Matrix Games

Hello!
It is Oleksandr from Starni Games with the new Dev log entry. Following the previous Dev log, I would like to tell you more about new units that will be added in Ardennes and become available in campaigns, skirmishes, and multiplayer.
 

NEW UNITS

Ardennes DLC featuring the Battle of the Bulge naturally follows the events of the Normandy landings and the Market Garden campaign. So, it allowed us to add a few units that became available in late 1944 and winter 1944-1945.

On top of historical considerations, we felt that UK and US factions in skirmish and multiplayer lack the top-of-the-line tanks that would be at least comparable to the Tiger and Tiger II. That is why we took the liberty to add two notable exceptions to our historically accurate roaster - T26Е1 Super Pershing (USA) and Centurion (UK). Those tanks never were in Ardennes, and the Centurion did not participate in World War II, as it only entered service in 1946. These tanks will not appear in historical campaigns, and will only appear in Skirmish and Multiplayer modes, as we wanted to introduce a few more advanced tanks to the US and UK. With all that in mind, we managed to add 12 new units across the 3 countries. Here are all the new units:

New German units:


New US units:


New UK units:


As you can see, there are 3 German units, 5 US units, and 4 British ones. In the Ardennes, you will play as Germany and USA in two respective campaigns, but we also added a few UK units for Skirmish and Multiplayer. Moreover, with the T26Е1 Super Pershing (USA) and Centurion (UK) addition, all 3 countries now have advanced heavy tanks capable of performing well against any opposing country’s armored units.
 

GERMAN UNITS

Jagdpanzer IV
This anti-tank self-propelled gun is armed with a long-barreled 75 mm KwK 42 gun, boasting a higher level of armor penetration. The lack of a turret makes this tank destroyer harder to spot on the battlefield. In addition, this unit has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

Jagdpanzer IV is a good addition to your mobile anti-tank capabilities that is quite cost-efficient and allows you to combat top-of-the-line enemy tanks effectively.

Panzerwerfer 42
This light armored, half-tracked multiple rocket launcher is armed with 155 mm Nebelwerfer 41 rockets that inflict massive damage to enemy infantry. Its attacks ignore obstacles and terrain.

Panzerwerfer 42 is extremely effective at eliminating or demoralizing enemy infantry units. You can use it to get rid of the enemy infantry in the open, or demoralize and rout a well-entrenched infantry unit.

Wirbelwind
This self-propelled anti-aircraft gun is based on a medium tank and armed with a quadruple mount of 20 mm cannons, Flakvierling 38. It is effective against enemy infantry and lightly armored vehicles. This unit is also capable of intercepting enemy aircraft. In addition, it has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

Wirbelwind is mobile and very effective against all types of targets except the heavily armored ones. Its autocannons are deadly against infantry and light vehicles. So, you can use it to both protect your troops from air attacks and suppress the enemy infantry when needed.

 

US UNITS

M36 Jackson
This self-propelled anti-tank vehicle armed with a 90 mm long-range M3 cannon is extremely effective against both enemy vehicles and infantry. It also has decent armor, but its mobility leaves a lot to be desired.

M36 Jackson is one the strongest AT weapons at the US troops' disposal, however, it has average mobility, so you should only go for it, if you need firepower over mobility to be able to deal with the top-notch enemy armor.

M24 Chaffee
M24 Chaffee is a lightly armored tank armed with a 75 mm M3 gun that performs well both in battles against infantry and lightly armored vehicles. In addition, it has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

This new light tank is available to both US and UK forces and could be a good combination of decent mobility and firepower.

76 mm gun M5
This heavy 76 mm long-range anti-tank gun is extremely effective against enemy armor, but less useful against infantry. However, it has limited mobility and requires a means of transportation for effective traversal of the battlefield.

A cost-effective way to defend against the enemy armored assault. The key downsides are as with all towed units - its vulnerability and lack of mobility.

M26 Pershing
This mobile heavy tank with a 90 mm long-range M3 cannon is extremely effective against both enemy vehicles and infantry. It has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

We have waited for a long time to add the M26 Pershing into the game so that the US forces have a tank that can hold its own against the Tiger and Panther tanks in terms of firepower and armor. We could not add it in both Normandy campaigns and Market Garden, but now, finally, it has arrived. Even though historically it arrived at the frontlines only closer to the end of the Battle of the Bulge, and in very limited numbers. Still, we could not miss this opportunity to finally pitch it against the best German and UK tanks.

T26Е1 Super Pershing
This heavy tank with a powerful 90 mm T15E1 gun and thick armor is capable of single-handedly dealing with almost any enemy. In addition, it has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

T26Е1 Super Pershing is an exception from our history-based approach, as it was designed during WWII and produced in 1945, but never entered mass production and did not have any significant impact on the historical battles. The main reason behind its addition is to add a more powerful tank to the UK and US troops in Skirmish and Multiplayer, which would be more evenly matched against the Tiger II tanks of the German troops. It is not present in the Ardennes historical campaigns.

 

UK UNITS

Comet
This fast medium tank has a 76 mm high velocity long-range anti-tank gun, boasting a higher level of armor penetration. The phenomenal maneuverability of this medium tank comes with a cost of less armor. This unit is extremely effective against enemy armor, but less useful against infantry. However, it has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

Comet has good mobility and exceptional firepower, making it a solid choice for a medium tank that can be effective against enemy heavy tanks, although quite vulnerable to enemy attacks.

M24 Chaffee
M24 Chaffee is a lightly armored tank armed with a 75 mm M3 gun that performs well both in battles against infantry and lightly armored vehicles. In addition, it has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

This new light tank is available to both US and UK forces and could be a good combination of decent mobility and firepower.

Sherman Firefly Tulip
This Sherman Firefly tank with an RP-3 rocket launcher additionally installed on its hull is capable of ignoring obstacles and terrain. It also has a mounted machine gun to engage enemy infantry at close range.

Sherman Firefly Tulip is the first tank with the rocket launcher installed on the UK unit list. That makes it a quite versatile combination of tank’ and short-range rocket artillery’ capabilities.

Centurion
This heavy tank, armed with a 76 mm long-range anti-tank gun Ordnance QF 17-pounder, is extremely effective against enemy vehicles, but less useful against infantry. In addition, this unit has a mounted machine gun for close-range combat against enemy infantry.

Centurion tank is one of the two tanks that should not have been in the DLC from a historical perspective, but we added them to skirmish and multiplayer games to allow both the UK and the US to have a more powerful heavy tank at their disposal to put up a better fight against the top-notch German armor. While it is not a part of historical campaigns, we hope you will enjoy playing it in skirmishes and multiplayer games.

Stay tuned to learn more about the two new campaigns that will be available in the Ardennes DLC.

P.S. We are actively working on AI improvements and Multiplayer stability, and we invite you to join the open beta branch of Headquarters: World War II on Steam if you want to be the first to check out all the newest updates even before they are delivered to the general audience. Recently, we delivered the first in a series of updates aimed at improving the AI in skirmish and multiplayer battles.
We listen to your feedback and we are working on improving the game according to it. We will keep you updated on our progress.

We already got some feedback from the players who opted in for the Open Beta and it's quite helpful for us to understand if we are moving in the right direction and finding the proper next steps to keep improving the game. Feel free to join their ranks.

Have a great holiday period and see you next year!