Strategy and Wargaming

On the 5th of April, 1986, terrorists detonated a bomb in a Berlin nightclub. The bomb killed 2 American soldiers and a Turkish woman and injured 229 others, 79 of whom were American.

In response, citing evidence that the government of Libya was responsible for the bombing, US president Ronald Reagan ordered airstrikes against Libya on the night of April 14/15, code-named OPERATION EL DORADO CANYON.

Kushan Gaming has something special in store for you, This Saturday, his CMO Twitch stream will be covering the Operation El Dorado, 1986 scenario, but instead of giving just 2 hours of gameplay, he will be playing in real-time, without time acceleration!

Kushan will be conducting the operations for almost 8-10 hours, covering the flight around France and Spain, the strike itself and then the path to Rota.

The show will be starting at 6 pm BST and will last until the scenario is complete. Remember to bring some coffee and good stories to tell: this will be a long ride!

Operation El Dorado Canyon, 1986 scenario has been designed by Kushan himself. He did a lot of research into the operation using multiple sources of information. The scenario recreates every aspect of the raid, including the USAF strike from the United Kingdom with its trip around France and Spain and along the north coast of Africa with multiple in-air refuellings. Also simulated is the very strict ROE the pilots had to operate under.

Find out more about Command: Modern Operations at the games official webpage.

The second installment of the Soviet trilogy for Order of Battle is now open for pre-order!

Set between January 1942 and April 1943, Red Steel covers the battles of the Soviet Union in the most crucial moment of World War II. After slowing down Operation Barbarossa, the Red Army has launched a series of counter-offensives during the winter. Losses in terms of men and materials are horrendous on both sides. The German high command has a new ambitious plan to renew its offensive with the coming spring. Can you stop the Wehrmacht and save the Motherland?

Red Steel is the second DLC of the Soviet trilogy for Order of Battle, and players can import their savegame from the previous DLC, Red Star.

It is now available for pre-order as an exclusive to the Slitherine site for a 10% discount, up until the release of the game, on April 23rd. Just click on the product page and you will be able to pre-order the game for a 10% discount!

Restore the Faded Glory of Greece in Imperator: Rome Magna Graecia

Greek Focused Content Pack Released Alongside Major Game Update

The rise of Macedon overwhelmed the ancient fame of Athens and Sparta. But with the death of Alexander, the prospect of freedom among competing empires offered a chance to revive lost glories. In Magna Graecia, a new content pack for Imperator: Rome, you can play this dangerous game and restore the Greek city-states to imperial power.

Imperator: Rome, Paradox Development Studio’s grand strategy game about the classical world, gets a new content pack today. Magna Graecia enhances the experience of playing Greek minor cities, especially the big three – Athens, Sparta and Syracuse.

Magna Graecia includes:

• Apotheosis: A popular ruler from a prestigious family may be declared a god and welcomed into the State Pantheon. Elevate enough rulers and you may institute an Imperial Cult religion.
• New Greek Missions: New missions available for Athens, Sparta, Syracusae.
• New Deities: 12 new Greek deities tied to historical Holy Sites across the Greek world.
• Hellenistic Themed Treasures: Collect special artifacts based on the history and legends of the Hellenistic world.
• New Music, Art, and 3D Models

Today also sees the release of the free 1.4 “Archimedes” update for Imperator: Rome. This update addresses the religious aspect of the game, introducing Pantheons and other divine changes.

• State Deities: The Omens system has been replaced by a national Pantheon. Gods from across your empire are welcome into this divine collection, providing passive bonuses most of the time, though you can invoke their power for greater benefits.
• Holy Sites: The classical world was full of sacred groves and mysterious locales. Holy Sites increase the strength of the relevant deity in your Pantheon, or may be sacked of their wealth by less faithful rulers.
• Sacred Treasures: Revered historical and divine relics can be stored in your National Treasury, earning small bonuses. If you sack an enemy’s Holy Sites or capital, there is a chance you might capture these special artifacts.
• Loyalty Rework: Instead of a ticking scale to track, Character Loyalty will be a sum of various factors, making it easier to understand and control.

Curious players can now take advantage of the opportunity to play Imperator: Rome for free via Steam until 22:00 CEST on Sunday, April 05, 2020.

Watch the Imperator: Rome | 1.4 Archimedes Update trailer HERE.

The Magna Graecia content pack is available now at major online retailers for a suggested retail price of $7.99 / £5.79 / €7.99.

Close Combat: The Bloody First has been updated to version 1.1.1! This is truly the Big 1 update and it is full of nice additions and improvements.

The most significative element in this update is the introduction of the Map Editor along with a full range of Modding Tools.

The new modding kit allows you to customize single battles, campaigns, scripting custom behaviours for a battle, adding new units and terrain models to the data set using the import tool, and many more additions!

The editor is accessible from the game launcher.

News is not over! To celebrate this important milestone, the whole Close Combat Franchise is on sale! The Bloody First is 35% off! The offer lasts until April 6th at 5 PM GMT (only for digital editions). Take a look at the offer HERE.

Get the update from HERE! Take a look at the full changelog HERE.

Stop by the official Close Combat: The Bloody First webpage for more game information!

Matrix Games has announced that WarPlan has been released on Steam!

Play a recreated World War II in every detail, thanks to the engine flexibility and database!

Combat takes place on Land, with multihex attack based on operation points allowing for multiple moves and attack tactics allowing for frontline breakthroughs, on Air, where you can attack selected targets and may automatically support land attacks, and on Sea, where fleet and raider modes affect detection. Night action, Surface, Sub, and Carrier combat are available. Use the Zone of control to restrict the movement of the enemy.

Deploy 20 different units with 15 different attributes, 17 different technological advancements, 5 different specialties. Each country has their own units with their own attributes!

Learn more about WarPlan on the games official webpage!

In the north, the tyrant Dong Zhuo has fallen to the blade of his adopted son, Lü Bu: a fierce warrior hellbent on defeating the great heroes of China. In the south, Sun Ce mourns the death of his father, the noble Sun Jian, and pledges his life to continue his father’s legacy. The day has come where they must stand alone, the future theirs to take…

194CE Timeline

Rewrite history as Three Kingdoms transitions into 194CE, a time in which rebellions have been thwarted but discontent and turmoil remain at large. Amid the conflict China’s foremost warlords clash as they hasten to fill the power vacuum left vacant at the heart of the Han Dynasty.

Expanded Warlord Roster

With the indomitable Lü Bu and the ambitious Sun Ce, A World Betrayed features two of China’s most prodigious warlords of the period as playable factions within the new campaign. Both peerless warriors feature unique story arcs, new mechanics, and faction specific elites ready to lay waste to the false claimants of China.

Free Update

A World Betrayed also ushers in the next update for all Three Kingdoms players. Patch 1.5.0 grants access to a brand-new warlord in the form of Yan Baihu, unique commanders, powerful warriors and eminent statesmen, as well as revamps to the spies and bandit factions, plus much more. Additional details on the accompanying patch can be found HERE.

A World Betrayed is now available on Steam. Watch the Total War: Three Kingdoms – A World Betrayed PR Featurette video HERE.

The wait is over: Panzer Corps 2, the ultimate World War II strategy game, is now available for purchase.

Generals, it is time to start your Panzer Division’s engines. Take command of the Wehrmacht war machine, from the invasion in Poland in 1939 to the final defence of Berlin in 1945. You’ll fight battle after battle using the classic turn-based hex system all wargamers have loved since Panzer General, the father of a genre to which Panzer Corps 2 is the spiritual successor.

Enjoy the massive amount of content, including more than a thousand unique 3D unit models, over 60 scenarios forming the Wehrmacht grand campaign, an advanced random map generator for playing skirmish games against the AI or other players. Since the modding community was such a great part of the first Panzer Corps, in the sequel you will find a much improved Scenario Editor available to support mods from day one.

“Panzer Corps started ten years ago as a passion project by a single modder. We took it to the market with the idea of bringing back a genre that made the history of gaming as we know it, and we are proud to have achieved that”, said Iain McNeil, Slitherine CEO. “Not only Panzer Corps became a very successful game, it also contributed to inspire others to reinvent turn-based strategy and make it one of the core genre of the 21st century. We see Panzer Corps 2 as the testament of all this journey and we are confident players will celebrate it with us“.

You are able to acquire Panzer Corps 2 in three different editions: the base game, the General Edition or the ultimate Field Marshal Edition, each one with exclusive bonus materials.

Furthermore, take advantage of Slitherine’s exclusive offer: starting now and for one week you will be able to acquire a physical copy of Panzer Corps 2 at no additional cost except postage cost.

Watch the “What is Panzer Corps 2 in 2 Minutes” trailer HERE.

Due to delays with localization French, Portuguese (Brazil) and Polish will be added as fully supported languages in a few days. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we promise it will be well worth the wait.

ALL SONS ARE BORN IN THE SHADOW OF THEIR FATHERS: A WORLD BETRAYED COMES TO TOTAL WAR: THREE KINGDOMS ON MARCH 19th

Out March 19th, A World Betrayed is the new standalone Chapter Pack for Total War: Three Kingdoms. Occurring in the immediate aftermath of the devasting 190CE conflict, it sees China’s foremost warlords clash as they hasten to fill the power vacuum at the heart of the Han Dynasty.

Forge a new empire with an army headed by two of China’s mightiest warriors of the period, the prodigious Lü Bu and the ambitious Sun Ce, each with unique rivalries to settle and lands to conquer. Following them into the fray of battle are new and unique commanders, powerful warriors and eminent statesmen, all ready to back their leader’s claim to China!

Watch the Total War: Three Kingdoms – A World Betrayed announcement trailer HERE.

A World Betrayed:

• Two new factions – led by Lü Bu and Sun Ce.
• Thirteen playable factions – each with new starting positions, events, and story missions.
• New battlefield units – including the Tiger Guard, Flying Riders, and Handmaid Guard.
• New characters – featuring Cheng Pu, the Qiao Sisters and more.

The new chapter pack will also include a free content update for all Three Kingdoms players. Details on A World Betrayed and the FLC can be found on the Total War FAQ here.

Click here to pre-order A World Betrayed and receive 10% off.

Claim What You Deserve in Europa Universalis IV: Emperor

From the churches of Rome, the people are called to abide by the one true faith. From the palaces of Vienna, the subjects are commanded to obey their chosen ruler. From the streets of Paris, a new generation of citizens pursues its own zealous mission. All choose their path, all aspire to Empire.

Paradox Development Studio announces Europa Universalis IV: Emperor an expansion for its classic game of early modern exploration and conquest. Emperor revitalizes gameplay for the Holy Roman Empire, the Papal State and other Catholic nations, while also adding greater interactivity in the management of a kingdom’s internal affairs.

Watch the Europa Universalis IV: Emperor Announcement Trailer HERE.

Features of Europa Universalis IV: Emperor include:

• A Powerful Pope: Appoint cardinals, publish Papal Bulls and gather tithes. The Vatican and Papal Controller now have new abilities to sway the souls of Christendom.
• New Holy Roman Empire Systems: Imperial Incidents provide new challenges to the Emperor’s power and authority. Will your empire follow a course to a centralized monarchy or decentralized federation?.
• Revolutions Revamped: The spirit of Revolution is a contagion that must be either embraced or vigorously opposed. Use the guillotine and revolutionary guard to enforce the new way of thinking.
• The Hussite Faith: Bohemia has an early game chance to embrace heresy and stand alone against the Pope until The Reformation.
• Hegemonies: If you accomplish great feats, you should expect great rewards. Seize the mantle of honor for accumulating great wealth and armies.
• New Missions: Over 20 new unique mission trees for a variety of European nations
• Defender of Faith: With great responsibility comes great power. Earn more bonuses for defending a major religion than for defending a small one.
• The Council of Trent and Counter-Reformation: Join other Catholic rulers to slow down the spread of the Reformation by making concessions to the unruly mob or harshly imposing the will of God.
• Provoke Rebellions: Risk a larger rebellion now while you think you can manage it instead of waiting for discontent to take its course.

Emperor will be accompanied by a major update free for all Europa Universalis IV players, that includes a redrawn map of west and central Europe, Crown Lands, new ideas and a host of other major changes.

Quislings and Heroes Take Center Stage in La Résistance

Conquest is never easy, but the 20th Century brings new challenges. More infrastructure means more opportunities for disruption. Radio links saboteurs and freedom fighters across occupied territory. It is never hard to find willing collaborators, but it takes a lot of work to put them in place. Direct resisters, special agents, and quislings can all be found in Hearts of Iron IV: La Résistance.

La Résistance is the newest expansion to Paradox’s best-selling grand strategy wargame about the Second World War. In La Résistance, your nation has new resources at its disposal. At the center of the game is the Intelligence Agency that lets you train and deploy spies to undertake special missions cracking codes, stealing secrets and assisting resistance activities in the occupied lands of your conquered allies.

Watch the Hearts of Iron IV: La Resistance Release Trailer HERE.

Features of Hearts of Iron IV: La Résistance include:

• New Focus Trees for France: New National Focuses for Free France and the Vichy Regime, as well as an option for conservatives to restore the old French Monarchy.
• More in-Depth Spanish Campaign: New National Focuses for Republican and Nationalist Spain, including an expanded Spanish Civil War that can spiral into a wider conflict.
• Portuguese National Focuses: New unique focus tree for Portugal. Restore Portuguese naval power, strengthen the overseas empire or intervene in the Civil War next door.
• Espionage: Use your Intelligence Agency to train spies to specialize in certain types of information warfare and send them on special operations, or develop passive resistance to enemy espionage.
• Support Resistance: Use your agents to assist allied resistance movements, giving them what they need to damage the enemy.
• Collaboration Governments: Use your agents to prepare the ground for collaborators to fill the void once you’ve conquered your target.
• Code Cracking: Decrypt enemy communications to gain short term battlefield advantages.
• Recon units: Scout planes can provide useful information on nearby areas while armored cars help in detecting and suppressing resistance activities.
• New music tracks

As usual, the expansion is accompanied by the release of a significant free update available to all Hearts of Iron IV players. Hearts of Iron IV: La Résistance is now available on Steam and the Paradox and Microsoft Stores for a suggested retail price of $19.99 / £19.99 / €19.99.