Matrix Games News

The Colonials strike back! New Battlestar Galactica Deadlock: Resurrection content coming soon!

Sat, 9 Aug 2019 GMT

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock: Resurrection marks the beginning of the game’s Season Two and introduces a plethora of new features and content. It will be available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on August 29^th!

The new content provides players with two new ships (including the much-awaited Jupiter MK II Battlestar), two new squadrons and a new story campaign told from the CIC deck of the Galactica itself.

New story campaign

The brand new story campaign kicks off Season Two of Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. Players will face Cylon threats old and new, and battle side-by-side with the CIC crew of the Galactica. They can play through ten fully-voiced story missions, and thirteen Resource Missions that can be scouted for intel before committing your forces. The campaign features four new tracks from composer Ash Gibson Greig, two story cinematics, and voices of both new and familiar voices.

New war room

The Ministry of Defense relies on Galactica to lead the counter-offensive against the Cylons. Players can organize and command BSG-75 from a meticulous reconstruction of the famous Galactica CIC. The Season Two strategy layer has been revamped to get fans straight into the fights that matter, while the new Cylon Threat mechanic measures overall impact on the First Cylon War.

New ships

The Jupiter-class Battlestar players know and love has been overhauled. The Jupiter Mk II boasts enough firepower and armor to become the most impressive vessel yet fielded in the war, with that authentic familiar look fans have been waiting for.

The Cylons have not been idle during the ceasefire either. When taking the field, Cylon Command have begun to exploit the raw firepower of the rare Cratus-class basestar, an impressive behemoth of a ship that serves as a mobile operational base.

New squadrons

The Colonials have retrofitted an ancient fighter design with a mysterious origin. Dubbed the Taipan, these hardy fighters are heavy hitting anti-capital strike vehicles. Meanwhile, the Cylons have developed the Vespid, a swarm of dedicated bombers that quickly close the distance and release high yield explosives on their targets.

Season Two – New content

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock: Resurrection marks the beginning of Season Two for the game and it is accompanied by the Command Update. This is a massive free update for anyone who owns the base game Battlestar Galactica Deadlock. Internet connection is required for download.

The Command Update delivers a huge number of quality of life improvements to Battlestar Galactica Deadlock, including:

The game-changing multi-select control scheme for keyboard and mouse users
User Interface Improvements to make giving orders to players’ fleet faster and easier
A revamp of the projectiles (bullet) systems
A new full-screen effects system that refreshes the look of the game battles
And much more!

We will be unveiling more of the expansion in the weeks to come, so stay tuned! Players can wishlist the game and follow it on Steam to be notified of news related to this expansion.

Furthermore, there will be two preview streams in the next few days! On 12^th August, Lambert and Arumba will face each other in a pvp game on Twitch, using the new Resurrection ships! On 14^th August, Spacedock will be streaming the first part of the new campaign on Twitch! Don’t miss it!

Order of Battle: Red Star OUT NOW

Fri, 8 Aug 2019 GMT

The Motherland is under attack!

Comrades, the Red Army is here!

Order of Battle: Red Star, the first expansion of a planned trilogy covering the full extent of WWII from the Soviet point of view, has just been released! Get it now and join the Soviet corps!

There's more! Thanks to a special sale starting today and ending on August 15^th, you have the opportunity to get all the previous DLCs of Order Of Battle discounted for 50%, get them while you can!

Do you want to see Red Star in action? Then don’t miss Gamer 1745 playing today at 7 pm BST on our official Twitch Channel!

Have a look at the previous Stream:

WarPlan Dev Diary #5: Supply system

Tue, 5 Aug 2019 GMT

You can now check the latest Dev Diary for WarPlan!

Supply System

There were many variations I went through in trying to determine the best supply system for the game. I thought about doing supply as a board game which is basically a black and white system, you are in supply or you are not. But that didn’t address realism problems as well as I liked. I thought about a complex robust system of supply that the player manipulates and manages. But that format would be a new mechanic that players might have a hard time accepting and anyways who wants to do supply each turn. Instead I examined supply systems from all the computer games of the genre, read a little on logistics, and designed something familiar to all computer wargamers. The supply system allows for operational action and strategic planning where sea and air control becomes paramount.

Supply Sources

Supply Stockpiles– These are stored supplies that represent food, uniforms, helmets, ammunition, spare parts, etc. Each strength point of a unit uses 1 supply stockpile per turn.

Main Supply Sources– All players have main supply sources from production producing urban resources. They provide unlimited supply stockpile to units each turn.

Main supply sources provide unlimited supply for units. Port supplies provide limited supply for units in the form of supply stockpile. Port supply and supply stockpile are limited by two factors, the size of the port and the distance from the port.

Port Supply Sources– Each port size value yields 20 supply stockpile. 1 stockpile supplies 1 strength point of land or air unit. Any unit within 10 hexes of a port pulls from the stockpile to keep it in supply and gets effectiveness recovery equal to the supply level of the hex they are in. If there is not enough supply stock pile it tries to pull from another port. A unit that pulls stockpile from a port 11-20 hexes away uses 4 supply stockpile to supply 3 strength of unit. A unit 21-30 hexes away uses 2 supply stockpile to supply 1 strength of unit. If there is not enough stockpile a unit gets a fraction of effectiveness recovery of what is there. If a unit is in a supplied hex but there is zero stockpile remaining it will only have its supply level replenished by not its effectiveness.

Naval Supply Sources– Fleets can move to a coastal hex, use beachhead supply, and supply units on the coast. Naval supply recovers their unit supply level and gains each unit +6% effectiveness. While this helps units stay in supply it is inferior to having units in main or port supply.

Map Supply Level– This indicates the quality of supply given on the map. As long as a main supply source traces through undamaged rail it stays at a maximum supply level of 9. On hexes that are not rail this number gets reduced by the motorized movement cost of the hex. A road removes terrain movement costs. Once a hex is zero supply level it is no longer in supply. Supply levels directly affect how much efficiency a unit recovers a turn. Each supply level recovers 2% per turn.

So what does this represent? When off a rail line supplies need to be driven by trucks or walked by horses. Fuel will be spent driving, rations will be spent supporting the supply convoy, spare parts will be used to repair the supply truck. The farther you go the less you get.

Headquarters – An HQ that has a supply level of one or more will increase all supply levels within its command via controlled hexes that by moving it can reach by +1. This means even hexes out of range of the original supply line can be increased. HQs can’t chain together. HQs also offer an effectiveness recovery bonus of +4% for any unit within its command range of 5 hexes. So while units can operate without an HQ it is better if they have one supporting them just for supply and effectiveness recovery purposes.

Hex Control – If an enemy unsupplied hex borders a friendly supplied hex the control converts to the player with the supplied hex that borders it at the end of each turn.

Unit Supply

Units have two factors that are affected by their supply status. How long they can stay out of supply and how effective their fighting power is. If their unit supply level gets low movement is affected. Once their supply runs out their effectiveness starts taking reductions. Many turns not being in supply affects their health.

Unit Supply Level– Units can stay out of supply for 3 turns before serious lack of supplies penalties occur to the unit. Supply trucks can increase a unit’s supply level to 4 if they start in main supply. Supply air drops maintain their current level of supply of at least 1.

Unit Supply Level	Effect on Land and Air	Effect on Naval
Zero	A unit takes an additional 10% effectiveness loss and is at ½ their movement	Can’t attack, defends at ½ effectiveness
1	A unit takes an additional 10% effectiveness loss	Normal operations
2	Normal operations	Normal operations
3	Normal operations	Normal operations
4	Using supply trucks when in supply	Normal operations *
5	-	Normal operations – Submarine groups
6	-	Normal operations – Submarine groups *
8	-	Normal operations – Submarine groups #
9	-	Normal operations – Submarine groups #*

Note *: Fleet in port using oilers
Note #: Submarine groups with long range advancement

Unit Effectiveness– Supply directly impacts how much effectiveness recovery a unit gets. This represents spare parts, food, fuel, fatigue, and moral in one attribute. Map supply levels and HQs modify how much is recovered. The percentage of effectiveness the unit has is a direct modifier to its combat factors.

Supply Trucks– The use of a supply truck on a land or air unit already in map supply increases their unit supply level by +1 and increases their effectiveness by +6%. You can go over 100% for a maximum of 110% effectiveness over 3 turns of the unit doing nothing but using supply trucks. A player can’t use a supply truck with a unit not in supply. Supply trucks are expended upon use.

Oiler – When a naval unit is at sea they are in an out of supply state. A naval unit with a zero unit supply level can’t attack and defends at 50% its effectiveness. The resupply button uses an oiler supply consumable and replenishes the fleet’s supply level to maximum. Oilers are expended upon use.

How does this work to mimic real logistics?

With this system I can resolve a common concern wargamers have on how to handle North Africa supply for the Axis or D-Day supply for the Allies. The number of ports you control and the distance from those ports affects the effectiveness recovery of units overseas.

For the Allies invading France is as much about getting a foothold as it is getting ports. Now Cherbourg and Antwerp have importance. The type of units the Allies have on the ground in France have importance.

For the Axis the North African Campaign can’t be won just by brute force. Positions like Crete and Cyprus are important for long range strikes, sea control, and a supply source for air units. The Allies have better port supply than the Axis in that theater but on the border of Egypt and Libya is no man’s land where each port becomes vital.

Units also have different supply costs. Any oil dependent unit will cost 10% more supply stockpiles to supply overseas. This means armor, mech, and air units take more supplies than just infantry type units.

Map Supply Effect	Unit Supply Level	Effectiveness Recovery
Base Recovery	Maximum to 3	+6%
HQ Bonus	-	+4% to units within 5 hexes
Main Supply, map supply level 1 or higher	Maximum to 3	Base + (2 x map supply level) + HQ bonus
Port Supply, map supply level 1 or higher	Maximum to 3	Base + (2 x map supply level) + HQ bonus #
HQ command range friendly hexes	Maximum to 3	+1 map supply level even if zero
Port, no stockpile remaining, any level	Maximum to 3	Base + HQ bonus) / 2
No supply source	-1 per turn	-10% at unit supply level zero and 1
Using supply truck	+1	Base bonus
Using beachhead supply	+1	Base bonus

Note #: Port supply effectiveness recovery is based on the port supply stockpile available

Naval Unit Supply and Oil Use

Naval units are unique in WarPlan in how they are supplied. A fleet at port simply gets supplied. While fleets use vast quantities of oil to operate in WarPlan they only use oil when out at sea regardless of their actions. Land and air units use oil when they move and when they attack. Submarines have 5 unit supply level and can go up to a 7 unit supply level if they have long range submarine advancement. All other naval groups have a 3 unit supply level. In naval supply being at zero unit supply means that fleet can’t attack another fleet and will defend at 50% their combat firepower but can still move.

How is port supply stopped? How do I supply invasions?

If you read the naval system post you know that ships and planes can interdict most supply shipments into a port by controlling the seas around the enemy port. At the same time supporting navies can send ships to the area to protect those same supplies. Invasions are done in a similar fashion, by sea control. Players can use ships on the coast to supply units on the beach or within 1 hex of the fleet location as if those units are at a map supply level of 3. But time is short as the supplies these units are getting are not as good as units in main or port supply.

In the Pacific theater you will see more use of the naval supply run to island groups under enemy air attack. A player can even do the Tokyo Express sending closer fleets on night missions to supply land units.

So how does this compare to reality? Usually the largest effect is a lowering of the recovery of effectiveness for units. For example the Italian navy actually delivered most of its supplies to the North African forces and technically performed exactly what it was supposed to do during the war (Struggle for the Middle Sea: The Great Navies at War in the Mediterranean Theater, 1940-1945 by Vincent P. O'Hara). The times they did fail usually had to do with the specific supplies they were shipping like needed fuel or tanks that by chance got sunk. The port stockpile reduction due to naval interdiction is reflected in effectiveness recovery levels based on port stockpiles. As a side note Malta is of some importance in WarPlan as it is 8 hexes away from Tripoli and a naval base. Placing a tactical support air unit in Malta and a submarine will affect supplies to Tripoli. Since Tripoli is far from Egypt supply cost is doubled so every interdiction is critical to Axis forces.

As for the Allied invasion of France in 1944 they still have to protect their supply lanes. A negligent Allied player might find a fleet or 2 of subs impacting their port supply just enough to cause stockpile problems near the front.

With this supply system players need to think about their overseas supply situation more carefully protecting vulnerable lanes and attacking enemy supply lanes. It simulates the complexity of logistics in a way that can be balanced for fair play and easily understood. In beta testing players are enjoying how the ebb and flow of the North African campaign is working. I think this is one of the more interesting aspects of the game that allows players to think about naval and air strategies that intertwine along with supply situations without overwhelming them. The intricacies of logistics combined with the game mechanics will make for very good play.

Slitherine acquires the Master of Magic franchise

Tue, 5 Aug 2019 GMT

In a continuous bid to update and modernize popular strategy IPs and bringing them to the 21^st century, Slitherine has acquired the full publishing rights to the Master of Magic franchise from Atari.

This is one of the most recognizable names in videogames history. It’s one of the key pillars of turn-based strategy gaming and it has created a genre of its own that is still alive and thriving today.

Master of Magic first released on MS-DOS twenty-five years ago in 1994 and it quickly became one of the most cherished games of its genre with its infinite replayability and the sheer number of customisation options it gave to the players.

“We are looking forward to working on this immensely popular franchise”, said Iain McNeil development director at Slitherine. “We know there is a high level of responsibility when we try and develop sequels or successors to popular IPs. We have proven it is possible to fulfil players expectations with the likes of Panzer Corps when it comes to work on these legendary products”.

Sequels to Close Combat and Fantasy General, both coming this year, are also a testament of Slitherine’s ongoing mission in this space.

“The foundations of what we play today are still traced back to that golden age of gaming. We cannot ignore that, like we cannot ignore that technology has moved on with player’s expectations in other areas such as social integration, multiplayer, narration, ease-of-access and more. It will be a challenge, but we are happy to accept it and try our best to make a game that does justice to the brand”.

Order of Battle moves East on August 8th!

Sat, 2 Aug 2019 GMT

The Soviet Army is approaching.

Order of Battle: Red Star, the first expansion of a planned trilogy covering the full extent of WWII from the Soviet point of view, is coming on August 8th.

Be ready to command the Soviet Army through a new exciting theater of war! Red Star covers the battles of the Red Army in the years 1938-41.

Mark the date into your calendar and get more information on its official product page.

Fantasy General II - Twitch Let's Play series announced!

Fri, 1 Aug 2019 GMT

We know many of you are waiting to hear and see more of Fantasy General II.

Well, we have great news for you!

Starting on Wednesday August 7th we are going to be starting a Let's play series of the single player campaign of Fantasy General II!

Every Wednesday at 6 pm BST during all of August we will be continuing the campaign on our Twitch channel, with none other than Agrippa Maxentius as your host and supreme warlord.

Are you ready?

The new update for Armored Brigade is live

Fri, 1 Aug 2019 GMT

You can now play Armored Brigade with brand new exciting features.

Armored Brigade developers have worked hard to bring many improvements to both the base game and its Italy - Yugoslavia DLC.

One of the new features that has been implemented is the Scenario or Mission Editor, an in-game editor where almost everything in the saved missions can be modified easily without exiting the game. The editor is an inherent part of the standard game UI. The user can load the mission in several different modes and then adjust parameters, remove and add formations, edit briefings, objectives and deployment zones and so on.

You can download the patch from the members club.

Check the changelog here:

Fix: When loading scenarios, check the database ID before other checks, to make sure that the relevant data exists in the database.
Fix: In the Battle Generator, the number of objectives was not reset after changing the player start edge, allowing too many objectives to be added.
Fix: US TOW M113 Carrier (M150) now has a commander just like the Italian counterpart.
[database] Adjusted muzzle signatures on LMGs, MMGs and HMGs.
[database] British Chieftan and FV432 speed adjustments.
[engine] Implement the mission editor.
[engine] Add a small muzzle signature visibility bonus when a weapon is fired, making especially the low muzzle signature weapons easier to detect.
[engine] Increase the TI system efficiency and cost slightly.
[engine] The 'paved road' and 'secondary road' now use different width classes, improving the intersections.
[engine] Rotate anti-air units to face the center of enemy setup zone after they have stopped engaging an air target.
[engine] The AI opponent uses artillery smoke in meeting engagements.
[engine] Make sure that the manually edited campaign.xml 'startLocation' attribute stays within the allowed limits.
[scenarios] Add the 'Attack in Bullenhausen' scenario.
[scenarios] Update the 'Who Will Stop the Rain' scenario.
[ui] Show a message when a detected hostile aircraft is going down.
[ui] Prevent the system from listing scenarios, campaigns and maps with duplicate IDs.
[ui] Don't allow purchasing artillery mines if there are no guns purchased. If all guns are sold then set the number of mines to zero.

NOTE: Savegames from older builds are not compatible.

For more details check this thread!

Order of Battle: Red Star - The Red Army is coming!

Thu, 31 Jul 2019 GMT

Red Star is the new expansion for Order of Battle, introducing the Soviet Union as a playable faction for the first time.

Many Soviet units had already been introduced by the Winter War DLC, but of course Red Star brings it to a whole new level, adding brand new unique units for the Red Army!

Today we shall have a look at a few of these new units.

1. BT-7 A artillery tank

The fast BT-7 tank was produced in large numbers from 1935. While the standard version had a 45mm gun the specific BT-7 A variant was designed for artillery support, and equipped with a short barreled 76mm gun. Between 1936 and 1938 over 150 BT-7 A tanks were produced, and used against Japan, Finland and in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa 1941.

This provides the player with an reasonably armored self-propelled artillery unit that is much more mobile than the typical towed artillery systems of the Red Army at this point.

2. KV-1 m1940 heavy tank

The heavy tank KV-1 came too late for the Winter War, where only the prototype was tested. After a shorter series of the early m1939 version the KV-1 m1940 became the main production model, and was the most recent KV-1 version available in summer 1941.

While it was a well-armored tank that came as a nasty surprise for the Wehrmacht early KV-1 tanks had problems with poor visibilty and a weak transmission. Later the player can upgrade to improved models of this tank.

3. 76mm Su 1-12 gun truck

In the 1930ies the Soviet Union made massive efforts to mechanize the Red Army. Increasing numbers of tanks and motorized rifle troops required artillery units able to keep up in battle. An early attempt to solve this problem was to mount a 76mm m1927 howitzer on a GAZ-AAA truck. Produced in low numbers as Su 1-12 the weapon was used in combat against the Japanese. Most of these gun trucks were lost in 1941 though.

While armed with a 76mm gun like the BT-7 A this unit is cheaper, but also more vulnerable.

4. 122mm A-19 towed artillery

The Red Army has bigger calibers in its arsenal, but the long-barreled 122mm gun is still a highly effective gun, and was first used in combat in 1939. Later this type was also modifed for use in self-propelled guns, and finally developed into the D-25 gun used as main armament of the heavy IS-2 tank.

Players now have a choice to use heavier Soviet artillery that packs a bigger punch, or the A-19 gun, which has a better firing range.

5. Komintern prime mover artillery tractor

The Komintern artillery tractor was developed from the unsuccessful T-12 and T-24 tank designs to tow heavier types of artillery. Over 2000 of these were produced from 1935-1941. The rather heavy vehicle is slow and vulnerable, but being fully tracked it can actually perform better in bad weather and heavy terrain than wheeled trucks.

6. GAZ AAA truck with Quadruple Maxim MG anti-air mount

The Maxim MG m1910 was the typical heavy MG used in Russia during World War I, in the Civil War and in World War II. Additionally to the infantry version, aircraft-mounted and naval variants were developed. In the early 1930ies GAZ trucks were equipped with a quadruple mount of Maxims to provide an early self-propelled anti-air weapon, which was not overly effective, but at least it can provide some cover against air attacks.

7. GAZ MM truck with 25mm anti-air gun 72K

The light AA weapon was used as towed gun from 1940, but later mounted on a GAZ MM truck to get a self propelled version. Heavier towed Soviet anti-air guns were certainly more capable, but less useful in mobile warfare. As the player may find himself struggling with substantial Luftwaffe air operations in 1941 this unit may help him to protect his tanks.

8. Neman R-10 light bomber

Developed as KhAI-5 the aircraft entered service in 1937 as R-10 for use as light bomber and as reconnaissance plane. Ca. 500 aircraft have been produced. The R-10 has been used first in the border battles vs. Japan. Although outdated the R-10 was still in service in summer 1941, and flew combat missions beyond 1942.

This is the first Soviet tactical bomber available for purchase in this game.

9. Suchoi Su-2 light bomber

This more modern light bomber entered service in december 1939 and was build in over 900 pieces. When war broke out against Germany the more capable Il-2 had just entered service, and pilots and groud crews were rather inexperienced to operate the new plane, so the Su-2 still had an important role to fill. The Su-2 suffered heavily in combat 1941 and was increasingly replaced by the IL-2 from 1942.

10. Guards Infantry

Soviet Guards units were established after the costly, but successful Yelnya Offensive in september 1941. In Red Star those guards units are not simply purchased, instead the player can upgrade his experienced infantry units to more capable guards infantry units once he unlocked the required specialisation.

There are but a few of the new units coming with Red Star!

Let us know what you think on the forum!

Field of Glory: Empires has been updated to version 1.0.3

Wed, 30 Jul 2019 GMT

The second official update for Empires is finally here, with remarkable changes and improvements.

It’s been two intense weeks after the release, with many positive feedback from the community along with some constructive criticism.

Developers haven’t rest on their laurels and after fixing the most important bugs after release, they have worked hard in keep improving the whole gameplay experience.

Version 1.0.3 brings many changes and additions, among the most important ones are:

Abandoning a region

You can now under some circumstances abandon a region to its fate. Know though that bandits will rapidly take over and who knows what nation can emerge from these unclaimed lands.

New buildings and unrest fighting

Three new buildings to fight off unrest in your large cities! But it might come at a cost... We also have strengthened (slightly) the effects of some existing buildings.

Alternate Power Display

Some were confused with the 'combat power' of their armies. And others were fine with how it was displayed. So, how about 3 options?

- As before (Combat Power)

- Unit count

- Categorized count (Heavy/Medium/Light)

Additionally:

* Rebellion will now not take over the city walls, only the countryside. Have fate in your garrisons to fend them off. Although we recommend sending a professional army!

* Units rebalancing

* Smarter AI, with more sensible declaration of war, less loitering (and pilfering) in your land from allies

... and more than 30 extra entries about rebalancing, tweaking and fixing bugs!

Check the full changelog here!

Fantasy General II - A look at the Campaign Map

Fri, 25 Jul 2019 GMT

Today we’re going to have a look at a feature we haven’t really talked about before: the campaign map.

The campaign map gives you an overview of which missions you have done, which ones are available and which faction your will face as well as the Clans and factions you have managed to vanquish. Sometimes you will need to decide between several available maps / scenarios. Each of them will present different situations, and you might want to prioritize one over the others, but beware: some maps are urgent, meaning you must do them now or the chance will be gone.

The Highlands are a politically fractured land, and the region is home to numerous clans which you will need to subdue or defeat. Each Shield on the map tells you a little more about its faction’s power and history – the larger the shield, the stronger that faction. A broken shield shows foes you already vanquished.

The map also shows some important landmarks or settlements and mousing over it grants you a little background on them, introducing you to the lore and lay of the land. We feel it was a great way for the world to come alive, and hopefully it will serve to immerse you in the world of Keldonia.

The Campaign itself – like in the original game – will lead you across the whole of Keldonia, starting in your native Highlands in the West and bringing your armies to new regions, such as the Borderlands, Sunken Lands and the Empire itself. Each region features its own set of environments and styles of buildings and locations and creates its very own atmosphere!

The world map is also the place for you to recruit new units to your army, upgrade existing ones and spend your hard-earned gold and resources. While all of this is also possible during a battle, recruiting new units requires a settlement to be yours and you often have to start without one, being the invader.

As your army marches across the continent, moving from (hopefully) conquest to conquest, you will be able to recruit new types of units, find new allies and unlock new challenges. Decisions on the world map – just like in the rest of the game – matter and different routes to your goal may yield different resources and items as well as different challenges. This will provide a fresh experience anytime you replay the campaign.

The world map holds many other secrets as well, but we don’t want to spoil anything: we will leave it to you to find about them in the game.

Let us know what you think in the comments field below, on the forum or on our social!

Fantasy General II Social media:

- Discord

- Facebook

Field of Glory: Empires Nation Modifiers Which faction has the best set?

Thu, 24 Jul 2019 GMT

One of the most important features of Field of Glory: Empires is how different and unique each one of the 77 factions play.

The ability to build efficient fleets, emergency levies, glorious traditions, huge benevolence over populations of your same kin, type of governments and ruling parties, the list is endless.

Have you already found the set that fits best your playstyle? Or would you see featured something completely new? Let us know in the comments!

Armored Brigade - Upcoming Update will feature the Mission Editor

Wed, 23 Jul 2019 GMT

Hello everyone,

Armored Brigade developers have no intention of resting on their laurels! They are working on a coming update that would bring many improvements to both the base game and its Italy - Yugoslavia DLC.

One of the new features that would be implemented is the Scenario or Mission Editor. Curious about what it is and how it will work?

Read below the full explanation and stay tuned for further information! The scenario editor will come sooner than you might think!

ARMORED BRIGADE MISSION EDITOR

One of the core features of Armored Brigade is the Battle Generator, that can be used to generate an infinite amount of replayable content. The generated scenarios, or 'missions', can be saved and then shared with others. Excluding the friendly unit placement that was editable in the earlier 'developer mode', so far the only way to make further changes to the saved missions has been to use external text editors and paint programs to edit the XML and BMP files that contained the mission data. The process was not particularly user-friendly. Now the system is about to change radically, as we introduce a new feature, that is an in-game editor where almost everything in the saved missions can be modified easily without exiting the game. The editor is an inherent part of the standard game UI. The user can load the mission in several different modes and then adjust parameters, remove and add formations, edit briefings, objectives and deployment zones and so on.

This article takes a look at the first iteration of the Mission Editor. As everything in Armored Brigade, it will be improved and more features will be added in the future. We hope that the system will inspire players to create and share their scenarios with others, as it will help in creating a vibrant community.

In Armored Brigade, the scenarios are called 'missions'. For showcase purposes, I have copied the official missions to the 'user' folder. The official missions are normally not editable.

READ THE FULL ENTRY HERE

Battlestar Galactica Deadlock - Dev Diary #20 'Chain of Command'

Wed, 23 Jul 2019 GMT

“Can I sit next to the window? I get no frakking light in there. Look, I know why you’re here. You ditched her upside down, so the first thing to go was the nose. Armour all gets stripped away, but the ribbing stays put. The collar gets destroyed; those quarters are gone. The spine gets ripped back, severed the arms. It’s basically done from the snout along the head, all down the neck and the spine. Except the engines. They stayed intact, I’m guessing.

“And now you want to know how I can fix her.”

Sinon Quade, interview from 16B4, Virgon Administrative Maximum Facility

First, a warm welcome to all of the new players that have joined the Battlestar Galactica Deadlock community lately. We have had an influx of new players resulting from the recent Steam Summer Sale - it’s good to have you aboard in the ongoing fight against the toasters.

Since the release of Sin & Sacrifice, the development team has been hard at work developing the Command Update, the first feature update for Season Two currently in closed beta. We’ve previously talked about the changes to the interface to streamline giving orders to your ships. In this post, we’ll take a look at how we run betas, and the progress we’ve made in recent months.

Since putting out the call for beta testers, 117 players have signed up and assisted with testing the latest improvements. Combined, these testers have reported over 150 bugs and made dozens of suggestions.

When a bug is submitted, it’s given a priority based on the impact it has on players. An issue that prevents playing the game is more important to address than a minor graphical glitch.

We then work through the list, fixing the most important/impactful issues first.

“PCMs” by SirWagglepussIII

We also ask beta testers for feedback and suggestions for improvements - both for new features and the changes we make to existing functionality. As developers, we spend all day every day looking at the game, so getting an outside perspective can be really helpful. Whilst we have plenty of ideas for the game, where possible, we also want to fulfil community requests.

An example is a new search feature we’re adding to the fleet builder screen. Commanders that play a lot of skirmishes or multiplayer tend to make a lot of fleets. One of our testers made a request to add a search feature to the fleet list to help with this. As part of developing the Command Update, we assessed this request and its impact as a QoL improvement. Once we decided we’d like to pursue the feature, we wrote up a design spec for the addition, and spent some time creating the component and adjusting the appropriate UIs. Not all requests are as easy to implement, but we are proud of the improvements we

have made, and continue to strive to make this the best Battlestar Galactica experience possible.

“Viper Flyby” by TeacherGalante

We’ll let you know when the Command Update will be available as soon as we can!

Good hunting.

WarPlan Dev Diary #4 - Production

Tue, 22 Jul 2019 GMT

With the production system I examined the materials and facilities that were critical to war during that time period. Then I thought about the complexity of making that system work that let players have options with minimal management. In Commander Europe at War they had manpower and oil which everyone seemed to like. It made players consider their options in unit balancing between oil, production, and manpower.

So I decided to incorporate a similar system in WarPlan. While oil truly only affect the Axis and manpower is a very difficult thing to balance it adds flavor to the game.

Steel production – During WW2 this was the single most important material to the construction of military forces. Steel is simply represented by production. Steel built ships, tanks, and guns. Production generation is simple a function of supply levels along a rail line and trade routes. I didn’t want a complex system of tracing resources to factories like in World in Flames. While it can be coded I wanted a system that kept it simple for players to understand and not worry about. If you are in main supply and can trace a rail line to the capital you get the resources. If you are in port supply of any kind and can trace via rail, convoys, and ports you can get the resources.

Oil – Allows oil dependent units to move and attack. It is also a limitation and gauge of what oil dependent units to build and how many.

Oil Silos – This is the limitation on how much oil a country has available in any one turn regardless of its production. During storage different depreciations occur in the form of oil going bad, storage capacity becoming deteriorated, inefficiencies, transport accidents, etc. This also represents part of the Allied supply problems late in the war.

Manpower – The group of able men to fight in the war. If manpower falls below 50% of maximum manpower available the default experience for a country starts dropping. Manpower capacity is 30x the manpower production of a country. Cities with a production or moral value generate manpower.

Logistics – How many units your economic system can supply in the field. Different units have different logistics costs. Ships are the most expensive, infantry the least expensive. This also contributes to building balanced forces.

Shipyards – A country’s capacity to build ships. This was a limiting factor for some countries during the war and is required for balance. Battle and carrier groups cost the most shipyards. Simple naval assets like landing craft cost very little per unit. One simply can’t just automatically build the Plan-Z naval force in 1939 or the USA’s great carrier force of the Pacific in one year. A player has to plan and time the resources he needs. Shipyards are an support asset that can be built.

Strategic Resources – These are all those other things that make production easier. Coal for trains, bauxite that converts to aluminum for planes, grains for food, rare metals and phosphates for explosives and parts. Since these are modifying elements to production that make things more efficient I simply made them add 1% to the total economy. They represent an area of these resources and all a player needs to use them is to have the area in supply. The Ukraine has an agriculture strategic resource in it for example.

Specialty points –Production guides how many specialty points a country gets each turn. When 100 points are accumulated a player can place a specialization of his choice on a land unit. Specialization represents special attachment units, training, and equipment. Think of snow fighting, elite forces, the massive rail guns Dora and Schwerer Gustav, or a special attachment of mobile tank destroyers. I thought this was the best way to make a unit special and give each country a little flavor without making it a chore. There are 6 specializations players can buy for their unit: infiltrator, engineer, winter combat, heavy artillery, elite, and tank destroyer.

Economy Utilization – The conversion of consumer industry to military production. You multiply resources by the multiple and that is the total production in the far left column item Production under Economy. This represents the ramping up of production from 1939 to 1945.

Upkeep – This column tells you how much production you are using to repair and maintain units this turn.

Stockpile – This is the remainder after production – upkeep. This is the amount you use to create new units.

Repair/Upgrade – Players may set how much of their production they want to dedicate to repairing, reinforcing, and upgrading units in play. The game does all this automatically. With each unit reinforcements/upgrades can be turned off or on. A unit can also be given priority to get reinforcements and upgrades. When a unit has priority it gets the allotted production before any other unit.

All together this production system is simple but gives just enough for players to think about.

Things to Buy

Players use production, logistics, shipyards, and manpower to purchase military units. Each unit costs some of each. Each unit performs better in some situations than others. Infantry is better vs urban, tanks are better in the open clear terrain. Air power allows flexibility. But players will hinder themselves if they overbuild in a single category in ways they might not even realize.

There is only one unit in which I made small due to the theatre, Marines. Players can consider them annoyance units more than anything. Marines are special units to capture resources on unguarded hexes like rangers or special forces. Marines are tougher than normal infantry divisions but cost more in logistics and production.

I added one more category of units called support units so players always have a place to spend extra production. The support units are part of the abstract system within WarPlan to make things easier for players while providing a level of decision for strategy.

Support units include Transports, landing craft, supply oilers, supply trucks, air transports, shipyards, coastal defense, airfields, anti-air guns, merchant marine, and escorts.

Transports – Each strength of a unit requires a transport point to move across the ocean. They are not expended upon use.

Landing Craft – Each strength of a unit a player wants to invade with or disembark along a coastal hex requires a landing craft point. These points are expended upon use. They represent the smaller landing ships, planning, organization, coordination, and all the inefficiencies associated with this kind of military operation.

Supply oilers – They are used to resupply fleets at sea. They are an expendable item. They do not increase effectiveness of fleets.

Supply trucks function in the same way for land and air units. Supply trucks not only increase unit supply but increase effectiveness. With the use of many supply trucks players can over supply a unit for 3 consecutive turns placing that unit’s efficiency over 100%. One function I created is that HQs can supply all the units around them in one shot to keep things simpler for players. Supply trucks add a use for spare production points late in the war. Once place to use them is in the North African campaign for the Axis. Once they reach El Alamein their supply lines are at their limits. They need to continue increasing supply to the Afrika Korps to continue attacking. This can be done by fleet and supply trucks.

Shipyards – Increase the capacity to build more naval units

Coastal Defense – Increases the defense of a clear hex that is land and has some water.

Airfields – Allows planes to occupy places they normally can’t due to terrain. While this is rarely used in Europe it will be important in the Pacific scenarios coming soon.

Anti-Air Guns – Upto 6 can be placed in any hex. They shoot incoming aircraft with a 16% chance to kill a strength point.

Merchant Marine – These are used to transport resources across the oceans. This is what the Axis are trying to sink in mass quantity in the Battle of the Atlantic

Escorts – These represent sloops, corvettes, and destroyer escorts protecting convoy lanes specifically vs submarines. They scatter upon encountering surface and carrier fleets as they are not equipped to engage them in combat.

I wanted to make production simple and thoughtful at the same time. I didn’t want players just clicking away units they want to build because a force pool says they have X number of units to build. I didn’t want to limit them to historical armies. I wanted to give them the power to choose with a benefit and a cost. I want players to try different build strategies for countries depending on their overall strategy yet not have it gamey or exploitive. It will be an open ended thinking process that depends on a player’s goals. If Germany wants to build a large fleet… they can at the cost of an army. If players want to try an all land power with no air power…. they can at the cost of inflexibility. If they only want to build air superiority units as their air force… they can but they will be lacking on land. Experiment away.

Order of Battle: Red Star - Live preview stream announced!

Tue, 22 Jul 2019 GMT

Order of Battle fans, rejoice!

We have news that will surely interest you.

At the end of this week on Friday July 26 at 7 pm BST we will host a special preview stream on our Twitch channel featuring the new DLC of Order of Battle: Red Star!

Gamer 1745 will be leading the Red Army on the final attack against the Japanese at Kalkhin Gol in August 1939. Don't miss it!

Order of Battle: Red Star - Scenarios sneak peek

Sat, 19 Jul 2019 GMT

Order of Battle: Red Star brings the Red Army as a playable force for the first time in the Order of Battle saga.

It covers the first years of combat of the Soviet Union, starting from the border clashes against Japan, then moving on to the Winter War in Finland. Then it will be the time to face the German aggression and defend the Motherland!

Today we're going to have a look at a few chosen scenarios from the new DLC.

Battles of Khalkhin Gol (scenario #2 and #3)

In 1939 Japan and Soviet Russia clashed in a conflict at the Khalkhin Gol river near the border between Mongolia and Manchuria, which escalated from early skirmishes in May to large military operations in summer.

In the second scenario the player needs to stop the main Japanese attacks in early July 1939. The IJA launched a determined strike with armored support against Soviet positions on the east banks of the Khalkhin Gol and additionally tried to cross the river in the northern sector of the battlefield to defeat Soviet defences behind the river line.

The player's core force needs to prevent the enemy from crossing the river while ensuring his comrades at the east banks do not get completey overrun by Japanese tanks.

In the third the player leads the decisive Soviet counterstrike in late August 1939 to finally defeat the Japanese. After the main Japanese attack had been defeated the Soviet side amassed significant armored forces to turn the tables. Attacking in two pincers at the flanks of the enemy the Red Army managed to encircle and subsequenly annihilate much of the Japanese force.

They are rarely portrayed battles in wargaming. They were fought with quite atypical equipment for the late 1930s from fast BT tanks to I-16 monoplane fighters, I-153 biplane fighters on the Soviet side and Type 89 and Type 95 tanks for Japan, as well as Ki-10 and Ki-27 fighters.

The 2nd Battle of Summa 1940 (scenario #7)

As many people know the Winter War vs. Finland did not went well for the Red Army initially. The Finns achieved several victories against superior Red Army formations, and were able to hold back the Soviet advance at the Mannerheim Line in Karelia.

Summa was the most fortified part of the line since it guarded the road to the important city of Viipuri. The Soviet 7th Army assaulted Summa in December 1939, but the attack was completely defeated.

Now in February 1940, still in harsh winter conditions, the player has to achieve a full breakthrough in a second attempt, while also taking key spots in the wider area around Summa to protect his flanks. But an assault against a line of fortifications backed up by artillery and mobile infantry may prove rather costly, even when the Soviet side is enjoying numerical superiority...

Battle of Raseiniai (scenario #9)

The first battle vs. Germany takes place right at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. As part of Army Group North the German 4th Panzer Group advances from East Prussia into Lithuania and clashes with two Soviet Mechanized Corps. This results in a large tank battle with almost 1000 tanks involved, over 700 of them Soviet.

While the battle ended in a German success historically the player has to hold off the enemy onslaught for some time at least. That is certainly no easy task, as he has to confront experienced enemy armor supported by effective Luftwaffe units.

To make matters worse many Red Army units at this point are still fielding outdated equipment and may suffer heavy casualties, so the player needs to ensure at least his own core forces are upgraded as good as possible to make a difference. This scenario is certainly one of the most challenging battles in this campaign.

Battle of Yelnya (scenario #11)

Following defensive action in the region of Smolensk the Red Army launched its first planned offensive of the war against Yelnya in late August 1941.

The Yelnya salient was a potential staging ground for further German attacks, and retaking this area was seen as crucial to slow down the German drive on Moscow. The Soviet operation succeed and retook Yelnya temporarily, albeit only after heavy losses.

This operation also led to the creation of Soviet Guards units, which can be activated later once the player unlocked a specific "Guards Infantry" specialisation.

The scenario puts the player into the offensive again after several defensive battles. But while the battlefield is rather limited and the enemy has no large armored force at his disposal driving well dug-in German forces from their postions around Yelnya needs coordinated attacks using tanks and infantry with substantial aerial and artillery support.

Death to the False Emperor! Chaos Space Marines is out!

Fri, 18 Jul 2019 GMT

The Chaos Space Marines are here!

Legions of Heretic Astartes are ready to unleash their fury upon Gladius Prime! Neither the lapdogs of the Fallen Emperor nor the Xeno shall withstand their wrath.

The Chaos Space Marines DLC introduces a brand new playable faction to Warhammer 40,000: Gladius.

The Chaos Space Marines are hardened warriors, veterans of thousands of battle in the Immaterium and realspace alike. Their style of fighting has been portrayed with new unique gameplay mechanics, a full roster of new units, a brand new technology tree, buildings and quest-chain.

The Chaos Space Marines are a force to be reckoned with: they can field very good infantry, like the Khorne Berzerkers, who will carve through any enemy formation, and the Havocs, ready to unleash devastating fire from afar. Powerful daemon engines, like the Defiler and the Maulerfiend, are able to crush any opposition. And of course esoteric sorcerers like the Master of Possession make full use of their warp-infused powers to gain a decisive edge on the battlefield. For more information on all new units please refer to this page.

The new expansion is accompanied by a massive new free update. It adds a lot of new content, including new items and achievements. You can read the full changelog here.

If you still need to get your hands on Gladius and one of its DLCs, this is the perfect occasion! Starting today, until July 22nd, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius will be at 35% off, while its DLCs will be discounted at 25% off!

Last but not least, we will be running a release stream later today at 6 pm BST! Tune in on our Twitch channel and watch Chaos Lord Helping Hans as he continues his devastating crusade on Gladius Prime!

Moon Landing's 50th Anniversary! Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager at 50% off!

Fri, 18 Jul 2019 GMT

Saturday July 20 will mark the 50th anniversary of a great event: on the same day in 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the Moon.

It was, in Neil Armstrong's own words, "a small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind". It was the most exciting event in the race to space, one that left the world without breath.

Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager brings you back to those days of exploration and scientific and technical achievement. In honour of this anniversary we have decided to discount it by 50% off!

Take advantage of this sale while you can, as it only lasts until July 22!

Also, we whave arranged a special live stream on our Twitch channel. Be with us on Saturday at 6 pm BST - Agrippa Maxentius will be playing Space Program Manager live on Twitch. Will he walk on the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin?

Campaign Series: Vietnam Check the new screenshots!

Thu, 17 Jul 2019 GMT

Hello Commanders!

Campaign Series: Vietnam is a new turn-based, tactical/operational war game that focuses on mid-20th Century conflicts in Southeast Asia.

The series portrays battles spanning from 1948 to 1979. Each scenario is played on a unique, historical map with nine view modes. Scenario maps are based on topographic maps from the period created on a hex grid. Hexes are 250 meters across

The development of the game is progressing very fast and we are happy to show you screenshots featuring the Battle of Rung Sat and the encirclement of A Shau Camp.

Campaign Series: Vietnam is being developed by Campaign Series Legion, the veteran studio behind Campaign Series: Middle East.

Get more information about the game from its official Product Page here

Feel free to check the forum and leave a comment

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - A look at the new Chaos Space Marines units

Thu, 17 Jul 2019 GMT

Tomorrow the new expansion for Warhammer 40,000: Gladius is going to be released: Chaos Space Marines!

With a brand new playable faction, the new expansion is a must-have for all Gladius fans.

Of course the Chaos Space Marines come with a full roster of new units. Let's have a look at them!

Chaos Cultists

Mass infantry unit that can found cities and sacrifice itself to the Dark Gods

The cultists of Chaos can be found, in one form or another, almost anywhere the Imperium has spread. At first glance, they are indistinguishable from normal men, but under their clothes, their flesh is tattooed and branded with sigils that hurt the eyes of any faithful who look upon them. When the Chaos Space Marines come to a planet, the true colours of the cultists are revealed. The powers of darkness are ever quick to promise glory, and even the lowliest initiate knows that to fight alongside such legendary warriors is to court the gaze of the gods.

Chaos Space Marines

Versatile infantry unit

Ever since the Horus Heresy, Space Marines have been tempted by the path of Chaos, whether for selfish reasons or great ideals. Sundered from the Imperium, having turned their backs on the Emperor, these warriors know that there can be no peace for them, neither forgiveness nor absolution. They are wholly committed to the path they now tread, for good or ill, and they can expect no quarter from former battle-brothers.

Chaos Spawns

Fast melee infantry unit that mutates each turn

Although physically powerful and extremely resilient, Chaos Spawn are insane, mewling creatures with no mental powers or self-awareness. Their former intelligence has been sacrificed to their failed ambition. Many a champion of great promise has ended up as a seething mound of bone and blubber, monstrous and screaming with lunatic rage.

Chaos Lord

Hero unit that returns damage to attackers and slays units low on hitpoints

A Chaos Lord is a tyrannical warrior king who lives to bathe in the blood of worlds. He strives to bring whole star systems to their knees in the name of his patron deities. Typified by merciless ambition and fierce pride, many of these champions of disorder were once noble Chapter Masters and Captains of the Adeptus Astartes, but long years of unremitting war have twisted their souls beyond recovery.

Khorne Berzerkers

Melee infantry unit

It was the gruesome experiments of Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters, that led to the creation of the first Berzerkers. By the ritual lobotomisation of his warriors, he removed all sense of fear and danger and then heightened the rush his soldiers experienced in combat. When the Legion swore itself to Khorne, the Berzerkers were no longer bound by Imperial battle doctrine and were given full rein to exercise their bloodthirsty skills. They have since become the ultimate close combat shock troops, entering an uncontrollable frenzy in the heat of battle.

Obliterators

Elite infantry unit with cyclable weapons

The monstrous warriors of the Obliterator cults are a blasphemy against nature and Machine God alike. Their forms are so altered, so thoroughly conjoined with the tools of war, that every cell in their bodies thrills with a spark of mechanical life. Only the Dark Mechanicum have mastered the complete fusion of metal and flesh, melding the inert and the animate together on a spiritual level in order to form something far greater than mere cybernetics. Because of their Chaos-born powers, Obliterators are capable of not only absorbing weaponry into themselves, but also of manifesting munitions from their titanium-laced flesh.

Daemon Prince

Monstrous hero that cripples foes with psychic powers before clawing them to death

Daemon Princes are infernal monsters that tower over the mortals they lead to battle. These paragons of evil take many forms, though all exude a palpable aura of terror and power. In battle, a Daemon Prince strides through the pitiful bullets of the enemy without pause, his unnatural laughter driving men to the edge of fear. Warp energy sizzles from his eyes, and black flames curl from his mouth as he speaks dread phrases that kill as sure as any blade. These are creatures of nightmare—a living expression of Chaos given form.

Master of Possession

Psyker hero unit that summons Daemons and supports allies

Masters of Possession lead warbands of devoted warriors in pursuit of untold power. These sorcerous figures have mastered the darkest and most blasphemous lore: the art of using hosts of living flesh to house daemonic spirits. It is they who perform the profane ceremonies of binding that imbue the Daemonkin with their warp-born power. Gouging a breach in the fabric of realspace, the Master of Possession draws a willing entity from the immaterium, channelling its terrible energies into the body of a supplicant or the chassis of a war machine. So thoroughly are these dread figures steeped in blasphemous sorcery that where they walk, reality itself recoils.

Havocs

Long range infantry unit that is more accurate while stationary

Some Chaos Space Marine squads carry a high proportion of heavy weapons, the better to annihilate the hated foe. Known as Havocs, these squads provide devastating anti-infantry and anti-armour firepower, dominating large swathes of the battlefield with volley after punishing volley.

Warp Talons

Melee infantry unit that can warp across difficult terrain and blind unsuspecting enemies

When a pack of Warp Talons emerges from the warp, it appears to those on the battlefield below as if daemonic warriors have burst out from nothingness into fiery, vengeful life. Like the stuff of nightmares, they plummet downwards in an explosion of warp fire, tearing into the foe with murderous intent.

Warpsmith

Hero unit that supports vehicles and boosts the economy

Warpsmiths are the masters of the machine. Most can trace their origins back to the priesthood of Mars, whether through the schisms of the Magi or the rigid doctrine of the Techmarines. However, where the Adeptus Mechanicus regard technology as sacrosanct, the Warpsmiths seek to subjugate and control it.

Rhino

Armoured transport vehicle with many upgrades

The Rhino is the most common transport of the Space Marines, and the same can be said of the Heretic Astartes, for this machine is so ruggedly constructed it can see hundreds of years of warfare and still function at peak efficiency. The tank's chassis is based upon a Standard Template Construct, meaning that it is relatively simple to build, maintain and repair. Over the ten thousand years since the Long War began, the Rhino has seen continued use as the favoured transport of the Chaos Space Marines. They will even go so far as to loot them from defeated Imperial armies, though they will burn them clean of Imperial insignia as quickly as possible and festoon the stolen vehicles with spikes, blades and gory trophies taken from the dismembered bodies of their previous owners.

Defiler

Enormous walker unit with devastating melee and ranged weaponry

Defilers are truly massive beasts of war, twice the size of most other Daemon Engines and with a temperament to match. The ground shivers and melts as they stalk towards their foes on six massive, segmented legs, their great pincer-arms twitching and snipping with an impatient need to slice through warm flesh. The Defiler's crab-like body supports a daemonic torso that carries an array of deadly weaponry, ranging from reaper autocannons to racks of highly explosive missiles. It is the battle cannon mounted in its chest turret, however, that is undoubtedly its most potent armament. Each hell-forged shell that thunders out from its growling muzzle is capable of crippling a squad of Space Marines in a single earth-shaking blast.

Helbrute

Walker unit that goes crazed when damaged

Helbrutes are twisted mockeries of the Space Marine Dreadnoughts they used to be, combining the firepower of a small tank with the mind of a frenzied maniac. Each Helbrute holds a living creature within its plated metal chest—a Chaos Space Marine driven over the edge of madness by a never-ending cycle of war.

Maulerfiend

Fast walker unit that reduces the melee attacks of adjacent units

The Daemon Engines known as Maulerfiends thunder towards the foe like monstrous attack dogs loosed from the leash. Their eyes glow with balefire as ectoplasmic drool drizzles from their fanged maws. Their thick front limbs end in articulated claws powerful enough to tear a Dreadnought limb from limb. Should they catch a squad of infantry, they will scissor them apart or crush them into paste with a flex of their massive talons.

Venomcrawler

Terrifying walker unit that consumes the souls of its enemies to restore its hitpoints

Pounding forwards upon bladed limbs come the horrors known as Venomcrawlers. Grotesque amalgams of metal, flesh and daemonic entities, these monstrosities hiss and snarl as they scuttle towards their prey. Fleshy tongues flap from snarling maws and soulflayer tendrils lash back and forth, all tasting the air for the scent of their enemies' fear. As the Venomcrawlers continue to butcher, their fanged mouths gape ever wider, drawing the souls of those slain into their vast mechanical abdomens.

Heldrake

Flying vehicle that excels against enemy aircraft

Heldrakes are winged Daemon Engines that plummet out of the skies like living comets, hurtling towards enemy aircraft and crashing claws-first into them from above. Each is a vicious, hell-forged predator; a Heldrake takes cruel joy in diving down upon the unsuspecting air support of the enemy in order to shred them to pieces with its scything wings and rune-carved talons.