Update 1.17 brings changes to the Combat Reserve system in Strongholds. The Artillery Strike Reserve will be significantly reworked, and the Airstrike Reserve will be replaced with the new Inspire Tactical Reserve. Let’s dig into the details.
Reworking Artillery Strike
Until now, Strongholds had two Combat Reserves: Artillery Strike and Airstrike. Despite having similar effects, these Reserves differ in the type of damage they cause and the way they work.
Currently, the Artillery Strike Reserve imitates a salvo fired by several SPGs. Upon activation, shells are fired from the direction of the allied base at an angle of about 50 degrees, causing high-explosive damage. Penetration and damage values are calculated separately for each shell in a salvo, so the extent of this damage is unpredictable. You can cause either very high or quite insignificant damage to your opponents.
In Update 1.17, we will significantly rework the Artillery Strike Reserve and make its effects easier to understand for players. Now the strike area will be visible to both teams, and the damage it will cause will be fixed and predictable. But keep your eyes open—Artillery Strike will cause damage to all vehicles in the strike area, both allied and enemy.
The size of the strike area and the amount of damage caused will depend not only on the tier of vehicles participating in the battle—Tier VI, VIII, or X—but also on the level of the Combat Reserve itself.
Replacing Airstrike With Inspire
The Airstrike Reserve will be replaced with the new Inspire Tactical Reserve. Accordingly, in Strongholds, the Attack Bomber Squadron structure will be replaced with the new Logistics Service structure.
The Inspire mechanics are simple and resemble a similar Reserve in the Frontline mode: It improves the crew performance of the vehicle that activated the Reserve, as well as of all allies within a specific radius, adding a percentage bonus to the major qualification of each crew member.
The Inspire Reserve equally increases the performance of all allied crews within range and remains active for a limited time. If the vehicle that activated the Inspire Reserve is destroyed, the effect of the Reserve will be lost.
Preparing for Battle
You will be able to take both Reserves—Artillery Strike and Inspire—into battle at once. Additionally, the Commander can appoint different clan members to activate each of the Reserves. In this case, one of them will become the Gunner, and the other will be the Inspirer.
Earning Industrial Resource
Previously, the amount of Industrial Resource earned depended on whether the Combat Reserve was used in battle. In Update 1.17, this principle will remain unchanged. However, considering that two Reserves can be taken to battle, the total bonus to Industrial Resource will remain the same, provided that both Reserves are used.
Converting Structures and Reserves
- In Update 1.17, the Attack Bomber Squadron structure will be replaced with Logistics Service, maintaining the structure level.
- All prepared Airstrike Reserves in stock will be converted into the amount of Industrial Resource spent for their preparation.
