Order of Battle: World War II news & patch notes

Roughly 8 years since Order of Battle: Pacific first released, we are now proud to present the latest update to Order of Battle: World War II. As you can see in the detailed changelog below, this is not just the usual incremental patch update. We’ve moved the game to support a whole new version of Slitherine’s PBEM++ system and in doing so are the first Slitherine game to use the new Multiplayer Rating System. We have also added the ability for players to set up multiplayer games as either Paired and/or Ranked types. Our designers have been reading and responding to community requests and have updated many of the scenarios in Order of Battle’s campaigns. Not just fixing up bugs but also going through and adding units that have been added in subsequent updates, new AI commanders and also the ability to have the AI use period-appropriate camouflage skins. We’ve also tweaked a few of the units in the database to make them more usable for players and modders. We’ve also updated several multiplayer maps to make them more balanced and more likely to reach a natural completion and updated the UI when browsing your list of active multiplayer games. Finally we have added support for game controllers into the PC version of the game. This is a version of the UI that was created for console players and can be used either with a game controller whilst playing on your TV or with your Steamdeck in your hands. Don’t miss the article about this new patch here. Also, a new tournament is about to start, sign-up here. Full Changelog:

• Updated the game to use the latest version of Slitherine’s Pbem servers giving access to updated multiplayer functionality.
• Added support for Multiplayer Ratings.

Similar to the system used in chess, this Elo based ranking system creates a new persistent Rating for players who take part in Ranked games and Ranked Tournaments.

Beating players with a rating higher than yours will give you a larger points boost whereas winning against players that are much lower ranked than you will give a much smaller increase.

You can see a player’s Rating from the in-game Games List or from the Ratings list on our website

Players are also free to opt out from having their rating shown by going to their Multiplayer Profile and selecting the Opt Out option.

• Added new options when creating a new 1v1 Multiplayer game:

Paired : Players can choose to have their games start as “paired” games (just like in tournaments). The system will create two matches for you, with you as Player 1 in one game and Player 2 in the other, for a fair test of skill!

Ranked : Players can choose for games to be Ranked matches. When you play a Ranked game the result contributes towards your Order of Battle “multiplayer rating”.

“Ranked” and “Tournament” games are indicated with icons on the Multiplayer games list

• Added Support for Game Controllers when playing Order of Battle on PC. You can opt-in to Game Controller support from the Options->Controls screen.

This is ideal for players who prefer to play on their TVs or using Steamdeck.

Boot the game in Steam Big Picture or use SteamDeck and the game will automatically start with Controller control scheme active

To switch back, press ESC then Y on your keyboard

• Updated three of the classic Order of Battle Multiplayer Maps. They now give results that can be recorded by the Game Ratings system and we have tweaked them to be more likely to give a result:

Bootcamp Battle

changed start RP 1000 > 1200, turn income (updated) RP 40

changed naval CP 5 > 6

added another primary objective "take enemy ports" (the main supply bases at the coast) which gives you an instant victory

reduced no. of turns to 30

cosmetic changes, for example added gold flags instead of normal, plus markers in objective overview popup Dubno Fields

has now 4 gold flags in the center, plus 1 for each side's main supply base

win by taking these 4 *while* holding your main base (control = 5)

this type of victory is only active after turn 5 to limit super-rushes to the center

added instant victory objective for taking enemy main base far behind the front

adjusted supply output

minor cosmetic changes Arctic Fox

increased turn no., Win requires control of 7 gold flags now

gave both sides "Drop Tank" from start as the early fighters have low fuel only

key gold flags for each side are now more towards the center, so that people don't have to go all the way to the edges to win

increased start RP and turn income, initial advantage to Sov, Fin gets more by event after few turns

Sov cannot use paras Also updated Bootcamp Battle - GBvUSSR

Tweaked Jungle and Hills slightly

Fixed issue with reinforcements arriving one turn late for British Updated Wake Island Assault

Pre-deployed Medical Jeep as Auxillary Unit in North East

Added new Japanese deploy point in mouth of lagoon

Fixed VP Awarding for disbanded units

Fixed visibility on Marshall Islands

Fixed unflagged Supply near USA HQ

Updated HQ Victory Points to new standard (121 starting pool, reduced by 8 per turn)

• Added Correctly Camouflaged (“skinned”) Enemy Units as an option to most of our Single Player Campaigns

In Afrikakorps, WinterWar, the early Soviet DLCs and the whole German trilogy players can now opt to play with skinned AI units

• Added AI commanders in many battles of the German and Soviet DLCs, which makes these maps slightly more challenging, and included unit types that were added to the game only in later releases.
• Fixed outstanding niggling issues in many single player campaign missions such as:

one-shot Nuke bombers don't give back CP

disbanded units reappear on core import in linked DLCs

Kursk objective fails, then corrects itself

• Enabled kicking inactive players from games with more than 2 players.
• Added colour coding to player lists to show which player is on-turn and if any players have resigned
• Fixed an issue where usernames were case-sensitive when logging in to multiplayer
• Fixed an issue where restarting a replay would count as a “redownload” of a game turn, which was causing some users to be flagged as cheating when they weren’t
• Updates to the units file:

QF 3.7-inch mountain gun changed to move 2

Scammell Pioneer available for UK, RAF, India

Hun inf 42 changed end date to conform with inf 43 intro

Ger AVs Greif, Bussard changed to shallow draft

Aus eng 40-42 use all CP 2, Aus eng 41 dates fixed

Aus hvy inf intro/end dates corrected

NatChi 20mm AA/AT switches corrected

reduced Archer inf attack and movement

reduced Achilles inf attack

FW 190 F/G costs changed,

FW 190 G air att reduced, ground att increased

Ger eng 39 intro date changed to sep 39

Ger standard inf 41 and above accepts light halftrack SdKfz 250 TP

added series entries to Ger 8wheeled recons

One-use nuclear bombers cost 0 CP

Most UK/commonwealth inf types accept both British and Allied truck in editor

Towed UK/commonwealth units accept both British and Allied truck (unless they require heavy TP) in editor.

Open - February 2023 Tournament. Do not miss the chance to sign-up to the new tournament Open - February 2023. You can sign-up here. There will be 3 Tournament Maps:

• Round 1: Bootcamp Battle - GB vs USSR
• Round 2: Wake Island Assault
• Round 3: Crescent Bay

The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here. The first round will commence on Wednesday, 1st February 2022 at 10am GMT. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun. The tournament will last 3 rounds, 15 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM++ games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.

Hello everyone, The Order of Battle: World War II - Winter 2022/2023 Tournament is over.  After 3 exciting rounds of intense battles, we have a winner, Celeborn {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/a271b297022506f9217ecd6034d628f14e44c1fe.jpg Check the full ranking here It was a close one and it was very exciting for us to follow it.     We really want to thank everyone of you for playing in this tournament and congratulate once again with our champion Celeborn. See you next.

Winter 2022/2023 Tournament. Do not miss the chance to sign-up to the new tournament “Winter 2022/2023". You can sign-up here. There will be 3 Tournament Maps:

• Round 1: Karjalan Kesä
• Round 2: Island Hopping
• Round 3: Caen

The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here. The first round will commence on Thursday, 5th December 2022 at 10am GMT. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun. The tournament will last 3 rounds, 15 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM++ games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns

Hello everyone, The Order of Battle: World War II - Victorious tournament is over.  After 3 exciting rounds of intense battles, we have a winner, AdmiralYamamoto {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/1eb9051a79eef62212193511de8a431eb16469fd.jpg Check the full ranking here It was a close one and it was very exciting for us to follow it.     We really want to thank everyone of you for playing in this tournament and congratulate once again with our champion AdmiralYamamoto. Be ready because we will announce a new tournament really soon.  See you next.

Slitherine Next, the spiritual successor of our Home of Wargamers events, is coming soon. Save the date: December 13th at 4 pm GMT on Twitch It'll be the perfect occasion to learn more about upcoming games and get an insight directly from the developers. It will be 100% live: there will be no pre-recorded segments and we'll have a level of interaction with the players like never before. You'll be able to ask us anything and be answered directly by the developers. Stay tuned for the full schedule!

Allies Victorious - the last part of the Allied trilogy for Order of Battle, is out now. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/bc4008d46a2f81e24bd143a5bf0e1faaa2f390d4.jpg The new DLC depicts battles from the Allied Normandy landings in summer 1944 to the end of the war in Europe. The campaign began on D-Day, 6 June 1944, with Operation Overlord, the large-scale amphibious assault to land Allied forces in northern France. Afterwards, the player has to secure the rest of Normandy, and needs to defeat substantial German forces in the Falaise pocket. Following a successful breakout from Normandy, the liberation of Paris is in reach. Like all previous DLCs, Allies Victorious also adds a number of new units for both Allied and Axis countries, and a few new Allied commanders. The new units are:

• US: 8inch_howitzer M-115
• UK: Achilles, Archer, Ram Kangaroo
• Germany: FlakPzIV, Me-163 Komet, V-1 "Flying Bomb"

Tune in today on our Slitherine Twitch Channel at 7pm GMT where SgtZDog will show you the new DLC. After downloading Allies Victorious, do not miss the chance to sign-up to the new tournament “Victorious Tournament”. You can sign-up here. There will be 3 Tournament Maps:

Cyrenaica Libya - January 1942, The Afrika Korps and the Desert Rats face off in a battle to seize vital roads across Cyrenaica.

Caen France - June 1944, Following D-Day substantial German forces committed to the defence of Caen aim to prevent the Allies from advancing inland quickly.

Cobra France - July 1944, US forces launch Operation Cobra to break out of Normandy and advance into Brittany. The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules here. The first round will commence on Thursday, 6th October 2022 at 3pm GMT. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun. The tournament will last 3 rounds, 15 days each. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up, then the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM++ games. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns. To celebrate this moment, the DLC will be part of the Order of Battle: Allies Pack here. If you don't own Order of Battle yet, you can download the base game for free and you can buy the DLCs with up to 75% off discount.

Allies Victorious is the last part of the Allied trilogy for Order of Battle and will be available on September 22nd, 2022. The new DLC depicts battles from the Allied Normandy landings in summer 1944 to the end of the war in Europe. You will have to defeat the Wehrmacht in France, and liberate Western Europe to finally lead Allied forces into Germany in the last stages of the campaign. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/597740d9f3a974a5a6177a9bffd1d5a2799273b7.jpg Like all previous DLCs, Allies Victorious also adds a number of new units for both Allied and Axis countries, and some new Allied commanders. Allies Victorious will be available on PC and console, and you will be able to use Slitherine's PBEM++ system on PlayStation 4 (Xbox support coming soon). Don’t miss the chance to play the last part of the trilogy!

Order of Battle: Allies Victorious is coming soon! Sign up to the beta test. The new DLC for Order of Battle is going to be released very soon and it is the last part of the Allied trilogy of Order of Battle. Allies Victorious depicts battles from the Allied Normandy landings in summer 1944 to the end of the war in Europe. Like all previous DLCs, Allies Victorious also adds a number of new units for both Allied and Axis countries, and a few new Allied commanders. It also includes 14 new scenarios. We are currently looking for beta testers to help us test Order of Battle: Allies Victorious, so if you are willing to help us out you can sign up HERE.

Hello everyone! The Bootcamp Tournament for Order of Battle: World War II is over. After 3 rounds of intense battles we have a winner, AdmiralYamamoto! 1st place: AdmiralYamamoto - 702 points 2nd place: schmolywar - 658 points 3rd place: weizhinahe - 580 points It was very exciting for us to follow it. We want to thank everyone of you for playing in this tournament and congratulate once again our champion AdmiralYamamoto. See you next tournament!

We're returning to every Order of Battle player's favourite training location - Bootcamp Island! {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/e1c0352166730882433bdf87956584a4d162c8cb.png In this tournament, you will be called on to win a series of "training exercises". Can you out think the other team? Will you be crowned the ruler of Bootcamp? To enter, go to the tournament page and sign up by clicking HERE. The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules by clicking HERE. The first round will commence on Monday, February 17th, 2022 at 12:00 am UTC. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun. Map details Bootcamp Battle - GB vs USSR {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/a885444fb32132b24dae0aaeb27c29aead862516.gif British and Russian forces have been invited to train with their new American allies on Bootcamp Island! You have only a small force of your national troops available to deploy, but your American hosts are sending some of their own recruits to help. Capture supply points to requisition more forces and find the right tactical combinations to claim the island as your own! Special Features: - Capture supply bases from Neutral forces to speed up deployment of US forces onto your side of the battlefield - Resources are very limited and the new CP Block feature is enabled, meaning that you're unable to redeploy any of your Core forces if they are defeated in combat Island Hopping - USA vs USA {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/11ed6ae06c23b4fea2e3829f2e17017937fd45cc.png A new group of recruits are training ahead of their deployment. Red Team and Blue Team face off over Land, Sea and Air. Will you choose to push through heavy jungles and across rivers or take control of the waves and conduct a naval invasion? Perhaps you'll rule the air and deploy squads of paratroopers. The enemy base must be conquered and it's your job to do so! Special Features: - Land, Sea and Air forces are all vital in this head to head fight for territory - You'll need to ford rivers and cross the seas, but how will you get your forces there safely without being intercepted by your opponent? How will you turn the tables to stop them doing the same? Fleet Command - USA vs JPN In an exceptional military test, our Bootcamp recruits will be put in charge of captured Japanese equipment to perform a live test of their capability. Command is excited to see how our Air and Naval trainees square off! Rule the waves and the skies with clever use of ships, subs and planes. Capture strategic island locations to show your dominance and be rewarded with extra bomber forces to sink the enemy carriers! Special Features: - In a Naval head-to-head, will it be your Carriers, Battleships or submarines that make the difference? Sail across the sea and capture your opponent's HQ or Harbour to win the game. - Command Points that you lose during your own turn won't be returned until the start of your next turn. So be careful when taking on risky engagements and be aware that disbanded troops will take a while to be reformed - Capture key naval locations to claim ownership of island factories. Command will reward ownership of these locations with additional bombers and the supply to support them.

Hi everyone, we are releasing a new update and this includes a number of fixes. As usual you can find the full changelog below. Thank you everyone for your feedback. v9.1.4 CHANGELOG • Fixed Force tab screen restriction • Fixed land transport display issue in unit info panel • Fixed "Acquire" button in spec screen sometimes not present • Fixed issue with FoV on pre-deployed aircraft • Fixed Multiplayer Chat panel doesn't scroll properly • Fixed MP Chat goes to all players • Added - On First Boot, if Resolution is >1080p, HD UI is disabled by default • Added ability to copy all triggers from another scenario into the current scenario • Added option to enable deferred replenishment of CP • Added tick box option for "Disable CP refunding" • Updated Check Last Kill trigger to include Disbands • Added "Core Units" filter widget to additional triggers • Fixed bug with Check Unit Count • Added "CP =" test for the unit that was reported by Check Last Kill

Hello everyone! The Winter 2021/2022 Tournament of Order of Battle is over. After 3 rounds of close battles we have a winner, weizhinaihe! 1st place: weizhinaihe – 649 points 2nd place: AdmiralYamamoto – 636 points 3rd place: Pinkelephantis – 627 points It was a close one, and it was very exciting for us to follow it. We want to thank everyone of you for playing in this tournament and congratulate once again with our champion weizhinaihe. See you next!

We are pleased to announce a new public tournament: The Winter 2021/2022 Tournament {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/aee1682f89055c78a6e08bbdd344af24652ac894.jpg To enter, go to the tournament page and sign up HERE The tournament follows Swiss Tournament rules: you can find the full list of rules HERE The first round will commence on Thursday, December 9th, 2021 at 12:00 am UTC. No further entries can be accepted after the tournament has begun. You will challenge other players in three different scenarios:

Crescent Bay: Japanese and American forces clash with Land, Naval and Air forces around a fictitious natural harbour area

Wake Island Assault: The famous invasion of Wake Island by Japanese Marine forces. Can the outnumbered American forces throw them back into the Pacific?

Peninsula Invasion: British forces defend a vital rail link from Japanese forces in a fictional precursor to the Burma Invasion The Tournament will last 3 rounds, each lasting 15 days. Games are paired, so each matchup will be played both ways. All you need to do is sign up. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it will be time to play your turns.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/f06f6442abc4a6d72e786983c51416556ac23303.jpg We are happy to announce that the second chapter of the Allied Trilogy will be available for Xbox One and Playstation 4 on November 11th.

{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/1f1cda8d2380dc1e616159aa57930a2b2d0a1065.jpg The Order of Battle “Allies” tournament will start on October 27th. The tournament features three scenarios, the last two of them brand new. All battles are fictional to keep the maps more balanced, but they also reflect the course of the Allied campaigns in North Africa and in Italy 1942-43. • Sandstorm at the Oasis (August 1942) - In this scenario, the British have to battle both German and Italian Forces on a desert map, while periodically occurring Sandstorms pose additional challenges to each side. • GIs vs. Bersaglieri (January 1943) - This new scenario depicts American and Italian forces in a struggle for control of a few important roads through the Atlas mountain chain in Tunisia. The map is a mix of mostly desert, rough desert, hills, and mountains, so movement is limited to certain paths and needs to be planned carefully. • Muddy Beachheads (September 1943) - British and American forces have established beachheads in a surprise naval landing on the Italian coast. As the Allies aim to expand their gains Axis forces attempt to stop them. The area is parted by a river, so control of the few bridges is crucial. The map also allows air deployments, and the Allies enjoy a slight advantage in command points and resources. After many days of rainfall, both sides have to deal with muddy terrain, though. Sign up to test your skills and climb the leaderboard! All you need to do is opt-in here and own at least one Order of Battle DLC. If you’re not familiar with Slitherine’s PBEM system, here’s how it works: the system will pair you with opponents and create your PBEM games for you automatically. You will be notified by mail of when the tournament is starting and when it is time to play your turns. The tournament follows the Swiss Tournament rules.

Allies Resurgent, the second chapter in the trilogy of DLCs featuring World War II from the Allied perspective, is out now. The new campaign depicts battles in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and finally in Europe from late 1942 to early 1944. At the start of the campaign, you lead US forces in Operation Torch, which marks the beginning of US involvement in the fighting in North Africa. After the first battle against Vichy-French units, you’ll need to prevail against veteran Axis forces in Tunisia. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/dbbd86e1d641080b621d9b0fed3fe16d8d258a15.jpg Afterward, the campaign shifts focus to the British Eighth Army’s advance into southern Tunisia. Following a successful breakthrough at the Mareth Line, the British push north: they aim to form a continuous front with the Allied forces which participated in Operation Torch, and advance into Tunisia from the west. In spring 1943, you will take command of both the US and British forces in a combined offensive to retake Tunis, and will put an end to the Axis presence in North Africa for good. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/75b190823fd6c0cba023fc33e010a468ca76a28b.jpg The last stage of Allies Resurgent features the return of Allied ground forces to Europe, beginning with the amphibious invasion of Sicily. Finally, you’ll have to invade mainland Italy at Salerno, defeat German defenses at the Volturno Line, and ultimately take back Rome. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/a88109d20d939accef26fbc0ad42a977d82de81a.jpg Allies Resurgent also adds 2 new specializations, 5 new Allied commanders, 12 scenarios, and 11 new units for both Allied and Axis countries:

• Re 2002, Italian fighter-bomber
• PZW 42, rocket launcher on Halftrack
• DD Bourrasque, French destroyer
• DD L'Adroit, French destroyer
• C15 TA, Canadian armored truck
• L4 Grasshopper, US recon plane
• M3 ScoutCar, US armored car, recon
• T28E CGMC, US anti-air unit on halftrack
• T30 HMC, US artillery on halftrack
• A36 Apache, US ground attack version of P-51 fighter
• Lancaster, heavy British strategic bomber

Tune in today on our Slitherine Twitch Channel at 4.30 pm BST, where Gamer1745 will show the DLC for the first time. You can now enjoy the brand new “Allies” Bundle, which contains both the Allies Defiance and Allies Resurgent DLCs, at 20% off. Stay tuned, because there will be a new tournament starting in the next few days with Allies Resurgent-themed levels.

Order of Battle: Allies Resurgent, the second chapter of the Allied Trilogy, is entering late beta and it will be released on PC on October 7th. Soon after that, the expansion will come to consoles. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1688120/Order_of_Battle_Allies_Resurgent/ If you want to have a sneak peek of the new expansion, you can join us on Twitch this Thursday, September 23rd, at 6:30 PM UK time: we'll host a live stream with Gamer_1745 and show you the first missions. See you there!

Order of Battle: Allies Resurgent, the second chapter of the Allied Trilogy, depicts battles in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and finally in Europe from late 1942 to early 1944. The expansion adds 12 new scenarios to the game, along with 11 new units. In this sneak peek you'll get to meet some of them: the M3 Scout Car, the T-30 HMC, the L-4 Grasshopper and the Avro Lancaster. 1. M3 Scout Car {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/96ff8527000366b34d60f1315e99aaec427e24c6.jpg The lightly armored vehicle was developed by the White Motor Company, which produced several types of armored cars, albeit in low numbers, during the 1930s. These developments led to the creation of the M2A1, which finally went into US Army service as M3 Scout Car in 1938.  The improved M3A1 became the most produced variant and was built from 1939-44 in over 20000 pieces.  The vehicle was fast and robust, though its cross-country capability was considered limited. Still the M3 saw widespread service in the US Army, mostly for reconnaissance duties and as armored command vehicles. Significant numbers of this type were sent to Commonwealth nations and to the Soviet Union via Lend-Lease deliveries, while smaller numbers went to China, the Free French, and other Allied nations. 2. T-30 HMC {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/36f782c27ff11d4be7438164e0ba7ffef39d1c81.jpg Growing US Army interest in the use of halftracks sparked a major modification of the M3 Scout Car: a set of tracks fitted to the rear of the vehicle led to the creation of the M2 and M3 halftracks, used as artillery tractors and as armored personnel carriers. After the outbreak of World War 2 military demand for those vehicles became so high that a variety of manufacturers such as Daimond T, Autocar, or White produced these halftracks for US service, while others, like International Harvester built the almost identical M5 and M9 versions for export under the Lend-Lease program. A large number of specific variants was derived from those basic types, to serve as self-propelled artillery, tank destroyers or anti-aircraft vehicles. The T-30 HMC (Heavy Mortar Carriage) was a version equipped with a 75 mm howitzer in a fixed superstructure. The vehicle saw combat in North Africa, in the Italian Campaign, in France, and possibly in the Pacific. 3. L-4 Grasshopper {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/e09e82d4e98ff825a0a032209e5144db1945cdf0.jpg The J-3 Cub made its maiden flight in 1938 and was produced by Piper Aircraft in large numbers until 1947. It's simple, lightweight design made the plane very easy to fly and to maintain, while its affordability and popularity quickly invoked comparisons to the Ford Model T automobile.  Since the Cub was well suited for military task such as reconnaissance, liaison, or as artillery spotter the US Army began to use the type from 1941 as O-59. In 1942 the designation was changed to L-4 Grasshopper. Grasshoppers were usually unarmed, but after the Allied breakout from Normandy in 1944 some planes were equipped with racks of bazookas to locate and destroy hidden armored vehicles. 4. Avro Lancaster {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/0c9e4c0416288707e88a2915e5fc6074d449f14c.jpg The Lancaster was a heavy, four-engine bomber developed from the previous two-engine Avro Manchester. Following the first flight of the Lancaster in January 1941 the plane went into service with the RAF in 1942, although initially only in low numbers.  When aircraft became available in larger quantities in 1943, the Lancaster became the primary strategic bomber of the RAF, overshadowing both the Handley Page Halifax and the Short Stirling. The 'Lanc', as it was often called was used primarily in strategic bombing raids, but also in a variety of specific missions.  In 1943 Lancasters conducted the 'Dambuster Raid' and the first attack against the German V-Weapons research site at Peenmünde. Later in the war, Lancaster missions targeted the German battleship Tirpitz repeatedly and finally managed to sink the vessel at its anchorage in occupied Norway in November 1944.

Order of Battle, recently released on XBOX, is now available on PlayStation 4. The base game arrives at $19.99, and it includes the Blitzkrieg campaign, one of the most popular Order of Battle expansions, which is distributed on PC as a separate DLC. Blitzkrieg puts you in charge of the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe: starting with the conquest of Poland, the campaign features the defeat of the Franco-British alliance on the western front, the invasion of the Soviet Union and finally the assault on Moscow in 1941. The base game also features the Bootcamp campaign, and a taste of the first chapter of every other campaign pack. All the other premium campaigns previously released on PC are now available for purchase as separate DLCs on PlayStation 4. Check it out on the PlayStation Store

Order of Battle is coming to PS4 on August 19th. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/f6fd455def0b826ebe5918d02661d1837bc6efcf.jpg The PlayStation version will release at $19.99 and it will include the full Blitzkrieg campaign, one of the most popular Order of Battle expansions, which is distributed on PC as a separate DLC. All the other premium campaigns previously released on PC will be available for purchase as separate DLCs on PS4 starting on August 19th.

Order of Battle: Allies Resurgent, the second chapter of a trilogy of DLCs featuring World War II from the Allied perspective, is coming soon. The new campaign depicts battles in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and finally in Europe from late 1942 to early 1944. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1688120/Order_of_Battle_Allies_Resurgent/ At the start of the campaign, you lead US forces in Operation Torch, which marks the beginning of US involvement in the fighting in North Africa. After the first battle against Vichy-French units, the player has to prevail against veteran Axis forces in Tunisia. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/a4cbaaba761aa3410906bc72ed52610b4455725c.jpg Afterwards, the campaigns shift focus to the advances of the British Eighth Army into southern Tunisia. Following a successful breakthrough at the Mareth Line, the British push north: they aim to form a continuous front with Allied forces which participated in Operation Torch, and advance into Tunisia from the west. In spring 1943 you take command of both the US and British forces in a combined offensive to retake Tunis, and to end the Axis presence in North Africa for good. The last stage of Allies Resurgent shows the return of Allied ground forces to Europe, beginning with the amphibious invasion of Sicily. Finally, the player has to invade mainland Italy at Salerno, defeat German defences at the Volturno Line, and ultimately needs to take back Rome. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/bb9026e01a29e975b3a1a10c9f21fa97ef665920.jpg Allies Resurgent also adds 12 new scenarios, a number of new units for both Allied and Axis countries, two new specializations, and five new Allied commanders. Check out the product page for the full list. Order of Battle: Allies Resurgent is looking for beta testers. APPLY HERE and help us improve the new expansion

Order of Battle is now available on XBOX. The base game for consoles arrives at $19.99, and it includes the Blitzkrieg campaign, one of the most popular Order of Battle expansions, which is distributed on PC as a separate DLC. It puts you in charge of the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe. Starting with the conquest of Poland, the campaign features the defeat of the Franco-British alliance on the western front, the invasion of the Soviet Union and finally the assault on Moscow in 1941. The base game also features the Bootcamp campaign, and a taste of the first chapter of every other campaign pack.  All the other premium campaigns previously released on PC are now available for purchase as separate DLCs on XBOX. Check out Order of Battle on the Microsoft Store

Order of Battle is coming to console: it will release first on XBOX One on June 23rd, and soon after that on Playstation 4. The base game for console won’t be free-to-play, but it will include the full Blitzkrieg campaign, one of the most popular Order of Battle expansions, which is distributed on PC as a separate DLC. All the other premium campaigns previously released on PC will be available for purchase as separate DLCs on XBOX starting on June 23rd. Also, it's the last chance to join the Weltkrieg tournament! Sign up here, the challenge starts tomorrow.

Six years after its original launch, Order of Battle: World War II is still one of the most downloaded free-to-play strategy games on Steam. The game has received massive updates and improvements over the years. It now boasts an impressive 1000 units available, an impressive variety of settings and scenarios, and a growing set of game modes that make it one of the most complete World War II strategy games ever created. All the Order of Battle expansions are part of the Steam Daily Deal, from May 25th, 10 AM PST to May 27th, 10 AM PST. Individual DLCs are up to 76% off, and you can get extra discounts by purchasing special bundles: the Weltkrieg pack, which puts you in charge of the German Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe, adds an extra 23% discount. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/4930/Order_of_Battle_Weltkrieg_Pack/ The Soviet Pack includes all the DLCs which follow the entirety of World War II from the perspective of the Soviet Union and adds an extra 20% discount. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/14246/Order_of_Battle_Soviet_Pack/ The Pacific Pack includes all the campaigns set in the Pacific theater and features an additional 25% off. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1999/Order_of_Battle_Pacific_Pack/

Six years after its original launch, Order of Battle: World War II is still one of the most downloaded free-to-play strategy games on Steam. The game has received massive updates and improvements over the years. It now boasts an impressive 1000 units available, an impressive variety of settings and scenarios, and a growing set of game modes that make it one of the most complete World War II strategy games ever created. Order of Battle in numbers

• Over 1 million monthly active players
• 200 total scenarios
• 15 total DLCs
• 1.500+ total units

The Allies Trilogy Continues

The game is getting a trilogy of DLCs focused on the Allies. The first expansion of the trilogy: Allies Defiant, was released early this year, and the second one will be officially announced soon. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466340/Order_of_Battle_AlliesDefiant/

New tournament now available!

You can sign up here for the Weltkrieg tournament, starting on Wednesday, June 2nd. TOURNAMENT SCENARIOS: Karjelan Kesa: 1st August 1941, Karelian Istmus. The Germans have shipped an attack force into Finland to perform a surprise attack on Leningrad. Viipuri (Viborg) fell to the initial attack and now forms a German field HQ. Will the German blitzkrieg push through to the Northern outskirts of Leningrad, or will the Soviet defenders re-organise and defy the incursion? Kiev to Zhitomir: Early November 1943, Soviet and German forces meet in the muddy fields between Kiev and Zhitomir. Return to Raseiniai: Raseiniai, Lithuania - 23rd July 1942. Time-Shifted Battle. German Tankers race to cross the Dubysa rivers whilst Russian forces gather to meet them. Will 1942's upgraded Panzers and StuG's be vital or will the Russian's Lend-Lease assisted forces hold out?

Coming to XBOX One on June 23rd, 2021

Order of Battle is also coming to console: it will release first on XBOX One on June 23rd, and soon after that on PS4. The base game for console won’t be free-to-play, but it will include the full Blitzkrieg campaign, one of the most popular Order of Battle expansions, which is distributed on Steam as a separate DLC. All the other premium campaigns previously released on PC will be available for purchase as separate DLCs on XBOX starting on June 23rd.

Order of Battle: World War II is now available on GeForce Now. GeForce Now is fully compatible with Windows and Mac: all users, regardless of their operating system, will be able to download the latest game updates and play all the expansions they own, including Allies Defiant, by launching the game through the GeForce Now platform. USEFUL LINKS: GeForce Now FAQS GeForce Now System Requirements Order of Battle forum - End of Mac Support thread

Order of Battle: Allies Defiant, the first chapter in a new trilogy of DLCs that depicts World War 2 from the Allied perspective, is out now. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1466340/Order_of_Battle_AlliesDefiant/ Allies Defiant covers the battles starting from the spring of 1940 to late 1942. It features a fully-fledged campaign with 12 new scenarios and some of the most iconic British units of WW2. We're celebrating the beginning of this new trilogy with heavy discounts on all the previous expansions. Check them out. https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/14246/Order_of_Battle_Soviet_Pack/ https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/4930/Order_of_Battle_Weltkrieg_Pack/ https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1999/Order_of_Battle_Pacific_Pack/ ALLIES DEFIANT CAMPAIGN In the first battle, the player takes command of British units deployed to Norway. When the war intensifies on the Western Front in May 1940, they are forced to change their focus and the next two scenarios feature defensive battles in Belgium and France. Afterwards the campaign moves to North Africa, where British forces battle Axis troops in Egypt and Libya. In spring 1941, the player gets to fight the crucial naval battle at Cape Matapan in the Mediterranean Sea. They are then reassigned to participate in the defence of Greece after. The last stage of Allies Defiant focuses again on the desert war, which changed dramatically with the arrival of Rommel's Afrikakorps. Since the Desert Fox managed to drive the Allies back into Egypt in 1942, the player has to deplete enemy offensive strength before they can finally resume offensive operations. This will allow them to deal Axis forces a decisive defeat at El Alamein.

Order of Battle: Allies Defiant will be released on January 28th and it will come with 12 new scenarios as well as featuring some of the most iconic British units in WW2. Join us for the first preview stream this Thursday, January 14th, 6.30 PM GMT, where we will be taking a look at some of the new scenarios and watching the new units in action. In the meantime, you can also read about some of these new units below: 1. Hawker Hurricane Mk. IID The Hawker Hurricane, which made its maiden flight in November 1935, was the most important British fighter aircraft at the outbreak of World War 2. Hurricane fighters formed the backbone of the RAF's Fighter Command in 1939-40 and downed more Luftwaffe aircraft during the Battle of Britain than the more modern and soon to be much more famous Spitfire. Improved German fighter models appearing after 1940 made the Hurricane increasingly outclassed as a fighter, but the plane found new life as ground attacker and fighter-bomber. The Mk. IIC variant became known as "Hurribomber" and the Mk. IID was soon dubbed the "Flying Can Opener" since its heavy armament of two 40mm guns made the plane an excellent tank buster. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/59503d843123c8a55b4c2c7e0a612d29559b6866.jpg 2. Handley Page Halifax The heavy four-engined Halifax bomber flew for the first time in 1939. It also made its operational debut in March 1941, roughly a month after another heavy British bomber, the Short Stirling. Together, with the later Avro Lancaster, these planes made up the bulk of the strategic bombers in the RAF's Bomber Command in World War 2. The Halifax was used widely in strategic bombing raids, including in attacks on Kriegsmarine capital ships and on V1 launch sites. It also served as an air transporter, for example during Operation Market Garden. The Coastal Command also operated the airframe as well, to deploy naval mines or for anti-submarine and reconnaissance missions. While the production of the Halifax ended in 1946 with over 6100 planes delivered, the aircraft still continued to fly as civilian freighter and participated in the Berlin airlift 1948.  {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/3e006aa4e9c6df1bd45fa9076ce80c323330b406.jpg 3. Daimler Mk.I The Daimler armoured car was a successful British design which incorporated many advanced concepts and remained in service well into the 1950s and 1960s. A parallel development to the smaller Daimler Dingo "Scout car", the bigger Daimler Mk. I was armed with a 2 pounder gun and entered service in 1941. Throughout the war the vehicle was used for armed reconnaissance in North Africa, Europe and in the South-East Asia theatre.  The vehicle's rugged nature, good all-terrain performance and high reliability made it one of the best armored cars in World War 2. Daimler delivered almost 2700 vehicles, including a howitzer-armed version for close fire support and a slightly improved Mk. II variant.   {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/33c2890e169802819b54f878678da8d10ef1fbaa.jpg 4. Scammell Pioneer The Scammell Pioneer was first produced in 1927 and later used as an artillery tractor, recovery vehicle and tank transporter in the British Army. The tractor version was used militarily from 1935 onwards to tow medium and heavy artillery pieces of calibers from 4.5 to 8 inches. Over 3400 Pioneers of all types were produced until 1945 for both civilian and military duties. With the introduction of this unit type to OOB, heavier British artillery units now require this heavy tractor for transport purposes. Light and medium guns can still be towed by cheaper trucks, however. {STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/8339394/7f83394c1cc389d5df60e820674848663ef38b00.jpg