Pioneer - 120 Manpower Good vs Buildings Primary Builder. Can build and repair Structures. Pioneers can be equipped with Minesweepers and Flamethrowers and can salvage destroyed Vehicles for supplies.
Comments: Pioneers can be used for a lot of things. From building structures to capping points, to setting up sandbags and tank traps, the Axis Pinoneer is your basic peon/soldier in this game. Though weaker than their Allied counter-part, the Pioneer builds faster and comes at a cheaper cost. They can also salvage wrecked vehicles from the field to get back some resources. Other than that, they're pretty much the same as Allied Engineers; they can minesweep and repair and all that good stuff. Keep in mind that for a few munitions, the Pioneer can be upgraded with a portable flamethrower that's highly effective vs. enemy infantry and garrisoned buildings. In fact, they're good if you choose to garrison them in a building too. Just put them in a building located close to a capture point and you'll find that its very hard for your enemy to capture that point without killing the Flamethrowing Pioneers first. If they get close, they'll take a Flamethrower in the face, so they must attack from long range. This allows some time to reinforce that location with your other troops. Also note that Pioneers can form defensive bunkers and lay down mines. Often times, players will place mines over vital crossroads or intersections to destroy enemy armor. I would have to say that besides from building structures, Pioneers should be used to capture points around the map. Because of their good infantry speed and easy production, they're a cheap way to capture points scattered around the map.
Motorcyle - 180 Manpower Good vs Snipers, Weapon Teams A fast reconnaissance Motorcyle. It can utilize its speed to mercilessly hunt down elusive Snipers.
Comments: When using the Motorcyle, you have to realize that these guys are extremely fragile to enemy fire. They have very few hitpoints and take a lot of damage from just about anything. An Allied Machinegun can take a Motorcyle out in 1-2 vollies even without AP rounds. Use Motorcyles exactly what their discription tells you to do: They should be your first choice when chasing down or uncovering enemy Snipers. Because of their fast speed, you can go from point A - which is the 'spacebar' moment one of your units is sniped to point B - which is the location of the Sniper. Once a Sniper is found, he can be quickly dispatched as long as your Motorcyle is facing him and firing. Please note the turn speed of the Motorcycle; if you overrun your Sniper, there's a good chance he might get away. You can also do this to heavy support teams such as the Allied .30 Cal, but be very wary. If you approach from the front and in the MG's line of sight, your Motorcyle will die before it can get close.
Volkgrendiers - 280 Manpower Good vs Infantry Light Infantry with little combat experience.
Comments: Don't let the discription fool you, these guys are definetly NOT that bad. They come equipped with a disposable Panzerfaust at Skrimish Phase and MP40s at Battle Phase. When using these guys you have to realize that they're your basic support infantry. Volkgrendiers' primary role in the game is to capture points away from enemy Engineers. Their superior firepower can give you a fast edge on the enemy as you capture, and kill off enemy Engineer bats. At later Tiers in the Axis game, Volkgrendiers are excellent flanking units because of their MP40 SMG. Just move your units close to your enemy (don't drop and fire), and the Volkgrendiers will do the rest. For 50 munitions per SMG, that's one hell of a cheap close-range upgrade. Another thing all Axis players should remember is that each Volkgrendier battalion comes with a portable, disposable Panzerfaust. For 50 munitions, the player can deliver a AP rocket to any armored vehicle. Because of their fast infantry speed, careful maneuvering of your units could mean the difference between a regular hit and a rear-side critical hit. Panzerfausts are also good on clustered infantry.
MG42 Heavy Machine Gun - 260 Manpower Good vs Infantry An MG42 Heavy Machine Gun with a fire rate of 1200 rounds per minute can devastate Enemy Infantry.
Comments: The MG42 Heavy Machine Gun is one of the best supression weapons in the war. Because of its amazing firing rate, the MG42 is exceptionally good at pinning enemy infantry. In one or two vollies, an MG can quickly cut enemy infantry speeds down to a mere crawl, allowing other units to pick them off with ease. Because of the MG42's slow setup and retreat speeds, much thought and prediction has to go into a player's mind while using his Machine Guns. If you setup too close to enemy lines, you will not be able to retreat the MG in time; thus allowing him to change the foothold of the game. MGs must be deployed at areas where infantry have difficulty reaching. Whether it's in front of a vital capture location, ontop of a Church or behind a wall (heavy cover), MG placement is key in determining the outcome of a Axis player's game. Be careful of enemy Jeeps incoming your location though. Once a Jeep or any other anti-personnel vehicle gets behind a MG it's pretty much over. The key to saving your MG from this kind of situation is to either 1) Flee when you hear the engine noise getting close or 2) Re-deploy in a position facing the flanking Jeep. If he runs in with a Jeep and sees that your MG is pointing towards him instead of away, it's most likely that's the last thing he's going to see. In the case of armored cars or half-tracks however, your best choice is to flee because your bullets will have no effect what so ever.
Sniper - 340 Manpower Good vs Infantry Highly skilled Sharpshooter, effective against all Infantry. Can use Camouflage ability.
Comments: The Sniper can be one of the most deadly units in the game when used correctly. First and foremost, the Sniper doesn't always need to be camouflaged. Because of the Sniper's superior range and accuracy, he can make short work of any target from a distance. All he needs is the time to set up his shot. An example of this would be when a Sniper picks off a batch of Rifleman capturing a point. If the Rifleman locates the Sniper and runs towards his location, don't just sit there with your camouflage god damnit - RUN! The Sniper is no fat-ass, he can fire off a shot, pull the entire bat towards him while making equal distance if he just keeps running. Once the enemy bat stops or gives up the chase, drop on the ground and pick off another target. You can rinse and repeat as many times as you need to seriously annoy your enemy. Just remember that the Sniper is a fast-moving unit that can better aide you in actual combat situations if he's out of cloak. When picking off MG nests or anything that'll cause serious harm to your Sniper if spotted, get yourself some good cover and clear line of sight. Use camouflage and start ripping away at the enemies' units. Lastly, but most importantly, is the ability to locate and kill enemy Snipers aka Counter-Sniping. Once you go under cloak, there's an option to Hold Fire on your Sniper. I can't stress how important this ability is. It not only saves you from being counter-sniped, but it allows your Sniper to be your eye on the field to spot and kill the highest threat to your army. An example of counter-sniping would be this: When your units locate (and when I say locate, I mean take a bullet to the face) an enemy Sniper, move your Sniper (cloaked with Hold Fire) in a clear line of sight of the enemy Sniper. If the enemy Sniper takes another shot, make sure it's going to be his last - Target the enemy Sniper yourself and kill it. Just remember that for 340 manpower, losing yours or killing an enemy Sniper can seriously deter the game's outcome. It not only sets him/yourself back, but it allows units to take the field more freely.
Skrimish Phase - TIER2
Sdkfz 251 Halftrack - 220 Manpower, 20 Fuel Troop Transport Can transport and Reinforce Troops in and out of battle. Can be equipped with Wufrahmen 40 rockets ("Stuka zu Fuss") or Flamethrowers.
Comments: The Axis half-track primary role is to transport your fleeing units back to the field with armored resilience. When Infantry units are within proximity of the Half-track, you'll be able to reinforce squads just like you would if you were by the HQ. Once units board the armored vehicle, they will automatically mount the Machine Gun ontop of the APC and kill whatever's in their line of sight. This could be very helpful if you want to move your MG back into position after being forced to retreat. Another, more popular version of the half-track is the Flamethrowing version called the Flammenwerfer. For 20 fuel and 100 munitions in Tier3 Assault Phase, an Axis player can choose whether or not to sacrafice the APC's ability to transport units or make it a bullet-resistent flamethrower. With the Flamethrowers attached, the Axis half-track can clean out enemy MGs/Snipers/Rifles from any building, anywhere on the map in a very short amount of time. Because of its fast speed and multi-directional flame turrets, the Flammenwerfer can cause some serious problem to the garrison-lovers. At Tier4 Battle Phase, commanders can also choose to upgrade to another version of the half-track called Stuka zu Fuss or "Walking Stukas". With Wufrahmen 40 rockets, you can barrge your enemies lines from a very safe distance. Just make sure you watch out for Allied AP rounds (MG and Anti-Tank). A few hits from those and you'll go down in no time.
Grendiers - 300 Manpower Good vs Infantry Formed the backbone of the Axis forces. Can be equipped with MG42s and Panzershreks.
Comments: The Grendiers of the Reich are exceptionally good at one thing: Taking down enemy armor. Because of the fact that Grendiers can be upgraded with 2x Panzershreks at 75 munitions per zooka, they can do twice the amount of damage a Volkgrendier's Panzershrek can do, for free. Once you upgrade, you don't need to spend anymore munitions. Grendiers can also lobe grenades into buildings/clustered enemy infantry. Since Axis grenades cost more, they do slightly more damage than the Allied grenades, so expect to kill a good amount of people if you throw it in a garrisoned building. Last but not least, they can be upgraded with a portable version of the MG42 Machine Gun to increase their effectiveness against enemy infantry. Keep in mind that if you upgrade them with MGs, Grendiers will lose a little bit of their speed.
Gr.34 8cm Mortar Team - 270 Manpower Good vs Infantry The Granatewerfer 34 8cm Mortar provides indirect fire support.
Comments: Mortars are good at one thing and one thing only: To clear out garrisoned buildings from a safe distance. Since Mortar teams have amazing range, they can drop load after load of mortar shells onto buildings with virtually no retaliation. Just keep in mind that Mortar squads take time to deploy and retreat, just like the MG so run when you hear the sound of any form of threat. They're completely vulnerable to anything, including engineers so retreat at the first sign of trouble. I'm not quite sure how many shells it takes to clear out a building, but I do know that if a shell goes into a building with an opened top, you'll kill many (if not all) of the buildings' inhabitants. Like with all explosive shells, critical hits through an direct opening can clear buildings out completely.
Pak 38 50mm Anti-Tank Gun - 310 Manpower Good vs Tanks Long range Anti-Tank weapon with good armor penetration, but little area of effect. The Pak 38 can Camouflage to ambush Enemy Vehicles.
Comments: Armor penetration from out of cloak is always good, but unfortunely, that's the only thing they're good for. Anti-Tank guns can wreck light armor to no remorse, and take no damage from them on top of that. A few shells can destroy any lightly-armored vehicle, especially when they're shot in their rear. Just beware of the AT Gun's long deployment speeds and firing rates. They might down vechiles really easily, but they take forever to set up and even longer to retreat. Once you're flanked or under fire from enemy infantry, you're pretty much screwed. The AT Gun crew works similarly like the MG crew. In other words, they're classed as Infantry. That also means they're Sniper bait and get rocked by close-ranged SMGs (Sub-Machine Gun) or any other kind of flanking infantry-type weaponary. Remember, this is an Anti-Tank Gun - they excel at penetrating enemy armor but they absolutely SUCK at killing infantry or garrisons. Support your AT team with as much anti-infantry as possible; an MG42 behind the ATG unit would do pretty well.
Assault Phase - TIER3
Sdkfz 234 Armored Car - 280 Manpower, 25 Fuel Good vs Infantry A fast-moving reconnaissance Vehicle. Pumas are equipped with a 50mm Anti-Tank Gun.
Comments: The Axis Armored Cars are one of the most versatile units in the game; especially if they're upgraded with their 50mm Pumas. They're more armored than the half-track and dish out more firepower. Armored cars come complete with a garrison-clearing machine gun and for 75 munitions, you can upgrade them with a small-calibar ATG. The good thing about armored cars is the speed at which they move around the map. They can support friendly lines from anywhere on the map with anti-infantry and anti-armor capabilities. The only downside to these guys is their vulnerbility to Armor-piercing weapons such as the Anti-Tank Gun, Rifleman's sticky bombs or the Ranger's Bazooka. A few hits from any of these weapons could destroy or disable the Armored Car's ability to move; thus making it prone to more attacks. As with all light-armored vehicles, watch out for Allied Tank Destroyers or Shermans. A hit from one of those monsters will definetly send a Armored Car running.
Officer - 340 Manpower Highly experienced officers who led by example fighting from the front. Can suprise Buildings to improve production, call in Mortar fire on Enemy Units, and Rout Enemy Forces.
Comments: The Officer comes with many abilities that can cause problems to the Allied forces. It can rout enemy forces (75 munitions) by making flee; extremely effective if you want to send a Ranger/Rifleman bat away from your Armor, and it can cripple enemy infantry with it's ability to call in Mortar fire. Once you hit Tier4, Officers get the ability to call in bombardment at a moderate munitions cost. The ability it similar to the Defensive Doctrine's Registered Artillery, so it does very good AoE damage to anything caught in its path. Use it only when you need it, or else it'll be a waste of resources. Another useful ability that the Officer has is Supervision. At no cost, the Officer can "supervise" any structure, noticibly increasing it's production speed. With this capability, you can choose whether to produce faster armor or faster infantry depending on what your game needs. If there's one thing you should know about Offiers, is that they're the biggest Sniper bait in the entire game. For a 340 manpower single unit with no cloak, keep your Officer at base supervising instead of prancing around on the frontlines. Only bring him out if you're sure there's no Sniper in the vicinity.
150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery - 385 Manpower Area of Effect Barrage, Good vs Infantry The Nebelwerfer can launch six 150mm Rockets.
Comments: Aside from their ability to bombard into shroud, I can't say much about the Nebelwerfer. They're expensive, they're inaccurate and they barely do any damage to be considered useful. Sorry to say; for 385 Manpower, I'd rather build a Sniper if I want to pick off some enemy units. The rockets on these things are just too damn inaccurate to use them against enemy units on the field. If you do decide to build this unit, make sure you send the bombard towards his base where there's virtually no chance of missing his key structures. If you keep bombard (since it's free), he'll have to sit back and repair with Engineers repairing all the time instead of repairing his tanks on the field. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and kill some Engineers when they're repairing his base.
Stug IV - 340 Manpower, 50 Fuel Good vs Infantry, Tanks The Stug IV is armed with a fixed 75mm Main Gun. The Stug IV is effective at supporting infantry and ambushing Enemy Tanks.
Comments: This is your first full-track heavy tank in the game. You get these guys pretty early and they're hella cheap compared to Tier4 Armor, so keep note of that. With a 75mm Main Gun, you can bust open any form of light armored vehicle without even trying. If you get one of these guys on the field in time for enemy half-tracks or armored cars, say goodbye to whatever he has. One shot from this thing's cannon can put a whole the size of God's fist in any light armor. Just be careful of sticky bombs or bazooka's when trying to maneuver this thing. It's slow, it's clumsy and it needs a lot of clicks to properly turn it. Whatever you do, just don't expose the back armor to the Stug. Like all Axis Heavy Armor, they take heavy damage from the rear, so keep its face pointing towards the enemy's AT/AP at ALL times. It's track turn speed is too slow to turn around, retreat and hope to live. That should be your motto for all your heavy armor.
Battle Phase - TIER4
Knight's Cross Holders - 390 Manpower Good vs Infantry Elite assault Troops equipped with MP44s. Excel in all combat situations.
Comments: The elite of the elite infantry basically. Their MP44s makes mincemeat out of anything that they get close to. To properly use these guys, you need to get in close to the enemy's infantry and circle strafe around them. If you find some close cover by them, get behind that too. Pretend you're playing Quake from a bird's eye view and nail enemy infantry in the wall. The only thing that can stop these guys is armored vehicles with anti-personeel weapons, flamethrowers or machine guns. They rip apart AT Gun crews, MG crews, Mortar crews, just about anything they can get close enough to. A few of these guys behind an Axis Tank could ruin any Allied player's day.
Ostwind Flakpanzer - 410 Manpower, 40 Fuel Good vs Infantry, Light Vehicles Armed with a rapid firing 37mm Gun that can target Aircraft, Light Vehicles, and Infantry.
Comments: The Flakpanzer is one of the best units available in the Axis War Machine. Their auto-loading, rapid-firing 37mm Gun rips apart all forms of Infantry, light-armored vehicles and enemy airborne. Because of their fast moving nature and constant stream of pressure, they can supress and eliminate Rangers as well. You can stay out of reach of sticky bombs while you bombard enemy Rifleman and when in trouble, you can flee back to your base at a excellent pace. Just remember that the Flakpanzer is a lightly-armored vehicle. It can withstand bullets pretty well, but in terms of armor it's still classifed as Light. A shot from a Sherman, a Tank Destroyer or a AT Gun can put a serious dent in the Flakpanzer's armor. If you're feeling brave, you can try to circle strafe those units I just named to maximize your damage while their turrets rotating. Often times you can find yourself behind the AT Gun simply because of your speed. If you can find yourself some good cover to sneak around, Flakpanzers can kill an entire AT crew in a matter of seconds. Just like any other infantry.
Panzer IV - 410 Manpower, 80 Fuel Good vs Infantry, Tanks The mainstay of the Panzer divisions, the Panzer IV is capable of tackling enemy Tanks at range. Veteran Panzers are equipped with armor skirts and a MG42.
Comments: This is your first Tier4 Axis heavy tank. Cost and production wise, it's basically a more armored version of the Allied Sherman. Because of its better armor and stronger gun, the Panzer IV can wreck any type of Allied vehicle in a stand-up fight. Be extra careful when piloting one of these units though, the Panzer IV is a very heavy unit, just like the Stug. It's turret turns slowly as do it's track and overall locomotion. It's highly vulnerable to sticky bombs and Ranger strikes, especially when they Fire Up and get behind the Panzer's sweet spot. Always have anti-infantry support to go with your heavy tanks or in this case, you can choose to upgrade a MG42 (upgrade Veteran Tanks). A few stickies can disable the Panzer; and it's time like those where you stand your ground and fire till your last shot. It's pointless to retreat at that time.
Panther - 640 Manpower, 140 Fuel Good vs. Tanks The Panther is one of the best Tanks in the war. Armed with a deadly 75mm main Gun and exceptional frontal armor, the Panther's only weakness is its rear and top armor.
Comments: Here you have the most expensive purchaseble unit in the game. At 640 Manpower and 140 Fuel, this Heavy Tank sure serves it's purpose. From the front, almost every type of Anti-Tank weapon in the game does little or no damage. Because of the reinforced slope-designed armor on the Panther and Tiger, there's a high chance that shells will simply be reflected off or do no damage. That's what makes the Panther so deadly. Anyone trying to assault a Panther from the front is either suicidal, or has a large amount of money to throw around. The only weakness that the Panther has is it's rear and top armor. By top armor, that means Artillery can cause some serious damage to it because it counts as a critical hit. By rear armor, that means that Rangers are going to have a field day with Fire Up. Make sure your Panthers come with either Knight's Cross or MG42 support. Losing one of these guys will not only give your enemy a large amount of experience and veterancy, but it will also cost you big in the money game. As with all Axis Heavy Tanks; your motto should be fight to the death if the engine is destroyed. Use every last bit of your 75mm Gun to cause as much death as possible.
This post has been edited by HERO: Sep 2 2006, 06:53 AM
About Volks. Sometimes early game when i upgrade them with an MP40 only one gets it. Thats all cool, but in a later tier (i think it might be T4) when you get the upgrade for MP40, does the whole squad recieve one? I sometimes see 5 members all running around gatting people up with the MP40s.
About Volks. Sometimes early game when i upgrade them with an MP40 only one gets it. Thats all cool, but in a later tier (i think it might be T4) when you get the upgrade for MP40, does the whole squad recieve one? I sometimes see 5 members all running around gatting people up with the MP40s.
If you upgrade, all of them gets it. If not, then only one guy has one (lucky bastard).
nice guide but what infantry can cloak? i was playing a game agaisnt andyp and some of his infantry were cloaked (they had RPG's) anyone know what their called?
The How-to Guide to Success
Pioneer - 120 Manpower
Good vs Buildings
Primary Builder. Can build and repair Structures. Pioneers can be equipped with Minesweepers and Flamethrowers and can salvage destroyed Vehicles for supplies.
Comments: Pioneers can be used for a lot of things. From building structures to capping points, to setting up sandbags and tank traps, the Axis Pinoneer is your basic peon/soldier in this game. Though weaker than their Allied counter-part, the Pioneer builds faster and comes at a cheaper cost. They can also salvage wrecked vehicles from the field to get back some resources. Other than that, they're pretty much the same as Allied Engineers; they can minesweep and repair and all that good stuff. Keep in mind that for a few munitions, the Pioneer can be upgraded with a portable flamethrower that's highly effective vs. enemy infantry and garrisoned buildings. In fact, they're good if you choose to garrison them in a building too. Just put them in a building located close to a capture point and you'll find that its very hard for your enemy to capture that point without killing the Flamethrowing Pioneers first. If they get close, they'll take a Flamethrower in the face, so they must attack from long range. This allows some time to reinforce that location with your other troops. Also note that Pioneers can form defensive bunkers and lay down mines. Often times, players will place mines over vital crossroads or intersections to destroy enemy armor. I would have to say that besides from building structures, Pioneers should be used to capture points around the map. Because of their good infantry speed and easy production, they're a cheap way to capture points scattered around the map.
Motorcyle - 180 Manpower
Good vs Snipers, Weapon Teams
A fast reconnaissance Motorcyle. It can utilize its speed to mercilessly hunt down elusive Snipers.
Comments: When using the Motorcyle, you have to realize that these guys are extremely fragile to enemy fire. They have very few hitpoints and take a lot of damage from just about anything. An Allied Machinegun can take a Motorcyle out in 1-2 vollies even without AP rounds. Use Motorcyles exactly what their discription tells you to do: They should be your first choice when chasing down or uncovering enemy Snipers. Because of their fast speed, you can go from point A - which is the 'spacebar' moment one of your units is sniped to point B - which is the location of the Sniper. Once a Sniper is found, he can be quickly dispatched as long as your Motorcyle is facing him and firing. Please note the turn speed of the Motorcycle; if you overrun your Sniper, there's a good chance he might get away. You can also do this to heavy support teams such as the Allied .30 Cal, but be very wary. If you approach from the front and in the MG's line of sight, your Motorcyle will die before it can get close.
Volkgrendiers - 280 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
Light Infantry with little combat experience.
Comments: Don't let the discription fool you, these guys are definetly NOT that bad. They come equipped with a disposable Panzerfaust at Skrimish Phase and MP40s at Battle Phase. When using these guys you have to realize that they're your basic support infantry. Volkgrendiers' primary role in the game is to capture points away from enemy Engineers. Their superior firepower can give you a fast edge on the enemy as you capture, and kill off enemy Engineer bats. At later Tiers in the Axis game, Volkgrendiers are excellent flanking units because of their MP40 SMG. Just move your units close to your enemy (don't drop and fire), and the Volkgrendiers will do the rest. For 50 munitions per SMG, that's one hell of a cheap close-range upgrade. Another thing all Axis players should remember is that each Volkgrendier battalion comes with a portable, disposable Panzerfaust. For 50 munitions, the player can deliver a AP rocket to any armored vehicle. Because of their fast infantry speed, careful maneuvering of your units could mean the difference between a regular hit and a rear-side critical hit. Panzerfausts are also good on clustered infantry.
MG42 Heavy Machine Gun - 260 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
An MG42 Heavy Machine Gun with a fire rate of 1200 rounds per minute can devastate Enemy Infantry.
Comments: The MG42 Heavy Machine Gun is one of the best supression weapons in the war. Because of its amazing firing rate, the MG42 is exceptionally good at pinning enemy infantry. In one or two vollies, an MG can quickly cut enemy infantry speeds down to a mere crawl, allowing other units to pick them off with ease. Because of the MG42's slow setup and retreat speeds, much thought and prediction has to go into a player's mind while using his Machine Guns. If you setup too close to enemy lines, you will not be able to retreat the MG in time; thus allowing him to change the foothold of the game. MGs must be deployed at areas where infantry have difficulty reaching. Whether it's in front of a vital capture location, ontop of a Church or behind a wall (heavy cover), MG placement is key in determining the outcome of a Axis player's game. Be careful of enemy Jeeps incoming your location though. Once a Jeep or any other anti-personnel vehicle gets behind a MG it's pretty much over. The key to saving your MG from this kind of situation is to either 1) Flee when you hear the engine noise getting close or 2) Re-deploy in a position facing the flanking Jeep. If he runs in with a Jeep and sees that your MG is pointing towards him instead of away, it's most likely that's the last thing he's going to see. In the case of armored cars or half-tracks however, your best choice is to flee because your bullets will have no effect what so ever.
Sniper - 340 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
Highly skilled Sharpshooter, effective against all Infantry. Can use Camouflage ability.
Comments: The Sniper can be one of the most deadly units in the game when used correctly. First and foremost, the Sniper doesn't always need to be camouflaged. Because of the Sniper's superior range and accuracy, he can make short work of any target from a distance. All he needs is the time to set up his shot. An example of this would be when a Sniper picks off a batch of Rifleman capturing a point. If the Rifleman locates the Sniper and runs towards his location, don't just sit there with your camouflage god damnit - RUN! The Sniper is no fat-ass, he can fire off a shot, pull the entire bat towards him while making equal distance if he just keeps running. Once the enemy bat stops or gives up the chase, drop on the ground and pick off another target. You can rinse and repeat as many times as you need to seriously annoy your enemy. Just remember that the Sniper is a fast-moving unit that can better aide you in actual combat situations if he's out of cloak. When picking off MG nests or anything that'll cause serious harm to your Sniper if spotted, get yourself some good cover and clear line of sight. Use camouflage and start ripping away at the enemies' units. Lastly, but most importantly, is the ability to locate and kill enemy Snipers aka Counter-Sniping. Once you go under cloak, there's an option to Hold Fire on your Sniper. I can't stress how important this ability is. It not only saves you from being counter-sniped, but it allows your Sniper to be your eye on the field to spot and kill the highest threat to your army. An example of counter-sniping would be this: When your units locate (and when I say locate, I mean take a bullet to the face) an enemy Sniper, move your Sniper (cloaked with Hold Fire) in a clear line of sight of the enemy Sniper. If the enemy Sniper takes another shot, make sure it's going to be his last - Target the enemy Sniper yourself and kill it. Just remember that for 340 manpower, losing yours or killing an enemy Sniper can seriously deter the game's outcome. It not only sets him/yourself back, but it allows units to take the field more freely.
Skrimish Phase - TIER2
Sdkfz 251 Halftrack - 220 Manpower, 20 Fuel
Troop Transport
Can transport and Reinforce Troops in and out of battle. Can be equipped with Wufrahmen 40 rockets ("Stuka zu Fuss") or Flamethrowers.
Comments: The Axis half-track primary role is to transport your fleeing units back to the field with armored resilience. When Infantry units are within proximity of the Half-track, you'll be able to reinforce squads just like you would if you were by the HQ. Once units board the armored vehicle, they will automatically mount the Machine Gun ontop of the APC and kill whatever's in their line of sight. This could be very helpful if you want to move your MG back into position after being forced to retreat. Another, more popular version of the half-track is the Flamethrowing version called the Flammenwerfer. For 20 fuel and 100 munitions in Tier3 Assault Phase, an Axis player can choose whether or not to sacrafice the APC's ability to transport units or make it a bullet-resistent flamethrower. With the Flamethrowers attached, the Axis half-track can clean out enemy MGs/Snipers/Rifles from any building, anywhere on the map in a very short amount of time. Because of its fast speed and multi-directional flame turrets, the Flammenwerfer can cause some serious problem to the garrison-lovers. At Tier4 Battle Phase, commanders can also choose to upgrade to another version of the half-track called Stuka zu Fuss or "Walking Stukas". With Wufrahmen 40 rockets, you can barrge your enemies lines from a very safe distance. Just make sure you watch out for Allied AP rounds (MG and Anti-Tank). A few hits from those and you'll go down in no time.
Grendiers - 300 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
Formed the backbone of the Axis forces. Can be equipped with MG42s and Panzershreks.
Comments: The Grendiers of the Reich are exceptionally good at one thing: Taking down enemy armor. Because of the fact that Grendiers can be upgraded with 2x Panzershreks at 75 munitions per zooka, they can do twice the amount of damage a Volkgrendier's Panzershrek can do, for free. Once you upgrade, you don't need to spend anymore munitions. Grendiers can also lobe grenades into buildings/clustered enemy infantry. Since Axis grenades cost more, they do slightly more damage than the Allied grenades, so expect to kill a good amount of people if you throw it in a garrisoned building. Last but not least, they can be upgraded with a portable version of the MG42 Machine Gun to increase their effectiveness against enemy infantry. Keep in mind that if you upgrade them with MGs, Grendiers will lose a little bit of their speed.
Gr.34 8cm Mortar Team - 270 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
The Granatewerfer 34 8cm Mortar provides indirect fire support.
Comments: Mortars are good at one thing and one thing only: To clear out garrisoned buildings from a safe distance. Since Mortar teams have amazing range, they can drop load after load of mortar shells onto buildings with virtually no retaliation. Just keep in mind that Mortar squads take time to deploy and retreat, just like the MG so run when you hear the sound of any form of threat. They're completely vulnerable to anything, including engineers so retreat at the first sign of trouble. I'm not quite sure how many shells it takes to clear out a building, but I do know that if a shell goes into a building with an opened top, you'll kill many (if not all) of the buildings' inhabitants. Like with all explosive shells, critical hits through an direct opening can clear buildings out completely.
Pak 38 50mm Anti-Tank Gun - 310 Manpower
Good vs Tanks
Long range Anti-Tank weapon with good armor penetration, but little area of effect. The Pak 38 can Camouflage to ambush Enemy Vehicles.
Comments: Armor penetration from out of cloak is always good, but unfortunely, that's the only thing they're good for. Anti-Tank guns can wreck light armor to no remorse, and take no damage from them on top of that. A few shells can destroy any lightly-armored vehicle, especially when they're shot in their rear. Just beware of the AT Gun's long deployment speeds and firing rates. They might down vechiles really easily, but they take forever to set up and even longer to retreat. Once you're flanked or under fire from enemy infantry, you're pretty much screwed. The AT Gun crew works similarly like the MG crew. In other words, they're classed as Infantry. That also means they're Sniper bait and get rocked by close-ranged SMGs (Sub-Machine Gun) or any other kind of flanking infantry-type weaponary. Remember, this is an Anti-Tank Gun - they excel at penetrating enemy armor but they absolutely SUCK at killing infantry or garrisons. Support your AT team with as much anti-infantry as possible; an MG42 behind the ATG unit would do pretty well.
Assault Phase - TIER3
Sdkfz 234 Armored Car - 280 Manpower, 25 Fuel
Good vs Infantry
A fast-moving reconnaissance Vehicle. Pumas are equipped with a 50mm Anti-Tank Gun.
Comments: The Axis Armored Cars are one of the most versatile units in the game; especially if they're upgraded with their 50mm Pumas. They're more armored than the half-track and dish out more firepower. Armored cars come complete with a garrison-clearing machine gun and for 75 munitions, you can upgrade them with a small-calibar ATG. The good thing about armored cars is the speed at which they move around the map. They can support friendly lines from anywhere on the map with anti-infantry and anti-armor capabilities. The only downside to these guys is their vulnerbility to Armor-piercing weapons such as the Anti-Tank Gun, Rifleman's sticky bombs or the Ranger's Bazooka. A few hits from any of these weapons could destroy or disable the Armored Car's ability to move; thus making it prone to more attacks. As with all light-armored vehicles, watch out for Allied Tank Destroyers or Shermans. A hit from one of those monsters will definetly send a Armored Car running.
Officer - 340 Manpower
Highly experienced officers who led by example fighting from the front. Can suprise Buildings to improve production, call in Mortar fire on Enemy Units, and Rout Enemy Forces.
Comments: The Officer comes with many abilities that can cause problems to the Allied forces. It can rout enemy forces (75 munitions) by making flee; extremely effective if you want to send a Ranger/Rifleman bat away from your Armor, and it can cripple enemy infantry with it's ability to call in Mortar fire. Once you hit Tier4, Officers get the ability to call in bombardment at a moderate munitions cost. The ability it similar to the Defensive Doctrine's Registered Artillery, so it does very good AoE damage to anything caught in its path. Use it only when you need it, or else it'll be a waste of resources. Another useful ability that the Officer has is Supervision. At no cost, the Officer can "supervise" any structure, noticibly increasing it's production speed. With this capability, you can choose whether to produce faster armor or faster infantry depending on what your game needs. If there's one thing you should know about Offiers, is that they're the biggest Sniper bait in the entire game. For a 340 manpower single unit with no cloak, keep your Officer at base supervising instead of prancing around on the frontlines. Only bring him out if you're sure there's no Sniper in the vicinity.
150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery - 385 Manpower
Area of Effect Barrage, Good vs Infantry
The Nebelwerfer can launch six 150mm Rockets.
Comments: Aside from their ability to bombard into shroud, I can't say much about the Nebelwerfer. They're expensive, they're inaccurate and they barely do any damage to be considered useful. Sorry to say; for 385 Manpower, I'd rather build a Sniper if I want to pick off some enemy units. The rockets on these things are just too damn inaccurate to use them against enemy units on the field. If you do decide to build this unit, make sure you send the bombard towards his base where there's virtually no chance of missing his key structures. If you keep bombard (since it's free), he'll have to sit back and repair with Engineers repairing all the time instead of repairing his tanks on the field. Who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and kill some Engineers when they're repairing his base.
Stug IV - 340 Manpower, 50 Fuel
Good vs Infantry, Tanks
The Stug IV is armed with a fixed 75mm Main Gun. The Stug IV is effective at supporting infantry and ambushing Enemy Tanks.
Comments: This is your first full-track heavy tank in the game. You get these guys pretty early and they're hella cheap compared to Tier4 Armor, so keep note of that. With a 75mm Main Gun, you can bust open any form of light armored vehicle without even trying. If you get one of these guys on the field in time for enemy half-tracks or armored cars, say goodbye to whatever he has. One shot from this thing's cannon can put a whole the size of God's fist in any light armor. Just be careful of sticky bombs or bazooka's when trying to maneuver this thing. It's slow, it's clumsy and it needs a lot of clicks to properly turn it. Whatever you do, just don't expose the back armor to the Stug. Like all Axis Heavy Armor, they take heavy damage from the rear, so keep its face pointing towards the enemy's AT/AP at ALL times. It's track turn speed is too slow to turn around, retreat and hope to live. That should be your motto for all your heavy armor.
Battle Phase - TIER4
Knight's Cross Holders - 390 Manpower
Good vs Infantry
Elite assault Troops equipped with MP44s. Excel in all combat situations.
Comments: The elite of the elite infantry basically. Their MP44s makes mincemeat out of anything that they get close to. To properly use these guys, you need to get in close to the enemy's infantry and circle strafe around them. If you find some close cover by them, get behind that too. Pretend you're playing Quake from a bird's eye view and nail enemy infantry in the wall. The only thing that can stop these guys is armored vehicles with anti-personeel weapons, flamethrowers or machine guns. They rip apart AT Gun crews, MG crews, Mortar crews, just about anything they can get close enough to. A few of these guys behind an Axis Tank could ruin any Allied player's day.
Ostwind Flakpanzer - 410 Manpower, 40 Fuel
Good vs Infantry, Light Vehicles
Armed with a rapid firing 37mm Gun that can target Aircraft, Light Vehicles, and Infantry.
Comments: The Flakpanzer is one of the best units available in the Axis War Machine. Their auto-loading, rapid-firing 37mm Gun rips apart all forms of Infantry, light-armored vehicles and enemy airborne. Because of their fast moving nature and constant stream of pressure, they can supress and eliminate Rangers as well. You can stay out of reach of sticky bombs while you bombard enemy Rifleman and when in trouble, you can flee back to your base at a excellent pace. Just remember that the Flakpanzer is a lightly-armored vehicle. It can withstand bullets pretty well, but in terms of armor it's still classifed as Light. A shot from a Sherman, a Tank Destroyer or a AT Gun can put a serious dent in the Flakpanzer's armor. If you're feeling brave, you can try to circle strafe those units I just named to maximize your damage while their turrets rotating. Often times you can find yourself behind the AT Gun simply because of your speed. If you can find yourself some good cover to sneak around, Flakpanzers can kill an entire AT crew in a matter of seconds. Just like any other infantry.
Panzer IV - 410 Manpower, 80 Fuel
Good vs Infantry, Tanks
The mainstay of the Panzer divisions, the Panzer IV is capable of tackling enemy Tanks at range. Veteran Panzers are equipped with armor skirts and a MG42.
Comments: This is your first Tier4 Axis heavy tank. Cost and production wise, it's basically a more armored version of the Allied Sherman. Because of its better armor and stronger gun, the Panzer IV can wreck any type of Allied vehicle in a stand-up fight. Be extra careful when piloting one of these units though, the Panzer IV is a very heavy unit, just like the Stug. It's turret turns slowly as do it's track and overall locomotion. It's highly vulnerable to sticky bombs and Ranger strikes, especially when they Fire Up and get behind the Panzer's sweet spot. Always have anti-infantry support to go with your heavy tanks or in this case, you can choose to upgrade a MG42 (upgrade Veteran Tanks). A few stickies can disable the Panzer; and it's time like those where you stand your ground and fire till your last shot. It's pointless to retreat at that time.
Panther - 640 Manpower, 140 Fuel
Good vs. Tanks
The Panther is one of the best Tanks in the war. Armed with a deadly 75mm main Gun and exceptional frontal armor, the Panther's only weakness is its rear and top armor.
Comments: Here you have the most expensive purchaseble unit in the game. At 640 Manpower and 140 Fuel, this Heavy Tank sure serves it's purpose. From the front, almost every type of Anti-Tank weapon in the game does little or no damage. Because of the reinforced slope-designed armor on the Panther and Tiger, there's a high chance that shells will simply be reflected off or do no damage. That's what makes the Panther so deadly. Anyone trying to assault a Panther from the front is either suicidal, or has a large amount of money to throw around. The only weakness that the Panther has is it's rear and top armor. By top armor, that means Artillery can cause some serious damage to it because it counts as a critical hit. By rear armor, that means that Rangers are going to have a field day with Fire Up. Make sure your Panthers come with either Knight's Cross or MG42 support. Losing one of these guys will not only give your enemy a large amount of experience and veterancy, but it will also cost you big in the money game. As with all Axis Heavy Tanks; your motto should be fight to the death if the engine is destroyed. Use every last bit of your 75mm Gun to cause as much death as possible.
This post has been edited by HERO: Sep 2 2006, 06:53 AM
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