Hello commanders!
We hope you are enjoying the fruits of our latest
WARNO labor,
a patch that addressed some of the most recent community feedback and player comments.
Of course, we would have loved to give you a bit more visibility of the hotfixes coming out of the
Eugen kitchen, but as development and coding speeds along, things moved quicker than this weekly DevBlog could cover.
Regardless, with the latest patch out in the wild, let’s return to some other important
WARNO matters at hand. As teased in our
Roadmap, today is the day we’ll get to dive deep into the two new
divisions coming to our World War III battle simulator! These new divisions will be added to the Pre-Order pack, free for all participants in the Early Access.
Strap in because this DevBlog will be a chunky one!
[h2]Introducing two new division[/h2]All right, plenty of speculation has been going the rounds, but unfortunately (or fortunately for us), this time you sleuths didn’t catch on to the divisions being tinkered with in the workshop.
Let’s welcome to the stage the U.S.
24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the Soviet
27-ya Gv. Motostrelk. Div. (or in English, the
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division).
Both new divisions use a mix of existing units, new variants, and some fresh units held in reserve for the upcoming
Army General campaign. They will also feature their own slot cost and availability per category. We aim to make these divisions distinct in their playstyle (more on that below).
So, without further ado, let’s check out what both NATO’s
24th Infantry Division and Warsaw Pact’s
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division have to offer.
[h2]U.S. 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized)[/h2]Unlike most of the other American divisions featured in
WARNO, the 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) wasn’t stationed in West Germany but across the pond in the good ‘ol United States. Earmarked for duty in Europe in case of war, the formation itself wasn’t a
REFORGER division either (
Return of FORces to GERmany), meaning it didn’t have any pre-positioned equipment waiting for it in the Federal Republic of Germany. Instead, this division would travel with all their materiel on ships, and this would have taken a few weeks.
For budgetary reasons, the
24th Infantry Division wasn’t kept at full strength. It only featured two regular infantry and tank brigades instead of the usual three. This means that the formation was kept at 60% strength. In case of war deployment, it would have been reinforced by an additional National Guard brigade, the
48th Mech. Infantry Brigade, Georgia National Guard.
[h2]A real-life example[/h2]A short intermission, but in real life, when the
24th Infantry Division and the
1st Cavalry Division (another reinforcement formation with a National Guard brigade) deployed for Desert Storm in Iraq in 1991, both divisional commands decided to not take their part-time soldiers with them. They considered them unfit for duty.
However, in our timeline to war, the Georgia National Guard
will join the
24th Guards Infantry Division in their duty in West Germany. All the National Guard units will receive the
Reservist trait and no veterancy. This not only concerns infantry squads and weapon teams, but also vehicles, including Abrams tanks, Bradley IFV, and the M109 self-propelled howitzer. To bolster the National Guard’s morale (or perhaps keep them in line), an entire military police battalion will be attached to the division, featuring larger new Command and “combat” MP squads.
[h2]U.S. 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in-game[/h2]What makes the
24th Infantry Division stand apart from its closest comparison, the in-game
8th Infantry Division (Mechanized)? The
24th ID’s infantry has been reorganized around the Bradley IFV (National Guard detachment included). Likewise, the division had already transitioned in its entirety from the M60 Patton to the
M1 Abrams and was one of the few formations to use the
M1IP Abrams during the Gulf War (but not the
M1A1). This makes the
24th Infantry Division sort of “missing link” between the
8th Infantry Division (Mechanized) and the
3rd Armored Division.
The division itself only receives the
AH-1A Cobra as helicopter support, but the
Florida National Guard will reinforced the division with an attack helicopter unit containing
AH-64A APACHE.
The
24th Infantry Division can call on strong air support, including a new variant of the
F-15C air superiority fighter with AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, as well as the brand-new
F-15E Strike Eagle with a tremendous LGB loadout! These very capable aircraft are supported by
F-4 Phantoms (including Wild Weasel SEAD variants) and
F-111 tactical bombers.
[h2]The National Guard in-game[/h2]As explained above, all new
National Guard units will feature the
Reservist trait and be veterancy locked. These new vehicle units are:
- NAT. GUARD M1 ABRAMS.
- NAT. GUARD M109A2.
- N.G. M151A2 I-TOW.
- N.G. M2 BRADLEY IFV.
- NAT. GUARD AH-64A APACHE.
Most of the above vehicles will get a new camouflage scheme based on the paint job used by the actual
48th Mech. Infantry, Georgia National Guard during a training exercise in the Mojave desert in 1991.
New
National Guard infantry units, be it recon, leader, or weapon teams including MANPAD, also deploy with
Reservist trait and veterancy locked:
- N.G. FIRE TEAM LDR.
- N.G. FIRE TEAM (DRAGON).
- N.G. FIRE TEAM (LAW).
- NAT. GUARD SCOUTS.
- NAT. GUARD M60 7,62mm.
- NAT. GUARD STINGER.
National Guard units were usually at the bottom of the priority list for replacements, so they would go to war with older equipment. This includes M16A1 assault rifles (with smaller magazines, hence lower RoF), M60 squad machine-gun (same here), Dragon 1 ATGMs, I-TOW, M14 battle rifle, Stinger A, etc.
[h2]Other new units[/h2]The
24th Infantry Division will also feature a bunch of new units, including:
- M548 armored supply carrier.
- MP LEADER. A large infantry squad with Leader, Security, and Military Police traits, fielding a mix of M16 and M14. Lacks AT.
- MILITARY POLICE. Likewise, a large fire support infantry squad with Military Police trait, armed with M16 and M14, plus two M60 machine guns. No AT.
- F-15C [AA2]. As mentioned before. Armed with 4x AIM-7M Sparrow and 4x AIM-9M missiles.
- F-15E STRIKE EAGLE. This state-of-the-art plane comes with 4x GBU-10 and 4x AIM-9M missiles.
[h2]U.S. 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in short[/h2]One of the
24th Infantry Division’s key features is that about a third of its strength is made up of National Guard units. This makes the division to closest to a “reserve” division as found with our other nations in
WARNO.
For instance, you’ll get to choose between regular
Fire Teams with the
M2A1 Bradley or the less experienced, but cheaper,
Nat. Guardsmen fielding older small arms in
M2 Bradley (both of the latter units featuring the
Reservist trait).
The
U.S. 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) will feature a mix of quality and quantity. Ample access to Infantry and Tank, but less promising in the AA and ART tab compared to the
8th Infantry Division. Air, however, will prove to be more than capable.
[h2]Soviet 27-ya Gv. Motostrelk. Div.[/h2]NATO had its turn, now onwards to the Warsaw Pact, specifically the Soviet
27-ya Gv. Motostrelk. Div. or in plain English, the
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division.
Together with the in-game
39th and the
79th Guards Tank Division, the
57th Guards Motor Rifle Division, the
27th was part of the Soviet
8th Guards Army. This strategic formation would be the one to strike first in any Warsaw Pact offensive through the Fulda Gap.
Although this happened during
Perestroika and the subsequent reduction of forces, the
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division was scheduled to be reorganized by the end of the Cold War. The formation was designated a testbed for the “Division ‘90” concept. This was a Soviet prototype Order of Battle, including an adapted Table of Organisation & Equipment. It would serve as a model for all Soviet divisions going into the next decade. Of course, this never came pass; in our history, however, things took a different path, and the transition to a “new style”
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division did take place.
[h2]”Division ‘90”[/h2]The “Division ‘90” concept implied a reduction in divisional strength, with one out of three infantry regiments being disbanded. This would mean minus three infantry and one tank battalions compared to a than a standard motor rifle division. But a single independent motorized infantry battalion equipped with BTR-80 wheeled APCs would replace one of the removed infantry battalions. So, the total reduction would be two infantry and one tank battalion. We will represent this in
WARNO with the availability of slots in each category and their costs.
Reducing the manpower meant that
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division could get rid of most of its obsolete equipment, concentrating its soldiers on the most efficient pieces of materiel. This includes state-of-the-art new weapon systems available or given for testing, or the latest improved variants of existing ones.
[h2]Soviet 27-ya Gv. Motostrelk. Div. in-game[/h2]Several new units will find their way into the division in
WARNO. This includes:
- 2S3M1 Akatsiya. The same self-propelled howitzer but with the ability to fire Santimetr CLPG (Cannon Launched Guided Projectile). This capability results in a corrected shot with pinpoint accuracy. The division keeps the same number 2S3 as any other Soviet division, but half will be the new 2S3M1 variant.
- 2S29 Nona-SVK. The same 120mm gun-mortar as the 2S9 Nona, but mounted on a faster (and more fragile) BTR-80 chassis.
- 2A36 Giantsint-B. This is the new 152mm howitzer entering service in the Soviet Army in the late ‘80s. Although restricted to dedicated artillery divisions or brigades, the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division got to replace its older divisional D-20 howitzers with these newer pieces.
- 2A45 Sprut. A 125mm tank gun used as a towed anti-tank gun, replacing the MT-12 Rapira 100mm. Let’s say that not all new equipment is always better. In this case, the new gun was unable to shoot ATGM rounds, plagued with bad aiming sights, and featured limited range. The 2A45 Sprut does have the ability to fire the T-80U’s DU rounds. This means that this gun can still be a (very) nasty surprise for anybody getting too close for too long!
- Konkurs-M. Although no archive clearly states that the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division welcomed the improved Konkurs-M within our timeframe, this upgraded variant was tested at the time and was to be adopted soon after 1989, despite the fall of the Soviet Union. The new ATGM variant shares the same stats but improved accuracy and a significant increase in penetration.
- BRDM-2 Konkurs-M. The dedicated ATGM carrier is like its predecessor but fires the improved Konkurs-M as described above.
- MT-LB Strela-10M3. The same vehicle as its predecessor, but with a missile that is more accurate, more powerful, and with extended range.
- Tor. The 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division was one of the first divisions to receive this brand-new SAM. The Tor would replace the Osa SAM vehicle, improving on it in many ways: more missiles, higher accuracy, greater anti-helicopter range, and more resilience because of its tracked chassis.And we create a special FX (visual and sound) to feature its specific vertical missile launch.
The
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division also features a bunch of other changes, new weapons, unit variants, and more.
- A general change to the infantry weapons fielded in the division means that disposable RPGs replace the old RPG-7. All the formation’s infantry will be armed with either the small RPG-18 or RPG-22 (for Engineers, Scouts, and Leaders) or the more powerful RPG-26 and heavy RPG-27 (BMP and BTR infantry).
- Although the division features some BMP-1, most of the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division IFVs are BMP-2 and variants. Some dedicated “assault” versions have been included: the BMP-2AG with an AGS-17 grenade launcher and the BMP-2D, up-armored but lacking its amphibious ability. The Mot. Razvedka will also have access to the new Razv. BMP-2.
- There will be BMP-2K and BTR-80K Command variants.
- Finally, we have attached a new aircraft to the division. This plane would only gain fame a decade later, in real life, but had already gone through testing and been approved for service in 1989. A dozen models had been built by this time. After the fall of the Soviet Union, and the fact that the factory building the aircraft was located in Georgia, delayed the production by a decade. This plane is the T-8M, later renamed the Su-25T. This reshaped variant of the Su-25 was dedicated to anti-tank warfare, carrying 16 Vikhr AGMs (firing them in pairs ingame) as well as two AA self-defense missiles.
- Some of the new equipment found in the ranks of the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division were only cosmetic, with the division’s soldiers entirely dressed in the new TTsko camouflage uniforms. All infantry and crew-served units will feature these new redesigned models.
- Note that all the above “same vehicle as predecessor” will feature the new three-tone camouflage paint job to set them apart from other units in the same series.
[h2]Soviet 27-ya Gv. Motostrelk. Div. in summary[/h2]As you can see, the
27th Guards Motor Rifle Division will have access to some of the latest hardware to be deployed in the Soviet Army. The division’s major strengths will be its strong infantry and potent artillery. Armor is basic, with all the tanks being the
T-80BV variant.
In terms of slot availability and cost, INF features powerful new variants and armored vehicles, but with category slot availability, although better than the
79th Guards Tank Division, below the
39th Guard Motorized Infantry. ART will have plenty of slots. AA will likewise have good availability and very powerful medium SAM units, especially useful against helicopters. However, long-range heavy SAMs are lacking, and no cheap short-range AA, except for MANPADs.
REC, TANK, LOG. AIR are pretty standard, and the HELO is rather basic.
[h2]WARNO Armory[/h2]Before leaving you, we wanted to spotlight another community-made website that is very useful for unit and weapon comparison purposes, patch notes, division analysis, and more!
WARNO-Armory (
www.warno-armory.com) is developed by a passionate
WARNO fan by the name of
Reaktor 4. Starting as a basic tool, it has grown steadily over the last year, intending to help new and veteran players better understand the game.
Providing insight into
WARNO is done through several major features.
Patch HistoryPlayers can view every iteration of
WARNO since v85396 Suchet. You can even compare units across different patches to see how they changed.
Unit ListA comprehensive list of units is included in the
WARNO-Armory, which you can filter by nation, division, role, or name. Unreleased units or units available only in scenarios can also be viewed. Hidden and calculated stats can be checked as well.
Stat RanksFurthermore, every stat in
WARNO-Armory is ranked and compared to other weapons and units of its type.
In case you want to know more, WARNO-Armory provides a host of information. Just hover over something for more details.
Deck AnalyzerTMApply the cumulative knowledge of some of the best WARNO players to help you make a better deck. Deck Analyzer shows a breakdown of your division’s deck capabilities while also telling if you overstuffed your build with too many high-cost units.
WARNO-Armory is still under active development, so expect things to change and improve. If you’d like to support the site, consider joining our Discord at
https://discord.gg/qtEupF69Ct.
[h2]Until next week[/h2]We love to hear and read your constructive and knowledgeable commentary and feedback! The positive comments made by many of you, across all our channels in recent weeks, towards the game and our development team, have helped us make a better
WARNO. Thanks! Keep it calm, cool, collected, commanders!
You can always 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.
As always, see you on the battlefield, commander.
