WARNO News

Hello commanders,

We are back! In last week’s DevBlog, we talked about the first of the two new divisions being added for free to WARNO’s EA Pack DLC: NATO’s National Guard-focused US 35th Infantry Division.

Today is the Warsaw Pact’s turn. Let’s shine a spotlight on the communist offering: the East German Rügener Gruppierung.

Let’s go, commanders!

[h2]EA Pack plus[/h2]
A brief note on the EA Pack. With WARNO’s official launch out of Early Access, we encountered some snafus, especially affecting the WARNO’s Early Access owners. To make amends, we promised to add two new divisions for free to the EA Pack.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978610/WARNO__Early_Access_Pack/

The EA Pack, featuring five divisions, was made available for free to all EA owners of WARNO. Check out the existing formations by following the above link.

In the not-too-distant future (release date to be determined), we’ll add the new NATO’s US 35th Infantry Division and Warsaw Pact’s Rügener Gruppierung.

[h2]The Nationale Volksarmee’s Rügener Gruppierung[/h2]
The Rügener Gruppierung takes its name from Rügen Island, on the East German Baltic Coast, where the communist Volksmarine had its main naval base. To defend this critically important site, a substantial local Nationale Volksarmee force was in place, to be bolstered by reservists and foreign allied troops at the outbreak of war. These formations, mostly training units and navy personnel, were to guard the base against the threat of NATO amphibious and air assaults.



The NVA’s Besondere Gruppierung II (Special Grouping II) was the name for this special force. Next to the Rügen Island, the mobilized defensive battlegroup was to secure the key Sassnitz ferry port, through which much of Warsaw Pact’s strategic supply entered East Germany. It was expected that this direct link to the USSR would be one of the first targets in a military exchange, with the East German and Soviet military fully expecting a naval assault by American marines.
The officers of the military academy Offiziershochschule “Otto Winzler” in Prora, together with the staff of the neighboring military technical school “Erich Habersaath,” would take command of the Rügener Gruppierung. The formation would also be composed of local motorized rifle units, engineers, a military transport regiment, and reservists.



[h2]The Rügener Gruppierung Detailed[/h2]
How will the Rügener Gruppierung look in WARNO? Consider it the second “special group” of the East German Nationale Volksarmee (the other being the already in-game and EA Pack featured Berliner Gruppierung).

In very much the same fashion, the battlegroup contains various independent formations under a single command. In our Berlin case, the 1. Motorisierte Schutzendivision formed its core, while in Rügener Gruppierung, we are talking about a whole array of local East German units, further reinforced by reservists. As mentioned, divisional staff would be provided by the Offiziershochschule “Otto Winzler”. This HQ troop also provides the battlegroup’s coat of arms in WARNO.

Since the island of Rügen was very close to the Polish border, and surrounding naval infrastructure a key asset for the Warsaw Pact, it was intended for the Poles to send additional forces to bolster the East German garrison quickly.

Hence, much like the Belgians teased with the base game’s West German 2. Panzergrenadier-Division, the Rügener Gruppierung will play host to the very first Polish units in WARNO!

[h2]The Rügener Gruppierung in WARNO[/h2]
All right, let’s look at the mix of East German and Polish units you can expect with the Rügener Gruppierung.

As always, new units are marked in bold and italic.

• LOG - pretty good in terms of slots and costs. Although the battlegroup’s command structure was only semi-permanent, its logistical base was well-established thanks to the naval infrastructure on Rügen Island. This is reflected in the WARNO battlegroup.
  
  • Command vehicles are mainly non-combatant: UAZ-469 FÜH., SPW-60PUM (an East German variant of the Soviet CHAÏKA introduced with Nemesis: Air Assault’s 56-ya OG DShB) and the new helicopter Mi-2D.
    
  • Supply units include the MT-LB MUN., URAL-4320 MUN. and the Volksmarine’s amphibious barge, the new SCHWIM. PTS-M MUN.
    

• INF - pretty strong, though not as powerful as a regular infantry division. The battlegroup can count on a varied amount of choices.
  
  • The core of the Rügener Gruppierung was the s.MSR 25, an independent motorized infantry regiment trained to cooperate closely with the East German Volksmarine. This unit provides a sizable chunk of the foot soldiers, though in smaller numbers. This includes:
    
    • MOT.-SCHÜTZEN FÜH., MOT.-SCHÜTZEN, MOT.-SCHÜTZEN FÜH. (SVD) and MOT.-SCHÜTZEN (BTR), as well as PANZERJÄGER squads, PKM and GR.-MG. weapon teams, plus FAGOT and KONKURS ATGM teams.
      
  • Additional infantry squads are MILITARSTREIFEN, SICHERUNGS, VOPOS, plus the SPG-9 recoilless rifle available in regular foot team variant and jeep-mounted.
    
  • Furthermore, a good chunk of the infantry is made up of RESERVISTEN FÜH., RESERVISTEN, and RESERVISTEN (s.MG), all lacking the Resolute trait.
    
  • Specific to Rügen island was the local Marinepionierbataillon 18, which, in war would have been quickly expanded to regiment-size through a large influx of reservists.
    
    • Large 12-man new MARINEPIONIER (with explosives) and MARINEPIONIER (Flam.) plus the leader variant MARINEPIONIER FÜH. will be featured. They lack the Resolute trait.
      
  • And finally, a handful of Polish mechanized infantry will make their debut in WARNO.
    
    • These come in the form of the new PIECHOTA ZMECH. which are 7-man squads with AK, PKM and RPG-7VM, PIECHOTA ZMECH. (SVD) with two assault rifles replaced with one SVD and one extra PKM, and lastly, the command PIECHOTA ZMECH. DOW. with 7 men equipped with AK, RPG-76 Komar and smoke grenades.
      
    • Polish infantry will ride to battle in either a new STAR-266 truck or TOPAS-2A APC (which is a modified BTR-50).
      

• ART - rather average as this battlegroup didn’t have any dedicated artillery reserve. Most of the pieces available were regimental guns or simple mortars, sourced from local artillery or engineering schools. These include:
  
  • The Gr.Wfr. M43 120mm mortar.
    
  • The D-30 122mm and M-46 130mm howitzers.
    
  • One new - and quite rare - unit is the SPW-50PK(MRF) with the “MRF” standing for Minenräumfahrzeug. This is a mine-clearing vehicle, designed to fire two massive coffin-shaped explosive charges to clear enemy minefields. When used as an impoverished MLRS, it can deliver a devastating set of explosives at short ranges. It only contains two shots and no other weaponry. Consider this an East German “Pooratino”!
    

• TANK - mediocre in terms of slots and costs, but with some new options.
  
  • East German armor is quite rare in the area. There are some regimental KPz. T-55A, including the command variant, and the SPW-40P2 MALYUTKA-P courtesy of the s.MSR25.
    
  • A single card of KPz. T-72 is also featured. A handful of these more “advanced” main battle tanks were located in a training and conversion academy near Rügen island.
    
  • Drawn from the reserves, a new Nationale Volksarmee unit: the PAK K-52 85mm, which was a Czechoslovakian-made towed anti-tank gun with performance quite similar to the D-44. It lacks the Resolute trait.
    
  • The Poles will provide a single card of their trademark T-55AM MERIDA, considered an improved T-55AM2.
    

• RECO - very good and despite being far from the frontline, with plenty of naval helicopters and Grenztruppen to watch over the East German sea frontier.
  
  • Classic recon units featured are AUFKLÄRER, AUFKL. PT-76B, and GRENZER. squads.
    
  • New units include the RES.-AUFKLÄRER, which are 3-man scouts with 2x MPi-KMS-72 (AK-47) and 1x LMG-K (RPK light machine guns), lacking the Resolute trait. They can either deploy in armed or unarmed UAZ-469 jeeps or in the new BRDM-1 armored scout car.
    
  • The other new unit is the PIO.AUFK.-TAUCHER, which are scout-engineer divers from the Marinepionierbataillon 18. These squads are reinforced by reservists, making them an 8-man recon squad fielding MPi-AKS-74N, LMG-K, and explosives, lacking the Resolute trait but coming with the Shock trait.
    
  • The cream of the crop will be the elite KSK or Kampfschwimmerkommando 18, the Volksmarine’s combat divers. These are special forces, much like a NVA’s version of the US Navy Seals.
    
    
    
    
  • The Rügener Gruppierung also contains the Volksmarine’s Marinehubschraubergeschwader 18 (Naval Helicopter Squadron 18), the sole user of the new AUKL.Mi-14PL. Although dedicated to anti-submarine hunting, this specialized helicopter carried a ton of sensors and electronic equipment, making it the first domestic East German radar recon helicopter in WARNO.
    
  • Used alongside the Mi-14PL for naval surveillance was the AUFKL. Mi-8TB. This variant is similar to the regular gunship variant but used instead as a recon helicopter decked in a classy blue naval livery. Our existing models have been “tinkered” with for the time being to accommodate the Malyutka rails, but will be redone entirely for the division (this new unit, as well as the existing Mi-8 variants).
    

• AA - another strong category, likely being the battlegroup’s strongest, thanks to its function as an anti-landing battlegroup.
  
  • The usual FLA-RAK. STRELA-2M, FLAK ZU-23-2, and a single card of FLA-SFL 23-4 SHILKA.
    
  • New units include the FLAK S-60 57mm and FLAK KS-19M2 100mm. The first is an ancient World War 2-era gun, a crude Bofors with a larger caliber. The second unit is, once again, an old gun but modernized. World War 2 buffs (and enjoyers of Steel Division 2) should be reminded of the Flak 88mm. This Cold War piece is a similar dual-purpose AA and AT gun, though its anti-air effectiveness lies more in quick-firing barrages and suppression rather than accuracy. However, in a sneaky feat of engineering, it is designed to fire the same ground shells as the T-55A, making good use as a secondary towed anti-tank gun!
    
  • The Volksmarine provides close air defense with several systems used in a shore-based role: the new FASTA-4 which is quad-Strela launcher, reminiscent of the JAVELIN LML; the LO-1800 FASTA-4, using the same missile system but made self-propelled by mounting it on a truck; and the W50 LA/A 25mm, which is a twin 25mm naval gun on a truck.
    
  • Lastly, a beast of a unit. We attached some old and rear area-defense SAMs to the battlegroup in the form of the 2K11M3 KRUG-M3, which is the KUB’s ancestor. Two massive SAM missiles, capable of pulverizing a small plane by just flying into them, feature a range similar to the BUK, but due to their obsolete targeting and on-board electronics can only engage aircraft (not helicopters). It has low accuracy, long reload, and (pricey) supply.
    

• HELO - average with only a few costly slots (though offset by interesting choices).
  
  • These include the light Mi-2URN gunship with rockets and machine guns.
    
  • The Mi-8TB heavy gunship (with the model to be remade, as mentioned before).
    
  • The new Mi-14PL was tested as an anti-ship killer armed with a single Kh-23M. This missile is the same as used by AGM by anti-tank planes. This means we now have a helicopter with a long-range “sniper” anti-tank missile.
    

• AIR - a pretty decent category with plenty of options, some being new. The battlegroup’s air arm focuses on close air support over air superiority with dedicated rocket- and anti-tank planes, plus bombers.
  
  • The sole fighter is the Mi-23ML [AA].
    
  • The Su-22M4 in various CAS loadouts (RKT, HE, CLU), but also a new Su-22M4K [AT2] version with 4x Kh-25ML anti-tank missiles.
    
  • Another new variant of an existing plane is the MiG-23BN [KMGU], which is the Warsaw Pact’s HE cluster answer to NATO’s anti-personnel TORNADO [MW1].
    
  • And lastly, the Poles will provide the ancient Lim-6M, which is a locally produced variant of the venerable MiG-17. Deployed with the battlegroup in full rocket loadout, it's more at home close to the border rather than being deployed in the field by a frontline Polish division.
    

The Rügener Gruppierung is a reserve defensive battlegroup with strong AA and versatile infantry. This division will be more at ease defending than attacking.
[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
That’s all for the EA Pack Plus divisions. We hope to be able to share when they launch soon. We’ll return with more juicy WARNO news next 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.

Hello commanders,

Not too long ago, we released a little game called WARNO out of Early Access, and with this wonderful launch, we experienced the necessary last-minute technical hic-ups and issues (to be known hereafter as “the snafu”).

As you might remember, we promised to make amend by adding two extra new divisions - for free - to the already existing EA Pack (creating in effect an EA Pack Plus). As you might remember, this EA Pack, with five divisions, was made available for free to all EA owners of WARNO.

In today’s DevBlog, we’ll go into detail about NATO’s offering, showing you what you can expect in-game (next week, it will be the Warsaw Pact’s turn which we will keep a secret for now).

So, let’s welcome to the stage NATO’s US 35th Infantry Division!



[h2]EA Pack plus[/h2]
What’s this whole EA Pack thingy? All owners of WARNO during its Early Access period have automatic and free access to this pack. Latecomers (so players who bought WARNO after its official launch) can still purchase the EA Pack separately.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978610/WARNO__Early_Access_Pack/

The EA Pack features 5 divisions, 3 of them representing formations in and around a Cold War-era divided Berlin and 2 additional battlegroups. And soon, 2 more will be added.

The current list:

• NATO’s Berlin Command contains the combined forces of three Western Allied garrisons stationed in West Berlin during the Cold War.
  
• The Soviet 6th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade is East Berlin’s powerful garrison.
  
• The East German Berliner Gruppierung is built up around a Nationale Volksarmee’s motorized rifle division, its wartime task to eliminate West Berlin as part of Unternehmen Zentrum.
  
• American 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized) contains a substantial National Guard component.
  
• The Soviet 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division was used to trial the latest Cold War equipment available to the Soviet Army as part of the “Division 90” concept.

In the very near future, NATO’s US 35th Infantry Division and the still-to-be-disclosed Warsaw Pact division will make their way to the EA Pack (release date to be determined)!

Please note that the Early Access Pack is not the same as the Expansion Pack, which gives pre-order access to two major expansions and two Nemesis DLC.



[h2]The US 35th Infantry Division’s History[/h2]
The National Guards’ 35th Infantry Division has a long and distinguished combat career, seeing the light in World War I, with action in the Vosges mountains area in France in the summer and fall of 1918. One of the notable soldiers was the later US president, Captain Harry S. Truman. After the war, the division was inactivated until the next big conflict.

The 35th Infantry Division got its nickname, the “Santa Fe Division,” from the distinctive blue cross in a circle insignia. Most of its initial recruits hailed from Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, with a heavy presence of National Guard units.

During World War II, the division spent its first few years training and working up before shipping out to England and then France, landing in early July 1944. Fighting with distinction in Normandy, the 35th Infantry Division took later part in the relief efforts aimed at Bastogne. After further combat in Germany saw the formation finishing the war in Hanover.



During the Cold War, once again after a brief intermission, the division was first reformed as a pentomic division before being inactivated. The 35th Infantry Division was re-established as a mechanized infantry division in the early 1980s. Its fighting forces were composed of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kentucky National Guard units. The division was earmarked for deployment in Europe in case of WW3.



[h2]The US 35th Infantry Division’s Detailed[/h2]
What can we expect from the 35th Infantry Division in WARNO? Aside from its air forces, the battlegroup will be a 95% filled National Guard formation, acting as the true American counterpart to the West German Territorialkommando Süd or East German K.d.A. Bezirk Erfurt.



One distinctive feature is that the division has as many armored as it has infantry battalions. This makes it sort of a missing link between an American mechanized and tank division. In WARNO, there will be an equal number of INF and TANK slots.

Please note that a lot of the units are already existing ones with the Reservist trait added. We only marked the really new units in bold and italic (see further below). Likewise, if not mentioned specifically, all units with N.G. (National Guard) will feature the Reservist trait.

[h2]The US 35th Infantry Division in WARNO[/h2]
How will the National Guard units of the 35th Infantry Division look like in WARNO?

• LOG - pretty average.
  
  • The division still uses the old GAMA GOAT (introduced with the 101st Airborne Division in Nemesis: Air Assault and hasn’t received the new HEMTT as a supply truck. And, instead of the M35, it relies squarely on the heavier (and new unit) M813A1 truck for its supply haulin’. This new supply truck will feature more payload than the M35 but less than the HEMTT.
    
  • CVs featured are the usual array of M151 MUTT, M577 CPC, and a few heliborne UH-60A CO.

• INF - a solid category. As explained, the 35th Infantry Division can call on more INF slots than an armored division, but less compared to a mechanized one.
  
  • Riflemen squads receive the Reservist trait. This includes the N.G. RIFLES LDR. Combat squads are 9 men strong, fielding M16A1 and M60 machine guns, with different AT weapons available: N.G. RIFLES (LAW), N.G. RIFLES (DRAGON) and N.G. RIFLES (M67).
    
  • Engineers also sport the Reservist trait and include N.G. ENGINEERS LDR., N.G. ENGINEERS, N.G. ENGINEERS (FLAM.) and N.G. ENGINEERS (M67). These are larger squads, sometimes sporting old equipment, even WW2-vintage M3 Grease Guns and M2 Flamethrowers.

• All infantry support weapon teams are available. These include M60, M2HB, the new M40A1 RCL, TOW and I-TOW, all with the Reservist trait.
  
• All the National Guardsmen are brought to the battlefield in trucks or N.G. M113A1 APCs.
  
• The only infantry units without the Reservist trait will be the MPs, with a rather useful Military Police trait. These squads will even get their own (new) M1025 HUMVEE MP (armed with an M60). This jeep will also have the Military Police trait.

• ART - a pretty good and strong category with plenty of cheap slots. While it can’t count on an MLRS battery, it receives an entire M110A2 battalion instead.
  
  • All of its choices are National Guard units with the Reservist trait. These include the new M29 81mm (towed “foot” version of the one mounted on the M125) plus M30 107mm mortars, M125 and M106A2 self-propelled mortars, M109A2 and M110A2 self-propelled howitzers.

• TANK - another good category. As mentioned previously, the 35th Infantry Division features more TANK slots than a mechanized division but fewer than a true armored formation.
  
  • The battlegroup relies entirely on older M60 Patton tanks, both N.G. M60A3 (TTS) and National Guards’ M60A1 RISE PASSIVE (abbreviated to N.G. M60A1 RISE in-game). All units will deploy with the Reservist trait.

• Much like the Marines did with their tanks during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, we have added a battlefield-customized (new) N.G. M60A3 (TTS) ERA variant with reactive bricks.
  
• Both the new M60A1 CP and M60A3 (TTS) CP are leader units without the Reservist trait.
  
• The division can also deploy the N.G. M728 CEV.
  
• And lastly, the tank destroying department is made up of older N.G. M151A2 I-TOW and the newer (and new) N.G. M150A2 TOW-2.

• RECO - a little bit less stellar, with some original choices, but mediocre in terms of slots and cost.
  
  • The division’s recon battalion was an old-style “cavalry” one with tanks and scouts intermixed (much like the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment).
    
  • These include the N.G. SCOUTS already featured with the 24th Infantry Division, transported in M151, N.G. M113 ACAV or UH-1H HUEY.
    
  • The new N.G. CAV. SCOUTS (LAW) and N.G. CAV. SCOUTS (Dragon), which are large 8-man squads brought to the battlefield in trucks, N.G. M113A1 or UH-1H HUEY.
    
  • The unarmed (new) N.G. OH-58A recon helicopter.
    
  • The “cavalry” N.G. M60A1 ACAV recon tank.
    
  • And a brand-new unit type that will be tested for the very first time with this division: the recon plane! This will take the form of the new and non-National Guard OA-37B DRAGONFLY, a slow (but faster than any helicopter) plane armed with rockets.

• AA - average in terms of slots and costs, but there are some interesting unit options, probably better than most other American divisions.
  
  • Why’s that? The division uses shiny Euro-tech! In the 1980s, the US Army was interested in the Roland missile system, testing it and even approving it, but this endeavor never materialized into something more concrete. Instead, it passed whatever Roland stock that was acquired to the National Guard.
    
  • This means that the 35th Infantry Division is equipped with the new N.G. XM1058 US-ROLAND. This is basically a Roland turret mounted on a M812 truck (the same heavy chassis as the M813A1 supply truck in LOG). In real life, the US Army bought the Roland 2, but with low stock, we considered they would have been supplied upon landing on the Old Continent due to World War III, with compatible Roland 3 missiles by their thankful French and German NATO allies.

• Another new unit is the much older (but cool) N.G. M42A1 DUSTER, a SPAAG sporting twin Bofors in an open-top turret. Lacking radar and equipped with old-fashioned sights, this AA vehicle is not a sniper but still very dangerous and lethal at close range to both low-flying and ground targets.
  
• MANPAD teams are divided between the new N.G. REDEYE and N.G. STINGER.
  
• And some non-National Guard I-HAWK have been added to the formation.

• HELO - not very good, with only a few slots and all being very pricey.
  
  • The division can only count on Cobra gunships in the form of the new N.G. AH-1S (ECAS)[. This one is, stat-wise at least, exactly the same as the AH-1F Cobra with the Reservist trait, but featuring a new model. The N.G. AH-1F TOWCOBRA can also be deployed.
    
  • The National Guard kept some old UH-1M GUNSHIP running. These are Vietnam War-era predecessors of the AH-1E, with 2x M134 gatling guns, 2x 19-strong rocket pods, and 1x grenade launcher in the nose.

• AIR - is average but all aircraft are non-National Guard.
  
  • The division relies on the F-111F in HE, CLU, NPLM, and LGB2 load-outs for ground pounding and the F-16C in AA, AT, and SEAD for air superiority and armor sniping.
    
  • A new plane includes close air support variants of the Dragonfly, in the form of the light AB-37B [HE] and AB-37B [NPLM] bombers.

The 35th Infantry Division will turn out to be a well-rounded formation, lacking resilience due to the widespread Reservist trait, but compensating this with low prices and high unit availability.

[h2]Some General Unit Changes[/h2]
On a separate note, we plan two generic changes that are not specifically related to the 35th Infantry Division but will affect it:

• All Dragon I and II plus Metis light ATGM will be decreased in range to a more realistic 1250m. On the other hand, there will be an increase in accuracy and/or a price buff for the units equipped with these weapons.
  
• All 4-man MP squads with only assault rifles or machine guns will also feature the Security trait. More heavily armed or larger squads, including leader MP units, will continue to feature only the Military Police trait. Dedicated military police vehicles will all receive the Military Police trait as well.

[h2]Until Next Time[/h2]
All right, commanders, we’ll be back next week with more of our beefed-up EA Pack: the East German Rügener Gruppierung.

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.

Hello, hello, hello.

Nemesis: Air Assault’s release featured the first unit with the fabled 4th weapon slot. This was not an error or a one-off. In today’s DevBlog, we’ll shine the light on an upcoming new feature coming to WARNO on a broader scale in the near future: the 4th Weapon Slot.

Keep reading for all the juicy details!

[h2]A Mystical Beast[/h2]
The 4th Weapon Slot is a mystical beast that has long been sought after, but after tweaking the UI and some engine changes, it is finally within reach. It might not look so on the surface, but adding an additional weapon required development and extensive testing. Mind you, that the addition of the 4th Weapon Slot will be implemented wherever useful (not all units will gain this extra slot).



In order to check if it works (and we didn’t blow up WARNO in the process), it was decided that the guinea pigs of the 4th Weapon Slot were going to be a new nation in active development: the Poles! This also gives us the cheeky opportunity to show off some of the new units of the upcoming NORTHAG expansion.



Keep in mind that the following is all work in progress.

[h2]The 4th Weapon Slot In Action[/h2]
So, why the 4th Weapon Slot? It holds several advantages:

• It allows us to distinguish between different infantry units better.
  For example, the Polish motorized infantry (SKOT-borne) was organized as 9-man squads, although a tenth hot seat in the APC was reserved for “hitchhikers” which could include the platoon’s lone DMR marksman. The regular Polish squad will be organized in WARNO as per regulation, with 9 soldiers, which will include one PKM (the Poles didn’t use a magazine-fed SAW) and one RPG-7. However, we will create another unit (see below), representing the one-out-of-three squads in each platoon that housed the DMR - thus adding one soldier equipped with a SVD. Since Polish platoons held an extra PKM at platoon level for discretionary use, it will also be given to the latter squad, in effect forming the “fire base” element of the platoon.

• Some armies still used SMGs or short-carbine versions of assault rifles for officers and second-line troops. The new 4th weapon slot lets us feature this on top of the “holy trinity” currently featured: assault rifles, LGMs, and AT weapons.
  
• But it also lets us correct some historical small arms and weapon distribution we couldn’t model accurately until now. For instance, the American MECH. RIFLES field 3x SAW in-game, though in real life it was 2x SAW plus 1x LMG (and other weapons).

• We can also now model disposable anti-tank rocket launchers with those engineer units deprived of them due to having maxed out their assault rifle, SAW/LMG, and explosives loadout.
  
• This allows us to add a 4th weapon to the squads where this was the case, such as a DMR in an infantry unit already fielding assault rifles, SAWs, or LMG, plus an AT weapon.

[h2]Featuring the 4th Weapon Slot[/h2]
As you can see, the upcoming Warsaw Pact’s new communist-led Ludowe Wojsko Polskie or Polish People’s Army will also benefit from this 4th Weapon Slot. It will be retroactively added to all other armies in WARNO wherever necessary or we see fit. This will come as part of a future patch. We will also use this opportunity to add a new weapon and mechanic to some specialized infantry units, including commanding units and assault squads: the smoke grenade.

And yes, the 4th Weapon Slot will also find its way to select vehicles. In certain cases, we had to delete a machine gun on a main battle tank as it exceeded the number of weapon slots available. This was most often the case when we had to feature an ATGM, chiefly on gun-tube-missile-firing Soviet tanks.



Our intention is also to expand the 4th Weapon Slot to aircraft, but this is still under consideration. It requires more thorough model and engine changes, and we cannot be sure this will be feasible. We will update you, of course, but keep this in mind if, in the first batch, planes will not be updated with the new weapon slot mechanic.


[h2]Nemesis: Air Assault[/h2]
As you might know, the Nemesis: Air Assault DLC dropped earlier this week. As one of the first Nemesis DLC for WARNO, it features two new divisions and a host of new units, models, weapons, and the like.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978640/WARNO__Nemesis_1__Air_Assault/

Nemesis: Air Assault features the hardy veterans of the Soviet 56-ya O.G. DShB, or 56th Separate Guards Air Assault, and the elite American 101st Airborne Division. Check out the dedicated previews to read all about the new weapons and units featured by these two new divisions in Nemesis: Air Assault.

[h2]Until Next Week[/h2]
That’s all for this week. We’ll be back soon with more WARNO news.

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.

As always, see you on the battlefield, commander.

[h3]Code fixes[/h3]

• Fixed a crash that occurred when a FOB was captured or destroyed by an enemy.
  
• Fixed a crash that happened when attempting to launch a multiplayer campaign initiated in a previous version.
  
• Resolved a black screen issue that appeared when trying to start a multiplayer campaign from a previous version.
  
• Fixed a bug in Army General that occurred when loading an autosave created before a battle.
  
• Adjusted the napalm effect used by certain units to reduce the excessively large area of impact.

Hello,

In last week’s DevBlog, we mentioned that Nemesis: Air Assault and the free Reinforcement Pack: Urban Frontlines would launch in the very near future. Surprise! When we said “very soon”, we meant it!

Both are now available!



[h2]Nemesis: Air Assault[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978640/WARNO__Nemesis_1__Air_Assault/

Nemesis: Air Assault is a two-division mini-expansion that follows the popular Steel Division 2 Nemesis DLC concept. Each Nemesis DLC is themed, bringing two new divisions plus new weapons, units, and models. The idea is simple: for each Nemesis, we present three options, and afterward, you get to vote on which Nemesis DLC should be developed next.



In Nemesis: Air Assault ’s case, we already made the choice ahead of time to speed up development. Future Nemesis DLC will run the public gauntlet as advertised above.

The air-mobile focus of Nemesis: Air Assault is evident with the hardy veterans of the Soviet 56-ya O.G. DShB, or 56th Separate Guards Air Assault, and the elite American 101st Airborne Division. Check out the dedicated previews to read all about the new weapons and units featured by these two new divisions in Nemesis: Air Assault.



[h2]Reinforcement Pack: Urban Frontlines[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3025400



Reinforcement Pack are free DLCs that we will release for WARNO along the way, be they maps, units, new features, and the like. The first one today brings to you a brand-new map: Urban Frontlines.



We already showcased this heavily urbanized map - the biggest for WARNO so far - in this DevBlog.

[h2]Join the Community[/h2]
That’s it for today’s release!

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.