Genre: Real Time Strategy (RTS), Simulator, Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS), Tactical, Indie
Warno
A Little Divisional Love
Hello commander,
We hope you are well! The Eugen team is never idle. While busy getting even more Operations in tip-top shape and working on the upcoming Army General campaigns, we always keep an eye out for our existing features and how to improve them.
We love all things historical, especially when they are accurate. That’s why some of our Divisions are getting a bit of Eugen-branded attention in making them even more realistic.
In today’s DevBlog, let’s look at some changes and new units coming to some of the new divisions.
Battle for Berlin Revisited
We are never afraid to go back and improve our older work. It was brought to our attention - with our never-ending gratitude to our passionate and knowledgeable community - that our “Berlin” battlegroups (from the OUDINOT milestone) needed a bit of care. In our latest patch, courtesy of the SOULT, both NATO and Warsaw Pact already received some missing units, transferred from existing divisions.
But there is more!
Berlin Command
First up is NATO’s Berlin Command. The biggest change to this division is the federal border police of the Bundesgrenzschutz, or the BGS. By 1989, these troops were demilitarized, but not in the eyes of the international treaties governing the presence of military forces in West Berlin. And since West Germany was banned from having any such troops, BGS did not serve in the enclave city. Rather, frontier security and border portal were left to NATO military police or the regular West German polizei units.
As such, we will remove the BGS as a deployable unit from Berlin Command. They will find another lease on life in the Territorialkommando Süd division, since in the case of war, light frontier troops would have been withdrawn from the border and used in the rear as security units instead.
In Berlin Command, the BGS will be replaced by the SEK (for Spezialeinsatzkommandos), a West German SWAT counterpart. Or, the civilian version of the more famous GSG 9 (which, being part of the BGS, is considered military police, much like the GIGN in France).
Used in a recon role, as more experienced 6-man teams, the SEK will field MP-5s and a PGS-1 (a police sniper rifle, which we replaced in other military squads by the G3A3ZF). The SEK specialized in tactical urban operations, including assault, which gives them the Shock trait.
Some more changes As a side note, the SEK trained with the U.S. Green Berets’ Detachment “A”, with whom they had close ties. The latter unit was disbanded in 1987, likely to disrupt Soviet surveillance, and a similar unit (possibly the same) was recreated. This new outfit was the rather unusually named Physical Security Support Element - Berlin, a supposed military police unit. Considering all this, we renamed Detachment “A” to PSSE-B.
Another minor change, related to some chromed firepower, concerns the French AML-60 from the local West Berlin garrison. These older armored cars were actually from the Gendarmerie (French military police), which didn’t use the same models as the army. The West Berlin AML-60 featured two 7,62mm coaxial guns instead of a single 12,7mm machine gun. We also took the opportunity to reskin the existing AML-60 in 3-tone Army camouflage, while the new AML-60 Gendarmerie keeps the military police’s green paint job with specific markings.
Regarding the U.S. Light Infantry battalion in West Berlin, even though they will retain their M67 RCL (recoilless rifles), they weren’t only equipped with this weapon. That’s why we created a separate Light Rifles (LAW) unit, dividing the current load-out of the RCL between the existing units and the new variant.
Berliner Gruppierung
As you surely have noticed by now, the Warsaw Pact’s battlegroup has been renamed from Unternehmen Zentrum to the new Berliner Gruppierung. The reason was that the East German NVA (Nationale Volksarmee) had several divisions, including two “special groups”: Besonderen Gruppierung I (Berlin) and Besondere Gruppierung II (Rügen). Simply said: Berliner Gruppierung and Rügen Gruppierung.
The former regroups all the forces already described in taking part in Unternehmen Zentrum, the Warsaw Pact’s assault on West Berlin during the opening days of our World War III conflict. Hence Berliner Gruppierung, which was the correct name for the division. The latter formation was a much smaller, brigade-size battlegroup tasked with defending the Volksmarine’s strategic naval infrastructure on Rügen island in the Baltic sea.
In the last patch, we already added quite a few missing units to Berliner Gruppierung, especially artillery. But there was one unit that wasn’t ready, but we can add now. The Grenztruppen surrounding West Berlin covered the flanks during Unternehmen Zentrum, as well as mobbing up any remaining NATO pockets. These forces had a special unit for these missions, equipped with flamethrowers. One of the unit cards of Grenzer will be converted to Grenzer (Flam.). These will be the first recon troops fielding flamethrowers!
K.d.A Bezirk Erfurt
As mentioned in the Warsaw Pact’s K.d.A Bezirk Erfurt description back with the release of the MASSENA milestone, one of the Kampfgruppe der Arbeiterklasse’s (K.D.A.) missions was to screen the regrouping area of reservist mobilized divisions, which we represented by some Mot.Schützen in the division. However, that left the East German battlegroups with no reserve troops, an oversight compared to other nations. That’s why we replaced some of the division’s Mot.Schützen with the new but lesser experienced Reservisten.
Since one of East Germany’s defining features in WARNO is to have the Resolute trait in-game (thanks to the severe drilling and political conditioning), and we already have the K.D.A. troops with the Reservist trait, this new unit will be neither one nor the other - just plain ‘ol regular infantry with more soldiers but wielding the older AK-47.
Another change is the removal of BTR-50 as transport options for the Mot.Schützen (and Reservisten), which will now only be able to choose between BTR-60 and BTR-152.
Some other new units
The fun doesn’t end here. We have also added some other new units to other divisions. These include the new Soviet Afgansky elite paratroopers, to be found with the 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade. A nickname given to Afghanistan War veterans (which still happened in our timeline), one additional card of these hardened soldiers has been added to the VDV battlegroup. They come equipped without any AT weapons but carry two light machine guns and a sniper rifle, as well as sporting the Resolute trait.
Another new unit are Sicherung troops. These are the NVA counterpart to the Bundeswehr namesakes and fill the same role as security troops. Patrolling the rear and guarding key infrastructure, these soldiers lack AT weapons but feature the Security trait and are transported in the SPW-60PB. One card of this new unit is added to both the East German 4. Motorisierte Schützendivision and 7. Panzerdivision.
And finally, a new NATO unit, to be homed with the British 2nd Infantry Division. The HSF (Home Service Force) are “true” reservists, pretty much like “Dad’s Army.” While the British TA - Territorials - or Terriers in-game are army reserves or former servicemen recalled to active duty, the HSF are closer to civilians with a few weeks training under their belt. Some were attached to Territorial brigades to act as security troops. In-game, they’ll field Sterling SMG, L1A1 SLR and receive the Security as well as Reservist trait.
See you on the battlefield
That’s all for this little round of divisional updates. Let us know what you think!
Black Horse's Last Stand : main objective increased from 2500 to 2800 conquest points
Fixed video inserts subtitles translations
Code fixes
Fixed a crash when closing the game during a video in operations
Fixed a crash that occurred when capturing an area in Geisa 10v10
Fixed a bug that displayed a large number of available units in some cases
Improved AA played by the AI, which no longer goes to the front alone
Data fixes
Fixed display of DDR flag in ingame chat
Improved visibility of a unit's availability in the production menu
Generic
Improved detection and vision ranges of SEAD planes. Seads can detect and fire fron better distance
Fixed an issue with some Mi-8 armed transport not being targeted by AA
Nato forces
PzGrenadier CarlG back in the 5 Panzer Div
Fix FV721 Fox reco avaiability to 4 per card
v.95764: Patch notes
Maps
Volcano and Vertigo have been reworked. Cities have been improved to have a more realistic visual aspect. Colorimetry and light processing have also been improved. Inconsistencies in maps reported by players have been corrected. The level design has also been improved. The visual treatment of the forests was also improved to be more credible.
Code fixes
Fixed a bug in Operations preventing dialogues audios and victory/defeat animations audios from playing
Fixed a crash in Operations in deployment while selecting units with the shift key
Fixed Steam Achievements unlocking for Operations
Data fixes
Fixed wrong speed settings on M981 FISTV, max speed set to 79 kph
fixed AT-4's caliber
Nato forces
(Berlin) changed M109A2's base veterancy from -/-/2/- to -/ 2/-/- on par with other divisions
removed AML (both) the Amphibious trait
Pact forces
TO-55's : Fixed issue with NSVT hmg not working
TO-55's : price from to 45 to 50
removed SPW-152K the Amphibious trait
Reworked models
Hello!
Hot on the heels of SOULT, the latest milestone to grace WARNO, we keep on ever-advancing forward. If you need a break from the two new Operations, you’ve come to the right place. A fresh DevBlog awaits!
SOULT did deliver not only a duo of single-player scenarios but also a balance patch and the first in a series of reworked models: the T-55 and T-72.
In today’s post, let’s take a closer look at what this latest visual overhaul entailed!
A rework of some classics
So, what’s the deal? A number of 3D models of our tanks, specifically found in the Warsaw Pact’s arsenal, were a little bit lacking in the visual department. This was pointed out to us by the community. Some of the most iconic tank models were not up to scratch, with details missing or incorrect or certain features not modeled correctly. We went back to the (virtual) drawing board. The armor most affected were the T-55, T-72, T-64, and T-80 series.
One reason why the quality was lower compared to other vehicle models was that these Soviet tanks were one of the first made for WARNO. Teething issues were common back in the day, with the process much improved with later tanks.
With SOULT, we updated the East German KPz. T-72 and T-72M, including command variants, as well as the Soviet (also to be found with the East Germans) TO-55. Over time, other tank models will make their way through the visual overhaul workshop in future milestones!
A work of art (and science)
Quite a bit of (very detailed) work goes into making our WARNO 3D models not only accurate but also the most visually impressive. As you can imagine, we don’t go about it halfheartedly.
In order to achieve only the best results, we need to find high-quality reference material. And the internet is both a friendly and, at times, a dangerous and confusing place. We tread as carefully as possible.
Soviet tanks, in particular, are known to have a dizzying array of odd geometry and bits and bops not represented in blueprints or photos. Again, this is a decades-old problem. It extends beyond WARNO, with scale modelers and other games encountering the same issue.
The only way to get models completely right and accurate is to use a technology called photogrammetry. It is an art and science wrapped in one complex package, but in essence, it means gaining detailed 3D information from 2D images, essentially by taking hundreds of photos of an object by walking in circles around it. Specialized software is then employed to assemble all this data into a picture-perfect 3D model, which then can be used by an artist to create a high-quality game-ready model.
Remaking history
To get the best and most realistic models, the knowledge of history and tank design is appreciated. Armored vehicles change, with various new attachments and devices, relocation of armor plates or ERA bricks, optics, and communication antennas added or removed at different points in time. But, as we are with WARNO only interested in 1989, we need to be very aware of upgrade projects of a wide variety of tank models from all nations before 1989… and of course, after. At Eugen, we consult various subject matter experts, a network that has grown over the last few years. Their expertise is invaluable.
Layers of art
Getting the perfectly crafted 3D model is only the beginning. The steps after include adjusting the textures and decals to the highest standards possible. Eugen’s art and history teams cooperate closely; we compare historical color and military paint references. We also look at hundreds of photos to adjust the color performance of various lighting conditions while considering the decay and color calibration of old photos (and even our monitors). Nowadays, there is a massive encyclopedia of over 600 corrected color codes used by various armed forces covering different historical periods.
Markings are another point to consider. Research on ex-military or scale model forums can direct us in the right direction, for instance, in terms of a particular font, but we are not always that lucky. The Eugen art team has created custom fonts (even in Cyrillic) to achieve the highest quality stenciled markings. Others are painstakingly drawn by hand, following photos as a guideline. In this way, we create a massive library of stencils to be used on our models as we see fit.
Example work flow
The specifications that we write are highly detailed. This lets us avoid any potential misunderstandings, with the documentation - all in English - as accurate and comprehensive as possible. It also means that if the workload is too much for our internal 3D art wizards, we can easily shift parts of the tasks to dedicated and trusted outsourcing teams.
All of this hard work leads to a massively improved new 3D model. What do you think? Yah, or nah?
See you on the battlefield
That’s all. How are you enjoying SOULT? Leave us your feedback!
The first two Operations: Black Horse's Last Stand & Red Juggernaut
New improved models for T-72 & TO-55 (more to come)
Supply vehicles are now resalable
Code fixes
Fixed a crash in the tutorials when giving a Counter Battery smart order
Fixed a crash when a smart order or an AI was on the edge of the map
Fixed shots from planes that have an attack order on a target they no longer see
Fixed "Command Units" filter showing only Command Helicopters.
Improved AI that commits suicide less
Improved AI that can now take cover automatically
Fixed helicopter rotor shadows being offset
Improved aircraft behavior when played by AI
Fixed light mode change which is also applied to edit combat group and operations showroom
Generic
increased slightly all SAM & MANPAD's flight speed
MMG/HMG/AGL team are now restricted to jeep & helicopter transport , no IFV/APC
decreased all MMG (7,62mm) team's price by -5
decreased all HMG (12,7mm/14,5mm) team's price by -5
increased all SEAD missiles' range by +175m
increased all SEAD missiles' speed & acceleration
removed the Resolute trait to any (DDR) Special Force unit, which already got it included in the SF one
Nato forces
increased AMX-30B's price from 85 to 95
increased AMX-30B2's price from 130 to 135
increased AMX-10RC's price from 85 to 100
increased AMX-10RC Surblindé's price from 100 to 115
decreased AMX 10 VOA's price from 35 to 30
increased VAB T-20/13's price from 30 to 35
decreased VBL MILAN's price from 80 to 55
decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.9's price from 170 to 150
decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.10's price from 190 to 180
decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.10 CMD's price from 230 to 210
decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.11's price from 190 to 180
decreased CHIEFTAIN Mk.11 CMD's price from 230 to 210
decreased CHALLENGER 2's price from 290 to 275
decreased CHALLENGER 2 CMD's price from 320 to 305
changed SCORPION's availability from 6 to 8
increased GUN GROUP's price from 20 to 25
granted GUN GROUP access to WARRIOR (back)
decreased SPARTAN MCT's price from 40 to 35
decreased L118 105mm's price from 100 to 65
decreased L121 155mm (aka FH-70)'s price from 135 to 120
increased L16 81mm's price from 20 to 35
decreased FERRET Mk.2's price from 30 to 20
decreased ARM. RIFLES' price from 45 to 35
changed MECH. RIFLES' availability from 6 to 8
decreased M60A3 (TTS)'s price from 95 to 90
decreased M1 ABRAMS' price from 185 to 175
decreased M1 ABRAMS CP's price from 215 to 205
increased LRS' price from 70 to 80
decreased M2 105mm's price from 100 to 65
decreased BERLIN LIGHT RIFLES' price from 65 to 60
decreased JÄGER AUFK.'s price from 70 to 60
decreased JÄGER's price from 50 to 45
decreased JÄGER FÜH.'s price from 125 to 115
added KANJPZ. the Reservist trait + price decreased from 35 to 30
decreased M48A2GA2's price from 70 to 65
decreased M48A2GA2 FÜH.'s price from 130 to 105
decreased LEOPARD 1A1A1 FÜH.'s price from 130 to 115
decreased FH-155-1 155mm (aka FH-70)'s price from 135 to 120
decreased FUCHS RASIT's price from 50 to 40
decreased TORNADO IDS (MW1)'s price from 295 to 280
decreased TORNADO IDS (CLU)'s price from 250 to 225
decreased TORNADO IDS (AT)'s price from 265 to 230
decreased F-104G (AT)'s price from 140 to 125
decreased CHAPARRAL's HP from 10 to 6
decreased CHAPARRAL's anti-plane's range by -175m
decreased TRACKED RAPIER's HP from 10 to 6
decreased I-HAWK's anti-plane's range by -350m
decreased I-HAWK's RoF from 8 to 6
decreased ROLAND (both)'s anti-plane's range by -175m
increased ROLAND (both)'s suppression from 260 to 320
increased UH-60A (transport & supply)'s ECM from 0 to 10% + add flares FX
increased VLRA PAMELA's price from 70 to 80
increased GAZELLE CELTIC's price from 65 to 80
increased STINGER C/S (heliborne)'s accuracy from 50 to 60
increased STINGER C/S (heliborne)'s anti-helo range by +175m
decreased RAPIER (missile)'s anti-helo range by -175m
increased RAPIER FSA (missile)'s accuracy from 60 to 65
decreased TRACKED RAPIER's price from 95 to 70
increased MISTRAL (MANPAD)'s accuracy from 60 to 65
increased MISTRAL (MANPAD)'s price from 50 to 60
increased (airborne) MISTRAL (MANPAD)'s price from 55 to 65
increased STINGER C (MANPAD)'s accuracy from from 55 to 60
decreased JAVELIN LML's price from 60 to 50
switched the PSG-1 as W-German sniper rifle with G3A3ZF
renamed DETACHMENT "A" into PSSE-B (standing for Physical Security Support Element - Berlin) since the former had been disbanded in 1987 and almost immediatly recreated under the guise of the latter (officialy an MP unit).
(TKSüd) added 1 card of BGS
(Berlin) added 1 card of VAB RASIT
(3AD) changed UH-60A CO's availability from /2/1/ to //2/-, on par with 8th ID
All M151's off road speed harmonized to 72 km/h
All Lynx choppers, speed increase to 297 km/h
AMX-13's VCI armor set to 3/2/2/1
FV721 FOX price change from 70 to 60 pts and availability from 3 to 6 per card
Pact forces
decreased ZIS-3 76,2mm's price from 75 to 60
increased M-46 130mm's price from 125 to 135
decreased D-20 152mm's price from 135 to 145
decreased D-30 122mm's price from 130 to 120
increased PM-43 120mm's price from 35 to 45
decreased SPz BMP-1 SP1's price from 25 to 20
decreased BMP-1P's price from 35 to 30
decreased AUFL. BMP-1P's price from 45 to 35
decreased RAZV. BMP-1P's price from 45 to 35
decreased BRDM-2's price from 55 to 40
decreased MiG-27 [LGB]'s price from 410 to 275
decreased T-62MK's price from 150 to 125
decreased T-80BK's price from 240 to 230
increased T-80BVK's price from 255 to 265
decreased OSA's HP from 10 to 6
decreased KUB's HP from 10 to 6
decreased KUB's anti-plane's range by -350m
decreased KUB's RoF from 8 to 6
decreased BUK's HP from 10 to 6
decreased KUB's RoF from 10 to 8
increased (airborne) STRELA-2M (MANPAD)'s price from 20 to 25
increased STRELA-1's accuracy from 45 to 50
increased BRDM-2 STRELA's price from 60 to 70
(Zentrum) added 1 card of DDR 2S3 152mm
(Zentrum) added 1 card of DDR D-44 85mm
(Zentrum) added 1 card of DDR ZU-23-2 23mm
(Zentrum) added 1 card of DDR recon Mi-2
(Zentrum) added 1 additional card of MT-12 RAPIRA
(Zentrum) SPW-70 replaced as transport option with SPW-152 for FAGOT & KONKURS team, as well as PANZERJÄGER
(Zentrum) removed BRDM-2 MALYUTKA
renamed UNTERNEMHEN ZENTRUM into BERLINER GRUPPIERUNG
Milestone SOULT Available Now!
Hello commander!
We hope you are ready for some single-player WARNO fun! Today marks the day of the new milestone SOULT, bringing you a duo of Operations!
In today’s update, we present you two brand-spanking new, fully voiced, and scripted single-player tactical battles, known as Operations.
But before we continue, first, a bit about the milestone’s historical namesake: Jean de Dieu Soult.
Introducing the historical SOULT
As always, we name our milestones after important French military commanders (chiefly high-ranking generals and marshals from the Napoleonic Wars). This one is no exception: Jean de Dieu Soult was also known as the ”Duke of Damnation” by the British, who believed this French commander to be one of their staunchest adversaries during the Peninsular War (1807-1814).
Originally a country notary, Soult made it all the way to the top, quickly rising through the ranks during the French Revolution. He showed his prowess in combat during the Battle of Fleurus. In 1799, he became a division general before being promoted to one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire in 1804. In the Battle of Austerlitz, Soult played a key role in the decisive attack that resulted in the French victory.
Afterward, he was sent to Spain and ultimately ordered to command all French forces during the Peninsular War. In the war-torn Iberia lands, he was considered one of the best strategists, yet a poor tactician. Soult was once described as able “to move troops over great distances, to regroup them at a given point and date like nobody else could… but once there, not knowing exactly what to do with them.” Despite some smaller victories, Soult was eventually outmaneuvered and driven out of Spain by the later Duke of Wellington.
There is more to SOULT
Another claim to fame: Soult was also one of the biggest looters of the Grande Armée, though compared to some of his base colleagues, his fancy was piqued more by priceless artworks than gold or silverware. Soult also gained another mark of infamy by being considered one of the greatest turncoats of the era.
After Spain, for instance, he turned royalist with Napoleon’s first defeat and exile. However, with Bonaparte’s return, Soult served him once again, this time during the Battle of Waterloo, as Napoleon’s chief of staff. Defeated a second time, he was exiled to Germany before being allowed to return on a royal pardon. Back again, he managed to make it to Minister of War, where he was responsible for creating the French Foreign Legion. This frequent shifting of allegiances led him to serve Napoléon, Louis XVIII, Charles X, and Louis Phillipe, often at the expense of his former comrades.
What can you expect with WARNO’s Operations?
Now, for the meat of SOULT: our new Operations. The milestone will contain two missions, accessible in the single-player menu. All missions can be played from one side only, NATO or Warsaw Pact, and are scripted tactical battles with special objectives and conditions.
Operations in WARNO are tactical war scenarios placing the player in command of a military formation during our hypothetical World War III. These are akin to Steel Division 2’s Historical Battles, which in WARNO’s case are clearly ahistorical, but based on grounded reality and detailed research. There is another major difference: while Historical Battles could be played from both sides, Operations will be playable with one side only and solely versus the AI. This answered a tricky balancing and development question for us. Now, in WARNO we can design and release unique, memorable, and interesting Operations much quicker!
SOULT’sOperations are only the beginning; many many more Operations are in the works! Expect more details and news to drop in the coming weeks. What’s more: your feedback matters more than ever. The community’s input (that’s you) will be key in shaping, updating, and improving future Operations.
The details of SOULT’s Operations
So, what can you expect with this milestone?
Black Horse’s Last Stand The battered American 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment needs to hold the line near Bad Orb and successfully resist the Soviet spearhead of the 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division. You’ll need to conduct a fighting withdrawal while establishing your new HQ. As you continue to resist, you are able to call in a pair of A-10 Warthogs with West German territorial reserves deploying later.
If you want to read some more details on the first Operation, Black Horse’s Last Stand, make sure to check out this previous DevBlog here.
Red Juggernaut Comrade commander, you’ll lead the heroic tankmen of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division in an effort to smash the improvised NATO defenses on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Nothing can stand in the way of the full might of the Soviet Army after the hard-earned breakthrough north of Fulda. Frankfurt lies in your grasp, but to claim the prize, the improvised NATO defenses close to Hanau need to be destroyed.
That’s all for today’s SOULT. The only thing left to do? Get playing! We want to know what you think of our new Operations, so don’t hesitate to drop us a line. But no complaining, spamming, or otherwise unhelpful or childish behavior - we want to know your constructive feedback and experiences. Let’s make a better WARNO together. Have fun!
Some unfortunate news. While we tried our darndest, we weren’t able to lock down and deliver the latest WARNO’s milestone - SOULT - to you today, as initially planned. Our apologies!
ASAP means ASAP
Our intention was for SOULT to be ready, checked, and tested, before today’s DevBlog, but due to unforeseen technical hurdles, we didn’t manage. We want you to play with the new Operations. We are sorry!
We are very hard at work getting SOULT out of the door. However, we can’t say for sure - which by now you should know as a trademarked “soon” - in the milestone’s case, it will be ASAP. And ASAP means ASAP! This doesn’t mean weeks, but rather days (though not hours or minutes). Which day exactly is difficult to tell, but… shortly.
The details of SOULT’s Operations
In case you missed what’s coming with SOULT, check out the following details.
Black Horse’s Last Stand The battered American 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment needs to hold the line near Bad Orb and successfully resist the Soviet spearhead of the 39th Guards Motor Rifle Division. You’ll need to conduct a fighting withdrawal while establishing your new HQ. As you continue to defend, you can call in a pair of A-10 Warthogs with West German territorial reserves deploying later.
If you want to read some more details on the first Operation, Black Horse’s Last Stand, check out this previous DevBlog here.
Red Juggernaut Comrade commander, you’ll lead the heroic tankmen of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division to smash NATO concentrations on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Nothing can stand in the way of the full might of the Soviet Army after the hard-earned breakthrough north of Fulda. Frankfurt lies in your grasp, but to claim the prize, the improvised NATO defenses close to Hanau need to be destroyed.
We hope you are well. Hot on the heels of last week’s reveal of WARNO’s first Operation, we have even more to share. Today we’ll unveil Operationsnumero dos: Red Juggernaut.
But there is more: both Operations will be released in a new milestone, codenamed SOULT, which should hit pretty soon!
What can you expect with WARNO’s Operations?
Now, for the meat of SOULT: our new Operations. The milestone will contain two missions, accessible in the single-player menu. These scenarios can only be played from one side, NATO or Warsaw Pact, and are scripted tactical battles with special objectives and battlefield conditions.
SOULT’sOperations are only the beginning; many more Operations are in the works! Expect more details to drop in the coming weeks. And, we will update and improve our Operations, taking the community’s feedback into account!
In last week’s DevBlog, we detailed the very first of these Operations, Black Horse's Last Stand. Make sure to check out the post, and the accompanying video, if you want a more detailed sneak peek of what to expect.
Red Juggernaut
Comrade commander, you’ll lead the headstrong tankmen of the Soviet 79th Guards Tank Division in an effort to smash the improvised NATO defenses on the outskirts of Frankfurt. Nothing can stand in the way of the full armored might of the Soviet Army after the hard-earned breakthrough north of Fulda.
Frankfurt lies in your grasp, but to claim this grand prize, NATO concentrations close to Hanau, scattered 3rd Armored Division and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment forces, must be swept away. Be aware, superiors at the 8th Guards Army will monitor the progress of your armored spearhead with the utmost interest. Failure is not an option, comrade commander.
The 79th Guards Tank Division
We had a great amount of fun thinking of a title for this Operation, before settling on Red Juggernaut. For instance, also in the running was March of the Tankmen, a link to a famous Soviet World War II song, very apt for this particular scenario.
The 79th Guards Tank Division occupied a special place within the hierarchy of the Soviet Group of German Forces’ 8th Guards Army, being the only armored division available to this formation in the southwest of East Germany. As such, it would have undoubtedly led the breakthrough deeper into CENTAG territory. The vast tank forces would have likely clashed with the armor of the 3rd American Division, the nemesis of this Warsaw Pact formation.
The division itself was stationed in Jena and could count on some of the most advanced Soviet tank vehicles in its ranks. This includes T-80, BMP-2, Tunguska, 2S3 Akatsiya and more. It was a Ready Division - First Line, meaning its staffing and equipment allocation was close to 100%, even in peacetime.
Red Juggernaut explained
During our hypothetical World War III scenario, after very heavy fighting near Fulda, the 79th Guards Tank Division managed to fight its way into West Germany and rush through the Kinzing Valley on June 23 - the objective: Frankfurt.
However, NATO reinforcements started coalescing to the north of this important logistical and military hub close to the town of Hanau. Smashing this array of 3rd Armored Division tanks and remnants of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment became paramount. The key to the Soviet armored doctrine was to exploit any breakthrough as quickly as possible and, most of all, to keep moving as fast as possible. Red Juggernaut will be an exciting example of this strategy and either result in the Soviet tankman in everlasting glory or provide a most shameful defeat. The outcome lies in your hands.
Red Juggernaut in-game
In this Operation, as the Warsaw Pact, you’ll be attacking through a broad valley with the wide variety of armor of the 79th Guards Tank Division at your disposal. You’ll start with many more Command Points than the enemy, but you’ll only gain new Command Points by controlling Command Zones.
The most valuable zones will be closest to where the enemy NATO forces are assembling and the furthest from your deployment sector. The goal is simple: take control of the battlefield and destroy all enemy troops before they have the chance to reorganize.
Taking the first Command Zones might be quick, but the more you push, the heavier concentration of enemy troops you will encounter. You need to keep the momentum going; even the armored fist of the Soviet Army gets blunted after too many hits.
Red Juggernaut is a tough fight, especially in the later stages of this Operation.
See you on the battlefield
That’s all for this week’s reveal. Next up: SOULT release. We hope you are excited as we are!
We hope you are well. Today we have something exciting for you. As you likely noticed, there wasn’t a DevBlog last week. Instead, we were busy preparing today’s special one with dedicated videos to accompany it. As you might recall, we already teased Operationsin a previous DevBlog. In today’s DevBlog, we will introduce more thoroughly our first upcoming Operation: Black Horse’s Last Stand.
Before we continue, a small housekeeping note. We’ll be switching around the days we publish our DevBlogs for WARNO and Steel Division 2. This is easier from a production point of view. From now on, barring anything unforeseen or, you know, “nononoroofisonfire” game development, we will publish WARNO posts on Thursday and Steel Division 2 on Friday.
Keep reading for more ...
What are Operations?
Operations in WARNO are scripted tactical battles, placing the player in command of a battlegroup during a hypothetical World War III scenario. These are akin to Steel Division 2’s Historical Battles, which in WARNO’s case are clearly ahistorical, but based on grounded reality and detailed research. There is another major difference: while Historical Battles could be played from both sides, Operations will be playable with one side only and solely versus the AI.
With just one side you can take command of, in WARNO’s Operations we now have much more freedom, flexibility, and creativity to create unique combat scenarios with special conditions. This will make them more intense and realistic.
Operations will be delivered with three difficulty levels: the 1st one should be reserved for beginners, the 2nd for WARNO (or at least Eugen Systems’ seasoned players). The 3rd level provides the ultimate challenge and should only be attempted at one's own risk!
And today, we will get a look at the first one of those Operations.
Black Horse’s Last Stand
The "Black Horse" here refers, of course, to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s coat-of-arms, giving the formation’s nickname “Black Horse Regiment”. The 11th ACR is a famous and key outfit in any Germany-centered World War 3 scenario, for it would have had the dubious honor of being the first one to engage (and likely be destroyed by) any invading Soviet forces.
Its mission in peacetime was to watch over the inner-German border around Fulda, dispersed across several barracks and watchpoints, including Observation Post Alpha. An armored cavalry regiment, it had a special TO&E mixing Abrams tanks and Bradley CFV scouts with its organic AA, artillery and helicopter assets. You could call the regiment a “miniature division” but with barely any infantry. In the case of a Warsaw Pact offensive, the 11th ACR's mission was to delay the Soviet advance through the Fulda Gap (one of two major invasion routes from East to West) long enough for American and Bundeswehr heavy reinforcements to muster their strength and counter-attack.
However, nobody was fooled by the potential outcome: this defensive action was considered a sacrificial mission.
Briefing
Our Operation opens on June 22nd, 1989: the day World War III kicks off. The 11th ACR was hit hard in the depth of night and fought a ferocious delaying action half of the day on the border and beyond, ultimately forced to retreat through the Kinzig River valley. Near Bad Orb, the remnants of the 1st squadron need to hold and defend, being promised air support and some German territorial reinforcements by NATO high command to establish a critical new line of defense just East of Hanau. They have to make a last stand at the gates to Frankfurt.
The Operation’s goal is to keep control of Bad Orb at all times and to hold long enough for the V. Corps in Frankfurt to be ready to counter-attack.
Order of Battle
The 1st Squadron of the 11th ACR (1-11), the force at the player’s disposal at deployment, is down to roughly company-size with two mixed Bradley CFV/M1A1 Abrams platoons, one AA, and one recon platoon. Infantry is very sparse, with only a few engineers and scouts. Forming a light screen, this force is the only one available to prevent any pursuing Soviet troops from 39th Guards Rifle Division to break through. As you defend, command will establish a new HQ in Bad Orb. In the meantime, between deployment and the HQ reaching its new location, you won’t be able to call in further reinforcements. You have to choose and place your first units carefully!
Deployment
You will be understrength and overextended, and the enemy will come at you with APC and IFV infantry, supported by some T-80 and the occasional Mi-24 gunship. Deprived of reinforcement in the first phase of the game, you will have to get the best from your deployed units until you are able to call on new forces to fill the inevitable gaps in your frontline. Enemy penetration isn’t a death sentence as long as you can stop them before they reach your HQ. Therefore, organize a defense in depth and use your forces wisely.
Reinforcements
Hold on long enough and two mighty A-10 (callsign WRATH 1 and 2) will be made available. A sight for sore eyes, the pair of “Devil’s Cross” will soon become your best friend, able to terminate a Soviet spearhead incursion on their own - if you can spot the targets on the ground for them. But be wary not to send them too far over enemy-held territory, for the Soviets have brought their own AA!
Finally, German reinforcements will be at your disposal in the last stage of the battle, in the form of a territorial defense company made up of Jäger, Sicherungs, some retreating BGS border Guards, and a few 120mm mortars and 20mm AA guns. Unfit for a counter-attack, they are very useful to secure Bad Orb against a Soviet coup de main if your front crumbles in the last stage of the battle.
See you on the battlefield
All right! That’s it for this first Operation Black Horse's Last Stand. We are looking forward to hearing what you think! Don’t forget to join the passionate WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.
See you on the battlefield, commander!
v.94077: Update
Patch notes
Code fixes
Fixed FX and visual effects on missile and rocket fire
Fixed acknows on French units that had disappeared
Fixed too frequent death sounds in replays
Data fixes
Reduced the number of attack helicopters released by the AI
