Strategy and Wargaming

Eugen Systems announced today that ‘First Blood’, the free anniversary update for Steel Division: Normandy 44, will be available on May 17th and will feature 2 new FREE divisions and unlock 2 ace models.

Let’s focus today on the most famous and dreaded division of the Waffen-SS, 1. SS-Panzerdivision “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler“.

ORIGINS

LSSAH traces its origin back to Hitler’s Stabswache (staff guard), his small group of bodyguards, back in 1923 when the Nazi party was still in its infancy and mostly involved in brawls with communists. It was their leader, Julius Schreck, who resurrected for them the old Totenkopf (Death Head) symbol & black uniform of the elite Totenkopfhusaren from Frederik the Great & Napoleon’s wars. Disbanded in 1923 after Hitler’s failed coup in Bavaria, it was recreated in 1925, expanded and reorganized several times that same year, until finally being known as Schutzstaffel (roughly “Protection Squadron”), more commonly referred to as SS.

Among the new members of that reformed SS was Heinrich Himmler, who in under two years was to rise as deputy-commander of the SS, and two more years later as its supreme commander. From a battalion-size unit when he took command, Himmler was to build an organization of a bit under a million men by the end of the war, with control over the army, the entire State security apparatus (from intelligence services to police and concentration camps) and a large part of the economy, etc.

But prior to the beginning of WW2, the SS was still a modest force. Membership started to rise in the early 30’s, concurrently with the Nazi party’s political successes. In 1933, when Hitler rose as Germany’s chancellor, his bodyguard had expanded to a regiment, 1. SS-Standarde, which provided the nucleus of the new chancellor’s guard. This new elite unit went on by several names before being finally named Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler in April 1934, under the command of Josef “Sepp” Dietrich for most of the war, throughout its expansion.

Read the rest of this blog post HERE.

The redde rationem has arrived. The HMS Queen Elizabeth and its Type 45 destroyers’ escort group has joined the Indian carrier Vikrant.

Together they are ready to retaliate against Pakistani forces, after the recent deaths of several British visiting officers killed by a rocket strike coming from the Pakistani border.

But Islamabad won’t just sit down and wait for the unavoidable attack. Intelligence is reporting that Beijing has been more than willing to provide anti-ship missiles and hardware to Musallah Afwaj-e-Pakistan (Pakistani Armed Forces), specifically conceived to kill supercarriers.

Who will prevail?

Command LIVE: Commonwealth Collision, the eighth installment in the Command LIVE series, has been released! This new episode explores a scenario in which the supremacy of carriers in modern naval conflicts will be put to a decisive test!

Watch the just released Command LIVE: Commonwealth Collision News Report video HERE.

You can purchase Command LIVE: Commonwealth Collision from its official Product Page. The game is also available on Steam.

Matrix Games announced today that Command LIVE: Commonwealth Collision, the latest expansion of the Command series will be released on May 10th.

Will you lead the most impressive Carrier Task force ever gathered after World War II or will you take the opportunity to destroy it?

Main Features

• Playable as the India-UK or Pakistan-China alliances.
• Battle with or against a fleet of multiple aircraft carriers that includes the brand-new HMS Queen Elizabeth and INS Vikrant, along with the Type 45 destroyer.
• Attack or defend a target set that includes seaport facilities, a deployed brigade, and even an admiral in his personal aircraft.
• Coordinate the efforts of units that vary wildly in capability. Each side has a mixture of western and eastern platforms that range from fresh and untested to old and obsolete in terms of individual quality. Knowing the strengths and limits of each one is key to victory.
• Control such potential game changers as the CM-400AKG anti-ship missile, F-35 stealth fighter, Astute-class submarine, and Soar Dragon high-altitude drone.
• Command a force with fewer resources than a Nimitz CSG or Backfire regiment, making intelligent planning and asset management necessary.

Get more information about the game from its official Product Page. The game will also be available on Steam.

Slitherine announces Aggressors: Ancient Rome – the new turn-based 4X strategy game that brings you back to the ancient world. A mix of deep gameplay and rich historical flavour, Aggressors lets you relive history as the ruler of one of the mighty civilizations of the Mediterranean world. Choose Rome to conquer the Mare Nostrum, or Carthage and build an immortal trading empire. Choose one of twenty available factions and conquer the world, changing the course of history, from Egypt to Athens and Sparta.

• Be like Gaius Marius, with his exceptional abilities in reforming Rome and its army. You can manage all aspects of your empire: war, trade, internal politics, diplomacy and cultural development. Rule your empire by managing its internal politics and developing its economy. Establish trade routes to reap wealth, ensure the loyalty of your citizens, manage demographics, technological research, internal reforms, and laws; the tools at your disposal are endless and seamlessly integrate with each other. But beware: citizens react to the current situation and they can move to other places when they are not happy.
• Be like Caesar, with his unparalleled strategic genius.Experience the incredibly deep combat system, with each unit having its own abilities and traits, with terrain affecting the outcome in a meaningful way. Army morale and the supply system are crucial and need to be considered before any battle. You will need all your guile and strategic mastery to triumph on the battlefield. Vae victis!
• Be like Hannibal, play your own way and surprise the enemy. Play on your strengths, beware of your weaknesses. The ancient world is brutal, for no mercy shall be given to the defeated. Twenty factions, from migrating barbarian tribes to advanced empires, which interact with each other through an extremely detailed diplomatic system. Make use of more than ten available diplomatic agreements, including the possibility of forming Federations and Confederations as well as affecting nations and provinces in your sphere of influence.
• Believe us, you never played a 4X like Aggressors. Manage all aspects of your mighty empire with complete freedom: you can decide to start with an advanced nation surrounded by newer civilizations, or you can choose to start as a young tribe, ready to take on an older and decadent empire… or you can decide to completely randomize the map and play in a uniquely generated world. The choice is yours!Dive into Aggressor at your own pace: thanks to the tutorial and tool tips you can gradually explore all the options available to you.

Aggressors: Ancient Rome will be available on Steam and PC in Q3. The Beta is open now! Slitherine is looking for experienced players who want to test their abilities in Aggressors. Join up here! You can watch the Aggressor: Ancient Rome – Join the Beta Trailer and find out more about Aggressors: Ancient Rome at the games official webpage.

Matrix Games announce that Order of Battle: Sandstorm is going to be released on May 16th!

In Order of Battle: Sandstorm you’re going to lead a whole new range of units in a series of new exciting scenarios. Will you manage to earn the title of Desert Fox?

We have something else to show you until then – including something that is new to the Order of Battle expansions, so stay tuned!

Get more information about Order of Battle: Sandstorm from its product page!

THE BATTLE FLEET SERIES CONTINUES ON WITH EXPLOSIVE LAND BASED WWII TANK WARFARE – LAUNCH TRAILER RELEASED

Mythical City Games announced today that the tank based sequel of the popular turn-based military strategy game “Battle Fleet 2” is now available on Steam for PC and Mac. Battle Fleet: Ground Assault builds upon the Battle Fleet series unique turn-based strategic and tactical gameplay, by focusing on land battles this time instead of naval campaigns, adding destructible environments, armor, shell types, brand new single player campaigns and an intense multiplayer mode.

Mythical City Games has released a launch trailer for the occasion.

The Normandy invasion has started and it’s time to move your battalions of tanks off the beaches and into the battlefields of Europe. You are in command of each tank, all the way down to the angle and distance of each shot. Choose your shell type and take on the armored machines of the Axis powers, or switch sides and defend fortress Europe from the Allied invasion.

Features:

• Play the strategic single player campaigns, random skirmish mode, full cross-platform multiplayer, or even hotseat multiplayer.
• Build your army from 20 different tanks, each one unique to each faction, with different armor, guns, mobility, and hit locations.
• Choose between High Explosive or Armor Piercing shells to do the maximum damage to your enemy.
• Aim for different sides of a tank to maximize your chance of penetrating their armor.
• Utilize recon planes to reveal enemy locations or airstrikes to target dangerous tanks.
• Tank commanders gain experience with each Campaign battle.
• Battle across the Western Europe campaign with new campaigns coming later this year.
• Use artillery to protect your lines in campaign battles.
• Deploy Strategic Command Cards to surprise your enemies with special actions like laying mines, sabotage, enhanced aiming, airstrikes and more!
• Battle Fleet: Ground Assault features full 3D models of WW2 era tanks.
• VR Support for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality coming soon.

“Battle Fleet: Ground Assault has been in development for a couple of years now and we are happy to finally deliver this new installment of the franchise to the fans. While keeping the science and game design from Battle Fleet 2, using armored vehicles instead of vessels, enabled us to create an even more authentic battlefield experience,” says Mythical City Games CEO, Jedrzej Jonasz.

For decades, the conflict between India and Pakistan has been one of the most dangerous for its ramifications ever occurred. The two countries have always tried to switch the balance of power in their favour, seeking alliances among other nations of the area and increasing their military expenditure steadily.

The clash has reached recently a new escalation as a border incident has caused the death of some visiting British officers. Pakistan’s waffling diplomacy angers the British military and public, and as the subcontinent edges closer to war, London has New Delhi’s back. But Beijing has Islamabad’s as well, with waves of modern Chinese equipment being “purchased” by Pakistan and being crewed by either “Volunteers” or “contractors” that mysteriously “quit” the PLA.

Read the analysis here (.pdf) to get prepared for what is coming!

Get more information about Command LIVE: Commonwealth Collision from its official product page!

Order of Battle: Sandstorm is the new DLC for Order of Battle. It brings the series to North Africa for the first time, putting you in the shoes of Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox himself, commander of the Axis forces in North Africa between 1941 and 1943.

In Sandstorm, the upcoming new expansion for Order of Battle, the Italian army obviously plays a very important role. As commander in chief of the Axis forces in North Africa, you will be leading a joint army of German and Italian troops.

The DLC’s developer The Artistocrats have released a glimpse of the Italian Armed Forces focusing on some of the new units available to Italy in Order of Battle: Sandstorm. New screenshots are shared too!

Visit this Matrix Games news page and take a look!

A great classic game returns, as Strategic Command Classic: WWII is now available!

The Matrix version is the Gold Edition of the Original Strategic Command: Blitzkrieg and Weapons and Warfare combined. It also Patton Drives East expansion and Strategic Command Pacific Theatre.

From the product page:

“Combining the ease of play, accessibility and addicting gameplay, Strategic Command Classic: World War II adds tons of features in a single game.”

Weapons and Warfare (the expanded & enhanced version of the original Blitzkrieg)

Rewrite history with 6 full length, open ended campaigns beginning at key stages of World War II. Begin the war from the historical invasion of Poland in 1939, Denmark and Norway in 1940, Russia in 1941, Stalingrad in 1942, the invasion of Sicily by the Allies in 1943 or the epic beach landings of D-Day in 1944.

Pacific

Players will be able to wage war across the massive expanse of the Pacific Ocean. From British occupied India, Tibet, Nepal and China in the West to Pearl Harbor and the West Coast of the US and Canada. WWII Pacific Theatre features a very large map, at 198×82 tiles in size.

Patton Drives East

Patton Drives East allows players to explore the historically possible what ifs of WWII such as:

• What if the Western Allies and the Soviet Union went to war after defeating the Axis?
• Could America liberate a Europe subjugated by the Axis?
• What if the Western Allies had accepted a surrender from Germany and together they would fight against the USSR?”

Important!

This is not a new game. We are taking over from Battlefront as the publisher of this game.

The Gold Edition allow players to play:

• Blitzkrieg + Weapons and Warfare
• Pacific Theatre
• Patton Drives East

To purchase Strategic Command Classic: WWII  and get more game information, visit the official webpage.

By Charles Ellis @ The Wargamer

Eugen and Paradox have released their second piece of premium DLC for Steel Division: Normandy ‘44. This time rather alarmingly titled: Back to Hell. We’ve been a tad tardy with our coverage on this one, but in this humble writer’s opinion, if you’re in the market for buying just one Steel Division add-on (out of the two available), this is the one you want.

Read on…