Hello Generals,

The first DLC from the Frontlines series is out now.



Prepare to dive into an immersive battlefield set amidst the historical backdrop of the epic Battle of the Bulge, commencing just days before the pivotal date of December 16th, 1944.



Key Features:

• Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
  
• Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
  
• Allied airpower is restricted for a few turns due to adverse weather conditions.
  
• Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
  
• Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
  
• Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
  
• Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.

Download now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711250/Panzer_Corps_2_Frontlines__Bulge/


And if you haven't had the chance to play the game yet, now is the moment: Panzer Corps 2 and the Axis Operations series will be on a special discount
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/


Make sure not to miss DasTactic playing the game on the Slitherine Twitch channel today at 16:30 UK time!

To celebrate the release of Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge, we are excited to announce a new Chess Maps Tournament which will feature the 3 multiplayer chess maps.

You can sign-up here.

The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here.

The first round will commence on Tuesday, 2nd April 2024. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.

The tournament will last 3 rounds, 10 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.

In this part we are first taking a closer look at the campaign path and the battles included, and show updated screenshots that reveal quite some changes compared to those in the first Dev Diary.

Afterwards we are presenting various additions made for Frontlines - Bulge to give this campaign a more specific look&feel.

Campaign Progress

As we revealed in the first Dev Diary, Frontlines - Bulge begins shortly before the Germans launch their large offensive in December 1944.

The opening battle depicts a limited US assault directly at the fortified Siegfried Line close to Monschau. With somewhat over 40 core slots, and against enemy forces without much heavy equipment, this remains an easy task for the beginning.

A few days later everything changed. The same area has turned into the northern sector of the German offensive launched on December 16. Players are now confronted with increasingly heavy enemy attacks, and soon have to deal with highly effective German equipment which can unleash considerable firepower.



In both choices for the second battle we depict the initial German assaults on December 16 only, which allows us to break off and move to other important locations afterwards.

The third battle, to defend St Vith, represents the peak of the early German onslaught. The campaign has moved to the center of the front, where enemy attacks are even more ferocious.



The two choices after St.Vith lead to the last defensive battles, but now the US Army has managed to bring in substantial reinforcements: two elite Airborne Divisions have arrived.

While the 101st Airborne begins to fortify the perimeter around Bastogne in the southern part of the front, near Luxembourg, the 82nd Airborne supports the US effort to stop German armor in the north.



Shortly before the end of 1944 the tables have turned again, and the US Army is firmly on the offensive. Players can either lead the relief effort for Bastogne, or move back to the center of the front, where German armor almost reached the Meuse River.

Afterwards Bastogne comes into focus again as US forces seek to widen the rather narrow link they created before to relieve the town, but substantial German reinforcements thrown into the fight make this anything but easy.



The last stage of the campaign depicts the Allied offensive in January 1945 to erase the large front bulge created by earlier German advances.

At this point players can opt for the Battle of Bure, the only British-led scenario in this campaign. British forces here are set up as auxiliary units, and players can skip this battle entirely if they wish. However, they may also reap a number of bonuses if they achieve the secondary objectives at Bure in time.



In the last two battles the player’s core has grown well beyond 100 core slots. The final chapter of the campaign plays out as a combined offensive of US forces against both the northern and the southern ends of the Bulge, aimed to retake Houffalize.

Visual Additions

Since Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is the first content that features the US Army for the player’s side a number of visuals were added.

Like previous content this campaign comes with its own set of map images, for example to highlight the various path selections that are offered as the campaign progresses.



A new set of commander images has also been included, so that players can now pick one of various US officers for their portrait when they launch the campaign.

Another round of US hero portraits specifically made for this content has been added as well.



Last but not least the game now includes new briefing images specifically made for the Battle of the Bulge, and a new forest terrain set that is more fitting for the Ardennes, the main battlefield of this campaign. This new set is visible in various screenshots posted in this diary.



Units and Camo Patterns

The US has quite a large unit roster already, but a few new unit models have been added for this campaign. One is the A-20G, an improved version of the A-20 Havoc bomber in the main game.

The new G variant comes with improved soft attack stats due to the extra guns in the nose, but the aircraft remains a low-cost alternative to other tactical bombers available at this point.



The German side has not been lazy either, and introduces another version of their late-war, 8-wheeled recon vehicle - the SdKfz 234/4. Built on the same chassis as the previous 234/1 and 234/2 armored cars the new model is equipped with the long-barreled 7,5 cm PaK.

Due to its increased anti-tank capability this vehicle also became known as Pak-Wagen, and entered German service in late 1944.



Finally in rare cases players can apply new paint schemes to selected US aircraft as camo patterns.

This goes specifically for the P-51D which can be skinned to show the typical USAAF late-war look where aircraft appeared largely in pure-metallic, but often with colorful elements on the nose, tail or other parts.



Conclusion

That’s all for this part of the Dev Diary. We hope you welcome the extra campaign info, and that the new screenshots, as well as previews for new visuals demonstrate that this content has evolved quite a bit compared to the earlier DD. As you are reading this we’re gearing up for release, which can be expected soon!

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge is coming on March 21st!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711250/Panzer_Corps_2_Frontlines__Bulge/

Prepare to dive into an immersive battlefield set amidst the historical backdrop of the epic Battle of the Bulge, commencing just days before the pivotal date of December 16th, 1944.



Mission Overview: A Journey Through History

Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge invites players to embark on a dynamic campaign that unfolds during the iconic Battle of the Bulge.


Commencing with a smaller-scale US attack along the border region between Belgium and Germany, players are confronted soon with heavy German attacks that throw US forces back until they can finally turn the tide again. Rather than compressing the entire battle into a single scenario, Frontlines - Bulge divides it into smaller battles, offering players a more detailed and immersive gameplay experience.

New Challenges Await

Prepare to face a new array of challenges as you engage in the early stages of the German offensive. Players must strategize and adapt to adverse weather conditions that limit Allied airpower.



To ensure a balanced and enjoyable gaming experience, rewards such as heroes and extra units await those who rise to the challenge.

Key Features:

• Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
  
• Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
  
• Allied airpower is limited early on due to adverse weather conditions.
  
• Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
  
• Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
  
• Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
  
• Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.

See you on March 21st

Wishlist now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711250/Panzer_Corps_2_Frontlines__Bulge/

The game is still in development, some details seen in this preview are subject to change.

Frontlines represents a brand new chapter in the Panzer Corps Saga, so a dev diary is the perfect opportunity to introduce players to the general idea behind it, and particularly to the first entry in this series.



What it is, and what it's not

Frontlines - Bulge gives players the chance to experience a decisive part of World War II in Europe – for the first time in Panzer Corps 2 from the American side.

The campaign depicts the Battle of the Bulge from mid-December 1944 to mid-January 1945.

The new Frontlines series will offer shorter, but nonetheless very intense campaigns, and this more focussed approach allows us to show specific operations in a much more detailed way.

A typical Panzer Corps 2 DLC depicting an entire year of the war wouldn’t spend a dozen battles to cover only 4-5 weeks of combat. But, due to the different scope of Frontlines - Bulge we have the opportunity to dive deeper.

And the fierce fighting during the Battle of the Bulge, from the start of the German offensive to the iconic siege of Bastogne, and finally to the Allied struggle to regain lost ground, is certainly worth being shown in a dedicated DLC Campaign.



History in the making

The move away from Germany-centered content may not come as a surprise for players after the conclusion of the Axis Operations series in AO:1946, but it marks a fundamental shift in many ways beyond just taking another side.

There is less of an incentive to add large ahistorical campaign paths since the Allies won the war, and we think that a campaign about the Battle of the Bulge should reflect the actual course of it more closely but without putting historic accuracy above gameplay and fun factor.

Featuring the US Army in the Ardennes in 1944 adds an extra layer of challenges, since you are soon confronted with highly effective late-war equipment fielded by the Germans and need to find ways to deal with it.



On top of that the typical strengths of the Allied side, especially of the US, are not readily available when the German offensive begins.

Allied air power was initially limited by bad weather, and the Ardennes were only thinly held by a few US divisions, while the Germans had secretly amassed substantial forces to establish numerical superiority at least in the early stages of their surprise offensive.

The Devil is in the details, but so is God

To give you an idea what "focussed" or "detailed" means, let's compare the standalone "End of the Bulge" map included in the base game already to an example from the new Frontlines content.



As you can see we show the entire perimeter around Bastogne in a completely different scale now. Houffalize, the next important town in the Ardennes is near Bastogne in the standalone scenario – in Frontlines' siege of Bastogne it is outside the map area.

Obviously a single map featuring most of the Bulge requires a more abstract take, while a dedicated campaign about the same topic allows for a much more detailed look.

Similar approaches have been taken before sometimes in the Panzer Corps series, but now this more zoomed-in take is applied campaign-wide, which has a huge impact in various ways:

We use a consistent scale for maps which are closely linked geographically, with only slight variation where needed.

For example the early stage of the campaign plays in the northern sector of the front, with several maps showing different parts of it, but in the same, more zoomed-in scale.

This enables us to include smaller, but historically significant locations, and most importantly to depict key engagements with more varied forces that resemble the historic realities to a higher degree.



All those various aspects add up to a campaign that offers an in-depth experience of the Battle of the Bulge. It aims to be closer to history without abandoning the fun-to-play nature of the Panzer Corps series.

Put differently, in Frontlines - Bulge it is not your job to rewrite history, but you can relive it.

All quiet on the western front?

The limited timeframe of the Battle of the Bulge, coupled with more zoomed-in maps, means that individual turns are measured in hours, and a complete scenario represents - at best - days of combat, not weeks or even months.

Instead of an entire battle we often depict certain key stages of important engagements.

To come back to our example of Bastogne: the initial German encirclement and siege of the town, the following US relief effort and subsequent heavy fighting around Bastogne are three separate scenarios in this campaign.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves too much here. Frontlines - Bulge begins a few days before the Germans launch their surprise offensive which led to the formation of the large front bulge that became eponymous for the entire battle.

At this point the front along the old border between Germany and Belgium is rather calm. US forces only conduct limited attacks to prepare for a bigger offensive on their own, unaware that their enemy is already moving in position for an all-out offensive against them.



Consequently the first map is intended to be a smaller, and relatively easy intro battle to the campaign.

Decisions, decisions...

The gloves are coming off when the enemy onslaught begins. But for the second battle players can still decide between an easier task at the northern tip of the front or the more chaotic and difficult first clashes just a few miles south.

There are several of these choices throughout the campaign to select easier or more challenging battles. However, they are also included to depict different, yet equally important developments that happened roughly at the same time.

So do you rather hold out with the 101st Airborne in Bastogne, or do you support the 82nd Airborne to stop Kampfgruppe Peiper trying to break through towards Antwerp? Do you then move to Patton's relief effort for Bastogne, or aim to cut off Wehrmacht Panzers which almost reached the Meuse River?



You do not have to follow a specific campaign path resulting from these choices. This is a gameplay decision to allow players to explore the different scenarios linked to those choices more easily.

Conclusion

That’s it for the first part of this Dev Diary. We hope you enjoyed this introduction to Frontlines, and that it gives you a better sense of what to expect in the new campaign. Stay tuned for the next Dev Diary, which will arrive soon!


Join now the Beta

You can now apply to the beta and help us in developing the game. If you are willing to test it, find bugs, offer feedback and criticism and you love Panzer Corps, we definetely could use your help.

What are you waiting for? Click here to sign up.


Wishlist now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711250/Panzer_Corps_2_Frontlines__Bulge/

Hello Generals,

During today's Tea Time, Marco has announced the upcoming release of Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge, the latest DLC in the Panzer Corps 2 series. The DLC is scheduled to launch this spring.

For more insights, check out the full interview with the game's producer, David Sharrock:



Get ready to immerse yourself in the Battle of the Bulge, experiencing the intensity of WWII strategy gaming like never before.



A Strategic Onslaught
Beginning just days before the infamous December 16th, 1944, the campaign kicks off with a smaller-scale US offensive, setting the stage for the tumultuous 4-6 weeks of the Battle of the Bulge



Dive into the Details
Panzer Corps 2: Frontlines - Bulge cleverly divides the entire operation into smaller, focused battles, each spanning just a few days and a limited area. This approach allows you to relive crucial moments with unprecedented detail.

New Challenges and New Rewards
As you face a surprise German offensive in adverse weather conditions, you'll be outgunned and outnumbered. Earn heroes and extra units to tip the scales in your favor. Plus, tailor your experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles – it's your call.



Key Features:

• Experience the Battle of the Bulge within a more zoomed-in scale, featuring the famous Siege of Bastogne
  
• Unique Campaign Structure divided into smaller battles for detailed, focused gameplay.
  
• Allied airpower is restricted for a few turns due to adverse weather conditions.
  
• Earn heroes and extra units as rewards.
  
• Tailor the experience by selecting easier or more challenging battles.
  
• Enjoy a balanced gaming experience with rewards and scenario selection.
  
• Adapt difficulty to individual skill levels and preferences.
  
• Stay tuned for more information.

Wishlist now:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2711250/Panzer_Corps_2_Frontlines__Bulge/


Join now the Beta

You can now apply to the beta and help us in developing the game. If you are willing to test it, find bugs, offer feedback and criticism and you love Panzer Corps, we definetely could use your help.

What are you waiting for? Click here to sign up.


It will feature the 3 multiplayer chess maps. You can sign up here

The Tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here

The first round will start on Thursday, 15th February 2024 at 12.00pm. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun.

The tournament will last 3 rounds, 10 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.

Greetings to our Panzer Corps 2 Community,

While we are thrilled to celebrate the launch of a project as large and expansive as Axis Operations 1946, this is by far the biggest single content drop we have ever had since the original launch of Panzer Corps 2 way back in early 2020, but we cannot help but realize we dropped the ball on its deployment to you, our players.

Some of our players ran into serious, game-breaking problems with 1946 when it released. Since then, we've taken every possible step to resolve these issues ASAP, and they are now fully resolved to the best of our knowledge.

We fully accept your criticisms as they are well deserved and serve as a lesson to us that we really must do better. Thanks for your continued interest and support; it helps us to improve and gives us powerful motivation to more diligently utilize our time and energy in the ongoing work surrounding Panzer Corps 2. To disappoint so many players is extra heartbreaking for us, because of the literal hundreds if not thousands of man-hours of effort that has been poured into making 1946 possible. Still, we would like to use this opportunity to once again apologize for these issues and say thank you for your patience and support.

But we know that words alone are also pretty hollow, so as part of that apology, we also have a little gift for you to enjoy. Thank you for calling us out on our failures and for continuing to show your passion and support to prove that you really care about our game by expressing your frustrating when it’s unacceptably broken.



Many thousands of you have embarked on the new Axis Operations 1946 campaign, and we’re absolutely humbled by so many gamers playing our little WW2 strategy game!
Thank you.

Now then, on to our announcement:



As part of our apology and to show our thanks to our players, we have a very special treat for you to enjoy this holiday season. We’re rolling out one very special, very humongous solo scenario that will be free for all owners of any edition of Panzer Corps 2 to play and enjoy!

Installation instructions can be found at the very bottom of this post.



Set in 1947, the new scenario, Escape to New York, gives you command of American forces struggling to survive the Axis invasion of the United States. For those of you who really like your gigantic scenarios, this one is definitely for you. There are over 500 units participating in this battle, not counting additional waves of Axis reinforcements that will also attempt to block your forces from reaching your ultimate goal of New York! The map size is over 2000 hexes!



This is the ultimate battle of 1946 era equipment, with Atomic Bombers, Landkreuzers, E-Series tanks, and advanced American tanks and aircraft on full display. And it is our holiday gift to all owners of Panzer Corps 2 to enjoy for free as a solo scenario! We hope you enjoy this behemoth scenario, and we can’t wait to show you what is coming up for Panzer Corps 2 in 2024!



Don’t forget though, if you want to play a full 30 scenario campaign with these awesome new weapons of war, be sure to check out the brand new Axis Operations 1946 DLC package:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393021/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1946/


To get this scenario into your hands as quickly as possible, and also as CLEANLY as possible, we’re going to hold off on adding this scenario to the game via a patch for now. We certainly don’t want to clog the patch pipeline that is vitally needed to deploy critical hot fixes and bug fixes, so if you would like to play this mega scenario before it is officially integrated into the game in a future patch, follow these simple instructions for more Panzer Corps 2 gameplay fun!

1. Download this zip file.

FILEDOWNLOAD LINK HERE
2. Extract the 4 scenario files found inside to this directory location:

[Documents]\My Games\Panzer Corps 2\Scenarios

Note, that in the following example image 'smoke' is just my PC name, your user name will be unique.



3. You can now launch the scenario through the custom scenario interface:



4. Enjoy!

And if you have any feedback on this mega scenario, we would love to hear from you, and perhaps we can even fine tune and improve the scenario even more before it is officially integrated as part of the base Panzer Corps 2 game.

Hello Panzer Generals!

With the launch of Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations - 1946, we've unveiled the changelog:

- Added Axis Operations 1946 campaign.
- Added 50+ new late war units.
- Added 5 new traits: "Area of Effect 1", "Atomic Bomber", "Atomic Missile", "Minimum Range 1", "Landkreuzer".
- Improved performance of destination predictions.
- Improved handling of units from deactivated mods. When a saved game or core with such units is loaded, the game will not crash, but instead show all such units as "invalid".
- "Heroic showdown" option now has an additional slider to set the number of heroes added to enemy units from 1 to 5. Also, this option no longer assigns heroes to mines.
- Half-tracked units now spend 1.5 movement points over snowy clear terrain, instead of 2.
- Discard transport now correctly returns slots used by that transport.
- Overrun is now only works for zero-range attacks.
- It is now possible to deploy and rebase aircraft to carriers of an allied player (when "share airfields" option is used).
- Heuschrecke Tank now has NoPurchase trait.
- E-75 is now a part of redesigned E series of units, and appears on 01.01.1946.
- Vehicle engine smoke is now emitted backwards, not forwards.
- Rocket flying speed now changes according to "animation speed" setting.
- Fixed suppression tooltip.
- Fixed a number of formatting issues in all localizations.
- Removed "translator's notes" from russian localization.
- Fixed the Editor showing unnecessary parameters for AI orders.
- Fixed Nagato collision box, so it's not detected in random locations
- Fixed shop crash related to JP infantry models after save/reload
- Fixed frozen water displaying incorrectly
- Fixed ground unit staying in the air when Embark command is undone
- Other minor fixes

Thank you to all the players for support the game

Brace yourselves, commanders!




This immense expansion includes 30 epic campaign scenarios that stretch from sea to shining sea across America. Wehrmacht invasion forces are gearing up for an all-out showdown across the Continental US, and you're the maestro orchestrating this symphony of strategic mayhem!



Key Features:

• Immersive Campaign: Dive into a sprawling narrative that challenges players to navigate the intricacies of a captivating alternate history, drawing upon rich lore while remaining accessible to both new and veteran players
  
• Tiered Objective System: Experience a new level of strategy with the introduction of a tiered objective system, featuring Primary Objectives, Bonus Objectives, and Elite Objectives that add depth and complexity to the gameplay
  
• Exciting Gameplay Elements: Encounter special extra-large unit models, including the formidable Japanese Super Battleship Yamato, American Atomic B-29 Bombers, German Atomic-armed V-2 Rockets, modified Japanese Fugaku bombers with Fritz X Missiles, and entirely original unit designs exclusive to Panzer Corps 2. Brace yourself for the awe-inspiring Landkreuzers!
  
• Expanded Roster: With over 50 new, high-quality, 3D unit models, Axis Operations 1946 further enriches the game's extensive roster of World War II vehicles and aircraft, offering players an even broader array of choices for their tactical battles and strategic endeavors
  
• Continuation of Core Forces: Building upon the success of previous Axis Operations DLCs, players can import their core forces from the Axis Operations 1945 East campaign or jump straight into the action with a preset core force for the Axis Operations 1946 Amerika campaign

Prepare to rewrite the fate of nations as you lead the Axis Powers in an audacious invasion of the United States.

To celebrate the launch, Axis Operations - 1946 will be on discount of 10% off for a limited time:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393021/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1946/

And if you haven't had the chance to play the game yet, now is the moment: Panzer Corps 2 and the Axis Operations series will be on sale at up to a 60% discount!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1072040/Panzer_Corps_2/

Make sure not to miss XTRG playing the game on the Slitherine Twitch channel today at 17:00 UK time!

Achtung Panzer Generals! We are only one week away from Axis Operations 1946 arriving, and so we have one more Dev Diary to share with you as a final preview to what’s coming.

So far we’ve looked at many examples of new aircraft, American equipment, and even Landkreuzers, but with more than 50 new models being added for Axis Operations 1946, we still have even more to showcase! Today we’ll be looking at not just new German equipment, but also some other Axis equipment.



German Equipment

The first order of business is to look at the whole E-series of vehicles. Not only do we have models for them all now, but we have a pretty specific concept for approaching their stats and balance.



As a quick preamble, let’s talk a little bit about logistics. Everyone likes to say the Sherman was not a very good tank, and they’ll go to pointing to stats like needing a dozen Shermans to take on a single Tiger, as the Sherman 75mm gun was just not able to penetrate the frontal protection of a Tiger at any range, and needed to close in for a side or rear shot for any chance at knocking out a Tiger tank.

While all that is well and true, it has to be remembered that Sherman tanks needed to be very transportable, not just crossing the English Channel, but starting their journey all the way in the United States before travelling across literal oceans to fight in European or Pacific Theaters.

Given the entire purpose of the German E-series was to create streamlined designs that were easier to mass produce and less prone to mechanical failure, we thought this was a perfect opportunity to put the shoe on the other foot, and give the E-series of tanks more varied stats than just increasing their power over existing designs such as the Panzer VII Lion or Panzer VIII Maus.

But rather than work our way up, let’s start big with the E-100 and work our way down!



First off, we have the E-100 Heavy Tank. Before we talk about the tank, let’s compare its stats to the existing Panzer VIII Maus:



So right away, we can see there is a bit of give and take going on here. While the E-100 has undeniably weaker attack and defensive values with a higher prestige cost doubling the existing Maus, it also has an incredibly low slot cost, even lower than a Tiger I. And compared to the venerable old Tiger I, the new E-100 has superior stats in every category except Soft Attack!

Like the Huckebein we saw before, the E-100 is a vehicle we want to coexist alongside existing German Heavies in the 1946 campaign. While a tank fleet of Lions or Maus with respective CORE slots weighing in at 9 and 10 will VERY quickly eat up your slot limit, the slightly leaner E-100 is a very combat effective alternative with a much lighter logistical footprint on your forces. Of course, it does carry that insanely high prestige cost to purchase (and repair!) so better make sure you grab a few bonus objectives to pay for your shiny new E-series tanks.

We’ve had the E-75 in Panzer Corps 2 for a while now, so we’ll move ahead to the E-50.



Where the E-100 might be considered a streamlined Maus, and an E-75 is a refined and upgrade Tiger II, the E-50 is definitely a next generation Panther tank.

With very similar stats to the new Panther II we introduced previously, the E-50 comes in at a shocking 4 CORE slots, giving it the logistical footprint of a late model Panzer III M! So if you want something with Panther speed and power but the slot cost of a Panzer III, the E-50 is your weapon of choice. Just keep in mind, this sleek and streamlined tank platform might struggle against the heaviest American equipment, as your E-50 has become the ocean travelling design while something like an American Longstreet is a heavy beast that is made to defend the land it was built on!



Further down the line, we have the E-25, an anti-tank platform in the E-Series.



Like the E-100 and Maus comparison, the E-25 faces a similar relationship with the existing Jagdpanther. The Jagdpanther’s stats definitely far exceed the relatively diminutive E-25. Our one saving grace for the E-25 is that it comes in at half the slot cost of the Hunting Panther, and that makes it a very cheap and reliable vanguard unit that you can deploy en masse, as you can literally deploy twice as many E-25s as you can Jagdpanthers. And compared to the workhorse StuG IIIG, the E-25 is a pure upgrade in every sense, including a lower slot cost than the StuG IIIG.

Lastly, we have the E-10, another anti-tank platform.



Like the Hetzer, a similar lighter self propelled anti-tank design, the E-10 somewhat struggles to find its place amongst bigger and more lethal platforms like the Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger. Even so, this unit serves its role as a slot inexpensive unit to deploy, the perfect sort of unit for protecting distant objectives that need a watch over, as slot expensive units are ill-spent on garrison duty type tasks. Expect to see the E-10 a few times in this defensive role, and there’s definitely one very specific scenario the E-10 and E-25 absolutely shine in, but we don’t want to spoil that particular battle! Let’s just say it’s the kind of battle you want a... expendable delaying force to take the brunt of enemy attacks, instead of risking your elite veteran units in their big slow Jagdtigers or Maus in such a dangerous position.

Up next we’ll look at a few non-German Axis units starting with one very special piece of...

Nationalist Spanish Aid

As with the Second World War proper, the role of Nationalist Spain is going to be extremely limited in Axis Operations 1946. But we have not forgotten about Germany’s Spanish allies, and so their contribution to 1946 comes in the form of a very special and original concept tank made exclusively for Panzer Corps 2: the Verdeja 3!



So basically the story goes in our Alternate Timeline is that, much like in our History, Germany shared the spoils of captured Allied equipment with its fellow Axis Nations. While Nationalist Spain ostensibly remained neutral in the Second World War, we thought they could lend their aid to Axis Operations 1946 by marrying the hull of their Verdeja 2 design with a new turret taken from stocks of captured Soviet KV-85s.

And I have to say, I think the hull size and shape looks very cool with this larger KV-85 turret on it!



One more thing we should note, the Verdeja 3, given its Spanish origins, is not available for purchase as a normal unit during Axis Operations 1946. So how do you get a Verdeja 3? I’d start looking at some Elite Objectives if you want to get your hands on this very special reward! Did I mention it has some pretty insane stats?



The only way we could keep stats this good and slot cost that low was to make it available in limited amounts and also place the unit behind the wall of Elite Objective completion!

Japanese Units in 1946



So joining Japan in a mutual Axis invasion on the Western Coast of the United States is a little bit of a conundrum. We listened to Spanish Civil War feedback, and we’ve opted to NOT make Japan an AI controlled ally that you need to heavily rely upon. As interesting and thematic as that concept was for the Spanish Civil War, we have to agree it was frustrating for players to rely on a unit as critical as infantry in the hands of an AI ally you could only give vague instructions to. Either way, such a relationship between Germany and Japan would be inappropriate for 1946, so we’re approaching them a little bit differently.

You’ll see Japanese AI units in several scenarios, especially early on as the Japanese Combined Fleet assists in naval operations at the start of the invasion. But these units have their own orders and instructions, and it should not interfere with your Primary, Bonus, or Elite Objectives.

Here for example, we see the newly produced Nagato Class Battleship, in all of its super-sized model glory!



To use your own Japanese units, well we also wanted to keep that door open, and so we made acquiring a few new Japanese units possible through Elite Objective rewards. Have fun finding out what kind of rewards are sprinkled throughout the multitude of Elite Objectives present in practically every scenario of Axis Operations 1946!

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed these previews of so many of the new units arriving alongside Axis Operations 1946. This campaign has been an absolutely monumental work of total passion to produce, and we’re incredibly eager to get it into your hands to enjoy very soon!

Get ready for Axis Operations 1946, launching November 30th:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393021/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1946/

Hello again Gamers!

As Axis Operations rapidly approaches its November 30th launch date, we have yet more previews to share with you. Today I want to talk about the new three tier objective system, and we’ll look at the new hardware employed by the Americans to resist the Axis invasion.

Revamped Objective System

So there are actually four items to get into regarding this system. First and foremost, because it is so often requested, we’re happy to say that for players who do NOT enjoy fighting against the clock, practically every single of Axis Operation 1946’s huge 30 scenario campaign will allow you to DISABLE the mission timers if you prefer to play without this time pressure element.



To properly support this style of gameplay, we had to revamp Panzer Corps 2’s objective system, which we’ll get into right now.

Primary Objectives:

These are the traditional bread and butter objectives that fans of the Panzer General series have come to know and love: Battle for territory control as you advance your armies across the United States.



These objectives are required for campaign progression, and are designed to be manageable for all players. Note that as soon as your Primary Objective is completed, the current scenario will end, so if you want to hunt for bonuses, you will need to prioritize accomplishing them before completing your Primary Objective!

Bonus Objectives:

Different from previous Axis Operations bonus objectives, 1946 bonus objectives are locations that are off the beaten path. Players looking to scour for extra prestige resources will find abundant bonus objectives to pursue to make sure their Panzer Corps is well maintenanced and ready for combat.



These objectives have been designed with one and only one concept in mind: To give you, the player, better control over your prestige resource.

In the past, prestige has generally been an automatic function. You get a set allotment to begin a given scenario, and you’re expected to make do with that, generally having little control during the scenario to manipulate this number. A scenario might give a per turn prestige allotment, but again, this number is out of player control. So a player swimming in tens of thousands of prestige just keeps accumulating more, but a player who is starving and out of prestige would have no recourse to get their CORE back in fighting condition if the scenario allotments were inadequate for their gameplay style/difficulty settings.



By putting prestige rich bonus objectives into every single scenario, players will be able to better exercise a measure of control over their resource management. Players who have abundant prestige might have the freedom to not divert their forces to secure these bonuses they don’t need, while a prestige starved player has a vital lifeline they should absolutely prioritize going after if they need more resource injections!

All bonus objectives are purely optional.

Elite Objectives:

These objectives are designed to be tackled by veteran players with deeply imported CORE forces. Expect to see brutal enemy hero combinations, massively overstrengthed enemies, and potentially much worse...



But the rewards for these brutal elite objectives will always be special units that you can otherwise never acquire via normal purchasing. If you ever want to deploy your own Atomic weaponry, additional Landkreuzers, and other special equipment, you better be prepared to earn them through elite objective completion!



All elite objectives are purely optional.
We hope you’re looking forward to 1946’s revamped objective system, and now on to some new units!

American Armor

We’ve already covered several new American aircraft that will appear in the 1946 campaign, so today’s focus will be on new American armored forces. One thing to note is that when you see a name in parenthesis (), it means it is a designation that is original to Panzer Corps 2’s Alternate History Timeline!

We picked these names to give more personality to new American tanks, without them merely being referred to as M number or T number. No one calls the most iconic American tank an M4, everyone says Sherman tank! And in American naming traditional, all of the names we picked are derived from American Civil War Generals.

First up we’ll look at a new recon vehicle, the M38 Wolfhound.



The Wolfhound was designed to serve as a direct upgrade over the venerable M8 Greyhound. Though it still carried the same 37mm main gun as the Greyhound and Chaffee, it was thought that a larger ammunition capacity and massively improved sloped armor would afford much greater staying power to the Wolfhound compared to the thinly armoured Greyhound.

While only a few prototypes were ever actually built before the end of WWII ended Wolfhound production, in this Alternate History, the Wolfhound serves as the premier US recon vehicle of the 1946 conflict.

M6A1 Heavy Sherman



The so-called Heavy Sherman is actually a very early war design from 1941, being an attempt to design and create an American Heavy Tank. Like many early war heavy tank designs such as the German Neubaufahrzeug or Soviet T-35, it proved to be very underwhelming. By 1946, the main 76mm gun was woefully obsolete, so it is unlikely the few tanks of this type you will encounter will pose much of a threat.



Watch out for the upgunned M6A2E though, marrying the protection of a Heavy Sherman chassis with a 90mm main cannon is a serious threat.

T14 (Sumner)



Joining the ranks of Panzer Corps 2’s 1 range Close Support Tanks, we have the T14 Sumner. As is typical for an Assault Tank, extreme levels of protection combined with support fire capabilities characterize the Sumner. While nothing will approach the insane levels of a Sturmtiger, the Sumner provides the Americans with a solid vehicle with roughly the performance profile of a German Brummbar.

We choose the name Sumner for this CS tank after Union General Edwin Vose Sumner, who despite his advanced age, was apparently quite the tough cookie!

T21 (Pickett)



The primary light tank of the American forces in the 1946 campaign, the T21 Pickett acts like a Chaffee on steroids, with improved protection and a larger 76mm main cannon. While not any serious threat to the likes of a German Maus or E-100, these speedy light tanks can certainly be dangerous if they manage to outflank your heavy panzers and attack your infantry and artillery forces. As the Pickett is classified as a tank, it trades away the recon movement of the Chaffee for the ability to perform overrun attacks.

We choose the name Pickett for this light tank after Confederate General George Edward Pickett, who is infamous for leading Pickett’s Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg.

T23 (Sheridan)



While we are well aware there is already a Sheridan vehicle in our history, the M551 Sheridan is a 1960 vehicle design, so applying the name in this Alternate History of 1946 leaves it quite available to use in defense of a United States just fighting to survive to get to the 1960s intact!

The T23 Sheridan is basically a Super Sherman, acting as a solid medium tank platform produced in large quantities. Expect to encounter this vehicle everywhere in the 1946 campaign, as the Americans phase out their older Shermans in favour of this new and improved medium tank.

From internal testing, this tank was definitely a favourite for re-use as captured equipment, thanks to its well balanced stats and superior movement speed capabilities.

We choose the name Sheridan for this medium tank after Union General Philip Henry Sheridan, who is infamous for his scorched earth tactics against the South.

T29 (Longstreet)



As you noticed by now, we don’t have many new American ultra heavy tanks on roster for 1946. The Super Pershing, T28 Super Heavy, and T34 Heavy cover this niche quite well, all three of those tanks already well ready to go toe to toe with the likes of a Panzer VII Lion or Panzer VIII Maus. The T29 Longstreet is not a design meant to power creep even further over the likes of the T34 heavy, it is meant to be a lesser, but still very potent, American heavy tank adversary. The Longstreet rides the line between slow 3 and 4 speed heavy tanks and the swifter 6 speed light and medium tanks with a comfortable 5 move speed, while still boasting defense values that firmly put it in the heavy tank category.

We choose the name Longstreet for this heavy tank after Confederate General James Longstreet, second-in-Command to the honorable General Robert E. Lee.

M40 (Johnson)



The last vehicle we’ll be covering today is an anti-tank self propelled gun, the M40 Johnson. This unit serves one purpose and one purpose alone, to make absolutely certain the American possess an anti-tank weapon more than capable of harming the heaviest of the new German heavy tanks. Even the mighty Maus will suffer significant damage if it attempts to engage a target protected by the anti-tank support of a Johnson.

This overwhelming power comes in the form of a dedicated 155mm cannon that has no alternate artillery swap mode. Additionally, the Johnson is very vulnerable with a paltry ammo total of just 2, and it also lacks serious armor protection. Think of it as a super charged Nashorn; very lethal in ambush, but very vulnerable when under direct fire.

We choose the name Johnson for this anti-tank unit after Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, a capable but often overlooked figure during the Civil War.

Conclusion

We hope you all enjoyed this reveal on just some of the new vehicles being added to Panzer Corps 2 for its upcoming 1946 Axis Operations campaign. Just remember these are just a few of the new designs being added to Panzer Corps 2, and there are even more coming that we have not covered today!



So be ready for even more American equipment to be included and don’t forget to add Axis Operations 1946 to your wishlists as it is quickly approaching its November 30th launch!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2393021/Panzer_Corps_2_Axis_Operations__1946/