The new reference in RTS at its best! The Wargame series returns to duty, larger, richer and more spectacular than ever before. In Wargame Red Dragon, you are engaged in a large-scale conflict where Western forces clash against the Communist bloc.
Welcome back!
In our previous [b]Wargame: Red Dragon[/b] posts, we highlighted the various combat arms of the [b]South African Defense Force[/b] as they appear in our upcoming, new [b]Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa[/b].
We’ll go even deeper this time and lift the veil on how each unit will be featured in-game, including their weapon and transport options. First up on the stage, the almighty grunt - [b]Infantry[/b].
Mind you, please treat all the following as [b][i]work in progress[/i][/b] - subject to change!
[b][h2]Boots on the ground[/h2][/b]
Before we continue, let’s have a happy family shot, and we let you guess who’s who!
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The [b]SADF[/b] Infantry (as “foot soldiers” in general, not just the INF ones) will be composed of:
[list]
[*][b]BOKKOP[/b]. Your regular soldier, available in all decks (except Airborne). These troops can deploy in all manners of transports (soft-skin, [b]Buffel[/b], [b]Casspir[/b], [b]Ratel[/b], [b]Puma[/b] helicopters). They feature [b]R1[/b] (~FN FAL) battle rifles, [b]RPG-7[/b] and [b]Bren[/b] LMG. An upgraded ’90 variant will come with [b]R4[/b] (~Galil) assault rifles, [b]FT5[/b] and [b]FN MAG[/b].
[*][b]MECHBAT[/b] are your “armored” soldiers, available in Mechanized and Armored decks. Their main ride will be the [b]Ratel[/b] APC (and variants). They are armed with [b]R2[/b] (R1 with folding stock) battle rifles, [b]LRAC F1[/b], and [b]SS-77[/b] machine-gun. An upgraded ’90 variant will feature the [b]R5[/b] (R4 with folding stock) assault rifles, [b]FT5[/b] and [b]SS-77[/b].
[*][b]PARABAT[/b] are airborne soldiers, available in Airborne and Motorized decks. They will be transported either in soft-skin trucks or the [b]Buffel[/b] - and of course helicopters. Armed with [b]R2[/b] battle rifles, [b]RPG-7[/b] and [b]SS-77[/b], the upgraded ’90 variant deploys with [b]R5[/b] assault rifles, [b]FT5[/b] and [b]Mini-SS[/b] (~Minimi).
[*][b]BUFFALOS[/b] represent the famous “32 Battalion” with its Portuguese-speaking Angolan troops. They are available in all decks, except for Armored and Mechanized. Being light infantry and used to live in enemy territory, they are 15-man squads armed initially with former Portuguese weapons: [b]G3[/b] battle rifles, [b]HK21[/b] LMG, and the ubiquitous [b]RPG-7[/b]. Later, an upgraded ’85 variant features [b]AKM[/b], [b]RPD[/b], and [b]MILAN[/b] missiles.
[*][b]SAPPERS[/b] are 5-man squads armed with [b]R1[/b] battle rifles and old-school [b]Lifebuoy[/b] flamethrowers. They are available in all decks and can be deployed with all transports.
[*][b]BURGERMAG[/b] are 10-man militia squad, armed with [b]R1[/b] battle rifles and a [b]Super Bazooka[/b]. They are accessible in all decks, except for Airborne or Marine, and can only deploy in soft-skin transports or [b]Buffel[/b] APCs.
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[b][h2]Other Units[/h2][/b]
Some more specialized units are:
[list]
[*][b]MILAN[/b] teams are the only infantry ATGM available to SADF. They are available in all decks and with all transports.
[*][b]STRELA-2[/b] and [b]STRELA-3[/b] teams. These are SADF’s (captured) MANPAD squads. They are available in all decks and with all transports. Available in 1988 yet considered as a prototype in-game are the [b]STINGERS (UNITA)[/b] squads. These teams are anti-communist Angolan allies of the SADF, which had access to this more modern MANPAD while South Africa’s forces - under international embargo - weren’t.
[*][b]KOMMANDANT[/b] are the SADF commanders, available in all decks (except for Armored) coming in all transports.
[*][b]B-10 (UNITA)[/b] is the first FIST option for the SADF. These are available in all decks, with the [b]B-10[/b] being the same RCL as the Chinese license-produced Type 78 used by the TÁNKÈ SHĀSHǑU. The second squad option is the [b]Inflict[/b], available from 1985 in Airborne and Support decks. This team deploys with a single 107mm MLRS tube used as “pocket artillery” by South African airborne troops.
[/list]
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[b][h2]Special Forces and Recon[/h2][/b]
The list continues!
[list]
[*][b]SASF[/b]. The [i]crème de la crème[/i] of the SADF, available in all decks except for Armored and Support, and with all transports except for the [b]Ratel[/b]. Armed with [b]R5[/b] battle rifles, [b]LRAC F1[/b] and [b]Strela[/b] MANPAD, they also come in a ’90 variant with [b]R5[/b] battle rifles, [b]APILAS[/b] and [b]Stinger[/b].
[*][b]SASF SNIPER[/b]. These are elite 2-man recon teams equipped with the (then prototype) [b]Denel NTW-20[/b] heavy sniper rifle. This weapon can be considered a NATO counterpart to the Yugoslavian SENKE.
[*][b]TRACKERS[/b]. Recon squads as light scouts, armed with [b]R1[/b] battle rifles and [b]Bren[/b] LMG, and are available in all decks and with soft-skin, [b]Buffel[/b], and helicopter transports.
[*][b]PARA PATHFINDERS[/b] is another recon squad restricted to Airborne and Motorized. Available from 1983 in the same transports as PARABAT, but armed with [b]R5[/b] assault rifles, [b]HK21[/b] LMG, and [b]Y-2[/b] automatic grenade launcher.
[/list]
[b][h2]Transport options[/h2][/b]
Our [b]SADF[/b] grunt will hitch a ride on the battlefield in one of five transport families:
[list]
[*][b]SAMIL[/b] - soft-skin trucks
[*][b]BUFFEL[/b] - light APC
[*][b]CASSPIR[/b] - light APC, including the [b]K-Car[/b] variant with a 20mm autocannon.
[*][b]RATEL[/b] - IFV, and while classified as light in terms of armor, these vehicles can sport heavier ornaments. This includes the [b]Ratel 20[/b] (20mm autocannon), [b]Ratel 20 MILAN[/b] (same with additional MILAN), [b]Ratel 60[/b] (60mm mortar) and the [b]Ratel 90[/b] (you guessed it… with a 90mm gun).
[*][b]PUMA 330H[/b] - a helicopter, which also includes its domestically upgraded [b]Oryx[/b] variant (equal to a Super Puma).
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[b][h2]Nation Pack: South Africa in detail[/h2][/b]
In case you’ve missed it, we’ve already covered the combat arms historical context of this upcoming [b]Nation Pack[/b]:
[list]
[*]We have put a spotlight on the all-important grunt: SADF [b]Infantry[/b]. Read all [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/251060/view/3016823329556921166]about it here.[/url][/b]
[*]We also took a look at the SADF [b]Armor[/b] force, which you can [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/251060/view/3048349794619388526]read more about here.[/url][/b]
[*]The flyboys claim all the glory in our SAAF [b]Air Force[/b] article, which [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/251060/view/3070869061072083812]you can read here[/url][/b].
[*]Hugging the earth, SADF’s rotorcraft fleet get a special treatment in our [b]Helicopter[/b] showcase, which [b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/app/251060/Wargame_Red_Dragon/]you can read here.[/url][/b]
[/list]
[b][h2]What will the South Africa Nation Pack bring?[/h2][/b]
[b]Wargame: Red Dragon - Nation Pack: South Africa[/b] will feature:
[list]
[*]Close to 90 new SADF units, including 20 brand-new vehicle models, as well as many new variants. All feature new Afrikaans and South African-accented English voice-overs, [i]aie boet![/i]
[*]These include the ubiquitous [b]Casspir[/b] and [b]Ratel[/b] APCs (in numerous variants, from IFV, recon, command, mortar, and even SAM), the [b]Rooikat[/b] wheeled tank (including variants and prototypes), [b]Eland[/b] (license-produced French AML), [b]Cactus[/b] (French Crotale), the only tracked [b]Olifant[/b] MBT, many armed variants of locally made [b]SAMIL[/b] trucks ([b]Ystervark[/b] and [b]Bosvark[/b] SPAAG, [b]Valkiri[/b] and [b]Bateleur[/b] MLRS), to the iconic [b]G6 Renoster[/b] self-propelled howitzer.
[*]The Air Force includes old [b]Buccaneer[/], [b]Vampire[/b] and [b]Impala[/b] as close-air support, and several French [b]Mirage[/b] variants and the locally modified [b]Cheetah[/b] as fighter and multirole aircraft. Furthermore, you will find the [b]Atlas Carver[/b] prototype, the first full South African prototype plane design (which never left the drawing board).
[*]Helicopters include the French [b]Alouette III[/b], [b]Puma[/b], [b]Super Frelon[/b] and their locally produced versions and prototypes such as the [b]K-Car[/b], [b]Oryx[/b] and [b]XTP-1 Beta[/b]. You’ll also be able to deploy South Africa’s very own attack helicopter design, the badass-looking [b]Rooivalk[/b].
[*]Infantry will include [b]Bokkop[/b] regular riflemen, [b]Parabat[/b] paratroopers, [b]SASF[/b] special forces, and many more units such as militia, recon, MANPADS, engineers. You will find Portuguese-speaking Angolan [b]UNITA[/b] squads, as well as SADF’s own [b]32 Battalion[/b] (the Buffalos), as veteran light infantry formation.
[*]SADF weaponry features imported or locally built [b]R1[/b] and [b]R4[/b] rifles, [b]SS-77[/b] and [b]Mini-SS[/b] MG, [b]LRAC[/b] and [b]APILAS[/b] LAW, but also the more original [b]HK-21[/b], [b]FT5[/b], [b]Inflict[/b] and, of course, the iconic [b]Y2 grenade-launcher[/b] and [b]NTW-20[/b].
[/list]
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[b][h2]What happens next?[/h2][/b]
That’s it for now. Hope you enjoyed the read! We’ll be seeing you in two weeks!
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