WARNO News

v138477: Hot fix

[h3]Code fixes[/h3]

Fixed the tactical game result when winning morale in Army General. (Note: This does not resolve the issue on saves made with previous versions, so you will need to restart the campaign. If you want to continue your current save without encountering this issue, avoid saving during the tactical battle.)

NORTHAG Operation #4 Survivors

We are back again, commanders!

In this week’s second DevBlog installment, we look at the final NORTHAG Operation to be included in our new expansion.

Let’s go behind enemy lines with Operation #4 - Survivors.

[h2]NORTHAG’s Historical Context[/h2]
For more info on NORTHAG’s historical context, check out this DevBlog for extra insights into the military situation on the northern front in West Germany.

In brief, NATO is being threatened by two different Warsaw Pact offensive thrusts, a northern one aimed at Bremen and a southern one with Hanover as its objective. The Survivors Operation is set even further south, on the frontier between NORTHAG and CENTAG.

As you might remember, the hammer-blow “Left Hook” attack (as depicted in the base game’s Army General campaign) by the Soviet 1st Guards Army smashes through NATO’s defenses after the initial surprise attack at Kassel. Quite a few allied units, including British, West German, and Belgian combat groups, find themselves behind enemy lines as the Soviet armor surges ahead. Close behind are second-tier communist formations, including East German reserve units, tasked with securing the Warsaw Pact’s rear.

Among the NATO units behind enemy lines are remnants of the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers. For the British troops, (relative) safety lies behind the Weser River, which means a perilous life-or-death journey through enemy territory.

[h2]Survivors[/h2]
Interestingly, this Operation is one of the few that didn’t see its name change from initial conception to the final testing round. The mission’s objective is straightforward: the troops under your command must survive! Survivors is a rather demanding mission in which your units are isolated and cut off from friendly lines. We have played with these concepts in other scenarios (including Running the Gauntlet and Marauders), but not on this scale and intensity.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

The isolated elements of the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers comprise a handful of FV432-transported infantry squads and anti-air teams, plus several ATGM-equipped Striker vehicles. You’ll also get Spartan and Scimitar recon units. Opposing you will be the East German Res. Mot.-Schützenbataillon operating T-34s and T-54Bs. No big deal, right? WRONG! The closer you get to friendly lines, the stronger the communist forces will get (you know, moving up to the actual frontline). These will include numerous T-80 tanks.

[h2]The Operation Itself[/h2]
In this Operation, the British NATO forces are under-equipped and outnumbered, with a scattering of equally dispersed allied units on the battlefield. The choices you make matter; if you might run solo, beeline toward friendly lines, and abandon your allies. However, this might not be a surefire way to make it out alive, as linking up with other encircled units might give you a boost in firepower and increase your chances of success making it out in one piece.

These include recapturing (you read that right) West German Leopard 2A3s, getting together with the SAS, refueling and using a Belgian recon chopper, and more. The last push across the Weser River will be done under the cover of a massive allied airstrike. In Survivors, you need to use your recon carefully, check engagement ranges, and, step by step, make it out of the forward battle zone.

[h2]The new WARNO - NORTHAG expansion[/h2] WARNO - NORTHAG is the first major expansion coming to WARNO. World War III hits the North German Plain where the attacking Warsaw Pact needs to overcome the staunch defenses of NATO’s NORTHAG. Under British command, Belgian, Dutch, West German, and American forces battle against the powerful northern formations of the Soviet Group of Forces in Germany, including East German and reinforcing Polish armies. The expansion is planned for later in 2024.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978620/WARNO__NORTHAG/

WARNO - NORTHAG will feature:

2 new Army General campaigns.
4 new Operations.
10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division and MultiNational Airborne Division, and the American 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan, 20 Dywizja Pancerna and Grupa Desantowa.
3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
New voice acting.
New units and models.

[h2]The new WARNO- NORTHAG detailed[/h2]
Check the dedicated forum post for all the detailed previews for WARNO - NORTHAG!

NORTHAG ... what to expect?

[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
That’s it. We’ll return with another WARNO - NORTHAG’s expansion preview next week! Note from next week onwards that we’ll go back to the regular schedule of 1 WARNO DevBlog per week.

Join the 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.

NORTHAG Operation #3 Marauders

Hello, hello, hello!

We return with yet another NORTHAG Operation preview. This week, it's time to tackle the last two scenarios to be featured in our upcoming WARNO - NORTHAG expansion.

First will be Operation #3 - Marauders, in which the British (and other paratroopers of the) MNAD (MultiNational Airborne Division) wreak havoc in Warsaw Pact’s rear.

Onwards and upwards!

[h2]NORTHAG’s Historical Context[/h2]
For more info on NORTHAG’s historical context, check out this DevBlog for extra insights into the military situation on the northern front in West Germany. In brief: NATO is being threatened by two different Warsaw Pact offensive thrusts, a northern one aimed at Bremen, and a southern one with Hanover as its objective.

WARNO - NORTHAG’s Army General and Operations all take place on or near these two attacks, albeit at different times and focusing on different fighting forces. With Marauders, we focus on the north to the front around Hamburg. It is here that defending NATO units have been fixed in place by combined Soviet and Polish formations supporting the East German 5. Armee’s offensive on Bremen.

[h2]Marauders[/h2]
Once again (see the Winged Hussars Operation and the Armored Fury Army General campaign), NATO sees a fleeting opportunity to strike the communists hard, if one is daring enough to take some risks. Next to the major offensive thrusts aimed at NORTHAG, the Warsaw Pact is also attacking even further north, with an assault on Denmark. However, with substantial reinforcements being diverted to the flagging southern axis at Hanover, and the logistical train in East Germany being hammered by plentiful NATO air attacks and artillery bombardments, there is quite a bit of chaos and confusion for the communists in the rear.

[previewyoutube](insérer vidéo Stephan, voir lien ci-dessus)[/previewyoutube]

This results in significant delays in deployments and maneuvers, including leaving key targets close to the edge of the forward combat zone temporarily undefended. Such is the case at Kasseburg, 30km east of Hamburg, a newly set-up logistical hub for the Polish 30th Mechanized Reserve Division. Momentarily, it is only left with a token defense force.

Cue NATO. In Marauders, a flying column of the British-led MNAD attacks in a daring night-time operation, managing to wrestle control of the forward-deployed ammo depot centered on a railway junction. However, come the dawn of the next day, the dispersed British, Belgian, and West German paratroopers and light airmobile forces are being threatened by a hasty but powerful Polish counter-attack.

[h2]The Operation Itself[/h2]
With Marauders, we have a selection of NATO’s finest light airborne troops fighting off several waves of Polish mechanized infantry. The mission is multi-fold. You have to move quickly to consolidate your forces, coordinate the British and West German recon troops, and establish (and maintain) your defensive lines. You guessed it, the available NATO contingent are all nimble and flexible but primarily light units, from Scimitar and Scorpion armored vehicles to experienced paratrooper squads and light helicopter squadrons (which will prove key in attacking and disrupting enemy waves).

The various MNAD forces are positioned across the battlefield. When you link up, you’ll receive some additional reinforcements, including British paratroopers armed with LAW-80 anti-tank weapons and Milan ATMG teams. Furthermore, if you secure the Bravo sector, located in the southeast, you’ll enable the West German to deploy their Fallschirmjäger platoons, strengthen your hold on Kasseburg (and give you even more infantry and supply units). Their support is vital in holding on for long enough, as the Polish tanks and mechanized infantry will do their damnest to kick you off the battlefield.

2 new Army General campaigns.
4 new Operations.
10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division and MultiNational Airborne Division, and the American 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan, 20 Dywizja Pancerna and Grupa Desantowa.
3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
New voice acting.
New units and models.

[h2]The new WARNO- NORTHAG detailed[/h2]
Check the dedicated forum post for all the detailed previews for WARNO - NORTHAG!

NORTHAG ... what to expect?

[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
We’ll be back later this week to detail Operation #4 - Survivors.

Join the 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.

NORTHAG Operation #2 Winged Hussars

Hello commanders!
We are back again with another WARNO - NORTHAG preview. We have arrived at Operation #2 - Winged Hussars, putting the spotlight on the tankmen of the 3rd Polish Tank Regimen racing towards battle!

Let’s go.

[h2]NORTHAG’s Historical Context[/h2]
For more info on NORTHAG’s historical context, check out the previous DevBlog for insights into the military situation on the northern front in West Germany. You might recall that we detailed two different Warsaw Pact offensive axis in NORTHAG’s area of operations: a northern one aimed at Bremen and a southern one with the objective of Hanover. Winged Hussars takes place in the area around Hanover.

[h2]Winged Hussars[/h2] Winged Hussars happens not only after the initial combat during the southern arm of the offensive, but even further after the Polish Second Army reinforces the flagging Soviet spearheads. Things still don’t go according to the communist plans. As part of the second echelon, the Polish 11th Armored Division managed to break through some of the British 2nd Infantry Division’s defensive lines on the approaches to Hamelin. However, in another (dastardly) surprise move, British airmobile forces cut off at least one of the attacking Polish tank battalions.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

This is where the tankmen in Winged Hussars come into play. A relief operation is mounted to link up with the encircled compatriots and renew the Polish attack on Hamelin. You’ll get to command two armored companies (the DB-3-29 pcz and DB-3-3-29 pcz) with mechanized infantry, BMP-1s, recon units, and T-72M1 tanks.

[h2]The Operation Itself[/h2]
The Operation is divided into two major parts, each providing a specific challenge. In the first segment of Winged Hussars, the player must advance into enemy-held territory to link up with their encircled command post. This phase will demand careful reconnaissance and, most of all, caution with a slower pace of action. The sneaky British airmobile troops include a host of ATGM teams supported by FV721 Fox and Rover Milans. Tricky foes, especially when striking unseen from ambushes. Any losses in materiel and manpower will be permanent. This will directly impact the difficulty of completing the rest of the mission.

The second part will kick off when you reach your encircled comrade-in-arms. Once you link up, you’ll get to go on the offensive. However, NATO is rushing in fresh troops as well, so it will be a race against time to capture all the Command Zones. You get to call in more tank forces, with a definite increase in the pace of operations during the second phase of Winged Hussars.

[h2]The new WARNO - NORTHAG expansion[/h2] WARNO - NORTHAG is the first major expansion coming to WARNO. World War III hits the North German Plain where the attacking Warsaw Pact needs to overcome the staunch defenses of NATO’s NORTHAG. Under British command, Belgian, Dutch, West German, and American forces battle against the powerful northern formations of the Soviet Group of Forces in Germany, including East German and reinforcing Polish armies. The expansion is planned for later in 2024.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978620/WARNO__NORTHAG/

WARNO - NORTHAG will feature:

2 new Army General campaigns.
4 new Operations.
10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division and MultiNational Airborne Division, and the American 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan, 20 Dywizja Pancerna and Grupa Desantowa.
3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
New voice acting.
New units and models.

[h2]The new WARNO- NORTHAG detailed[/h2]
Check the dedicated forum post for all the detailed previews for WARNO - NORTHAG!

NORTHAG ... what to expect?

[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
That’s it. Next week, we’ll be back with more NORTHAG Operations previews!

Join the 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.

Armored Fury AG Preview plus Nemesis #3

Good day, commanders,

We hope you are well. We return with another WARNO - NORTHAG preview, this time focusing on the second Army General campaign coming with our new expansion: Armored Fury.

Plus, we have some interesting news to share on the next Nemesis (number #3) DLC being planned for WARNO.

Read on!

[h2]NORTHAG’s Historical Context[/h2]
For more info on NORTHAG’s historical context, don’t be shy and check out the previous DevBlog in which we detail the war scenario’s timeline and events leading up to NORTHAG’s two Army General campaigns. As talked about in the Four Days to the Weser campaign, the Warsaw Pact unleashes two major new offensives in the North German Plain. In today’s DevBlog, we’ll look at the southern axis, aimed at Hanover-Osnabrück.

Armored Fury has been named for the way it features more, and in some cases an overwhelming majority, of armored divisions and formations on both sides. This perfectly encapsulates the mechanized combined arms approach that would see the best use of “tank country” on this part of the front. This means that this Army General campaign contains more armored battalions (the pawns) to play with than any previous campaign.

[h2]Armored Fury Campaign[/h2]
The Army General campaign itself focuses on the southern Warsaw Pact offensive axis, with its goal being Hanover, a strategically important city and logistical hub. Leading the charge is the Soviet 3rd Combined Army, noteworthy to be made up in its entirety of armored formations - four divisions, to be exact. But not everything goes according to plan for the communists. In our scenario, the leading 47th Guards Tank Division gets drawn into a massive ambush and mauled by a well-prepared and tenaciously defending West German 1. Panzerdivision.

[previewyoutube](insérer vidéo Intro_Hanovre ... que je n'ai pas)[/previewyoutube]

Severely beaten, the Soviet vanguard is mostly destroyed, and the survivors are forced to pull out and reorganize. The other communist armored divisions resume the advance, but much more cautiously. This gives the 1. Panzerdivision time to fall back on Hanover, where, thanks to the lull in combat, the British have used the respite to reinforce the city and bring up major armored reinforcements.

The British see an opportunity. With Soviet forces diminished and the balance of power momentarily in NATO’s favor, they decide to launch a limited but tank-heavy counter-offensive to crush the weakened Soviet spearhead. As always, time is of the essence. The Soviets are bringing up their own reinforcements, the Polish 2nd Army, to restart their flagging offensive.

Armored Fury will be a campaign featuring mostly armored units on both sides, with the city of Hanover being the juicy prize NATO and the Warsaw Pact will be fighting over.

[h2]Opposing Forces[/h2] Armored Fury sees the Soviet 3rd Combined Army (minus a decimated 47th Guards Tank Division) go head-to-head against the I British Corps.

The Soviets field three tank divisions:

The 7th Guards Tank Division equipped with the T-64B/BVs.
The 10th Guards Tank Division fielding the T-80B/BV.
The 12th Guards Tank Division equipped with two-thirds T-64B/BV and one third T-80B/BV.

Depending on the strategic choices you make, Soviet formations in the field can be reinforced by leading elements of the Polish 20 Pacerna with T-72M1s (already featured as one of the expansion’s new major divisions, check out the preview here).

The I British Corps goes to war with some reshuffling. For instance, the corp’s main reserve, the 3rd Armoured Division, has already been sent south to support the I Belgian Corps and won’t be deployable. Instead, in Armored Fury you’ll be playing with the following:

The frontline 1st Armoured Division (already in-game) and the 4th Armoured Division (to be added with WARNO as a full division, check it out here).
The West German 1st Panzerdivision dragooned into British I Corps service after falling back on Hanover. Even though some of its brigades have suffered damage or fatigue, the Bundeswehr’s formation is still a force to be reckoned with.
The British 2nd Infantry Division (also already present in-game) is deploying to secure NATO’s rear and flanks and to reinforce Hanover’s defenses further.

A raft of smaller independent units and detachments will also be deployable by both sides. Expect high casualties among the “lesser” battalions when caught unsupported, though. On paper, the Soviet forces are grouped more together and slightly more powerful, but NATO (for once) has superiority in infantry, using them to hold on to its defensive strong points when needed. Another advantage is that the British start with the campaign’s main objective in their possession: Hanover.

2 new Army General campaigns.
4 new Operations.
10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division and MultiNational Airborne Division, and the American 9th Infantry (Motorized) Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan, 20 Dywizja Pancerna and Grupa Desantowa.
3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
New voice acting.
New units and models.

[h2]The new WARNO- NORTHAG detailed[/h2]
We have started detailing WARNO - NORTHAG’s features. Check the dedicated forum post for all the detailed previews!

NORTHAG ... what to expect?

[h2]A Bit of Nemesis News[/h2]
Hot on the heels of the recently released Nemesis #2 - Plateau d'Albion, we are already looking ahead at Nemesis #3. However, due to the current development cycle and Eugen’s resource and manpower distribution, we realized that if we wanted to have Nemesis #3 in your eager hands sooner rather than later, we had to pick the divisions ourselves instead of letting you, the community, vote on it. Doing it this way would save us quite a bit of time. This is exactly the same reason why we decided on which divisions to include in Nemesis #1: Air Assault to get it out of the door sooner.

So, in short, Nemesis #3’s content will be decided by us to release it much quicker. We hope to start detailing what’s in store in the not-too-distant future. And then, we will return to a community vote with Nemesis #4!

[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
We’ll be back later this week with more WARNO - NORTHAG previews.

Join the 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.