Steel Division 2 News

Prepare for battle, commander!

That’s right, the second of our promised free Reinforcement Packs is ready for deployment.

Download our Lucky 13 DLC for free and discover two new divisions: the varied Axis Panzerdivision Tatra and the rapid Allied Task Force Butler.

[h2]Lucky 13 Details[/h2]
The Lucky 13 DLC will launch today. As our veteran Steel Division 2 players know, in the past we have proposed various Nemesis DLCs. Each option would feature a new theme, focused on a specific battle or region, and two new divisions. The community would vote on which choice out of three alternatives they would like to see developed first. We have had five successful Nemesis DLC so far.

Our Lucky 13 DLC combines two of the most interesting runner-up Nemesis options which didn’t make the cut. Panzerdivision Tatra was featured in Nemesis: Slovak Uprising in Nemesis #4 (won by Nemesis: Raid on Drvar), while Task Force Butler was part of Nemesis: Battle of Montélimar in Nemesis #2 (won by Nemesis: Battle of Rimini).



If you want to read more about the composition of both Lucky 13 divisions, take a look at last week’s blog post.

[h2]Other news[/h2]
A quick update on some of our other projects. We are making steady headway with both the Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion and Nemesis: Raid on Drvar DLC. See some of the progress on the models below!



Also, included in the patch delivered alongside Lucky 13, you’ll find the proper model for the Soviet 72-K AA gun, previewed with 358-ya Strelk. And you’ll see more of it in the future ...

[h2]Until next time[/h2]
Let us know what you think. You can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

That’s all, commander. Muster your troops, crank up those tank engines - combat awaits!

Hello!

We hope you are doing well. We are busy getting both Nemesis: Raid on Drvar and our next expansion, The Tribute to the Liberation of Italy out of the door, but that doesn’t mean we have lost sight of our other, smaller projects. One of them is in your hands already, while the other is coming next week!

What, where, how? Read on for all the juicy details.

[h2]New map Kostritza is out now[/h2]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1810030/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_12__Kostritza/

In case you missed it, Steel Division 2 has been enriched by a brand-new map - Kostritsa. A repurposed showcase map, it features forests, wide spaces, and a corridor of urban terrain. The map is playable in all game modes, solo, coop, and online. As part of the free Reinforcement Pack 12, download Kostritza now for free.

[h2]RP Lucky 13 coming next week[/h2]
On to our other free Reinforcement Pack 13, which now has an official release date! Make ready as you are going to play with two free new divisions as part of the Lucky 13 DLC on Thursday, December 2nd (that’s next week). In case you want to check out the divisions ahead of time, be sure to tune into some of our Strike Team members from today onward. They will be streaming playthroughs with the Lucky 13 battlegroups until launch day!

Let’s take a detailed look at the two new divisions which will ship: the Axis Panzerdivision Tatra and the Allied Task Force Butler. There might be slight differences between how the two were originally showcased as part of their Nemesis DLC offering and how they will appear in-game as Lucky 13 DLC. More research has been done, resulting in the addition of some new units and the removal of others.

[h2]Panzerdivision Tatra[/h2] Panzerdivision Tatra is an amalgamated battlegroup self-styled as a panzer division, but featuring fewer tanks and more infantry than usual. The units are varied and plenty, but most unit cards will only be available in low numbers.

• RECON - a fairly classic category with the usual complement of Axis recon units.
  
• INFANTRY - lots of well-priced options. Includes the usual Grenadier (plus Leader), Ersatztruppen, Landesschützen Ost (including Leader), Schupo, a few Panzergrenadier and Sturmpionier. The following new units can be found:
  - Volksturm - a 12-man Disheartened squad, with MP-28 and Kar.98K… and a LOT of Panzerfausts!
  - Pionier (MG-26) - engineers with automatic rifles.
  - Panzergrenadier (MG-26) - right now only available with the 25. PzGrenadier-Division.
  Soldiers-in-training equipped with two automatic rifles. These squads form the backbone of Panzerdivision Tatra’s infantry.
  - SS-Sturmgrenadier - a 10-man squad with MP-44 and two MG-42s.
  
• TANK - average in options and costs, with no more than one (at times incomplete) card of Panzer III L, Panzer IV H, and StuG III G (also in Leader variant) and Tiger.
  - Panzer 38(t) - this new unit is featured as this particular variant only in one Army General Romanian battlegroup in the Tiraspol campaign (but not available for multiplayer).
  
• SUPPORT - a pretty good category with a solid amount of cheap slots. Some of the more unusual unit choices are:
  - StuG 40 - currently only in use by the 14. Infanterie-Division. This is a short-barreled version of the ubiquitous StuG III G.
  - Bef.Panzer 38(t) - only available in Back to War DLC with 352. Infanterie division.
  - Feldjäger - only available in Burning Baltics with 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V.. These are elite military police equipped with MP-44.
  
• AT - a good number of cheap options, with quite a bit of choice. There are no new units, but some guns are rather rare, including the PaK 43, PzB 39 and the Jagdpanzer IV.
  
• AA - not particularly strong, with only a few slots and just two options: the Flakvierling and the 88mm.
  
• ARTILLERY - average with a large supply of Czech artillery. New units are:
  - l.FH 14/19(t) 105mm - an older artillery piece.
  - K35(t) 105mm - also known as the Hruby, fielded by the 25. PzGrenadier-Division. A modern gun superior to the ubiquitous German l.FH 18M 105mm (also fielded).
  - Panzerwerfer and Wurfrahmen - one model each of these two rocket launcher systems.
  
• AIR - a pretty decent category with a little of everything. One noteworthy unit:
  - Ju-88G1 heavy fighter, currently only available in Death on the Vistula with 5. SS-Panzerdivision "Wiking".
  

[h2]Task Force Butler[/h2]
A mobile battlegroup built with an emphasis on speed and maneuver warfare. This division is reinforced by FFI (French armed resistance) from Phase B onwards.

• RECON - lots of slots, with cheap and a vast array of choices. This includes the ubiquitous jeep, M8, and Recon Stuart, but also new units, such as:
  - Cavalry Scouts - 6-man squad with bazooka and smoke, coming in their own M3A1 Cavalry half-track.
  - Commando d’Afrique - making its way over from Nemesis: Storming Toulon. A heavy 10-man commando squad with Thompson and Garands, automatic rifles, and bazooka. Available from Phase B only.
  - FFI Saboteur - 5-man squad armed with MP-40 and M1 Carbines, as well as explosives. They come speeding in with the legendary Traction car.
  
• INFANTRY - a good amount of slots, though Phase A only features a small number of American squads. More FFI units come available in Phase B.
  - OSS Ldr - a large 10-man command squad with UD-M42 SMG and M1 Carbine, plus LMG. They come vetted.
  - FFI Maquisard - currently only available in Nemesis: Storming Toulon. Several cards of a 12-man squad with Sten, Kar. 98K and FM 24/29 automatic rifles, as well as Molotovs. They feature the Raider trait.
  - FFI Ralliés - squads made up of “German” deserters, often Osttruppen or Volksdeutsche, but also some anti-fascist or communist Germans who decided to join the Résistance. Deserting with their weapons and training, they formed a few squads equipped with PPSh, Kar.98K, MG-34, and Panzerfaust.
  
• TANK - an average number of open slots, with the usual complement of Stuarts, M4A1, and M4A1(76) tanks.
  - M8 Cavalry - a new unit is the Greyhound armored car used in a “direct combat” role.
  
• SUPPORT - a well-supplied category, with a large amount of choice, including the M8 Scott, Sherman 105, M1919, and M2HB HMGs, but also some new units:
  - FFI MG-34 - French resistance fighters using a captured HMG with the Raider trait.
  - FFI Mortier 2-inch: light mortar courtesy of British airdrops, featuring the Raider trait.
  - FFI transports - which include Traction (also as a Commander) and DMA truck (also as supply).
  
• AT - not the strongest category, with expensive options and few slots. There are several new units, including:
  - FFI Partisans - 2-man team with a Sten and Panzerfausts.
  - FFI PaK 40 - a few captured German AT guns.
  - FFI Canon AC 25mm SA-L - a new light AT unit that was originally used as a towed version by the French army in 1940. Small, but accurate and with a high rate of fire.
  
• AA - one of the weaker categories with few and expensive slots. These include:
  - Citroen Hotchkiss - a twin 13,2mm AA MG mounted on a police truck.
  - FFI Canon CA 25mm - a mainstay of the French Army in 1940, this light air defense unit is only featured in-game by the Romanians.
  
• ARTILLERY - a pretty decent category featuring only American units, such as mortars, M7 Priest, Long Tom 155mm, and a few off-map 203mm observers riding a M3 Scout Car.
  
• AIR - the battlegroup can count on some very solid air support, with a combination of U.S., British, and French airplanes.
  - US B-26B-10 Marauder and P-47D-22-RE.
  - British Beaufighter Mk.IX rocket (only available in Nemesis:Battle of Rimini) and the Hellcat F Mk.II (from Nemesis: Storming Toulon).
  - French F-5B-1 Lightning and P-38J-15 (both available in Nemesis: Storming Toulon), as well as the B-26G-26 Marauder, a new bomber.
  

[h2]Tribute to the Liberation of Italy[/h2]
That’s it for Lucky 13 DLC. We are still hard at work on the next expansions. A quick update, but we can let you know that all the Axis vehicle and plane models for The Tribute to the Liberation of Italy have been finished, as well as all the infantry models.

We also have the promised Soviet 72-K 25mm AA gun’s model done, which you will be able to enjoy with the 358th Rifle Division … before it gets added to more divisions.



[h2]Adieu, and until next week![/h2]
Enough for this week, commander. Drop us a line in our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you soon!

Expand your Steel Division 2 experience for free with the new Kostritza map. This Skirmish map is playable in every game mode, including solo, coop, and multiplayer.

Kostritza features a large clearing surrounded by woods and marshes, located north of the Orsha-Kiev highway.

Reinforcement Pack 12 - Kostritza is free to all owners of Steel Division 2 here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1810030/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_12__Kostritza

Hello there!

Let’s call today a little in-between post, but not without substance. We are still hard at work getting you the two free Reinforcement Packs: our new Kostritza map and the Lucky 13 DLC with the Axis Panzerdivision Tatra and the Allied Task Force Butler. They are not quite ready yet, though, as they could use another round of testing and tweaking.

In the meantime, we want to take the opportunity to highlight an important aspect of our upcoming major expansion, The Tribute to the Liberation of Italy. Let’s welcome to the stage the daring pilots of the Italian Air Force (that is: both of them).

[h2]A bit of history[/h2]
As you know, after the Armistice in 1943, Italy was divided into two warring states: the Kingdom of Italy in the south joining the Allies, and Mussolini’s fascist Repubblica Sociale Italiana in the north, quickly turned into a puppet state of Nazi Germany. The old Italian Army, including air forces, was also split.

In southern Italy, elements of the original Regia Aeronautica (Royal Air Force) formed the Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana (ACI, or Italian Co-belligerent Air Force) under Allied command. In the north, the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana[ (ANR, or National Republican Air Force) under Mussolini’s control.

The Italians were reluctant to engage their former comrades in combat. This meant that ANR fighters intercepted Allied bombers on their air campaigns in northern Italy. ACI planes provided recon or escort duties but limited their ground support sorties. Heavier equipment was mostly used “overseas”: either in the Balkans (ACI) or in anti-shipping roles (ANR).



[h2]Italian Air Forces in Steel Division 2[/h2]
You know that the name of the game - Steel Division 2 - in a more figurative sense has always been about historical accuracy. With our divisions and battlegroups, this works especially well when it comes to the TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment). Due to the distances involved, we always had a bit more flexibility in bringing planes, formations, and squadrons together from further afield. The same is true for our Italian airmen of the ANR and ACI: while they might not have fought each other directly, both air forces in our upcoming Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion features its historical inventory of fighters, fighter-bombers, and bombers.



[h2]Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana[/h2]
Mussolini’s air force got the lion’s share of the former Regia Aeronautica’s personnel. Most of them joined the fascist puppet state when the Armistice was announced. For years, these pilots had been battling the Allies over the Mediterranean. More recently, their primary task turned to intercept the bomber waves hitting the Italian cities and industries in the north. Skilled and motivated, most ANR airmen not only had to fight against the Allies, but also against a Luftwaffe distrustful of their Italian comrades. The Germans were keen on dissolving the Italian squadrons, taking control of its assets and pilots as a foreign legion of sorts. Fun fact: an attempt was made by the Luftwaffe, which ended up in confrontation between SS and Italian paratroopers, close to deteriorating in open combat.

The ANR recovered a substantial amount of the Regia Aeronautica’s planes and flew them for the duration of the war. In addition, despite their distrust, the Germans delivered some replacement airframes to make up for the losses suffered.

In Tribute to the Liberation of Italy the ANR’s arsenal features:

• C.205V Veltro fighter in several variants
  
• G.55 Centauro fighter
  
• Re.2005 Sagittario fighter
  
• German Bf. 109 G-6 in both fighter and fighter-bomber roles
  
• SM.79-III Sparviero bomber
  
• Z. 1007ter Alcione bomber
  

[h2]Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana[/h2]
While the ANR laid their hands on most of the Regia Aeronautica’s personnel and planes, the Allied ACI had to make do with scraps (in some cases literally as quite a few of the airplanes were in dire need of repair). All in all, the ACI could only count on 200 airframes, some barely functioning. What’s more, Mussolini’s forces controlled the aeronautical factories and workshops in the north, meaning an acute lack of spare parts for the ACI planes.

The ACI resorted to rebuilding their forces using Allied equipment. This also had the double benefit of not being mistaken by Allied AA and fighters. From the summer of 1944 onwards, the remaining Italian machines were gradually replaced by American and British examples, save for the rather excellent Z.1007 bombers. These were used until the end of the war as night bombers over the Balkans.

In Tribute to the Liberation of Italy the ACI’s arsenal features:

• C.202 Folgore fighter
  
• C.205V Veltro fighter, same as its ANR counterpart
  
• British Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop fighter
  
• American P-39 fighter (several versions)
  
• Re.2002 Ariete fighter-bomber
  
• British Baltimore Mk.V bomber
  
• Z.1007bis Alcione bomber
  

[h2]Before we leave[/h2]
Before we bid adieu. A little update on our current projects. Get ready because the new Kostritza will launch soon@. The Reinforcement Pack 13, containing our free divisions, will likely release soon after.

The work on Tribute to the Liberation of Italy expansion and our Nemesis: Raid on Drvar is advancing steadily. Most of the Axis models - which were a lot, as the biggest part of the local Italian equipment was in the hands of the Germans - have been done. More news to come soon, promise!

Meanwhile, meet the cute L3 (aka CV33) family:


[h2]Until next time[/h2]
That’s all, commander. Let us know what you think. You can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you next week!

Hello commander!

We're posting this DevBlog one day in advance since tomorrow is a public holiday (end of WW1) in France.

So, in last week’s post, we promised two free new Reinforcement Packs, one being the new Kostritza map. Now, you must be mighty curious about what’s in the other Reinforcement Pack, number 13, bringing two divisions for free!

Aptly named, with the Lucky 13 DLC we present to you two Nemesis DLC runner-ups: the varied Axis Panzerdivision Tatra and the rapid Allied Task Force Butler.

Let’s find out more.

[h2]Lucky 13 Details[/h2]
Yes, the Panzerdivision Tatra and the Task Force Butler were both runner-ups in two separate Nemesis DLC offerings. The Axis Panzerdivision Tatra was featured in Nemesis: Slovak Uprising in Nemesis #4 (won by Nemesis: Raid on Drvar), while Task Force Butler was part of Nemesis: Battle of Montélimar in Nemesis #2 (won by