Land of War: The Beginning

Land of War: The Beginning Offical Boxart Release Date: June 10, 2021 Developer: MS Games Publisher: MS Games sp. z o.o. Platforms: Microsoft Windows Genre: First-Person Shooter

Land of War: The Beginning is a 2021 first-person shooter developed and published by Polish studio MS Games. In a setting rarely touched upon by Second World War media, players control Polish soldiers fighting the German invasion of their homeland in September 1939, the earliest days of the Second World War.

The following weapons appear in the video game Land of War: The Beginning:

Handguns

Luger P 08

The Luger P 08 is, naturally, the standard sidearm of Wehrmacht forces. It is referred to as the "P08 Parabellum".

Luger P 08 - 9x19mm

Kowalski holds a Luger P 08.

Aiming down the tiny front sight.

Reloading a Luger P 08, which consists of flicking out the (invisible) magazine, loading a new one, and then releasing the toggle lock.

Wz. 30 Nagant

The Wz. 30 Nagant, a Polish-produced variant of the Nagant Revolver, is available as a DLC weapon under the name "Wz. NG 30 Nagant".

Wz. 30 Nagant - 7.62x38R Nagant. Compared to the Russian Nagant, the Polish-produced Nagants are slightly lighter and have a shorter barrel.

Kowalski finds himself with a rather antiquated sidearm.

Aiming a Wz. 30 Nagant with its typically tiny late 19th century pistol sights.

"This reload time is exhilarating!"

Wz. 35 Vis

The Wz. 35 Vis is the standard sidearm of the Polish forces, known as the "ps Vis wz. 35". A Vis wz. 35 with a chrome finish is a DLC weapon and is modeled after the Vis P-35p, the German designation for wz. 35s produced at the Radom factory for use by the Wehrmacht after the occupation of Poland. It is referred to as the "VIS P-35p", however, the full designation of the German-produced wz. 35 was 9 mm Pistole 645(p). It is functionally identical to the common variant. Due to the circumstances of this particular pistol's production, it can be considered somewhat anachronistic.

Wz. 35 Vis - 9x19mm

In a trench network, Kowalski comes across a wz. 35.

Having been hounded by German bombers in recent times, he aims at the sky.

Reloading a Vis wz. 35 Radom in an animation mostly recycled from the Luger, save for Kowalski thumbing the slide release when empty.

Kowalski arrives to show-off his fancy P-35p pistol to his comrades.

Unbeknownst to his fellow soldiers, Kowalski flags one of his buddies with the chrome P-35p.

Reloading - not too much to say here as it reuses the basic wz. 35's animation.

Shotguns

Becker Model 1899

The Becker Model 1899 is the game's sole shotgun. Being a somewhat obscure hunting shotgun not designed for combat, its presence during the invasion of Poland is dubious.

Becker Model 1899 - 16 gauge

Kowalski overlooks the Baltic coast with a Becker Model 1899 in hand.

Aiming the Becker Model 1899 at the empty amphibious assault site.

Reloading. The ejector rod is correctly used to eject the last shell and then new shells are loaded into the chambers one by one.

Submachine Guns

Haenel MP 28/II

The Haenel MP 28/II appears as the "Maschinenpistole 28" and is encountered in German hands.

Haenel MP 28/II - 9x19mm

After clearing Germans from a trench, Kowalski liberates an MP 28/II for himself, using the oft ill-advised technique of holding it by the magazine well.

Kowalski interrogates another MP 28/II as to the whereabouts of his friends.

Reloading.

MP 40

While called a "Maschinenpistole 38" in-game, this weapon is actually an anachronistic MP 40.

MP 40 - 9x19mm

Kowalski with a time-traveling "Maschinenpistole 38". Note the non-fluted upper part of the receiver and Margolit lower receiver typical for many MP 40s.

Aiming the MP 40 at some suspicious dirt.

Reloading the MP 40. For some reason, every submachine gun produces a large amount of smoke from the barrel- not the muzzle, but rather the entire barrel. This effect is best seen here.

PPD-29

The PPD-29 was added in a post-release update as the "Degtyaryov PPD-30".

PPD-29 - 7.63x25mm Mauser

Kowalski finds himself with an obscure Soviet prototype. Best not to dwell on where he got it.

Aiming the PPD-29 at the frontlines.

Reloading the PPD-29 by removing the pan magazine, placing a new one, and pulling the charging handle. Appropriate for an SMG that resembles a miniature Degtyaryov DP-27.

Thompson M1928

The Thompson M1928 appears under its contemporary Polish designation of "pm Thompson wz. 28".

M1928 Thompson with 50-round drum magazine - .45 ACP

Kowalski brings some American firepower to the front.

Kowalski aims, determined to be the first man to give the Nazis their first taste of .45 ACP.

Reloading. The drum magazine is correctly slid into place and then the charging handle given a tug.

Wz. 39 Mors

The Wz. 39 Mors appears as the "pm Mors wz. 39". It is depicted as much more common in the field than it ever was in real life- only 39 wz. 39s were produced by the start of World War II.

Wz. 39 Mors - 9x19mm

Holding a Wz. 39 Mors at the site of a battered farmstead.

Aiming the Wz. 39 Mors after getting in some field testing on German defenders.

Reloading, Like the other SMGs, the Mors produces a large cloud of black smoke after sustained fire, accompanied by a rather worrying sizzling sound.

Rifles

Karabiner 98k

The Karabiner 98k is, of course, the standard issue rifle of German forces. Referred to as the "Karabiner 98 kurz".

Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Holding a captured Karabiner 98k. The in-game model seems rather compact or squashed.

Aiming the Karabiner 98k. The flag safety seems to have been placed a bit too far forward and the striker incorrectly does not move when fired.

Reloading the Karabiner 98k.

Karabiner 98k with scope
A Karabiner 98k with a scope is used by Wehrmacht snipers. It strangely gets a completely new designation of "Mauser Kar98 Sniper".

Karabiner 98k with Zeiss ZF42 scope - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Kowalski requisitions a scoped Kar98k. The scope and mount do not appear to be based on any used by the Kar98k during the actual war.

Aiming through the scope reveals a classic three-post reticle.

Reloading the scoped Karabiner 98k. No stripper clips this time.

Wz. 29 Mauser

The Wz. 29 Mauser is the standard issue rifle of Polish infantry, marking Land of War as one of this rifle's rare video game appearances. It appears as "kbk Mauser wz.29".

Wz. 29 Mauser - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Kowalski muses on the irony of him and his countrymen fighting Germans with the Kar98k's Polish cousin. Like the Kar98k, this rifle also seems a bit too short.

Aiming the wz. 29 Mauser. Unlike the Kar98k, this Mauser variant lacks a hooded front sight.

Like the Kar98k, however, it is loaded either round-by-round or with a stripper clip.

Wz. 35 Ur

The Wz. 35 Ur appears as "Kb ppanc Ur wz. 35" and is used in its intended role as a stationary anti-tank rifle. Unlike some other depictions of the wz. 35 Ur in video games, it cannot be picked up and used while on the move and is more sensibly used only when the bipod is deployed.

Wz. 35 Ur - 7.92x107mm DS

Wz. 35 Ur in game.

Wz. 35 Ur in game.

Wz. 38M Maroszek

The Wz. 38M Maroszek appears as the "kbsp Maroszka wz. 38M" and is the only self-loading rifle in-game. Like the wz. 39 Mors, the wz. 38M appears much more prominently in-game than it ever did in real life.

Wz. 38M Maroszek - 7.92x57mm Mauser

While holding a Wz. 38M Maroszek, Kowalski surveys a burning farm.

Aiming the wz. 38M reveals sights that are small, but clear and readable.

Reloading. Kowalski loads the rifle with two 8mm Mauser stripper clips (note the second clip in his off hand) before he (very subtly) puts the bolt into battery by pulling the trigger.

Machine Guns

Wz. 08 Maxim

The Maxim MG08 appears as a stationary weapon under its Polish designation of "ckm Maxim wz. 08". It has unlimited ammo, but is governed by a usual video game "overheating" mechanic.

Maxim MG08 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Coming across an MG08.

Kowalski mans the MG08 to defend this particular dirt road.

Wz. 25 Hotchkiss

The Ckm wz. 25 Hotchkiss, a Polish-produced Hotchkiss M1914 in 7.92x57mm Mauser, is another stationary weapon and is incorrectly referred to as "ckm Hotchkiss wz. 14". Unlike the other stationary machine guns, it does not have unlimited ammo and the 30-round belt must be replaced. It is also mounted on some vehicles.

Ckm wz. 25 Hotchkiss - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Ckm wz. 25 Hotchkiss mounted on a TK-3 tankette.

Wz. 28 Browning

The Wz. 28 Browning, a Polish license-produced Browning Automatic Rifle, appears as "rkm Browning wz. 28".

Wz. 28 Browning - 7.92x57mm Mauser

In an absurdly-spacious Warsaw sewer, Kowalski holds a Wz. 28 Browning.

Aiming through the flipped up rear sight.

Reloading through a simple swap of the magazines.

Wz. 30 Browning

The Wz. 30 Browning appears as "ckm Browning wz. 30". It is usually found in machine gun nests and on some vehicles. It is functionally identical to the Maxim MG08.

Wz. 30 Browning - 7.92x57mm Mauser

A Ckm wz. 30 with a belt that would realistically be good for less than five seconds of sustained fire.

Using the Ckm wz. 30 .

A Polish 7 TP twin-turreted tank with two mounted Ckm wz. 30 machine guns.

MG 15

German Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers have rear-mounted MG 15s.

Maschinengewehr 15 with 75-round double drum - 7.92x57mm Mauser

MG 34

The MG 34 with Patronentrommel 34 magazine appears as "Maschinengewehr 34".

MG 34 - 7.92x57mm Mauser. With Patronentrommel 34 - 75 round saddle drum magazine.

Kowalski borrows an MG 34 from the Germans.

Aiming reveals the drum magazine clutters quite a bit of your view. It's an "accuracy through volume" kind of gun.

Reloading. The charging handle is pulled, the magazine swapped, and a new one put in its place.

Launchers

Sturmpistole

The Sturmpistole appears under its real name. It is anachronistic to the game's 1939 setting.

Sturmpistole - 26.65mm

Holding a Sturmpistole.

Aiming the Sturmpistole. The ladder sight is not used to rangefind and Kowalski simply lines up shots through the middle slot.

Explosives

Dynamite

Dynamite is given to complete objectives.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

German soldiers are seen using Model 24 Stielhandgranates.

Model 24 Stielhandgranate

A Model 24 grenade stuck to a German soldier. While presumably meant to be tucked into his belt, it's not quite clear what the grenade is actually affixed to.

Wz. 33 Granat Obronny

The Wz. 33 Granat Obronny is the game's usable grenade, known as "Defensive Grenade wz. 33".

Wz. 33 Granat Obronny

Kowalski prepares to play hot potato with a Wz. 33 grenade.

Mounted

2 cm KwK 30

German Panzer II light tanks, Kfz. 222 scout cars, and Sd.Kfz. 234/1 armored cars are equipped with KwK 30 autocannons.

Kampfwagenkanone 30 mounted on an Sd.Kfz. 222 - 20x138mmB

7.5 cm le.IG 18

Two 7.5 cm le.IG 18 support guns are found during the single-player campaign.

7.5 cm le.IG 18 - 75x89 mm R

The Infanteriegeschütz 18 is seen behind sandbags.

76.2 mm divisional gun M1902

The 76.2 mm divisional gun model 1902.

Putilov Field Gun - 76.2mm (3 in)

8 cm Granatwerfer 34

What appears to be a 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 Mortar is seen during the mission in Warsaw

Granatwerfer (GrW) 34 - 81.4 mm (3.20 in)

8.8 cm Flak 37

The 8.8 cm Flak 37 appears throughout the campaign. It cannot be used, but is often the target of sabotage objectives.

8.8 cm FlaK 37 - 88x571mm R

8.8 cm FlaK 37 in game.

15 cm sIG 33

A German Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. B "Bison" self-propelled gun is seen with a mounted 15 cm sIG 33.

Schweres Infanteriegeschütz (sIG) 33 - 149.1 mm (5.87 in)

Armata 37 mm Hotchkiss wz. 85

An unusable Armata 37 mm Hotchkiss wz. 85 is seen in a trench during the Battle of Mokra.

Armata 37 mm Hotchkiss wz. 85 - 37x94 mm R

Armata 37 mm Hotchkiss wz. 85 in game.

Armata 37 mm Hotchkiss wz. 85 in game.

Armata 152.4 mm Bofors wz. 30

Two Armata 152.4 mm Bofors wz. 30 are stationed on the Hel Peninsula.

Armata 152.4 mm Bofors wz. 30 - 152.4x1250 mm R

Armata 152.4 mm Bofors wz. 30 in game.

Armata 152.4 mm Bofors wz. 30 in game.

Armata przeciwlotnicza 40 mm Bofors wz. 36

The Armata przeciwlotnicza 40 mm Bofors wz. 36, a Polish-produced Bofors 40mm, is used as an anti-aircraft gun, manned by Kowalski in some missions.

Armata przeciwlotnicza 40 mm Bofors wz. 36 - 40x311mmR

Coming across a Armata przeciwlotnicza 40 mm Bofors wz. 36.

Kowalski scans the skies through the gun sight.

Armatka 37 mm Bofors wz. 36

Polish-produced Armatka 37 mm Bofors wz. 36 is used to destroy German armor in some missions. Polish tanks also use the tank gun variant. It is referred to as "Armata ppnac Bofors wz.".

Armatka 37 mm Bofors wz. 36 - 37x257 mm R

After dealing with the planes, Kowalski commandeers a Bofors 37mm to deal with a more grounded threat.

The tiny aperture doesn't allow the operator to see much...

...unless they use the telescopic scope, which Kowalski uses to sight up a Panzer.

A Polish single-turret 7TP tank with a mounted wz. 36 Bofors ppanz.

Nkm wz.38 FK

An Nkm wz.38 FK autocannon is seen mounted on a Polish TK-3 tankette.

Nkm wz.38 FK - 20x138 mm B

Nkm wz.38 FK in game.

Nkm wz.38 FK in game.

Wz. 37 Szczeniak

The Wz. 37 Szczeniak, a flexible aircraft machine gun based on the Browning Automatic Rifle, is used as the defensive gun of the PZL.37B Łoś medium bomber, which contains three. It is referred to as the "ckm Szczeniak wz. 37".

Wz. 37 Szczeniak - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Kowalski finds himself as the tail gunner of a PZL.37B Łoś.

Another threat has Kowalski head to the nose mounted wz. 37.