Welcome to a new week, and to Day VI of the Community BLiTZ! Up this time is a detailed look at the many new Tank mechanics in Valkyria Chronicles II, including special detail about how all the new customization works.

Our three signed Valkyria winners are also revealed, and we’ve got more DLC goodies going out again today. To top it all off, Valkyria Chronicles II also makes an appearance in this week’s episode of the Interactive Distractions podcast, an episode filled with all sorts of VC goodness, and some live Lady Gaga karaoke by one of their hosts. (This is why bets are dangerous.)

On to day VI!

Community BLiTZ – Day VI: Tank!

A few of you might have already caught the reference hidden within today’s title, but generally speaking it’s also one of the first things that comes to mind whenever one of those poor non-armored Scouts turns the corner and runs headfirst into that bright, smiling, glorious enemy tank. (Some of you might also have other choice four letter words for that moment, but I figured HR would probably come talk to me if I titled it one of those.)

Just as there’s nothing quite as scary as sending in a defenseless scout up against the gatling of an armored tank, there’s also little as rewarding as seeing the massive KA-BOOM and the ensuing fireworks show when your Lancer nails the radiator like a bullseye.

In Valkyria Chronicles II, a lot of work was put into expanding the options and the freedom players had with their tanks. In the first game, the Edelweiss and the Shamrock offered a number of options, each with strengths in particular fronts. In VCII, you can now both name your own tank, and customize it completely – from heavy anti-armor behemoth to a light infantry carrier, and anything in between.

Here’s an example of a heavy, anti-armor based tank. Similar to the Edelweiss, it packs quite a punch, but it pays for it in mobility. That said, heavy tanks can also make excellent defenders for base camps, as the enemy will very often try to take it should the chance arise.

The entire outfitting process is based on weight, so the heavier your base is, the more you can fit onto the tank. Besides simply meaning bigger guns, this also applies to certain shoulder pieces which can negate status effects: a lamp to increase allies’ sighting during nighttime missions, or a heater to help nearby units avoid the draining chill of snowy mountains. You can also fit additional armor, a constructor arm, and more to open up new paths or simply boost your tank’s performance. How you outfit your tank is entirely up to you.

Here’s an example of a much lighter tank, outfitted to take on infantry instead of other tanks. If the first picture would be comparable to the Edelweiss, then this is our Shamrock, respectively.

You can actually choose to ditch the armor and cannons entirely, turning your tank into an APC. Using this, you can hide units inside and drive them across the map or through rough territory with ease – just make sure to defend it, as these kinds of strategies can be risky when there’s little armor and multiple people inside.

If you’re looking to take out an enemy tank, the radiator is always your best bet, just like in the first game. Most Lancers, if used well, can manage to get behind many tanks early on in the game for a quick kill, but do keep in mind that enemy Ace units can be tanks too – and they’re nothing to take lightly. As you progress further, charging in headfirst may quickly result in a whole lot of lancers in need of a medic, so keep an eye out for new paths or ways to use the map to your advantage. For those with patience and planning, there is always a way.

Tanks can also be outfitted with new camouflage, making it harder for them to be spotted and hit by enemy units. On top of that, you can add special stickers to your tanks, which boost different stats. Besides being a fun addition, we’ve also added a few little bonuses to these stickers, with a number of them being exclusive to our western release. (Thank you to the dev team for being cool with our requests!)

And then, we get to the finale…

Oh. Wow.

Like the first game, some tanks might have notable advantages above the others. Like say, an extra five barrels worth of advantages. This tank is at the higher end of the challenge spectrum, but we won’t spoil all the details just yet. (When you come up against this one, you’ll know.)

From personnel carriers to massive one-hit-kill barrages, the role of the Tank in Valkyria Chronicles II is just as important, if not moreso, than the first game. Customize your tank for the mission at-hand, or find ways to work it into your strategy, and you’ll be one step closer to that long-sought A Rank!

Special Thanks

Today’s special thanks go out to the guys at Interactive Distractions, first and foremost for supporting the series and showing VCII some love on their latest podcast, but second for making us laugh rather uncontrollably at the Lady Gaga karaoke. (Bravo, sir – that takes guts.)

Travis – we hope you’re enjoying the first game! (Told you it was good!)

Weekend Winners

Who won those signed copies of VCI over the weekend? The names have been drawn – congrats to the following!

• On the Blogs: Lemmy, who said:

Dirk Gassenarl.

First, he’s got spikes. You fire him from a catapult, and he’ll take out some forces. Even more dangerous though, he has no face. If someone kills him, it wouldn’t be hard for someone else to take his place. A commander that cannot die would put a lot of fear into his enemies.

• On Facebook: Krystian G. , who wrote:

“I actually think Audrey, I mean she doesn’t seem like it, but it would be a twist in the story. Like the whole don’t judge a book by it’s cover, though she is a “devout follower of Yggdism” so the Darcens are kinda bad in that light. There’s the whole thing about doing what your parents tell you to do, she seems like she’d listen to her orders and follow through with it. Maybe I’m thinking too hard…”

• On Twitter: @ SecondLoinheart , who quoted Baldren:

“What perfect Gallia can be built, except by the hands of her people?”

Congrats you three! Let me know if you’d like them signed by the SOA team, and I’ll also know shortly if dev signings are available, too.

Free stuff please!

We’re saving some of the best goodies for the end of the BLiTZ, so today we’re taking another dip into the DLC codes and figurines for those of you who didn’t manage to win one yet! Today, the winners can choose either -any- DLC code, or a figurine, for those who may already have all the DLC packs.

To enter today’s random draw, hit us up here on the blogs with your answer to this question:

• Which type of tank do you think you’ll use most in Valkyria Chronicles II?

Also remember to check Facebook and Twitter for two more shots to win!

On the next episode of VCII…

Edy Nelson would like us to inform all readers – whom she addresses as ‘dear fans’ – that they should tune in tomorrow as we take a look at some familiar faces from the first Valkyria Chronicles, and where they stand now, two years later. Alicia also tells us she’ll be baking a special helping of bread just for the occasion, so we hope you’ll stop by!

Until then – h-hey! Edy! No singing in the offices!

EDY!

LONDON AND SAN FRANCISCO (August 23rd, 2010) – SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that the demo for VANQUISH™ will be available exclusively for download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, and PlayStation® Store for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in North America on 31st August, across Europe on 1st September and Australia on 2nd September.

The VANQUISH™ Official Demo: Velocity Attack, allows players to choose one level from the two levels of difficulty (Casual or Normal) available. Taking on the role of Sam, a United States government agent kitted out with a futuristic ARS battle suit, players are vying for ownership of the planet’s remaining energy resources against Russia on board a huge space station. On entering the third port lobby of the space station, numerous enemy robots are being brought in by dropships. Players have an array of weaponry and upgrades at their disposal, as well as the ability to hijack “Walkers”, or use the suits unique Boost and AR mode to take down the robots. The demo climaxes with the formidable boss, Argus which you will need to use all your skills acquired throughout the demo to defeat.

VANQUISH™ is the hottest title Shinji Mikami has worked on in over 4 years, achieving high tension throughout the game and delivering a new sense of game merged shooting and action in a finely balanced manner. The game is set for release across North America on 19th October, Australia on 21st of October and across Europe on October 22nd 2010 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

For more information about the game, please visit www.vanquish-game.com