Hello! After dicing and slicing my middle finger with a shaving razor the past weekend, I’m somewhat able to write again without being in constant pain. This means I’ll also be back working on my Ultimate List of the Best Medieval Games of All Time and might actually release it just a couple of months behind schedule. Also, this week the Home of Wargamers is due to take place on the 10th!

Field of Glory II: Medieval – Rise of the Swiss Out May 19th

The sneaky boys at Slitherine unveiled the most recent expansion for the superb medieval battle simulator, Field of Glory II: Medieval this week, and it is due to come out in about two weeks on May 19th! Talk about working fast! As the name “Rise of the Swiss” implies, this is going to be all – okay, mostly – about the rise of the Swiss pikemen and their dominance in the field of battle of the later middle ages.

Here is a feature list of what’s going to be on it:

• Additional coverage for the following nations and factions from the introduction of Swiss-style pike tactics or Hussite war wagons by themselves or their opponents until 1500 AD: Aragonese, Berber (Wattasid),  Bohemian (Catholic), Burgundian, Castilian, Danish, English (Lancastrian, Yorkist and Tudor), Florentine, French, German (Imperial, Feudal and City armies), Granadine, Hungarian, Hussite (Taborite and Utraquist), Low Countries, Milanese, Neapolitan, Papal, Polish, Rus, Scots, Swiss, Venetian. Each of these has their own historically-based banner. (Several European nations are already covered up to 1500 AD by previous DLC). 
• 22 new units. 
• 60 more army lists.
• 8 more historical scenarios covering key engagements of the period on an epic scale: Kutna Hora 1421, Towton 1461, Brunkeberg 1471, Grandson 1476, Loja 1482, Bosworth 1485, Fornovo 1495, Dornach 1499.  
• 41 more historical matchups added to Quick Battle mode, increasing the total to 239, most playable from either side. 
• 4 more historically-based campaigns covering major leaders and conflicts of the era: Rise of the Swiss, Hussite Wars, Charles the Bold, Louis XI. 
• Sandbox campaign expanded to include all the new army lists. 

Men of War 2 Is Back On Track

The unfortunate (and illegal, and absolutely uncalled for) war on Ukraine has put many a project on hold, amongst them Best Way, the developers behind the famous Men of War series, now working on the second iteration – is it really correct to say second when there are about 10 games already? Anyway…). Their work had been suspended since the start of the Russian invasion but fortunately, they were recently able to go back to work: “However, despite the fact that there are no completely safe places in Ukraine, we are now able to continue our work on the game; which brings us a lot of joy in these difficult times. Thank you very much for your understanding, patience, and the love you have shown us – it is truly appreciated! Regarding the game itself, we have no estimated release date or any other news like that at the moment…”

Decisive Campaigns: Ardennes Offensive Gets a New Campaign

The best wargame of last year (and probably of the past decade), Decisive Campaigns: Ardennes Offensive has recently been updated to version 1.02, this “comes with a lot of small fixes and quality of life improvements, but its main highlight is the introduction of a brand new campaign scenario: Plan Martin”- von Rusnsted’s proposed plan to break the allied defensive lines during the Ardennes Offensive.

This new historical “what-if” scenario is comprised of a huge campaign map of 155×156 hexes, about 40 more than the Wacth am Rhein scenario.

A lot of other small changes can be consulted inside the patch notes.

Slitherine Wins Indie Publisher Award

The fine folk at Slitherine had their efforts recently recognized internationally by snagging a well deserved Best Indie Publisher of the Year award by MCV, against some large names in the industry, mainly Chucklefish, the ones behind Starbound, Wargroove and Eastward, and No More Robots, who published the excellent Descenders. Congratulations to all of the teams working at Slitherine!

Regiments To Release Later This Year

After spending the last couple of months running an open playtest, the folk behind Regiments have decided to shut it down on May 16th, thanking players for their invaluable feedback. With that said, they can already predict that, if nothing goes wrong, the game will be released sometime during the third quarter of 2022, but a “precise day would be announced during that period”.

As for the developmental focus, a lot of attention is going into the “Operations” game mode – “we strive to add unique challenges and unforgettable events to each Operation”- but besides that, they’ll be adding a more vast selection of units and new features:

• High Lethality rule introduces a lot of small tweaks and changes the way damage calculations are done. It is designed to address the common request for a less-forgiving combat
• Bad Luck makes Operations more difficult and unpredictable by adding a random negative event every two phases. For those of you who already became adept at beating ‘Firebird’ on Master difficulty
• Fog of War complicates spotting and identification. Getting an accurate read on the enemy’s precise position and type will be much harder
• Several Global Modifiers are exposed. Want to increase the ranges globally or slow down the unit movement speed? Fine-tune the gameplay to your liking. Accuracy, range, speed, direct and indirect damage, suppression – each is adjustable individually within reasonable limits.

I wasn’t extremely impressed by what Regiments brought to the table but it seems I am in the minority, so make sure to read my “Regiments- Cold War Gone Luke Warm” first impressions.

Crusader Kings III: Fate of Iberia Flavor Pack

Hell to the yes on this one! Finally, after all this time, a (Crusader Kings 3) developer recognizes that “In a region as dynamic and well-documented as Iberia, we were truly spoiled with possible content”. Hey, Paradox developer, if you’re reading this, I have a couple of ideas for you! Here are some of the things we’ll be seeing:

• You tell the ever-evolving saga of Iberia with each decision you make. Appeasing or hostile, influence the constant turmoil on the peninsula to your liking during each phase of the Struggle.
• Follow the path of history with a definite end goal in mind or play out a completely new fate for the region. Be the early founder of a Hispania steeped in blood, or bring together a multicultural caliphate in peace.
• A dazzling array of new thematic events, decisions, and cultural traditions unique to Iberia can be explored. All are historically accurate and meticulously researched.
• Dress up your character as a true hidalgo or a Muslim prince, or choose your pick from well-groomed beards and curly hair, armor, clothes, new turban styles, or some of the tallest headgear medieval Europe has to offer!
• A host of new 3D models and environments, including holdings, units and ships, can be encountered.
• Not only are a series of new Iberian-inspired artifacts, heirlooms and treasures yours for the taking, Crusader Kings III: Royal Court owners are also able to display their full regalia in their personal court. A new throne, council weapons, treasures, and other themed customization options will enrich your courtroom even further!
• Get carried away by the richly themed soundtrack, as you admire the stunning new art, from loading screens to icons and revamped user interface.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters

Warhammer 40,000 never-ending game releases have another somewhat decent entry on its long list. Daemonhunters is all about leading the fan-favorite Grey Knights against the forces of chaos in an XCOM-like gameplay loop. For some stupid reason, Complex Games has decided to scatter some in-game items on the Twitch drop system, forcing players to watch hours of obnoxious streamers and linking their Frontier accounts to Twitch. Add to that a substantial number of complaints about the game’s performance and the Grey Knights launched into Steam to a colorful reaction from Chapter leaders.

Dorfromantik 1.0 Out Now

Idyllic hex-placer Dorfromantik is out of Early Access, graduating magna cum laude, sitting at a current 97% positive reviews on Steam from 13,800 players. Dorfromantik now joins the likes of Islanders, Cloud Gardens and Townscaper into the pantheon of Sereny City-Builders.

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