When Nazi Germany broke the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and invaded the Soviet Union in June of 1941, they anticipated quickly adding the Soviet Union to their ever-growing list of defeated adversaries. What they got was years of brutal, grueling warfare on World War II’s bloodiest front that only finally ended in the total collapse of their 1000 year Third Reich at the hands of the millions of Soviet troops who resisted their invasion. Born from the devastation and catastrophic battles of Operation Barbarossa, the most bloodied, the most elite, of these defenders of the Motherland were the Soviet Guards. THE MOTHERLAND’S BEST This second Elite Campaign of the 1st Guards offers Panzer Corps 2 its first playable campaign for the Soviet Union during their struggle against the German Wehrmacht during World War II. As an elite campaign, 1st Guards spotlights Soviet Russia’s best fighting units and showcases their major contributions to winning the battles that turned the tide of war against Germany. From pre-war beginning where the first lessons of this new era of warfare were first being learned to major turning points of Stalingrad and Kursk to the final collapse of the Third Reich, this campaign touches upon it all! A FOCUS ON QUICK ADAPTION AND RAPID MOMENTUM Thrust into the Second World War with the surprise attack of Operation Barbarossa, you will need to very quickly adapt your tactics and upgrade your forces to effectively counter the Panzer Elite which has already overrun the majority of Europe. The absolutely enormous wealth of World War II weapons and vehicles available in Panzer Corps 2 will be on full display for this campaign, as your battles rapidly progress from 1937 all the way to 1945 as you face off against Nationalist Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Romanian, and of course German opponents! A MIND FOR HISTORY INFUSED GAMEPLAY FROM START TO END Once again staying true to the real history of the real Second World War, the Elite- 1st Guards campaign follows several major battles of the Soviet Voronezh Front and then continues as they would evolve into the 1st Ukrainian Front without any alternate history scenarios or content. A STRONG MIX OF CLASSIC AND ADVANCED GAMEPLAY This 1st Guards campaign continues the Elite Series tradition of focusing primarily on the roots of Panzer Corps with a strong presence of main objectives focused on taking ground from your enemies. To enhance player choice and flexibility, and also to better represent the enormous scale of the fighting on the Eastern Front, every scenario of Elite - 1st Guards is structured for huge map sizes, big turn limits, and some of the largest CORE deployment limits we have seen so far in Panzer Corps 2! For those players looking for even more, 1st Guards offers a host of optional bonus and special objectives to pursue that really ramp up the challenge while also bestowing fantastic rewards such as otherwise unobtainable prototype or special Lend-Lease equipment. 9 SCENARIO LIST Lessons of War Ending Stalemates Born in Flames Saturn on the Chir Citadel Sortie Heroes of the Soviet Union Brody Cauldron Oder Offensive Allies Elite – 1st Guards supports the player option to disable the turn limit.