zones will see a significant overhaul.
A New Map
The next tactical maps in the production pipeline will feature our updated take on the urban combat zones mentioned above. What’s more, we’ll also be on the cusp of releasing a new map. This map will integrate a landmark requested by players and allow you to test our new city gameplay. New buildings and many new urban assets have been produced to make this skirmish-focused map a reality. There is more: we have also updated our asset distribution on maps, which will produce more organic-looking cities. Again, more on the map soon.
Army General
We are far from idle when it comes to the WARNO’s upcoming Army General campaigns. The team is working hard on the new turn-based strategic mode, from reworking and improving assets to intro videos and unit placements. We even added an “extra” campaign to the mix on top of the four promised initially. Say whaaaat?
That’s right! To test the experience, we made a small Army General campaign, which proved to be so much fun that we repackaged it and upgrade it to full-fledged Army General campaign status, to be updated with intro, briefings, voice acting, etc. The other campaigns are also getting dedicated videos: one major one, covering the WARNO’s road to World War III, and one for each campaign detailing the specific strategy situation and briefing.
New Multiplayer Divisions
We know our community is hotly anticipating our Army General campaigns, but we wanted to give you something to play with already. To make up for the long wait, we created two extra multiplayer divisions, inspired by some of the formations depicted in the released Operations, Blackhorse’s Last Stand and Red Juggernaut.
These new divisions will not receive any new unit models (except those done for the campaign but haven’t been used yet for any skirmish or multiplayer use). What they will get are some new variants on existing units, as well as original equipment and slot availability allocation, giving these two new divisions, one NATO and the other Warsaw Pact, a distinct “flavor.” More on the new divisions soon!
Balance, Balance, Balance
The magic word! As you know, we increased the rate we deliver our balance patches. We changed our version-building process, allowing us to be more agile. Updates now come more often and more regularly.
As we like the new way of doing things, we intend to keep these updates coming with smaller, more frequent patches. This also means that each time we focus on a specific issue reported by the community and address them as soon as possible.
The first item on the board: we are addressing both unit speeds and tackling (we guess by now the infamous) “tank meta.”
See you on the battlefield
Let us know what you think. And a gentle reminder. When there are incessant, non-stop demands along the lines of “but what about X, or what about X,” the Eugen team is small but very dedicated and very hard working. Everything the WARNO community brings up gets checked, reviewed, and vetted. Changes take time, updates require work. Moreover, some suggestions or comments might not fit our vision of WARNO or how to make it pass a feasibility, technical, or fun check. Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Kitzingen Ruse: Fixed a defeat condition that prevented losing the challenge when the AI captured the Boris area
Fixed subtitles of videos not displaying according to the size of the HUD defined in the options
Fixed some dialogues wrongly displayed in the lower part of the screen in operation "The Kitzingen Ruse"
Fixed the player's label in operation The Kitzingen Ruse
Code Fixes
Fixed aircraft progress bars in "reloading", which were going backwards when playing at high speed
Fixed the behavior of a moving armed vehicle when facing threat. He doesn't look back
Fixed LoS using the C key when infantry in a building is selected
Fix an issue with detecting range of SEADS planes for F16C & Mig25
Fixed a rare crash, which happened when a targeted unit died
Improved grass graphism when the camera is moving
Data Fixes
Decreased ITLIS FÜHRUNGS.' price from 100 to 80
Fix a pricing error, T64BVK set to 255pts instead of 225
39GvMSD
Decreased T-62M's base veterancy by one level, on par with other T-62s (forgotten in previous patch)
v.96938: Patch notes
Operations
2 new, fully voiced, and scripted single-player operations[ we highlighted before are available : Backhand Blow and The Kitzingen Ruse.
The English writing has been improved in the first two operations.
Improvement of the RedJuggernaut challenge, which no longer displays a secondary mission video if you capture certain areas last
Operations audios are now played in native language
Fixed some video subtitles not displaying in 4k
Tutorials
Fixed a crash that occurred during autodeploy, in the deployment tutorial
Aviation Advanced II - Seads: Fixed the intro text, which mentioned the wrong plane
Features
Added a button in the Armory to change the lighting
Added victory and defeat animations in skirmish and multiplayer games
Code Fixes
Fixed T55AM2 DDR missing its defensive smokes
Fixed "return fire" command not always working as expected
Fixed platoon deployment no longer removing platoons already placed on the map
Fixed a crash that occurred when an aircraft did a positional shot on an enemy that was no longer visible
Fixed MMG firing not being visually correct
Fixed a crash that could occur randomly when leaving a match, a replay or the game
Fixed the alerts position and size in some resolutions
Fixed the size of the "jump to position" button of alerts
Generic
Fixed English text in Steam Achievements
Armory supply filter now displays FOBs
Model and Texture Fixes
New models of units:
FUPZ. T55AM2
KPZ. T-55AM2
KPZ T-55AM2B
Data Fixes
Fixed an error on Amx Auf1 displaying an AP value
Nato forces
RFA Roland 2 now at 110pts, on par with the french version
Pz.Bef.Leopard 1A5 price set to 120 pts
increased RAPIER's price from 65 to 75
increased TRACKED RAPIER's price from 70 to 80
increased RAPIER FSA's price from 105 to 110
decreased R.A.F. RIFLES' price from 35 to 30
decreased TERRIER GUN GROUP's price from 15 to 20
decreased CHASSEURS' price from 45 to 40
decreased AMX-30B2 BRENNUS' price from 165 to 155
decreased AMX-30 EBG's price from 55 to 50
increased DRAGON-PARAS' price from 65 to 75
decreased SONDERWAGEN 4 AUFK.'s price from 35 to 30
decreased FR. POLIZEI-RESERVE's price from 25 to 20
increased M48A1 CHAPARRAL's price from 95 to 110
increased M1A1 ABRAMS' price from 240 to 250
increased M1A1 ABRAMS CP's price from 270 to 280
increased M1A1(HA) ABRAMS' price from 310 to 325
increased M1A1(HA) ABRAMS CP's price from 345 to 355
decreased AIRBORNE GUNNERS' price from 60 to 55
decreased OH-58D KIOWA WR.'s price from 155 to 130
increased JAVELIN LML's base availability from 6 to 8
increased STINGER C's base availability from 6 to 8
increased PIONIER (FLAM.)'s base availability from 6 to 8
decreased all 2-man sniper teams' base availability from 4 to 3
decreased M151 MUTT CP's price from 100 to 80
decreased P4 PC's price from 100 to 80
decreased ROVER CP's price from 100 to 80
decreased M1025 HUMWEE CP's price from 100 to 85
decreased VBL PC's price from 105 to 90
decreased SAXON CP's price from 105 to 90
decreased VAB PC's price from 110 to 100
decreased FUCH FÜFU's price from 110 to 90
decreased FV432 COMMAND's price from 100 to 80
decreased M577's price from 100 to 80
decreased SULTAN's price from 110 to 85
decreased AMX-10PC's price from 125 to 100
decreased M2 BRADLEY CP's price from 165 to 120
added Security trait to BGS
(2ID) adding one card of (command) GAZELLE CP
Pact forces
decreased GRENZER's price from 45 to 40
increased SPETSNAZ G.R.U.'s price from 65 to 80
decreased Fs-EINSATZGRUPPE's price from 70 to 60
decreased Fs-SPRENGTAUCHER's price from 70 to 60
decreased KPZ. T-55AM2's price from 95 to 90
decreased FÜPZ. T-55AM2K3's price from 125 to 120
decreased KPZ. T-55M2B's price from 105 to 100
decreased KPZ. T-72M1's price from 165 to 155
decreased T-64B's price from 195 to 190
increased T-64BVK's price from 250 to 255
increased T-80U's price from 305 to 320
increased T-80UD's price from 320 to 340
renamed some command T-55 & T-72 variants
changed all T-55's NSVT for proper DShKM, as fitting the reworked models
decreased Mi-8MT UPK's price from 135 to 130
decreased SU-27S' price from 280 to 270
decreased MiG-29A' price from 215 to 195
increased Fs.-JÄGER (s.MG)' base availability from 3 to 4
increased DDR FAGOT & KONKURS team (but KdA Erfurt's)'s base veterancy by 1 level, on par with DDR infantry
increased Fs.-EINSATZGRUPPE's base availability from 3 to 4 + number of cards decreased from 2 to 1
increased Fs.-SPRENGTAUCHER's base availability from 3 to 4 + number of cards decreased from 2 to 1
decreased UAZ 469 FUH's price from 100 to 80
decreased BRDM-2U's price from 100 to 85
decreased SPW-40P2(K)'s price from 100 to 85
decreased BTR-60PU's price from 115 to 100
decreased BTR-60PBK's price from 120 to 100
decreased RKHM's price from 100 to 80
decreased BTR-50PU's price from 100 to 80
decreased BMD-1KSH SOROKA's price from 110 to 85
decreased BMP-1K3's price from 120 to 100
decreased BMP-1K SP2's price from 120 to 100
decreased all T-62's base veterancy by one level
decreased (Soviet & DDR) BRDM-2 KONKURS' price from 85 to 75
increased (Soviet & DDR) TO-55's price from 50 to 60
decreased (Soviet & DDR) SPG-9's price from 40 to 35 (and 45 to 40 for para versions)
(Berliner) removed Mi-24D [AA]
(Berliner) removed (recon) Mi-2
(Berliner) removed (napalm) MFRW BM-21 GRAD
(4MSD) increased MT-12 RAPIRA's number of cards from 1 to 2
(4MSD) increased MOT.-SCHÜTZEN (BTR)'s number of cards from 1 to 3
(4MSD) decreased MOT.-SCHÜTZEN's number of cards from 4 to 2
(4MSD) granted MOT.-SCHÜTZEN FÜH. access to SPW-70 as transport option
(4MSD) granted MOT.-SCHÜTZEN (s.MG) access to SPW-70 as transport option
(4MSD) added one card of Fs-FLA-RAK. STRELA-2M
(KdA) added (napalm) MFRW BM-21 GRAD
Disclaimer:
decreased all T-62's base veterancy by one level Except for the T-62M of the 39th (PACT) which will be delivered in a future version
Milestone BERTHIER Available Now!
Hello commander!
We hope you are ready for some single-player WARNO fun! Today marks the day of the new milestone BERTHIER, bringing you a new duo of Operations!
In today’s update, we present you two new, fully voiced, and scripted single-player Operations we already highlighted before: Backhand Blow and The Kitzingen Ruse.
Before continuing, a bit about the milestone’s historical namesake: Louis-Alexandre Berthier.
Introducing BERTHIER
We always name our milestones after important French military commanders (chiefly high-ranking generals and marshals from the Napoleonic Wars). This one is no exception: Louis-Alexandre Berthier was born in 1753 in a military family. Although not noble, his father was a lieutenant colonel in the artillery, a branch where commoners could make a career in the royal army.
Trained as an engineer officer, he joined the army at 17 and took part in the American War of Independence with Rochambeau’s staff. Already a colonel by 1789, he held staff positions during the early Revolutionary Wars until appointed in 1796 as chief of staff of the Armée d’Italie, commanded by a young general Bonaparte. The two got along so well that from that day, Berthier would not leave Napoléon’s side.
An adept organizer but weak commander
His power of work, quick comprehension of Napoléon’s intentions, and organizational skills made him the Emperor’s most valued assistant and a key cog in the Grande Armée. While Napoléon outlined his plan on a map in a few (very Corsican-accented!) sentences, Berthier would take brief notes, which he would immediately transform into dozens of marching orders, instructions, logistic movements, …
But Berthier was a pure “desk officer,” having barely ever commanded men on the field, only staff officers. When left to his own devices in Bavaria in 1809, he didn’t show any initiative, only implementing Napoléon’s outdated instructions. By chance, the able Marshal Davout was present, who decided not to obey Berthier’s obsolete orders and take matters into his own hands.
Downfall in Russia
In 1812, during the retreat from Russia, Napoléon left the disintegrating Grande Armée to return to Paris and raise a new one. Before leaving, he appointed Berthier as the commander-in-chief. It was a terrible choice, for Berthier fell to his knees, begging and crying for Napoléon not to leave him behind … in front of the other marshals, who lost any respect they may still have had for the “pen marshal.” Napoléon stuck to his decision, but soon after he was gone, Berthier declared himself sick and left the army too, as did Murat, the next in line! Only Napoléon’s adopted son, Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, and Marshal Davout (again) remained firmly at their post and saved what they could from the Grande Armée of 1812.
Berthier was the antithesis of most other marshals: a cultivated and refined man of a weak personality and quick to break under pressure, but with immense organizational skills. Loyal to the end, Berthier took his own life in 1815 when Napoléon returned from exile in Elba and recalled him. Torn between his loyalty to his old master and his oath to the new king, he jumped out of a window to his death.
A testimony to this unsung but key man behind the scene: after his death Napoléon appointed another Marshal, Soult, as his replacement as chief of staff for the 1815 campaign. From the start, the Grande Armée’s movements were plagued with missing marching orders, delays, miscommunications and badly written orders, leading many historians to state that Berthier’s absence at his master’s side may have played a major role in the ultimate defeat at Waterloo less than a week later.
The details of BERTHIER’s Operations
So, what can you expect with this milestone?
The Kitzingen Ruse In this exciting operation, you take command of the VDV’s 900th Air Assault Battalion, part of the Soviet 8th Guards Army, in a surprise strike against the city of Würzburg in one of the very first actions of the war. Your mission will be to establish a bridgehead on the river Main and hold it against a mass of counter-attacking NATO forces, chiefly West German but also American, as you wait for reinforcements.
The daring VDV-led surprise attack near Würzburg during the opening stages of World War III can be read about in this this detailed DevBlog.
Backhand Blow An operation that focuses on a NATO counter-offensive north of Hanau aimed at breaking the mass of Soviet armor threatening Frankfurt. This mission will see the 3rd Armored Division perform a lightning strike, with lots of tanks, against the Soviets.
The NATO tank-heavy counter-strike Backhand Blow mission can be checked out in detail in this dedicated DevBlog here.
Action Against Hunger Charity Event
In case you missed it, the Action Against Hunger charity community tournament is back again. By playing both Steel Division 2 and WARNO competitively, you’ll be able to support the funraising effort for the Action Against Hunger charity.
The charity tournament event will take place on the 27th and 28th of May. The first day, the 27th, will be exclusively dedicated to Steel Division 2, while the 28th of May will be all about WARNO.
More information about the fundraising can be found by following this link: https://actionfundraisers.funraise.org/fundraiser/sdl. You can also check out this new video prepared by the organizer himself, the dedicated Protosz.
See you on the battlefield
Let us know what you think. And a gentle reminder. When there are incessant, non-stop demands along the lines of “but what about X, or what about X,” the Eugen team is small but very dedicated and very hard working. Everything the WARNO community brings up gets checked, reviewed, and vetted. Changes take time, updates require work. Moreover, some suggestions or comments might not fit our vision of WARNO or how to make it pass a feasibility, technical, or fun check. Thank you for your understanding and patience!
Commanders, it’s good to be back! As promised in last week’s highlight, in today’s DevBlog, we look at another Operation coming to WARNO in the not-too-distant future: The Kitzingen Ruse.
Let’s detail how you will play this audacious VDV operation, set at the very beginning of our World War III.
War is coming home
As you know, WARNO’s World War III begins on June 21st, 1989. As we explained in our previous DevBlog, which highlighted the NATO OperationBackhand Blow, our missions have not been released (or revealed) in exact chronological order. However, with Warsaw Pact’s The Kitzingen Ruse, we have a contender for our conflict's very first combat operation.
You might recall that the The Kitzingen Ruse is a critical VDV (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska, or Soviet Airborne Forces) mission deep behind enemy (NATO) lines. It takes place in the opening hours of our war, with a surprise strike of air assault units descending on the outskirts of Würzburg, with several landings in the area envisioned. This medium-sized Bavarian city is located 60km away from the Inner German Border. It lies southeast of Frankfurt.
The secret surprise attack, while very risky, if successful, would place Soviet forces on the doorsteps of Würzburg. Taking this city would open up the key southern flank, to be used by the Soviet Army to encircle Frankfurt by rapidly using the multilane Bundesautobahn 3 in the opening days of the war.
The VDV lead the way
The light air assault troops of the VDV lead the attack in the The Kitzingen Ruse, specifically the 900th Separate Air Assault Battalion. Their target is the small town of Kitzingen, east of Würzburg, where a bridge over the river Main is a critical objective. If seized and held against invariable NATO counter-attacks, follow-up ground forces from the 57th Guards Motor Rifle Division coming from East Germany will provide the necessary reinforcements.
The surprise attack would not be easy, but the elite VDV have trained hard and in absolute secrecy for such a daring operation. Ferried in by Mi-8 and supported by Mi-24 gunships at treetop height, taking control of the battlefield, and then defending for as long as possible were all mission objectives these Soviet air assault units would have been trained for. Furthermore, 2S9 Nona mortars, BM-21V Grad-V, and BMD-1 and BMD-2 fighting vehicles support the various Destaniki troops.
Local opposition would be lighter Bundeswehr reserves as the Heimatschutzen, even though heavier units from the U.S. 197th Infantry Brigade are likely also to make their appearance.
In this Operation, the nerve-wracking ride toward the target has already been successful. But lo-and-behold, that was not the most challenging part. The real fight for the Kitzingen bridgehead is about to kick off. As the VDV commander, you’ll have access to a wide range of equipment, including light vehicles, AA, and artillery units. They might not carry the heaviest of guns or toughest armor, but the experienced soldiers under your command will make do with what they have as they defend against West German and American forces.
The Kitzingen Ruse in-game
In the Kitzingen Ruse, you can only gain Command Points by controlling Command Zones. However, one of the primary objectives, DMITRI, does not provide any points. The income is critical to deploy a sizable force in the field; lose too many zones, and it will become increasingly more difficult to hold the bridgehead.
Extending the perimeter from the Kitzingen bridge and positioning your troops well will be one of the first objectives. The bridge itself contains the BORIS sector, your lifeline for relief forces coming from the opposite bank.
You have some light BMD vehicles, but your force is mostly made up of infantry squads, ATGM teams, and recon troops. A defense in depth will be key to success. The Command Zones, which radiate outwards from the bridge, have a combination of forests, treelines, small settlements, and fields, all rather crowded but with good roads. This means the terrain is excellent for infantry ambushes.
Be aware that the NATO counter-attack will begin almost at once. Additional light artillery forces and AA units provide some fire support. Moreover, you’ll have several variants of Mi-24 helicopter gunships at your disposal, but they must be deployed expertly and carefully. Enemy air forces will try to attack your bridgehead with everything they have.
The Kitzingen Ruse is not for the faint-hearted, as increasing pressure will probably make any commander fall back on their positions, ever closer to the bridge. The aim is to hold on until the reinforcements arrive. If you manage, you’ll go down in the history books for being instrumental in the subsequent Soviet successes in CENTAG’s area of West Germany.
An updates on updates
We take our passionate community seriously, especially when it comes to comments and feedback on the current state of the game, new units or nations, changes needed to mechanics or stats, and the like. However, at Eugen, we are only a small team of dedicated developers, with multiple feature pipelines, updates and projects happening at the same time, and some things… take a bit longer (yes, you can imagine the Eugen trademark here). Things break, things get delayed, and things need to be redone - all realities of game development.
We only want to say that we hear you, especially when balancing patches or updates, improvements to existing game modes, or how to make multiplayer even better. But be respectful to us and other players. Repeatedly demanding changes, unreasonable or demeaning remarks, insulting the community, and other childish behavior are not to be respected or tolerated by us, our fans, or our player base.
We are hard at work, and only together we can make a better WARNO. We take all constructive criticism to heart, and trust us, we read and check all the feedback. As WARNO is still in Early Access, frequent updates, patches, and changes are to be expected up to the full launch (and after, not to worry!). We hope to provide you more info on what to expect soon!
So, once again, enjoy WARNO, and stay cool, calm, and collected, commander!
Action Against Hunger Charity Event
Before we leave you, we have a message from our dedicated Protosz asking us to spread the word about the upcoming Action Against Hunger charity community tournament. After a very successful 2022 edition, in which more than $2100 was raised, Action Against Hunger event is back in the same format. Once again, by playing both Steel Division 2 and WARNO in a competitive setting, you’ll be able to support the funraising effort for the Action Against Hunger charity.
The charity tournament event will take place on the 27th and 28th of May. The first day, the 27th, will be exclusively dedicated to Steel Division 2, while the 28th of May will be all about WARNO.
We’ll be sharing more info leading up to the tournament. Please note that this event is not organized by Eugen but through the community. Much like previous editions, and other player initiatives, we wholeheartedly support the event. If you have any questions, please contact the organizers directly.
See you on the battlefield
That’s all for this week. We’ll return with more on WARNO next week!
Fixed conquest points needed in hints panel in Operation Black Horse's Last Stand
Improved English writing in first two operations
Tutorials
SEAD airplanes tutorial : Dismissal of a redundant dialogue line.
SEAD airplanes tutorial : Slight improvement of the final dialogue sequence tempo.
SEAD airplanes tutorial : The last dialogue sequence no longer blocks the player's camera movement
Sead Airplanes Tutorial : Correction of an error in a dialogue by replacing it with another one, previously removed.
Airplanes tutorial : Fixed objectives validating on their own
Tutorial Camera & Control : Slight improvement of the initial camera position, in order to avoid some minor graphical artifacts.
Tutorial Camera & Control : The unit to select in the first objective has a new base position, making the process of moving it less painful and faster.
Recon Tutorial : The starting positions of each humvees have been modified to better suggest the optimal path of each vehicle.
Infantry - Basic Combat : The 2nd Position to reach during the "Forward Defense" Objective has been corrected to match a modification of the industrial zone layout.
Infantry Advanced Combat Tutorial : The time between voicelines have been rightfully set to more than 0 seconds. Therefore, the Voicelines of a dialogue sequence do not start immediatly after the previous ones anymore.
Aviation Basics I Tutorial : The starting units (Ally and foe) have been placed further away from the player starting position, in order to give enough time to the hint sequence to properly finish.
Code Fixes
Slightly change ground vision from planes
Fixed KH23 AT missile not engaging at max range
Fix an issue with AMX-10 firing his MMG from coaxial instead of turret
Generic
Overall pass on SEADS missile, smaller miss dispersion, better splash
Units with the Reservist trait takes +10% time to reload
Infantry transported in a vehicle is visible in several models (more to come)
Model and Texture Fixes
Texture fix: KPz. T-55A
Texture fix: FüPz. T-55AK
Texture fix: KPz. T-72M1
Model fix: KPz. T-55AM2
Model fix: FüPz. T-55AM2K3
Model fix: KPz. T-55AM2B
Nato forces
Added ESCORTE PC the Security trait
BRD command tanks renamed PZ.BEF. [xxx]
Decreased PZ.BEF. M48A2GA2's price from 105 to 95
Decreased PZ.BEF. LEOPARD 1A1A1's price from 115 to 105
Decreased PZ.BEF. LEOPARD 2A3's price from 320 to 300
Decreased GUNNERS' price from 55 to 50
Increased AB MILITARY POLICE (M67)'s price from 40 to 45
Decreased MECH. RIFLES' price from 75 to 70
Decreased AIRBORNE (DRAGON)'s price from 80 to 75
Decreased GREEN BERETS LDR.'s price from 155 to 130
Decreased command M60A3 TTS's price from 125 to 120
Changed FIRETEAM (AT-4)'s base availability from 9 to 8
Changed FIRETEAM (DRAGON)'s base availability from 9 to 8
Changed AB FIRETEAM (DRAGON)'s base availability from 9 to 8
Decreased AMX-30B PC's price from 145 to 125
Decreased AMX-30B2 PC's price from 185 to 165
Decreased ROLAND 2's price from 120 to 110
Decreased ROLAND 3's price from 150 to 135
Decreased AMX-10 HOT's price from 115 to 110
Increased MIRAGE III E's price from 145 to 155
Changed GROUPE ANTICHAR's base availability from 8 to 6
Changed DRAGONS-PARA.'s base availability from 6 to 4
Decreased command M551A1 TTS' price from 110 to 90
Changed SAS' base availability from 4 to 3, but number of cards increased from 1 to 2
Changed SAS PATROL's base availability from 6 to 4
Increased JAGUAR GR.1A [CLU]'s price from 240 to 275
Decreased LYNX AH.1 HELARM's price from 50 to 45
Decreased LYNX AH.7 HELARM's price from 80 to 55
Re-roled VAB T20/13 into a transport/SPAAG, on par with BTR-ZD Shrekzet
VAB T20/13 is now restricted as trasport option to MISTRAL teams only
Fix a typo, F4-F, one F4-F [HE2] renamed [HE1]
2ID
Removed WARRIORS as transport options for TERRIER GUN GROUP
Add two cards of new HSF
Berlin
Replaced the card of AML-60 with another of AML-60 GENDARMERIE
Replaced the card BGS with one of new SEK
Replaced one card BERLIN RIFLES (RCL) with one of new BERLIN RIFLES (LAW)
Pact forces
PKM teams in 4.MSD now have only UAZ as transport option, on par with other HMG teams
Increased KPZ. T-72's price from 110 to 125
Increased KPZ. T-72M's price from 135 to 150
Decreased KPZ. T-72M FÜH.'s price from 185 to 180
Increased KPZ. T-72M1's price from 160 to 165
Decreased T-80B's price from 200 to 185
DDR command tanks renamed FÜPZ. [xxx]
Increased Su-22M4 [CLU] from 290 to 305
Changed Su-22M4 [CLU]'s base availability from 3 to 2
Changed Su-22M4 [HE]'s base availability from 3 to 2
Changed Su-22M4 [NPLM]'s base availability from 3 to 2
Changed Su-22M4 [SEAD]'s base availability from 4 to 3
Changed MiG-23MF [HE]'s base availability from 3 to 2
Increased T-55AM's price from 55 to 60
Decreased FÜPZ. T-55AM's price from 145 to 125
Changed SPEZIALAUFKLÄRER's base availability from 6 to 4
Changed LRS' base availability from 6 to 4
Changed SPETSNAZ G.R.U.'s base availability from 6 to 4
Decreased PULEMETCHIKI's price from 55 to 50
Decreased DESANT. PULEMETCHIKI's price from 60 to 55
Decreased T-80BK's price from 230 to 215
Decreased FÜPZ. PT-76B's price from 105 to 65
Decreased FÜPZ. T-55A's price from 115 to 90
Fixed BERLINER GRUPPIERUNG's official deck's name according to its new designation
Fix a typo on Su-22 [AT]
Fix typo & missing elements on ZiS-3 howitzer gun
35GvDShB
Adding one card of elite AFGANSKY
39GMSD
Increased the number of T-80B's cards from 1 to 2
Decreased the number of T-80BV's cards from 4 to 3
4MSD
Adding one card of SICHERUNGS
7PzD
Adding one card of SICHERUNGS
Berliner
Replaced one card of GRENZER with one of new GRENZER (FLAM.)
KdA
Replaced one card of MOT-SCHÜTZEN by one of new RESERVISTEN
Replaced all SPW-50PK as transport option with SPW-152K & SPW-60PB, but for PANZERJÄGER having only access to the former.
Disclaimer
decreased ROLAND 2's price from 120 to 110
decreased ROLAND 3's price from 150 to 135
Not yet applicable to German versions of these units. Coming in a next patch
For the T-55AM2 and his command variant models, further improvements are still to come, work is still in progress
Backhand Blow Highlight
Hello there!
Today is the day we’ll look at another Operation to be featured in WARNO in the near future: Backhand Blow.
This Operation focuses on a daring NATO counter-attack close to Hanau, east of Frankfurt, during our fictional World War III.
Let’s look at what’s in store!
A bit of imagined history
The Operations currently playable in WARNO, Black Horse’s Last Stand, and Red Juggernaut, or having been revealed (Backhand Blow, The Kitzingen Ruse, and Götterdämmerung), all take place in the same World War III timeline.
WARNO’sOperations, planned to be included before and at launch, are all battles that occurred across a two-week period in June 1989, chiefly centered on CENTAG’s area of operations, including Fulda, Frankfurt, Würzburg, Bamberg, and other locations.
However, because of our development pipeline, we are not releasing the Operations chronologically. As our war begins on June 21st, 1989, one of the first battles is depicted in Black Horse’s Last Stand. Two days after the invasion, on June 23rd, we switch our perspective to Warsaw Pact, with the Soviet armored attack in Red Juggernaut, northeast of Frankfurt.
Backhand Blow is even later, almost a week after the Soviet offensive into West Germany, taking place on June 26th. After heavy fighting and the surge of NATO reinforcements directed toward V Corps, the Warsaw Pact attacks aimed at encircling Frankfurt have ground to a halt - for the time being. Some ferocious defensive fighting and NATO counter-attacks to the south have frustrated the Soviet planned encirclement. But time is still of the essence, as the Soviet pause will probably not last long.
Taking advantage of this lull, NATO command organized a lightning counterstrike near Hanau. This will regain the initiative, at least locally, and inflict a crushing defeat on the concentrated Soviet armor found in the region.
Backhand Blow
We love our history. And with WARNO, this is not any different. When looking at names for Backhand Blow, we focused on a famous counter-offensive on the Eastern Front in 1943, the so-called Third Battle of Kharkiv. Led by the German Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, this counterstrike eliminated the threat from the Soviet offensives in the wake of the Battle of Stalingrad. The German attack destroyed the Soviet spearheads south of Kharkiv and led to the city's and Belgorod's retaking.
This offensive would later be known as the “Backhand Blow” from von Manstein, referring to the German strategy of letting the Soviets penetrate the lines, take ground, overextend themselves, and then strike. This was subsequently presented as the “reactive” option for the Battle of Kursk and the strategic conduct in the summer of 1943. Instead, the real-life “active” option was taken by Hitler, which resulted in the massive Operation Citadel and the success of the Soviets.
Back to more modern times. Different actors and battle conditions are at play, but the essence of Backhand Blow is the same as its historical namesake. A counterstrike aimed at an enemy that (by the looks of it) is overextended. This time, the parts will be played by NATO’s American 3rd Armored Division and the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division. The battlefield is northeast of Frankfurt, at Hanau and the recently occupied Bruchköbel.
Backhand Blow in-game
In this Operation, as NATO, you will have to strike fast and hard. The Soviet tank forces in the field are reorganizing after their head-long dash from Fulda. Destroying the mass of armor, or at least damaging them, would allow local NATO units to regain the initiative and keep Warsaw Pact units threatening Frankfurt off-balance.
To accomplish this mission, you’ll have access to heavy-hitting tank forces of the American 3rd Armored Division, specifically the 2-32nd Armored Battalion, as well as a recon company from the 4-7th Cavalry.
At your disposal are plenty of M1A1 Abrams, M3A1 Bradley CFV recon units, some Scouts, and several supporting units, including M163 Pivads AA, M48A1 Chaparral, and M106A2 Mortars. A drawback is that your air forces are limited, two A-10A Thunderbolts (AT), as is your infantry, which includes some Mechanized Infantry, as well. Don’t get bogged down in drawn-out urban fighting.
Backhand Blow will require commanders to focus on speed and mobility to control the battlefield, which is relatively open. In this Operation, Command Zones give you Command Points, which both sides need to win the scenario. These Zones are located in the middle of the map. There is just one minor issue: you start with zero Command Zones and the enemy with all. And the clock is ticking.
That means that if you want to have a shot at success in Backhand Blow, you will have to use your tank forces’ mobility and superior firepower to take each of the three Command Zones as quickly as possible. The Command Zones themselves are on small settlements surrounded by scattered woods.
A silver lining is that in Backhand Blow, you have the element of surprise, at least in the beginning. Move swiftly, use your M1A1 Abram’s to dominate the battlefield at long ranges, and defeat the Soviet's armor in a lightning counterstrike.
WARNO’s Operations in more detail
Backhand Blow is in development, but we have already released two Operations in the recent SOULT milestone: Black Horse’s Last Stand and Red Juggernaut. Read more about these Operations by clicking their name. You can also find an in-depth intro video in their dedicated DevBlogs.
In case you missed it: what are Operations? They are single-player scripted tactical battles, playable from one side only, NATO or Warsaw Pact. These World War III scenarios contain historically realistic formations, special gameplay objectives, and mission parameters. Not only are we working on quite a few more
