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Steel Division: Normandy 44 > Guides > Leenday's Guides

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Biggest game manual. Stuff for new (and for intermediate) players [EN]

By Leenday

Accuracy tables, Plane reloads, Terrain modifiers, and more! Constantly updated with new info!

Award

Created by

Leenday
Online

Category: Gameplay Basics, Maps or Levels, Multiplayer, Secrets, Weapons

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

21 Jan, 2018 @ 5:40am

12 Jul, 2018 @ 4:20pm

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Guide Index

Overview

1) How long does it take to aim?

2) How does the accuracy work?

3) What do the Penetration and Armor numbers mean?

4) And what happens when there's a penetration or when there isn't any?

5) How does the Damage system work?

6) How do my vehicles get killed by something with no AP?

7) What does my infantry have to offer?

8) How long do my planes reload?

9) How far does Anti-Air work?

10) What benefits does cover provide?

11) What bonuses does Veterancy provide?

12) How to extend the Line Of Sight tool?

What do the buttons in the MP menu really mean? How do I play this game?

P.S.

P.P.S.

F.A.Q. (this will be constantly updated)

Comments

1) How long does it take to aim?

First of all: a GUN is either READY, ALIGNING(hidden), AIMING, FIRING or RELOADING.

Alignment is a gun, turret and/or tank rotation towards the target.
Alignment is done before aiming so the turret facing a wrong direction may drastically increase a delay between finding the target and actually aiming and shooting afterwards.

Turret and tank rotation speed affect the speed of the alignment.

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Normal tank and AT guns aiming time in this game is 4 seconds.

Shermans, Stuarts and Staghounds aim 3 seconds.
Pz.IV J, Panther A, Panther D and the Bef. Panther aim 5 seconds.
HE tanks and support guns aim 6 seconds.

Infantry AT aim is instant (but alignment is not, hence they're sometimes slow to fire).

========

Normal mortar aiming in this game is 10 seconds.
Normal artillery aiming in this game is 20 seconds.
Normal rocket artillery aiming in this game is 10 seconds.

Aiming for the Smoke shelling is always 2 times faster.

You can pause your artillery by ordering to Return fire (Default key: Z). This doesn't pause aiming but allows to fire the amount of shells you need without a loss of the aim.

========

Aiming is a bit random for everything from infantry weapons to off-map artillery.
It always randomizes to be 100-75% of its initial duration
(For example, Sherman actually aims 2.25-3 seconds, and PaK40 aims 3-4 seconds.)

2) How does the accuracy work?

3) What do the Penetration and Armor numbers mean?

To start with, for every 100m close to the target you get +1 Pen.
Now three simple rules to remember:

If Pen<Armor you can't pen it.
If Pen=Armor you have a 2.7% chance to pen it.
If Pen>Armor you have 2.7% + ~8% for every +1 Pen over Armor

(If you want more info google "2d6" - percentage in this game based of this graph, just like the Accuracy tables above)
Also you could just mouse over the target, it says everything there.

4) And what happens when there's a penetration or when there isn't any?

I'm gonna describe basic numbers so you get the point.
Description is in general but it is very accurate.

Frontal penetration:
20% chance - one-shot a vehicle
80% chance - crit: vehicle or crew malfunction

Side penetration:
30% chance - one-shot a vehicle
70% chance - crit: vehicle or crew malfunction

Rear penetration:
55% chance - one-shot a vehicle
45% chance - crit: vehicle malfunction

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Frontal non-penetration:
85% chance - bounce off a vehicle
15% chance - crit: crew malfunction

Side non-penetration:
65% chance - bounce off a vehicle
35% chance - crit: vehicle or crew malfunction

Rear non-penetration:
40% chance - bounce off a vehicle
60% chance - crit: vehicle or crew malfunction

5) How does the Damage system work?

Damage system in this game works in two different ways at the same time.
First is explained above: every time there's a penetration, there's a chance that vehicle gets a one-shot.
Second one is hidden: every time there's a penetration and there was no one-shot upon it, a vehicle suffers HP damage.

I'll explain it simply: (UPD: 15.02.18)

Most Halftracks/Light vehicles (inc. Stuart) have 7 HP
Open-top TD's (Wolverine/Achilles/Marder) have 8 HP
Most Light Tanks (inc Pz.III, Puma and Staghound) have 8 HP
Most Medium/Heavy Tanks (inc. Pz.IV) have 12 HP

37mm guns deal 3 DMG upon a penetrating hit.
50mm guns deal 4 DMG upon a penetrating hit.
75mm guns deal 5 DMG upon a penetrating hit.
76mm guns deal 6 DMG upon a penetrating hit.
88mm guns (Flak 36/41, Tiger I, PaK43) deal 7 DMG upon a penetrating hit.

Every non-oneshot hit that causes a crit deals additional 2 DMG (except Ammo explosion and ...Jammed).

So, for example, if you are very unlucky with rolling one-shots with your 37mm gun, a Halftrack will be killed in 2 penetrating hits suffering lethal HP damage.

Plain and simple:
Even if you're very unlucky with one-shots, an enemy vehicle will die eventually to the penetrating hits as penetrating hits not only roll the one-shots but also damage vehicle's HP.

6) How do my vehicles get killed by something with no AP?

If your armored vehicle stays under enemy HE fire for too much time, it becomes battle-scarred and its model becomes darker. There's invisible HP on each vehicle for this matter I explained above.
If it stays under HE fire after it is already completely scarred, it is going to die to a heavy HE fire.

I would assume this simple rule upon my experience (it's not really working like this but it is close):
Armor defends against Armor*4 HE to not to die.

Always remember that it is not repairable and any vehicle up to Konigtiger will get battle-scarred if fired at.

Call for heavy HE rocket planes on a scarred vehicle for maximum efficiency (up to a kill).

7) What does my infantry have to offer?

Multipurpose infantry

Generally squads have 3 weapons: 100m, 300m, 400m.
Every squad in the game also has a hidden weapon: they throw grenades at 50m.
A grenade is effective against infantry and open-top vehicles. It does a lot of damage but doesn't suppress at all. It has a hidden 3 sec cooldown.

400m squad automatic weapons like MGs stop working at 100m and closer.
With this in mind there's a simple rule about calculating your squad efficiency in general:

When far, two bottom weapons work.
When close, two top weapons work.

Satchel infantry (Pioneers/Engineers)

Satchel is a devastating piece of explosives with a 100m range.
It has a chunk of damage comparable to a direct naval artillery hit but with a 10m radius. If thrown perfectly it can destroy a light vehicle or several enemy squads at once.
It has a 30 sec cooldown.
German satchel aligns 1 second faster than Allied.

Infantry MG nests

Most MG nests have 600-800m fire range. It takes 4 seconds for them to aim.
All MG nests have 33% increased rate of fire and 25% faster aiming when firing at 200m and closer.

8) How long do my planes reload?

9) How far does Anti-Air work?

800m surface-to-surface = 1200m surface-to-air

1000m surface-to-surface = 1600m surface-to-air

1200m surface-to-surface = 2400m surface-to-air

10) What benefits does cover provide?

Basically there are three types of defensive buffs presented in the game:

Terrain cover
Infantry entrenchment
Retreating

They stack with each other multiplicatively.

Terrain cover:

Single trees (Yellow)
- -10% physical damage taken (for Non-vehicles)
  - 2x Stealth Bonus

Light bocages/Orchards (Yellow)
- -10% physical damage taken (for Non-vehicles)
  - 2x Stealth Bonus
    - 33% Halftrack speed reduction
    - 50% Tank speed reduction

Forests/Tree lines (Green)
- -20% physical damage taken (for Non-vehicles)
  - 4x Stealth Bonus
    - 30% Speed reduction

Buildings (Green)
- -50% physical damage taken vs Bullets
- -20% physical damage taken vs Other HE damage
- +100% physical damage taken from Napalm
  - 6x Stealth Bonus

Infantry entrenchment:

Standing for 1.5 seconds and not moving with your infantry applies an Entrenchment buff on it (Yellow shield to the left of its icon, appearing even if unit is not in cover at all).

Providing bonuses:

-2 Accuracy to enemies targeting this unit
-25% suppression damage taken
-50% physical damage taken

Retreating.

Commanding a Pinned down unit to Retreat (Default Key: R) applies a Retreating buff on it ("FALLING BACK!" sign under units icon)

Providing bonuses:

-2 Accuracy to enemies targeting this unit
-50% physical damage taken
+75% Speed bonus

11) What bonuses does Veterancy provide?

Recon

-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
-15/25/33% physical damage taken
+15/25/33% mobility (includes speed, rotation and turret rotation)
+15/25/33% optics strength

Recon (vehicles)
+15/25/33% rate of fire
-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
+15/25/33% optics strength
+1/2/3 accuracy

Infantry

+15/25/33% rate of fire
-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
-15/25/33% physical damage taken

Command units
+15/25% rate of fire
-15/25% suppression damage taken
-15/25% physical damage taken
+25/50% size of the command aura

Vehicles

+15/25/33% rate of fire
-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
+1/2/3 accuracy

Vehicles (Command units)
+15/25% rate of fire
-15/25% suppression damage taken
+1/2/3 accuracy
+25/50% size of the command aura

Heavy Weapons (Towed AT guns, support guns, mortars, howitzers, FlaKs)

+15/25/33% rate of fire
-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
-15/25/33% physical damage taken
+15/25/33% mobility (includes speed, rotation and turret rotation)
+1/2/3 accuracy

Heavy Weapons (vehicles)
+15/25/33% rate of fire
-15/25/33% suppression damage taken
+1/2/3 accuracy

Aircraft

-15/25% suppression damage taken
-15/25% physical damage taken
+1/2 accuracy

12) How to extend the Line Of Sight tool?

There is no way for it to work further than 1200m.

However there is a hint:

You can apply LOS Tool on a unit directly on a HUD in the lower right corner (using your mouse, there is no Key for this).
This way LOS Tool is bound to the applied target and it is extended/shortened to the unit's maximum range of fire.

What do the buttons in the MP menu really mean? How do I play this game?

(Srsly Eugen why so complicated)

Custom game = player lobbies
Ranked game = basically 1v1 close respawns random map (with stats!)
Leaderboards = stats from above
Quick play = basically 1v1 close respawns random map without stats (I stick to this most of the time)

P.S.

If you aren't used to the controls yet, switch them right now. Defaults are bad (they tend to be far away from WASD and are very uncomfortable for your left hand)

You could use my keybinds as an example. Those are very intuitive.

P.P.S.

Don't trust LOS Tool (C key) on hill maps, turn off HE on tanks so they are always ready for vehicles, perform air fights under your AA and most importantly enjoy this game like I do.

I want to thank @LuxMiz for a lot of help and data he recovered.

If you want to dig up stuff yourself, proceed here[docs.google.com].

Your biggest "thanks" to me is a 5-star rate and favorite. This way more people could find it.

F.A.Q. (this will be constantly updated)

How to Assault enemy building?

You need to right-click the building (not the unit in it!) once.

44 Comments

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lamyo16 10 May @ 3:52pm

Great advice. Thanks

Leenday [author] 22 Jan, 2024 @ 1:13am

@Cadman013 you're welcome!

Cadman013 21 Jan, 2024 @ 9:13am

Just want to thank you very much for posting this info.

murkunas 15 Apr, 2021 @ 3:44am

so question. Alignment finishes and then aiming starts. So how come some AI tanks (Shermans and M-10 comes to mind) shoot instantly once the turret has finished rotating?

Jester 31 Mar, 2020 @ 2:25pm

Thanks Leenday! Happy hunting!

Xray38 22 Mar, 2020 @ 8:23am

To Stix_09: Yes, at 40 meters or less, M14 and M16 with tracers, and M3A1 flame thrower. Also, with pedestal mounted M60 (on 1/4 ton jeep) using tracers we could engage targets directly out to ~150 meters, but with 90mm recoiless rifles we had to "short halt".

Leenday [author] 21 Mar, 2020 @ 3:52pm

Hi there. Unfortunately I did not support the devs in their SD2 progress as they made some continuous historical mistakes which to me seemed absolutely unacceptable hence the successor didn't get the love that I had for SD1. Fortunately a lot of mechanics work the same and I bet they still use 2d6 for a lot of stuff (f.e. accuracy and armor pen). In conclusion, no guide, but I'm sure someone did datamine at least something out.

Jester 21 Mar, 2020 @ 3:26pm

Hi Leenday! I know SD1 is a bit old but I just picked it up a few weeks ago and this guide is amazing! makes an amazing game even better. So much detail...thanks! I just picked up SD2 and was wondering if you had any kind of guide for that as well. I didnt see one but thought I would ping you just incase. Regardless, thanks for a great guide and happy gaming!

Jester

Stix_09 14 Jul, 2019 @ 8:48pm

Xray38 IRL have u ever tried to fire any gun on the move while moving at any speed...
its a game, not a simulator

Xray38 25 Nov, 2018 @ 12:02pm

After serving in two combat zones as light infantry (2Lt with XVIII Abn Corps and Cpt with 101st Abn Div) it is my experience in regard to "Dead Zones", all crew-served and vehicle mounted weapons have a minimum depression/pointing angle that physically limits their firing range. Also typically, weapons crews (even for those with minimal range limits, like tripod mounted MGs, are far more effective using their personal weapons as a "fire team" in self-defense than continueing to support their single weapon when the enemy approaches within 50 meters (final assault range). I am disappointed that light MGs (bipod mounted) can't fire on the move. Your LMG gunner is the most important/lethal member of the squad even when assaulting; and, every squad member is trained to become the LMG gunner should he become incapacitated.

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