Strategy and Wargaming

You will have the chance to be immersed in the 1937 Sino-Japanese War very soon as Morning Sun – the second expansion of the extraordinary wargame Order of Battle: Pacific – will be released on January 28th!

In Morning Sun you will revive this undervalued conflict, taking control over the Japanese forces fighting for territorial expansion and rich Chinese resources.

Expect all of the fantastic features that made Order of Battle: Pacific one of the most innovative wargames recently made, plus a new array of possibilities, like the chance to employ cavalry units and invaluable Construction Group units!

Stay tuned for further information and if you want to know more, please check out the product page here!

Order of Battle: Pacific – Morning Sun will be available also on Steam.

Your Council Would Like a Word With You

The new year will bring new goodies from Paradox Development Studio and the team behind Crusader Kings II, Paradox’s best-selling and critically beloved medieval grand strategy game.

Conclave, the newest expansion for the game, will give your vassals some bite to go along with your bark, as the council that governs your realm will now demand some say in how you rule. Powerful dukes, regardless of competence, will require a seat at the table, and those left on the outside will be more likely to plot against you.

Keep your council happy, and the mighty vassals will resist the pull of faction and civil war. Dismiss their interests, though, and you may find yourself trying to hold together a council at war with itself.

Balance councillor skill and power to keep your dynasty safe and strong. Ignore powerful underlings at your peril, or simply buy their loyalty with favors. Conclave makes the royal council a force unto itself.

Other features of Conclave will include:

• Councils can now vote on changes to realm laws – or you can try to limit their power and influence
• Revised education system for royal children, with new traits and events designed for childhood
• New diplomatic system that prioritizes marital alliances and non-aggression pacts, as well as the possibility of coalitions
• Improved military combat model with a greater emphasis on morale, as well as new rules for mercenary companies
• And many more smaller changes including the usual tweaks to how the AI prioritizes its decisions.
• So the choice will be yours; do you dare to challenge your vassals on their council at the risk of challenging them on the battlefield? Can you move your nation towards greater centralization and power without your advisors realizing how much they are losing in the deal?

Crusader Kings II appreciates the subtlety of court intrigue. Conclave will give you new avenues to test that skill. You can watch the Crusader Kings II: Conclave Reveal Trailer here.

Conclave will be available in early 2016. For more information on Crusader Kings II, click here.

Final update for the ‘castle sim’ sequel adds new maps, optimizations and single player DLC

Firefly Studios has just released their final content update for Stronghold Crusader 2. The update was announced in a post on the developer’s official website, where Firefly clarifies that no additional single-player content or DLC is planned for the future:

“As a team we’re very happy with the reaction and feedback from Stronghold players over the past year. Stronghold Crusader 2 was an important step forward for the series and we intend to build on that progress in future games. Work has now concluded on post-release DLC and single-player content, but there’s plenty to look forward to in 2016! Starting with the release of Stronghold Kingdoms on iOS and Android, which has been completely redesigned for touch, you’ll hear more about our plans for Stronghold and Firefly. We have lots in the pipeline for 2016 including multiple announcements and new releases, so watch this space!”

Watch the new Mini-Campaigns trailer here.

Free Map Pack

Stronghold Crusader 2 has also been updated with four new skirmish maps:

• Ruins – Just like in the very best 80s boxing movies it’s East vs West in ‘Ruins’. The map’s unique setup provides up to four players with a reliable source of Stone, but leave the elevated centre uncontested and even the mightiest walls will crumble.
• Mirage – All eight players must cross the great desert to reach fertile grasslands and enemy castles. Be quick! Unlike your typical mirage the aforementioned castles and armies within can definitely kill you, if left undisturbed.
• Three Rivers – The turtling player’s dream! Up to three castles stand high atop its very own hill, providing strong natural defences. Resources on the other hand lay scattered about the map in strategically vulnerable locations, so be prepared to fight over those village estates.
• The Fork – Your keep is on a mountain at the conflux of two great rivers. This provides plenty of opportunities to make the rivers run red with blood, just like in Revelation 16:4. Venture outwards to discover plentiful resources before testing your castle design with a few AI sieges.

Optimizations

Fixes and optimizations for pathfinding have now been added to the Steam version, with a GOG Galaxy update soon to follow. These changes should reduce the impact of these systems on frame rates and prevent variations in worker productivity during large games of up to eight Lords. Woodcutters were given special attention, given their importance to almost any player economy. Peasants assigned to Woodcutter Huts will now spend less time seeking resources, finding paths to them and generally act with greater autonomy.

A full list of changes can be found in the Stronghold Crusader 2 forum.

Stronghold Crusader 2: Delivering Justice and Stronghold Crusader 2: Freedom Fighters DLCs are now available on Steam.

Genocidal Tyrant or Saviour of Europe? The Story of Charlemagne.

To mark the recent release of Age of Charlemagne, the biggest expansion yet for Total War: Attila, historian and archaeologist Dr. Paul Harrison takes us through the highlights of the life of one of the most celebrated and feared kings ever known.

Featuring footage from the game, this documentary short covers the often controversial achievements of the ‘Father of Europe’ as he dragged the entire continent out of the Dark Ages and set it on the road to enlightenment and prosperity. From the subjugation of the Saxons and the mass execution of his prisoners, to the widespread establishment of education and literacy, Charlemagne life is an incredible tale, and you can get a flavour of it here.

The Age of Charlemagne Campaign Pack includes a brand new campaign map resplendent in medieval-style artwork and focuses on Europe from the year 768AD. With the introduction of Knights, Housecarls and other new era units, battlefield conflict takes an iconic turn. With over 50 conquerable provinces and new campaign mechanics, a detailed and vibrant geopolitical starting position will offer hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Total War: Attila - Age of Charlemagne is out now on Steam.

A Christmas gift for all the fans of Flashpoint Campaigns!

On Target Simulation has released a bonus free scenario for Germany Reforged (playable on the new big Eiterfeld map): “Early Tuesday Morning”!

The Americans have been pushed out of the Fulda Gap. The Soviet’s are advancing towards the Rhine River pushing the US 3rd Armored Division before them. In the wake of the Soviet advance 1st Brigade, 5th German Panzer Division, has been pushed into a back water to the west of the Fulda Gap. They now have orders to advance, if possible, into the Fulda Gap to sever Soviet lines of communication. The orders state to advance to the East German.

Be ready to move Early Tuesday Morning!

This is a tremendously intense battle. It’s a NATO attack scenario and it uses all 14 hours that can be allocated for a scenario’s resolution. Created by the Mad Russian to highlight the new larger map and full time allowed for scenario resolution, just in time for the Christmas holidays!

From OTS to you, Merry Christmas!

You can download the .zip file of the scenario in the download section of the game or simple by clicking here.

Get more information about the game from its official product page.

We saw the panzers arrive, crushing everything under their tracks. We thought our Air Forces would save us, but they were completely smashed in the first days of fighting.

Cities fell one after the other. Our forces withdrew deeper and deeper inside the Motherland.

Now Winter is coming and Moscow is close to being besieged.

It’s time to push back the invaders!

The acclaimed wargame series Panzer Corps is back with another incredible stand-alone expansion! Soviet Corps will bring you at the head of the Red Army in its grimmest moment: you will have to stop the overpowering Wehrmacht! Save every resource possible, retake the initiative and push the Germans to Berlin!

This expansion is ready to enter the Beta Phase! Be part of this great milestone and help us in giving the final touches!

You can apply for the Beta here.

Get more information about the game from its official product page.

Christmas arrived early this year!

Matrix Games have announced that Siliconsoft Systems Inc., the Development Studio behind Tigers on the Hunt – the upcoming hard-core tactical wargame – has released the new games cover art!

A fearsome Panzerkampfwagen VI – also known as the Tiger I – stands alone, its tracks in the mud, while its commander watches, ready to engage the enemy!

Tigers on the Hunt is a World War 2 wargame for PC.

It creates a truly and immersive depth tactical simulation. It boasts a ferocious and adaptive AI which will dynamically respond to a player’s manoeuvres. Players can enjoy massive battles across up to 12 connected geomorphic maps with over 200 Infantry units, 100 Support Weapons, 100 Ordnance pieces and 50 Vehicles per side!

Get more information from its official product page!

“Rangers lead the way” – Rangers’ motto

All right gents! This no time for sitting back, and if you thought the fight was over, well, I tell you: you thought wrong. Heroes of Normandie: US Rangers – the first expansion of one of the most recent and innovative tactical wargames around has been released, featuring a precious addition for American Player: the US Rangers, the toughest among the toughest warriors!

From the Product Page:

”These tough soldiers are an invaluable asset and a sure threat to Jerry thanks to their love of the assault! Many of these brave soldiers have enhanced combat stats that reflect their harsh selection and training under Captain Pepper!”

Not even the panzers can save the Germans this time!

To better celebrate this milestone, a completely free new feature has been added, available both to the base game and the expansion, finally introducing for single player and multiplayer alike, the Editor!

You can download the update following this link. Watch the “Showcasing the Editor” trailer here.

Grab the game now!

Heroes of Normandie: US Rangers is a DLC for Heroes of Normandie and requires the Heroes of Normandie base game to play.

Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa, one of the most innovative wargame of the year has received an update! Version 1.01 is finally live and it brings a lot of improvements!

Alongside some fixes – like the addition of three hexes to East Prussia on map – this update is strongly AI oriented!

Now the Soviet AI has been implemented to perform better in this version, having more offensive edges, more caution with the defense of key objectives such Leningrad and Moscow and more flexibility in army placement!

Be sure to check the entire list of changes here.

You can download the patch from here.

Out now, the Age of Charlemagne Campaign Pack is an epic expansion for Total War: Attila; set in the Middle Ages, long after Attila’s vicious reign has ended. Today, existing players will also automatically receive the latest free content update for the main game, featuring a new playable Faction and a free copy of the game for Steam OS/Linux.

The White Huns are the third free playable faction to be added to the game since launch, providing a new take on the Sassanid-dominated eastern reaches of the Campaign map.

The Linux version of Total War: Attila which will be available for free to anyone who currently owns Total War: Attila on Steam.

In the largest Total War: Attila expansion to date – Age of Charlemagne Campaign Pack – brings a brand new campaign map resplendent in medieval-style artwork and focuses on Europe from the year 768AD. With the introduction of Knights, Housecarls and other new era units, battlefield conflict takes an iconic turn. With over 50 conquerable provinces and new campaign mechanics, a detailed and vibrant geopolitical starting position will offer hundreds of hours of gameplay.

As well as an exciting new campaign, Age of Charlemagne also offers access to 8 new playable factions. Check out the trailer here.

Total War: Attila - Age of Charlemagne is out now and available to download today from 2pm GMT via Steam.

The White Huns and Steam OS free content will download for current owners automatically, whether or not they purchase Age of Charlemagne.

For more information on Total War: Attila - Age of Charlemagne visit the Total War Wiki.