CAOS News

Watch the developers play CAOS!

NS2 Games is proud to present the Combined Arms Operations Series (CAOS).

Assume command of more than 4000 historically accurate combat formations from six nations across 7 years of the Second World War. Play with 580 unique divisions and brigades, including units like the iconic American 4th Armored or the German Großdeutschland, or customize your forces to fit your play style across 10 maps. Play against the AI, challenge your friends to fast paced scenarios with randomized objectives, or play cooperatively against a computer opponent, the choice is yours.

Will you take the field Commander?

Greetings! As we prepare for the imminent release of CAOS on June 21, we want to take a moment to announce our launch week events and discuss future development goals.

[h2]Launch Week Events[/h2]
On launch day, starting around 12:00 Pacific Standard time, we will be hosting a developer Steam stream to showcase gameplay. Later in the week, on Friday, June 25 12:00-14:00 PST, we will be holding a play with the devs event on the NS2 Discord where Xenophon will be playing and streaming games with members of the CAOS community.

[h2]Our Design Philosophy: From Hypothetical to Historical[/h2]
Our vision for CAOS was to produce an operational combat simulation with historically accurate forces and equipment focused on a sandbox scenario environment. This allowed us to implement thousands of units with accurate tables of equipment, to reflect different army organizations, and to model weapon systems from every year of the war, in every major nation, across the European/Mediterranean theatres. We chose to pair this with the sandbox scenario environment in order to provide players the opportunity to experience and experiment with the unique character of each of army as they evolved over the course of the war. However, this is only a portion of our full ambitions for CAOS. CAOS is designed to model any major World War 2 battle, and we will be adding historical scenarios overtime through a combination of expansions and free updates; starting with Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily. Further, as new game mechanics, such as a paratroop drops, and beach landings are developed for historical scenarios, they will be added for hypothetical battles as well.

[h2]Future Development Plans:[/h2]
Throughout Summer 2021 we will continue to expand hypothetical scenario options in CAOS. Starting with the addition of ongoing recruitment, allowing both sides to purchase new units throughout scenarios, for our first major post-launch content update. Additionally, we plan to add new historical maps to enjoy in hypothetical battles. Following this, in the fall we will kick off the introduction of fully historical scenarios with the addition of Operation Husky, a 60-turn long historical scenario centering on the allied invasion of Sicily in 1943.

We hope you will join us as CAOS grows, and we welcome recommendations from the community about future scenarios, battlefields, and new mechanics over time. We look forward to sharing CAOS with all of you soon!

Greetings! Today we will explore scenario types in CAOS and a briefly discuss our post-release development plans! There are currently three scenario types in CAOS: Attack, Skirmish, and Meeting Engagement, playable on ten maps with selectable game lengths, force sizes, and of course army selection. Each game type can be played against other humans, the AI, or the most popular mode with our beta-testers, co-op battles with a friend against the AI. Let’s take a look at each game type in more detail.

[h2]Attack Scenarios[/h2]
Attack scenarios are the largest engagements in CAOS and they encompass a broad offensive against an entire sector. In this game mode, a random map edge is designated as the attacker’s staging area, but the defender controls most of the map. Each city hex is worth 3 victory points, each town is worth 1, and the player with the majority of victory points at the end of the game wins. Attack scenarios tend to be long scenarios with periods of attack, counterattack, and rest, as the frontline moves back and forth. Here the defender must choose between using entrenched positions to inflict maximum casualties as quickly as possible, versus adopting an elastic defense strategy to wear the invader down, spread them out, and expose them to counterattacks. Additionally, defenders and attackers alike often make extensive use of the engineering system to blow bridges, build bridges, lay minefields, and assemble field fortifications to gain every tactical advantage they can in a map-wide struggle for supremacy.


Deployment hexes are blue/red, and objectives are marked with yellow crosshatches during the deployment phase. The size and scope of Attack scenarios provides many alternative paths to victory and accommodates virtually any playstyle.

[h2]Skirmish Scenarios[/h2]
Skirmish scenarios are attack-defense battles focused on a single objective. A random city or town is selected as the objective and defending/attacking deployment zones are generated with a random direction and distance. Because the entire battle is fought over a single objective, both sides typically tailor their forces to suit the terrain surrounding or enroute to the objective. For example, an objective surrounded by forests and rugged hills lends itself to an entrenched infantry defense. Conversely, an objective on open plains favors mechanized mobility. Similarly, the randomized starting distances equally influence commander decision making. Wide starting separation allows for more skirmishing ahead of the objective and ambitious flanking maneuvers aimed at severing supply lines. While a close start lends itself to a massed infantry slugging match and extreme concentration of force.


The variability of Skirmish scenarios creates a high degree of replayability, because even battles fought over the same objective unfold very differently depending on the initial distance between the armies, the direction of attack, and the intervening terrain.

[h2]Meeting Engagements[/h2]
Meeting engagements, like Skirmishes, are fought over a single randomly selected position. Both sides start at approximately the same distance from the objective and race to seize and hold it. The side that owns the objective at the end of the game wins. Like Skirmishes, commanders need to consider distance to objective, and the terrain surrounding it. Because of this, meeting engagements lend themselves to aggressive and mobile strategies/force compositions. Due to the fluidity of Meeting Engagements, a few well organized combined arms battlegroups often outmaneuver and overcome larger, less mobile forces. If you’re looking for a quick, violent, and decisive match, a Meeting Engagement is always a good bet.


In a Meeting Engagement like this it's tempting to simply rush the objective, but you have to hold it too. Mechanized units from both sides will reach the objective on turn 1, but after this initial contact the battle will evolve into a race to secure a perimeter and protect the rear from unforseen enemy flanking actions.

[h3]Protecting the Supply Chain:[/h3]
Extending and protecting your supply line is essential in all game modes. In most scenarios both sides start with a single static supply dump on the map, and then they have to extend their supply range using a combination of mobile depots and corps HQs. Although cities have a chance to spawn additional static supply dumps (this chance is higher in attack scenarios). Consequently, you can’t simply throw all your force at the front and hope for the best. You need units in the rear to protect your logistics and prevent your rival from severing your precious supply lines. Should your supply lines be cut, every unit carries 3 full days of supply with them, and supply depots carry 5; so even in a worst-case scenario you’ll have some time to re-establish your supply chain.


Let's take a look at the supply overlay from the Meeting Engagement, note the supply dump marked by the red-semi circle. This static dump is the source of all supply, mobile supply depots and corps HQs can extend its range, but if this dump is lost for a prolonged period of time your forces may starve, unless you can retake it or an alternative supply source is obtained.

[h2]Future War Plans:[/h2]
We are committed to improving and expanding CAOS after release, including new scenario types, maps, and the addition of historical scenarios. The first planned addition will be a new scenario type featuring ongoing requisition this summer, which will allow players to buy new units throughout each scenario. Moreover, this fall we plan to release Operation Husky – the Allied invasion of Sicily, as our first historical scenario.

[h2]Force Overview:[/h2]
In 1944 Germany’s panzer forces reach their zenith, on paper at least, but the entire German military faces severe material shortages. Manpower reductions continue across all formations, but the proliferation of new vehicles, small arms, panzerfausts, and heavy mortars help compensate for reductions when equipment is available. However, Germany’s dramatic firepower escalation brings an equal rise in price and German forces are typically outnumbered as a result. One wrong move and even the most powerful armored kampfgruppe can be trapped by more numerous foes. Despite improvements in firepower, the Wehrmacht’s infantry divisions continue to contract and cover less front than ever. Likewise, the artillery arm relies heavily on werfers that cannot conduct fire support missions and a chaotic assortment of captured foreign guns. Germany’s panzer forces are formidable, but the army surrounding them has been stretched to the breaking point.

In total the 1944 German OOB consists of 256 units from 9 Panzer divisions, 6 Panzergrenadier Divisions, 16 Infantry Divisions, 1 Flakkorps, 3 Werfer Brigades, and dozens of independent tank destroyer, tank, artillery, and engineer battalions or brigades. Most of these units are drawn from OB West and are modeled according to their May-July 1944 TOEs or status reports, although some units have included from the Eastern and Italian fronts or from different times in the year.

[h2]The Panzerwaffe - The Crown Jewel:[/h2]
1944 Germany commands the most potent armored divisions in CAOS, but their price can be their own undoing. For instance, in the most extreme example the famous Panzer Lehr Division is the strongest division in the game, but its gargantuan panzer regiment alone costs more than most divisions. For the price of the Lehr Division, an American opponent can purchase 2 less powerful US ‘Heavy’ Armored Divisions, but cover twice as much ground. Even the more mundane 116th Panzer Division costs significantly more most Allied rivals.


That said, many panzer divisions are far below their official table of organization. For instance, the 11th Panzer Division fields a Panther battalion but it barely has one company left in its Pz IV battalion. Cheaper, albeit often mauled, alternatives to the exorbitantly expensive panzer regiments of units like Lehr are available.


When it comes to tanks, 1944 Germany has many ways to kill you; Panthers, Jagdpanthers, Tiger Is or IIs, Sturmpanzer IVs, they’re all here. However, mechanical breakdown can quickly wear your panzers down unless you give them time to rest, which usually necessitates protecting them with less valuable units for several turns. Consequently, Germany has two broad armored playstyles that you can mix and match: 1) Rely on medium tanks/tank destroyers, and battlegroup your armor with panzergrenadiers and self-propelled artillery to sustain constant mobile combat. 2) Bring slower, mechanically unreliable, but exceptionally powerful, heavy tanks, assault guns, and tank destroyers to methodically crush your adversary.


[h2]The Infantry Arm - An Overburdened Workhorse:[/h2]
Panzerfausts lend German infantry a potent anti-tank advantage over all competitors, but the German infantry arm is declining under the overwhelming weight of attrition on all fronts. Most line infantry divisions have been reduced to two infantry battalions per regiment, bringing the number of infantry combat battalions per division down from 10 to 7. This decline will continue during fall 1944 as recon fusilier battalions are downsized into companies. New small arms and support weapons partially compensate for falling manpower levels at a tactical level, but Germany’s shrinking infantry divisions simply cannot cover enough front. Specialist Fallschirmjager, Jager, and Gebirgsjager divisions remain exquisitely equipped, but these formations are rare and expensive. The bulk of Germany’s infantry divisions will require plentiful armor or artillery support to undertake offensive operations.


[h2]The Artillery Arm - Competent but Unambitious:[/h2]
German artillery is effective, but it lacks the sheer concentration of firepower enjoyed by the US and Soviet Union. As in earlier years of the war, German artillery primarily serves to support combined arms operations, but German battleplans rarely hinge on artillery alone. Devastating 21cm Morsers, 17cm field guns, and self-propelled howitzers, are rarely available in sufficient numbers. Moreover, OB West deploys an abnormally high number of captured foreign field guns due to chronic artillery shortages. Meanwhile, Werfer Brigades provide powerful short-range barrage, but they’re incapable of fire support. German artillery is competent when used to support larger combined arms operations, but don’t expect a miracle.

Despite these limitations, Germany excels in flak artillery. The mixed 8.8cm FlaK battalions of III Flakkorps provide an ideal combination of anti-aircraft and artillery to support mechanized kampfgruppes. Use them, abuse them, and infuriate your opponents with them.

[h2]The Luftwaffe - Masters of Air Denial:[/h2]
Historic logistical deficiencies aside, at an operational level the Luftwaffe excels at air denial. German fighters are excellent, but their bombers are highly vulnerable to interception, and the Luftwaffe lacks the close air support flexibility of its Western Allied rivals. Whereas the US and to a lesser extent UK can repurpose most of their fighters as support aircraft and flood the battlefield with close air support missions, the Germans largely rely on designated close air support squadrons. However, armed with Luftflotte III’s abnormally high allocation of FW-190s, the 1944 German OOB is well suited to disrupt enemy air missions and deny air superiority.
Development Note:We're still working on the air requisition interface shown in the screenshot above. In the current version of the game it doesn't show the individual air group's names. For those who are curious Germany 1944's fighters come from JG2 and 26. The ground support is from SG4 and SKG 10, and the bombers hail from KG 6, 66, and 76.


When properly played the German 1944 OOB is among the strongest in the game, but it has weaknesses that competent opponents can exploit. German armor is exceptional, but expensive and prone to excessive cohesion attrition from mechanical breakdown. German mechanized/motorized infantry is well organized and equipped, but there is never enough of it. German line infantry is tactically dangerous, but force reductions have left it unable to hold large swathes of front without significant support. German artillery is competent but it doesn't outshine the US or Soviets. Finally, the Luftwaffe is highly capable, but it lacks the flexibility of its Western rivals. Throughout the war Germany has always excelled at combined arms warfare, but now more than ever the weight of victory or defeat rests on the panzer divisions, but they must be skillfully employed, and the margin for error is very thin.