Men of Steel Gameplay Showcase #3

Hello, hello.

Once more unto the breach, commander! In today’s DevBlog, we’ll detail the arsenals of the next set of divisions coming with the new Steel Division 2: Men of Steel expansion.

We previously covered the historical aspects of the Allied Groupement Dody and the Axis 17. Divisioona in a dedicated Versus post, which you can check here.

As always, note that the following is still work in progress and is subject to change.

Groupement Dody

We start with the partisan-bolstered French-led Groupement Dody. Not an actual division as such, this Steel Division 2 battlegroup covers a variety of formations operating in the French Alps from mid-August (after Operation Dragoon) to late September 1944.

The mix of different soldiers, from FFI to American paratroopers and Morrocan mountaineers and Goumiers, can be found in the Groupement Dody. As composition changed over time, formations coming and going, we have corresponded each group to a specific Combat Phase.
Phase A

• FFI partisans were very active in the Alps, and with the start of Operation Dragoon, they rose en masse.
• some American paratroopers, already featured in the 1st Airborne Task Force, quickly joined them.
• But the core of the battlegroup was a detachment from French General Dody’s 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division, as well as some (also Moroccan) Goumiers light mountain troops.

Phase B

• In the next phase, a regiment from the 4th Moroccan Mountain Division brings even more specialized mountain soldiers.
• At the same time, many local FFI were reorganized into regular infantry. Former Chasseurs Alpins in ranks were reformed into scout and light troops, and trained to use captured German guns.
• Heavy artillery was also brought forward from general reserve.

Phase C

• In the last phase, the American airborne troops, the Goumiers, heavy artillery, and Dody’s forces are all gone.
• Instead, further mountaineers of the reformed 27th Alpinee Division, France’s traditional mountain forces, can be deployed.

Groupement Dody in Steel Division 2

Let’s check out the phase-locked Groupement Dody, category by category.

RECON
A decent category with plenty of choices. You’ll get two “1” cost slots before moving to three “2” slots and two “3” slots.

• The following units are only available in Phase A and B, before becoming unavailable in Phase C.
  • The ever-present FFI SIDE-CAR, and FFI SABOTEURS.
  • SPAHIS in all shapes and variants, from 2-man and 4-man recon squads, plus M3A3 (Stuart) and AM-M8 (Greyhound) armored recon cars.
  • The new GOUMIERS ECLAIREURS, a large 11-man recon squad with 9x MAS-36 rifles, 1x FM 24/29 automatic rifle, and 1x scoped Lee-Enfield. As all knife-wielding Goumiers, they feature one Veterancy level and the Shock trait.

• The following units become available in Combat Phase B and C. These are professional light Alpine troops.
  • CORPS FRANCS. The term is most analogous to the English use of commando. From World War I onwards, these soldiers were hand-picked and grouped into small, highly motivated, well-armed squads. They would infiltrate enemy positions at night, either for recon duties or in raids. Among the Chasseurs Alpins, they would operate ahead of the main body of troops, creating ambushes or trying to block enemy surprise attacks. In Steel Division 2: Men of Steel expansion, the CORPS FRANCS come as experienced (with one Veterancy level) 6-man assault recon squads fielding 2x Sten, 3x MAS-36 rifles, 1x FM 24/29 and TNT.
  • ECLAIREURS-SKIEURS. These were the crème de la crème of the Chasseurs Alpins. As deep penetration recon squads, they were able to cross any terrain, however steep, icy, or rugged, and were supposed to stay hidden behind enemy lines for weeks at a time. These are the French counterparts to the Italian ALPINI ESPLORANTE. The ECLAIREURS-SKIEURS are 12-man squads with 3x Sten, 6x MAS-36, 1x FM 24/29, and 1x scope Kar-98, as well as the Radio trait.

INFANTRY
A solid category, with the vast majority of the slots being cheap, with only the last three becoming more expensive. A battlegroup’s commander will have plenty to choose from.

• The following units will only become available in Phase A and B, before being removed in Phase C.
  • American AB LEADER, AB RIFLES, and GLIDER RIFLES.
  • The French Résistance provides CMDT FFI and FFI MAQUISARDS.
  • The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division deploys as TIRAILLEURS, CMDT TIRAILLEURS, TIR. PIONIERS and SAPEURS. These units are the same as found in the 1e Division Française Libre (featured Nemesis: Storming Toulon), but we remodeled some of the infantry to feature more appropriate headgear.
  • Groupement Dody’s special units comes as Morrocan Goumiers. These are auxiliary mountain troops, with only a limited amount of French officers and NCOs in a battalion. These soldiers were organized in large groups, more like warbands than typical military squads. The GOUMIERS come in three variants, all featuring the Raider and Shock traits.
    • CMDT GOUMIERS. An elite 3-man leader squad with 2x carbines, 1x FM 24/29, a Bazooka, smoke grenades, and Radio.
    • GOUMIERS. A 19-man squad with 1x Thompson, 17x P17 rifles, and 1x FM 24/29. If you think that’s large, wait for …
    • GOUMIERS (PM). These assault “squads” concentrated most of the automatic firepower available. This squad is 22-man strong with 5x Thompson, 17x P17 rifles, and a “Rocket Gun.” The latter is the name given to a plain bazooka, which the Morrocan forces exclusively (and gleefully) used as bunker busters (hence HE rounds only), so rarely did they come across an enemy tank on top of mountains.
    

  • The following units can be mustered from Combat Phase B onward.
    • The 4e Moroccan Mountain Division makes its appearance. Units include TIRAILLEURS, SAPEURS and PIONIERS, all featuring the Raider trait.
    • Aside from the Raider trait, the main difference from the 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division is the greater allowance in automatic rifles (BAR replacing FM 24/49) and sniper rifles, but the lesser number of anti-tank weapons.
    • The SAPEURS MONT. field a flamethrower, coming in pretty handy when clearing mountain caves.
    • PARTIGIANI are Italian partisans (and as such, will fight under their own flag) who fled German and RSI harassment in Northern Italy. They sought refuge in the newly liberated French Alps. These resistance fighters formed at least an entire battalion in the FFI. They are 12-man squads with 2x Beretta SMG, 8x Carcano rifles, 1x Breda 30 and 1x Carcano M91 sniper rifle.

  • In Combat Phase C:
    • The FFI have now turned regular and provide Chasseurs Alpins, mountain troops fielding whatever equipment the newly liberated French government could scrounge.
      • CHASSEURS ALPINS. These 12-man squads are only available in basic Veterancy 0 and 1, bringing 2x Sten, 9x MAS-36, and 1x FM 24/29 - no anti-tank weapons.
      • CMDT CHASSEURS ALPINS are 6-man command squads with 3x Sten, 3x Carbines and 1x MG-34, plus smoke grenades and a radio.

TANK
As one can expect from a light formation aimed at mountain warfare, tank allocation to this battlegroup is minimal. There are only three slots, which swiftly become expensive.

Only units in Combat Phase A and B are available, with only one card each!

• CHAR CMD M3A3 and CHAR M5A2, meaning Stuart light tanks.
• CHAR M10A1 RCA (which are TD M10 “Wolverines”) used as cavalry tanks in the truest sense of the word by the Chasseurs d’Afrique - which always considered themselves light cavalry despite the vehicles under their command.

SUPPORT
The Groupement Dody’s has plenty of SUPPORT slots, including three “1” cost, three “2” cost, and two “3” costs. There are quite a few options on offer.

• The usual machine gun teams in many varieties. These include TIRAILLEURS, MONTAGNARD, FFI, and ALPINS, including heavy 13,2mm Hotchkiss guns.
• The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division brings M8 SCOTT and M3 HOW. 105mm as direct fire support in Combat Phase A and B only.
• Commanders, either in fast FFI TRACTION, on foot or deployable in a AM-M20 command car.

ANTI-TANK
This category is decent in the number of slots available and their price, with two “1” slots, two “2” slots, and one “3” slot. Options are average.

• BAZOOKA teams (either American airborne or French).
• FFI PARTISANS with Panzerfaust.
• 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division brings M3 GUN 37mm and TD M10A1 tank destroyers in Phase A and B.
• Towed CANON 57mm, available in all Combat Phases.
• Captured FFI PAK 40 deployable from Phase B and C. This particular towed gun was the second-most widespread captured gun in the French army in late ‘44 and ‘45.

ANTI-AIR
One of the most limited categories of this division. Not many choices nor availability, and slots feature a high price.

• FFI CANON CA 25mm recaptured from the Germans, available in all Combat Phases.
• The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division deploy BOFORS towed guns in Phase A and B.
• Additional American BOFORS, from general reserve, become available in Combat Phase B and C.

ARTILLERY
A pretty decent category with two “1” cost slots, three “2” slots, and three “3” slots. A well-rounded selection of artillery units can be deployed.

• The 2nd Moroccan Infantry Division bring 60mm and 81mm mortars, as well as OBUSIER HM2 105mm howitzers in Phase A and B.
• A handful of OBUSIER HM1 155mm (which are Long Tom guns) were briefly deployed, meaning they are only available in Combat Phase B.
• The 4e Moroccan Mountain Division fields another batch of 60mm and 81mm mortars, but also brings the M1 HOWZ. 75mm, which is the M1A1 Pack howitzer.
• A FFI battery of captured German le.FH 18M 105mm howitzers become deployable in Phase B and C. In-game, they will feature Italian dialogue as they were historically crewed by former Italian POWs, volunteering to finish the war fighting for the Free French.
• Only in Phase C, the Chasseurs Alpins manage to unearth and field some of their pre-war CANON 75MM DE MONTAGNE MLE 1928.

AIR
A pretty good category with four “1” slots, and two “2” and “3” slots, and plenty of choice. Most of the aircraft flown were Free French, as by this time, France operated more and more squadrons from homegrown soil, with some explicitly dedicated to assisting its Alpine formations.

Carpet bombing wasn’t very effective in the mountains; hence instead, a healthy allocation of fighters and fighter bombers from Groupement Dody.

• Fighter cover is provided by P-39Q-15-BE (Airacobra) and a few P-47D-22-RE.
• The remaining P-47s are mainly operating as fighter bombers, with various load-outs: napalm, bombs, and rockets.
• Recon is provided in Phase A only by an SOE-FFI liaison LYSANDER, a light recon aircraft carrying 12x 9kg bomblets. Across all Phases, a fast F-6 (unarmed recon P-38) can be called in.

The cherry on the cake comes from American air power. Having relocated to France, near the Alps, they deployed one of their P-61 “Black Widow” squadrons. Unlike those featured in the 1st Special Force Brigade, also to be found in the Steel Division 2: Men of Steel expansion, these were P-61B-10, able to carry heavy load-outs on top of the quad 20mm.

• Two variants exist, but these are only available in Phase C: one with 6x AT rockets and one with 4x 454kg bombs.

Groupement Dody is a layered division, with various forces coming and going depending on the Combat Phase. Mostly made up of infantry with the Raider trait, congested battlefields or urban warfare is the preferred terrain for this battlegroup, but they might struggle in long-range combat. Its strong air cover, especially its fighter bombers, should provide a potent answer to more serious threats in the late game.

17. Divisioona

Next up is the Finnish-Swedish mixed 17. Divisioona. The version of the Axis division featured in the Steel Division 2: Men of Steel expansion represents how it existed around and after the fall of Vyborg (in Finnish Viipuri) to the Soviets in the summer of 1944.

It includes not only the 17. Divisioona (17th Division) but also elements from the green (and rather shaky) 20th Infantry Brigade, who were routed from the city, as well as detachments from the anti-air defenses ringing Vyborg and artillery support.

Unlike some of the other Steel Division 2: Men of Steel divisions, the 17. Divisioona is not phase-locked, with all units being available from the start!

17. Divisioona in Steel Division 2

Let’s check out the battlegroup, category by category.

RECON
There is a distinct lack of units and availability in 17. Divisioona reconnaissance category, with only a few slots that quickly rise in price.

• The division didn’t have extensive recon forces as they were locked in combat, with the Soviets almost on top of the Finnish positions.
• Limited options include WLA (KK) side-cars, KEV.OS and TARKKA-AMPUJA divisional scouts.

INFANTRY
Combat soldiers are one of the strong suits of this battlegroup, with plenty of infantry units to choose from. This shouldn’t come as a surprise with the expansion’s focus on the fighting men of World War II, especially not if we also consider that this is a Finnish infantry-focused division we are talking about. Commanders will have eight “1” slots and one “two” and “three” slots each.

• We’ll begin with all the regular choices, including:
  • KIVÄÄRI, rifles and command squads.
  • PIONEERI, combat engineers and command squads
  • LÄHITORJUNTA, close defense squads.

• Followed by a bunch of new units!
  • PRIKAATILAINEN. The green recruits from the 20th Infantry Brigade, who abandoned their positions at Vyborg. They come as a 9-man strong rifle squad, with 1x Suomi SMG, 7x M/39 rifles, 1x DP-28 LMG, anti-tank grenades, and - no surprise there - the Disheartened trait.
  • SEXTIETTAN (meaning “61st” in Swedish). This unit represents members from Infantry Regiment 61, the Swedo-Finn formation that saved the day at Tienhaara just after the Fall of Vyborg. These soldiers prevented the Soviets from breaking through. In-game, they are represented as a 9-man rifle squad with 2x Suomi, 6x M/39 rifles, 1x DT LMG, Panzerfaust, and the Fanatical trait.
  • SEXTIETTAN (KPÄÄL) are 4-man command squad with 1x Suomi, 3x M/39 and Satchel AT grenades, plus the Radio and Fanatical trait.
  • SEXT. ISKURYHMÄ are 9-man assault squads equipped with a mix of Suomi and PPSh SMG, 2x M/26 automatic rifles, and anti-tank grenades. They also carry the Fanatical and Shock traits.
  • All the experienced SEXTIETTAN units come deployed with one Veterancy level, plus Swedish dialogue and acknowledgments.

TANK
Next up is a category very limited in scope, with only two slots (though both are cheap at “1” price).

• Both armor options are only available during Combat Phase A.
• One card of T-26E.
• And one card of STURMI, forward deployed from the Finnish armored Panssaridivisioona formation.

SUPPORT
A good category for 17. Divisioona with a healthy balance between the number of slots, unit options, and price.

• Standard choices include Commanders on foot, side-car, or in the VIDAL TEMPO command car, as well as FORD AA HUOLTO supply trucks.
• New units are:
  • A choice between Disheartened RECRUITS KK M32-33, which is a Maxim heavy machine gun team, or Fanatical SEXT. KK M/14, being a Schwarloze HMG.
  • SOTILASPOLIISI military police, to keep all those unwilling PRIKAATILAINEN in line.

• While not new, the BT-42 makes another appearance, with an availability of two cards in Combat Phase A and B. In real life, the whole company was detached from the armored Panssaridivisioona to rush to rescue Vyborg’s defenders, only to be almost completely wiped out due to their inability to engage Soviet tanks.
  
• Much like the Royal Marines’ CENTAUR IV in the upcoming 1st Special Service Brigade being reworked to provide indirect fire, the BT-42 was capable of the same feat, even proposed to be used this way (though denied by military high command). Therefore, we added the indirect fire ability to this assault gun as a battlefield modification, though the vehicle lacks any radio. This will also affect the BT-42 in the Panssaridivisioona (featured in our major expansion Steel Division 2: The Fate of Finland).

ANTI-TANK
A decent category with two “1” slots, three “2” slots, and one “3”. While choices are plenty, most of them are light anti-tank teams.

• PANSSARIKAUHU (Panzerschreck) in either RECRUITS (with Disheartened trait) or “vanilla” flavor.
• LAHTI L-39 (anti-tank rifle) in either SEXTIETTAN (Fanatical) or plain variant.
• TANKINTORJUNTA (tank hunters) in either SEXTIETTAN (with Fanatical) or “vanilla” flavor.
• The remaining units are the 17. Divisioona divisional guns, including one card of 45 PstK/39 45mm and one card (only in Phase A or B) of 75 K/40 75mm towed anti-tank guns.

ANTI-AIR
A pretty strong category, primarily thanks to the historical presence of the anti-air defenses surrounding Vyborg and Tienhaara. This means quite a few slots, eight in total, all being cheap.

• Lots of anti-air units to choose from. These include standard choices:
  • FORD AA URK-ITKK, being self-propelled quad Maxim machine guns.
  • FORD AA 20 ItK, self-propeled single 20mm gun.
  • VEKOTIN, which is a towed twin 20mm.
  • 40 ItK/35-39 B 40mm (Bofors).

• A new unit is the 76 ItK/34V 75mm (a Vickers M/34), also capable of firing AP rounds, allowing it to be turned into a makeshift anti-tank gun.

ART
And we got another powerful category for this battlegroup, being stronger than even Anti-Air. It features the same amount of slots, but cheaper overall.

• Artillery forces include the ton of mortars to be expected in a Finnish unit (even to this day).
• Plenty of howitzers, several featuring the secondary capability of firing anti-tank rounds.
  • 84 K/18 83,8mm which is a British QF 18-pdr.
  • 76 K/36 76,2mm, a captured Soviet F-22.
  • 105 H/33 105mm being a German le.FH 18M.
  • 150 H/40 150mm, a German s.FH 18.
  • 152 H/37 152mm, which is a captured Soviet ML-20.
  • 203 H/17 203mm, a new unit, British BL 8 pouces howitzer Mk. VII.

AIR
A decent AIR category can be found with the 17. Divisioona. Air support comprises a mix of the Finnish Air Force and German Luftwaffe.

• The Finns provide most of the airplanes
  • GAUNTLET Mk.II and BF 109 G-8 in recon roles.
  • Bf 109 G-6 as fighter and fighter-bombers.
  • BLENHEIM Mk.I, the new DB-3F and Ju-88 A-4 bombers.

• The Luftwaffe, represented in Finland by Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey, provides specialized (and much-needed) anti-tank planes.
  • Ju-87 D-5 with AB-250-3 cluster bombs.
  • Fw 190 F-8 with Panzerblitz 1 AT rockets.

The 17. Divisioona is a battlegroup heavily focused on infantry and artillery, with the Finnish-Swedish forces being able to grind any opponent to a halt or even launch their own attacks in built-up spaces. However, pushing across open terrain or against long-range opponents will prove difficult, with the division relying on its air force to make a fist against enemy armor.

Steel Division 2: Men of Steel Versus

Versus

• The Wehrmacht reservist of the 715. Infanterie-Division and the paratroopers of the Allied 1st Airborne Task Force receive their highlight in our Versus #1DevBlog.
• The Allied commandos of the 1st Special Force Brigade against the Market Garden-active Axis Kampfgruppe von Tettau in Versus #2 DevBlog.
• The Finish-Swedish Axis 17. Divisioona and the partisan-infused and mixed Allied Groupement Dody in the Versus #3 DevBlog.
• The Axis-Hungarian armored 1. Páncélos Hadosztály and the Soviet-allied Bulgarian Bronirana Brigada get their spotlight in Versus #4 DevBlog.

Aces
And if you want to read more about the two new Aces - Allied Sergeant Tommy Prince and Hungarian tank commander Barnabás Kőszeghy - you’ll encounter in Steel Division 2: Men of Steel, look no further and check out this dedicated DevBlog here.

See you on the battlefield

And we are done with the third Steel Division 2: Men of Steel showcase. Let us know what you think.

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See you on the battlefield, commander.