All players who own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2 are now able to update the game through the updater on the Slitherine launcher and download the second DLC, 1939.
1939 is the second DLC in the Axis Operations series, an ambitious series of linked DLCs representing the entirety of World War II from the perspective of the Wehrmacht.
With the valuable lessons learned from the Spanish Civil War behind them, Germany turns towards the rest of Europe with vengeance in its eyes. Vengeance for the treatment of their country under the despised Treaty of Versailles.
Whiles the Allies attempt to pursue their strategy of Appeasement, Germany moves to secure more and more lost territory. After the 1938 annexation of the Sudetenland, the decision is made to gobble up the rest of Czechoslovakia. Once again, your Wehrmacht forces are called to action...
For everyone else the DLC will be released next week, on August 27th.
If you own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2, you will be able to update your version of Panzer Corps 2 by running the launcher for the game and run the automatic updater. The DLC and the accompanying patch will then be downloaded and installed.
Important: unfortunately we have run a bit late with localizations. Localization in languages other than English are incomplete and might have unlocalized strings. We apologize for the problem and we acknowledge it is our fault. We are working to complete them as quickly as we can, and it should be a matter of days before they are fixed.
- Added localizations for 1939 - Added new UI for transferring core force from one campaign to another - Added "limited deployment" functionality. When the size of player's core exceeds the number of slots in a scenario, some units must be moved to Reserve before deployment can be made. - "Leadership" and "Aiming Assistance" heroes now affect all adjacent units (both ground and air) - Minor tweaks and fixes
With the second Panzer Corps DLC coming soon, we have a special preview from one of our beta testers to share with you: a detailed play by play of the very unusual and unique Czechoslovakia scenario that starts the campaign.
Because this is such an unorthodox scenario, this AAR preview also serves as a de facto guide to finishing the scenario as quickly and easily as possible while also satisfying the main bonus objective. So consider this a major spoiler warning!
Thanks to our Beta tester Monkspider for providing the following AAR.
Monkspider's Flawless Czechoslovakia Run
Welcome to my scenario guide for Panzer Corp 2's latest DLC Axis Operations 1939. In this DLC you will get to visit a wide variety of locations all over Europe, the first of which is here in Czechoslovakia! After the Munich Agreement in 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland which included the Czechs' extensive mountain fortifications. Then in March 1939 Germany annexed the rest of the country, betraying their previous promises at Munich and gaining all of Czechoslovakia's extensive industrial base for themselves. This scenario focuses on this final occupation of the country.
In this scenario our goal is to either occupy ten objective hexes or to occupy Prague and Pilzen. Here's the kicker though, if we want to accomplish the bonus objective we must do one of these two things WITHOUT destroying any enemy units. If we manage this, we will earn five commendation points. With some smart play, it can even be done VERY quickly and easily. A lot of players struggled with this bonus objective in testing but with this guide you can speedrun the scenario while still achieving the bonus objective.
My plan was to have two attack forces attacking down the western and eastern sides of the map respectively. You have total vision of the map due to Czech informants which greatly helps in your ability to formulate a plan. Because I knew artillery was going to be so useful I bought a couple more artillery units before the battle started. This purchase ended up being a little excessive. It seems like the scenario starts you off with more artillery than I remembered in the older version of it, oh well! You do want at least two or three artillery units though. Oh, and one other essential detail that will your life so much easier, have a bridge engineer with your troops going along the western edge. You will see what I mean later. Luckily the preset core was kind enough to start me off with one. If you are importing, strongly consider buying one just for this battle.
So, for the first turn, my eastern task force had a Czech anti-tank gun to dislodge. Remember, we can't completely kill enemy units but we can sure damage them. I used my artillery to weaken it and then attack it with infantry which caused it to retreat from the objective hex and then occupied the hex with a Panzer. The aforementioned infantry would stay behind to guard the hex for the rest of the scenario. The rest of my units headed east over the river.
In the west my troops had no enemy units to contend with yet, they just headed toward the western edges of the map and over the river, capturing another one of the ten objective hexes. There is also an objective hex you start off controlling so I had an infantry unit stay behind to defend it.
That was all for my first turn. At the start of my second turn I got a notification that I was getting a free infantry unit. Hey, that's great! I could use some extra troops to help guard the river line where you start off at from enemy counter-attacks. It's always nice to have a lucky turn of events such as this. The infantry unit comes from our previous conflict in Spain and even non-importing players will get them.
The unit is called “Azul Infanterie” and is reference to the famous elite unit of Spanish volunteers called the Blue Division (or Blau or Azul, whichever you prefer) that fought for Germany on the Eastern Front.
Well, back to the battle, in the east my troops continued advancing. I set up my units to attack an enemy unit guarding one of the objective hexes on the next turn.
In the west I came across some entrenched infantry guarding a non-objective city. Even though its not a necessary city for scenario, he is definitely in my way! I set up my units so that I could try to nudge him out of the way next turn so my troops can keep heading south.
In between turns an AI armored unit attacked one of my starting objective hexes, luckily I had a couple units there to defend it including my new Azul Infanterie. Remember to guard those objectives!
On to the next turn. My eastern units captured the objective they were in position for. As always, the key is to use artillery to soften the enemy up and then attack to dislodge them from their position but do not kill them. I then moved troops in position to capture the next objective. I am now just north of Prague which appears to be an open city.
In the west things required a more delicate touch. I softened up the enemy infantry that was blocking my way with artillery then moved a recon car to the right of the enemy and attacked. It was important I attack from this direction because I wanted the enemy to retreat to the left. It retreated and I attacked again with infantry which moved it one more space which gave plenty of room for my units to now move through unimpeded. You have to keep in mind if an enemy wants to retreat but doesn't have any more movement point, it will surrender. Since it was a normal infantry unit I knew I could make it retreat twice without it surrendering because a surrendered unit would cause us to fail the bonus objective.
After getting that enemy infantry out of the way the rest of my western task force steamed on ahead to the south and towards the last objectives. My bridge engineer was necessary for crossing the river without having to approach the heavily defended Pilzen. Luckily I managed to get him very close to the river and captured another victory point.
It's now turn 4. In the east I captured another objective using the same techniques after putting my troops in position last turn. My recon car headed south toward the last objectives which appeared to be undefended. The rest of my eastern task force is going to need to stay in place to defend against an enemy counterattack that appears to be brewing.
In the west my bridge engineer gets into position and allows all of my troops to cross the river, bypassing Pilzen and also capturing another objective. There are now only two objectives left and both are undefended. The end is near! I think I can finish the scenario next turn.
In between turns the AI continued attacking my troops in the east around Prague. There were three objectives being threatened over there, but luckily my troops manage to hold the day. They received a penalty being on river hexes so I think an optimal strategy might be to try to defend the hex in front of the objective hex. Oh well, at least I kept a lot of units in the area.
I wasn't able to finish the scenario on turn 6. The Recon car from my eastern task force captured one objective but an enemy recon car from around Pilzen got in the way of my western troops from getting the last one. Those cursed Bohemians! Oh well, just a small setback.
A very small setback indeed, on turn 7 my recon car entered the last objective hex and the scenario instantly ended and Hauptman Wagner delivering the debriefing. I actually did it, a complete victory, satisfying even the bonus objective! The five commendation points were mine! Now, time to claim that bonus hero I was telling you about in the next scenario. Who is this hero, and what does he do? You will just have to play to find out!
Well, I thank you for reading my AAR. I highly recommend you check out both chapters of the Axis Operations DLC series for Panzer Corps 2, both Spanish Civil War and 1939. They are full of extremely-well crafted scenarios, great writing, likable characters and lots of replay value!
With July's launch of the Spanish Civil War DLC, our players have received half of their Field Marshal package DLC. And now your battles will continue and Field Marshal editions will be complete as we reveal some details and insights on the next chapter of the Axis Operations Grand Campaign.
As a foreword: the full scenario list will be coming soon with the launch of 1939's DLC store page, so be on the lookout for that!
1. WORLD WAR II PROPER
While the Spanish Civil War was a great opportunity to explore a new setting and new mechanics for Panzer Corps II, we definitely want returning to mainline World War II to have a much more classic feeling.
Well not too classic, because we've been very happy to see the overwhelming majority of our players celebrate the return of Degrees of Victory through bonus objectives. You will definitely expect to see more mission variety once again, and more new and exciting rewards to purchase with your hard-earned Commendation Points.
In fact the bonus objective of the very first mission of Axis Operations 1939 is... to not destroy a single enemy unit. We said that the Czechoslovakia mission had some special mechanics, and we meant it!
You will have to carefully navigate the (relatively) peaceful annexation of Czechoslovakia with a carefully measured hand instead of barging in and destroying everything in sight (that comes later, don't worry). For those with the knowledge and abilities to carefully control enemy positioning through suppression and retreat, another unique reward awaits. But just to make sure our first mission isn't stonewalling our players right out of the gate, preservation of hostile forces is of course only a bonus objective.
2. THE PATH TO WAR
After your stint in Czechoslovakia, expect a very healthy sized campaign that will take you from missions on the French/German border conflict of Operation Saar, to the classic battles of the Polish invasion, and beyond as may you find yourself already running afoul of Soviet forces advancing from the other direction...
Opportunities abound to acquire new equipment to outfit your personalized force with, so always be on the lookout for various secrets and other non-standard ways of procuring new weaponry!
But as your personal Panzer Corps continues to grow and expand, new enemies and challenges will also continue to evolve and change as well, so don't get too complacent!
3. THE WAR IS JUST BEGINNING
As with the Spanish Civil War, the end of the 1939 campaign will ideally not be the end of your campaign journey. At the end of Axis Operations 1939, your CORE forces and their haul of captured equipment will once again be saved for future use...
While our historically minded players probably know what historical battles still lie ahead... we think it's a safe guarantee that extra mission variety and exploring relatively unexplored conflicts will continue to make visiting the European theatre of World War II both familiar to those with historical knowledge, and yet still fresh and new as we dive into interesting historical details to shape the battles you will fight through.
4. NO MORE AI PARTNERS... FOR NOW
While we were thrilled to hear so many of our players enjoying the new and innovative features of having an AI counterpart fight alongside you, we want to point out that such a partnership isn't a mainline feature of the Axis Operations. It has no historical place during the 1939 campaigns and battles, and we're not going to try and shoehorn it in where it doesn't belong.
So gone are your AI Ally controlled infantry, once again full access to German infantry forces dominates the battlescape!
Will we see friendly AI forces in the future? We certainly hope so, when it is historically appropriate. For example, working alongside with Italian or Romanian commands is absolutely on the table. Ideally, we will also refine the system for more control. For example, it would definitely be helpful to order general directives to some friendly units, but not all units at once. So one group might be sent to hold a particular position, while another is sent out hunting for enemy scouts.
We hope you enjoyed this extra reveal and are looking forward to returning to your Panzers for another new campaign full of new battles coming near the end of this month!
The first DLC for Panzer Corps 2, Axis Operations: Spanish Civil War, is out now.
FROM COUP TO CIVIL WAR
Experience the entirety of the Spanish Civil War from start to end in this full length campaign stretching from July 1936 to March 1939.
Fight your way through more than a dozen battles of the Spanish Civil War including major engagements at Madrid, Malaga, Brunete, Teruel, and even the massive Battle of the Ebro.
Explore this rarely covered conflict through new bonus mission objectives taken straight from the pages of history. In addition to normal combat, you'll be tasked objectives such as airlifting Franco's Army of Africa from Morocco to Seville, attacking the Republican battleship Jaime I at Malaga, or assisting one of the last mass Cavalry charges in the history of warfare at Teruel.
AXIS OPERATIONS HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN
The end of the Spanish Civil War is not the end of your campaign though, it is merely the beginning. At the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War DLC, your Wehrmacht army will be saved for use in the next installment of the Axis Operations Campaign.
Any campaign of the Axis Operations can be played individually as a standalone campaign.
The next installment of the Axis Operations series will be 1939. Stay tuned for more information in the future.
Last but not least, if you'd like to see Spanish Civil War played live we are going to play Spanish Civil War live on Twitch at 6 pm BST today on the Slitherine channel.
We are releasing a patch for Panzer Corps 2, in preparation of the release of Spanish Civil War in two days.
It includes a fix for a crash occuring at the end of the last scenario, and introduces the missing localizations for Briefings and Debriefings in the new Spanish Civil War campaign.
Changelog: - Added missing languages for Briefings and Debriefings for Spanish Civil War - Fixed issue with crash at end of Madrid 1939
All players who own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2 are now able to update the game automatically through Steam and download the first DLC, Spanish Civil War.
Spanish Civil War is the first DLC in the Axis Operations series, an ambitious series of linked DLCs representing the entirety of World War II from the perspective of the Wehrmacht.
Command the German expeditionary force to Spain and fight alongside your Nationalist allies in a series of 16 scenarios.
For everyone else the DLC will be released next week, on July 16th.
If you own the Field Marshal Edition of Panzer Corps 2, Steam should now update your version automatically. If not, try to restart your Steam client.
Important: unfortunately we have run a bit late with localizations. Localization in languages other than English are incomplete and might have unlocalized strings. We apologize for the problem and we acknowledge it is our fault. We are working to complete them as quickly as we can, and it should be a matter of days before they are fixed.
The DLC is accompanied by a patch, Patch 1.1.4.
v1.1.4 Changelog: - Unit plates now display new markers for heroes and medals - Added an option to toggle hex markers (victory hex, secondary objective and supply hex), and a corresponding hotkey (Shift+H) - Loading screen now shows loading progress (by background gradually transitioning from dark to normal) - Added three final tactical advisor clips to Tutorial Section - Added russian and chinese localizations for Spanish campaign - Various minor tweaks and fixes - Added 54 camo skins and new colours for Field Marshal Edition and General Edition owners - Added 9 camo skins for all players
Spanish Civil War will be released tomorrow to all Panzer Corps 2 Field Marshal Edition owners.
Tomorrow we will give you all the information you need on how to access and download the first DLC. For everyone else, the DLC will be released one week later, on July 16th.
We're aware many of you want to know everything about the DLC. You can ask us anything you want on the forum, but you can start by looking at the new store page, which contains new screenshots and information on new content and features, including a full scenarios list.
With the Field Marshal access of the Spanish Civil War only days away, we have one more dev diary for you to enjoy before you embark on your own journey into the new Panzer Corps 2 DLC. In order to properly represent the battles of the upcoming DLC, we have added dozens of unit models and also unit entries to the game files.
And today, we want to highlight the fantastic work our artists have done for us in providing you with these awesome new weapons of war. At the bottom of this announcement, you can find a complete list of all unit entries that have been added to Panzer Corps 2 alongside the first two Axis Operations DLC that are included in your Field Marshal editions.
New Models
Panzer I Breda
First off, we have a conversion of the humble Panzer I. Historically, this field modification was done as the Nationalists, Germans, and Italians in Spain quickly realized the machinegun armament of the Panzer I was insufficient to take on Soviet made, Republican manned, T-26 tanks.
Experimental Tank Design Codename: Verdeja 2
THIS INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED. THIS UNIT IS UNAVAILABLE BY NORMAL PURCHASING MEANS AND CAN ONLY BE ACQUIRED BY ALTERNATIVE MEANS...
Henschel Hs-123a
Next, we have a biplane unit that many players will probably recognize, as it continued to serve with the Wehrmacht into World War II. The Henschel 123a proved to be a reliable and rugged ground attack aircraft even in very cold weather conditions.
Heinkel He-70 Rayo (Spanish nickname: Lightning)
The primary recon aircraft for the player in the Spanish Civil War, the He-70 Rayo offers great movement speed, high vision radius, and spotting bonuses against nearby enemy units. For the time, it was an extremely fast aircraft, setting numerous world speed records even before the start of the Spanish Civil War.
Sdkfz 221
The predecessor to the very well known and popular German recon vehicle sdkfz 222, the 221's most notable different is the smaller, machine gun armed turret.
Heinkel He-112
One of many fighter designs Germany was eager to experiment with during the Spanish Civil War. Despite performing exceptional well in trials and even seeing some combat testing in Spain, ultimately the sleek looking He-112 would be overshadowed by the superior performing and now well renowned Messerschmitt BF-109 fighter.
Trubia
Our first non-German new model to look at today, we have the bizarre Trubia tank. Pressed into service, the Trubia wasn't a purpose built tank. It served as one of several tractor conversions fielded by Spanish Republican forces to combat their Nationalist foes. Despite its large barrels looking like cannons, the Trubia was armed exclusively with machineguns only. The thick covering that makes the barrel look like a cannon are actually cooling jackets. By the way, if anyone designs plush toys, let us know. We want an adorable Trubia tank plushie please!
Bilbao
One of several armored cars present in the campaign, the antiquated Bilbao vehicle will be a regular, but not terribly threatening, sight on the battlefield, especially in the early years of the Spanish Civil War.
UNL-35
Unlike the maligned Bilbao, the UNL-35 was a much more formidable armored car. It is clear to see the design's Soviet origins, and the performance of this vehicle is actually respectable and perhaps even superior to the somewhat under-gunned sdkfz 221. A potentially valuable prize to capture and field in your own army.
I-16 (Spanish Nationalist nickname Rata, Republican nickname Mosca)
No coverage of the Spanish Civil War would be complete without the presence of Soviet I-16 fighters. These aircraft operated in Spain as early as late 1936, and proved extremely effective at dealing with German He-51 biplane fighters. Not until the arrival of the BF-109B would the Ratas finally be cleared from the skies of Spain during the massive Battle of the Ebro.
Spanish Militia, Guardia Civil, Regulars, Colonial Infantry, and International Brigades
We touched on the various new infantry appearing in the Spanish Civil War, but here is a closer look at them. Both sides fielded various militia and guardia civil units. Nationalist Regulares are the equal of the Republican Brigada Mixtas. Franco's elite professionals of the Army of Africa take the form of Colonial infantry, while various Republican International brigades offer extremely determined resistance to any Nationalist or Condor Legion assault!
We hope you enjoyed this preview showcasing just a few of the new unit models arriving soon in Panzer Corps 2. You can look forward to discovering even more of the new unit models once you launch into the Spanish Civil War DLC Campaign!
New Unit Entries List
CONDOR LEGION Panzer IA Panzer IB Panzer IIA Sdkfz 221 Sdkfz 222 Sdkfz 231 6 rad 3.7cm Pak 36 Panzer I Breda 2cm FlaK 30 3.7cm FlaK 18 Sdkfz 10/4 8.8cm Flak 18 7.5cm FK 16 nA 10.5cm leFH 18 He-51 He-112 BF-109B He-70 Rayo He-123a He-45 Ju-87a Ju-52 bomber Ju-86 Do-17z
All new units and units models are available FOR FREE for all owners of any edition of Panzer Corps 2 to enjoy in their own custom content. These units and unit models will arrive in a patch alongside the Spanish Civil War DLC or Axis Operations 1939. No extra purchase is required for any non-campaign asset.
After last week's DLC reveal announcement went out, we were humbled by our community’s fantastic response and excited enquiries, so we've prepared a follow up for you to further sink your teeth into.
Here are a few additional details regarding Panzer Corps 2's upcoming Axis Operations - Spanish Civil War.
Extra details on the Spanish Civil War
The Axis Operations campaigns aren't just going to be more scenarios. The goal is to be bigger, better, and more advanced than the campaign that Panzer Corps 2 has already provided.
1. The factions involved, and new mechanics to represent them.
So, in our research of the Spanish Civil War, we uncovered a wealth of information that we felt deserved some recognition in the gameplay. The Spanish Civil War wasn't just a Nationalist faction attempting to overthrow a Republican faction, there were Falangists and Communists and Monarchist and Anarchist factions all taking sides. Not to mention all of the foreign involvement from fascist Italy and Germany to the International brigades and Soviet military aid...
Suffice to say, it was not a simple conflict.
Historically, German aid to Nationalist Spain during the Spanish Civil War was fairly unique in nature. There were no mass divisions of German infantry roaming the battlefields of Spain. Such a level of military aid would have seriously undermined the legitimacy of the Spanish Nationalist cause. The Condor Legion was primarily made up of aircraft, though there were some other armour and supporting artillery and air defence assets at their disposal.
To try and properly represent some of this complexity, we've done several things.
Firstly, we're adding a wealth of infantry types to the game. Players should expect to encounter everything from Republican militia troops to Franco's professional Army of Africa colonial troops to standard Republican Mixed Brigades (Brigada Mixta) to various International Brigade formations and more.
Each infantry type has been carefully stat balanced to present a good spectrum of unit types, and here are just a few of the infantry that we've created new models for, all based on historical references.
Secondly, rather than just placing pre-scripted friendly AI controlled units on the board, we've added a new system of communication so that the campaigning player can influence the behaviour of their computer controlled friendly forces! We felt this would be a very interesting new feature to bring to Panzer Corps 2, and look forward to putting it in your hands very soon.
The reality of this conflict has dramatically altered gameplay, because it means that the player has no German infantry of any kind at their disposal for the length of the Spanish Civil War. You will be expected to work closely together with the AI controlled Spanish Nationalists to achieve your victories.
With the player controlling tanks, artillery, and air forces and the AI controlling all infantry forces, coordination and co-operating between you and the Spanish Nationalists is the key to achieving victory above and beyond the most basic of objectives.
And prepare for the dramatic conclusion of the Spanish Civil War that will feature the very first multi-sided, 3-way conflict in a Panzer Corps 2 campaign scenario.
Because we realize that this design change may be too radical for some, we have taken an extra step to make sure the Italian CTV (Corpo Truppe Volontarie) has proper representation in this conflict. If a player is so inclined that they feel they must have their own infantry, Italian CTV forces are available.
2. New Enemies
To aid in their fight against the player, the AI has received several improvements since the launch of Panzer Corps 2, and it also has received several new types of orders that it can use to good effect. Hit and run tactics were especially prevalent and are at the AI's disposal in these campaigns, so maintaining secure flanks and good vanguards for your forces will be more important than ever before.
Additionally, we're levelling the playing field by introducing Panzer Corps 2's first appearance of enemy units with hero abilities attached to them. Double Fire artillery and Zone of Control ignoring tanks have joined the ranks of the enemy, so watch out.
There might even be a very special “Nemesis” level enemy unit that might just haunt and harass you throughout the course of the entire campaign... unless you manage to defeat them decisively! Mechanically, this represents the first appearance of enemy units that can potentially survive and progress between scenarios.
3. New scenario victory conditions beyond Victory Hex capturing.
One complaint about the traditions of Panzer General and Panzer Corps is the lack of mission variety. We've all seen maybe a bit too much of 'Capture all Victory Hexes' by now, we think.
While we’ll still make appropriate use of this mission type occasionally, players will also see a lot more objective variety moving forward. Missions types such as rescue, escort, interception, mine laying, and others have been spread out across the campaign.
And the way we've balanced this is by bringing back Degrees of Victory. Rather than have every mission be a binary 'win or lose', we've added more variety. Every scenario has a basic objective that you must complete to progress the campaign. This is the lowest degree of victory though, and is suitably easy to achieve.
However.
If you really want to see some very unique rewards and bonuses, you'll want to push yourself to accomplish the far more difficult and varied bonus objectives.
We've even implemented a new currency system to handle this interaction. As you complete bonus objectives, you’ll earn Commendation Points. At various points in the campaign, offers will be made to players who have earned enough Commendation Points... offers of fantastic bounties of captured equipment, special prototype units, and possibly even access to famous and legendary historical aces and officers of the war.
A full roster of new units being added to Panzer Corps 2 alongside the Axis Operations – Spanish Civil War release will be coming soon, as will complete scenario lists for both Axis Operations – Spanish Civil War and Axis Operations – 1939.
We hoped you’ve enjoyed this bonus reveal and are looking forward to firing up your Panzers for a new campaign full of new features starting next month.