Combat Mission Shock Force 2: NATO Forces

I've spent enough time with Combat Mission: Shock Force 2's base game to have strong opinions about suppression mechanics and line-of-sight modelling, so when the NATO Forces module landed, my first question was not 'is it fun' but 'does it actually change how I think on the tactical layer?' The short answer is: yes, more than I expected, and no, not as radically as the marketing implies. What this module delivers is three distinct force packages, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands, each built around its own doctrine and equipment list. On paper the Leopard 2 and the M1 Abrams are rough peers, and that tempts you to just play these new armies like a slightly reskinned US force. Resist that instinct. The German roster leans on the Milan ATGM and the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer for its punch, while the Canadians compensate for lighter armour with the Carl Gustav recoilless rifle and the M777 howitzer at the artillery tier. The Dutch bring the Spike-MR missile and the AH-64 Apache Longbow for air support, which reshapes engagements considerably. All three nations field variants of the Leopard tank and generally run lighter on armour than US counterparts, meaning your casualty tolerance drops and fire discipline becomes the whole game. A single bad order can gut a squad in seconds, especially in WEGO mode where you plan one minute of orders and then watch the chaos unfold. The scenario design is where this module actually earns its place. Three campaigns, one per nation, plus 24 standalone scenarios, and reviewers have noted these feel more inventive than much of what the base game shipped with. The Syria side also receives meaningful upgrades: the ZSU-23-4 Shilka arrives as a genuine anti-armour and anti-infantry threat, and Syrian air support (Mi-24 Hinds, MiG variants, Su-25s) now enters the picture for the first time, which completely reshapes any scenario where you assumed air superiority was a given. That single addition changes the defensive calculus more than any of the new NATO units do. On the NATO air side, Germany gets the Tornado IDA, Canada the CF-188A, useful context when scenarios start throwing air-asset allocation decisions at you. The honest caveats: the UI remains the same clunky camera system veterans have tolerated for years and newcomers will genuinely struggle with. There is no handholding here. If you have not already put significant hours into the base game, this module is not the entry point, it is strictly an expansion for people who already understand spotting mechanics, cover vs. concealment distinctions, and how to read the command delay system. The Steam review count is also very low, which is typical for this niche; the wargame community tends to live on the Battlefront forums rather than Steam, so the 83% positive score undersells actual community reception. The mod ecosystem inherited from the original Shock Force remains active, meaning extra scenarios and graphical improvements are out there if you look. For committed Shock Force 2 players this module is the most content-dense of the three available add-ons, and the combined arms puzzle it introduces with Syrian air power alone justifies the purchase. If the base game left you cold, nothing here will convert you.

Diego · Scout Team

Strategy & simulation

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