Steel Division 2 News

Hello!

Today is the day! We have released the new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack for Steel Division 2 in celebration of the 76th anniversary of D-Day and the Allied invasion of France.

Like every year, we want to do something special commemorating the official start of Operation Overlord. This time, it’s a new DLC! With the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack you’ll find six original Steel Division: Normandy 44 divisions, two new Aces, and a host of new units brought over to Steel Division 2’s Eastern Front.

If you haven’t, check out the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack store page and get in on the action!

There is more! Drumroll maestro…

Outsmart and outfight a human opponent in Army General with the latest free Reinforcement Pack - available now! "RP # 9 Army General Versus" brings 1v1 online battles to the turn-based strategic campaign mode for Steel Division 2. Go head-to-head against the most cunning of foes, and see who rules the battlefields of the Eastern Front.



[h2]What does Tribute to D-Day offer?[/h2]

The new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack expands your Steel Division 2 experience by giving you the chance to command six new divisions, three for both the Axis and Allies. Each of the featured divisions has been updated to reflect the latest gameplay mechanics and features found in Steel Division 2. This includes the option to choose your own economy rate or deploy units such as Commanders, Artillery Observers, or Military Police.

Which divisions can you play with the new “Tribute to D-Day” Pack?

• The versatile 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division. The Americans bring units such as U.S. Rangers, fan-favorite M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, and the truck-based Xylophone multiple rocket-launcher.
  
• The unassuming but hard-hitting 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen.” This Axis formation fields a wide array of units, including do-or-die Italian SS-Legionari.
  
• The daring “Red Devils” of the 6th British Airborne Division. This Allied division sees the inclusion of the brand-new Belgian Brigade Piron and units such as the Grenadiers-Volt rifle squads, Glider Crews as combat-deployable troops and Tetrarch light tanks.
  
• The veteran “Green Devils” of the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division. This experienced formation deploys units such as Fs-Sturmjäger, LG 42 recoilless 105mm gun, Puppchen light AT rocket-launcher and the AB41 armored car.
  
• The brave Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna (1st Polish Armored Division). This Allied formation brings units, including a variety of Cromwell tanks, the Crusader Mk.2B, and Firefly Ic.
  
• The fanatical Hitler Youth of 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”. This powerful formation fields a host of hard-hitting vehicles and units, such as the Panther G, Tiger E, the Mobelwagen, Wurfrahmen rocket artillery, “Beute” Firefly tanks and even a captured Dingo armored car.
  

[h2]New toys, new mechanics[/h2]



As we mentioned above, you won’t only find several new units, but also two new Aces and some new unit mechanics and traits with the updated “Tribute to D-Day” divisions. Such as, you might ask?

• New units: The M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, Cromwell cruiser tank, Tetrarch light tank
  Xylophone rocket launcher, T30 HMC, M4A1 Rhino, Crusader AA Mk, Centaur IV,
  Panzer L6(i), BEF.SPW 202(e), “Beute” Firefly. Elite Infantry units, including Fallschirmjägers, U.S. Rangers, British Airborne, SS-Legionari.
  
• New unit trait: The indoctrinated soldiers of the 12. SS carry the “Fanatical” trait, meaning that these soldiers never surrender and fight to the death!
  
• Two new Aces: Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (P-47D-25 in fighter mode) found with the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division. Michael Wittman (Tiger E Führer) featured with the 12. SS-Panzer.
  

[h2]Dive deep into each new division[/h2]


You want to know even more? Lucky you! We have spent some time in recent weeks to highlight each formation in detail. Be sure to check out the corresponding themed blog posts!

• Mechanized Warfare to the max! Read all about the 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division versus the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division in this post here.
  
• Death from above! The combat-hardened “devil paratroopers” of two airborne divisions are waiting for your command. Glean all the details of the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne versus the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division in this blog post here.
• Heavy-weight armored brawlers! These divisions don’t hold back their punches. Discover the power of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna versus the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend” in this blog post here.
  

[h2]Get playing now! [/h2]


There you have it: all the juicy bits of why you should get going and start playing Steel Division 2 today!

We’d love to hear what you think of the “Tribute to D-Day” Pack. Don’t hesitate to check out our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

An early summer Steel Division 2 Roadmap ahead of Tribute to D-Day Launch this Saturday, 6th of June!”

Good day to you, commander!

We hope you are doing well. Today, we are taking a short break to give you some details on several Steel Division 2 updates and features we are working on. From improvements to the Army General mode to an upgrade to infantry combat - you might find some interesting tidbits in this early summer roadmap if you keep on reading!

We are hard at work at launching the newest Steel Division 2 Pack: Tribute to D-Day this coming Saturday, the 6th of June. This expansion brings 6 fan-favorite divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to Steel Division 2, and will include several original units, such as the M18 Hellcat and “Beute” Firefly. Read all about the divisions, new Aces, and units in the following posts: the Elite Airborne Divisions, the Mechanized Infantry Divisions, the Armored Divisions.


[h3]A quick primer before we start[/h3]

Before we continue: we are rolling out a small update for a release tomorrow, Friday. Due to popular demand, we have changed two of our 10v10 servers to run Destruction mode. We have also created an “Eastern Front-only” 10v10 server. On a later date, we’ll also introduce new 10v10 Tactical servers on 3v3 maps.

We always check the forums or Discord to see how we can improve Steel Division 2 based on your feedback and suggestions. The following features reflect this.

Please note that we don’t have a precise date for when we will be able to implement many of the ideas into the game. Consider them all to be very much work in progress!

[h3]Improved infantry Combat[/h3]

One of the major projects currently in the pipeline is to improve Steel Division 2’s infantry combat. We want to find a way to make this type of fighting more accessible and clearer to understand. One way to do this is to overhaul how infantry weapons work. The goal here is to make individual weapons, such as a soldier’s rifle or SMG, more deadly and have the squad weapons such as machine guns or automatic rifles inflict more stress on the battlefield.

We are still trying to fit all the pieces together - more later!

[h3]Armored Warfare[/h3]

We are not entirely satisfied with the current tank-on-tank combat or AT versus tank actions. We want to step away from inconclusive engagements between tanks at extreme ranges, each unit exchanging fire with one another without any discernible results. We know that we can improve this, making it less sterile and more fun.

That’s why we are also thinking about introducing (reintroducing for you Wargame veterans out there) a wider array of gun ranges. This means that certain gun pieces will have less range. Sure, you might think decreasing the ranges would be a nerf, but the upshot would be that a gun’s performance will become more efficient.

You would have to get closer to engage the enemy, but by doing so, your chances to destroy an enemy unit will significantly increase.

[h3]Updating Army General[/h3]

Our single-player strategic Army General campaigns are set to receive some modifications in the near future. You might have noticed this already with our DLC campaigns, but we have gradually switched from a “generic battalion strength” depiction of each counter to a more realistic, asymmetrical representation of each pawn. Each battalion on the map will reflect better their historical counterpart; for Axis units this means “battalion strength” and for the Allied units it means “regimental strength.”

In direct comparison, a Soviet pawn will contain more troops and units than its German counterpart. This allows us to deploy more powerful Soviet armies directly on the map and not rely on overstretched lists of reinforcements. This allows for more interesting tactical battle resolutions. To obtain the same results for Axis formations, we decided to merge independent field artillery with combat battalions, giving these latter formations their own organic artillery support and reducing the number of stray artillery guns represented on the strategic map.

We are hard at work updating each side’s composition in the base game’s Army General mode: expect the Berezina, Orsha, Bobruisk, and Baranovichi campaigns to be upgraded soon!

[h3]Improving Army General Combat[/h3]

Continuing with Army General, we are thinking about improving the Army General combat experience by allowing, in some instances, the ability to fight with more than three battalions on each side.

There is more. We are also studying if we should give some battalion types a more dedicated, pronounced role on the battlefield. We are looking at how best to do this, but imagine that a Wehrmacht Pioneer battalion in combat might be able to remove an opposing unit’s entrenchment buff. We feel that it would set battalions apart from each other, granting a player more viable choices when selecting a formation for combat.

We can’t promise all units getting a special ability, but we are curious to hear what you think.

[h3]A big tease![/h3]

We left the best for last. Yes, that’s right, we are talking about the new History DLC! We see the rumors swirling around, some of them true, some of them decisively… not. Without giving away too much: while we had promised just one, the new DLC will actually feature two full Army General campaigns, a new nation with three new divisions, including a complete voice-over set, and three new Soviet divisions.

We are also working on a way to allow you to mod DLC units. It is one of the most recurring requests from the community, and we are happy to oblige!

That’s it, you won’t be able to twist our arms for anything more. Just keep an eye out and who knows, maybe in next week’s post, you’ll get to know even more!

[h3]That’s it for this week![/h3]

One last little bit before we leave you to digest all the news: we are still working on the new Urban Maps (as we talked about in this blog post here). Right now, there is not much more news to report. When we have some more, we’ll keep you informed!

Don’t hesitate to check out our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello!

We will be looking at some true divisional firepower today with the last two divisions of Steel Division 2’s upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” Pack: the 1 Dywizja Pancerna (or 1st Polish Armoured Division) versus the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”.

The launch of the Tribute to D-Day Pack is nearly upon us. On Saturday June 6th, in Steel Division 2, you’ll be able to play with six fan-favorite divisions brought from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to the brutal battlefields of the Eastern Front. With these new divisions, you’ll get your hands on original units such as the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, Cromwell and Tetrarch tanks, “Beute” Firefly tank, and more!

In today’s themed “Tribute to D-Day” Versus post, we detail two hard-hitting armored divisions: the Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna will lock horns with the indoctrinated young soldiers of the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”.

But first, let’s unveil some new units, a new unit trait, and two new Aces!

[h3]A new way to play![/h3]

A new unit will be available for the 1 Dywizja Pancerna: the Spitfire Mk.IXc, which featured the older 2x20mm plus 4x7.62mm armament loadout instead of the 2x20mm and 2x12.7mm machine gun array encountered in the more common IXe variant.

The “Tribute to D-Day” Pack will also feature a new unit trait found with the 12. SS-Panzerdivision to highlight their ferociousness on the battlefield: “Fanatical.” A unit with this trait will never surrender!

We have made sure that each division featured in the upcoming pack will take full advantage of the latest game mechanics, units, and features found in Steel Division 2. The six divisions contain the latest unit types such as the artillery observers, military police, and commander units. Also, each formation uses Steel Division 2’s economy templates instead of the fixed rate. There is more: new units will also carry special traits including Raiders (operate without a morale penalty behind enemy lines), Disheartened (these units lose morale quicker under fire) or the new Fanatical trait.

[h3]Furious and powerful[/h3]

The “Tribute to D-Day” Pack features two new Aces - you know, those fancy looking units with their own custom paint job (but not gameplay advantage) which highlight a particularly illustrious individual from a division’s combat history. We’ve had snipers, pilots, tank commanders; in the new pack you’ll be able to play with:

• Francis “Gabby” Gabreski (P-47D-25 in fighter mode) found with the US 2nd Infantry Division.
  
• Michael Wittman (Tiger E Führer) found with the 12. SS-Panzer.
  

The latest two divisions in the “Tribute to D-Day” will revive some classic units from Normandy 44. These include:

• ”Beute” captured Firefly
  
• Cromwell tanks (half a dozen variants)
  
• Crusader Mk.2B
  
• Firefly Ic
  

Now, let’s take a look at the divisions in detail!

[h2]1 Dywizja Pancerna[/h2]
The Free Poles of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna, the 1st Polish Armored Division, only started landing in France at the end of July and beginning of August. Under Canadian command, the Winged Hussars joined combat during Operation Totalize, which broke the Axis defensive lines south of Caen, and paved the way for the Polish tanks and soldiers to advance to the town of Falaise.

The 1 Pancerna took on a crucial role in closing the subsequent encirclement that trapped thousands of Axis soldiers. It bore the brunt of the German attempts to escape the Falaise Pocket and, despite repeated attacks, held the line. Later during World War 2, the Winged Hussars drove up the French coast and played an essential part in the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Some of the 1 Dywizja Pancerna’s defining features:

• Fast Cromwell cavalry tanks (as well as light Stuart tanks) allow the Free Poles to be very fast and aggressive in the opening attacks.
  
• Sherman and Firefly tanks provide the bulk of the armored forces in the second wave.
  
• The division can also field two older Firefly Ic (slower, less armored compared to the more common Vc variant) but only phase A. A neat trick: this division provides the only opportunity to deploy two vetted Firefly tanks in phase A.
  
• Strong AA weapons, including mobile, armored twin and triple 20mm, Bofors portee, etc.
  
• A drawback is the limited amount of infantry and the lack of strong artillery.
  
• The Polish air force is compelled to use older variants of various capable planes, encompassing Spitfire Mk. IXc, Hurricane, Mosquito, and P-51 Mustang (the old Mk. III variant).
  

[h2]12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”[/h2]
Arguably one of the best fighting divisions of the Third Reich in the early summer 1944, the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend” became renowned for its fanatical conduct on the battlefield. The bulk of the division’s soldiers were spirited and indoctrinated, recruited from the Hitler Youth, backed up by a cadre of experienced and battle-hardened NCOs and officers. The 12. SS-Panzerdivision lacked for (almost) nothing, being able to field a large number of tanks and other armored vehicles such as Tigers, Panthers, supported by self-propelled AA guns and rocket artillery.

Being one of the closest Axis armored divisions in Normandy during Allied landings, the 12. SS-Panzerdivision was immediately sent to the front. The formation proved to be a tough and ferocious opponent to the British-Canadian forces arrayed against it. Time and time again, the German soldiers counter-attacked, inflicting many casualties. However, harried by constant air attacks, naval and artillery bombardment, the 12. SS was almost completely destroyed after weeks of hard fighting. Only a small part of its soldiers escaped the disastrous Falaise Pocket.

Some of the 12. SS-Panzerdivision strengths and weaknesses:

Hello commander!

We hope you are doing well. In today’s post, we’re going to shine a light on two “devilishly good” divisions which will be part of our upcoming new Steel Division 2 “Tribute to D-Day” DLC launching the 6th of June.

That’s right, it’s paratrooper action with the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne Division squaring off against the “Green Devils” 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division. As elite infantry formations, they both feature tough and battle-hardened soldiers, favoring the fight up close and personal.

Don’t forget to read the previous Mechanized Infantry blog post where we look at the U.S. 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division on the Allied side and the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen” for the Axis.

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will celebrate the official start of Operation Overlord in 1944 and transports six divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44 to the Eastern Front, including several new units. Read all about it in the original announcement here.

[h2]Death from above[/h2]

Of the two airborne divisions, only one was actually used in its intended vertical paradrop role (the 6th Airborne). While the Axis formation did feature a large array of parachutist-friendly material (light, short-range guns), by this stage of the war, the 3.Fallschirmjäger was mostly related to slogging it out on foot. Still, the soldiers from both divisions were well trained and combat-ready.

One of the main new features of the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC is the Belgian Brigade Piron, found with the 6th Airborne. All the units attached to this Belgian brigade have been reskinned to match Piron’s camouflage and markings, with the soldiers having their own voice acting (and yes, that means French with Belgian accents and Flemish accents of Dutch). Its units can be also searched for under their own flag in Steel Division 2’s Armory.



The following selection of special units can be found in the Belgian Brigade Piron:

• Recon: Daimler Littlejohn, Eclaireurs (2-man team), Scouts (4-man team), Daimler Scout Car, MMG Carrier, Universal Carrier
  
• Infantry: Grenadiers-Volt. (8-man Motor Rifles-like), CMD Grenadiers-Volt. (4-man Leader squad with PIAT)
  
• Transport: CMP trucks, Willys MB
  
• Other: Dingo (Commander), CMP Polsten, 25-pdr artillery gun
  

Officially, the air landing commandos of the 6th British “Red Devils” Airborne were the first to land on French soil just after midnight on the 6th of June during Operation Deadstick: the coup de main glider assault on two bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal. Shortly after, the bulk of the division’s paratroopers dropped in various landing zones located on the eastern flank of the invasion area.

Having consolidated their positions, and reinforced by British and Canadian divisions, the “Red Devils” occupied a vital bridgehead across the Orne for several weeks. Later on, the division was further augmented by the Belgium Brigade Piron, one of the various “other” Allied formations from nations contributing to the Normandy campaign (including the French, Polish, Dutch, Czech, etc.)

Later during the campaign, the 6th Airborne Division advanced along the French coast, reaching the River Seine by the end of August. The paratroopers were sent back to England and were used as reinforcements during the subsequent Battle of the Bulge before making their last combat drop into Germany during Operation Varsity in March 1945.




The 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division never performed an actual para drop but was still considered part of the fighting elite of the Third Reich. Formed of veteran soldiers, the division was listed as full strength and well-equipped with a large arsenal of MG 42s and the Fallschirmjägers-own FG 42s.

Having moved into the battlezone on June 10th, the German “Green Devils” wreaked havoc on the Allied formations, expertly using their numerous short-range automatic infantry weapons during deadly ambushes and transforming the many hedgerows of Normandy into natural fortresses. The lack of motorized transport hampered the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division, and later on, the formation was almost completely destroyed during heavy Allied bombing near Falaise.



[h2]A new way to play[/h2]

First off, we have made quite a few under-the-hood changes to each of the divisions featured in the upcoming DLC. For instance, they will have full access to all the new unit types introduced in Steel Division 2, such as the artillery observers and commander units. Also, each formation uses Steel Division 2’s economy templates (instead of the fixed rate). There is more: new units will also feature traits such as Raiders (operate without any morale penalty behind enemy lines) or Disheartened (these units lose morale quicker under fire).

As we explained in our previous blogpost, we wanted to highlight the historic battlefield evolution of each division.

For the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division this means that some of their “lesser” comrade-in-arms (the reinforcements from the weaker, disbanded Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen) will become available in phase B.

There are some more noteworthy changes visible with the 6th Airborne. Here, the Ox & Bucks commandos (the troops the first to assault Pegasus Bridge) are available during phase A. The same for their infamous captured AB PaK 40. The Cromwell replacement tanks can be deployed from phase B, while Challenger tank reinforcements arrive in phase C. Lastly, one of the big new additions to the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC, the Belgian Brigade Piron, is available from phase C.

For both airborne divisions, most of their line infantry (Rifles, Assault, Pioneer) feature the Raiders trait. Some of their support units also gain this trait, including MGs, flamethrower squads, the British Tetrarch tank, 2-pdr mortar, 75mm howitzer, captured PaK 40, and 20mm Polsten gun, the German L6 light tank, LG 42 recoilless guns and 20mm Flak guns.

[h2]New shiny toys![/h2]

We have created a couple of new units for our paratrooper divisions:

• Fs-Sturmjäger - 3FJ: A very small number of Fallschirmjäger support squads were equipped with a combination of FG 42 and StG 44 automatic rifles. Not satisfied with the proposed massive hail of fire, MG 42 have been added on top for good measure.
  
• Glider Crew - 6AB: Large squads of pilots and glider crew who found themselves without a job once on the ground. Armed with Sten guns and rifles these ad-hoc soldiers are untrained in tactics, and as such carry the Disheartened trait.
  
• AB Paras (PIAT) - 6AB: A small number of “heavy” paratrooper squads can be found with two Bren machine guns and a PIAT.
  
• Grenadiers-Volt - 6AB: Belgian Motor Rifle soldiers, equipped with two Stens and 2 Bren machine guns.
  

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will also “revive” some classic units from Normandy 44 and allow for their deployment on the Eastern Front in Steel Division 2. In no particular order:

• All Airborne and Airlanding infantry for the 6th British Airborne Division.
  
• Tetrarch light tank - In three variants, including Littlejohn in the Recon tab.
  
• Daimler Littlejohn (Belgian version)
  
• AB M1 75mm - Light howitzer with the Raiders trait.
  
• British Tanks - Cromwell, Challenger, Centaur (support variant of the Cromwell).
  
• Fallschirmjäger and Luftwaffe infantry for the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division.
  
• AB41 - Armored car
  
• L6 - Light tank
  
• Puppchen light AT rocket-launcher.
  
• PaK 42 Gerlich light squeeze-bore AT gun.
  
• LG 42 recoilless 105mm gun found in the Support tab.
  

[h2]Coming up next[/h2]

Next week’s blog post, we’ll take a good look at the remaining two divisions of the “Tribute to D-Day” DLC: The Free Poles of the 1 Pacerna versus the fanatical 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend.

The upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will release on June 6th and will be made available for $16,99 / €16,99.

Let us know what you think! Don’t hesitate to check out our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Good day to you!

In the lead-up to the launch of our new Steel Division 2 “Tribute to D-Day” DLC this 6th of June, we are going to explore each of the six new divisions in detail. In true versus format, we’ll focus a weekly post on two individual formations: one Allied and one Axis.

Today, the theme of our post is mechanized infantry. Please welcome the contenders to the ring: for the Allies, it’s the U.S. 2nd “Indianhead” Infantry Division; on the Axis side, we have the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen.”

For those of you who missed last week’s news: on the 6th of June, in celebration of Operation Overlord in 1944, we’ll be releasing a brand-new DLC for Steel Division 2: “Tribute to D-Day”. This expansion features 6 divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44, and will bring several new units to the battlefields of the Eastern Front.



A disclaimer: yes, we know, the 2nd ID “Indianhead” is technically not a full mechanized formation compared to the 17. SS in the strictest sense of the word. However, we are labeling the American battlegroup as such in our game. This is due to the real-life reinforcements of independent units which were added to the division late into the Normandy campaign. Keep on reading to find out more.

[h2]2nd Infantry Division “Indianhead”[/h2]

First off, the brave soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division “Indianhead” which came to shore on D+1. Locked into fierce combat around Saint-Lô with among others the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, the American formation learned the hard way how to operate (and succeed) in dense bocage country, creating improvised weaponry and developing new tactics on the fly. At the end of July, the division managed to break out, and advanced onto the important port of Brest. Much later in the war, the Indianhead soldiers also fought during the Battle of the Bulge, before ending up at the conclusion of World War II all the way across Germany, in Czechoslovakia.



[h2]17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen”[/h2]
The mechanized 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen” couldn’t hold a candle to the Third Reich’s best: it was a far cry away from a well-supplied and armed division made up of battle-hardened, experienced soldiers. Instead, raw recruits and Volksdeutsche filled up its ranks, and the lack of motorized transports had only been slightly mitigated by using locally sourced French trucks and automobiles.

Named after the Swabian 15th-century knight, with an iron prosthetic hand (yes, they had them in those days) which led to the black-and-white coat of arms, the 17. SS was also known as the “Lick my Ass Division” thanks to the famous saying of the namesake, Count von Berlichingen. Nonetheless, the 17. SS proved themselves well during the fighting in Normandy. Heavily mauled in constant battles, only the tattered remnants of this division managed to escape the Falaise Pocket.





The “Tribute to D-Day” divisions will have full access to all the new unit types introduced in Steel Division 2, such as the artillery observers and commander units, and the Feldgendarme for the 17. SS. Not only that, but we are also introducing some new units to these two formations:

• SS-Legionari - 17. SS. This unit is composed of die-hard Italian SS troops. They are veteran assault soldiers equipped with Beretta SMGs, G-43 semi-auto rifles, Molotov cocktails, and Panzerfausts.
  
• Basics - 2ID. Much as the name implies, these fresh recruits are armed with Garand rifles and gathered in large squads. As green replacements, they carry the Disheartened trait. We can’t save all the Private Ryans, can we?
  
• Assault Group - 2ID: A field-expedited full SMG squad (a mix of Thompsons and Grease Guns) formed after suffering one too many defeats in “hedgerow hell.” This unit is available from phase B onward.
  
• Demolition Group - 2ID: Urban combat specialists, created by the Indianhead during the street fighting in the port city of Brest. These soldiers are armed with a combination of flamethrowers, bazookas, rifles and experimental full-auto M2 carbines. These soldiers can only be deployed in phase C.
  
• Snipers - 2ID: This unit is introduced for the first time to the Indianhead. Does exactly what it says on the tin: shoots the enemy from afar with deadly accuracy!
  

The “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will also “revive” some classic units from Normandy 44 and allow for their deployment on the Eastern Front in Steel Division 2. These units can all be found in the 2nd Infantry Division.

• U.S. Rangers - The famous elite American soldiers will equip four different infantry squad variants and one support half-track unit.
  
• M3 105mm howitzer - A light artillery piece used by both airborne troops and regular infantry U.S. Army regiments.
  
• M18 Hellcat - Fan-favorite tank destroyer which sported paper-thin armor but resulted in it being the fastest tracked vehicle of the war.
  
• M4A1 Rhino - A Frankenstein of a Sherman, some tankers fitted out their tanks with scrap metal scoured from German beach obstacles. This scratch-built armor allowed the Rhinos to destroy the dense hedgerows and shrug off light anti-tank weapons.
  
• Xylophone - A beautifully named truck-mounted twin multiple rocket-launcher. The North American cousin of the Katyusha.
  

We have made some additional changes to these two divisions. One of the most important is also one of the most obvious: these divisions no longer feature fixed economies, following instead the various Steel Division 2 templates currently available (Vanguard, Balanced, etc.).

That said, to acknowledge each division’s history, we decided to represent the “evolution” these divisions saw during the Normandy campaign. This we did by unlocking each unit at a specific combat phase depending on when they were used during the battles in Northwest France.

For instance, the 17. SS will gain access to heavier Flak units (37mm and 88mm), most of the tank destroyers (Jagdpanzer IV) and assault Sturmpionier from phase B onwards. This reflects that these elements only joined the division relatively late into the campaign.

The “Indianhead” experiences this even more. Here we see the Ranger-associated units only available in phase A or B in low numbers. Improvisation in the field led to the deployment of Assault Groups and the M4A1 Rhino, which is reflected by these units becoming available from phase B onward. The Xylophone rocket launcher and the M18 Hellcat joined the division late in the campaign; as such they can only be deployed in phase B and C. Another new unit is the Demolition Group infantry squad. Together with the British flame-throwing Crocodile tank, they played a vital role in the liberation of Brest, much later on. That’s why they can only be deployed in phase C.





The upcoming “Tribute to D-Day” DLC will release on June 6th and will be made available for $16,99 / €16,99.

We’d love to know what you think! Don’t hesitate to check out our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). You can also join us on our Discord server or Reddit page.

Next week’s blog post will take a look at the kick-ass paratrooper Tribute to D-Day divisions and see some devil-versus-devil action: the 6th British Airborne squares up against the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

Until then, take care and see you on the battlefield, commander!