From the AMX-30 to the Leopard 2, three new NATO armies join Armored Brigade II.

Command France, Belgium, and the Netherlands across three decades of the Cold War, with 400+ new units, a new map, and three campaigns.

Had the Cold War turned hot, NATO's defence of Central Europe would never have rested on its largest armies alone. Alongside the American, British, and West German forces stand three Western European nations whose armies would be committed to the fight from the very first hours: France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Rhine Shield brings all three into Armored Brigade II, each with its own doctrine, equipment, and way of war. Hold a forward position on the North German Plain, fight a desperate delaying action through the farmland of West Germany, or launch a counterattack in the wooded hills of the Ardennes. Every army brings different strengths and weaknesses to the battlefield. Mastering them will be the key to victory.

FRANCE

Independent, proud, and protected by its own nuclear deterrent, France followed its own course through the Cold War. In 1966, Paris withdrew from NATO's integrated military command structure while remaining a member of the Alliance. French forces could still take part in the defence of Western Europe, but their commitment to the war remained a national political decision, made in Paris.

The French Army relied heavily on domestically designed equipment, favouring mobility and firepower over heavy protection. AMX-13 and AMX-30 tanks were backed by fast wheeled vehicles such as the AMX-10RC and AML armoured cars, while Milan and HOT anti-tank missiles and Gazelle helicopters gave French formations a powerful mobile anti-armour punch. From 1983, the Force d'Action Rapide added another highly mobile instrument for rapid intervention, with a strong emphasis on mobility, helicopters, and reconnaissance.

Play France to use speed as protection. Scout ahead, strike from range, and never let the enemy fix you in place.

BELGIUM

Small in size but firmly committed to the Alliance, Belgium maintained its own corps sector within NATO's Northern Army Group. Its I Belgian Corps was assigned to the defence of West Germany, with much of the force permanently stationed there and ready to fight far from home.

The Belgian Army fielded one of the most varied arsenals in NATO, drawn from several countries at once: American M26 Pattons , M113 APCs and M108 howitzers; German Leopard 1s, Kanonenjagdpanzer tank destroyers and Gepard anti-aircraft guns; British CVR(T) reconnaissance vehicles; French AMX-VTT APCs; and licence-produced AIFV infantry fighting vehicles. In the air, French Mirage 5s flew alongside American F-16s, while a large conscript and reserve system gave Belgium the manpower needed to reinforce its field forces.

Play Belgium to make a compact, balanced force fight above its weight.

THE NETHERLANDS

Assigned the northernmost corps sector of NATO's Northern Army Group, the Royal Netherlands Army faced one of the most exposed stretches of the front: the open country of the North German Plain, a natural avenue for an armoured invasion. The Dutch I Corps was based largely in the Netherlands itself, meaning many of its units would have to mobilise, deploy, and reach their wartime positions before the enemy could break through.

Over the decades, the Dutch Army evolved from Centurions and AMX-13s into a heavily mechanised force built around Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks, YPR-765 infantry fighting vehicles, TOW anti-tank missiles, and the Cheetah self-propelled anti-aircraft cannon.

Play the Netherlands to command a heavily mechanised force working in unison, because being in position first is half the fight.

 

FEATURES

• Three new playable armies: France, Belgium, and the Netherlands

• 400+ new ground units and aircraft

• New 30x30km map

• Three new linear campaigns

• Six standalone single missions