Armored Brigade
Genre: Strategy - Real-time - Historical
Works on: Windows (7, 8, 10)
Languages: English
Modes: Single-Player - Overlay - Cloud saves
Released: November 15, 2018
Size: 507 MB
Company: Veitikka Studios / Slitherine Ltd.
Installer version: v1.066_(45280)
Included goodies: N/A
Store page: https://www.gog.com/game/armored_brigade
About:
Armored Brigade is a real-time tactical wargame, focusing on realism and playability. The game has
drawn inspiration from classics such as Close Combat, Steel Panthers and Flashpoint Campaigns: Red
Storm.
In Armored Brigade the Cold War has turned hot, and Europe is once again torn apart by conflict. An
"Iron Curtain" divides the Western Powers gathered together under the NATO banner from the Soviet
Union and its Warsaw Pact Allies.
Take command of the deadliest mechanized formations available during an arc of time spanning from
the Kennedy-Chrušcev confrontation to the final years, and fight your opponents in large and detailed
maps all across Europe.
Large maps, modelled upon real terrain make each battle a true test of wits. Weather and visibility all
play a role and with several munition types, including air to air combat and artillery, no battle will be
the same. Exciting and challenging tank warfare only adds to the level of realism.
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: Italy - Yugoslavia
Released: May 9, 2019
Size: 5 MB
About:
Following World War II, Italy has struggled with negative memories of defeat and mediocre
performances, long labouring under the stigma of failure and incompetence. Merely a remnant of a
past to be forgotten, war was expressly rejected in the Constitution, but the creation of NATO meant
that the Italian Armed Forces were quickly reorganised and expanded within a totally different
international framework than before. Preparing for a feared invasion from the east, likely via
Yugoslavia, Italy played an important role in the Mediterranean. Still, the country’s strategic culture, a
mixture of realpolitik and pacifist tendencies, severely impacted it’s military policies.
The Italian Army at first glance might seem under-equipped compared to its NATO peers. However, it
should be noted that they were supposed to defend a well-fortified, and mostly rugged mountainous
terrain on their eastern border. Moreover, quality of units varied significantly across the Army. Some
were better trained or better equipped, for example the famous Alpini mountain troops or selected
armoured and mechanised brigades. Nevertheless, a player might still feel being under-gunned or
lacking in certain aspects, so his armoured, mechanized or infantry force should be always reinforced
by strong support assets. This also means a great care should be given to mobility, flanking
engagements, and emphasizing maximum use of terrain cover; providing for a challenging and
dynamic playstyle.
On the other side of the fence was Yugoslavia. Geographically situated between a NATO anvil and the
Soviet hammer, the prospect of invasion would permanently dominate Yugoslav strategic plans.
Particularly since witnessing the Warsaw Pact intervention in Czechoslovakia in 1968, Yugoslav
military doctrine focused on combining its large field army with the guerrilla experience of the
Partisans in World War II. In planning, this would entail the armed forces to conduct conventional
warfare along a nationwide front, buying time for reserves and the general population to mobilize.
Small Territorial Defence units would engage alongside beside regular troops in their local areas,
emphasizing mobility and light anti-personnel and anti-armour weapons.
Because armament parity with likely opponents, both in quality and quantity, was hard to achieve,
Yugoslavs tried to use limited national defense resources in the most efficient way, rarely if ever
squandering even the most obsolete weapons. Units in the game, as well the combat tactics, reflects
this strategy. Yugoslavia is a very balanced, all-around force that will perform satisfactorily in every
field, but might not always excel. Hence a combined arms approach is extremely important when
facing technologically superior forces. And while the center of gravity of the Yugoslav Army are
infantry formations that are highly varied, logistically undemanding and survivable, armoured and
mechanized are certainly capable of making it tough for any adversary.
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: France - Belgium
Released: October 31, 2019
Size: 6 MB
About:
FRANCE
Just as the bloodletting of World War I has left the French military a firm believer in the prevalence of
firepower over manoeuvre, so did France's defeat by Germany in 1940 led it to a similar swing in the
direction of mobile warfare. Beginning in the 1950s, the French military began to experiment with
organizational structures aimed at facilitating rapid battlefield manoeuvre, including the Javelot
brigade and the 7e Division Mécanique Rapide, eventually being standardised as the Division Type
1967. However, shortages of modern equipment, caused in part by the economic crisis of the early
1970s and the expense of the French nuclear deterrent, meant that the mechanized divisions that
were to follow the new divisional blueprint were being constituted only very slowly. Although France
was not officially part of NATO's command structure since 1966, there was an understanding,
formalized by regular joint exercises in West Germany, that France would go to the aid of NATO
should the Warsaw Pact attack.
A striking feature of the French formations of 1970s is the extent to which they were tank-heavy, due
to their intended mode of operations. Their tactics were closer to US Armored Cavalry Regiments (or,
indeed, their own pre-WW2 Division Légère Mécanique) in that they were not intended for holding
ground. Like the DLM of 1940, the mechanized regiments were to operate like the earlier dragons
portes, locating and delaying the enemy and preparing the situation for a counter strike by the tank
regiments. However, during the 1980s the heavy manoeuvre forces saw an increase in the proportion
of infantry, through the attachment of motorized infantry divisions to the corps headquarters,
addition of VAB-equipped infantry regiments to infantry divisions, and an increase in the number of
infantry companies in mechanized regiments. France has opted to mechanize nearly all of its units,
using relatively light, wheeled armored vehicles that can be air-transported as well as driven long
distances over poor-quality roads and cross-country (e.g. in sub-Saharan Africa). While lacking the
level of protection of main battle tanks, wheeled armor units of the French Army do provide
considerable firepower, often equipped with 90mm or even 105mm guns.
BELGIUM
As host to NATO since 1967, Belgium has always placed great importance on functioning as a reliable
and credible ally. Despite the small size of its population and demanding colonial commitments,
Belgium managed to make a significant contribution to NATO collective defence, deploying half of its
Army to the FRG as part of the Belgian I Corps. The remainder of the army comprised the Forces of
Interior responsible for the defense of the home territory, made up of regular army units which would
be augmented in wartime by the local gendarmerie and reserve forces. In addition, the Forces Interior
were supplemented by a regiment of elite para-commandos with two airborne infantry and one
commando battalion. However, much of its equipment remained obsolescent; its main battle tank, the
Leopard 1(BE) was of 1960s vintage and its M75 and AMX-13 Mod 56 APCs, as well as its Alouette II
helicopters were almost museum-pieces from the 1950s. However, the Army went through a modest
re-equipment programme through the 1980s; upgrading its APCs and artillery, increasing the numbers
of ATGMs and replacing most of the Air Force’s fast jets with modern aircraft. Nevertheless, the
Belgian Army of the Cold War remains a very interesting and challenging faction.
FEATURES:
• two new factions France and Belgium
• new map: Ardennes, centered around Bastogne
• overall more than 200 units
Armored Brigade Nation Pack: Czechoslovakia - Netherlands
Released: February 25, 2021
Size: 6 MB
Store page: https://www.gog.com/game/armored_brigad ... etherlands
About:
Armored Brigade is a real-time tactical wargame, set in a hypotetical confrontation between NATO
and Warsaw Pact Allies. As Cold War has turned hot, Europe is once again torn apart by conflict. With
this expansion, two new nations, Czechoslovakia and Netherlands, are added to the cluster of armies
of Armored Brigade.
The new playable factions introduced by this expansion have different army compositions
and organizational structures, adding more tactical options and giving more complexity on the
operational level:
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Prior to the 1968 intervention Czechoslovak People's Army was well-regarded both in capability and
reliability, and Czechoslovakia was the only Warsaw Pact member that did not have any Soviet forces
stationed on its soil up to that point. Offensive warfare was seen as the essential and principal form of
combat and the chief instrument to achieve victory over the enemy.
However, the armed forces underwent a political purge after the short period of reform in the late
1960s that culminated in an invasion by the armies of five other Warsaw Pact members. Large
number of officers who had supported the reform movement either voluntarily resigned or were
forced out. Western analysts disagreed about whether the Czechoslovak armed forces had ever
recovered their pre-invasion size, quality, or morale by the late 1980s. Some questioned their
reliability in a prolonged offensive war in Western Europe or in a war that was going badly for Warsaw
Pact forces. Other outside analysts believed that the Czechoslovak armed forces were well trained,
equipped, and motivated and that they were quite capable of carrying their share of Warsaw Pact
operations, particularly in defense of their homeland.
While the tactical organization mostly followed the Soviet pattern, there was a degree of local
variations and modifications rarely seen in other Warsaw Pact armies. Due to an extensive domestic
industrial base predating the communist rule, most of the small arms, crew-served weapons and even
vehicles used by the Czechoslovak forces were designed and manufactured locally, sometimes
requiring slight changes from the Soviet norm of organization for small units.
NETHERLANDS
During the Cold War, the Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) was committed to two
main tasks in the NATO context: participation in the defense of West Germany against ground attacks
across the North German Plain, known as “forward strategy”, and ensuring the territorial security of
the Netherlands itself and vital lines of communication.
While often overlooked in wargaming next to major powers, such as the USA, West Germany and the
UK, Netherlands maintained a sizable army and could deploy an entire corps in West Germany,
responsible for the left flank of NORTHAG and the British I (BR) Corps. They operated a very
interesting mix of equipment, ranging from the venerable Centurion tanks to modernized Leopard 1-
Vs and state-of-the-art Leopard 2A4s, alongside reasonably advanced YPR-765 infantry fighting
vehicle and unique YP-408 wheeled APCs, all supported by modern aircraft and artillery.
Long-haired, trade-unionised conscripts have often given the Dutch Army a bad publicity and raised
eyebrows among other NATO armies, but regular cadres were highly professional (and short-haired);
logistics were efficient and equipment modern, although a high dependence on reservists did give
cause for concern.
The Royal Netherlands Army, in final analysis and despite a few problems, was a modern, efficient,
well-led and relatively large force seemingly capable of meeting its responsibilities once fully
mobilized and deployed in its wartime locations.
FEATURES
- Two new factions: Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands
- More than 200 new units and aircraft
- A new map located in the Plzeň Region, Czechoslovakia
- A linear campaign inspired by the events of the Prague Spring
► System requirements
