Hello commander,
In today’s post, we’ll be taking a good long look at how Nemesis: Lvov Offensive is coming along. This Nemesis DLC was the first one you voted on, and will deliver the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division and 10th Guards Tank Corps with some exciting new toys.
With the release of Nemesis: Lvov Offensive on the horizon (yes, not long now!), we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the two battlegroups included in this Nemesis DLC, their gameplay strengths and weaknesses, as well as detailing the new units.
The divisions being still under work or test, some changes may be brought before the final version is released.
Nemesis: Lvov Offensive Revisited
As you might remember, Nemesis: Lvov Offensive takes its cue from the Lvov-Sandomierz strategic operation, a campaign that ran south of Operation Bagration in July 1944. While less known, this offensive was equally successful for the Red Army. The Soviets launched two massive armored thrusts near Brody in western Ukraine, shattering Axis defensive lines and destroying numerous formations.
Facing the Soviet southern pincer was the 20. Panzergrenadier-Division supported by elements from the heavy tank destroyer battalion Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653. The two units only managed to save themselves from almost complete destruction by the skin of their teeth.
On the opposing side, the 10th Guards Tank Corps was found in the northern pincer, subordinate to the Soviet 4th Tank Army. Serving as the spearhead was the unusual 51st Independent Motorcycle Regiment, which featured a host of captured German equipment.
Let’s look at each battlegroup - and the new units - in detail.
20. Panzergrenadier-Division
One of the Wehrmacht’s “fire brigades”, the veteran 20. Panzergrenadier was accustomed to being rushed into battle when most needed. Though depleted because of the constant fighting it found itself in, the battlegroup boasts a full-strength complement of recently arrived StuG IVs and Jagdpanzer IVs. The attached Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 fields the most impressive - and unusual - units of this battlegroup.
What can you expect of the 20. Panzergrenadier?
- A major drawback of the battlegroup is its Recon tab, with few available slots, old units, and a limited amount of choice.
- The Infantry tab is below average in the number of slots but offsets this by offering good choices, including Stosstruppen and PzGrenadier equipped with Soviet DP-28.
- The Tank category is rather average with only five slots, with not much choice - at least all the available units will be StuG IV.
- Things get interesting with the Support tab, which features the unique Bef. Tiger (P) unit, as well as the Bef.Panzer V/IV as commander units. The Tiger (P) is special as it's the only one of its kind, being Porsche's ultimately unsuccessful design on the famous Tiger tank, noticeable for its forward-placed turret. The new Muniwagen are also featured in this category.
- The Anti-Tank tab is properly stocked with options and choices. This includes the new Elefant heavy tank destroyer, the “other” use of already constructed hulls of the previously mentioned Porsche’s Tiger prototype as well as Jagdpanzer IV.
- Anti-Air is another well-represented tab with more open slots than usual, including the unique Flakpanzer T-34(r) and Flakpanzer Panther.
- The fire support provided by the Artillery category is rather standard in its scope and unit availability.
- A standard Air tab can be found with this battlegroup, with the highlight being the Ace unit of Helmut Bruck flying a Ju-87D-5.
The 20. Panzergrenadier is powerful on the defense thanks to its strong anti-tank and anti-air forces, but lacks the recon and armored strength to serve as a true offensive battlegroup.
10th Guards Tank Corps
An experienced division forged by the battles of Kursk and Bryansk, the 10-y Gv. Tank. Korpus (10th Guards Tank Corps) formed one of the spearheads at the start of the Lvov-Sandomierz Operation. The attached 51st Independent Motorcycle Regiment, with its captured German hardware, acted as the vanguard. As such, the battlegroup’s roster features half a dozen Tiger E (T-6 Tigr) and Panther A (T-5 Pantera) tanks.
What can you expect of the 10th Guards Tank Corps?
- The battlegroup boasts an excellent Recon tab with lots of slots, relatively cheap units, and a solid amount of choices (Valentine tanks, SU-57, various infantry squads, and of course, the new T-34/85 Razvedka).
- The Infantry tab is standard with the usual complement of Soviet infantry rifle squads.
- The Tank tab is very good, with a large number of well-priced slots, including such units as the T-34/76 and T-34/85, plus one card each of the captured T-6 Tigr (Tiger E) and T-5 Pantera (Panther A).
- The Support tab is, much like the Infantry category, pretty standard, but features several cards of SU-122.
- The battlegroup lacks Anti-Tank units, with only a few choices, feeling the lack of the normally common 57mm ZiS-2 in particular.
- The Anti-Air is one of the weakest categories with only limited options (37mm tracked guns and Gaz Maxim 4M).
- A regular Artillery tab with a selection of mortars, 76,2mm guns, and multiple rocket launchers.
- The Air tab is good enough to wrestle the control of the skies above and includes several planes equipped as tank busters.
The 10th Guards Tank Corps excels as an offensive battlegroup thanks to the recon troops and numerous tanks under its command. It can lose its footing when pressed hard in a defensive situation due to the formation’s lack of dedicated anti-air and anti-tank units.
Nemesis: Lvov Offensive’s new units and models
To recap, the following new units and models can be found in Nemesis: Lvov Offensive:
- Heavy tank destroyer Elefant.
- Bef.Tiger (P) as a Commander unit.
- Bef.Panzer V/IV as a Commander unit.
- Flakpanzer T-34(r).
- Flakpanzer Panther.
- Muniwagen Panzer III.
- T-34/85 Razvedka.
- T-5 Pantera.
Next to the new models, the Nemesis: Lvov Offensive will also update some existing units. Specifically, we’ve updated the incorrect Panzer IV C model and Romanian Schneider 105mm M1936 howitzer.
And the other Nemesis DLC?
Did you know that the first Nemesis DLC is FREE and available now. This is Nemesis: Battle of Sandomierz Bridgehead and contains the 16. Panzerdivision versus the 97th Guards Rifle Division.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1405650/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_1__Sandomierz/
Our third Nemesis DLC - Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is being tinkered with in the Eugen workshop as we speak. In the not-too-distant future, we should be able to give you an update on how things are progressing.
And apart from that? Let us say that we have plenty of exciting things planned. Keep your eyes peeled and ears to the ground.
Coming up next
Drop us a line to let us know what you think. Do this through our Steam forums and Eugen forums, or check our social channels (Facebook and Twitter). Looking for an online game? Visit the kick-ass Discord server or Reddit page.
See you on the battlefield!