Rise of the Reds Update: Beasts of Steel news

In today's update, we present you the overhauled versions of two ROTR classics as well as a new vehicle that replaces the BRDM-1 in the Russian Armour Reserves drop power. Also, do not be alarmed by the sudden skip in the timeline. These renders were originally part of an upcoming story update that was scheduled for later, which prevented us from showing new screenshots featuring these units because we didn't want to spoil them before the update. Now that you're about to see the actual renders, you can also expect to see these units in action as well soon. Enjoy.

The TT-2 Tesla tank is the successor of the original TT-1 testbed vehicle. Despite the impressive lethality of its experimental electrolaser weapon, the first model was marred by early design flaws due to its lightweight construction as it was merely a tank in name only. Taking these issues into account, General Aleksandr has chosen the BMPT combat vehicle as the basic platform for the new model. The chassis has been extensively modified to accomodate for a high-voltage power capacitor and the single 'embedded' Tesla coil of the original vehicle has been replaced by a set of two smaller coils mounted on a rotating turret. Prior to seeing service at the frontline of the Russo-European War in late 2048, the new Tesla tanks were spontaneously redeployed to Slovakia, where they put a definitive end to the famed Bratislava uprising within only three days.

Originally designed to survive on a nuclear battlefield but scrapped upon orders of Chairman Khrushchev in 1960, the experimental heavy tank 'Obyekt 279' was given a new life as the T-279 'Golem' by General Aleksandr. During the Russo-European War, the Golem tanks of the Shock Divisions attained a reputation that even rivalled the mighty Sentinel tanks of the Russian Army. Some of the war's most notorious Russian tank aces such as Anatoliy Kovalenko, who was the first to force a Manticore tank to retreat with severe turret damage, or Polina Novikova, who stalled the advance of ECA Battlegroup Boudica for an entire day outside Amsterdam, commanded a Golem tank and as the front shifted back to Russian-held Germany in early 2049, many of these elite veterans were granted access to the new T-279M variant as a last ditch effort to turn the tide of war in Aleksandr's favour once again. The already massive 130mm cannon of the original tank was replaced by an excessive 152mm gun and the turret was equipped with two heavy 14.5mm KPV machine guns for anti-aircraft duty. In addition to its updated weaponry, the new model was also outfitted with the Shtora-2 active protection system, which consisted of two components: An array of powerful electro-optical jammers that prevent any missile or rangefinder from getting a clear lock on the tank and a battery of extremely powerful flash grenades which blind infantry. This combined effect of jamming, confusion and sheer terror makes it momentarily impossible to attack the Golem. However, even the new Golem only managed to delay what many already regarded as inevitable - including President Nikolai Suvorov himself.

With his armed forces hard pressed to resist the joint counter-attack of the Europeans and their American allies, President Suvorov has ordered the mobilisation of additional vehicles from Russia's vast reserves of Cold War era equipment. The fast, lightly armoured BRDM-2 has been refurbished and armed with any surplus anti-tank guided missile available. Despite their overall dated technology, the vehicles can take advantage of their agility to surprise enemy tanks, which made them a useful, airdroppable support asset during the massive armoured engagements that took place in northern and central Germany during the ECA's advance on Berlin. It is also worth noting that the BRDM-2 has enough internal space to transport four soldiers in full gear.