Strategy and Wargaming

Join the fight on CompanyOfHeroes.com and play the Pre-Alpha Preview today!

The legendary strategy franchise is back, combining heart-pounding combat with new layers of strategy in a breathtaking Mediterranean setting. Relic Entertainment™ and SEGA® Europe Ltd. are thrilled to reveal that Company of Heroes™ 3, the latest instalment in the critically acclaimed strategy franchise, is coming to PC in 2022! Those eager to get their hands on the game won’t have to wait until then – visit CompanyOfHeroes.com to join CoH-Development and get access to the Pre-Alpha Preview for Company of Heroes 3 via Steam right now!

Watch the announcement trailer HERE.

Watch the gameplay reveal trailer HERE.

Mediterranean Theatre & New Features

Company of Heroes 3 is bringing the series’ intimate boots-on-the-ground storytelling to a brand-new theatre of war, unlocking authentic new tactics, factions, and a wealth of untold stories from World War II. The Mediterranean is a place of immense variety, from windswept Italian mountain passes to harsh North African deserts and coastal vistas. On this new frontline, intelligence trumps speed.

In Company of Heroes 3, the critically acclaimed Company of Heroes gameplay has been enhanced with authentic new features, making for the deepest tactical experience to date – all powered by the Essence Engine 5, the latest evolution of Relic’s proprietary real-time strategy technology. On the Dynamic Campaign Map, players command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines as they lead the Allies’ campaign to retake mainland Italy from the entrenched Axis forces. The long-term choices you make here will affect not only the battles you fight, but the story of the war itself.

In single-player modes, Full Tactical Pause gives players a new level of tactical control over the pacing on the battlefield. By freezing the action, players who choose to employ Full Tactical Pause will be able to coordinate all their actions at once, thinking through every move in detail without the pressure of doing it all in real-time.

“We’re really excited for players to experience Company of Heroes 3 right from the pre-alpha stage and to receive their valuable feedback,” said Justin Dowdeswell, General Manager at Relic Entertainment. “We’ve been co-developing the game with some of our fantastic community members for years now, and they have been instrumental in providing consistent and meaningful feedback at every step of the development process. We are ready to expand that program in a massive way with our fans around the world via our CoH-Development program, which has been made possible by Amplitude Studios™’ superb Games2Gether platform.”

The Strategy Wargamer has interviewed Tomislav Čipčić, the lead designer of the game. In this episode of the Jean’s podcast you can find more details about: map design, hex-and-counter games, turn-based and real-time systems, AI programming and more.

You can listen to this interview HERE

New Gameplay Video
Panzer Division Games has released a second part of their gameplay video for Attack at Dawn: North Africa. In this video, the designer plays a game scenario “Battle of Alam el Halfa”, trying to win the day. The video shows new, illustrated unit counters, fast switching between Turn-Based and Real-Time modes of play, reworked AI and more.

You can watch the gameplay video HERE.

Map Series
The gameplay is followed by the battle map series, exploring the battles and operations that took place during the WW2 North African Campaign. The scenario shown in this gameplay video is Battle of Alam el Halfa. It was the last big Axis offensive in the Western Desert Campaign, and it took place between 30 August and 5 September 1942, at the El Alamein line. It was an Allied victory, and a prelude to the Second battle of El Alamein.

For full article describing the battle – you can go to the game’s website.

About The Game
Attack at Dawn: North Africa is an operational level wargame set in WW2 North African theatre. It features 3 campaigns, and 15 scenarios which can be played in solo or multiplayer modes. It can be played as a real-time, or turn-based (WeGo) game. The game begins with the German troops probing into the Libyan region of Cyrenaica, and finishes either with the total defeat of German-Italian Panzer Armee, or with the British loss of Egypt and their retreat across the Suez Canal.

For Steam website and wishlist, visit HERE.

Field of Glory II: Medieval returns with its second DLC “Swords and Scimitars“. Set in the 11th to 13th centuries AD, the game focuses on the Crusades and the Byzantine Empire’s decline from their previously strong 11th century position.

In 1071, the Empire suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Seljuq Turks at the Battle of Manzikert. These recently converted, islamic nomads took nearly all of Anatolia under Alp Arslan’s expert leadership.

As the Byzantine Emperor Alexios Komnenos struggled, an appeal to the west for mercenary support was seized upon by Pope Urban II. In 1095 he called for a Crusade both to recover holy land and to further his own ends at the Council of Clermont.

The timing was fortuitously right, as the mighty Seljuq Empire had begun to fragment, allowing the First Crusade to eventually capture Jerusalem in 1099. The creation of “Crusader States” following on from this success would lead to two centuries of bitter conflict.

Several major Crusades were to follow, as the Crusader states fought for their existence against a succession of resurgent Islamic states.

Meanwhile, further East, a far greater threat to Islamic civilisation was emerging. The rapidly expanding Mongols had destroyed the Khwarazmian Shahdom by 1231, the Christian kingdom of Georgia in 1239, and the Seljuqs were defeated and forced into vassaldom by 1243.

In 1258 the Assassins of Alamut, and the vestigial remains of the once great Abbasid Caliphate, had also been conquered. Only the Mamluks of Egypt were able to finally bring the Mongol advance to an end, with their victory at Ain Jalut in 1260.

In the Balkans the Byzantine Empire had retained some of its former glory until 1204, when the Fourth Crusade broke the back of the Empire, leaving them a minor state shattered into four fragments.

These are the backgrounds, stories and wars that lead to the new DLC, which will include:

• 20 more nations and factions covering South Eastern Europe and the Middle East from 1040 AD to 1270 AD. These include Arabs (Syria/Iraq), Armenians (Cilician), Bulgarians, Byzantines (Main Empire, also Nikaia, Epiros and Trebizond), Crusaders, Cypriots (Lusignan Kingdom), Dailami, Fatimid Egyptians, Georgians, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Indians (Rajput, other Hindu, Muslim), Khwarazmians, Latin States in Greece, Mamluk Egyptians, Mongols (Ilkhanids), Pechenegs, Seljuq Turks, Serbians and Syrian States.
• 35 more units (11 brand new, 24 new to Medieval), allowing the troops of all of the new factions to be accurately represented.
• 41 more army lists allowing historically realistic armies for each of the above factions and their allies at different dates during the period.
• 8 more historical scenarios covering key engagements of the period on an epic scale. These include Manzikert 1071, Dorylaeum 1097, Ascalon 1099, Sirmium 1167, Arsuf 1191, La Forbie 1244, Homs 1281 and Kili 1299.
• 4 more historically-based campaigns covering major leaders and conflicts of the era: Alexios Komnenos, The First Crusade, Manuel Komnenos, Saladin.
• Sandbox campaign expanded to include all the new army lists.
• Time Warp custom battles modules expanded to include all the new army lists.

For the first time in its 10 year history the Panzer Corps series is going to thoroughly explore the Pacific theatre of operations in the Second World War. This DLC is the first installment in a new series of campaigns which will portray the dramatic events of the Pacific War.

In this new expansion players can enjoy many new scenarios, be immersed in a completely new set of terrain graphics, new game rules and a new major faction. Pacific is still the good old Panzer Corps 2 game which fans enjoy and love, but at the same time it’s also a new, different and original experience.

At long last Japan has been added to Panzer Corps 2. With the introduction of Pacific, Japan is playable not only in a new campaign, but also in random scenarios and in Multiplayer. It is also fully available to modders and designers of custom content. In addition to that, the USA faction has also received many new units, with a particular focus on famous carrier-based aircraft. Overall, 70 new models will be added to the game.

In the Pacific theater naval warfare played a prominent and critical role, and thus the naval aspect of the game needed to be expanded and have depth added. For this reason, naval game rules have been significantly revamped and extended. All the existing content has also been tested and tweaked to work with the new naval system without any glitches.

The new Pacific campaign represents many famous (and some not so famous) battles which took place between 1941 and 1943, among which are Guadalcanal, Midway, Wake Island and Tarawa. As players have come to expect, after finishing this campaign, it will be possible to save core units and bring them to the next part of the series.

We will reveal and show more of Panzer Corps 2: Pacific and disclose the release date in the next few months. More information can be currently found on its product page.

The Panzer Corps 10th Anniversary is coming soon, and we will start our celebrations with the release of the new DLC Axis Operations – 1942.

Axis Operations – 1942 continues the Axis Operations grand campaign to the pivotal year of 1942.

The 17 new scenarios will have you face the Red Army in some of the largest battles in all of World War II. From Rzhev to Stalingrad, your actions will decide the outcome of the war.

In fact, for the first time in the Axis Operations series, the 1942 campaign will have multiple endings and your performance as a general will matter more than ever.

Additionally, it introduces new units, new historical commanders, a new mission type… in short, it’s a must-have for all players of Panzer Corps 2.

Watch the new Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations 1942 in 2 minutes video HERE.

Celebrate 10 Years of Panzer Corps with us.

As you may know, this weekend we will be celebrating 10 years of Panzer Corps.

Tune in to us tomorrow, on Friday 9th July, on our Twitch channel at www.twitch.tv/slitherinetv at 4 pm BST / 5 pm CEST for an exclusive stream. Alex Shargin, lead developer and designer of Panzer Corps, will be interviewed live, and we will be going through the past, present and future of the Panzer Corps saga.

Panzer Division Games has released a new gameplay video of their game Attack at Dawn: North Africa. In this video, the designer plays a new game scenario “Battle of Alam el Halfa” with features: unit counters with illustrations of tanks, vehicles and guns; fast switching between Turn-Based and Real-Time modes of play; reworked AI and more.

You can watch the gameplay video HERE.

You can see the maps and read about the history behind this scenario HERE.

About The Game
Attack at Dawn: North Africa is an operational level wargame set in WW2 North African theatre. It features 3 campaigns, and 15 scenarios which can be played in solo or multiplayer modes. It can be played as a real-time, or turn-based (WeGo) game. The game begins with the German troops probing into the Libyan region of Cyrenaica, and finishes either with the total defeat of German-Italian Panzer Armee, or with the British loss of Egypt and their retreat across the Suez Canal.

For more game information, please visit the official Attack at Dawn: North Africa website, or you can visit the games Steam page.

Slitherine announces the next Axis Operations DLC for Panzer Corps 2: 1942.

It is a crucial year in WW2, with some of the largest battles of the whole war occurring on the fiercely contested Eastern Front. This new campaign is 17 missions long with players needing to fight both tooth and nail against the Red Army as Germany.

Axis Operations 1942 retains some classic features of the Axis Operations series, such as returning mechanics like Commendation points as well as original and unconventional new mission objectives, including airlifting supplies to pockets of German forces, providing dedicated Close Air Support for Axis partner nations, and one very unusual mission to assist in the escorting of several Kriegsmarine vessels directly through the English Channel.

It is also the first Axis Operations DLC with more than one ending. Given the importance of the battle of Stalingrad, seen by many as the real turning point of the war, you will see different outcomes depending on how well you perform there.

It also includes new units, of course. There are new units for Hungary (improved Toldi II Model 1942 and Turan 1 tanks), new utility and prototype units, to supplement the game’s impressive array of mid-war era vehicles and weaponry, as well as visual upgrades for existing German vehicles.

Just like any other Axis Operations DLC, it can be played as a standalone DLC or, if you want, you can import your core army from the previous DLC, 1941. At the end of 1942 you will also be able to export your core army to any future DLC of the Axis Operations series.

Axis Operations 1942 will be released on July 9th.

If you would like to sign up for the beta, you can do so by clicking here. Your feedback is extremely valuable, and it will help us greatly.

Last but not least, we’re opening a new tournament for Panzer Corps 2. You can sign up now. The first round will begin next week, on Thursday June 17. It is a PBEM tournament which will accompany us throughout the release of the DLC, and will conclude one day before its release.

Grand strategy wargame marks anniversary with new bundle

For five years, wargamers around the world have been challenged to out build and outfight history’s most terrible war machines in Hearts of Iron IV, a grand strategy wargame from Paradox Development Studio. Millions of tanks and planes have been built as players fought through an infinite variety of alternate histories set against the backdrop of humanity’s greatest struggle.

In honor of the fifth anniversary of Hearts of Iron IV, Paradox has announced a new bundle that will give players even more style as they prove that they are the master of modern total war.

The Hearts of Iron IV Anniversary Bundle Includes:

• Eastern Front Planes Pack: Over 50 new airplane models for nations fighting in central and eastern Europe, including Germany, the Soviet Union, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and Hungary.
• Eastern Front Music Pack: 13 new music tracks including the Soviet National Anthem, Lili Marlene and My Pierwsza Brygada.

A newly available Immersion Bundle collects the game’s cosmetic touches that add further visual and audio detail to the game, including:

• Radio Pack: 35 songs spread across all three factions, as well reproduced music from earlier games in the Hearts of Iron series.
• Axis Armor Pack: Over 60 armored vehicle models for the German, Japanese and Italian armies, including the StuG III, Japanese experimental heavy tanks and the L-6 light tank.
• Allied Armor Pack: Over 50 armored vehicle models for the American, Soviet, British, and French armies, including the M7 Priest, the French Renault tank and a host of new tank destroyers.
• Allied Speeches Pack: Over 70 minutes of speeches from some of the most inspiring moments from the Allied campaign, including MacArthur’s celebrated “I shall return” and Churchill’s pledge to “fight on the beaches”.

Watch the Hearts of Iron IV: Eastern Front Planes Pack Release Trailer HERE.

Paradox has also updated the Mobilization Bundle to include all of the available Hearts of Iron IV expansions.

These Hearts of Iron IV compilations are all available at the Paradox and Steam stores.

For more game information please visit the official Hearts of Iron IV website.

Feral Interactive have announced that patch 2.0.1 for Total War: ROME REMASTERED is now live.

While this first update focuses on stability, subsurface scattering effects for units in real-time battles have also been implemented. For a full list of fixes in patch 2.0.1, please refer to the Total War Blog.

Work continues to improve AI, pathfinding, and modding functionality for future updates.

Total War: ROME REMASTERED is available from the Feral Store or Steam for £24.99 / $29.99 / €29,99.

Find out more about Total War: ROME REMASTERED at the Total War website.

Source: Blue’s News

SEGA and Relic Entertainment are commemorating the US’s Memorial Day Weekend with a giveaway of Company of Heroes 2, the World War II real-time strategy sequel. The freebie comes along with an additional bonus, as the Ardennes Assault standalone single-player campaign is free as well. Both are available on Steam, yours to keep if you claim them over the next week. Also, all the other content for the game is currently on sale for 80% off. This trailer celebrates the giveaways. Here’s more:

There really is no better opportunity for strategy fans to get their hands on this ground-breaking historical title, engage in its thrilling tactical combat and claim victory over both the Eastern & Western Fronts of World War II. Newcomers to the award-winning World War II RTS series can expect countless hours of single and multiplayer gameplay, with the ultimate goal of defeating the mighty German forces and turning the tide of war. Download COH2 and Ardennes Assault for free now and kick off your single player campaign with The Battle of the Bulge, or dive straight into various intense online multiplayer modes and missions.