Factions

Factions - Holdfast: Nations At War

Factions in Holdfast: Nations At War are split across two major historical periods: the Napoleonic Era (Nations At War mode) and the Frontlines Era (World War 1 mode). While many core classes are common across all factions in a given era, unique units and special mechanics give each nation distinct characteristics.

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Napoleonic Era (Nations At War)

This era features the great powers and minor contenders of the Coalition Wars (1792–1815).

Faction	Historical Role	Availability	Playable Modes	Unique Characteristics & Classes
The British Empire	Major contender in the Coalition Wars.	Early Access	Land, Naval Assault, Naval Battlefield, Coastal Siege	Unique Classes: The British Empire is the only faction with access to Rocketeers and Bagpipers (Morale Boosters).
The French Empire	Major contender in the Coalition Wars.	Early Access	Land, Naval Assault, Naval Battlefield, Coastal Siege	Known for being playable in all land and sea modes. The French Cuirassier is cosmetically distinct from other dragoon classes.
The Kingdom of Prussia	Joined the War of the First Coalition and later the War of the Fourth Coalition+.	Added in v0.14	Land only	N/A (Standard Napoleonic classes)
The Russian Empire	Joined the War of the Second Coalition+.	Added in v1.0	Land only	Russian units often receive a sword as a sidearm, providing an advantage in close-quarters melee over basic units of other nations.
The Kingdom of Italy	Minor contender, in Personal Union with Napoleon.	Added in v1.15	Land only	N/A (Standard Napoleonic classes)
The Austrian Empire	Major player in the Coalition Wars.	Added in v2.11	Land only	N/A (Standard Napoleonic classes)

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Frontlines Era (World War 1)

The Frontlines expansion shifts the setting to World War I, featuring two major coalitions with nations represented under them. The gameplay focuses on faster-paced combat, trenches, and more modern weaponry like rifles, machine guns, and artillery.

Coalition	Nations Represented	Key Unit/Class Information
The Allied Powers	British Empire, France, Australia, United States (via American Forces DLC)	Features nation-specific classes (e.g., Allied Engineers are represented by Australian forces). Utilize a diverse arsenal including rifles, machine guns, and grenades.
The Central Powers	German Infantry (Primary focus, with potential for expansion to other Central Powers nations)	The primary antagonist force, currently centered on German infantry and weaponry.

Frontlines Classes

The class system is based on specialized roles in modern warfare:

• Infantry Officer: Critical for teamwork, as they enable the Squad System and can deploy Squad Camps (forward spawn positions). Equipped with a quick-firing Revolver and Smoke Grenades to provide cover for advances.
• Rifleman: The main combat role. Equipped with accurate Rifles with faster firing/reloading times compared to Napoleonic muskets. Skilled marksmen can achieve instant headshot kills.
• Combat Medic: Responsible for healing and reviving troops on the front line.
• Artilleryman: Operates the heavy artillery pieces, requiring teamwork to move, load, pack, and fire the cannons.
• Engineer: Responsible for constructing defenses like sandbags, barbwire, and repair structures. In the Allied Powers, this class is represented by Australian forces.