Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown Combat Mechanics Overview

Following the recent launch of Wasteland 3’s The Battle of Steeltown DLC, we can now check out a video overview of the DLC’s expanded combat mechanics that include elemental shields, tar thrower guns, and more. Here it is:

And here are some extra details:

The Battle of Steeltown (live now on PC and coming June 9 to consoles) brings with it some of the most dynamic and challenging tactical combat seen yet. Thanks to ingenuity of the Steeltown workers, your squad of Rangers will be put to the test as they attempt to quell the rebellion and get Steeltown running again.

The workers of Steeltown are fighting for better working conditions, the bosses want them back to work, and they’re in a volatile stalemate as neither side is budging. The Rangers are stepping in to try to resolve the situation but are going to need to deal with trigger-happy workers. Whether you choose a non-lethal approach or not, the Steeltown workers come packing new weapons and tactics that will challenge your team’s combat prowess.

Here’s Game Director David Rogers to give you a brief overview of what you can expect.

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Elemental Shields

First up is the Safety Chief, who deploys elemental shields to keep workers from succumbing to the dangerous environments of the Steeltown factory. Unlucky for you they’re turning their tools against the Rangers and deploying shields in combat situations.

These shields expel almost all damage, but they do have a weakness. Each shield is attuned to a specific damage type (Energy, Fire, Cold) and hitting it with that damage type will cause it to overload and disappear. Without doing matching elemental damage, you can also wait the shields out as they’ll naturally drop off after a few turns.

Taking out the Safety Chief, especially if you’re not equipped to deal with the shields, should be a top priority.

Oh It’s Goin’ Down

The Foundry Workers bring their strength-enhancing exoskeletons into battle, allowing them to charge up and slam their fist down to cause a massive electrical explosion. But it takes a full turn for the attack to charge up, giving you a chance to take them out or get out of the blast radius before they turn you into a fine red mist.

Tar Thrower

Used by the Construction Workers to continually expand the massive factory complex of Steeltown, the tar thrower is now being turned toward continually reducing your health bars.

When hit with hot tar, your squad members will take some damage, but worse, they’ll be subject to a stacking debuff that increases the AP cost of movement on the battlefield. Setting yourself up well before an oncoming fight, and taking workers out before they weigh you down with tar, will be a priority to keep your positioning options open.

If you’re biting your nails over how to deal with all of this, the Rangers have a way to deal with these stacking effects by way of a Steeltown-specific consumable called the Chemical Neutralizer spray. It’s like an eye-wash station, but for your whole body.

Luckily the tar thrower doesn’t require a complex operating manual, and the Rangers can find and equip them, turning the gooey-tides of battle against the workers. That’s especially useful when coming up against a Power Loader.

Power Loader

The Power Loader is a hulking machine used for lifting and moving the masses of steel and raw materials used in the Steeltown fabrication process. The Power Loader drivers are focused on the task at hand, and that means when they identify a target, they’ll stop at nothing to reach it.

The Power Loader’s mark ability with show who in your squad they’re coming after, and it’s up to you to move and position yourself to avoid their devastating attacks. That’s an even more difficult proposition if you’re covered in hot tar, but if you’ve equipped a tar thrower yourself it’s especially useful for controlling how far the Power Loader can move each turn.

And you can use their single-minded focus against them, as they’ll run through fuel-filled barrels and their own workers to get to you. But if they do get to you… game over, man.

The factory workers are fed up, and they’re going to use whatever means necessary to get the respect and treatment they deserve. It’ll be up to the Rangers to decide how best to handle a situation already soaked in blood.