Back in business, commander!

In today’s post, we take a look at the two unique Aces which will ship with the new Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics History Expansion. Who? Nothing less than the most decorated German serviceman, Colonel (Oberst) Hans-Ulrich Rudel, and the veteran General Major Georgiy Nefedovich Zakharov.

Steel Division 2 Aces

As with our previous History Expansions for Steel Division 2, two Aces will be featured with Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. These special gold-rimmed units are unique: they are commanded by real-life war heroes and feature special in-game camouflage patterns to set them apart from their regular counterparts.

Note: our Ace units don’t offer any gameplay advantage over their vanilla versions.

Colonel (Oberst) Hans-Ulrich Rudel

That’s right, Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature one of the most famous German fliers of World War II and the most decorated to boot: the renowned ground-attack pilot Hans-Ulrich Rudel. He is the only recipient of the unique Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, an ultra-rare medal intended for the 12 most distinguished servicemen of the Third Reich, to be awarded after the war’s end. Only Rudel received his; U.S. forces confiscated the rest.



As a pilot, Rudel was most famously known as a tank buster, even though he only started flying fighter-bombers in 1941 at the start of Operation Barbarossa. Before this date, he was merely an air observer flying long-range reconnaissance missions. Having retrained as a Stuka pilot, Rudel was famously credited for sinking the moored Soviet battleship Marat of the Baltic Fleet, in an attack during the initial invasion of the Soviet Union in September 1941.

He took part in many famous battles, including Operation Typhoon - the failed German offensive aimed at taking Moscow - Stalingrad, Kursk, Crimea, Romania… and Operation Doppelkopf. During the war, he was credited with destroying hundreds of tanks and vehicles, several ships and landing craft, and over 150 artillery guns. These victories didn’t come easy: Rudel was shot down or forced to land around 30 times, including several occasions behind enemy lines.



In January 1945, he was downed a final time, resulting in the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Still, Rudel crawled back into the cockpit, flying again with an artificial leg in the last months of the war, being credited with destroying a further 26 tanks.

Next to flying - and surviving - over 2500 attack missions and becoming the most decorated German serviceman, Rudel will be forever associated with designing the dedicated anti-tank plane Ju-87G “Panzerknacker” a Stuka with two 37mm anti-tank guns under its wings. During the Cold War, American designers would use his memoirs and input to create the legendary A-10 Warthog attack plane.

In Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Rudel will fly his trademark Ju-87G Stuka.

General Major Georgiy Nefedovich Zakharov

Our second Ace is the highly decorated veteran General Major Georgiy Nefedovich Zakharov - the flying General. As a volunteer, he flew his first combat missions (with biplanes) during the Spanish Civil War. He continued to fly, rather unusually participating in the Chinese-Japanese War (before it became part of World War II), where he crash-landed far from home. Zakharov had to wait three days with a shattered arm before being rescued and taken to a hospital.



In 1941, as one of the most experienced pilots and commanders of his generation, he was promoted to Major-General at 33. Despite his high rank, he kept on flying, making as many kills as he did after becoming General as he did flying before. During the Battle of Kursk in 1943, he became the commander of the 303 IAD fighter division, which he would lead up until the end of the war.

This formation became famous due to the inclusion of the Free French Normandy regiment. In 1945, when the French pilots were released from service, they were each gifted personally a Yak-3 fighter by Stalin in person. Zakharov took direct command of them, leading the pilots on their last journey back to France.



Zakharov’s plane was decorated with a horse-mounted lancer slaying a snake with the face of Goebbels. Having shot down ten planes across 150 sorties, our flying General was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. At the same time, in France, he received the Legion d'Honneur and was made an honorary citizen of Paris in recognition of his achievements during the war.

In Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Zakharov will be found piloting a Yak-3 fighter.

What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics is the latest in-depth History Expansion. It will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

Do you want to know more about the new Divisions? Be sure to check out various Versus articles:

• The first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus takes an in-depth look at the two Armored battlegroups featured: the Panzerverband Strachwitzcheck and the 19-y Tank Corpus.
  
• The second Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus dives deep into the two Mechanized battlegroups: Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and Rezerv 43-y Armii.
  
• The third Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus puts the spotlight on the Infantry battlegroups with the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. and the Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin.
  
• The ultimate Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus highlights two special battlegroups from Army Group North theater of operations:
  the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” and the 7. Eesti Laskurdiviis (7th Estonian Rifle Division).

See you next week

And that’s a wrap! Let us know what you think. We always listen!

If you want to reach out to us, you can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you next week, commander!

Hello!

We have arrived at the latest Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post. Two slightly different battlegroups will take today’s center stage: the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” and the Red Army’s 7. Eesti Laskurdiviis (7th Estonian Rifle Division).



In comparison to the other Versus formations previously featured, which all fought during Operation Doppelkopf, the two divisions highlighted today were located further north, in Army Group North’s area of responsibility.

Specifically, both the ”Nordland” and the 7th Estonian Rifle Division took part in the hard-fought Battle for Narva campaign, including the infamous Battle of Tannenberg Line.

In case you’ve forgotten:

• The first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus takes an in-depth look at the two Armored battlegroups featured: the Panzerverband Strachwitzcheck and the 19-y Tank Corpus.
  
• The second Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus dives deep into the two Mechanized battlegroups: Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and Rezerv 43-y Armii.
  
• The third Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus puts the spotlight on the Infantry battlegroups with the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. and the Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin.

Historical Background

The Battle of Tannenberg Line forms the second phase of the larger Battle for Narva campaign fought from February to August 1944 in Estonia. This particular battle was preceded by the Battle of the Narva Bridgehead, concluded by July 1944. The struggle focused on the strategically important Narva Isthmus, which provided a way into the northern Baltic country for the Red Army’s Leningrad Front. The narrow battlefield was fiercely defended by a motley collection of Axis troops, including various SS formations which included Scandinavians (part of Nordland) to Dutchmen, Belgians, Estonians, etc. That’s why the Battle of Tannenberg Line is sometimes called the The Battle of the European SS.



This particular engagement was brutal, with near-constant attacks and heavy artillery bombardments from the Red Army, and an almost desperate defense from the Axis troops involved. Exhausted, the Soviets called a halt after horrendous losses and only negligible results. Considered a German tactical victory at the conclusion of this hard-fought battle, which finished around the same time Operation Doppelkopf kicked off further south.

The German victories were short-lived, however. Later Red Army offensives in September overran the defensive lines, which forced the evacuation of the Baltics, including Estonia, and resulted in the pocket at Courland and the siege of Memel.

11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland”

Built around an existing Nordic SS regiment (from “Wiking”) but expanded on a low budget, the 11. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” had to make do with whatever equipment was around. For instance, while this division was supposed to have both a separate Panzer-Abteilung (with Panzer IV or StuG) and a Panzerjäger-Abteilung (with StuG), it never fought with the latter, and all the StuG were concentrated in the Panzer-Abteilung. Nordland was one of the SS volunteer divisions, housing a large contingent of Scandinavian SS troops in its ranks.

Nordland fought mostly with the III. SS-Panzerkorp: around Leningrad and Narva, where it was ordered to defend as long as possible. The division made its famous stand at Tannenberg Line, where it withstood countless attacks. Having held back the enemy, it was moved to Riga but arrived too late to play a significant role in the last phase of Operation Doppelkopf.

During the campaign in the Baltics, it managed to acquire left-over materiel from units sent back to Germany to be refitted. That’s how a dozen worn-out Panthers found their way in Nordland's arsenal. No Panzergrenadier-Division was supposed to field Panthers, which made the SS formation unique. Nordland's workshops worked around the clock to keep these older tanks running.

Some of the Panthers were used as fixed, dug-in positions. This will be represented in-game as a new Panther-Stellung defensive position in Breakthrough mode!

Nordland’s main features

A battlegroup pockmarked by near-constant fighting, Nordland’s equipment might not be state-of-the-art but features plenty of choices.

• The Recon category is one of the strongest for this battlegroup, with several good options including Puma and Schwedenzug. The latter is the grouping of the few remaining Swedes of the division into the same platoon: this is featured in-game as a heavy recon squad equipped with PPSh, SVT, and twin MG-34.
  
• The Infantry category is pretty classic but shines in the number of open slots and their low costs. Due to battlefield conditions and limits of supply, half of the PzGrenadier are armed with the older MG-26 LMG.
  
• Only a few tanks are available. These include Panther D, StuG III and several StuG IV, but all come with combat experience.
  
• The Stuka zu Fuss, a unique fire support vehicle, is featured in the Support category, which is a combination of a SdKfz. 251/9 half-track (with short 75mm) and Wurframen with a 280mm rocket!
  
• One of the drawbacks of the battlegroup can be found in the AT category. With the divisional Panzerjäger-Abteilung having never been formed, the player can only rely on regimental guns, for a good part captured Soviet 45mm or ZiS-3, as well as only a handful of Beute SU-76M.
  
• The anti-aircraft and artillery units are pretty standard for a Panzergrenadier-Division. A noteworthy unit is the Vielfachwerfer MLRS.
  
• Air forces on call are limited, with only a few fighters and Stuka dive bombers available. However, the Arado 234 B-2, the first jet bomber, became active around the summer’s end and could range as far north as Lithuania. As such, this new fast “recon bomber” has been added as a counterpart to the new Soviet Yer-2 bomber.
  
• The other dug-in Panther-Stellung fixed defensive structure is featured in the Defensive category.

It might not be the hardest hitting battlegroup, but Nordland offers plenty of flexibility, allowing you to adapt quickly to most situations and opponents.

7. Eesti Laskurdiviis

The Soviet 7th Estonian Rifle Division was an integral part of the Red Army, under the umbrella of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps. This overarching command also contained another Estonian rifle division (the 249th) and the 45th Estonian Tank Regiment. Formed in 1942, this corps participated in some of the Eastern Front’s bloodiest battles: Leningrad, Velikiye Luki, before participating in the offensive aimed at breaking through at Narva. The formation suffered heavily, in both manpower and equipment, during the war years.

Mostly incorporating ethnic Estonians and officers from the pre-war Republic of Estonia’s Army, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a regular Soviet rifle division, but with all its Estonian troops fully voiced!

During the Battle of Narva in 1944, the 7th Estonian Rifle Division directly engaged the Estonians fighting for the Waffen SS. Later, the division’s troops were one of the first to enter the Estonian capital of Tallinn, for which the units received the name of the city as a battle honor.

7. Eesti Laskurdiviis’ main features

The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is featured in-game as it was when spearheading the assault towards Tallinn at the end of September. This means that we have also incorporated elements from supporting formations, such as the 45th (Estonian) Tank Regiment, the 952nd (Soviet) SU Regiment, and remnants of the 152nd (Soviet) Tank Brigade.

• The battlegroup’s recon forces are decent, with rather typical choices and unit availability.
  
• The soldier squads are what you can expect from a regular Soviet rifle division. However, there are fewer regular riflemen and more of the new Cherno squads. These are gang-pressed Estonian recruits, picked up along the campaign trail to make up for battlefield losses, and as such, carry the Disheartened trait.
  
• The 7th Estonian Rifle Division can call on a fair share of tanks, including Estonian T-34/76 and Soviet T-26, KV-1S and Churchill IV. Only the last slots are expensive.
  
• A noteworthy new unit can be found in the Support tab: SMERSH counter-espionage units. These are larger in-game squads, made up of nine military police soldiers. These replace the regular NKVD squads.
  
• One of the drawbacks of this battlegroup is the limited availability of its anti-tank forces, with only 45mm guns and a few SU-76 PT and SU-85 deployable.
  
• Likewise, the AA units are few and far between, with a small number of slots and a high price for each. You’ll get Quad Maxim and 37mm pieces to defend yourself from air attacks.
  
• The 7th Estonian Rifle Division can deploy a sizable amount of artillery units (including some Soviet ones) with usual complement of mortars, 76,2mm and 122mm howitzers, 152mm off-map and Andryusha 300mm MLRS.
  
• The battlegroup can also call on a good mix of air forces, such as fighters, close air support planes, as well as the new Yer-2 long-range bombers (which can also found in Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkina).

The 7th Estonian Rifle Division is a battlegroup geared towards being used on the defensive, even though it lacks sizable AT forces. It compensates this with a strong air force and fielding more tanks than a typical Soviet rifle division.

What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

See you next week

That’s it for this week. We are keen to hear what you think!

If you want to reach out to us, you can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello commander!

Welcome to a new Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post! Today, we will take a look at two Infantry battlegroups featured in our upcoming new History Expansion.

It is time to put the spotlight on the German 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. and the Soviet Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin.



A quick reminder:

• Our first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post detailed two Armored battlegroups: Panzerverband Strachwitzcheck and 19-y Tank Corpus.
  
• The second Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus dives deep into two Mechanized battlegroups: Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and Rezerv 43-y Armii.

52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V.

52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V might be a bit less glamorous compared to some of the other Axis battlegroups we featured, but this security division played an important role during the war. Keeping the rear clear, supplies moving, hunting partisans, or providing guard duty against potential seaborne or airborne raids were all part of the tasks given these Sicherungs-Division.

While perfect for quieter sectors, these formations were mostly made up of older reservists with obsolete or old equipment to match. Combat effectiveness was accordingly very low. The 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V was built up from the regular 52. Infanterie-Division, which fought in France and Russia before being virtually annihilated in 1943 on the Eastern Front. Reconstituted as a training and security division, the 52. Sicherungs-Division lived on, being positioned in Baranovichi. For Steel Division 2 veterans this place should ring a bell as it was the objective for Operation Bagration’s southern pincer which was featured as one of the original Army General campaigns.

Once again, this division was almost completely destroyed. From its ashes, 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V was hastily formed and sent to the Baltics.

The z.b.V means zur besonderen Verwendung - for “special purposes”. This signified that the formation’s structure was closer to an HQ unit, with officers and communication equipment, but no actual combat troops under its command. When the Soviets broke through and reached the Gulf of Riga, several scattered units were placed under 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. These formations included the 603. Sicherungs-Regiments, Kampfgruppe Böge which managed to retreat all the way from Vitebsk, SS-Kampfgruppe Hierthes and its Latvian SS troops with FlaK guns, and Regiment Mäder with a unique mix of Lithuanian (TAR) volunteers, battle-hardened instructors, Fallschirmjäger veterans, and other security troops.

52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V.’s main features

This battlegroup fields a wide array of soldiers and is phase-locked to represent the combat evolution of the 52 Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. during Operation Doppelkopf.

• A large variety of different combat troops can be deployed in Phase A, with a motley collection of SS-Polizei and Lett. Hilfspolizei (Latvian auxiliaries), TAR (Lithuanian) units, Kriegsmarine Flaktruppen, Sicherungs and regular Grenadier units, Lett. Legionäre (Latvian SS) and even elite Feldjäger (elite Feldgendarmerie) and Fallschirmjäger.
  
• These soldiers are backed up by mostly light AT, medium artillery and a few FlaK guns but not a single armored vehicle is available in Phase A.
  
• Following in the wake of Panzerverband Strachwitz allowed the 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. to claim a large amount of Soviet captured war booty in Phase B.
  
• This Red Army materiel, left by the Tukum garrison, includes 45mm, 76,2mm and even ZiS-2 57mm AT guns. In case of the ZiS-2, it is their first use as a Beute unit by the Germans. Additionally, captured 122mm howitzers can also be put to good use.
  
• Arriving too late to join Panzerverband Strachwitz’s race towards Riga, Panzerbrigade 103 becomes available later during a game. Several recon Panther tanks will be available from Phase B, but the rest of the force, including Panther, Jagdpanzer IV and Panzergrenadiers can only be deployed starting in Phase C.
  
• The battlegroup has access to a decent number of Air slots, with a typical selection of Luftwaffe planes. A new unit is Do 217-K1 bomber variant.

52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. shows some similarities with the Korück 559, including the variety of troops and units on offer, but differs in being phase-locked. As such, it is weaker in Phase A before becoming increasingly stronger in Phase B (thanks to Soviet captured equipment) before witnessing a giant boost in armored firepower in Phase C with the arrival of Panzerbrigade 103.

Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin

Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin represents the depleted 103rd Rifle Corps, plus some additional units, commanded by general Fedyunkin. Having fought its way from the start of Operation Bagration at Polotsk to the Gulf of Riga, by the time of Operation Doppelkopf, 103rd Rifle Corps was on its last legs.



The idea that the Red Army could sacrifice an endless stream of green recruits to stem the tide might have been a reality in the early war years, but by summer’s end in 1944, manpower shortages were a real issue. As such, care was taken to limit losses. While Guard divisions were brought back up to full strength as soon as possible, secondary formations had to keep fighting at half-strength for extended periods.

Pulled out of the line and placed in reserve, Fedyunkin’s weak corps had little time to rest as it was rushed to the front to fend off Grossdeutschland’s strong attack in the Šiauliai sector. The 5th Tank Army was ordered to reinforce Fedyunkin by any means necessary, which amounted to just 17 serviceable T-34/85 tanks. Luckily, several heavy gun pieces were able to be moved up, including MT-13 super-heavy mortars and BS-3 heavy AT guns, just the thing needed to repel the advancing Panzers.

Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin’s main features

To represent the unusual composition of Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin, with its amalgamation of various depleted formations and featuring only two battle-weary divisions, we have adapted the official “reduced” Soviet Table of Organization and Equipment.

• The core infantry power comes from this battlegroup’s Strelki squads, with no Strelki (DP) nor Strelki (SVT) available.
  
• The Strelki Komroti are replaced with Stelki Komroti (PTR), a larger 6-men command squad with SVT and PTRD anti-tank rifles.
  
• A new Strelki (DT) squad, representing combat veterans as a 7-men squad with PPSh, SVT, DT machine-gun, and Molotov cocktails.
  
• Several armored units provide additional firepower to the Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin including Emcha and T-34/85 obr. 43 in Phase A.
  
• A small number of T-34/85 obr. 1944 can be deployed from Phase B - these represent the 5th Tank Army’s historical reinforcements.
  
• Some SU-122 from Phase A and ISU-152 from Phase B.
  
• A wide array of AT guns and SU-85 from Phase A. From Phase B, two new units can be deployed: the first operational BS-3 heavy anti-tank gun together with the new YA-12 tractor. This new 100mm AT gun provides the Soviets with a PaK 43 equivalent, slightly inferior in penetration but doubling as a howitzer, much like the ZiS-3.
  
• The new MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortars can be found in the Artillery tab.
  
• Aviation assets include several close air support fighter-bombers. The last remaining Yer-2 long-range bombers flying from Smolensk can also be used.

The Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin is a battlegroup with few reconnaissance units and only a moderate amount of tanks. Where it shines, however, is its infantry, support, AT, and artillery guns. It fields enough firepower to mount limited attacks but is best used on the defensive.

What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

Until next week!

Don’t forget: we have recently launched Nemesis: Battle of Rimini. Get it while it’s still hot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1477780/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_3__Battle_of_Rimini/

If you want to reach out to us, you can do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander.

FEATURES:

• adding a new invite system by code: once inside a multiplayer lobby, you can send a code to a friend to bring him in.
  
• adding the ability to add friends from other platforms (Steam, GoG, Wargaming).
  
• being kicked from a loobby is now considered a ban from it, preventing one to return immediatly

FIXES :

• fixing the APCR cycling exploit: now deactivating the current ammo box (APCR or AP) will immediatly trigger a reload of the other before firing. Besides, switching from an armored (treated with AP/APCR) target to a soft (treated with HE), or the opposite, will also trigger a reload of the proper ammunition.
  
• fixing air reinforcement point Krupki 3v3 & Ilomantsi 1v1 Breakthrough
  
• fixing OSNAZ traits (doublon Radio remplaced with Raider)
  
• fixing Zwiad Konny & Chernyie Bushlaty's number of weapons to match the number of soldier
  
• fixing the Sissi optics/stealth
  
• fixing the Panzer L6(i)'s ammunition loadout
  
• fixing Schwarzlose's spelling
  
• fixing the Reihenwerfer's smoke rounds, which had retained the HE rounds' damages
  
• fixing Morsk. Razvedka's weapon number
  
• fixing graphical issues with the T-26 tracks
  
• fixing a bug preventing M2HB & DShK heavy MG to Fire on Position.
  
• the protection against team change spam doesn't affect solo skirmish lobby anymore

GENERIC:

• setting the price of all commanders in non-armoured vehicle at 100
  
• setting the price of all commanders in armoured vehicle without main gun (<20mm) at 120
  
• setting the price of all infantry commander at 110, but KIVÄÄRI (PKOM) at 115.

ALLIES:

• normalizing Sherman II/M4A2 CMD's availability and veterancy at 2/4/6 (number of cards changed accordingly)
  
• M15 halftrack's availability changed from 1/2/4 to 2/4/- or 2/4/8 depending on original availability. Cards changed accordingly.
  
• decreased SPITFIRE LF Mk. IXe’s speed & roll rate
  
• Saperzy no longer have access to (recon) Universal Carrier
  
• normalizing the SOD's veterancy ratio
  
• normalizing Konnaya Razvedka's veterancy ratio
  
• decreased T-34/85 KOMBAT's price from 160 to 150
  
• increased M4(75) COMMANDER (US & French)'s price from 145 to 150
  
• increased RAM II COMMANDER's price from 130 to 140
  
• nerfing the IS-1's hull rotation speed (forgotten with KT/IS patch)
  
• nerfing the KV-8's hull rotation speed (forgotten with KT/IS patch)
  
• ZiS-3 & SU-76's APCR rounds now have the same suppress value as AP rounds (forgotten from last patch)
  
• (15Scots) Churchill IV CMD's availability changed from 3/4/5 to 2/4/6
  
• (15Scots) AEC Mk.III's veterancy ratio fixed

AXIS:

• decreased Bewährungs.'s price from 35 to 25
  
• decreased Reitende Jäger's price from 25 to 20
  
• increased BEF. PANZER III K's price from 110 to 120
  
• increased PIKKU-SOTKA (PKOM)'s price from 115 to 120
  
• adding radio trait to FJ GrW. 81mm Kurz
  
• Romanian T-4 & T-4 Cercere's HEAT rounds now have the same RoF as AP one
  
• (14Inf) Kanonnier now have access to Kubel. MG
  
• (20Pz) adding Horch 108 as transport option for Stosstrupp
  
• (3FJ) INF slots changed from 1/1/1/2/2/2/2/3/3/4 to 1/1/1/1/1/2/2/2/3/4
  
• (1Blindata) OB. 1936 105mm howitzer can now have the supply Skoda 6 ST-6 as transport option

Good to see you again so soon, commander!

Hot on the heels of our Recap of 2020 post earlier this week, we return to our regular schedule with a brand-new Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus.

Today, we’ll be looking at two Mechanized battlegroups to be featured in our new History Expansion: the renowned Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” and the Soviet Rezerv 43-y Armii.



A quick reminder: the first Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus post detailed two Armored battlegroups. Be sure to check it out here.

Nemesis: Battle of Rimini Launches Today

Before we dive in: today is also the launch of Nemesis: Battle of Rimini. This is our third Nemesis DLC. Get it while it’s hot!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1477780/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_3__Battle_of_Rimini/

Nemesis: Battle of Rimini allows you to:

• Gain command of two brand-new battlegroups playable either in skirmish or online multiplayer: the veteran 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division and 2nd New Zealand Division.
  
• Access new units such as the British Bristol Beaufighter heavy fighter, Greek Martin Baltimore bomber, German (captured) Re.2005 fighter, as well as various new infantry units such as Oplites Greek mountain infantry, and New Zealand Maoris.
  
• Take control of one new Ace, the Greek lieutenant Marinos Mitralexis, one of the first WW2 pilots to be credited with a kill by ramming in 1940. He is featured with his Spitfire Mk.Vc.

Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland”

First up, the renowned and arguably one of the most famous German divisions of World War II: the Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland”. The Wehrmacht’s fighting elite, this division was Nazi-Germany’s equivalent of the old Imperial Prussian Guard, with state-of-the-art equipment and fielding only the best soldiers.



Starting as a ceremonial regiment, the “Grossdeutschland” became the propaganda poster boy for all the German armed forces, and in the course of the war, bummed up from regiment to motorized infantry division, to Panzergrenadier division, to a Panzerkorps (essentially a super-sized division) in the last months of the war. This formation fought in many noteworthy battles, including the Battle of Stonne during the invasion of France in 1940, the Battle of Kursk in 1943, the first Battle of Targu Frumos in Romania in early 1944 (the second battle was featured in our Steel Division 2: Black Sunday), and after refitting, sent north to the Baltics to take part in Operation Doppelkopf.

Although classified as a Panzergrenadier division, it was actually better equipped and more powerful than any contemporary Wehrmacht or SS Panzerdivision, thanks to some “special features” including no less than three (the norm was one) tank battalions, a StuG battalion for extra measure, six infantry battalions (a large number transported in armored half-tracks), four artillery battalions (including one self-propelled), four Pioneer companies, and much more.



It’s clear that Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” is a heavy-weight brawler, and even this late in the war, it was supremely dangerous on the battlefield. However, the brutal combat on the Eastern Front also eviscerated this formation. Barely 900 men survived the onslaught in the Baltics, and later East Prussia, before managing to escape to Germany proper to surrender to the British.

One of them was the German-Alsatian volunteer Guy Sajer, who wrote about his combat experience with this division in his book, The Forgotten Soldier.

Grossdeutschland’s main features

How to best describe the Grossdeutschland? Refitted and relatively fresh, this battlegroup is lavishly equipped with the latest materiel. There is ample choice in every category, except in one: the air force. Plane choices are few, with lots of slot restrictions. When you fight as the Grossdeutschland, you’ll have to do without any real air support.

• A bunch of new units can be found in this battlegroup. First off is the Aufklärungspanzer 38(t), a light recon tank, built like a Hetzer on surplus obsolete Panzer 38(t) chassis.
  
• The PaK 41 75mm Gerlich: the largest anti-tank gun designed on the squeeze bore principle firing a high-velocity tungsten (APCR) round. Highly accurate and with devastating penetration, it also has some drawbacks: less damage and limited range.
  
• The Grossdeutschland will also feature the new SdKfz. 251/9 Ausf. D fire support and the SdKfz. 251/17 Ausf. D AA/AT from Panzerverband Strachwitz.
  
• The new SdKfz. 251/21, which is a fire support half-track fitted with triple 15mm AA MGs. It can be used as close range AA support and as a transport vehicle.
  
• New infantry units, including the Sturmgrupp, which is an 8-man squad equipped with MP-44s and a Panzerfaust. There will also be a Sturmgrupp (MG) variant, which features a MG-42 plus AT grenades, as well as a 2-man command squad of Sturmgrupp Führer.
  
• All regular Grossdeutschland infantry units will be duplicated in order to feature the division’s specific uniforms, including camouflage, cuffs, etc.

The Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” is going to feel like its historical counterpart: an elite battlegroup, well-rounded, and a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Rezerv 43-y Armii

The Rezerv 43-y Armii (43rd Army’s Reserve) battlegroup is the result of an amalgamation of several independent regiments and battalions. As such, this reserve formation did not actually fight under one unified command during the Baltic operations. Instead, each individual unit was dispatched depending on the circumstances on the ground. Regardless, for ease of gameplay and in the name of fun, you can now find them as a whole under 43rd Army’s Reserve banner.

A special unit is the 36th Penal Battalion: unlike previous Shtrafniki, which were from penal companies, this is a full penal battalion. This means that all its soldiers are former officers, very eager to recover their rank (and the privilege that comes with it). For those who are interested in the historical background of these Red Army penal units, we cannot recommend more highly the following book Penalty Strike: The Memoirs of a Red Army Penal Company Commander.



The parent formation, the 43rd Army, was a field army formed in 1941 and participated in the Battle of Smolensk and later, the Battle of Moscow. It fought in the second Battle of Smolensk in 1943, before participating in Operation Bagration and advancing into the Baltic Region. After Operation Doppelkopf, 43rd Army kept up combat operations in the region, breaking into Third Reich proper with the East Prussian Offensive in early 1945.

Rezerv 43-y Armii’s main features

The combination of all the various independent regiments and formations makes up for a heavy-hitting mechanized battlegroup. While the 43rd Army’s Reserve might lack recon forces and artillery units, it features a sizable amount of tanks, backed up with strong air support.

• This mechanized battlegroup is made up of several tank brigades (the 10th Tank Brigade, 34th Gds. Tank Brigade and the 143rd Tank Brigade), the bulk of their arsenal consisting of T-34/76 with smaller numbers of T-34/85 being deployable in Phase B onwards.
  
• The 2nd Gds. Independent Heavy Tank Rgt can deploy the IS-2 for heavy firepower during the later stages of a match. The 377th Gds. SP Artillery Rgt. is on call with the SU-122 and SU-152.
  
• Furthermore, expect lots of engineers and flamethrower units thanks to the 5th Sapper Brigade.
  
• One of the specific features of this battlegroup is that most of its infantry squads will field SMG with only a few rifle units.
  
• The officer Shtrafniki is a new unit which features the same composition as a regular penal squad but due to the high-ranking members carries the Fanatical trait. The same goes for the new Avto. Shtrafniki (officers) which is a 15-men squad (also Fanatical fully equipped with SMGs (PPSh-41 & 43) and AT grenades.
  
• Lots of bombers, close-support, and tank buster planes will be on call with the 43rd Army’s Reserve.

The 43rd Army’s Reserve can pack a punch on the assault with a strong variety of medium and heavy tanks, SMG squads, and engineers, as well as bombers and close air support planes. It lacks support and artillery units to do well in a defensive battle, however.

What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?

In case you missed our reveal: Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 1 gigantic new 10v10 map, the largest map ever to be included in Steel Division 2.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

New Protosszocker SD2 League Kicking Off Soon!

Before we bid you adieu, one last thing!

The most excellent Protosszocker is back organizing a new Steel Division 2 League. The start date for the competition is February 13th, and you can sign up until February 9th.

If you want to compete, and see who reigns supreme as the best Steel Division 2 player, don’t hesitate to sign up. Find more information here.

We are always keen to hear what you think.
Reach out to us through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

Take care, commander!

Hello commander!

That’s right, welcome to a bit of a surprise! We wanted to look at all the good things that came out of Eugen’s workshop in 2020, and we realized we need a separate, dedicated DevBlog post to really do this justice.

Much like we did last year, we are going to highlight all the DLCs and bigger expansions we released for Steel Division 2 in 2020. No small feat in an otherwise challenging year for all, so let’s celebrate it together!

Our regular blog post schedule continues as usual, so expect a new Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics Versus article this Thursday.

January to March

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254980/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_6__Auto_Deployment/

In February, we released our first free DLC of the year: Reinforcement Pack #6. This DLC introduced the Auto Deployment mechanic, which greatly sped up deployment not only in our Army General campaigns but also during Skirmish matches.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1236360/Steel_Division_2__The_Fate_of_Finland/

What came before was just an appetizer. In March, we released the History Expansion: Steel Division 2: The Fate of Finland. This was the second of the three paid expansions we promised to deliver within one year of Steel Division 2’s launch.



Steel Division 2: The Fate of Finland features:

• 6 new Divisions, including unique Finnish formations. As the Axis, play with Panssaridivisioona, the Ryhmä Raappana, and the 122. Infanterie-Division. As the Allies receive access to the 126-y L. Gornostrelkovy Korpus, the Podv. Gruppa Vyborg, and the 358-ya Strelkovy Div.
  
• 1 new massive Army General campaign - Tali-Ihantala - as well as two new Historical Battles, The Last Battle and Fate of a Nation.
  
• A host of new units, such as the BT-42 assault gun, the multi-turreted T-28 tank, the Finnish T-26E, the fast BT-7 and the state-of-the-art ISU-122S. Take to the skies with warplanes such as the Polikarpov I-153 biplane, the lend-lease P-40 Kittyhawk, the Italian-made Fiat G.50 or the Finnish-designed VL Myrsky.
  
• 2 new Aces: Eino “Illu” Juutilainen and his Me-109 G-2/R1 fighter, and Alexander Bilyukin with his lend-lease P-39N Aircobra.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254990/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_7__Rules_of_Engagement/

We also released another free DLC in March: Reinforcement Pack #7. This DLC brought you the new Rules of Engagement mechanic, allowing you to fine tune the default behavior of units when executing certain types of orders.

In April, we brought you the Reinforcement Pack #8 re-introducing an often-requested points-based game mode from Steel Division: Normandy 44: Destruction.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1254991/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_8__Destruction_Mode/

Not only that, but we also rolled out several improvements to the Army General mode, including a new way to display a pawn’s strength, new unit pawn labels, and an improved Autoresolve panel.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1307600/Steel_Division_2__Tribute_to_DDay_Pack/

A whole bunch of good stuff came in June, with our commemoration of the invasion of Normandy on June 6th including a brand-new DLC for Steel Division 2, Tribute to D-Day, featuring 6 original divisions from Steel Division: Normandy 44.



This DLC brings:

• 6 new divisions, including the Polish 1 Dywizja Pancerna, the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, and the 6th British Airborne. For the Germans, you’ll get the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, the 12. SS-Panzerdivision “Hitlerjugend”, and the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen”.
  
• A comeback of fan-favorite units such as the M18 Hellcat tank destroyer, Cromwell and Tetrarch tanks, “Beute” Firefly tank, Fallschirmjäger, U.S. Rangers, and more.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1307590/Steel_Division_2__Reinforcement_Pack_9__Army_General_Versus/

We also released the free Reinforcement Pack #9 in the month, bringing you Army General Versus, introducing 1v1 online battles to Army General.



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1348670/Steel_Division_2__Black_Sunday/

You’d think the summer would be quiet. Guess again! In August, we released the third and final of our originally announced History Expansions: Steel Division: Black Sunday.



Steel Division 2: Black Sunday features:

• Experience the Jassy-Kichinev offensive into Axis Romania during World War 2 with 2 brand-new Army General strategic campaigns, each focussing on one of the massive pincers of this Soviet assault in August 1944.
  
• 6 new divisions, including the Romanian 1 Blindata “România Mare”, the 5 Cavalerie Motorizatâ, and the Division 4 Munte. As the Allies, play with the 7-y Mekh. Korpus, the 3-ya VDV Div. or the Morsk. Gruppa Bakhtina.
  
• Over 150 new units, such as the TACAM T-60, the Resita AC 75mm AT gun, Vanatorul de Care R-35 tank destroyer, Italian license-built JRS-79B bombers and IAR-80M fighters, off-map MLRS rocket BKA riverboats, repurposed SU-76i tank destroyers, and T-80s tanks.
  
• 2 new Aces: the Romanian tank buster Lazar Munteanu and Konstantin Dmitrievich Denisov.
  
• Update how your units look with over 15 new Camouflage Skins, from official French early war patterns for the R-35 or the Moscow 1942 air defense markings for a Spitfire Mk VB fighter.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/988171/Steel_Division_2__History_Pass/

An easy (and discounted) way to access all three of the original, Year 1 History Expansions is to get the Steel Division 2: History Pass. This pass grants you Steel Division: Death on the Vistula, Steel Division: The Fate of Finland, and Steel Division: Black Sunday.

We were not done yet! Moving towards the tail-end of 2020, we started to launch the first of our new Nemesis DLC. These smaller expansions feature a pair of new divisions, with new units, as voted on by you, the community. Each Nemesis DLC is the result of three voting rounds, with only the most popular DLC option to be released.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1405650/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_1__Sandomierz/

The first Nemesis DLC was decided on by us, and launched in October for free. Nemesis #1: Sandomierz Bridgehead featured the German 16. Panzerdivision and the Soviet 97-ya Gv. Strelk. Div. It also brings the new Königstiger (H) and Razveddozor unit, as well as 1 new Ace, Aleksander P. Oskin and 1 alternative Camouflage Skin for the 1 Königstiger (H).



https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418230/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_2__Lvov_Offensive/

And in November it was time for our first player-voted Nemesis DLC, Nemesis #2: Lvov Offensive. This mini expansion brought the German 20. Panzergrenadier-Division and the 10. Gv. Tank. Korpus, as well as 1 new Ace, Helmut Bruck. This Nemesis DLC and also features a variety of new units including Bef.Tiger (P), Elefant, Panzer V/IV, T-5 Pantera, Flakpanzer T-34(r), among others.

What happens next?

We are still mighty busy with lots of new things. 2021 is promising to blow 2020 out of the water - that’s for sure! What are we working on?

We have recently revealed a brand-new History Expansion, Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. It will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 1 gigantic new 10v10 map, the largest map ever to be included in Steel Division 2.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1477780/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_3__Battle_of_Rimini/

Don’t forget: Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is coming your way. The launch of this Nemesis DLC is on January 28th!

Until Thursday!

We are back again this Thursday with a regular post. Let us know what you think.
If you want to reach out to us, do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Back in action, commander!

As promised in the last week’s reveal of Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics, we’ll be taking an in-depth look today into the first pair of new divisions to be featured in our new History Expansion.

We’ll follow the same Versus format as we did with Steel Division 2: Black Sunday. Each new division is paired and divided into several categories: Armored, Mechanized, Infantry, and Special.

This week, we’ll be highlighting awesome tank power with the two new Armored battlegroups: Panzerverband Strachwitz for the Axis and 19-y Tank Corpus for the Allies.

Historical Context

A quick recap of the strategic situation of Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. By July 1944, the Soviets have reached the Gulf of Riga, cutting off Army Group North (in the Baltics) from Army Group Center (Latvia and Lithuania, and further south). Recognizing the critical need to reestablish a link, the Germans immediately organize a counter-attack: Operation Doppelkopf. This offensive will turn out to be the last major victory for Nazi-Germany on the Eastern Front.

Panzerverband Strachwitz

Panzerverband Strachwitz was an ad hoc armored formation made up of two existing Panzer Brigades, brought together right before the start of the counter-offensive. Commanded by the colorful Hyacinth Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz, also known as the (equally cool) Der Panzergraf (“The Panzer Count”), a large variety of tanks can be found in this battlegroup.



During Operation Doppelkopf, Panzerverband Strachwitz proved instrumental in the offensive’s success. It broke through the Soviet lines, outmaneuvering and forcing the surrender of a much larger enemy force at Tukums, capturing useful military stores, and reaching Riga with Der Panzergraf leading from the front every step of the way. The heavy cruiser “Prinz Eugen” provided timely fire support from the nearby Gulf of Riga, devastating Red Army positions with accurate naval artillery bombardments.

Panzerverband Strachwitz’s main features

A very offensive battlegroup, Panzerverband Strachwitz contains a unique mix of units and vehicles, including a varied selection of tanks, from obsolete training variants to brand-new Panther A and G tanks, as well as captured Soviet T-34/85. There is more on offer: from truck-borne Panzergrenadier troops to armored scout cars and half-tracks, SS units, Latvian artillery, and the awesome fire support of the “Prinz Eugen.”

• The battlegroup features a very strong armored core, made up from Panzer-Brigade 101, and SS-Panzer-Brigade Groß. This means the player can command a large variety of different tanks, such as Panzer III, Luchs, StuG, Panzer IV, and several Tiger E.
  
• Infantry can also be found in various flavors, including normal Grenadier or Panzergrenadier variety, transported by truck or half-track.
  
• Heavy reconnaissance units, including the new Erkundung unit. A heavy recon pioneer squad it deploys together with the new SdKfz. 251/1 Ausf. D.
  
• To reflect the shiny new toys brought by Panzer-Brigade 101, we’ve further modeled the SdKfz. 251 Ausf. D half-track, detailing the variety of sub-variants in a more accurate way.
• This includes the new SdKfz. 251/1 Ausf. D Erkundung recon variant, a new SdKfz. 251/9 Ausf. D full fire support variant, carrying more ammo than its original counterpart, including HEAT rounds, and a new SdKfz. 251/7 Ausf. D. This last version is both an AA and 20mm AT transport vehicle, being able to carry an Infantry Leader squad.
  
• A huge booty of Soviet war materiel was captured during the offensive, including tanks. This allows Panzerverband Strachwitz to have access to several Beute T-34/85 from Phase B onwards.
  
• Off-map artillery is provided by the Prinz Eugen, which can deploy its Ar 196 A-3 (a brand-new model) floatplane for accurate fire missions using its 203mm naval guns.
  
• Good air support is also available to this battlegroup, thanks to a strong detachment of Panzervogel Stuka (Ju-87 with 2x37mm AT guns) and bombers. A new bomber is also featured: the Do 217E-4, a new variant of the Do 217.

Great on the attack, Panzerverband Strachwitz features a variety of tanks, cheap slots, good tank-busting air support, and powerful off-map naval artillery. It’s not as strong on the defensive, with restricted AT and AA slots and choices, as well as only an average mix of ground artillery units.

19-y Tank Corpus

Formed in the dying days of 1942, the 19-y Tank Corpus (19th Tank Corps) fought on the Bryansk Front, and in the combat that followed for many hard months, was almost wiped out. The formation kept fighting, taking part in the counter-offensives at Kursk. Attached to the 4th Ukrainian Front, it took part in the Dniepr Offensive, then the follow-up Operation Melitopol which brought the Red Army back to Crimea. Heavily reinforced with assault guns and flamethrower tanks (some retained until the end of the war), the corps distinguished itself well by liberating Sevastopol.

Once again brought under the reserve of the Soviet High Command (Stavka), the 19-y Tank Corpus was refitted entirely with T-34/85 by June 1944. While not taking part in the opening battles of Operation Bagration, it was used to exploit the breakthrough at Vitebsk, fighting its way through Lithuania and Latvia, right up to the Gulf of Riga.



Worn-out and depleted of supporting infantry, the 19-y Tank Corpus was the only immediately available armored reserve formation in the area. As such, it managed to counter the German attacking spearheads. Reinforced with various artillery troops and other armored units, the corps bought valuable time for the 5th Tank Army to be rushed to the front. Surviving the offensive, the 19-y Tank Corpus remained in the Baltics, fighting to reduce the Courland Pocket until the end of the war.

19-y Tank Corpus’ main features

Being held in reserve, the 19-y Tank Corpus is an armored battlegroup, equipped with T-34/85, focused on defensive operations with a broader choice of artillery and AA units. It does feature more restricted numbers of tanks and infantry.

• A classic Soviet tank corps, this battlegroup features a host of T-34/85. Due to its reserve status, the 19-y Tank Corpus has access to only a limited amount of TANK and INF slots and cards.
  
• The formation can call on a detachment of heavy tanks for additional armor support, which comes in the form of the KV-85.
  
• In support, OT-34 flamethrower tanks can be found, as well as a few heavy SU-152.
  
• The 19-y Tank Corpus can call on plentiful of AA and Artillery units, including heavy AA guns, Katyusha launchers, 152mm guns and even 203mm howitzers.
  
• Air support is typical for similar Allied battlegroups, but features a new unit, the lend-lease American B-25J-30, a heavily modified bomber doubling as a close support plane, armed with seven forward-facing .50 cal machine guns.

It might lack the armored punch normally seen with comparable battlegroups, but the 19-y Tank Corpus makes up for this by being more than flexible on the defensive, thanks to its support, AA, and artillery units.

What can you expect from Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics?

In case you missed our reveal last week: Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:

• 1 massive new Army General campaign set in the Baltics during Operation Doppelkopf, allowing you to take command of either the attacking Axis 3. Panzerarmee or the defending Allied 1st Baltic Front.
  
• 8 new Divisions, playable solo, coop, or in multiplayer, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 divisions from Army Group North’s theater of operations.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Ar 196 A-3 floatplane, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 1 gigantic new 10v10 map.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

Until next week!

Don’t forget: Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is coming your way. The launch of this Nemesis DLC is on January 28th!

If you want to reach out to us, do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Welcome back!

Without any further ado: the next History Expansion for Steel Division 2 will be Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics!

We shared the key art for Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics in last week’s post, and some of you correctly surmised that we would bring the action to the north and feature the hard-fought (and pretty much last) major, successful German counter-offensive on the Eastern Front.

What can you expect from our next expansion featuring Operation Doppelkopf?

Keep reading to find out more!

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics takes place in, you might have guessed it, the Baltics. To be exact: our new History Expansion features Nazi-Germany’s last big counter-attack, Operation Doppelkopf, which kicked off in August 1944, in the region south of Riga, the Latvian capital. The offensive’s aim? To re-establish communications between Army Group Center (holding on to parts of Lithuania and Latvia) and Army Group North (cut-off and fighting further north of Riga).



Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature:

• 1 massive, new Army General campaign.
  
• 8 new Divisions, including 6 which took part during Doppelkopf and 2 Divisions from Army Group North.
  
• 120+ new units, including a variety of new models such as Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) recon tank, Soviet MT-13 160mm super-heavy mortar and the BS-3 100mm heavy AT gun.
  
• 1 gigantic 10v10 map, as well as the new Very Small map edit.
  
• 2 new Nations: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies) and 2 new Aces.

Please note that Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics is NOT included in the Steel Division 2 - History Pass. This History Pass grants you access to the original three History Expansions:

• Steel Division 2: Death on the Vistula
  
• Steel Division 2: The Fate of Finland
  
• Steel Division 2: Black Sunday.

New Army General Campaign - Operation Doppelkopf

Let’s look at the historical background of Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. The Wehrmacht is reeling from the massive blows inflicted during Operation Bagration. In the northeast, the Baltics, the German defensive lines have crumbled.

Having punched through the German lines, a Red Army spearhead reaches the Baltic shoreline in the Gulf of Riga by the end of July, west of the Latvian capital.

This severs the connection between the Wehrmacht’s Army Group North and what is left of Army Group Centre. Reestablishing this link becomes the prime objective of Operation Doppelkopf: one of the last, major victorious Axis offensives on the Eastern Front.

Having turned their attention to Riga, the Soviets are besieging the city. The covering and flanking troops are stretched thin, but the mighty Red Army, even though tired, is still a force to be reckoned with. At this critical point, the Germans group together elements from no less than five Panzerdivisionen, one Panzergrenadier-Division (the mighty “Grossdeutschland”), and one armored Kampfgruppe. That’s a mighty powerful armored fist!

For once, it is the Soviets that are taken by surprise. The Red Army’s delaying actions are moderately successful, buying critical time for emergency Allied armored reinforcements to be brought up from the rear. However, the Germans push through. After heavy combat, including artillery support from Kriegsmarine cruisers in the Baltic Sea shelling enemy positions, the German troops managed to establish a tenuous link with Army Group North.



The victory (and the coherent front that comes with it) is short-lived. Less than two months later, the Red Army attacked again. In the resulting Memel Offensive Operation, the Soviets manage to reach the Baltic Sea once more. This time, the German forces in the Baltic States are cut off for real, and for the remaining of the war, a sizable portion of German formations are held up in the Courland Pocket and at a bridgehead at Memel.

In the new Army General campaign of Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics, you’ll take command of either the 3. Panzerarmee or 1st Baltic Front. And this time, the traditional roles on the Eastern Front are swapped around: the Axis attack, and the Allies are put on the defensive.

Eight New Divisions

All of the following divisions, playable in all solo, cooperative or multiplayer modes, will be extensively detailed in future blog posts.

The Axis

• Panzerverband Strachwitz - Armored
  
• Panzergrenadier-Division “Grossdeutschland” - Mechanized
  
• 52. Sicherungs-Division z.b.V. - Infantry
  
• 11. SS-Freiw.Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland” - Part of Army Group North

The Allies

• 19-y Tank Korpus - Armored
  
• Rezerv 43-y Armii - Mechanized
  
• Podv. Gruppa Fedyunkin - Infantry
  
• 7-ya Strelkovy Div. (Est.) - Part of Soviet operations further north.

Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will feature two brand-new nations, fully voiced: Lithuania (Axis) and Estonia (Allies). We haven’t forgotten Latvia, though. Troops from this nation were fighting as part of the Waffen-SS, and as such will be featured as fully voiced, unique German unit (in the same vein as French LVF or Italian SS-Legionari).

Two new Aces will also be included in Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. They will be highlighted in a future blog post.


That’s it for the reveal of Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics. Be sure to check in next week: we’ll start with highlighting key details of our new History Expansion, including in-depth looks into each individual division.

Lest we forget: Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is coming your way. The full launch of this Nemesis We’ll be releasing our new Nemesis DLC on January 28th. Be sure to grab it when it launches!



If you want to reach out to us, do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Welcome to 2021, commander!

Happy New Year to all! We are glad you made it. Let’s hope that 2021 will be infinitely more kick-ass than the last (rather crappy) year. At Eugen, we are damned sure to do our part in achieving that lofty goal, at least when it comes to everything related to Steel Division 2 .

How? Well, keep on reading to find out what we have in store for (early) 2021!


What can you expect from us this year? As a matter of fact, lots of things. From the very start, we pledged to keep working on and supporting Steel Division 2. We aim to continue to do this for the foreseeable future.

There is plenty of things in the Eugen pipeline, including one or two super secret things we are working on, not ready yet to be shown in the public light. Who knows, who knows…

What we can talk about is:


Yup, that’s it. We hear you (extremely loud and clear, don’t you worry), and we are going to expand the roster of maps currently featured in Steel Division 2. This means:

• We are putting the finishing touches on the previously announced urban map. Check out the deets in our previous post here. Expect some challenging house-to-house combat in this new urban map, which mixes semi- and dense urban terrain. When will it come? Soon, we promise!
  
• We are working on a new dedicated 10v10 map. This new map will use all the available space to its fullest extent, meaning that there will be no leftover terrain on either side. As such, it will feature the largest playing area of all maps.
  
• We are also working on providing a Very Small edit of existing maps. This will allow them to be played more comfortably during 1v1 or Tactical games.

Moving forward, we’ll introduce the possibility to create (and search) for 6v6 games. Not only that: we will also present an option for players to create their own 10v10 private servers.


One of the gameplay elements we wanted to improve was an armored warfare overhaul (tank and anti-tank combat ranges). We are still working on this. Providing more realistic engagement ranges, including reducing some of the effective combat ranges of various tank guns, takes a bit longer than expected.

In case you’ve forgotten: this new take on armored warfare aims to reduce the amount of inconclusive engagements at extreme ranges, with armor exchanging fire without any result. Our new approach introduces a broader array of gun ranges, meaning that different tank guns will perform better (or worse) at different ranges.

Before we roll out the new combat ranges, we want to update the Effective Shot mechanic as well. In the future, players will treat this as a Rules of Engagement variable, letting them set the desired engagement range of any units, including infantry.




We are working on a bunch of Army General improvements including:

• Improved Auto Resolve mechanics. They will be more streamlined while taking better into account the type of environment (urban, woods) during a combat resolution.
  
• Improved tactical combat, including the possibility of bringing five battalions to a fight. This is two more than the current maximum of three battalions.
  
• Improved display of battalion strengths to make this information more readable.
  
• Improved Army General’s AI, with the latter using its armored battalions more effectively. This also includes a more cunning use of artillery by the computer to neutralize key enemy battalions.
  
• Improved movement. To make it more transparent and fluid when moving battalions.

Ooooh…, that’s right: we are getting very close to revealing all the juicy details concerning the new History Expansion we are working on. The excitement… it’s almost unbearable. Expect some new info very soon!




And that’s it for our future look into 2021. Lots of good things are coming your way - that’s for sure.

Before we forget: Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is heading your way very soon. We’ll be releasing our new Nemesis DLC on January 28th. Be sure to grab it when it launches!



Meanwhile, we are already at work on the next Nemesis DLC, Storming Toulon, with its Légion, Tirailleurs & Kriegsmarine infantry.
Read all about the Nemesis: Storming Toulon in this detailed blog post.

If you want to reach out to us, do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

See you on the battlefield, commander!

Hello!

Welcome to the final blog post of 2020! It surely has been a long year for all of us, no doubt.

At Eugen, we have tried our best to steer the ship through 2020s dark waters and stormy weather, and we sincerely hope that you’ve liked what came out of our creative spaces and (home) offices during this time. We never stopped working!

As a matter of fact, we’ve got plenty of interesting things planned for you in the new year! Exciting times are coming.

Before we adjourn for the holiday season, we wanted to give you a deep dive into our third Nemesis DLC, including listing all the new units and variants. Expect Nemesis: Battle of Rimini to be released in the not-too-distant future!

Keep reading to find out more.


Let’s rewind. Nemesis: Battle of Rimini takes place at the end of summer 1944, when the Allies are dead set on breaking through the Gothic defensive line in Italy. The Adriatic coastline looks most promising. If the British Eighth Army can enact a breakthrough here, near Rimini, it might force the Germans to redeploy precious forces. This would weaken the center and allow the American troops to punch through and push towards the coast. With one flank rolled up, the road to northern Italy would lay open. This Allied plan became known as Operation Olive.

However, the offensive doesn’t exactly go as planned. The Allied focus, including supplies and manpower, is aimed at other theatres, mostly Normandy and in the south of France with Operation Dragoon. Not only that: due to tempestuous weather, Operation Olive bogs down quickly. Even though the opening battles take the Axis defenders by surprise, tenacious resistance by, amongst others, the paratroopers of the 1. Fallschirmjäger makes it slow going for the Allied units. When 2nd New Zealand Division with the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade steps into the fray, it only results in a slow grind through the rain and mud, until the now ruined Rimini is finally liberated after weeks of heavy combat.


Once considered elite and at the forefront of early war German airborne operations, by the time Operation Olive swings around, the 1. Fallschirmjäger has been decimated in the costly battles of Crete and Italy. The veteran paratroopers recapture some of their lost glory through their legendary defense of the Monte Cassino monastery. Depleted in strength, the 1. Fallschirmjäger is reinforced by fresh Grenadier recruits and elements from 162. (Turk.) Infanterie-Division - Osttruppen from Soviet minorities. Excellent while defending, the battlegroup can count on considerable support forces, especially in anti-tank and anti-aircraft units.



What can you expect of the 1. Fallschirmjäger?

• The Recon tab is limited, with few slots and all options being scouts on foot.
  
• A powerful advantage of this battlegroup is the quality and availability in its Infantry tab; there are quite a few slots available with lots of choice. For instance, players can select various elite Fallschirmjäger variants (including a new Fs-Stosstrupp assault squad) which come equipped with the Raider trait. These units are supported by regular Grenadier with MGs, and cheaper Ost-Legionäre (with the Disheartened trait).
  
• What Tanks might lack in variety, it makes up for sheer firepower. All options are Tiger Es!
  
• A regular Support tab, with a standard mix of MGs from Maxim to Fallschirmjäger MG-34s with the Raider trait. Some LG 42 can also be found in a fire support role.
  
• Excellent Anti-Tank forces are at the player’s disposal: light Püppchen and PaK 177 (captured Italian 47mm Elefantino), PaK 40, Nashorn, Jagdpanzer IV and PaK 43.
  
• The Artillery tab is basic with mostly mortars on offer, including 81mm and 120mm. Towed gun pieces are light mountain 75mm guns (with HEAT rounds) and standard 105mm howitzers.
  
• The battlegroup’s AA tab is very good, with many open slots. Options are cheap, including classics such as towed 20mm, 37mm and 88mm, and the self-propelled Breda 20mm mounted on an Italian SPA-38 truck.
  
• The Air tab is average, with fighters and fighter-bombers, although some bomber units can be found. Two captured Italian planes can be deployed: the recon biplane CR.42 and the Re.2005 fighter.

As a hybrid combined-arms battlegroup, the 2nd New Zealand Division was a bit of an odd duck among the Allied forces. Having fought in the North African and Mediterranean theatre as part of the British Eighth Army, the veteran formation featured the attached 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade. Notorious for its troops’ looting behavior, the Kiwi formation contains some weaponry of questionable origin, including captured German and other “liberated” Allied materiel. The 2nd New Zealand Division doesn’t have any real shortcomings, being balanced on both the offense and defense.



What can you expect of the 2nd New Zealand Division?

• This battlegroup has a large amount of choice in the Recon tab, including some Greek units equipped with radio, as well as heavy turretless Stuart scout APCs and armored cars (Staghound).
  
• There is quite a bit of variety with the Infantry on offer: from Maori heavy infantry squads fielding captured MP-40 and twin MG-34, and featuring the Fanatical trait, to Greek mountaineer squads with the Raider trait, and Diggers as regular Commonwealth infantry.
  
• The Tank category is rather standard with either Stuarts or Shermans 75mm deployable.
  
• A pretty decent Support tab, with typical Commonwealth units. More captured materiel can be found here, including MG-42 and “liberated” M2 .50 cal MGs. Several fire support vehicles are available: Sherman Ib (short 105mm) and Staghound Mk.II ( short 76mm).
  
• Anti-tank forces are pretty regular with 6-pdr towed guns (either New Zealand or Greek operated, the latter bringing the Raider trait), Wolverine and 17-pdr guns.
  
• Basic Artillery tab with mortars and 25-pdr guns, all of them coming in either New Zealand or Greek variants. Some heavy off-map Canadian artillery support is available.
  
• Not much in the way of anti-aircraft units, with only a select number of Bofors guns and captured Italian 20 mm Breda pieces mounted on Morris trucks.
  
• An average Air tab, with plenty of options but mostly limited to older equipment including fighter and fighter-bombers, and a few recon fighters and light bombers. The new Beaufighter and Baltimore bomber can be deployed as well.

The following new units can be found in Nemesis: Battle of Rimini:

New Units

• (NZ) Maori - heavy infantry.
  
• (Greek) Oplites - mountain infantry.
  
• (Greek) Anichnefetis - mountain scouts.
  
• (Greek) Baltimore Mk. V - bomber.
  
• (British) Beaufighter Mk. X - heavy fighter.
  
• Fs-Stosstrupp - paratrooper assault squad brimming with automatic weapons.
  
• Ost-Legionäre - infantry with Disheartened trait, entirely equipped with Soviet weaponry.
  
• Re.2005 - captured Italian fighter.
  
• SPA-38R - captured Italian truck.
  
• SPA-38R Breda - self-propelled captured Breda AA gun.

New Variants or Models

• (NZ) Carrier .30 - recon carrier with two M1919 MGs.
  
• (NZ) Carrier .50 - recon carrier with one M1919 and one M2 .50 MG.
  
• (NZ) Staghound Mk.II - fire-support version with a short 76mm.
  
• (NZ) Morris C8 - artillery tractor.
  
• (NZ) Morris C8 Breda - self-propelled AA gun.
  
• (British) P-40F Kittyhawk - fighter/fighter-bomber.
  
• (Canadian) Spitfire LF Mk.VIIIc - fighter/fighter-bomber.
  
• (South African) Spitfire LF Mk.IXc - recon fighter with clipped wings. South Africa will be classified as British here… for now.
  
• (Greek) Spitfire LF Mk.Vc/trop - fighter/fighter-bomber.
  
• (British) Boston Mk.III - currently only featured in French battlegroups as the DB-73.
  
• P-51C Mustang - only featured in Polish battlegroups as the Mustang Mk.III. Note that these will be deployable as part of the famous “Red Tails”, the first African-American fighter group.
  
• Lince - Italian-built variant of the Daimler Scout car.
  
• Grenadier (MG-42) - regular Grenadier unit but equipped with an MG-42 instead of MG-34. As fresh recruits, they can’t be deployed with veterancy.
  
• JU 88A-4 - bomber, previously featured in Hungarian and Finnish battlegroups.
  
• CR-42 - Italian biplane, previously only featured in Hungarian battlegroups.
  
• PaK 177 - captured Italian Breda 47mm guns. Already featured with Romania, though as a fire support gun. As used by the 1. Fallschirmjäger it will be a light anti-tank gun.

A small model fix: the existing Soviet Spitfire Mk.Vb has been updated (for all players, not only DLC owners).

Nemesis: Battle of Rimini will also ship with a new Allied Ace: the Greek fighter pilot Marinos Mitralexis, famous for performing one of the first ramming attacks of the war - and surviving to tell the tale. Mitralexis took down an Italian bomber over Albania in 1940 with his plane’s propeller. This Ace kept fighting with the Allied Hellenic Royal Air Force. Mitralexis’s plane in-game will be the Spitfire Mk.Vc/trop.


Nemesis: Battle of Sandomierz Bridgehead is our first Nemesis DLC and available for free now! It features the 16. Panzerdivision and the 97th Guards Rifle Division from the Eastern Front, bringing several new units, including the most powerful German tank of World War II, the Königstiger (H).

The second Nemesis DLC, Nemesis: Lvov Offensive is available now for €4.99 / $4.99! This Nemesis DLC contains the German 20. Panzergrenadier-Division and the Allied 10th Guards Tank Corps, bringing new units such as the heavy tank destroyer Elefant, the unique Bef. Tiger (P) and Bef. Panzer V/IV tanks, Muniwagen Panzer III, Flakpanzer T-34(r) and Flakpanzer Panther, and captured T-5 Pantera.


If you want to reach out to us, do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.

This will be our last post for 2020. From the whole Eugen team, we wish you all the best and prosperity, not only to you but also to your friends, family, and loved ones.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay strong. See you on the battlefield in 2021! Happy holidays, commander!