Happy Monday, folks! To help brighten your week, we’ve got another free unlockable code for VCII to start things off, a second edition of the Lotte Insider, and news on the second DLC mission that will be included in our DLC pack coming out later this month!

Lotte Insider – Special Edition, Issue 2

(Click for full size.)

Today’s free code: Gallian Military Sticker

(Enter this in-game at the “Extras” section)

TXU14EUV74PCR3TE

Bonus Challenge – Extra code

Today we have a special challenge for you guys – complete it, and we’ll hook you up with a second, bonus code, complete with another edition of the Lotte Insider!

• Tell us in the comments section below which characters from the first game you would most like to have again as part of your Squad in VCII. You can pick any character from the first game!

If we get over 100 comments from fans telling us the favorite characters you’d like to see again, we’ll update this blog with a second code, which will unlock one such character from the first game as a playable member of your squad in VCII!

You can only comment once, and you have until 11:00 PM Pacific time tonight to hit 100 comments. Spread the word and work together, and let’s see how fast you guys can accomplish it! (P.S.: A rank = within 2 hours of this blog going live.)

BONUS COMPLETE!

Rank: A!

Well done everyone! As promised, here’s a special extra edition of the Lotte Insider today, and with it, a code to unlock Welkin’s best friend – Faldio!

Bonus Reward

(Click for full size.)

Unlock Faldio as a playable character:

(Enter this in-game at the “Extras” section)

GWNU95RSETW1VGNQ

P.S. – Selvaria fans, your day will come!

Coming tomorrow…

As another awesome game launches on the PSP tomorrow, we’re going to have another edition of the Lotte Insider, a new code for everyone to download, and more Valkyria goodness! The release day and cost for the massive DLC pack will also be revealed soon!

Good luck with today’s challenge!

Welcome back to a surprise special edition of the VCII Community BLiTZ! After the amazing reception we had from you guys here on the blogs, we wanted to keep you up to speed on how Valkyria is doing, both in reviews and in stores, and let you know how you can help the war effort keep pushing forward.

First off, let’s talk about the reviews. What do the critics (and gamers) think of VCII?

• IGN was the first to go live with a review, giving the game a fantastic 9/10 and crowning it with an Editor’s Choice Award!

• The 9/10 scores continued to pour in, from sites like Eurogamer Italy, PlayStation Official Magazine (UK), and Cheat Code Central.

• Destructoid gave it a rocking 9.5 and an Editor’s Choice, writing “A new story, battle improvements, new troops, and a ton of missions are exactly what Valkyria Chronicles fans were asking for.”

Right now, the game is averaging a score of 81 on Metacritic, which is fantastic – here’s to hoping that number will rise even higher.

The first week

We’re happy to announce that Valkyria’s first week in stores was a good one, with fans all across the US picking up the game both physically and digitally. The game is also now available in the UK, so for all of you who spend with pounds instead of dollars, get out there and grab a copy!

We’d like to thank everyone who did their part, and likewise to urge those who haven’t picked it up yet to do so – the first battle went very well, but the war is far from over. Every copy picked up helps us prove that Valkyria Chronicles is a series that deserves even more attention here in the west, and it’s a cause that many of us here are happy to fight for.

New VCII DLC coming out this month!

We’ve mentioned in the past that there was DLC planned here in the west, but today we’re happy to specify that DLC will actually be arriving this month! All of it will be coming together in one huge pack, and we’ll have details on how many missions that pack will give you, as well as the cost next week!

The value you’ll get for the missions in the pack is huge, and today we’re going to unveil the first mission included in the DLC pack, as well as give away a special free code for all of you who need a little more Squad 7 love in your team!

Lotte Insider – Special Edition, Issue I

(Click for full size)

Code to Unlock Isara Gunther + Isara’s Dream Sticker:

(Enter this in-game at the “Extras” section)

37LRK5D214VQVFYH

The first of the DLC missions included in our pack will also take you back to Mellvere – though the challenge will be unlike any you remember from the initial campaign!

More Winners!

Who scored that one-of-a-kind signed Developments Artbook from the Valkyria Chronicles Team? Give your congrats to user mowmow, who wrote:

“From the bottom of my heart I thank you so much for bring Valkyria chronicles to the US, and I hope there will be more of this Series to come. I will continue to try and put the word out so that everyone can play these games.”

You rock, mowmow – thanks for helping spread the word!

Coming next week

Check back in next Monday as the Special Edition BLiTZ continues on, with news on the second DLC mission you’ll get in the upcoming pack, and another new code for a special, unlockable tank sticker! Every day next week we’re going to be giving away a new code for something special!

Rumor has it that fans of a certain azure witch from the original Valkyria Chronicles should also keep their eyes peeled next week – we’ve got all sorts of awesome lined up to say thank you for supporting VCII.

If you’re excited about the DLC, the unlockable characters, or the new stuff to come, drop us a line in the comments below.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

(Before you start reading this blog, we recommend getting this music playing in the background!)

Finally, the release day has come. As Valkyria Chronicles II ships to stores across the US, the long wait for the sequel to the PS3 masterpiece is over.

Writing a new, lengthy piece for the BLiTZ each day has been a challenge, but one always made worth it by the amazing responses we get from you guys – the fans. We hope you’ve enjoyed the stream of info, pictures, and prizes just as much as we enjoy seeing your excitement.

We have a very special finale today to say thank you to all the fans. For following us from day 1, for supporting great titles like Valkyria Chronicles, and for getting out there to pick up and also support the second game – here is our tribute to you.

A special message for the fans – from the Valkyria Chronicles devs

Just after we began the BLiTZ, I put in a rather selfish request to the developers over in Japan, asking them if they would like to take part in our final day of the BLiTZ and write a message to the fans. The request itself was on very short notice, and I had actually only expected maybe one or two members of the dev team to write back.

Instead, they found time amidst their busy schedule to write something very special for all of you. And not just one – but a great many of them, each responsible for something unique within the series, all took time out of their day to create the following messages, just for the Valkyria Chronicles fans in the west. And here they are:

Their messages, and their role in the team:

Shinji Motoyama                  Chief Producer

We’ll be waiting for you in the new battlefield!

Takanobu Yoshino                Localization Director

Try collecting all the medals with Avan and his comrades.

Hope you like Vario!

Kazuhiro Matsuta                 Chief Programmer

We put in all you can ever want for a portable game.

Thank you for supporting Valkyria Chronicles II!

Hirotaka Kanazawa              Chief Artist

The new Valkyria Chronicles is loaded with new tanks, weapons, characters, and so much more!

Protect Gallia with your one and only Class G!

(JP message: Protect the homeland!)

Shuntaro Tanaka                  Chief Adviser

Valkyria is back!

Takeshi Ozawa                    Original Director

All Valkyria fans are my fellow comrades!!

Kohei Yamashita                  Chief Game Designer

Valkyria is THE strategy game of the century.

You’ll find out that it’s worth 100 times what you pay for, so you gotta play it!

Daisuke Tabayashi               Setting Designer

All Valkyria fans, here we go! Make way for Edelweiss!!

…Sorry, you don’t have Edelweiss this time.  But you get to customize your tank to the limits!  The magnificent world of Valkyria Chronicles and the BLiTZ system are greater than ever, so get ready for some fun!

(+ the illustration)

Akio Horii                            Map Designer

Thank you very much for supporting Valkyria Chronicles!!

And thank you, to everyone above, for taking the time to write those messages.

A call to action

As the day arrives, we hope that everyone will do their part to support the series. Whether that’s simply picking up the game, telling your friends about it, or even cosplaying VC at PAX this week – every little things helps, and collectively as fans, we can move mountains when we all do even just a little.

Thank you to the many who are already doing that – and to everyone who plans to pick up or download a new copy of the game to support Valkyria Chronicles!

A super rare finale prize!

We’ve saved the best for last. Today, we’re going to give away the huge Japanese Development Works artbook, which is worth over $60 alone and is a masterpiece filled with art and design concepts from the entire first game. Massive is an understatement.

But this one is special. This artbook has also been signed by those above – the Japanese development team, and the back inside cover has both messages from them and even a sketch of the Edelweiss all drawn onto it. To date, only two of these exist in all of the US – and you can win this one.

• To win the artbook, write a message here for the Valkyria Chronicles dev team. Make it as short or as long as you want – and let them know what you think of Valkyria Chronicles, and what the series means to you.

We’ll draw one winner at random from here on the blogs, and they’ll get one amazingly rare piece of merchandise to add to their collection!

What comes next

As the BLiTZ finishes on our end, it passes on to all of you – to the world of Valkyria Chronicles II that you can now experience, and to the battles, characters, and story that awaits.

Our support for Valkria Chronicles II is far from over, and we’ll be back soon with even more news on the upcoming DLC for the game, and some special codes to unlock new content – some exclusive to the west!

On behalf of all of our teams, thank you for joining us through the entire Community BLiTZ. If you liked it, please let us know!

Happy Valkyria Chronicles II day everyone – we hope you’ll love the game!

Hello everyone, and welcome to Day X of the Community BLiTZ! Thanks for being patient as we’re traveling around a bit and finding time to update has been a challenge. On the plus side, that travel schedule does mean we might meet you at PAX this year, and Valkyria Chronicles II will most definitely be there!

Today marks the launch of the game here in the west, but we’ve saved the big launch blog post for a little later in the afternoon. Thanks to all the great responses on the BLiTZ though, it is going to be a little more special than I thought when we started the series of updates. Stay tuned!

As we catch up on Day X, we explore the grounds of the military academy Lanseal – the place you’ll be spending almost all of your time leveling up, researching new equipment, and learning more about your fellow cadets. A few special guests from the first game might also make appearances here. Read on for all the details, our special thanks, last week’s winners, and another giveaway!

Community BLiTZ – Day X: The grounds of Lanseal

Standing tall for 217 years, the Lanseal Royal Military Academy is also Gallia’s only military academy. The “Royal” part of the name comes from the time it was created: back when Gallia was actually still a Monarchy. Records of the academy’s location show that it was not in fact built from scratch, but rather constructed around an existing old citadel, and then adding new expansions like the training grounds and the residential buildings.

Want to graduate at Lanseal? The academy uses a credit system, and on average, cadets can get through the program in approximately three years. There are two ways in: either get recruited by one of Lanseal’s scouts, who visit schools across the country looking for gifted students, or apply directly. Everyone has to pass both a written and field test, but the bar is much stricter for those applicants who are non-scouted.

Because graduates are immediately promoted to officers in the army, the thought of having a Lanseal diploma is actually quite tempting for many who want to serve their country further. This also means that the age of cadets varies widely, with some in their late teens, others in their twenties, and some in their thirties.

What’s on the campus itself? We’ll start today with the Training Grounds – a very important place for any Squad Leader, and a crucial location to making sure troops are ready for the next battle.

With a special training area designed to tire cadets with rigorous workouts, and with a drill instructor just as hard and relentless as the one from the first game, you can spend your experience here to push your unit classes onward and make them more effective in combat.

Like the first game, you level up units based on class. Scouts, shocktroopers, etc – the only new thing worth noting is that leveling up a class also levels up all advanced types of this class, meaning that leveling up scouts does in fact still give boosts to your snipers, or that leveling up Armored Techs will also make your Fencers even stronger.

Also at the training grounds, you can promote your units based on the number of credits they’ve earned in battle. If you’re missing credits, you can also check which missions offer the specific ones you need – and likewise, you can always move a character back to a previous class, provided they have the credits to do so.

Welcome to R&D! Equipped with their own facilities and a capable young woman known as Lavinia who watches over things here, R&D is a one-stop-shop for all sorts of upgrades. You can create and outfit new parts for your tank, research new guns, grenades, uniforms and armor to keep your soldiers safe, and even combine materials you find in the field to offer new, mission specific buffs to certain classes. These bonuses last for a single mission on a specific class, and you can repeat them after every single mission.

R&D is every bit as important as leveling up your squad members at the training grounds. Those of you who like tanks, especially, will find this as your home away from home at the academy. Lavinia is always around to help, and there are rumors of other cadets sneaking in from time to time here too, whether to admire the stockpiles of weapons or just to lend a helping hand.

Also on the grounds is the residential area, including Avan’s own room. Here, you can explore info about people, places, and more via a  book system that is quite similar to the one used in the original Valkyria Chronicles. You can also check up some very amazing stats – with a full on stat system that we highly recommend taking a look at. From your most used characters to the up-to-the-moment number of kills your squad has achieved, this scorebook has all the numbers you wanted to see and then some.

Finally, the shop on the campus grounds is also open for business, and they offer not only new missions but also Orders (and bread) during times when Welkin or Alicia visit. If keeping up to date and being well educated is your thing, you can also buy three different types of papers here. The Gallia Times is a regularly printed newspaper covering topics across Gallia, the Lotte Insider is Lotte’s own faux-newspaper covering the latest happenings at Lanseal, and the Encyclopedia offers a wealth of knowledge about topics from Ragnite to the Rebels.

That’s it for the tour of Lanseal – you’ll all be able to explore the academy in even greater detail when you pick up the game and arrive there soon. On to the next part of today’s BLiTZ!

Special Thanks

Today’s special thanks go to IGN, who were among the first western press to review VCII. Their score, which went up  yesterday, made all of us here extremely happy – the game received an oustanding 9/10, and was also credited with an Editor’s Choice award.

We’re glad you guys loved it as much as we do – and we’re hopeful that many other reviewers and fans alike will find it just as enjoyable.

Last Week’s Winners

Who got those awesome sets of our exclusive PAX Buttons? Please give your congrats to:

• On the SEGA Blogs: Steve Halter, who wrote:

I’m looking forward to the snow maps the most. My favorite missions in VC1 were the most challenging ones (Chapter 7!), and from the descriptions you gave, snow sounds like it will make the fight tougher. Can’t wait to play!

• On Facebook: Brennan M, who wrote:

The desert will always be my fave from VC1. Especially when the sandstorms came in. Something about them masking everyone from each other made it really epic to me.

• And on Twitter: personasama who wrote:

Chapter 13 and its trench warfare and long strip of no-man’s-land. Those trenches… I still have nightmares about them.

Congrats to all three of you! We’ll be able to ship out the buttons (as well as most of last week’s prizes) following our return from PAX next Monday!

Today’s first giveaway!

As there are two blogs going up today, the first is going to be awarding somebody with a very, very special Alicia Figurine! This figurine, however, is not part of the Yujin set, and the only way to get it was to buy the limited edition version of the original Japanese Valkria Chronicles!

I’ve been giving her a nice home on my desk, but now I think it’s time Alicia was finally given out to another fan to celebrate today, and all of the hard work that the fans have put in to helping this series.

• To enter to win this figurine, drop us a line here on the blogs with the class you think you’ll level up most at the training grounds of Lanseal!
  

As a reminder, the choices are: Scout, Shocktrooper, Lancer, Engineer, and Armored Tech.

Coming next…

Keep your eyes to the blogs – the BLiTZ Finale is almost here, and we’ve got something very special for all of you to celebrate the launch of the game!

Welcome to Day IX of the VCII Community BLiTZ! Today we’re checking out the new fields of Valkyria Chronicles II, the effects they’ll have on both your infantry and your tank, and some new tricks you can use to make the most of your surroundings.

We’ve got the winner of our Selvaria figurine, more special thanks, and news on some special Valkyria Chronicles 2 collector’s buttons that you’ll be able to get exclusively at PAX this year!

Community BLiTZ – Day IX: The lay of the land

As a certain member of Squad 7 knew well, winning a battle is about far more than simply charging in headfirst. The land itself – from trees to ruins to rivers – can all be used to turn the tide of a fight. Like the first game, the conditions you’re up against will affect not only you, but your enemies as well – meaning that the first to take advantage of the situation can gain a critical upper hand.

Our first tip sounds simple, but it’s actually quite important:

• Tip #1: know what time of the day you’re fighting at.

Why is this important? Because almost every single area in the game has different effects at night as opposed to during the day. The first key is to learn these, to prepare your squad and your tank accordingly, and then to plan a strategy around it. (You could just charge in too, but it’s not quite as effective.)

For example, Leanbluff forest is a heavily wooded and hilly area, and one of the first you’ll encounter once you get past the training grounds of Lanseal. During the morning and much of the day, the forest is covered in a fine, foggy mist, making sighting enemies difficult and lowering accuracy. At night, the mist dissipates completely, but the lack of natural light also makes finding enemies hard in its own way.

• Tip #2: Use your tank to give you the advantage.

If it’s daytime, you can research, build, and equip your tank with a Defogging unit to counter the effects of the mist for all of your units on the same map as your tank. Worth noting: this bonus effect only applies to your own / allied units, and will not help your enemies!

Likewise, if it’s night, you can equip a lamp that will boost your own units sighting abilities, making it easier for them to see hidden or incoming enemy units. Just as before, only your troops will get this support buff, making it invaluable to bring along your tank sometimes – even if you don’t end up moving it.

This is Castle Gassenarl, located near Southern Gallia. (Click the picture to see it in high-res.)

Fans of the first game will also recognize the desert settings, though this time they’ll be taking place south of the Barious Desert, which is in eastern Gallia. During the daytime, the immense heat can limit how far your units can move, and during the night, harsh sandstorms make sighting and accuracy rough – thankfully, these will pass eventually, offering a short respite during which to finish off any enemies left standing.

In the cold mountains of Diebal, the chilling temperatures can be both dangerous and deadly. Amidst the freezing snow, units here won’t regain HP at the end of a turn – and if one of your squad members goes down, it’s a race against time to get to them before the weather does.

There are new strategies to keep in mind and new tricks to each of these situations – the best of these, of course, will need to be discovered when the pressure is on: we aren’t going to take the fun out of it!

Remember these basics and you’ll save a lot of time – and headache – when you pick up the full game. If you ever need a refresher, the drill instructor on campus is always there to offer further tips and advice. Once you know the lay of the land, a quick victory is always within reach.

Exclusive: Valkyria Chronicles II PAX Collector’s items!

Exclusive to PAX, we’re going to be bringing along a few thousand Valkyria Chronicles II buttons to give away! There are five buttons in total, featuring Avan, Cosette, Zeri, Aliasse, and the VCII Logo.

Normally, you’ll only be able to get a single button – meaning you might have to trade with friends to pick up the full set. However, we’re going to make one special exception to this rule:

• Show up at the PAX SEGA Booth anytime or the SEGA PAXtravanganza event on Saturday night dressed as any Valkyria Chronicles character, and we’ll give you a full set of all five – you’ll also be featured here on the blogs!

I’ve heard rumors that a few members of Squad 7 were already planning on attending, so we’d love to see you guys come spread the VC love – and get something from us as thanks, too. To confirm, all characters from VCI and VCII are eligible!

And the Selvaria figurine goes to…

Time for the moment of truth. Who is the lucky fan (out of over 100+!) who won yesterday’s Selvaria figurine? Please give your congrats to…

• Aurora, who wrote:

Selvaria. Experience and cunning. Those tip the scales in battle.

And truly, they do. Congratulations on your new Selvaria figurine, Aurora! Hit me up on the forums (RubyEclipse) to let me know where to send it.

We also had two other winners yesterday, once more for signed copies of VC1! They are:

• On Facebook, Yuta John Y., who wrote:

Obviously Johann from the “Behind her Blue Flame” EX Report. Yuri Lowenthal did an amazing job voicing him, and his character was someone I could relate to. It’s also cool how he constantly appears as an enemy Ace. It shows just how determined he is to protect Selvaria. *tear*

• On Twitter, GunslingerXIX who wrote:

Selvaria! No question about it. She is tough, on and off the battlefield. She’s also classy and drop dead gorgeous!

Congrats all around! (P.S. Aurora – take good care of that figurine!)

Today’s Special Thanks!

Our special thanks today go out to anyone and everyone who has ever cosplayed a Valkyria Chronicles character! I met a girl at the last NYCC who told me she spent almost an entire week leading up to the Con just so she could finish her Varrot costume – and we were happy to give her a well-deserved art book (or two!). Across the world, a number of talented Valkyria Chronicles appearances have shown up, like the one pictured above, from Russia. There’s a really great thread with a collection of VC Cosplay photos here in our forums, so take a look for more!

More free stuff!

PAX is a huge event with a ton of gamers, but we realize that not everyone can always make it out there to pick up the swag and see the sights. So, today, we’re going to give away three full sets of the special PAX VCII Collector’s buttons! (All five) This will be one of your only chances to pick these up outside of the event itself, and anyone (even you guys in Europe) can win!

• To enter, tell us which environment (Snow, desert, city, forest, etc) you’re most looking forward to fighting in with VCII!

One set will go out here on the blogs, and (you probably know the drill by now) another set on Facebook, and another on Twitter.

Coming Tomorrow…

Though people may have pegged it as a “high school”, the Lanseal Royal Military Academy is anything but. From the harsh courses of the training ground to Lavinia’s R&D department, the Academy is much more than just classrooms. Oh, and everyone’s favorite Drill instructor from the first game? We’d like to think he’s done justice here, too. Join us as we take an in-depth look at what Lanseal is all about, with a special preview of both the campus and a sneak peek inside Castle Gassenarl, which is notably more… red.

Following our list of exclusive swag giveaways, we also hear rumblings that tomorrow’s might be a rather special one related to a certain baker from Squad 7…

Six days to launch – we’ll see you tomorrow!

Everyone who played the original Valkyria Chronicles knows that having a Valkyria on the battlefield is awesome – just as long as they’re on your side.

As Day VIII arrives, we’re taking a look at the Valkyria of old and new, including a mysterious young girl named Aliasse who wields a shield in one hand and a whip in the other. More special thanks, yesterday’s winners, and a rare Selvaria figurine are all lined up for the evening!

Community BLiTZ – Day VIII: Azure Flames

History across Europa teaches that the Darcsens, cruel rulers of times past, once controlled all of the continent and treated the people unjustly. Until the Valkyrur came, that is – liberating Europa from the Darcsens and rescuing all those under their rule. Until recently, it was commonly thought that House Randgriz was one of the few final homes of the Valkyrian bloodline.

For their crimes, the Darcsens were stripped of their last names, and the Valkyrur quickly rose to power. How much of the story is a myth and how much is fact, well… that depends on who you ask. But there is one point that remains true, even to this day: history is always written by the victor.

There are rumors going around about a number of countries experimenting with secret projects to ‘create’ artificial Valkyrur, but most of these are unsubstantiated. However, the recent appearance of more than one Valkyria after so many years of only legends does raise interesting questions…

If there was one mission that everyone had trouble with in the original Valkyria Chronicles, it was Chapter 7. Just when you finally think you’ve finally taken down that monster of a behemoth that Maximilian calls a Tank, in comes Selvaria, blue flames aglow, and lance at the ready.

It’s an important moment in the game, because for the first time yet, you finally come up against something that is so completely overpowering that you feel totally helpless. Even with the best strategy, and even with far more leveled troops, nothing can stand against her. For once, you’re forced to realize that retreating is the only option, and that sometimes, you have to lose some smaller battles to win the big ones later.

Meet Aliasse. Keep her happy, and she’s your best friend. Just don’t make her angry.

Valkyria Chronicles II introduces a new heir to the flame, and her name is Aliasse. Unlike most Valkyria spoken of in legend, she bears a shield and a whip instead of a shield and a lance. Little is known about her personality or her background, but some claim to have seen her wandering quietly around the campus at Lanseal.

The favor of the Valkyrur can be a powerful ally, but likewise, sometimes dangerously volatile. The difference between a person and a weapon is sometimes purely a matter of perspective…

That’s all the detail of the Valkyrur that we can reveal today, but we leave you with one warning: there are reports that the rebel army may be attempting their own mimicry of the Valkyria’s powers, so stay vigilant for anything with the code name “V2″…

New Story Trailer

A brand new Story Trailer also went live this week – you can check it out above! Once you’ve got your fill of Valkyria videos for the day, check out what’s next for today’s big giveaway…

Special Thanks

Today’s Special Thanks go to Segabits, a cool SEGA Fansite that know what they’re talking about and are also made up of a lot of SEGA and Valkyria fans who loved the first game. Thanks also to Ryan for his help in getting the basics of our Valkyria fansite one step closer to finished!

Yesterday’s Winners

• On the Blogs, Tomceltic who wrote:

Well really everyone in squad 7 was immense, but if I had to pick one id go for Hermes Kissinger, because for one he couldn’t be asked and two he didn’t really want to be there…thats the kind of charectar I can relate to.

• On Facebook, Donny Van Z. who wrote:

kalamata olive bread!

• And on Twitter, Darkpen who wrote:

Gosh, my second-most? I guess Lynn comes in second to Marina

Congrats to all three of you!

Win a Selvaria Figurine!

Since today is all about the Valkyrur, we’re going to do our giveaway in style by offering up this rare Selvaria figurine to one lucky fan! She comes complete with the Ruhm in one hand and a sword in the other. This is part of the original Yujin figurine set from Japan.

Now that you’re all drooling, here’s what you need to do to win:

• Tell us in the comments which Valkyria you think would win in a fight: Selvaria or Aliasse?

Two more signed copies of VC1 are also going out via the Facebook and Twitter pages!

Coming tomorrow…

New battlefields bring new challenges – join us as we take a look at some of the new environments you’ll be fighting in through VCII, learn the new hardships of the desert heat and likewise the chill of snowy mountains, and get some tips on the best ways to overcome the new environmental challenges that affect both you and your enemies alike!

Oh, and did anyone see our PAX Blog today with all that swag? There’s a little bit more that you don’t see in the picture there… and we’ll be showing it off very soon.

Until tomorrow!

Welcome to Day VII of the Community BLiTZ! Since it’s day seven, today we’re dedicating almost all of our time to the heroes of Squad 7, and to seeing what they’re all up to two years later. (On a related note, Alicia’s bread is delicious.)

Besides that, I also wanted to throw out one more call to action for fans who want to support the series: if you’re going to pick up the game, and if you’re excited about it, please pre-order the game if you haven’t already!

We’d like to say thank you to the many fans who already have for helping out, and now we’re going to try and beat the expected numbers to prove that this series is truly deserving of all the praise. If you haven’t yet, pre-ordering at Gamestop will also net you two bonus DLC codes, but likewise, every pre-order, no matter where, will help! (The way it works, every pre-order actually counts as multiple sales of the game, so each bit counts.)

Time for Day VII!

Community BLiTZ Day VII: Familiar Faces

For all the members of Squad 7 in the original Valkyria Chronicles, everyone had a favorite. Mine were definitely Vyse and Aika from Skies of Arcadia, but we’ve heard many people answer with Jann, or Rosie, or Largo. Even characters like Homer Peron and Edy get a lot of love, and all because each had a personality and a feeling that we could connect with. (Personally, I feel that Skies of Arcadia was legendary for a similar level of masterful storytelling.)

And, similar to Skies, many of the characters that we grew attached to in Valkyria Chronicles hold a special place in our gaming hearts. For all of you, Valkyria Chronicles 2 includes a number of unexpected moments that will make you smile. Some characters will get references in text or newspaper articles, while some might actually just visit the Lanseal campus. We’ll start off with the two most common – and perhaps two of the most important people from Squad 7. Welkin and Alicia:

We’re going to try our best to avoid spoilers here, with some in white (highlight to reveal them) but some basic items will be covered off early in the game, so if you haven’t beaten Valkyria Chronicles yet, stop reading and do so right now! You’ll thank us later.

What I found most interesting about Welkin and Alicia is that the game takes place in between the ending of Valkyria Chronicles and the Epilogue. (I was very glad for this, because the Epilogue to VC was sort of the perfect happy ending for me.) As a result, you can see Alicia and Welkin early on into their marriage,  and also before the birth of their daughter, Isara.  Welkin has taken up his dream of becoming a teacher, and Alicia, likewise, is on the road to becoming a baker.

As Lanseal is a large academy with many cadets and a life of its own, the store there becomes a common visiting place for Alicia to sell her bread – and, now and then, for Welkin to visit.

When Welkin visits, he’ll actually offer to teach you orders if you have enough experience saved up to use. I smiled amidst chills when this first happened, because 1: I felt old suddenly, 2: It was kind of awesome, and 3: I wondered silently about the old man in the graveyard from the first game. I personally hope that someday we’ll get to know more about him, as well.

But Welkin and Alicia aren’t the only familiar faces that will appear in the VC2. We’re going to leave some to surprise you, but one in particular has been poking us every single day since the BLiTZ started to finally – woah, wait -

Hey, Edy! Stop that! Those art books aren’t for you to draw on! Those are special!

… Anyways, all of you who love Edy and her terri – I mean beautiful – singing voice, will be happy to see her return in the second game. The self-proclaimed idol of Squad 7 is far from the only one, though – rumor has it that fans of Rosie should use Vario as much as possible, and explore his side story to see what happens. A promise is a promise, right?

That’s all for today, but tomorrow we might just have something special in the works for all of you attending this year’s PAX! It’s not edible (sorry, Avan!), but if you’re going to be there, you might just be able to get something very special and exclusive to the convention.

Special Thanks

Today’s special thanks go to the guys and gals over at Gamespot, who awarded Valkyria Chronicles II the Best RPG of E3 Award, and Best PSP game of E3 Award! Those are no small tokens to roll a tank at, and our entire team was stoked to see the game getting the attention it deserved.

Yesterday’s Winners

• On the blogs, D4rths1D, who wrote:

Gotta go with the ol’ reliable with the heavy, anti-armor tank, Edelweiss!

• On Facebook, Alika Q, who wrote:

Most definitely the Edelweiss. Not only is it Welkin’s tank but it’s a great shield to cover my infantry’s advances across the battlefield.

• On Twitter, @mjliangco, who wrote:

Definitely Isara. Just wanted to kick some Empire butt.

Congrats to all three winners!

Edy’s Giveaway of Goodness

…My stuff… is gone?! Wait, there’s a letter here… from Edy?

“Hello, darlings! I’d like all my fans to know that I captured three special artbooks for you, and you can enter to win one by telling us who your favorite member of Squad 7 is! ( P.S. : There’s only one right answer, and it starts with E-D-Y!)”

Well, apparently we’re taking a popularity poll.

• Cast your vote for favorite squad 7 member in the comments below for your chance to win another pre-order artbook here on the blogs today!

(If Edy doesn’t win, something tells me I might never see the rest of my Valkyria swag ever again. I’m not telling you to stuff the ballot, but please, please: think of my stuff.)

Other giveaways are also going on at Facebook and on Twitter, so check them out, as usual!

Coming soon…

Tomorrow things go blue as we bathe in a wealth of knowledge about an ancient, mythical race known as the Valkyrur. We’ll also explore the role of a new, curious young girl near the academy who seems to hold such powers…

Just for kicks, we’re also going to include two videos: our new story trailer that went out today, and a trip back to one awesome cinematic from the first VC that gets our blue blood boiling. We might also have a special VC2 announcement exclusively about PAX!

We’ll see you then!

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!

Welcome to Day V of the Community BLiTZ! As this week comes to a close, we’re taking a break from a look at the members of Class G, and will instead be spending today focusing on the rebels, or – as they call themselves – the Gallian Revolutionary Army.

Congrats to our winners today on Twitter who picked up the DLC code and the Alicia figurine! We’ll also cover off yesterday’s winners, and our weekend challenge, here on the blog!

Community BLiTZ Day V: Meet the Rebels

One of the things I appreciated most about the first game was that the antagonists were human. I say that meaning that, for once in an RPG, the people you were up against were actually that – people. They were not some profound darkness that had existed for all of time, nor the ultimate evil that had come from space to wreak havoc.

They were characters who simply wanted to achieve their own goals. For Maximilian, a prince caught in the middle of assassination attempts and politics in a cutthroat empire, it was a constant struggle to prove himself worthy of the crown – and even stay alive. Selvaria followed her heart from beginning to end, and cared not only for those above her, but those under her command as well. Radi Jaeger was a formidable and respectable foe all in his own right, fighting on the side of the Empire, though truly for his own country. None of them loved killing people, or wanted massacre for its own sake. They were fighting for their goals, just like Welkin, Alicia, and all of Squad 7.

In Valkyria Chronicles II, a similar level of mature storytelling is at play. Driven apart by the still common persecution of the Darcsens, a number of noble and wealthy households have banded together after Cordelia revealed her Darcsen heritage. With great wealth and notable influence, one can easily amass both weapons and the troops needed to wield them. And with that power, the Gallian Revolutionary Army came to be, vowing not to stop until Cordelia has left the throne. From town to town they spread, killing all the Darcsens they found, as well as anyone who stands against them. Still weakened by the invasion and stretched thin by the ever-present war just outside their borders, Gallia’s military is in a dangerous position.

These characters are quite deep too, so we’re going to leave the best parts of their stories for you to find out – but today, we’ll introduce you to the four main figures of the Rebels.

Gilbert Gassenarl

“For generations, House Randgriz has concealed their Darcsen blood from the good people of Gallia… Together, we will wipe the Darcsens from our land!”

Gilbert Gassenarl is the head of House Gassenarl, and the figurehead of the Gallian Revolutionary Army. His hatred for the Darcsen race – to him a group unfit to even stand in his presence, much less lead his country – has driven him to take violent action, or whatever action necessary, to change the political lay of the land, and, perhaps, to place himself as the new ruler. His connections with other nobles and with other countries have also given him a strong foothold in Gallia. He is in fantastic shape, both physically and mentally for his age – 50 – and is a powerful adversary, capable of holding his own in both bark and bite.

Baldren Gassenarl

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

The oldest son of Gilbert, Baldren is 26 years old and is a firm believer that he fights for the right reasons. He is extremely protective and proud of Gallia as a country. If he sees something wrong, he calls it out – even if that something wrong might be a representative from another country. Baldren is the type of man who spares the table manners and cuts deep to the obvious stakes on the table, often to the annoyance of his father. His sharp tongue is often the cause of much discomfort to those with anything but the purest of intentions for Gallia itself. In battle, he is the source of many a victory and single-handedly led many missions in favor of the rebels.

Audrey Gassenarl

“Do calm down, Baldren. You’ll make yourself ill.”

Audrey Gassenarl was born one year after her brother, and at the age of 25 is now a high-ranking rebel tank commander. Her status wasn’t just earned by her family blood, however: she was an army major in the last war against the Empire. She has a calm head and is a colder counterpart to the fiery-hearted Baldren, but she is every bit as capable of understanding her situation completely. Those who underestimate her because of her nature may soon find themselves in unfortunate situations. Curiously enough, she is also a devout follower of Yggdism.

Dirk Gassenarl

“… Understood.”

Little is known about Dirk Gassenarl, a figure seen almost only when clad in his special armor. His age is unknown, though he holds high status within the rebels, commanding all of their special forces. Some rumors say that his mother was actually different than both Baldren and Audrey.  He speaks rarely, mostly just to acknowledge an order – and even then speaks only but a word or two.

These are four of the highest ranking members of the Gallian Revolutionary Army. The prospect of owning the ragnite-rich Gallia is quite tantalizing, making supporting the rebels a prime opportunity for certain individuals outside of Gallia, as well…

That’s it for today’s look at the Rebels – on to the rest of the BLiTZ!

Special Thanks

Today’s special thanks go out to the Valkyria Chronicles crew over at the Penny Arcade forums, (note: language warning) another Valkyria Community that has been supporting the game for a very long time. From avatars to signatures, they’ve gone the extra mile to really get the series known. As thanks, a few of their key posters just scored themselves some free DLC codes, and some other goodies to go with them.

PAX is also coming up soon, and if you haven’t heard yet, we’re throwing one heck of an event. VCII will also be on the show floor, and the game will have just come out – if you’re looking for a great spot to rock some Co-op, the evenings after the convention might be a brilliant time.

Today’s winners

Congratulations to the following winners from Day IV of the BLiTZ!

• On the blogs: Ryan, who said the following:

I’d have to go with the Fencer. With the smaller individual maps it seems like mobility may not be the absolute most important factor like it was in the first game, and being able to trundle up to sandbags and ruin people hiding behind them was great in VC1 with Flamethrowers, so I expect I’ll get a lot of use out of a Fencer in VC2.

• On Facebook: Cole R, who won the Edy figurine, and picked… *drumroll* Lynn!

My favorite character is definately Lynn. Her determination in the face of so much adversity is really admirable. The characterisation in VC (and im sure VC2) is what makes the game so memorable. Characters like Jann, Edy, Marina are just as memorable, but not my favorite!

• On Twitter:@Jeremy_LaMont and @Titan_X

Congrats to all of you! Drop me a line on Twitter or the Forums (contact RubyEclipse) to claim your prizes if you haven’t already.

Weekend Giveaway

As the weekend arrives, we’re offering a chance for three lucky winners to score themselves unopened copies of the first game, which you can have signed by the team here at SOA, or likewise just left in mint condition. I’m also going to see if the Japanese dev team would be willing to sign them, so that option might be on the table, too!

One copy will go out here on the Blogs, one on Facebook, and one on Twitter. You have all weekend to enter, so just check each to find out how you can maximize your chances to score yourself either a new unopened copy of VC1, or an exclusive signed copy.

To enter here on the blogs, drop us a comment and let us know which of the four characters we showed you today you think would be the most dangerous adversary in battle, and why. The winner will be random and all comments entered before 9 AM Monday morning will be eligible!

Until next week!

As the first week of our Community BLiTZ comes to a close, we hope you’ve all enjoyed this ongoing look at Valkyria Chronicles II to show you more about the game and also rally together our fans again as we lead up towards launch.

We hope you’ll all have an awesome weekend, and we’ll see you back here for day six of the BLiTZ next Monday. Until then!

Welcome to day IV of the Community BLiTZ! Today’s update comes a little later than most, as we’ve just finished a recording session with a community site to talk about VCII – that podcast will go live next Monday, and I’ll link you guys to it then for those who would like to check it out.

Today has been a busy day with news about Sonic Colors, then Sonic 4, and now Valkyria Chronicles II – so most of all, thanks for waiting. Today we’re going to talk about the promotion system in the game, and some of the new features and classes available in VC II!

Community BLiTZ Day IV: Level up!

For today’s purposes, we’re going to be using Avan as an example and reference. Everyone please say “Hi, Avan.”

Hi, Avan.

Awesome. Now that introductions are out the way, take another look at Avan and you’ll notice that he’s set up with his standard Gallian-1 scout rifle. Snazzy.

Avan is a special exception in VCII, because you can choose to make him any class you want. He starts off as a scout, but if you feel like changing him to, say – a shocktrooper – you can do that, too. In which case he’ll look a little something like this:

And boom, shocktrooper Avan. Now that we’ve covered off that basic point, we’ll also get into how specific promotions work within the game, and how you can advance the levels and stats of unit types.

If we use Avan for a number of missions, and are constantly picking off enemies while playing as him, he’ll earn credits based on his accomplishments. After he picks up enough, we’ll be able to advance him to the next class upgrade, where we have to make a choice between two types. For this scenario, we’re going to be looking at Avan as a Scout.

As a Scout, Avan has two choices: Sniper, or Scout Veteran. The Sniper plays similar to the Sniper class in the original game, meaning that his mobility and defense will be lower, but he’ll now have a sniper rifle and be able to score some amazing head shots. Alternatively, we can take him down the Scout Veteran route, which will give him improved stats all around from the basic Scout type. Beyond Sniper and Scout Veteran, each of those have an additional two advanced classes you can level up to, meaning that you’ve got a total of four final choices for every character – and the four are unique to every class.

The nice part is how you get to make this choice with every single unit in the game – a great move because you don’t have to turn all scouts into snipers or all scouts into veterans: you can craft each and every scout of your squad into the specific end-game type that you’d like them to be.

For our next demonstration, we’re going to need another helping hand. Hm.. Joachim! Hey, Joachim! Stop dozing off! We need you for a moment!

This is Joachim. He has an awesome hat.

Ah, there we go – what’s up, Joachim? Now that we’ve got an Armored Tech here in front of us, we’ll explore down that pathway too, to give you guys a deeper understanding of the new class and how it works.

In battle, Joachim here would be swapping his Academy uniform for his armor, shield, and warpick. If we were to use Joachim in a number of missions, and pick up enough credits from using him, we could then decide which direction we want to upgrade Joachim towards. Our choices:

• Option 1: Tech Veteran. This route will boost Joachim’s stats all around, and he’ll still be able to hit opponents melee style, as well as rebuild sandbags for allies to use as cover.

• Option 2: Fencer. This melee focused route will up Joachim’s offensive damage to a new level, but he’ll be paying for it with his mobility and by losing any ability to use guns. At the same time though, it does come with a nice boost to his HP, making him a sort of slow tank that can rip through anyone he gets in front of.

Later on, we’ll get the chance to level up Joachim even more, but for today’s blog, that’ll be the end of our feature. To confirm, you can also switch classes around, so don’t worry about ever getting locked into a single class!

Avan, Joachim, thanks for being our special guests this time around. It’s late now and the blog author is losing his sanity quickly, so we’re going to go ahead and move into today’s special thanks, the giveaway, and yesterday’s winners!

Special Thanks

Tonight we’d like to give our special thanks to the Valkyria fans over at NeoGAF, who have one of the longest-running still active Valkyria Chronicles threads that I can think of! You can check out their original Valkyria Chronicles thread here, and their newer Community BLiTZ thread here.

They get some extra VC1 DLC codes as part of their special thanks tonight – you’ll need an active GAF account to post and win one! If you don’t have one though, fear not – we still have our regular giveaway below.

Yesterday’s Winners…

First up, please give your congratulations to yesterday’s winners across the blogs, twitter, and Facebook!

• Blog Winner: Was Patrick, but because he has an Artbook and gave up the prize, congrats to Giolon! (Patrick – you probably just made Giolon’s day.)
• Facebook Winner: Damon L. !
• Twitter Winner: @ starsshiningout!

Congratulations to all three of you! You can contact me on the forums, facebook, and via Twitter DM to let me know where to send your artbooks.  Take good care of them!

More free stuff!

Today we’ve got a mix of both DLC codes and a figurine to give away! If you missed any of these the first time, here’s a second chanc to pick them up. Today’s big giveaway is a VC DLC Mega-pack with all four DLC codes included – to enter, we’d like you to drop us a comment here, and let us know your opinion on this question:

• If you had to choose between the Tech Veteran and the Fencer class for Joachim above, which would you probably pick, and why?

There are no right or wrong answers, so as long as it’s more than just “lol dood I liek fencerz“, you’ll likely have a shot at winning. In addition, we’ve still got our other giveaways:

• Facebook Giveaway: An Edy figurine! In another random draw, the lucky winner this time will get the self-proclaimed star of Squad 7 to add to their desk. Check out the Facebook page for all the details.

• Twitter Giveaway – Tomorrow at 2 PM: DLC Code + Alicia Figurine! Two prizes are going out on the twitter front tonight, and these will be awarded similar to SEGA’s Free Stuff Friday. We’re holding this one tomorrow afternoon to give us a chance to follow anyone we might be missing, and to give more people an opportunity to enter.

Coming Tomorrow…

They dress in red, they hate Darcsens, and they call themselves the Gallian Revolutionary Army. Tomorrow, we take a break from the members of Class G and look instead to the villains of Valkyria Chronicles II – the Rebels.

We’ll see you then!