Hello commander,
It’s good to be back! We’ll be looking at Nemesis: Storming Toulon today, our fourth Nemesis DLC, which won the popular vote late last year.
We are still sweating away in Eugen’s workshop to get this mini-expansion in your hands, so no release date yet. In the meantime, we can share some more exciting details about the two new battlegroups and the host of new units Nemesis: Storming Toulon will feature.
Keep reading to find out more!
Nemesis: Storming Toulon
The French Riviera: in normal times, a stretch of Mediterranean coastline blessed by natural beauty and abundant sun. In the summer of 1944, the war is also set to arrive in this idyllic part of Southern France. Operation Dragoon, the Allied amphibious invasion, kicked off on August 15th. With local Axis troops either overwhelmed or retreating fast, liberating the critically important port of Toulon fell to the 1e Division Française Libre (DFL) or the 1st Free French Division.
Opposing the rapidly advancing Allied soldiers was a motley collection of German and Italian defenders centered around the Axis garrison of Toulon. Reinforced with a substantial amount of local artillery and AA guns, Verteidigungsbereich Toulon was a defensive force determined to make its stand of the port as long - and costly for the Allies - as possible.
Heavy urban combat followed when the Free French breached the city’s perimeter. While initially envisioned to take two months, the Allied units’ surprise and speed allowed the total liberation of Toulon to be achieved within days. Even though the port was ruined for the time being, it was repaired by September. This greatly helped the Allied drive to the north, which in turn aided the liberation of the rest of France before the year’s end.
Verteidigungsbereich Toulon
Verteidigungsbereich Toulon - meaning Defensive Perimeter Toulon - is an impromptu formation made up of various units in Toulon or its environs. The core of the battlegroup is made up of the 242. Infanterie-Division, a reserve division “upgraded” to regular status in 1943. A variety of Kriegsmarine garrison units and Italian naval infantry and scattered special forces, and even stranded U-boat crews, join the fight. A large quantity of captured heavy weapons, including AA and artillery guns, can also be found in its arsenal.
What can you expect of the Verteidigungsbereich Toulon?
- The Recon tab is limited in terms of slots and options but features some original units such as numerous Scharfschützen (snipers), as well as MEK (Marineeinsatzkommandos) squads, elite Kriegsmarine special forces.
- The Infantry category is where Verteidigungsbereich Toulon really shines, with lots of unique choices. From new Grenadier (MG 099), armed with Italian Breda 30 LMGs and Ost-Legionäre (introduced in Nemesis: Battle of Rimini) to new Kriegsmarine Landesschützen, KM Marineinfanterie, KM Führer (large 8-men command squads with two LMGs), KM Pionier, and Italian Maro (full SMG naval infantry) squads. Other units include elite Brandenburg special forces (with Raider trait), Sicherungs and Pionier troops. By far, one of the more original options is the new KM Boot Besatzung, which are stranded U-boat submarine crews, highly disciplined and indoctrinated (with the Fanatical trait), carrying three MG-34s and featuring a bearded officer with a captain’s cap!
- The battlegroup’s Tank category has only a few card slots, often limited to Combat Phase A or B. The only units on offer are old French Beute R-35 and H-39, plus a handful of StuGs.
- Support forces are regular, with Bef.Traction as a commander unit. The new GebK. 285(j) Yugoslav mountain gun is featured in place of the IG 18, and the new KM Kustenpolizei acts as a large military police squad armed with the French MAS-36.
- The battlegroup’s AT arsenal consists of several Panzerjäger RSO and Marder I self-propelled guns which (slightly) compensate the lack of tanks. Furthermore, PaK 177(i) (introduced in Nemesis: Battle of Rimini), as well as PaK 36(r) 76,2mm (Soviet F-22 used in AT role) and even a few PaK 43 88mm can be found.
- The AA category is very well represented, with many cheap slots and a large variety of (towed) guns on offer. These include Flak 20mm, Flakvierling 20mm, Flak 37mm, the new & deadly Flakzwilling 37mm, Flak 88mm, and the new heavy Flak 105mm.
- The Artillery units on offer are likewise very good, with several captured examples deployable. Once again, only towed units are featured, but the slots are cheap and plentiful. From new Italian 100mm and 149mm guns to French 105mm, new Yugoslav 100 mm, Soviet 152mm, as well as the nimble Ar 196A-3 floatplane (to be introduced first with the upcoming Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics History Expansion) which acts as the spotter plane for heavy 340mm off-map coastal artillery.
- Air units are rather limited, with the Luftwaffe mostly absent from the skies. Only a few Me-109 and Fw-190 in fighter or fighter-bomber roles can be deployed, backed up by Do-217 and Ju-88 bombers.
Being a static garrison division, Verteidigungsbereich Toulon is rated C (low offensive power) but features quite a few new defensive structures, deployable during Breakthrough games. These include the new Panzerstellung bunkers, which mate a tank turret to a concrete casemate. They come in three different variants: Panzerstellung Panzer II (20mm), Panzerstellung 35R (37mm), and Panzerstellung 35S (47mm).
Verteidigungsbereich Toulon is an excellent defensive battlegroup with many versatile units but lacks offensive armored firepower.
All of our Kriegsmarine and Brandenburg squads will feature brand-new voice acting, including new marching songs!
1e Division Française Libre
The “real deal” of the Free French fighting forces: the 1e Division Française Libre (DFL) or the 1st Free French Division. This illustrious veteran formation took part in battles ranging from Narvik to East Africa, Operation Exporter (Syria-Lebanon, 1941), North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia) before heading towards the Italian front and later France during Operation Dragoon.
The DFL embodies Free France in its truest form, regrouping almost all the nationalities of the French colonial empire (and beyond) and armed forces which answered general de Gaulle’s call to keep on fighting.
What can you expect of the 1e Division Française Libre?
- This battlegroup’s Recon tab is well-stocked with options and plenty of choices. This includes FFI sidecar, the new M6 Fargo heavy jeep with 37mm AT gun, as well as Greyhound, Stuart, and the new Commando d’Afrique squads. The latter are French airborne special forces, heavily armed with Garand, Thompson, and a Bazooka.
- The Infantry forces are very strong, with lots of variety and cheap slots. These include the new Artilleurs AA (AA gunners converted to foot soldiers), FFI Maquisards (with Raider trait), elite Légionnaires (with Fanatical trait) and Légion. Sapeurs-Pionniers (with obligatory beards). Other new units are veteran BIMP motorized infantry with two LMGs, more lightly equipped AEF (Central African) and AFN (North African) Tirailleurs squads, and Chocs (Parachutistes de Choc) units which are veteran SAS-like light infantry squads with the Raider trait.
- A decent selection of Tank units, but with a limited amount of slots. Players can choose between Stuarts (normal and command version) or Sherman tanks. One special tank unit is the M10A1 R.C.A. from the Régiment de Chasseurs d’Afrique, which used the M10 Wolverines tank destroyers in a traditional tank role.
- Support forces feature a few original new options, including the FFI Traction as a commander unit and the FFI DMA as a light logistical truck. You’ll also find Légion MG with Fanatical trait, M8 Scott, and the novel use of the M3 Howz. 105mm as a direct fire support unit. This gun is already available in the US 2nd Infantry Division “Indianhead” - the change of this unit from the Artillery tab to the Support category affects both battlegroups.
- The AT tab is rather average, with a decent number of slots but only light towed guns being featured. These include the new 37mm AT gun, the 57mm version, some Bazooka units and the new FFI Partisans (with captured Panzerfausts). Some leftover TD M10 R.C.A. can also be found here.
- The AA units are likewise very average with only two open slots, both expensive. The only unit featured is a Bofors gun.
- The Artillery features plentiful of units, including mortars, HM2 105mm and HM1 155mm (Long Tom) howitzers.
- The battlegroup’s Air forces are quite strong, with plenty of American or British-made planes flown by Free French Air Force pilots (and as such carrying the FAFL liveries). These include P-39Q, B-26G, P-47D, and Spitfire Mk. Vb trop. The new F-5B-1 recon variant can also be deployed. Furthermore, British carrier-borne Fleet Air Arm planes are also featured, including the new Seafire, Hellcat and Wildcat.
The 1e Division Française Libre excels as a boots-on-the-ground battlegroup thanks to its battle-hardened and versatile infantry.
Our new Tirailleurs infantry squads (North and Central African) will have their own voice acting.
Nemesis: Storming Toulon’s new units and models
The following new units can be found in Nemesis: Storming Toulon:
New Units
- Marine-Einsatzkommando 71 - recon special forces
- Grenadier (MG 099) - infantry
- Kriegsmarine Marineinfanterie - infantry
- Kriegsmarine Landesschützen - infantry
- Kriegsmarine Führer - infantry leader
- Kriegsmarine Pionier - infantry
- Kriegsmarine Boot Besatzung - featuring Fanatical trait
- Kriegsmarine Kustenpolizei - military police
- Italian San Marco naval infantry - SMG squad
- GebK. 285(j) - Yugoslav mountain gun
- PaK 36(r) 76,2mm - AT gun
- Flakzwilling 37mm - AA gun
- Flak 38 105mm - heavy AA
- Yugoslav 100mm - artillery gun
- Italian 100mm - artillery gun
- Italian 149mm - artillery gun
- Panzerstellung Panzer II - new Defensive structure
- Panzerstellung 35R - new Defensive structure
- Panzerstellung 35S - new Defensive structure
- Commandos d’Afrique - recon special forces
- M6 Fargo - AT gun on recon light truck
- Artilleurs AA - infantry
- FFI Maquisards - featuring Raiders trait
- Légionnaires - featuring Fanatical trait
- Légion. Sap.-Pionniers - featuring Fanatical trait (and beard!)
- Tirailleurs - AEF (Central African) and AFN (North African) infantry
- Sapeurs-Pionniers - infantry
- BIMP - motorized infantry
- Chocs - featuring Raiders trait
- M10A1 R.C.A. - tank
- FFI Traction - commander unit
- FFI DMA - light logistical unit
- M3 Gun 37mm - light AT gun
- FFI Partisans - AT squad
- F-5B-1 - recon plane
- Hellcat - British carrier-borne fighter-bomber
- Wildcat - British carrier-borne fighter-bomber
- Seafire - British carrier-borne recon. fighter
Nemesis DLC Overview
Nemesis: Storming Toulon will join a host of other exciting Nemesis DLC already available for Steel Division 2:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1405650/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_1__Sandomierz
Nemesis: Battle of Sandomierz Bridgehead is the first Nemesis DLC and available for free! It features the 16. Panzerdivision and the 97th Guards Rifle Division from the Eastern Front, bringing a number of new units, including the most fearsome German tank of World War II, the Königstiger (H).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418230/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_2__Lvov_Offensive
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..
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1477780/Steel_Division_2__Nemesis_3__Battle_of_Rimini/
Nemesis: Battle of Rimini is our third Nemesis DLC, available now for €4.99 / $4.99. It features the 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division for the Axis, and the combined Allied battlegroup of the 2nd New Zealand Division with the 3rd Greek Mountain Brigade attached.
The recent winner of our latest hotly-contested community vote, our fifth expansion Nemesis: Raid on Drvar is currently in active development. Featuring two unusual battlegroups from the partisan-infused Balkan theater, you’ll get to play with the Axis Unternehmen Rösselsprung battlegroup, featuring not only the fanatical SS-Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon 500 but also supporting Croatian troops. As the Allies, deploy as the unique partisan formation NOV - the the Yugoslav Liberation Army.
Coming up next
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418231/Steel_Division_2__Burning_Baltics/
In case you’ve missed the news, our new massive History Expansion,
Steel Division 2: Burning Baltics will launch on April 29th!
Let us know what you think 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.
That’s it for this week’s post. Don’t forget, we have updated our schedule and will now post every two weeks.
See you on the battlefield, commander!