Nemesis #4.2 - Northern Edge

Hello commanders,

Time for another Nemesis #4 preview. Let’s welcome to the stage Nemesis #4.2 - Northern Edge featuring the West German 6. Panzergrenadier-Division and the Soviet 94-ya Gvardeyskaya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya (94th Guards Motorized Rifle Division) or 94-ya Gv. MSD in short.

Go, go, go!

WARNO’s Nemesis Concept

A reminder of what WARNO’s Nemesis DLCs entail. These are paid mini-expansions containing two paired or themed divisions - one from NATO and one from the Warsaw Pact - bringing new units, vehicles, and weapons. Each Nemesis run features three different offerings, which can then be voted on. After the vote concludes, one Nemesis is crowned the winner and enters Eugen’s development and production pipeline!

The current Nemesis #4 run:

• Nemesis #4.1 - Covering Force Area pitting NATO’s Dutch Beveiligende Strijdmacht against Warsaw Pact’s East German 20. Motorisierte Schützendivision, inspired by the opening battles in Four Days to the Weser Army General campaign as featured in our WARNO - NORTHAG expansion.

What About Nemesis #3?

Nemesis #3 has not yet been revealed. To speed up development and to make sure to be able to offer our WARNO players something in between other projects, Nemesis #3 has been decided upon by ourselves. More info to come soon!

NATO’s West German 6. Panzergrenadier-Division

Back to business. The 6. Panzergrenadier-Division’s role in World War III would have been quite unique. The division’s mission was to defend the Schleswig-Holstein region of West Germany, north of Hamburg, on the border with Denmark. This was a vital task, as a Soviet breakthrough reaching the coast could mean Denmark to be cut off, and the separation of NORTHAG command with AFNORTH (NATO’s command of Norway).

So important was 6. Panzergrenadier’s defense of this sector, that a separate command was created: LANDJUT. This was an army-size HQ, unlike the other NATO commands, NORTHAG, CENTAG, SOUTHAG, or AFNORTH, which were large army group-sized formations. LANDJUT would encompass not only the 6. Panzergrenadier, but also the whole Danish armed forces and reinforcements sent from the rear ((US 9th Motorized, 4th MAB, British 1st Infantry Brigade, etc.). The main adversary was the Polish 1st Army, which would have invaded Denmark by land, with outlying islands taken through combined amphibious and air assault operations.

Once again, the 6. Panzergrenadier’s primary mission was to defend and hold off the attacking Warsaw Pact forces long enough for the Danish army to mobilize and reach their combat positions. It was organized as a regular West German mechanized infantry division. However, much like the tardy Dutch south of Hamburg, the Danes were not expected to arrive precisely on time; that’s why plans were made for the West Germans to at least be able to fend for themselves for a longer period. As such, it was heavily reinforced. This included:

• Heimatschutzbrigade 51 - although a territorial army brigade, it was not a Bundeswehr mobilization formation but an active one. This means its soldiers were closer to regular troops rather than reservists.
• Heeresfliegerkommando 6 - an entire helicopter regiment with both airlift and anti-tank capacities. These were usually only attached to an army corps.
• Though not officially attached (but in our war scenario, they will), Schleswig-Holstein was home to many Bundesmarine facilities and local units. These would have provided welcome reinforcements in the field.

Being almost a whopping 30.000 soldiers strong, the 6. Panzergrenadier was closer to a small corps than a mere division. As a matter of fact, it was the Bundeswehr’s biggest division - perhaps even the biggest in the whole of NATO. However, being assigned to a smaller command outside the major NORTHAG, CENTAG, etc., it was not at the top of the priority list for new or replacement equipment.

It should be noted that both its Jäger battalions and most of its recon battalion were to be detached from the division to form a special battlegroup tasked with defending Lübeck until relieved by the Danes. As such, these forces won’t be included in the 6. Panzergrenadier-Division.

The 6. Panzergrenadier-Division in WARNO

What can you expect from 6. Panzergrenadier-Division in-game? New units are highlighted in bold and italic!

LOG

• Rather average and much like the already in-game 2. Panzergrenadier-Division, minus the Belgian units. This includes a FOB.
• The UH-1D MÜN. replaces the CH-53G MÜN.
• The older and smaller (but new in WARNO) MAN 630 L2AE MUN. replaces the MAN KAT 6X6 MÜN.

INF

• A very good category featuring the usual PZ.GRENADIER squads and variants in MARDER 1A2 and M113A1G (both including MILAN version), PIONIER, as well as MG-3, M40A1 and MILAN 2 weapon teams.
• Due to the 6. Panzergrenadier having more airlift capabilities than usual, the PZ.GRENADIER (M113) gains access to UH-1D helicopters as a transport option.
• The division lacks any JÄGER infantry. Instead, it can call on plenty of HEIMAT.-JÄGER in M113A1G (some too with MILAN). FELDJÄGER will be present to keep the troops in line, this time riding to battle in their (both new) FELDJÄGER KUBEL. 181 and FELDJÄGER FUCHS with the Military Police trait.

• A major new element are the Bundesmarine attachments. In 1988, the West German navy created a small naval infantry battalion in Schleswig-Holstein. This Seebataillon regrouped two existing independent companies: the Strandmeisterkompanie and Kampfschwimmerkompanie, both of which trained with the larger 6. Panzergrenadier regularly in peace-time.
  • The new STRANDMEISTER ("Beach Master") are assault engineers tasked with securing and clearing beaches from all obstacles prior to an amphibious landing. A 10-man squad equipped with Uzi, G3, MG-3, and explosives, these soldiers feature the Shock and Resolute traits (being both combat engineers and naval infantry). These squads are quickly identifiable by their white helmets and blue berets.
  • The Kampfschwimmers will be addressed in the REC tab.

• Furthermore, there are also the new MARINESICHERUNGS, which are a more heavily armed variant of the land-based SICHERUNGS squads, also featuring the Resolute trait.

ART

• An average category with the usual complement of M109A3GA1 and FH155-1 155mm, plus LARS-2 MLRS and PANZERMÖRSER.
• Courtsey of the Heimatschutzbrigade 51 you’ll also get MRS. 120mm TAMPELLA mortars and FH M1A2 (A2) 105mm towed howitzers.
• Unusually so, the division was one of the last to switch from the M107 170mm to M110 203mm, a process that barely started within our timeframe. We decided only to feature the former - M107 170mm.

TANK

• Good… and bad. Let’s start with the good first. The 6. Panzergrenadier has more and cheaper tank slots than a regular Panzergrenadier-Division since it had the usual number of tank battalions, plus the two extra ones from Heimatschutzbrigade 51.
• On to the bad: the 6. Panzergrenadier was the only regular Heer division never to receive the Leopard 2 (even the Gebirgsdivision got some, figure that). Not only did our formation get stuck with the LEOPARD 1 up to the end of the Cold War, but furthermore, it only fielded older variants. This results in the (new) LEOPARD 1A1A2 (similar in stats to 1A1A1, just with some minor visual differences) and the lesser (also new) LEOPARD 1A2A1 (with -1 Front armor).
• The division can also count on the usual array of tank destroyers: KANJPZ, JAGUAR 1, and JAGUAR 2.

REC

• Upon the start of hostilities, the 6. Panzergrenadier was to lose most of its recon battalion (which would form the core of Lübeck's garrison). Therefore, no FUCHS RASIT or JÄGER AUFKL., and AUFKLÄRER and LUCHS will be minimal. BO-10M VBH recon helos will be available normally.
• A few (new) HEIMAT.-AUFKLÄRER from Heimatschutzbrigade 51, as well as GREEN ARCHER and the new CL-89 UAV from Artillerie-Regiment 6 will (partially) bring some new units to the table.
• Further backed by the Bundesmarine! They come to the rescue with:
  • KSK combat divers, much like the West German variant of Navy SEALs, which will be a 6-man special forces recon squad inserted by ways of (new) SEA KING helicopter.
  • New ILTIS KSK will be a recon ILTIS MILAN with Special Forces trait.
  • The Do-28D-2 is a weird-looking unarmed recon plane used by the Bundesmarine to patrol the Baltic.

AA

• Good with the classical combo of GEPARD, FLIEGERFAUST and F20-2 ZWILLINGE.
• The Bundesmarine’s air branch Marinefliegergeschwader bases in Schleswig-Holstein were protected by (new) BOFORS L/70 MFG which are an upgraded variant equipped with autoloaders. The navy’s air detachments were also the first users of the wheeled (new) FRR ROLAND MFG based on a MAN KAT chassis.

HEL

• Average with the usual BO-105 PAH-1 and BO-105 PAH-1A1 helicopters, but with more and likely cheaper slots compared to other West German divisions.

AIR

• A pretty good category with the typical F-4F fighter.
• The (new) RF-4E were in real-life recon planes but are not going to be used as such in-game, being too fast to be useful as a battlefield reconnaissance in WARNO. Instead, in our war scenario, these planes are threatened with being overrun and hurriedly turned into makeshift bombers. Just plain ‘ol bomb trucks without any air-to-air defense missiles.
• Futhermore, the Marinefliegergeschwader naval air squadrons would lend a much-needed hand with their TORNADO MFG [CLU] with BL.755 bombs and TORNADO MFG [SEAD], which can be considered the only "real" German SEAD in our timeframe, armed with HARM missiles. Both planes will feature their naval air livery and more ECM, thanks to additional electronic warfare pods.
• The Bundesmarine would also recall reserve pilots to fly in-storage F-104G MFG in bomber role, also displaying their distinct livery.

The 6. Panzergrenadier is a unique, supersized mechanized infantry division that counts on substantial Bundesmarine support, plus some special new units. This means very good infantry and air forces, but lacking modern armor and artillery.

Warsaw Pact’s 94-ya Gvardeyskaya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya Highlighted

Let’s turn to the 94-ya Gvardeyskaya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya (94th Guards Motorized Rifle Division) or 94-ya Gv. MSD. Located on the very northern edge of the Warsaw Pact forces in East Germany, it had the East German 5. Armee to its left, and the Baltic Sea to its right.

Mirroring the special mission of the NATO troops in front of it, the Soviet motorized rifle division’s objective in the case of hostilities was to strike immediately northwest. In quick succession, it would cross the Trave, Kiel, and Schlei canals, a 100km advance, which would find it on the doorsteps of the Danish border. If successful, the Soviets would be able to separate NORTHAG (and LANDJUT) from AFNORTH. The Soviet division would pave the way for the 1st Polish Army, following closely behind. To accomplish this war-time goal, the 94-ya Gv. MSD was reinforced with combat engineer assets to dross minefields and waterways quickly.

Soviet forces facing NORTHAG - especially British NATO formations - were considered by the Warsaw Pact command to be the main threat. As such, they were the first to convert from T-62 to newer T-64 main battle tanks, including the 94-ya Gv. MSD. But, by 1989, the rest of Group of Soviet Forces in Germany had transitioned to the T-64 (or the later T-80). As one of the first, the 94-ya Gv. MSD’s equipment started to show its age by the time of WARNO’s World War III. The division’s TO&E was of an older type compared to other Soviet Motorized Rifle Divisions.

The 94-ya Gv. MSD in WARNO

In WARNO, the 94-ya Gv. MSD’s main feature is that it’s a fully equipped T-64 motorized rifle division with a wide array of variants of the main battle tank, especially (new in-game) older versions.

LOG

• A good category with the usual FOB, URAL-4320 and MT-LB supply units, as well as the (new) PTS-3 amphibious carrier, which is a heavier variant of the East German PTS-M, and based on a T-64 chassis.
• Command vehicles include BTR-60PBK, BMP-1K3 and the new POTOK-2, an unarmed command IFV based on the BMP-1.

INF

• A very good category as the 94-ya Gv. MSD featured two BTR and one BMP regiment, which means that plentiful MOTOSTRELKI variants (RPG-22, Metis, etc) as well as command and PULEMETCHIKI are available. They will be brought to battle in BTR-60, BMP-1, and a handful of BMP-2s. The usual FAGOT, KONKURS, PKM, and AGS weapon teams are also available.
• SAPERI will include the usual command, explosives, and RPO flavors.
• To assist the Soviet division in its multi-canal crossing, the 2nd Guards Tank Army’s air assault battalion would be seconded to the formation, bringing DSh. (Metis) and DSh. (RPG-22). These will be available without the airlift capability to transport their BMDs, meaning the squads will only be transportable in Mi-8 (armed and unarmed).

ART

• Average, with the usual complement of towed and self-propelled artillery pieces.
• These include 2S12 120mm mortar and D-30 122mm towed gun.
• Plus 2S1 GVOZDIKA 122mm and 2S3 AKATSIYA 152mm self-propelled artillery, as well as BM-21 GRAD MLRS.
• The only new unit would be the UR-67 mine-clearing vehicle. Quite similar to the East German SPW-50PK(MRF), this unit doesn’t feature two “coffin launchers” but rather a single rail to launch its heavy-duty but short-ranged explosives.

TANK

• A good category with the division fielding a full T-64 tank arsenal (though constrained by an older TO&E). This allowed it to field slightly more armor than a regular motorized rifle division, though they will be older with only a limited amount of the most modern versions.
  • T-64A Obr. 83: our current T-64A (with 25-ya Tank. Diviziya of WARNO - NORTGHAG) renamed to accommodate the new variants. This also applies to the T-64AK command variant.
  • T-64A Obr. 81: new and an earlier version of the Obr. 83 (obviously), sporting the same gun but with less armor.
  • T-64A Obr. 84: the latest (new) variant in our timeframe, featuring a new rangefinder bringing its engagement range to 2100m.
  • T-64AV: this new T-64A Obr. 84 is outfitted with reactive armor.
  • T-64BK, T-64B1 and T-64B will all be represented by a single card each.

• A few anti-tank units can be found in this category as well, including the BRDM-2 KONKURS and the new MT-12R RUTA. This last unit was already presented as an option for the Nemesis #2.1 and makes the cut again! It is an MT-12 anti-tank gun with radar guidance, with increased range and improved accuracy.

REC

• Let’s kick off with the classic stuff. You’ll get the BRDM-2 and BRM-1K vehicles, plus a handful of Mi-2 recon helicopters.
• Plus additional RAZVEDKA, RAZVEDKA SAPERI and MOT. RAZVEDKA, the latter riding RAZV. BMP-1P.
• New units include the IRM JOUK, an amphibious engineering BMP specialized in reconnoitering beaches and crossing rivers. It will be a recon transport for a new (no name yet) specific 6-man recon-engineer squad.
• Plus the new R-330T TARAN, a recon MTL-LB with the SIGINT trait.
• The new Mi-8TARK, a lightly armed recon helicopter used for cross-border observation.
• TU-143 REYS, a fast UAV.

AA

• Average with the usual set of vehicles and units. These include IGLA MANPAD teams, ZU-23-2 AA guns, STRELA-10M and OSA-AKM SAM, plus the ZSU-23-4M3 BIRYUSA SPAAG.

HEL

• Rather dismal. No armed helicopters will be available except for the armed ones brought by the DSh. air assault squads (see INF) category.

AIR

• Pretty good, with the MiG-29 fighter flying air superiority and a hefty number of Su-17M4 in various loadouts for ground support and strike missions.

The 94-ya Gvardeyskaya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya is lavishly equipped with the potent T-64, backed by strong mechanized infantry forces, recon, and combat engineers. It lacks supporting arms and is critically deficient in helicopter support, however.

Until Next Week!

That’s it for this first WARNO DevBlog. We’ll be back next week with Nemesis #4.3!

Don’t forget the vibrant WARNO community. Check the latest news on the Steam News page or visit the Steam Forums. Get together with other players on either the excellent Discord server, Reddit page, YouTube or our Instagram.

See you on the battlefield, commander!