Strategy and Wargaming

Developer promises more free updates, with extra features and content currently in development

Firefly Studios has released a new update (1.0.19574) for Stronghold Crusader 2, the recently released ‘castle sim’ sequel. The update, which is now live on Steam, introduces a new skirmish map, unit stats, map balancing and bug fixes. Click here for full changelist.

In a new blog post on the official Stronghold Crusader 2 website, Firefly revealed that the majority of post-release content for the game will be made available for free. “We really are just getting started and, after we have finished working on fixes and optimisation, the team will be adding more features and content. Extra AI characters will come in the form of paid-for DLC, but the majority of this post-release content will be free and automatically downloaded through Steam.”

Stronghold Crusader 2 is out now on Steam.

For the very first time in the Company of Heroes franchise, players will be able to choose between three different Companies, all with their own unique abilities, to forge their path to glory. Customers who pre-order will gain access to a fourth company; “Fox” Company, led by Captain Monte Durante.

This video details some of the many exciting new options that Fox Company will bring to the game including, their devastating M83 Cluster Bombs, Pinpoint Accurate Artillery and their main weapon, the Fox Company Elite Infantry who will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Pre-order Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault today to receive Fox Company free of charge and then look forward to the game’s release on November 18th, 2014.

For more information on Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault, log on to www.companyofheroes.com.

“And I saw, and behold a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” – Revelation 6:2

As the world descends into the mists of the Dark Ages, civilization begins to crumble. Early Christians of Western Europe clamor to repent, stricken by looming omens of a divine apocalypse. In this climate of turmoil, the Eastern Roman Empire stands at a crossroads.

Secure behind the impenetrable walls of Constantinople, there are opportunities for fresh conquest. But with the warlike Visigoths to the North, the heathen Sassanids to the East, and their closest ally to the west stretched thin and tearing itself apart in its greed, is now truly the time to ride out and expand the Empire? And who will rightfully wear the crown?

Click here to watch the Total War: ATTILA – The White Horse Trailer.

Total War: ATTILA is due for release in 2015. More game information is available at the Total War: ATTILA website.

Battlefront.com today announced its newest modern ground warfare simulation Combat Mission: Black Sea, depicting a fictional 2017 conflict between NATO and Russia in Ukraine! Combat Mission: Black Sea is a military simulation depicting a fictional 2017 conflict between NATO and Russia in Ukraine. Following the events in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014, the Kiev government and Russia continue to clash over the status of the contested regions. This culminates several years later in a dramatic announcement by Ukraine that they will be joining NATO and the EU. Tensions explode as Russia perceives a direct threat to Russian citizens and deploy troops to the Ukrainian border again, while Western governments, welcoming a chance to expand NATO and EU influence eastward, mobilize as well. The escalation continues until the summer of 2017, when a large firefight erupts between Ukrainian and Russian troops in the Donetsk region. The next day fighting flares up on the border, and on a dark early morning in June 2017, pre-positioned Russian and NATO forces roll forward into Ukraine.

Click here to preorder Combat Mission: Black Sea.

Click here to visit the official Combat Mission: Black Sea webpage for all the game details!

Live now, the latest free update for Rome II adds the festival of Lemuria to the game and a new seasonal challenge, Nightmare Mode!

Lemuria was an ancient feast during which restless spirits were exorcised from the home with the alternate offering of beans and then clashing of cooking pots. Perhaps an early Roman version of Trick or Treat?

Nightmare Mode can be toggled on from the game options menu, causing your troops to suffer horrifying visions in battle. Harpies descend from the skies as a terrifying atmosphere envelopes your forces. Assailed by such apparitions it is no surprise that your soldiers will find the enemy extremely frightening!

Any generals skilled enough to complete a Campaign battle in Nightmare Mode will earn a new Steam achievement and the adoration of their peers. May the gods help you if you try to complete a whole campaign…

More details on this update and exclusive new detail about the recently announced Total War: ATTILA can be found in this month’s Rally point.

Total War: Rome II Emperor Edition is Available Now, see www.totalwar.com for details.

You Gotta Have Faith to Conquer the Most Detailed Map Ever

Paradox Interactive has released “Art of War,” a new expansion for the award-winning grand strategy game Europa Universalis IV, for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. In what could be the largest expansion DLC in Paradox history, Art of War includes a broad selection of updates and features for Europa Universalis IV starring the most detailed and historically accurate map in Paradox’s strategic titles to date. Hundreds of new provinces dot the globe as the masters of grand strategy cast their eye on new nations and history beyond Europe’s shores.

Marvel at the size of Art of War by viewing the launch trailer.

Alongside the release of Art of War, a massive, free patch with loads of new content has also been issued that all players of Europa Universalis IV can download and use. Details on what is available in patch 1.8 can be found HERE.

To learn more about Europa Universalis IV, visit the games official website.

Today, SEGA and Relic Entertainment are launching a brand new update for the award-winning real-time strategy game Company of Heroes 2 adding two new community features to the game – Observer Mode and Mod Tools. The update will go live on STEAM at 2PM PST.

Observer Mode allows players to sync up and watch live multiplayer matches as they unfold. The feature will let them view games from a variety of different angles, at different speeds and player perspectives and grants access to live data that was previously inaccessible. It provides viewers the opportunity to analyze strategies and learn from the best players in the world. Players can also broadcast their feed through our integrated Twitch interface and showcase their skills to a broader audience.

Mod Tools are an eagerly awaited addition to Company of Heroes 2’s roster of community centric features and will equip the modding community with even more opportunities to create their own custom content. Allowing players to modify existing content to refine the game experience and giving them options to establish their own win conditions and game rules will ultimately create even more and diverse content available for everyone to enjoy.

Lobsters of Doom!!!! Strike that. Crabs of Doom!

Battlefront.com has announced the release of the Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy Vehicle Pack for Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy.The Sherman Crab anti-mine tank is just one of a number of unusual and exciting vehicles included in the Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy Vehicle Pack (for PC and Mac OSX)! How about the Churchill VII Crocodile or the French Char B-2(f) flamethrower tanks? Or the Churchill AVRE with a massive 290mm “Petard” mortar! The CM:BN Vehicle Pack includes over a dozen oddball vehicles that were too fun to leave out of the game.

The Vehicle Pack requires the base game upgraded to v3.0 but no other modules (however, to access module specific vehicles, that module is required; for example, you can’t access the British vehicles if you only have the base game and no modules).

The Vehicle Pack doesn’t include any missions or campaigns. The vehicles can be used right away in any new QuickBattle or in the editor to make your own scenarios and campaigns.

The Vehicle Pack updates your game engine from v3.00 to v3.10. It includes a number of bug fixes and other improvements to the engine that will also be part of future free patches.

Click here for complete vehicle information and more details!

Paradox Interactive today announced that “Wrath of the Nagas,” the new expansion for Warlock 2 that’s loaded with serpentertainment, is available worldwide for Windows PC and, for the first time, Mac and Linux. Wrath of the Nagas, which adds a new race of slithering sorcerers to the turn-based strategy wargame from Ino-Co Plus, is now available for $14.99 from digital retailers worldwide. Including a new game campaign, a new race to play as (or against), and new in-game units, mages, and lords, Wrath of the Nagas can be enjoyed today by all players of Warlock 2 without any sort of hisssssterics.

View the release trailer HERE.

For more information about Warlock 2: The Exiled, visit the games official website.

BattleGoat Studios is thrilled to announce the release of their latest Real Time Geopolitical Strategy / Wargame, Supreme Ruler Ultimate. Lead Designer and Co-Founder David Thompson commented, “This title represents fourteen years of what has been a labor of love. Supreme Ruler Ultimate is the culmination of all the design revisions and content we’ve created since forming the studio in 2000 and there should be something for everyone, whether they want to re-play WWII or take over the world from a near future Scotland or an independent Texas!”

Supreme Ruler Ultimate is available now for PC and Mac through Steam and other vendors.