Hello commanders,
Hope you are well. With all the recent Nemesis #4 hullabaloo, it is easy to forget that we haven’t lifted the lid on the already-in-production Nemesis #3. Well, that moment has come in today’s DevBlog. Let’s check out, in-depth, the upcoming Nemesis #3 - Home Front.
The Nemesis’ theme is two divisions, far away from the European battlefields, safeguarding their respective alliance’s critical flank. First up is NATO with the Alaska-based US 6th Infantry Division (Light).
Let’s roll!
NATO’s 6th Infantry Division (Light)
The 6th Infantry Division (Light) had one primary mission in the late Cold War: protect Alaska. The formation was active during World War I and II but deactivated in 1968. The 6th Infantry was reactivated in 1986 and designated as the US Army’s primary Arctic Warfare division. In this role, it had to defend Alaska from enemy raids or infiltration missions beyond the “Ice Curtain,” stretching across Bering Straight and separating the Soviet Union from the United States.
Under Secretary of the Navy John Lehman’s influence, the division was shifted from being purely defensive to being more offensive. In case of war, the 6th Infantry was envisioned as taking the fight to a (potentially) lightly defended Soviet Far East, backed by heavy carried-based air support. The division’s expansion was canceled in the light of the latest political developments in 1989, but in WARNO’s March to War, the 6th Infantry will see its in-game arsenal reflect this intended beefing up according to Lehman’s Doctrine.
In peacetime, the 6th Infantry Division (Light) only featured four light infantry battalions distributed across two brigades. In turn, each battalion had one company specifically trained as paratroopers. In times of war, all four companies could be regrouped and expanded with reservists to form two additional paratrooper battalions.
The 6th Infantry would be further reinforced by:
- The US Army Reserve’s 205th Infantry Brigade (Light) forming the division's third brigade.
- Three battalions from the 297th Infantry Regiment (Mechanized) (aka Alaskan Scouts) from the Alaska National Guard.
- Not officially attached in real life, but we chose to augment the 6th Infantry with the 73rd Infantry Brigade (Separate) from the Ohio National Guard. These would be garrisoning the Aleutian Islands in the middle of the Bering Strait in times of conflict.
The 6th Infantry will be roughly fifty percent US Army or Army Reserve (the latter being considered regulars with a locked veterancy) and fifty percent National Guard. One key feature of this battlegroup was that it had no organic tank support (not a single one). This is the main reason why we attached the Ohio National Guard brigade: this formation had a company of recon M48A5. In WARNO, this armor will not be available in the TANK tab but instead in the REC section.
Lastly, some US Navy and Air Force elements will also lend some support to this battlegroup.
- USAF security troops protecting local air force bases against enemy saboteurs and raids.
- USMC security forces doing the same for the major navy installations in Alaska, including nuclear ordnance depots.
- The Navy SEALs had a training center in Alaska.
- US Navy land and carrier-based aircrafts.
NATO’s 6th Infantry Division (Light) in WARNO
What can you expect from the 6th Infantry Division (Light) in-game? New units are highlighted in bold and italic.
LOG
- Good category as the division is playing home advantage.
- Supplies include a FOB, M35 trucks, UH-1H HUEY, as well as the new CH-54B TARHE heavy supply helicopter.
- Command vehicles featured are M1025 HUMVEE, M577, and UH-1H CO.
INF
- A very good category, with the division featuring a healthy mix of all kinds of interesting infantry options.
- The main type of grunt will be LIGHT RIFLES, including command, recoilless rifle and AT-4 variants. These are all regulars with usual veterancy choices, while the LAW and Vyper represent US Army Reserve units with locked veterancy. The FGR-17 Vyper was a light AT weapon meant to replace the M72 LAW. It was an improvement over the latter in the 1980s, but after the production of several thousand examples, the contract was canceled. Existing stocks were transferred to the USAR for training: a great opportunity to be used in actual WARNO war conditions. These squads can deploy in M1038 HUMVEE or UH-1H HUEY.
- Due to the small complement of paratroopers in the division, it can field a handful of AIRBORNE squads in "vanilla," Dragon, and leader variants - one card each.
- The National Guard provides N.G. RIFLES squads in LAW, Dragon, and leader versions. These being the only mechanized forces, they can deploy in M35 trucks or N.G. M113A1 APCs.
- The division could also count on a small ENGINEER detachment, once again in “vanilla,” Flash, and leader variant, all in M151 or M35.
- Infantry support weapons include the usual M60, M2HB, Mk.19, M40A1, I-TOW, TOW-2, and TOW-2A in various regular, National Guard or even Airborne variants.
Although that's quite a diverse array of infantry, most of these units have been featured in WARNO in one way or another. So what’s really new?
- USMC SECURITY are the US Marines Corps' units tasked with defending, or retaking if need be, the US Navy’s nuclear weapon depots. These are 7-man strong squads with M16, M21 scoped rifle, AT-4, and smoke grenades. Furthermore, they have Shock trait (being CQB specialists), Security (as, you know, being security forces) and Resolute (for being naval infantry). They ride to battle in M1038 HUMVEE or their unit-specific DRAGOON 300 (clearly a counterfeit VAB, no doubt about it) featuring the Security trait.
- USAF SECURITY PATROL are 4-man teams with Colt Commandos, a Stinger MANPAD and the Security and Military Police traits. These teams provide airfield security with short anti-air defense. These teams come in either regular M998 HUMVEE, M1038 HUMVEE MP or the new PEACEKEEPER wheeled APC with the Military Police trait.
- USAF SECURITY are larger 13-man squads with M16, two M249, and one M60A3, plus the Military Police trait.
- NAVY SEAL. You might not have heard of these, as they are super obscure and completely not one of the United States’ premier elite special forces. They come as 9-man soldiers with Colt Commandos, no less than four M60E3 light machine-gun, AT-4, and Satchel, plus the Special Forces, Shock and Airborne traits.
ART
- Rather mediocre, but the absence of heavy-hitting artillery is the same issue that plagues all light divisions.
- This means you’ll get M29 81mm and M30 107mm mortars.
- Plus the M101 105mm (new to a US division, but previously featured in other NATO formations) and some more modern (new) M119 105mm, as well as a few M198 155mm towed howitzers. All are towed by M35 trucks. An added feature is that the first two light pieces can also be transported by helicopter, being done so by the new CH-54B TARHE (carrier version).
TANK
- Another average category. Once again, no tanks here, only tank destroyers.
- The 6th Infantry can deploy N.G. M151A2 I-TOW and N.G. M901 ITV.
- M1025 HUMVEE TOW-2 from the light brigades.
REC
- A good category with very good options. The classics are all represented, including SCOUTS, LRS, and OH-58C SCOUT.
- The new PATHFINDERS units are USAR airborne recon attached to the Ohio National Guard brigade.
- Also, as previously mentioned, the division’s sole armor support will be found here: the new N.G. M48A5 ACAV.
- Based in Alaska, the USAF’s 18th Tactical Fighter Squadron provides the new OA-10A, which is basically a recon A-10 without the ability to fire missiles, instead carrying a ton of HE and smoke rockets (the latter to mark targets IRL).
- Lastly, the Alaskan Scouts are featured with new infantry models and the Reservist traits:
- The new ALASKAN SNIPER, a 2-man team with M16A1 and a Remington 700 hunting rifle.
- ALASKAN SCOUTS as a 4-man recon team with M16A1 and M60.
- ALASKAN CAV. SCOUTS as 8-man squads with M16A1, two M60s, and one M67 RCL.
- The above recon units can come either in soft-skin transports, the UH-1H HUEY or N.G. M113A1. This latter vehicle even gets an extra variant: the new N.G. M113A1 ACAV with the recoilless rifle replaced by an extra M60.
AA
- Rather bad with pricey slots and no new options.
- The division deploys with the standard N.G. STINGER and STINGER MANPAD teams, M157A1 VADS 20mm towed AA gun, and I-HAWK.
HEL
- Average with - strangely enough - the divisional squadron’s regular army pilots deploying the older AH-1S COBRA. This is the real AH-1S, which explains why we updated the naming for the in-game namesake not too long ago.
- Plus some reservist-operated AH-1F HOG and AH-1F TOWCOBRA.
AIR
- The 6th Infantry can count on some strong air support, with the division benefiting from air cover from the USAF, ANG, and USN squadrons.
- This means regular USAF A-10A [AT] and F-15C EAGLE [AA2].
- The ANG brings a new unit, the A-7D CORSAIR, in various roles: RKT, CLU, HE, and AT.
- And the US Navy deploys with the new A-6E INTRUDER (NPLM and SEAD) and EA-6B PROWLER (EW/SEAD).
The 6th Infantry Divison (Light) can bring a whole array of different infantry to the battlefield, backed by powerful recon and air tabs. The battlegroup, due to its light nature, lacks heavy supporting arms.
Nemesis #4 - Capital Defence
Of course, we still have our community-voted Nemesis #4.3 - Capital Defence. This new DLC features two formations safeguarding their respective nation’s capital during the Cold War: the UK’s Home Defence Region London and the Soviet 2-ya Tamanskaya Gvardeyskaya Motostrelkovaya Diviziya or the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motorized Rifle Division based in Moscow, USSR.
Find more details in this DevBlog.
Nemesis 4.3 - Capital Defence has now entered the design and production pipeline. A release is planned for later this year, but keep in mind that this is not a fixed date. Meanwhile, in case you were wondering, the other two Nemesis options will return to Eugen’s ideas box and - for now at least - shelved. Perhaps we will dust off the ideas for a run-off vote later down the line or cannibalize some divisions for other offerings. Time will tell.
Until Next Week!
Before we leave, with Nemesis #3 we’ll also be updating the infantry unit cards, improving their realism and quality. Take a sneak peek below!
We’ll be back next week with our second Nemesis #3 - Home Front preview.
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.
