Hello all,
Today’s DevBlog is another short break from our weekly Division previews of the upcoming NORTHAG expansion.
Earlier this week, we detailed one of NORTHAG’s new maps - Railway - which will be made available for free to all owners of WARNO upon release.
And now, let us go to that other (small) expansion landing on WARNO shores in the not-too-distant future: Nemesis #2 - Plateau d'Albion. Here’s the brief on the latest developments with this upcoming DLC.
Go, go, go!
Nemesis #2 - Plateau d'Albion
So, Nemesis #2 - Plateau d'Albion was voted into existence by you in the middle of the summer. Next to the major NORTHAG work being done in the Eugen workshop, Nemesis #2 is also coming along swimmingly.
If you recall, Nemesis #2 - Plateau d'Albion is inspired by 1980s technothrillers with a daring Warsaw Pact effort to take control of the French silo-based nuclear weapons on Plateau d'Albion in southeastern France. The Soviet 76th Guards Airborne Division air assaults deep behind enemy lines and faces off against the local French defenders of the 152e Division d’Infanterie. Read more lore background and unit details in this dedicated DevBlog here.
Let’s give you a sneak peek at the latest developments in both division’s arsenals. These changes are based on current testing and are active work-in-progress!
NATO’s French 152e Division d’Infanterie
First up are the French with the Nemesis’ 152e Division d’Infanterie.
- RECO: Following the US 35th Infantry Division’s lead, we added an old trainer, the CM.170 MAGISTER, as a light rocket-equipped recon plane.
- AA: As we found out, the French BOFORS L60 were truly of World War 2 vintage, being one of the oldest of their kind. These AA guns are still in their ancient state, meaning the unit’s stats will be less than the currently featured West German specimens of the same weapon.
- INF: We have added some variants of the RESERVISTES infantry, as well as new models for diversity. Some squads will have access to RES. VABs, with Reservist trait, while others will be restricted to trucks.
- AIR: This category has the most changes compared to when we first pitched the Nemesis concept. It was our intention to introduce the new ALPHA JET E (without gun pods) and the CM.170 MAGISTER trainer-turned-CAS plane. We did make this happen, with the former coming in HE and NPLM loadouts and the latter with 2x AS.11 AGMs. However, further researching the 152e Division d’Infanterie made us realize that the main French Aéronavale’s Mediterranean base was about only a 10-minute flight away from our nuclear silos! French Naval Aviation had its own selection of planes:
- CRUSADER fighters. No doubt the lightest armed fighter in WARNO (just two AA missiles and nose guns) but also one of the cheapest. These older aircraft come with veterancy since Aéronavale’s pilots have had plenty of time (since 1964!) to hone their skills on these planes!
- SUPER ETENDARD strike aircraft. Superior to the already featured Jaguar and will come in RKT, CLU, HE and AGM loadouts.
- Supplementing this force are MIRAGE III fighters. These will be the only planes already featured with other French divisions, meaning that the vast majority of 152e Division d’Infanterie’s AIR tab will be brand-new!
Warsaw Pact’s Soviet 76th Guards Airborne Division
Onwards to our rather daring Soviet 76th Guards Airborne Division. Let’s see what the VDV has in store for us.
As was already clear from our Nemesis 2# pitch, the Soviet division wouldn’t feature as many new models as its French counterpart. However, we did find some new toys for you to play with, turning the 76th Guards Airborne Division into a light but very tech-savvy air assault division relying on state-of-the-art electronic warfare units, including EW, SEAD, SIGINT (new), GSR, thermobaric (another new one), radar recon, etc.
- LOG: A new DESANT. LuAZ-967M KOM. command variant and model.
- Transport-wise, the LuAZ 2F62 ZENITCHIK, which is another obscure variant specific to MANPAD crews. In WARNO, it will be a LuAZ variant mounting an Igla launcher that can be selected by IGLA MANPAD teams as a transport. Two for the price of one - sweet!
- INF will feature (new) DESANT. USILENNIE (meaning recombined) squads. These are half-platoon-sized infantry, representing the mechanized VDV squads left without a vehicle during the initial raid (getting stuck front-first into the dirt, vertically speaking). These combat soldiers on the ground have been regrouped into new squads. They are heavily armed 9-man squads, with the only transport option being a BTR-D.
- RECO: We added some RT RAZVEDKA with the new SIGINT trait.
- Furthermore, another new recon unit will be the DESANT. SPETSRAZVEDKA, which is an elite 10-man recon squad armed with AKS-74, SVD, RPG-22, and Igla MANPAD, riding to battle in special (and also new) RAZV. BTR-D.
- ART:
- we’ve added the already existing DESANT. VASILEK (from the Soviet 35th Air Assault Division) as an artillery piece.
- AIR: this category will feature mostly two types of planes: the SU-24M and MIG-31.
- SU-24M (all): its flight pattern was reworked to make it fly less like an overloaded truck. On top of that, we created several new loadouts.
- Su-24M [AT1] which is equipped with two heavy Kh-29T AGM.
- Su-24M [AT2] equipped with two equally heavy but longer range Kh-29L AGM.
- Su-24M [TRM] fields a new type of weapon, ODAB thermobaric bombs. This includes a new dedicated trait and FX! These fuel-air bombs will have a larger AoE compared to HE munitions, and ignore cover bonuses for infantry. However, they will do less damage to armor and very little to buildings. Perfect to clear a city or enemy-held French airbase before occupying it with your glorious Soviet airborne troops.
- MIG-31 will accompany the raid over France (and, in passing, neutral Switzerland). The Soviet VVS would take out of storage the older MiG-31 in two variants armed with a mix of R-33 and either R-40RD1 or R-60M AA missiles.
NORTHAG Visuals
Back to NORTHAG expansion. We have already started working on balancing the divisions, while our artists have also progressed on the Nemesis #2 in lockstep. Check it out yourself below!
NORTHAG Expansion Explained
WARNO - NORTHAG is the first major expansion coming to WARNO. World War III hits the North German Plain where the attacking Warsaw Pact needs to overcome the staunch defenses of NATO’s NORTHAG. Under British command, Belgian, Dutch, West German, and American forces battle against the powerful northern formations of the Soviet Group of Forces in Germany, including East German and reinforcing Polish armies. The expansion is planned for later in 2024.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2978620/WARNO__NORTHAG/
WARNO - NORTHAG will feature:
- 2 new Army General campaigns.
- 4 new Operations.
- 10 new Divisions, including NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie, Dutch 4e Divisie, the British 4th Armoured Division, while the Warsaw Pact deploys the Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya, the East German 9. Panzerdivision, and the Polish 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowan.
- 3 new playable nations: NATO’s Belgium and the Netherlands, and Warsaw Pact’s Poland.
- New voice acting.
- New units and models.
We have started detailing WARNO - NORTHAG’s features. Check the list below!
- In the very first DevBlog, highlighting Division #1, we show off NATO’s Belgian 16e Pantserdivisie going to war with powerhouse cousin Luxembourg. Read more about the new battlegroup in this dedicated post.
- In Division #2, we focused on the Warsaw Pact’s Soviet 25-ya Tank. Diviziya or 25th Tank Division. Read more about this battlegroup here.
- In our Division #3, we look at the Dutch and their hard-hitting 4e Divisie. Check it out in this DevBlog here.
- The Division #4 looks into the poster child of the East German Nationale Volksarmee, the 9. Panzerdivision. Take a look in this DevBlog.
- In our Division #5 we take a gander at the British 4th Armoured Division. Check it out in this DevBlog.
- And our Division #6 looks at the new Polish mechanized fighting forces of the 4 Dywizja Zmechanizowana. Check out the DevBlog here.
Until Next Time
We’ll be back next week with two new NORTHAG Division previews! The first one will be about NATO’s special (and British-led) MNAD (MultiNational Airborne Division).
Join the 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.
