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Combat Mission Shock Force 2
CMSF 2 Logo
Shock Force 2 logo

Developer

Battlefront.com, Inc.

Publisher(s)

Battlefront.com, Inc.,
Slitherine Software UK Ltd.

Release Date

December, 2018 (www.battlefront.com)

August, 2020 (Steam, Slitherine)

Engine

CMx2

Platform(s)

Windows
MacOS

Availability

www.battlefront.com
www.slitherine.com
Steam

Combat Mission: Shock Force was the first game in the series which used the new CMx2 engine. It was released in July 2007. It was the first Combat Mission game to be set in modern times, followed by Combat Mission: Black Sea in 2015.

The game was upgraded in 2018 with the release of Combat Mission: Shock Force 2. The upgrade brought the game to the latest engine build with all the improvements. The original game was withdrawn from the store at the same time. There are some differences between the two versions, like differences in campaign structures and some equipment and TO&E differences.

General Information[]

The backstory of the game takes place in the summer of 2008. After a terrorist attack the Coalition forces, led by United States of America, invaded Syria in order to locate and punish those responsible. Task Force Thunder was given the most important task: to slice trough Syria with maximum speed in order to seal off pockets of resistance for other forces to mop up.

The game uses the new CMx2 engine which is technically better than before. It is able to render each soldier individually instead of abstracted units that Combat Mission-series used before. It also includes two campaigns (training campaign and Task Force Thunder) which the previous titles could not model. The outcome of some missions affect the following missions. Units also transfer between missions. A squad that has taken casualties carries them over to the next one. The game also has a real-time mode for the first time in the series, but playing WeGo is also possible. The base game also has 20 single scenarios.

The game has a distinct East vs. West feel to it. Syrian forces have old Soviet equipment like AK-47 rifles and T-72 tanks at their disposal. West is represented by the U.S. Army in the base game and uses equipment like M4 rifles and M1 Abrams tanks. There is an inherent unbalance between equipment quality, but it is usually balanced out by uneven amount of forces available.

Unconventional forces are also represented in the game. Improvised explosive devices (IED) are also found in various scenarios and campaign missions. It is possible to play red vs. blue, red vs. red and blue vs. blue. Both sides have artillery support, but only the blue side has air support available. This represents the strategy in which West military gains the air superiority in the first days of war. Air support for Red side was added in NATO module however by popular request.

The game also has an in-built editor for scenario and campaign making. There are a lot of custom scenarios and campaigns available made by the Combat Mission-community. The in-game editor permits the users to do everything that the developers themselves did on mission making. There are also mods available for the game. These mods include additional textures for the units and the enviroment in the game, different sounds and icons for the units.

Gameplay Content[]

The game shipped with two factions and two campaigns

Also included were 19 standalone scenarios:

  1. Abu Susah (CMSF2 scenario)
  2. Al Amarah (CMSF2 scenario)
  3. Al Hawl (CMSF2 scenario)
  4. Al Huqf Engagement (CMSF2 scenario)
  5. Allah's Fist (CMSF2 scenario)
  6. Ambush in Al Fubar (CMSF2 scenario)
  7. Ambush Tutorial (CMSF2 scenario)
  8. ATGM Ambush (CMSF2 scenario)
  9. Rescue of Baker 1-1 (CMSF2 scenario)
  10. Factory Outlet (CMSF2 scenario)
  11. Following the Euphrates (CMSF2 scenario)
  12. Guarding the Far Flank (CMSF2 scenario)
  13. House Cleaning (CMSF2 scenario)
  14. Jisrash Shughur (CMSF2 scenario)
  15. Strength and Faith (CMSF2 scenario)
  16. Tactical Vignette 98-3 Attack in Brandenburg (CMSF2 scenario)
  17. Tactical Vignette 99-2 The Passage at Wilcox (CMSF2 scenario)
  18. Trident Valley (CMSF2 scenario)
  19. Wadi Scouts (CMSF2 scenario)

Scenario Editor shipped with the game for user made scenarios and campaigns. Quick Battle generator makes it possible to play custom scenarios and there is multiplayer as well.

Equipment[]

US Army[]

Branches:

Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT): The U.S. Army's heaviest combat formation. Containing Abrams tanks and Bradley IFV's with mounted infantry companies. Significantly less infantry and infantry support systems, it has enormous firepower and strong armor to withstand the enemy. The main mission is breaking through enemy lines and mashing up any counter-attacks.

Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT): Medium force built around the Stryker vehicle family . Capable of handling the full spectrum of combat operations, best suited for missions that emphasize mobility over firepower and infantry over armor.  Capable of standing up to even heavy force and defeating it. Utilizes the FBCB2 advanced command and control system.

Equipment:

Briefing

Briefing for a scenario

Small arms

  • M4A1 Carbine
  • M4A1 Carbine w/M203 Grenade Launcher
  • M249 Squad Automatic Weapon
  • M240B Machine Gun w/Tripod
  • M110 sniper rifle
  • M107 sniper rifle
  • M136 AT-4 rocket launcher
  • Javelin Anti-Tank Missile System
  • M67 grenade

M113 Armored Personnel Carrier Series

Stryker vehicles

Infantry Fighting Vehicles

Gameplay

Giving orders to a platoon during the deployment phase.

Tanks

Light Vehicles

U.S. Air Assets

  • AH-64D Longbow Apache
  • OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
  • F-16CJ Fighting Falcon
  • F-15E Strike Eagle
  • A-10 Thunderbolt II
Uncon fighters

Infantry is modeled in 1:1 scale

U.S. Artillery Assets

  • M777 Howitzer (155 mm)
  • M109A6 Paladin (155 mm)
  • M224 Light Mortar (60 mm)
  • M252 Medium Mortar (81 mm)
  • M120 Heavy Mortar (120 mm)

Syrian Forces[]

Branches (Army):

Armor: Regular army has seven armored divisions and reserve army additional division. Qualitative step down from the Republican Guard unit.

Infantry: Usually reserve and militia units. Capable of defensive operations mostly. Worst of the units in quality.

Mech Infantry: Regular army has three mechanized divisions, the reserve army two motorized units. Qualitative step down from the Republican Guard unit.

Republican Guard: The most important force protecting the regime from internal and external threats. Consists of single oversized mechanized division that has the first pick on equipment and personnel. The training standards are higher and the leadership is promoted on merit rather than political favorism.

Special Forces: Considerable both in terms of numbers and capabilities. Training standard is high and the equipment best available. Seven independent SF regiments are spread all over Syria, tasked with protecting key areas from threats. 14th Special Forces Division consits of four other SF regiments and are more heavily equipped for operations in the Golan Heights. Rapid, flexible force capable of both offense and defense. Usually encountered in company sized forces.

Branches (Unconventional):

Combatant: Usually nothing more than armed civilians, these are people of Syria who have taken up the arms in order to fight the invaders.

Fighter: Trained foreign fighters, these are more formidable version of combatants. Usually they have an uniform to recognize them by.

Specialist: Specialists fighting for unconventional forces. Includes spies which report the movements of coalition forces to the uncon's. IED operators are also found in their ranks.

Equipment:

Small arms

  • Makarov PM pistol
  • AKM assault rifle
  • AKMS assault rifle
  • AK-74M assault rifle
  • AK-74M w/ GP-25 grenade launcher
  • AKS-74U carbine
  • RPD light machine gun
  • RPK light machine gun
  • RPK-74 light machine gun
  • DShKM heavy machine gun
  • PK medium machine gun w/Tripod
  • PKM medium machine gun w/Tripod
  • NSV-12.7 heavy machine gun
  • SVD sniper rifle
  • RGD-5 hand grenade
  • RPG-7V1 rocket launcher
  • RPG-18 rocket launcher
  • RPG-29 rocket launcher
  • SPG-9 recoilless gun
  • AGS-17 Plamya automatic grenade launcher
  • AT-3B/C/D Sagger (9K11 Malyutka) anti-tank guided missile
  • AT-4A/C Spigot (9K111 Fagot) anti-tank guided missile
  • AT-7 Saxhorn (9K115 Metis) anti-tank guided missile
  • AT-13 Saxhorn-2 (9K115-2 Metis-M) anti-tank guided missile
  • AT-14 Spriggan (9K135 Kornet) anti-tank guided missile
  • SA-16 Gimlet / SA-18 Grouse
  • BM-43 82 mm Mortar
  • 2B11 Sani 120 mm Mortar
  • Improvised explosive devices
Editor

In-game editor in use

Armored Personnel Carriers

Infantry Fighting Vehicles

Tanks

Light Vehicles

Syrian Artillery Assets

  • M-46 Field Gun (130 mm)
  • D-30 Medium Howitzer (122 mm)
  • 2S1 M1974 Gvodzika (122 mm)
  • Type 63 Rocket Artillery (107 mm)
  • BM-21 Grad Rocket Artillery (122 mm)
  • M1937 Medium Mortar (82 mm)
  • M1943 Heavy Mortar (120 mm)

Differences between Shock Force 1 & Shock Force 2[]

  • Some vehicles were dropped
    • BRDM-2U
    • T-72M1V (2001)
    • BTR-60PBK
  • Some vehicles were renamed
    • T-72M1V to T-72AV
  • Some vehicles were added
    • Ural-4320
    • T-72AV TURMS-T
    • M1129 Stryker Mortar Carrier (MC)
    • M1064A3
    • M1052 HMMWV
  • TO&E changes
    • Syrian infantry squad was reduced in size, from 9 to 7

Modules[]

Three modules were released for the game.

Modules

Base game with all the modules installed

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