Ahead of Iron Harvest‘s launch on September 1st, developer KING Art has shared new details about one of the factions set to make up the classic strategy game-inspired title.
A new feature trailer, published as part of an on-going series that introduces the three factions, over forty units, and countless tactics awaiting players in Iron Harvest, offers a sneak peek at the brawn over brains Rusviet faction.
As the name implies, the Rusviet camp draws inspiration from the Russian Empire retooled to fit Iron Harvest’s alternate take on the history of 1920’s Europe.
“Rusviet is huge, powerful, and has unmatched industrial and population potential. The Rusviet army is enormous and their mech types are unmatched when it comes to heavy armor and close-quarter combat. But the country’s population is tired and worn out by the long war. Frustration runs high and the power of Tsar Nikolaj weakens with every passing day.”
Wading through the turmoil and renewed violence of the Great War’s aftermath, the Rusviet is being tested both at home and abroad. Class tensions, social injustice, and war fatigue threaten to bubble over a revolution only kept in check by the on-going conflict with neighboring Polania and Saxony. But, the population is starting to question the motives behind the on-going conflict.
The faction is struggling to secure a steady flow of resources to construct their towering, brutish mechs. Devoid of advanced technology or speed, the Rusviet mechs aim for brute force, which comes at a cost both in the battlefield and back home due to a wasteful production process. The mechs are slow and unwieldy, but once within range of an enemy unit, their sheer power and scythe-like arms come to the fore as ‘they cut through steel like butter.’ Little can halt their advance; they can quite easily wipe out a full infantry unit off the map in seconds.
Complimenting the larger mechs is speedy shock infantry endowed with a rocket jump ability perfect for quick, but devastating incursions behind enemy lines. Rounding up the Rusviet arsenal is slow and vulnerable but deadly artillery that aims for quantity over precision, raining down a barrage of rockets on enemy encampments.
Alongside the killing machines and infantry, each faction has its own hero with unique abilities. The Rusviet faction looks to Olga Morozova, a Siberian Tiger-riding field operative, to keep both internal and external threats in check. Using stealth, she can quickly infiltrate enemy positiions to decimate infantry units and plant bombs to obliterate roaming mech units. As you’d expect, her pet tiger is no stranger to jumping into the fray and slashing its way through enemy units.
For a brief reminder of what Iron Harvest is all about, here’s the official description from KING Arts:
”At the dawn of the 20th century, shortly after the end of the Great War, the world is full of secrets and mysteries, of opportunities and challenges. Tradition clashes with scientific and technological progress, while Europe is still recovering from the brutal battles of the World War.
Cities are being rebuilt and in the countryside, the era of the Iron Harvest has begun. Farmers are uncovering the remains of the majestic walking machines that had fought on the battlefields of the Great War.
In the midst of this chaos, a new threat appears that will put Europe’s very existence at risk. Secret forces are putting everything they can towards destabilization of entire countries, determined to set the world on fire once again and finally seize control.”