WARNO News

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.

Hello commanders!

Today, we want to share an important update about a change coming soon to the game, AA Guns. Following recent adjustments, AA Guns have proven to be extremely effective, perhaps a bit too effective? Let’s take a closer look at the situation together.



[h2]Why this change?[/h2]
Originally, anti-aircraft guns (AAG) did not have a ground support role in the game. However, in reality, these weapons have often been used for ground fire support, which is why we decided to give them this capability.

That said, AAGs can prove extremely powerful at short engagement ranges, especially in forests. While they are not unbeatable, countering them requires significant micro-management and can disrupt the balance of infantry combat.

Our goal is to address the overperformance of AAGs at short range while preserving their value as anti-air weapons and as ground fire support, while limiting their effectiveness against infantry at very close distances.

[h2]The Role of AA Guns[/h2]
Before we discuss the upcoming changes, let’s take a moment to review the intended role of AAGs.
Due to their vulnerability, these units whether towed or self propelled are meant to serve as second or third line support, covering the front from aerial threats or protecting against flanking maneuvers.

Ideally, AAGs should not be used alone, they are most effective when combined with other anti-aircraft units, either of the same type or equipped with missiles, to counter helicopters and planes.
It is therefore normal that, in some situations, a lone AAG cannot deal with aerial units by itself. Conversely, it is also normal for a lone infantry unit charging an AAG to be destroyed.
We want to make changes while respecting these core principles.

[h2]Our Work[/h2]
We are working to find a solution that fits both our technical and gameplay constraints. AAGs are not designed to fire at ground targets, especially not at close range, yet this has become their most common use because of their effectiveness.

• The first step would be to introduce a minimum firing distance for these weapons. Currently, there is none. The goal is to allow infantry to destroy AAGs at close range. In reality, these weapons are difficult to use accurately against ground targets, especially at short distances, and can be dangerous to operate up close. It therefore makes sense that AAGs should not be able to fire below a certain range.
  
• Alternatively, if needed, we could make towed AAGs targetable again by AT weapons and ATGMs. This would make them more vulnerable when used on the front line and would allow infantry to engage them with rocket launchers, addressing part of the problem.
  
• Another possible approach would be to adjust the damage, accuracy, or splash radius separately for ground and air targets. This would allow us to fine-tune their effectiveness, for example by giving AAGs very low accuracy against ground targets. While this approach is being considered, it would require technical development and ongoing maintenance, and would introduce different stats for the same weapon depending on its target, which could be confusing for players. For these reasons, it is considered, but not prioritized.
  

Of course, we are exploring and testing other solutions for this issue.



[h2]The Change[/h2]
At this stage, we cannot announce any definitive changes. As always, thorough testing phases are necessary to ensure the best possible balance for these units. These adjustments could affect several units, including both towed AAGs (such as the ZPU-4) and self-propelled AAGs (like the SHILKA). We are actively working with our QA team and Strike Team to evaluate the impact of these changes and will continue refining them based on their feedback and gameplay data.

Here is the list of divisions affected by these changes:
NATO: 4e Divisie, 152e DI, 5e DB, 11E DP, 16de PD ; 24th (N.G.), 3RD AD, 8TH ID, 6th ID, 9th ID, 35th ID, 82ND, 101ST AD ; 11th ACR ; 2. PzGD, 5.PzD, TKS ; MNAD & Berlin Command.

PACT: 27-ya Gv.MD, 79-ya Gv.TD, 39-ya Gv.MD, 25-ya Gv.TD, 119-y OTD.TP, 56-ya OG.DSB, 35-ya OG.DSB, 76-ya Gv.VDD, 6-ya Gv.OMSB, 157-ya MSD ; 4. MOT-SCHÜTZEN, 7. PANZERD., 9. PANZERD., KdA, Berliner Gruppierung, Rügener Gruppierung ; 20 D.Pancerna, Korpus DESANT. & 4 DYW.ZMECH.



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 all!

Welcome back to another WARNO - SOUTHAG division preview. We turn to the Warsaw Pact once more with a division actually long requested by the community: the Soviet 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya or the 31st Tank Division - the first Soviet T-72 battlegroup.

Let’s go!

[h2]The Warsaw Pact’s Soviet 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya’s History[/h2]
The 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya is the direct successor to the World War 2-era 31st Tank Corps of the Red Army. Created in 1943, this particular formation took part in the battle of Kursk and subsequent Korsun-Schevchenko and Lvov-Sandomierz operations, as well as in the later stages of the Battle of Dukla (the central campaign in the upcoming Steel Division 2: Battle of Dukla Pass expansion). The 31st Tank Corps kept on fighting, including in the Vistula-Oder offensive, ending the war in Czechoslovakia.



Disbanded as a corps on May 11th, 1945, its units were reorganized and reformed as the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya less than two months later. Stationed in Hungary for a while, the tank formation was featured in various exercises before taking part in the Warsaw Pact’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 to put an end to Dubček's regime's liberalisation attempts. From this point onwards, the division remained in eastern Czechoslovakia for the duration of the Cold War, forming part of the Soviet Central Group of Forces.



The division saw no more action after its brief foray during the 1968 Prague Spring. With the end of the Cold War, it returned to the USSR in 1990 before being converted into the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division in 1997.

The 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya’s history in WARNO
However, as you might have glimpsed into the Delayed Retribution intro video last week, the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya’s fate in WARNO’s timeline is rather different. An attempt by the Soviet Central Group of Forces to outflank CENTAG at Nuremberg was met by a West German-American counter-attack which crushed its spearhead… formed by the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya. This fateful battle will have serious ramifications for the Warsaw Pact, and in turn, leads to NATO’s SOUTHAG taking a much more active and aggressive role further down south.
More on that later. Back to the opening stages of World War III. As explained repeatedly, the main Soviet combat formations facing NATO are the ones stationed in East Germany. These first echelon divisions were some of the best equipped, supplied, and trained, fielding the top-of-the-line T-64 and T-80 main battle tanks. But further south, the Central Group of Forces (CGF) (in the northern regions of Czechoslovakia) is slightly lower in the pecking order. Being part of an envisioned secondary front, the divisions assigned to this formation had to make do with whatever was to be gotten from the motherland: in 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya’s case, the T-72.



As previously mentioned with the Czechoslovakian 19. Motostřelecká Divize, it was to pass its SKOT-equipped infantry regiment (the 104. MSP) to its cousin the 20. Motostřelecká Divize for latter operations as part of the CGF. In our WARNO scenario, the 20. MSD is locked down in fixing attacks, and the 104. MSP is instead used as a general CGF reserve, to be thrown into battle in an effort to break the hapless 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya out of the NATO-sprung trap.



So, don’t be surprised to see some Czechoslovakian units make their appearance with the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya.

[h2]The 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya in WARNO - SOUTHAG[/h2]
How will the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya look like in WARNO - SOUTHAG? New units are both italic and bolded. The following is subject to change.



LOG
Mediocre: meaning that the number of slots and their costs are average. This is to reflect the tank division’s fate within WARNO World War III scenario of ending up being surrounded.

• Supply units include a FOB, as well as MT-LB SNAB., URAL-4320 SNAB., and KRAZ-255B SNAB. supply vehicles. Plus the heliborne MI-8MT GRUZOVOI.
  
• Command units available are the MT-LBU, BMP-1K3 and the new Mi-22, a command variant of the large Mi-6.

INF
Good: meaning slots available and their costs, and the availability of Czechoslovakian infantry, taking into account that the 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya is an armored division.

• The battlegroup gets the usual allotment of infantry as seen with other Soviet tank divisions, including MOTOSTRELKI partially deployable in BMP-1P (Fagot), part in BMP-2. No BTR-infantry, however (except for the SAPERI squads).
  
• New for a Soviet division is the presence of several cards of Czech. VELITEL STŘELCŮ and STŘELCI squads, as well as the PTŘS FAGOT, all coming in either softskins or OT-64C APCs.

ART
All right, this category is average. Meaning: decent availability of slots, but they quickly rise in costs.

• An array of classic Soviet artillery can be deployed:
  
  • 2S12 120mm mortar plus the D-30 122mm howitzers.
    
  • The 2S1 122mm and 2S3M 152mm self-propelled guns.
    
  • And a new unit: the 9A51 PRIMA, which is a heavier version of the Grad, using a URAL-4320 chassis and featuring 50 rocket tubes instead of 40. It can fire its ammunition at longer ranges, and will be loaded with cluster rockets.
• The Czechoslovakians also bring some of their own firepower:
  • The M Vz.52 82mm mortar and H D-30 122mm howitzers, with the latter being the same as the Soviet weapon above.
    
  • The RM Vz.51 130mm MLRS.

TANK
Very good: which means lots of slots, all being cheap.

• The 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya relies mostly on the T-72A Obr. 79 (which is the T-72M) and T-72A Obr. 81 (the T-72M1), with both tank models coming in regular and command variants.
  
• With the addition of the more modern T-72B (the T-72S) with its Svir missile, as well as the ATGM-less new T-72B1 and command T-72BK variants.
  
• Lastly, the Czechoslovakians are also featured, bringing two cards of the much cheaper T-55AM1.

REC
An average category. You know what this means: lots of choices, but the slots swiftly become expensive. You get to choose from the following:

• Soviet and Czechoslovakian recon infantry is made up of:
  
  • Soviet RAZVEDKA, RAZVEDKA SAPERI, and MOT. RAZVEDKA, as well as RT RAZVEDKA.
    
  • Czechoslovakian PRŮZKUMNÍCI in UAZ-469 or OT-65.
• Vehicles include:
  
  • BRDM-2 and BRM-1K radar recon.
    
  • Plus the new BMAN. A curiously looking spotting vehicle to guide in air strikes. Based on a STRELA-10 anti-air unit, it replaces the two AA missile pods with two pods of 24x (direct fire) 80mm HE rockets. In real life, these were used for marking targets for upcoming air attacks. The unit is also fitted with smoke launchers and will be the first Soviet vehicle to feature the Electro-Optical Dazzler trait.
• And lastly, air recon units are:
  
  • The Mi-2, Mi-24K, and Mi-8MTPI flying jammer.

AA
Pretty good (once again, we refer to the availability of slots and their cost).

• AA units include Soviet IGLA and Czechoslovakian PPLRKS S-2M (which are Strela) MANPAD teams.
  
• Soviet ZU-23-2 23mm AA gun.
  
• Soviet BIRYUSA quad 23mm and Czechoslovakian JEŠTĚRKA twin 30mm SPAAG units.
  
• Soviet MT-LB STRELA-10 and KUB SAMs.

HEL
Average (the slots and their cost, mind you).

• Some standard choices here: Mi-8MT [RKT1] gunships and MI-24V in [RKT], [RKT2], and [AT] loadouts.

AIR
Bad. Yes, this refers to the category. This means only a few slots and all are being pricey.

• You only get the MIG-23ML [AA] as a fighter.
  
• Plus the MIG-27M in [HE] and [NPLM] roles, and the MIG-27K [AT2] in a tank buster one.

The 31-ya Tankovaya Diviziya is well-rounded in all its combat arms, from infantry, tank, artillery, to recon, as well as AA. It lacks, however, in supporting arms, especially in air and helicopter support, but also logistics to a certain extent.

[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. The Warsaw Pact features the Czechoslovakian 1. Tanková Divize, 19. Motostřelecká Divize, and 303. Tanková Divize.
  
• New voice acting.
  
• New units and models.

[h2]Until Next Week[/h2]
We’ll be back soon with another 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.

Hello Commanders,

We wish to address the freezing issue plaguing some of you for quite some time now.
As we mentioned before, we have several engineers working full-time on it, and we even bought several RTX cards for the sole purpose of studying that issue, which seems to be a lot less likely on other cards, especially AMD cards.

When this issue occurs, the Nvidia driver crashes, causing the black screen. It's not supposed to crash (whatever the application does), and Nvidia is currently working on fixing this issue. However, we can't place our faith in them fixing it soon. Our strategy right now is to understand what triggers this driver issue, and from there we will try to work around it.

Be sure that we are dedicating all our energy to solving that issue, and we won't stop until it is fixed, but that means analyzing, understanding, and hopefully fixing third-party code.

Hello commanders!

Today, we want to share an important update we are currently developing regarding IFVs. As part of our ongoing effort to keep the game balanced and engaging, we have been closely analyzing the role of IFVs on the battlefield and how their versatility has shaped the current meta.



[h2]Why this change?[/h2]
IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicles) have become extremely versatile units, excelling in anti-infantry, anti-light armor, and even anti-helicopter roles thanks to their autocannons. Additionally, their access to ATGMs allows them to threaten even heavy armor. Their numbers often lead to situations where ATGMs can saturate the battlefield, making IFVs reliable in almost any situation.

This has resulted in a gameplay meta heavily centered around IFVs, sometimes overshadowing other unit types. The goal is to reduce their impact without making them irrelevant, keeping their presence as a signature element of certain divisions, and representing their key role in modern conflicts.


[h2]The Work[/h2]
To address this, we will focus on maintaining the multi-role aspect of IFVs while slightly toning down specific strengths. We will avoid simply reducing their availability, as IFVs are a defining feature for some divisions, and we will also avoid only increasing their price, since they are key infantry transports.
Instead, we will explore targeted adjustments:

• Autocannon: Air range will be reduced, giving helicopters a more noticeable advantage. Precision will also be slightly lowered to make IFVs less dominant in certain engagements.
  
• ATGM: Missile reload times will be increased to limit the saturation effect and make massed ATGM fire less overwhelming, as IFVs are not purpose-built for ATGM deployment and their reloading mechanisms are often less efficient or more restrictive.
  

Additional tweaks will be tested to fine-tune their impact.

And, we are looking into increasing the price gap between different versions of the same IFV, specifically between models equipped with ATGMs and those without. This adjustment aims to better reflect the added value and battlefield impact of IFVs carrying ATGMs, while offering divisions more meaningful choices when building their decks.



[h2]The Change[/h2]
The changes described above are still being tested and discussed, and our work on IFVs is not finished. If these first adjustments are not enough, we are ready to consider broader modifications to ensure a healthy balance. We are actively working with our QA team and Strike Team to evaluate the impact of these changes and will continue refining them based on their feedback and gameplay data. Our shared goal is to ensure IFVs remain enjoyable and essential, without dominating the meta.

Here is the list of divisions affected by these changes:
NATO: 4e Divisie, 5e DB, 16de PD ; 24th (N.G.), 3RD AD, 8TH ID, 82ND ; 11th ACR ; 2. PzGD & 5.PzD ; MNAD, 2nd ID, 1ST AD, 4TH AD & Berlin Command.

PACT: 27-ya Gv.MD, 79-ya Gv.TD, 39-ya Gv.MD, 25-ya Gv.TD, 119-y OTD.TP, 56-ya OG.DSB, 35-ya OG.DSB, 76-ya Gv.VDD, 6-ya Gv.OMSB, 157-ya MSD ; 4. MOT-SCHÜTZEN, 7. PANZERD., 9. PANZERD. ; 20 D.Pancerna & 4 DYW.ZMECH.



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.