Do you want to watch Agrippa Maxentius play Order of Battle: Blitzkrieg live and get a chance to win free keys for the Order of Battle DLCs?

Then look no further! Follow us on www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup on Friday March 3rd at 5 pm CET / 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST!

We'll run a quiz on World War II knowledge: answer correctly and you'll get a chance to win free keys for the Order of Battle DLCs!

Do you want to watch Agrippa Maxentius play Order of Battle: Blitzkrieg live and get a chance to win free keys for the Order of Battle DLCs?

Then look no further! Follow us on www.twitch.tv/slitherinegroup on Friday March 3rd at 5 pm CET / 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST!

We'll run a quiz on World War II knowledge: answer correctly and you'll get a chance to win free keys for the Order of Battle DLCs!

Today we have decided to take a more in-depth look at the next DLC in the Order of Battle series: Kriegsmarine.


Why the Kriegsmarine?


Well, mostly three reasons.
First, the upcoming Skirmish Mode has several naval maps available. By giving Germany an extensive roster of naval units, the nation can be also used on these types of maps.
Second, we haven't had meaningful naval combat in any campaign since the release of the original Pacific War content. The Kriegsmarine DLC allows us to revisit this aspect of the game and gives us the opportunity to tweak and add gameplay mechanics to make naval warfare even more exciting.
Third… very few strategy games cover the Kriegsmarine in an extensive way. While its historical role was fairly small in comparison to the air and land battles waged by Germany, it none the less allows us to add a lot of exciting new units, scenarios and features to the game. It is an incredibly fascinating subject, and we felt it’d make for a unique and original DLC.


Unique situations and scenarios.

In the years before the start of the war, the Germans had big plans for their fleet. Through extensive building programs specified in "Plan Z", they envisioned to match the British Royal Navy by 1945. The Kriegsmarine campaign visits alternative history in which these plans are turned into reality.

It starts with historical battles such as the actions around the Norwegian coast, U-boat attacks on Allied convoys and the clashes with the Royal Navy. From there on it moves toward more "what-if" content, offering alternative history where Germany invests much more resources into its Navy. This allows large naval clashes with both the British and American navies toward the end of the campaign, as well as the possibility to build a powerful carrier fleet.



Fw 200, CV Jade, AV Greif, Bf 109 T, CL Königsberg, DD Type 1934, Ar 196, CV Graf Zeppelin, Ju 87 C


Original challenges.


Because the amount of units is lower than in land-based scenarios, each ship plays a vital role. And while land units can receive reinforcements quite easily, repairing a ship requires either the presence of a port or a repair ship. Mistakes that lead to heavy damage or the loss of a capital ship will thus have a big impact on each battle and the campaign as a whole.
The wide-open areas of sea and ocean, covered by fog of war also provide a constant feeling of tension and uncertainly. With the threat of hidden submarine attacks and unexpected carrier-based air strikes the tide of battle can turn quickly. All this adds an exciting game of "hide and seek" to naval warfare, and makes effective reconnaissance vital for success.


New units and mechanics.

One of the new mechanics introduced in this update is that battleships fire their main guns through a special ability. While the default attack uses smaller calibre secondary gun armament, this new ability gives access to the high range and massive hitting power of the main battery. Similar to torpedo attacks however, it has a cooldown of one turn, meaning you have to think carefully when to fire the big guns and against what. Combined with different firing animations from both the primary and secondary gun attacks, this certainly makes battleships feel more unique in the upcoming update.
Another one of my personal favorites is the Bussard-class seaplane tender. This ships carries a big crane in the rear and a rail-mounted catapult system along the deck for launching and maintaining large flying boats and floatplanes. It can be used as a sort of "pre-carrier" when combined with Heinkel He 59 floatplanes armed with bombs or torpedoes.


Scharnhorst, Bismarck, He 59, Bussard



Specializing.


The German naval expansion program of Plan Z is one of the unique specializations available in the KM campaign. It increases the amount of deployable naval units in scenarios and adds a one-time resource boost. More importantly however, it unlocks access to both the Flugzeugträger and Schlachtschiffe specializations. The first gives early-war access to the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier and carrier-based aircraft types, while the second allows the construction of H-class battleships and O-class battlecruisers to compete with late-war allied counterparts.
To reflect the unreliable German torpedoes in the opening years of the war, a "Torpedo Improvements" ability is also available. This increases the damage potential of all torpedo attacks, bringing them to the same level as the British variants.
Besides these, a whole range of previous specializations such as Flight School, Naval Academy, Drop Tank and Damage Control are also available.


(Support Ship), BB Deutschland, U-boat Type VII, U-boat Type XXI, BB H-class, BC O-class, U-boat Type IX, (BB Bismarck)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/563210/

Today we have decided to take a more in-depth look at the next DLC in the Order of Battle series: Kriegsmarine.


Why the Kriegsmarine?


Well, mostly three reasons.
First, the upcoming Skirmish Mode has several naval maps available. By giving Germany an extensive roster of naval units, the nation can be also used on these types of maps.
Second, we haven't had meaningful naval combat in any campaign since the release of the original Pacific War content. The Kriegsmarine DLC allows us to revisit this aspect of the game and gives us the opportunity to tweak and add gameplay mechanics to make naval warfare even more exciting.
Third… very few strategy games cover the Kriegsmarine in an extensive way. While its historical role was fairly small in comparison to the air and land battles waged by Germany, it none the less allows us to add a lot of exciting new units, scenarios and features to the game. It is an incredibly fascinating subject, and we felt it’d make for a unique and original DLC.


Unique situations and scenarios.

In the years before the start of the war, the Germans had big plans for their fleet. Through extensive building programs specified in "Plan Z", they envisioned to match the British Royal Navy by 1945. The Kriegsmarine campaign visits alternative history in which these plans are turned into reality.

It starts with historical battles such as the actions around the Norwegian coast, U-boat attacks on Allied convoys and the clashes with the Royal Navy. From there on it moves toward more "what-if" content, offering alternative history where Germany invests much more resources into its Navy. This allows large naval clashes with both the British and American navies toward the end of the campaign, as well as the possibility to build a powerful carrier fleet.



Fw 200, CV Jade, AV Greif, Bf 109 T, CL Königsberg, DD Type 1934, Ar 196, CV Graf Zeppelin, Ju 87 C


Original challenges.


Because the amount of units is lower than in land-based scenarios, each ship plays a vital role. And while land units can receive reinforcements quite easily, repairing a ship requires either the presence of a port or a repair ship. Mistakes that lead to heavy damage or the loss of a capital ship will thus have a big impact on each battle and the campaign as a whole.
The wide-open areas of sea and ocean, covered by fog of war also provide a constant feeling of tension and uncertainly. With the threat of hidden submarine attacks and unexpected carrier-based air strikes the tide of battle can turn quickly. All this adds an exciting game of "hide and seek" to naval warfare, and makes effective reconnaissance vital for success.


New units and mechanics.

One of the new mechanics introduced in this update is that battleships fire their main guns through a special ability. While the default attack uses smaller calibre secondary gun armament, this new ability gives access to the high range and massive hitting power of the main battery. Similar to torpedo attacks however, it has a cooldown of one turn, meaning you have to think carefully when to fire the big guns and against what. Combined with different firing animations from both the primary and secondary gun attacks, this certainly makes battleships feel more unique in the upcoming update.
Another one of my personal favorites is the Bussard-class seaplane tender. This ships carries a big crane in the rear and a rail-mounted catapult system along the deck for launching and maintaining large flying boats and floatplanes. It can be used as a sort of "pre-carrier" when combined with Heinkel He 59 floatplanes armed with bombs or torpedoes.


Scharnhorst, Bismarck, He 59, Bussard



Specializing.


The German naval expansion program of Plan Z is one of the unique specializations available in the KM campaign. It increases the amount of deployable naval units in scenarios and adds a one-time resource boost. More importantly however, it unlocks access to both the Flugzeugträger and Schlachtschiffe specializations. The first gives early-war access to the Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier and carrier-based aircraft types, while the second allows the construction of H-class battleships and O-class battlecruisers to compete with late-war allied counterparts.
To reflect the unreliable German torpedoes in the opening years of the war, a "Torpedo Improvements" ability is also available. This increases the damage potential of all torpedo attacks, bringing them to the same level as the British variants.
Besides these, a whole range of previous specializations such as Flight School, Naval Academy, Drop Tank and Damage Control are also available.


(Support Ship), BB Deutschland, U-boat Type VII, U-boat Type XXI, BB H-class, BC O-class, U-boat Type IX, (BB Bismarck)

http://store.steampowered.com/app/563210/

Order of Battle returns to its roots with this DLC and it expands to the icy waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, pitting the Kriegsmarine against the might of the Royal Navy and its allies.

Order of Battle: Kriegsmarine features a subject rarely touched upon by other games and never with such level of detail: you will follow the German navy in its years-long campaign to challenge the Allied supremacy of the sea.

This will put you in situations which you’ve never faced before in the Order of Battle series. You will fight as the underdog and support land operations, perform convoy-raiding missions, lure enemy ships into deadly ambushes and make extensive use of submarines. Fight through historical and what-if scenarios alike and demonstrate you are the real master of the seas!

The game will feature iconic ships such as the Bismarck and the Scharnhorst, introduces a wide range of submarines, naval bombers, flying boats, gun boats, destroyers, cruisers, and it’ll be even possible to make use of the Graf Zeppelin carrier!



Kriegsmarine will start its beta soon. We are looking for willing and active beta testers to help us finding bugs and give us suggestions. We need your help, so if you’re interested click here and join the beta.
This beta will also be the first testing phase of the new skirmish mode, a much-anticipated feature in Order of Battle.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/563210

Order of Battle returns to its roots with this DLC and it expands to the icy waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, pitting the Kriegsmarine against the might of the Royal Navy and its allies.

Order of Battle: Kriegsmarine features a subject rarely touched upon by other games and never with such level of detail: you will follow the German navy in its years-long campaign to challenge the Allied supremacy of the sea.

This will put you in situations which you’ve never faced before in the Order of Battle series. You will fight as the underdog and support land operations, perform convoy-raiding missions, lure enemy ships into deadly ambushes and make extensive use of submarines. Fight through historical and what-if scenarios alike and demonstrate you are the real master of the seas!

The game will feature iconic ships such as the Bismarck and the Scharnhorst, introduces a wide range of submarines, naval bombers, flying boats, gun boats, destroyers, cruisers, and it’ll be even possible to make use of the Graf Zeppelin carrier!



Kriegsmarine will start its beta soon. We are looking for willing and active beta testers to help us finding bugs and give us suggestions. We need your help, so if you’re interested click here and join the beta.
This beta will also be the first testing phase of the new skirmish mode, a much-anticipated feature in Order of Battle.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/563210

This new update is fixes some bugs experienced by the community.

Version 2.9.8 Patchnotes:

- Compatibility issue with older savegames solved
- German localisation issues fixed
- French text improvements (thanks to V72)
- Initialisation of some specializations fixed
- Scrambling specialization only affects fighters
- Turn report popup can display more than 5 specialisations through the addition of scroll buttons
- Abort airdrop if target hex is occupied and no alternatives are available
- When undeploying an aircraft carrier, air command points for any aircraft inside are correctly refunded
- L3 now tank instead of recon
- Scenario tweaks & fixes: Norway, Greece, Smolensk, Dunkirk
1v1 Dubno map fixes
- Editor: Tooltip displays the carried unit's name when hovering over a transport unit

This new update is fixes some bugs experienced by the community.

Version 2.9.8 Patchnotes:

- Compatibility issue with older savegames solved
- German localisation issues fixed
- French text improvements (thanks to V72)
- Initialisation of some specializations fixed
- Scrambling specialization only affects fighters
- Turn report popup can display more than 5 specialisations through the addition of scroll buttons
- Abort airdrop if target hex is occupied and no alternatives are available
- When undeploying an aircraft carrier, air command points for any aircraft inside are correctly refunded
- L3 now tank instead of recon
- Scenario tweaks & fixes: Norway, Greece, Smolensk, Dunkirk
1v1 Dubno map fixes
- Editor: Tooltip displays the carried unit's name when hovering over a transport unit

Blitzkrieg, the latest expansion for Order of Battle: World War II, is out now on Steam!

It brings Order of Battle to the main European theater, and for the first time in the whole series you’ll be in command of the fearsome German armed forces.

Covering the first two years and a half of World War II, you’ll first test your mettle against Poland in the September of 1939, then it’ll be Denmark and Norway, followed by an invasion through Belgium and to the heart of France. After a brief detour to the Balkans and Greece, it’ll then be the turn of launching the biggest invasion of history against Soviet Union…

We wanted to take on the European theater with a bang: adding over two hundred new units and several new core armies, Blitzkrieg is a massive expansion. The Artistocrats studio worked hard to feature the blitzkrieg strategies properly in this campaign. Play through 12 accurately balanced and detailed scenarios and test your strategic ability against a greatly enhanced AI. Only brilliant and organized commanders will prevail!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCf2Ehy40VM

Blitzkrieg is accompanied by a patch to the base game, and it introduces two main features: the Specialization System and the Import Tool.

Now you’ll be able to win points by winning missions and completing secondary objectives, points you can spend in a specialization tree in order to customize your army and unlocking new unit types. And the best news is that every single campaign now has a specialization tree, even those which previously didn’t, like Winter War!

With the new Import Tool, you’ll be able to carry over your core army from one campaign to the next. Right now it’s only possible with the Boot camp linked with the American campaign, and the two japanese campaigns Morning Sun and Rising Sun. We are obviously looking forward to link Blitzkrieg with future German campaigns.

Those two main features come with a ton of fixes and balance changes. You can read the full changelog here.

What are you waiting for then? The tanks’ engines are roaring – get Blitzkrieg now!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/528620/

Blitzkrieg, the latest expansion for Order of Battle: World War II, is out now on Steam!

It brings Order of Battle to the main European theater, and for the first time in the whole series you’ll be in command of the fearsome German armed forces.

Covering the first two years and a half of World War II, you’ll first test your mettle against Poland in the September of 1939, then it’ll be Denmark and Norway, followed by an invasion through Belgium and to the heart of France. After a brief detour to the Balkans and Greece, it’ll then be the turn of launching the biggest invasion of history against Soviet Union…

We wanted to take on the European theater with a bang: adding over two hundred new units and several new core armies, Blitzkrieg is a massive expansion. The Artistocrats studio worked hard to feature the blitzkrieg strategies properly in this campaign. Play through 12 accurately balanced and detailed scenarios and test your strategic ability against a greatly enhanced AI. Only brilliant and organized commanders will prevail!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCf2Ehy40VM

Blitzkrieg is accompanied by a patch to the base game, and it introduces two main features: the Specialization System and the Import Tool.

Now you’ll be able to win points by winning missions and completing secondary objectives, points you can spend in a specialization tree in order to customize your army and unlocking new unit types. And the best news is that every single campaign now has a specialization tree, even those which previously didn’t, like Winter War!

With the new Import Tool, you’ll be able to carry over your core army from one campaign to the next. Right now it’s only possible with the Boot camp linked with the American campaign, and the two japanese campaigns Morning Sun and Rising Sun. We are obviously looking forward to link Blitzkrieg with future German campaigns.

Those two main features come with a ton of fixes and balance changes. You can read the full changelog here.

What are you waiting for then? The tanks’ engines are roaring – get Blitzkrieg now!

http://store.steampowered.com/app/528620/