Steel Division: Normandy 44

Steel Division: Normandy 44

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[Guide] Tactical Guide for Intermediate Players
By synario
A guide for players who already understand the basics of the game, and need specific tactical advice.
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1. Armor is easy to counter-
Armor isn't as strong as you think, take advantage of boccages. It's very important to realize and pay attention to the fact these lines of trees which give you a green shield (the highest level of cover) cannot be traversed by armor/vehicles, only infantry and artillery!

-A few squads of infantry, an Mg, an AT gun can turn into boccage into a nearly impenetrable defensive line.

-Not only can vehicles not drive through boccages, they cannot see OR shoot through them.
2. Maintain a constant front line with a mix of infantry and AT-
This game is all about pressuring the enemy with a constant presence of units on front.

-Like I said in step 1, those boccages of trees are like a unassailable wall if they are manned properly. However, keep in mind there are openings (roads, etc) that pass between boccages. I often like to keep a tank behind my boccage, with its cannon pointed at this opening. This creates a kill-zone, should the enemy try to pass through it.
3. Armor is slow!
Armor is extremely slow, even on paved roads. This means big armored pushes are almost impossible. Whenever pushing, take a single boccage at a time, using leapfrog tactics. Set up your tanks on your side of an open field, covering your infantry/artillery/AT as they cross the field to set up in the next closest boccage.
4. SDN44 is like a game of Chess..
Another key thing to keep in mind is that you can't call in reinforcements WHEN you need them. To clarify, SDN44 is a lot like a game of chess. You need to guess what you will need AHEAD of when you actually need it, because units will never arrive on time.
5. Always have one recon unit with any group of units-
It can be very tempting late game to forget about recon, but you should force yourself to constantly check if a group of units has at least one recon unit with them.
6. Planes don't work how you think they do-
-AA isn't designed to kill planes outright. It's designed to scare the ♥♥♥♥ out of the pilot and make him run away before he can do any damage to your units.

-Don't try to zerg rush the enemy's main concentration of strength with multiple bombers. That is where they will have the greatest concentration of AA. You will lose more points than you will inflict.

-You are better off spending your points on artillery and bombing the ♥♥♥♥ out of their main focus of strength.

-Planes are best used where the enemy is WEAKEST. My theory is that planes are best used for killing enemy reinforcements. In the late-game, send your planes deep behind enemy lines, where their AA will be the least concentrated. You will occasionally get lucky and kill one of their fancy and expensive tanks as it is first entering the map.

Hope this was helpful.
13 Comments
synario  [author] 28 Jun, 2020 @ 3:27am 
To everybody who commented, thanks for the input, good/bad. I realize now that my advice was geared towards an overly cautious/defensive play-style. Tbh, I haven't touched any steel division games in years and re-reading this thread has inspired me to buy steel division 2 once i'm able to.
precido 9 Apr, 2020 @ 6:38am 
excellent adsvice-got the basics ready to put it all together...appreciate guides like his!
blek 26 Mar, 2018 @ 3:37am 
@Lucifer and Eron[whateverthefuck] : nice job guys, trashing this guide, real mature. I hope you both feel a bit better now.

@synario: thanks! Some good advice there. I may not agree with everything you say, but I appreciate the effort.
Sheepy 3 Oct, 2017 @ 11:06pm 
well smokey antrax maybe if you are good at the game and know what you are doing its shit but for a play thats not that good like myself this helps alot thanx dude
EddiE 10 May, 2017 @ 9:48am 
Same as with the Henschel Hs129. Shift and Click for multiple targes to destroy.
Always send with other planes, fightes to drag enemy aircraft and aa on them.

Eltoron 4 May, 2017 @ 6:38pm 
Stuka with 37mm AT cannons - the most terrible dream of any enemy tank crew. It can one-shot nearly any armor from safe distance.
oldschool 21 Apr, 2017 @ 11:02pm 
Planes are good vs soft targets that you can keep line of sight on and are more reliable but more expensive than arty IMO. Great for pesky AT guns and sometimes a 3 bomber zerg is the best way to get rid of it

Armour in space, infantry in cqb. Always support infantry with vehicles and vehicles with infantry
LAx 20 Apr, 2017 @ 5:19am 
All advice should be heeded and learnt from, thank you for your imput and sorry for others' rudeness.
Wesker 20 Apr, 2017 @ 2:43am 
"Big armored pushes are almost impossible" lmao what a joke, i do it and my friends do it all the time.
"Don't try to zerg rush the enemy's main concentration of strength with multiple bombers. That is where they will have the greatest concentration of AA." what?? lmao since when does everyone put their AA in the same place?? This guide is terrible haha, maybe this is how you play but its terrible. Learn how to be offensive, dont sit back and defend. Terrible guide please take it down.
Asterosaur 20 Apr, 2017 @ 1:23am 
Wow, worst guide ever. Those advices will not only make people play defencively but also invest in artillery instead of actually playing the game. Armor is easy to counter lol. In the hands of a noob even a nuke is easy to counter. Good player will just steamroll this idiot.