WARNO News

[p]Hello commanders,

We have finished with our divisional previews of WARNO - SOUTHAG, but we turn - once again - to the Operations and Army General campaigns that will be featured in our upcoming new expansion.

In today’s DevBlog, we’ll look at the second of four Operations: Glory or Attrition.

WARNO - SOUTHAG’s Strategic Situation
Let’s briefly return to the WARNO’s battlefields of southern West Germany and Czechoslovakia. At the start of World War III in Europe, combat on this part of the frontier mostly consists of small-scale local battles, keeping a struggling NATO off-balance, but lacking any kind of vigor or determination on the part of the Warsaw Pact to make a lasting impact.

This proves to be the communists’ undoing, as the Soviet Central Group of Forces and the Czechoslovak People’s Army find themselves facing a rapidly reorganizing and reforming SOUTHAG command, with its reinforcing West German, American, Canadian, French, and Spanish troops.

While the battles in the north and in CENTAG’s area of command are putting NATO on the back foot, an over-extended flanking attack by the Central Group of Forces is squashed by a combined West German and American task force near Nuremberg.


Follow-up attacks by NATO intend to fix a wavering Warsaw Pact in place, while a more audacious strategic counter-attack is planned to strike through the Czechoslovakian flank, and take the fight to enemy territory. In order to do so, as many of the CSLAs 1. Armáda needs to be engaged as much as possible, some of them already beating a retreat; a task that falls on Canadian shoulders.

[/p][previewyoutube][p]https://youtu.be/E1PmvDn5O0k?si=cmmRhr4DiX_09vms[/p][/previewyoutube][p]
Glory and Attrition
The communist forces are reeling on the southern front. The 1st Canadian Division receives the orders to continue the attack. They are to stop the retreat of the Czechoslovakian 19th Motorized Rifle Division. However, the arrival of the reinforcing elements of the 1st Tank Division throws a wrench into the planning. With more and more armor standing in the way, success in this NATO attacking Operation follows two strands of thought: battlefield domination or the total destruction of the enemy.

Highly mobile, the 1st Canadian Division brings Grizzly APCs, supported by swift Cougar fire support vehicles, medium Leopard C1 tanks, M113 ADATS which is able to engage heavy ground units as much as air targets with its unique missile system, and last but not least, an aerial support from CF-188, the Canadian designation of the F/A-18 Hornet.
In Glory or Attrition, you’ll be presented with several tactical choices. The first one could be seizing the high ground, with three elevated plateaus giving you positional superiority. Alternatively, you can dive deep into the attack, and bludgeon the Warsaw Pact into submission before they establish a new defensive foothold?


As the communists are rallying in the mission, and pouring in reinforcements, Glory of Attrition is going to be a showcase of a commander’s tactical ingenuity. Either destroy all the units, or gain control over a sufficient number of command sectors to win by points. This sounds easier said than done; in the end, the Czechoslovaks will fight for survival, with plenty of combined mechanized-armor units rolling up to the Canadian positions.

Let us know what you think of Glory and Attrition!

WARNO - SOUTHAG Expansion In Short
WARNO - SOUTHAG is WARNO’s second expansion after WARNO - NORTHAG and showcases the fighting in southern West Germany near the Alps and on the Czechoslovakian frontier.

In the southern reaches of Germany, the Warsaw Pact with the Soviet Central Group of Forces, bolstered by the communist Czechoslovakians, battles against a counter-attacking NATO SOUTHAG command led by France, with American, West German, Canadian, and reinforcing Spanish troops.

[/p]

• [p]2 new Army General campaigns.
  [/p]
• [p]4 new Operations, such as Delayed Retribution.
  [/p]
• [p]10 new Divisions, featuring Canada, Spain, and Czechoslovakia as new nations. These include NATO’s 1st Canadian Division, the Spanish División Mecanizada «Brunete» n.º 1, the French 6e Division Blindée Légère and Division du Rhin, plus the West German 1. Luftlandedivision. The Warsaw Pact features the Czechoslovakian 1. Tanková Divize, 19. Motostřelecká Divize, and 303. Tanková Divize, while the Soviet Central Group of Forces deploys the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya and the 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya.
  [/p]
• [p]New voice acting.
  [/p]
• [p]New units and models.[/p]

[p]
Until Next Week
We’ll be back soon with another WARNO DevBlog!

Don’t forget the vibrant 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, commanders.

[/p]

Hello Commanders,

Let’s take a closer look at the content coming in our next update, which is arriving very soon.

[h2]New Maps: RP#8 & RP#9[/h2]
First, you’ll be able to enjoy two new maps that were previously showcased in earlier DevBlogs: Ohmen and Surrounded.

• Ohmen will be available for 1v1 games. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/497193144876532432
  
• Surrounded will be playable in 3v3 Conquest, Destruction, and also in 10v10. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/497193785816515090
  

[h2]Important Changes[/h2]

• Freeze/Blackscreen Issues: Our teams are still working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding while we work on a solution.
  
• We’ve made several improvements to the Armory, including unit display with veterancy levels, improved filters, and an updated visual design.
  
• Units that have suffered a critical hit will now be usable again after repairs.
  

[h2]Balancing Changes[/h2]
As previously announced, this update will also introduce some reworks and take the first steps towards balancing:

1. Rework of the Reservist trait and introduction of the new Militia trait. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/497193785816515131
   
2. IFVs: We’re making initial adjustments to autocannons and ATGM variants:
   Autocannons: Reduced effective range, decreased accuracy, and slightly lowered area-of-effect and suppression capability.
   ATGMs: Increased reload time between salvos. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/497195047298532967
   
3. AA Guns: We are introducing a minimum range for all anti-aircraft guns. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1611600/view/704361359570109584
   

The changes mentioned above are a first step. We are implementing these adjustments to gather more data and player feedback. Depending on their impact, further changes may follow, this is not necessarily the final solution, but part of an ongoing process to improve the experience.

And of course, as always, there will be plenty of smaller tweaks and changes for you to discover in the Patch Log on release day!

Please note that last-minute adjustments may lead to minor changes.

What are your impressions of these upcoming changes?
Please feel free to discuss or ask any questions, we will do our best to answer them.

Don’t forget the vibrant 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.

Welcome back, commanders!

We return with the last of the WARNO - SOUTHAG divisional previews. That doesn’t mean there isn’t more good stuff coming your way, but with today’s DevBlog, we close a chapter as we turn to the final Warsaw Pact division to be featured: the Soviet 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya or 17th Guards Tank Division.

Onwards!

[h2]Warsaw Pact’s Soviet 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya’s History[/h2]
The star of today’s show is the 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya. The 17th Guards Tank Division was, despite its renowned “Guard” designation, a low-readiness mobilization division based in Ukraine. It was the sister formation to the previously released 157-ya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya (from Nemesis #3 - Home Front).



In our war scenario, upon mobilizing on the eve of World War III, the latter division stays in Crimea to guard the Warsaw Pact’s Black Sea flank, while the 17th Guards Tank Division musters and deploys rapidly to Czechoslovakia, picking up whatever reinforcements and detachments along the way to meet the NATO threat near the Iron Curtain.

One of the formation’s distinguishing features was the concentration of all the remaining T-64R of the late 1980s in its arsenal. This variant is an upgrade of the original production batch, retaining the early model’s 115mm tank gun, instead of the latter 125mm one. Together with this tank armada, the division also featured - in storage, not scrapped - a sizable contingent of venerable ISU-152K (of World War 2 fame) assault guns. In the division, they were used in a self-propelled gun role.



The 17th Guards Tank Division’s barracks at Krivoi Rog, in Ukraine, also accommodated about 500 T-10M heavy tanks in storage, to be used to equip future reserve divisions of the Soviet Army. In our case, all the locally available early mobilized elements would be regrouped into an extra tank regiment for the 17th Guards Tank Division, which was deployed immediately.



The T-10M is the ultimate tank in the IS series; it was renamed when the Iosef Stalin or “Father of the Nations” designation fell out of favor after Stalin’s death in 1953. This armor is the last in line of the Soviet heavy tanks, being displaced by the main battle tank concept and the T-62 and especially T-64, with equivalent armor but better mobility, sensors, and tank guns.

In WARNO, the 17th Guards Tank Division is rushed to nearby Czechoslovakia, much like a fire brigade. This means that anything and everything was used to bring the formation up to fighting strength while deploying for battle; this includes additional army-level attachments, which will be represented in some of the categories (like artillery).



[h2]Warsaw Pact’s 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya in WARNO - SOUTHAG[/h2]
What can you expect from the 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya in WARNO - SOUTHAG? New units are both italic and bolded. All the following is subject to change.


LOG
Average in terms of slots. The 17th Guards Tank Division is still an armored division, meaning a more limited logistical footprint, but has a reasonable number of options available. Including:

• BELOZOR, STADION, BMP-1KR3 and MI-9 command units.
  
• An FOB, GAZ-66 SNAB., KRAZ-255N SNAB., MT-LB SNAB. and MI-6A GRUZOVOI supply units.

INF
Likewise, pretty average in terms of slots and prices.

• As a low-readiness division, the 17th Guards Tank Division only had a small core of regular soldiers, to be supplemented by a majority of reservists.
  
  • Two cards of MOTOSTRELKI (BMP) and one of MOTOSTRELKI KOM. being deployable with either softskin transports, BMP-1, and BMP-1 (Fagot).
    
  • Three cards of REZERVISTI and two of REZERVISTI KOM., in URAL-4320 or REZ. BTR-152K.
    
  • SAPERI come in "vanilla", KOM. REZ. and REZ. LPO variants, one card each. They can deploy in softskin or for non-reservist squads access to BTR-70 as well.
    
  • Support comes in the form of KOMENDATURA in dedicated UAZ-769 and BTR-70. Furthermore, PULEMETCHIKI can deploy in regular and reservist variants, plus the SPG-9 recoilless rifle weapon team.
• Since the division would be operating relatively close to the Soviet Union frontier (with Czechoslovakia), the formation would pick up and get support from Soviet border guards, being no less than full-on KGB!
  
  • The new KOM. POGRANVOISK KGB are 7-man command security units with AK-74. They come in GAZ-66B.
    
  • POGRANVOISKA KGB are 8-man security units with AK-74, one PKM, one Dragunov, and one RPG-22. They come in GAZ-66B, BTR-70, or BTR-70 AGS.
    
  • DSH. POGRANVOISKA KGB are 11-man security units with AK-74, two PKM, one RPO A, and RPG-22. Transport options are GAZ-66B, MI-8T or MI-8T [RKT].
    
  • All KGB troops come with Security and Military Police traits.

ART
Pretty good category in terms of slots and prices.

• As expected, the divisional organic artillery doesn’t contain the most modern of arsenals:
  
  • BM-43 82mm mortars ("43" standing for "1943") and the ubiquitous 2S12 120mm.
    
  • M-30 122mm howitzers, as well as REZ. ML-20 152mm, the latter with the Reservist trait.
    
  • BM-14M 140mm MLRS.
    
  • Note, aside from the 2S12, all the other units above are new to the Soviet Army, but have been featured in WARNO with East Germany or Poland.
• The division manages to grab some heavy artillery on the way to the front, greatly bolstering its firepower.
  
  • The 2S7M MALKA, until now never presented in a Soviet Army division, only with the East German K.d.A. Bezirk Erfurt.
    
  • The new 2S4 TYULPAN, the self-propelled variant of the Soviet-made super-heavy 240mm mortar.

TANK
A very good category (slots and their costs).

• Plentiful T-64R, but lacking command variants (as they were never made). The division’s command tanks will be the slightly more modern T-64AK OBR.83 model with a 125mm gun.
  
• Several cards of the T-10M and T-10MK command tank, both with the Reservist trait.
  
• Two cards ISU-152K, performing both as a heavy assault gun and indirect artillery.
  
• Although this type of Soviet tank division didn’t have any organic missile tank destroyer battalion or regiment, we have managed to attach some:
  
  • One card of the BRDM-2 FALANGA-P, from an independent army-level tank destroyer unit. These are roughly similar to their BRDM-2 MALYUTKA-P counterparts, but with only four ready missiles (against six), but of the more powerful Falanga type (20 AP against 17).
    
  • One card of the REZ. BRDM-2 MALYUTKA-P, which is new in a Reservist role but not a new unit, likewise commandeered from a reserve motorized rifle division nearby.

REC
Average category. Located in Ukraine, the 17th Guards Tank Division wasn’t exactly meant to have a large contingent of troops to weed out enemies on the battlefield.

• Foot recon includes the following units:
  
  • REZ. RAVEDKA in URAL-4320 and BTR-40.
    
  • MOT. RAVEDKA in GAZ-66, RAZV. BMP-1P, and Mi-2T, Mi-8T, Mi-8T [RKT] helicopters.
    
  • RAZVEDKA PV KGB in GAZ-66, RAZV. BMP-1P, Mi-2T, Mi-8T and Mi-8T [RKT]. They are 8-man scout squads with AK-74, PKM, and Dragunov, including the Military Police and GSR traits.
    
• Vehicle recon, one card of each, includes:
  
  • BTR-40A and BRDM-2.
    
  • BRM-1K.
    
  • Plus one card of Mi-2 air recon.

AA
An average category.

• Units include REZ. STRELA-3 MANPAD teams and ZU-23-2 23mm gun.
  
• The ZSU-23-4M1 SHILKA (same as the East German army).
  
• BRDM-2 STRELA-1 and OSA-AKM SAM.

HEL
Rather bad.

• Only the MI-8MT [RKT1] and MI-8MT [RKT3] gunships.

AIR
Pretty good.

• Air cover for the division relies on the MIG-23ML and MIG-23MLA.
  
• Plus strong close air support, in the form of an all-out Su-17M4 fleet, featuring several new payloads:
  
  • Su-17M4 [RKT]
  • Su-17M4 [CLU], with 2x R-60M missiles and 6x RBK-500 cluster bombs.
    
  • Su-17M4 [HE], with 2x R-60M missiles and 6x FAB-500 HE bombs.
    
  • Su-17M4 [AT].
    
  • Su-17M4 [HE/CLU], with 2x R-60M missiles and 2x RBK-500 cluster bombs and 4x FAB-500 HE ones. Although mixed payload configuration has a feature on several NATO planes, it was seldomly used by Warsaw Pact aircraft.
    
  • Su-17M4 [TRM], with 2x R-60M missiles and 6x ODAB-500PM thermobaric bombs.

The 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya is a mobilization division with access to an array of interesting assets - including some jokers up its sleeve -, featuring a number of original units and models. It lacks infantry, but makes up with plentiful tanks, strong artillery, and potent air support.

[h2]WARNO - SOUTHAG Expansion In Short[/h2] WARNO - SOUTHAG is WARNO’s second expansion after WARNO - NORTHAG and showcases the fighting in southern West Germany near the Alps and on the Czechoslovakian frontier.

In the southern reaches of Germany, the Warsaw Pact with the Soviet Central Group of Forces, bolstered by the communist Czechoslovakians, battles against a counter-attacking NATO SOUTHAG command led by France, with American, West German, Canadian, and reinforcing Spanish troops.

• 2 new Army General campaigns.
  
• 4 new Operations, such as Delayed Retribution.
  
• 10 new Divisions, featuring Canada, Spain, and Czechoslovakia as new nations. These include NATO’s 1st Canadian Division, the Spanish División Mecanizada «Brunete» n.º 1, the French 6e Division Blindée Légère and Division du Rhin, plus the West German 1. Luftlandedivision. The Warsaw Pact features the Czechoslovakian 1. Tanková Divize, 19. Motostřelecká Divize, and 303. Tanková Divize, while the Soviet Central Group of Forces deploys the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya and 17-ya Gvardeyskaya Tankovaya Diviziya.
  
• New voice acting.
  
• New units and models.

[h2]Until Next Week[/h2]
That’s all for this DevBlog. As usual, we’ll be back next week!

Don’t forget the vibrant 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.

Hello commanders!

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving the WARNO experience, we are currently working on a rework of artillery mechanics. Our goal is to better balance its impact on the battlefield while offering more tactical options to all players.



[h2]Why this change?[/h2]
A closer look at current gameplay reveals that artillery units are able to relocate almost instantly after firing, making them nearly impossible to counter with return fire unless the opposing player remains completely static. This leads to situations where players can focus exclusively on artillery without ever being threatened.
Artillery is unique in WARNO, it is the only type of unit that has no real counter. Our core design philosophy is that every unit should have both advantages, disadvantages and, crucially, that every unit must be counterable by others. Artillery’s current lack of vulnerability breaks this fundamental rule, creating an imbalance that undermines tactical diversity.



[h2]Our Work[/h2]
To address this, we are introducing a set-up time and a displacement time for artillery units. When an artillery piece stops, it will need to remain stationary for a short period before it can shoot. After firing, it will also require a set time to pack up before moving again. These timings will vary by artillery type:

• Towed artillery
  
• Self-propelled artillery
  
• MLRS units
  

This system is designed to make counter-battery fire a viable response, without making artillery universally vulnerable. The aim is not to reduce the overall power of artillery, but to ensure there are effective counters and to encourage more diverse tactics on the battlefield.

Also, in the future, we also want to give players the ability to adjust the size of their artillery salvos. This will allow you to tailor your firepower to the situation, whether you need harassment, saturation, or precision strikes. Giving you more control and strategic options.

We are continuously exploring new ways to improve artillery gameplay. Our team remains attentive to community feedback and actively studies how artillery can be further balanced and made more interesting.



[h2]The Change[/h2]
As numerous other gameplay topics, the key is always to find the right balance between realism and gameplay. While it's clear that, considering the scope of the game, artillery gameplay can never fully replicate real-world artillery operations, our goal is to emulate and represent them, without compromising the core gameplay experience and fluidity

This artillery rework is currently in development. We are fully committed to improving this crucial aspect of WARNO and will keep you updated on our progress. Your feedback will be essential to fine-tune these changes.

These changes will affect all divisions in the game.


What are your impressions of these upcoming changes?
Please feel free to discuss or ask any questions, we will do our best to answer them.

Don’t forget the vibrant 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.

Hello, hello, hello.

We are back with a WARNO - SOUTHAG division preview. In today’s DevBlog, the last one for NATO, we’ll deep dive into the West German 1. Luftlandedivision.

Ready? Go!

[h2]NATO’s West German 1. Luftlandedivision’s History[/h2]
The West German 1. Luftlandedivision, or the 1st Air Landing Division, was raised in 1956, a year after the Bundeswehr’s founding. At first, only two airborne brigades were used, but by 1970, a third brigade was added.



Organized as a division with three brigades and an artillery regiment, the 1. Luftlandedivision’s combat units were distributed as reserves among the three main West German field commands: the I. Korps (with NORTHAG), the III. Korps (with CENTAG) and the II. Korps (with SOUTHAG). This left its divisional HQ and (only partially active) artillery regiment as administrative formations. It was quickly realized that these dispersed brigades were rather light, best used on the defensive, due to their limited number of soldiers and firepower.

This also led, turning to the end of the Cold War, to the Bundeswehr envisioning a different, more active role for the 1. Luftlandedivision. Although one of its brigades, the 27. Luftlande-Brigade would be kept separate and positioned in NORTHAG, the air landing division would regain control over its two more southern-located brigades.



These formations would operate in Bavaria, in a theater of war particularly well-suited for light infantry, defending the mountainous and wooded regions near the West German border with Czechoslovakia and Austria. The 1. Luftlandedivision was further bolstered by the addition of the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23, and one armored recon company, courtesy of the 1. Gebirgsdivision. On top of that, a territorial brigade - the Heimatschutzbrigade 56 - would also join the division’s ranks. This latter formation was rather powerful,
closer to a regular Panzergrenadier-Brigade than a rabble of reservists and local militia.



[h2]The 1. Luftlandedivision in WARNO’s history[/h2]
In WARNO’s scenario, the CENTAG-assigned reserve 25. Luftlande-Brigade will aid the 2. Panzergrenadier-Division (as is depicted in this playable division, as well as Army General). This means it is not available to the 1. Luftlandedivision. Instead, our newest battlegroup will feature one airborne, one mountain, and one mechanized infantry brigade. A rather unique ratio of troops, which will be reflected within WARNO - SOUTHAG:

• One-third of its troops will feature the Airborne trait. These stem from the single airborne brigade.
  
• One-third mechanized infantry and units. Although part of the Heimatschutzbrigade 56 (HSB 56), these troops will not be considered Reservists. This particular territorial brigade was a cut above the rest, in terms of training and equipment, and instead will be represented as regular units with locked veterancy.
  
• One-third, the mountain troops, will feature the new Mountaineer trait. These represent the Gebirgsjägerbrigade 23. These light units will have less to no movement penalty in rugged terrain, such as forests. This new trait will be retrofitted to existing units such as British Gurkhas and Soviet Afgantsy.

[h2]NATO’s 1. Luftlandedivision in WARNO - SOUTHAG[/h2]
What can you expect from the 1. Luftlandedivision in WARNO - SOUTHAG? New units are both italic and bolded. All the following is subject to change.



LOG
The logistics department is better than other comparable airborne divisions in terms of slots and their price. This is due to the 1. Luftlandedivision being only partially airborne, plus it was pre-positioned with close supply lines to the battlefields the battlegroup would be fighting on.

• Like other WARNO airborne divisions, it doesn’t receive an FOB. Its supply units are airliftable KRAKA MUN., the light UNIMOG S404 MUN., and the medium (new) TYP 1017 MUN. supply vehicles, plus the CH-53G MUN. helicopter.
  
• Command units are the Fs-FÜHRUNGS ILTIS and M577GA2.

INF
As can be expected from a light/airborne/mechanized infantry division, this category is excellent in terms of the number of slots and their price.