Strategy and Wargaming

Steer Your Path Through Dangerous Waters in Battle for the Bosporus

The fascist powers are to the west. The Russian bear to the north. And the coasts of Egypt and the Levant belong to France and Britain. The independent nations of the eastern Mediterranean live in a dangerous neighborhood . What can Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey do to secure their own safety while the world around them is at war? Seize the reins of power in Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus, available now.

Battle for the Bosporus is a new country pack for Paradox Development Studio’s best-selling strategy wargame about World War II. Armchair generals will find new national focus trees for three nations that border the strategic waterways of the Black and Aegean Seas. Pursue alternate histories alongside major powers in a strong faction, or control your own destiny, free from meddling imperial giants.

Watch the Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus Release Trailer here.

Features of Battle for the Bosporus include:

• National Focus Tree for Bulgaria: Balance the factions in a divided land or reclaim territory lost in 1919. Follow the historical alliance with Germany or resist the German pressures on Tsar Boris, standing up for a free Bulgaria.
• National Focus Tree for Greece: Riven by political division, Greek neutrality is maintained by the controversial Metaxas. Build a strong relationship with the Allies under the guidance of King George II, follow arch-conservatives into fascism or restore the glories of Greek Empire in the east.
• National Focus Tree for Turkey: Robbed of its empire in the last war, what future is there for Turkey in a new one? Continue or halt the reforms of Kemalism, stand as the protector of the Balkans in a new regional faction, restore the Sultan to the throne or found a new Islamic state.
• New Music Tracks
• New 3D Unit Models for Balkan and Turkish Armies
• Unique voice overs for Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey

Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus is available now for a suggested retail price of $9.99/£7.19/€9.99

Field of Glory started out as a tabletop wargame over a decade ago. Designed by Richard Bodley Scott, Simon Hall, and Terry Shaw, the tabletop ruleset redefined wargaming by introducing unprecedented production values as well as setting new standards for the hobby.

Richard Bodley Scott went on to port that experience for PC players and therefore gave new life to Field of Glory with Field of Glory II. Field of Glory II has been such an incredible success among wargamers worldwide, with over ten million multiplayer matches played in three years. It has 90% positive reviews on Steam and a Metacritic of 84 and has become a benchmark for the genre, so much that official tournaments attract hundreds of players across the world and the demand for new content is increasing fast.

The announcement of Field of Glory II: Medieval starts a new page in the franchise. Set in the High Middle Ages from 1040 AD to 1270 AD, which is the heyday of the mounted knight and the time when the entire European continent was in turmoil.

Field of Glory II: Medieval is a deep, maniacally researched game of battles. Armies, equipment, alliances, formations; everything is accurate to the finest detail.

It’s not a game for everyone, but a deep wargame for dedicated wargamers. But it is also a beautifully crafted product that is yet again delivering in its mission to redefine the wargaming experience and bring fresh life to the genre. It also expands boundaries by attracting new players to the franchise.

Watch the Field of Glory II Medieval Announcement Trailer here.

Beta signups start today for an expected release in Q1 2021. Apply now.

To know more about the product, please consult the official product page.

Sahel Slugfest is the thirteenth DLC in the Command LIVE series.

As public opinion worldwide sets its sights to more popular geopolitical affairs, the situation in sub-Saharan Africa is getting hotter than ever.

Old and new “colonial” powerhouses are wrestling over oil reserves, significant business opportunities and for political dominance. In particular, China and France are showing a clear interest in Chad and Sudan, where the Sahel desert stretches across both countries.

Jump into a tense escalation of events that will get out of hand fast in Command LIVE Sahel Slugfest. Out now.

Watch the CMO: Command LIVE Sahel Slugfest – Video News Report here.

Sahel Slugfest releases alongside the massive 1.02 update for Command Modern Operations. It introduces a huge amount of fixes and new content, including many new types of aircraft, weapons, ships, submarines, loadouts, facilities and much more. You can read the full changelog here.

Developer Alter Games and Publisher Daedalic Entertainment are happy to announce that Partisans 1941, a modern take on the real-time tactics genre inspired by the cult classic Commandos, has released on PC via Steam. The unique take on the genre combines squad-based action set on the occupied Eastern Front during WWII with real-time tactics and base-management.

Check out the new release trailer here.

Partisans 1941 is a real-time tactics game set on the eastern front of World War II. It features tactical squad combat, stealth elements, character progression, and resource management. Take control of Partisans, a brave group of resistance fighters, opposing the Nazi occupation behind enemy lines. Every mission must be carefully planned and initiated to overcome the enemy. Players can use the tactical break feature to scout and use their environment to turn seemingly impossible situations to their advantage.

Players can recruit soldiers and civilians as unique allies to tackle a variety of challenges – from focused sabotage to extensive attacks on German supply lines. The expandable home base deep in the forest with different types of buildings serves as the Partisans’ hub in-between missions to arm and upgrade their own troops, manage and distribute resources, and take a break until the next objective awaits. Form a Partisan group to your liking and send them on autonomous tasks or take them into battle.

Partisans 1941 is developed by Russian studio Alter Games and published by German studio Daedalic Entertainment.

The Steam Game Festival is here and with it comes an exciting development. The ICBM free playable demo is out now and you can download it here. But you will want to hurry, it will only be available until the 13th of October.

ICBM is the ultimate game to play with all of your friends and the demo is no exception. Go nuclear with up to 8 players in a game where the only winning move is not allowing yourself to be turned into a glow crater. Forget rooks and pawns, missiles of every imaginable size and payload will be the pieces by which entire continents will be moved and removed. Practice against the A.I. and perfect those strategies as ICBM is going to be the game that entertains match after match.

Note that the game is still in development so you may encounter some of these known issues.

If you have any feedback or you find an issue not listed here, be sure to let us know on the Steam discussion forums. Also, be sure to join the Discord server and become part of a community of 600 ICBM fans who can’t wait to finally nuke each other for free.

Find out more about ICBM on the games official product page.

New DLC Focuses on Black Sea and Aegean Powers

For centuries, the Bosporus and Dardanelles have been key to strategy in the Mediterranean. A gate that joins the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, a short crossing that divides Europe from Asia. In the middle of a world crisis, this strait is an attractive target for any great power that seeks to dominate the region. Is neutrality even possible when war arrives on your doorstep?

Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus is a new country pack for Paradox Development Studio’s best-selling grand strategy wargame. New events and decision paths let you take control of the destinies of Bulgaria, Greece or Turkey through years of uncertainty and conflict. Is it possible for these middle powers to steer a path between factions that will demand their support?

Watch the Announcement Trailer HERE.

Features of Battle for the Bosporus include:

• National Focus Tree for Bulgaria: Balance the factions in a divided land or reclaim territory lost in 1919. Follow the historical alliance with Germany or resist the German pressures on Tsar Boris, standing up for a free Bulgaria.
• National Focus Tree for Greece: Riven by political division, Greek neutrality is maintained by the controversial Metaxas. Build a strong relationship with the Allies under the guidance of King George II, follow arch-conservatives into fascism or restore the glories of Greek Empire in the east.
• National Focus Tree for Turkey: Robbed of its empire in the last war, what future is there for Turkey in a new one? Continue or halt the reforms of Kemalism, stand as the protector of the Balkans in a new regional faction, restore the Sultan to the throne or found a new Islamic state.
• New Music Tracks.
• New 3D Unit Models for Balkan and Turkish Armies.
• Unique voice overs for Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

Hearts of Iron IV: Battle for the Bosporus will be available on 15 October 2020 for the suggested retail price of $9.99/£7.19/€9.99.

By Joe Fonseca @ Wargamer

Red Storm, the latest expansion pack for Order of Battle, concludes its three-chapter arc focusing on the eastern front from the perspective of the Soviet Union. There’s a lot to like here for fans of the series. Newcomers might feel a little overwhelmed by the massive unit counts, but Red Storm does a bit to make the transition easier if you’re brand new.

Read on…

Red Storm is available now and is the third and final DLC in the Soviet Trilogy for Order of Battle: World War II franchise. The new expansion covers the battles of the Red Army from 1943 to 1945.

The campaign begins with the fierce tank battle near Prokhorovka during Operation Citadel which was the last grand German summer offensive on the Eastern Front in mid-1943. The failure of Operation Citadel led the Red Army to be almost always on the offensive after. The ultimate goal of this campaign, therefore, is the defeat of the Third Reich in the Battle of Berlin.

Watch the Order of Battle: Red Storm in 2 minutes trailer HERE.

You will now be able to purchase light Ba-64 armored cars, devastating BM-31 Katyusha rocket launchers or hard-hitting 100mm anti-tank guns. Improve your air forces with the agile Yak-3, the heavily armed Yak-9T and the more advanced Yak-9U as well as the improved medium Tu-2 and heavy Yer-2 bombers.

It is not just the allies getting new equipment, however, as the enemy is also fielding brand new equipment: the Germans now deploy their deadly 8.8cm Pak 43 as well as the nimble Pzkw II Luchs and new He-162 jet fighters in 1945. Their Hungarian allies will also field Turan tanks, Zrinyi SP guns as well as the Bf-109 and Me-210 aircraft.

To celebrate the end of the Soviet Trilogy, we’re running a 50% week-long discount on Order of Battle: Red Star and Order of Battle: Red Steel. Check it out and complete your collection.

Partisans 1941 mixes squad-based action, real-time tactics, and base-management; Closed Beta running until September 21st, applications are open.

Developer Alter Games and publisher Daedalic Entertainment announce today that Partisans 1941, the unique genre mix set on the Eastern Front during its occupation in WWII, releases worldwide on Steam on October 14th. The game is currently in Closed Beta until September 21st in order to gain community feedback and further polish the game until release. Players interested in trying the game for themselves can apply for the Beta here.

Watch the new gameplay trailer here.

Partisans 1941 combines real-time tactics and stealth with squad-based action, and base and resource management. After war-time prisoner and Red Army commander Alexey Zorin escapes a Nazi internment camp, he decides to form a guerilla group of partisans to attack and disrupt the local occupants. Players can recruit soldiers and civilians as unique allies to tackle a variety of missions – from focused sabotage to extensive attacks on German supply lines. In-between missions, they need to expand and manage their encampment to upgrade their forces. To successfully fight the occupying forces, it is important to scout your environments, find the best position to attack your enemies, and control the flow of the fight by effectively using the tactical pause.

Features:

• A fresh approach to the stealth tactics genre: A mix of combat, stealth, ambushes and a variety of special items brings chaos to the enemy ranks. Choose your own way of completing each mission.
• Lead a squad of Partisans: Find, recruit and level up new resistance members to build the squad of your choice. Use your characters’ strengths to find the right solution to different situations.
• Experience the life of a resistance group: Experience a partisan’s routine in between missions – develop your base, prepare for the next assignments, ensure you have the resources for the Partisan’s survival. Keep your troops motivated. Explore nearby regions, skirmish for enemy weak spots and opportunities to strike the enemy.
• A different perspective on WW II: Experience the story of a fierce resistance against the German occupation on the Eastern Front. Follow the stories and motives of various people who join the partisan forces – from soldiers to common folk.

Partisans 1941 is developed by Russian studio Alter Games and published by German studio Daedalic Entertainment. The game will be available on Steam on October 14th.

We are proud to announce that we’ve partnered with Battlefront to bring Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 to our stores. The game, and all its DLCs, will be available from August 25th on Matrix Games, Steam, and other digital stores.

We already work with Battlefront on some very engaging professional projects where Combat Mission is used for training and analysis purposes. We are now genuinely excited to be able to bring it to our wargaming community.

What is Combat Mission Shock Force 2

Shock Force 2 brings you to a hypothetical conflict in Syria between the forces of NATO and the Syrian Army, in which you can play either in real-time or with the innovative turn-based WeGo system. Take command of US Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) and Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCT) to fight against Syrian Army Infantry, Mechanized and Armored units in an arid setting. Experience the full range of modern threats to conventional military forces, including irregular combat forces, terrorists, spies, suicide bombers, IED’s and other deadly tools employed in the asymmetric warfare of the modern-day. Play the Task Force Thunder campaign, more than a dozen carefully crafted battles, or unlimited Quick Battles. Shock Force 2 focuses on tactical platoon-level action and features both a single-player campaign and multiplayer (Hotseat or PBEM).

Check out the product pages to know more:

Combat Mission: Shock Force 2
Combat Mission Shock Force 2: British Forces (DLC)
Combat Mission Shock Force 2: Marines (DLC)
Combat Mission Shock Force 2: NATO Forces (DLC)