WARNO - LANDJUT Review – Marines, Tomcats and Jutland Mayhem
A dense, military-flavored expansion that ports amphibious marines, Tomcats and cold-war oddities into WARNO. Great for skirmish fans, a bit divisive for MP purists thanks to balance and artillery changes.
I jumped into WARNO’s LANDJUT expansion expecting another tidy unit pack—and instead found a pretty visceral slice of Cold War alternative history that somehow smells faintly of salt, diesel and Top Gun. Eugen Systems clearly doubled down on variety: eight new divisions, naval infantry, amphibious vehicles and, yes, F-14 Tomcats to scratch that Top Gun itch. What makes LANDJUT compelling is how it reframes familiar mechanics with new toys and theatre-specific quirks, which can be glorious in skirmish play and occasionally hair-pullingly controversial in ranked matches. If you like fiddly unit lists, tactical micro and the odd historical what-if, LANDJUT gives you a lot to chew on.
Landing on the Jutland Shores
The core gameplay in LANDJUT still feels like WARNO at heart: a tactical RTS/RTT experience where positioning, combined-arms and timing matter far more than overwhelming numbers alone. In practical terms I spent most of my matches juggling amphibious assaults, shore-to-inland pushes and trying not to get my precious ARV or Tomcat turned into scrap by an unexpected surface-to-air umbrella. The new marine divisions force you to think vertically and across domains — ships, hovercraft, helicopters and beachheads all interact in ways that reward planning and punish sloppy unit compositions. Skirmish AI shone here for me; it lets you toy with amphibious tactics at a relaxed pace, which is perfect for weekend sessions with bots. In multiplayer the same systems become a high-stakes chess match where one fluffed landning or a mistimed arty call can cost a flank. I liked that every division has a distinct personality: the Danes feel technical and mobile, the Soviet naval infantry hit like a brick and the West Germans bring quirky recon pieces you won’t always expect.
When Old Iron Meets New Tricks
What separates LANDJUT from being 'just another DLC' is the way Eugen remixes legacy hardware — M10 Achilles, T-55 variants, Centurions — with modern-ish doctrine and amphibious toys like the AAVP-7A1 or Ka-29. That mixture of vintage and plausible-modern gives skirmishes a sandbox-y, almost tabletop vibe where discovering a weird unit interaction is part of the fun. There are genuinely fun small synergies: pair a Ka-29 insertion with a follow-up T-55 push, or use hovercraft to bypass awkward terrain and force an opponent into a crossfire. I also appreciated the attention to flavour: pilot-able Tomcats and Tu-22 carpet bomber roles add cinematic moments without turning the game into an air-sim. That said, not every division is equally unique; half feel distinct and new, half reuse familiar building blocks with a few new toys stuck on. For collectors and tacticians this is a feast, for players who wanted radically new mechanics it can feel like a careful, conservative expansion.
Sound, Looks and the Steam of the Battlefield
On the presentation side LANDJUT keeps WARNO’s austere and simulation-leaning aesthetic: readable unit models, sensible UI cues and explosions that communicate rather than just dazzle. Sound design deserves a nod — the Tomcat’s afterburner, the wet thud of a hovercraft, and the tinny bark of older vehicle engines give battles texture. Performance on Windows (the only platform supported) remained solid in my games, even in crowded skirmishes, though multiplayer matches can spike CPU usage when there’s a lot of artillery and particle effects. Accessibility is typical Eugen: deep tooltips and detailed unit stats for nerds, but not much handholding for newcomers. If you dislike spreadsheets disguised as unit cards, this one will test your patience; if you obsess over ranges, ammo types and doctrine quirks, you'll be smiling.
LANDJUT is a substantial, flavourful expansion that will delight tacticians, skirmish collectors and anyone who’s wanted more amphibious, naval-infantry play in WARNO. It’s not flawless — price and the artillery/balance debate are real sticking points — but the new divisions and rare units like Tomcats and Tu-22 add cinematic spice and tactical breadth. Buy it if you enjoy slow-burn tactical matches, historical what-ifs and adding depth to your unit roster; be cautious if multiplayer balance and economy are your dealbreakers.
Pros
- Eight new, flavourful divisions with lots of amphibious toys
- Great additions for skirmish and single-player experimentation
- Tomcats, Tu-22 and naval infantry add cinematic, varied moments
- Solid performance on Windows and readable unit presentation
Cons
- Price feels steep to some — $20 for content that partly recycles assets
- Artillery rework and balance changes are divisive and can frustrate longtime players
- Not all divisions are equally unique; a few feel like incremental tweaks
Player Opinion
Players are broadly split but vocal. Many skirmish lovers and older fans praise LANDJUT for the sheer joy of new toys — the Marines, hovercraft and the Tomcats get particular shout-outs — and say it revitalizes long, lazy weekend matches with bots. Others welcome balance-focused changes and the developer’s continued support, noting that seeing smaller nations receive attention is a nice shift. The loudest complaints orbit the artillery rework: several players report it feels clunky, disposable, or easily countered by new CB (counter-battery) tactics and automated returns, arguments that have generated heated threads. Price is another recurring theme: some call $20 for eight divisions fair and supportive, others feel it’s steep relative to the amount of truly novel content. If you like methodical, historically flavoured RTS (think Wargame era fans), you’ll probably find a lot to love; if you live and die by ranked multiplayer purity, brace for a mixed reception.