Preview of New Valley of Death Map
Hello, commanders!
We are back again. You might have noticed a bit of radio silence, but rest assured, the Eugen team is hard at work on all things Steel Division 2.
We have some exciting details to share with you in today’s post - the preview of a new upcoming map for Steel Division 2, Valley of Death!
Let’s dig in.
[h2]The Valley of Death[/h2]
The new Valley of Death will be the first of two new maps delivered for Steel Division 2. This was promised in our post-summer roadmap, which you can read here. Both maps will be free and released as soon as they are ready. The maps will act as a precursor to the next Army General expansion, the Dukla Pass (check out the details here).
You might think that the Valley of Death is a catchy name thought of by us, but as a matter of fact, it was a real nickname given to a small valley on the border between Poland and Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1944. The Slovak National Uprising (talked about in this post here) was characterized by one big issue. When sprung, its inability to seize the Dukla Pass, to allow Soviet reinforcements to pour into Slovakia, doomed the uprising from the start. This pass, very narrow and heavily fortified by the Axis, allowed a few determined troops to hold out against many (like a Thermopylae of old).
With the Dukla Pass firmly in German hands, the Soviet plans to reach the Prešov and Košice basin - prime tank country - within five days turned instead into a bloody fifty-day meat grinder. The advance was barely half the way of the original plan. By then, although the Axis forces withdrew, the Slovak National Uprising had been crushed, with Soviet casualties being terribly high.
Forcing the narrow pass wasn’t the only issue. When Soviet units finally reached the end, thinking the worst was behind them, they brought up their armor for a breakthrough operation. However, instead, they faced fortified anti-tank defenses between Dobroslava and Svidnik (the location of our map) and local counter-attacks by Panzer forces.
The once pleasant valley was so littered with Soviet burning and destroyed tank hulls it got the nickname “Valley of Death.” Still to this day, as a reminder, T-34/85 watch over the old battlefield…
[h2]The Valley of Death’s Gameplay[/h2]
The Valley of Death relies on the Svidnik’s real-life terrain height variations. A river splits the area. The actual plain follows the river’s path, creating enough space in its center for a village. You might imagine that most of the inhabitants work in the factory situated on a cultivated plateau on the opposite bank. Nearby farms benefit from rich soil, ideal for livestock farming. Forests are thick, with clear viewing lines.
The other side of the combat zone is defined by very large forests on small hills. Navigating through them is possible but carries risks. It’s easy to ambush a tank column with some well-aimed Panzerfaust shots of infantry hiding behind the trees. The four hills in this sector are on high plateaus, separated by a geological rift. Taking advantage of the rocky edges will give your units excellent sight lines, plus there are some patches of wood to find cover. It might be a vulnerable place, as it is one of the places to get to the enemy flags.
The clear lines of sight and the lightly forested areas are ideal for AA and anti-tank guns to be enplaced. Watch out, as heavy tanks can easily fall prey to well-camouflaged ambushes.
[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Before we leave you, a short housekeeping note. To better accommodate our workload, we need a bit more time for each blog post. From now on, we’ll be moving to a Steel Division 2 DevBlog, every other week.
Don’t be shy, join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.
Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!
As always, see you on the battlefield, commander!
We are back again. You might have noticed a bit of radio silence, but rest assured, the Eugen team is hard at work on all things Steel Division 2.
We have some exciting details to share with you in today’s post - the preview of a new upcoming map for Steel Division 2, Valley of Death!
Let’s dig in.
[h2]The Valley of Death[/h2]
The new Valley of Death will be the first of two new maps delivered for Steel Division 2. This was promised in our post-summer roadmap, which you can read here. Both maps will be free and released as soon as they are ready. The maps will act as a precursor to the next Army General expansion, the Dukla Pass (check out the details here).
You might think that the Valley of Death is a catchy name thought of by us, but as a matter of fact, it was a real nickname given to a small valley on the border between Poland and Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1944. The Slovak National Uprising (talked about in this post here) was characterized by one big issue. When sprung, its inability to seize the Dukla Pass, to allow Soviet reinforcements to pour into Slovakia, doomed the uprising from the start. This pass, very narrow and heavily fortified by the Axis, allowed a few determined troops to hold out against many (like a Thermopylae of old).
With the Dukla Pass firmly in German hands, the Soviet plans to reach the Prešov and Košice basin - prime tank country - within five days turned instead into a bloody fifty-day meat grinder. The advance was barely half the way of the original plan. By then, although the Axis forces withdrew, the Slovak National Uprising had been crushed, with Soviet casualties being terribly high.
Forcing the narrow pass wasn’t the only issue. When Soviet units finally reached the end, thinking the worst was behind them, they brought up their armor for a breakthrough operation. However, instead, they faced fortified anti-tank defenses between Dobroslava and Svidnik (the location of our map) and local counter-attacks by Panzer forces.
The once pleasant valley was so littered with Soviet burning and destroyed tank hulls it got the nickname “Valley of Death.” Still to this day, as a reminder, T-34/85 watch over the old battlefield…
[h2]The Valley of Death’s Gameplay[/h2]
The Valley of Death relies on the Svidnik’s real-life terrain height variations. A river splits the area. The actual plain follows the river’s path, creating enough space in its center for a village. You might imagine that most of the inhabitants work in the factory situated on a cultivated plateau on the opposite bank. Nearby farms benefit from rich soil, ideal for livestock farming. Forests are thick, with clear viewing lines.
The other side of the combat zone is defined by very large forests on small hills. Navigating through them is possible but carries risks. It’s easy to ambush a tank column with some well-aimed Panzerfaust shots of infantry hiding behind the trees. The four hills in this sector are on high plateaus, separated by a geological rift. Taking advantage of the rocky edges will give your units excellent sight lines, plus there are some patches of wood to find cover. It might be a vulnerable place, as it is one of the places to get to the enemy flags.
The clear lines of sight and the lightly forested areas are ideal for AA and anti-tank guns to be enplaced. Watch out, as heavy tanks can easily fall prey to well-camouflaged ambushes.
[h2]See you on the battlefield[/h2]
Before we leave you, a short housekeeping note. To better accommodate our workload, we need a bit more time for each blog post. From now on, we’ll be moving to a Steel Division 2 DevBlog, every other week.
Don’t be shy, join the Steel Division 2 community on our Steam forums. The latest Steel Division 2 news can also be encountered on our Instagram.
Looking for an online game? Visit the Discord server or Reddit page and get involved with the lively Steel Division 2 community!
As always, see you on the battlefield, commander!
