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Company of Heroes

Axis Unit & Commander Guide

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# 1Sepha Oct 16 2006, 04:17 AM
A BIG THANKS to HERO for making these guides, the info here will forever imprint itself into our heads for days to come!

Original topics are here (Units) and here (Commanders).


Axis Units and Usage
The How-to Guide to Success
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Start Phase - TIER1

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Sdkfz 234 Armored Car - 280 Manpower, 35 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.

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Officer - 260 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.

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150mm Nebelwerfer Rocket Battery - 325 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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Sepha: May 3 2007, 20:56 PM

Posts: 7,219

Clan: Insane

Game: Company of Heroes


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# 2Sepha Oct 16 2006, 04:18 AM
Axis Commander Selection
A Guide to Axis Doctrines and Usage
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Defensive Doctrine

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Artillery Support

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For the Fatherland! - 1 Commander Point, 45 Munitions
Zealous patriotism gives all friendly units in controlled territory a defensive bonus.

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Fortify Perimeter - 1 Commander Points, Free Upgrade
Upgrades all base buildings with defensive machineguns. Enables Reinforcement around bunkers.

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88mm Flak AT/AA - 3 Commander Points, 450 MP 75 Fuel
Enables pioneers to deploy the 88mm Flak AT/AA to the battlefield.

Comments: Artillery Support is an interesting tree. For the Fatherland! allows players to gain a heavy armor and health bonus while they fight the enemy in their territory. This could be very good when you're trying to lay down some MG42 cover while your guys are being shot at, or trying to get those Panzerfausts at the rear of enemy tanks while being hit by Rifleman. The extra bit of health and armor is certainly noticible, especially if it's a big battle. The second power; Forify Perimeter is exceptionally good if you plan on making bunkers in defensive locations. With the free upgrade, you can simply walk a squad of damaged or half-assed Infantry up to any bunker that you have and replenish your troop count - Just like the HQ! That means you can reinforce your troops on the frontline instead of having them retreat all the way back to your base. This allows for faster troop movement and frontline action than having to retreat and run back everytime. Very handy indeed. The last ability is the dreaded 88mm Flak that Pioneers can now build. I mean, for the price of each stationary, 88mm cannon, these things better be good. Once your troops have successfully sealed off a Victory Point, major resource location or chokepoint, drop a bunker and one of these badboys (behind the bunker) and start spamming sandbags and tank traps. With all the buildup and clutter, it's virtually impossable to pass your defenses unless they mortar spam you. The 88mm Cannons can blow a hole the size of God's Fist in anything - Absolutely anything. Infantry, Tanks, Air units such as Recon/Strafing/Bomber planes.. the 88mm Flak is the prize of the Axis defensive. Use (and by use I mean placement) them well.

Base Defensives

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Advanced Warning - 1 Commander Point, Free Upgrade
Increases the visual range of all captured points, revealing more of the surrounding Territory.

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Registered Artillery - 2 Commander Points, 125 Munitions
Call in off-map defensive artillery bombardment on one of your threatened structures or secured points.

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Rocket Artillery - 4 Commander Points, 250 Munitions
Call in off-map barrage of devastating 280mm rockets to target area.

Comments: When it comes to calling Artillery down onto the field, no Axis Doctrine/tech does it as good as this one. Advanced Warning allows you to see further past your normal vision. By that, I mean: Once you've selected this ability, your Line of Sight around all areas that you control gets a increase in yardage. This allows you to see enemy troop movements that you normally wouldn't see, and allows you to reinforce positions at a much faster rate. The one thing that really shines about this tree is it's second power: Registered Artillery. For 125 Munitions; which is very cheap for an Artillery barrage, Registered Artillery allows you to call down a series of Mortar Barrages on any sector or building under your control. That means you can call it down on Victory Points, resource points, or even your own buildings inside your base. Not only is it cheap, but it's extremely fast and offers devestating results (especially to enemy Infantry). Unlike other Artillery abilities, Registered Artillery has the fastest response time and fastest cooldown of any artillery, but it's limited in range. A few seconds after you call for it, smokes will drop right before the Mortars start pounding. Registered Artillery is the fastest Anti-Infantry ability that Axis has, so please make note of this when playing vs. mass Infantry. It has more damage (to Armor too), a longer lasting effect and more chance to hit than the Allied Strafing Run - very nice indeed. Just when you think Registered Artillery works wonders, the Axis gets another Artillery Barrage, but this time; this one can be used offensively just like any other Artillery. Rocket Artillery works the same way like the Terror Tree's Firestorm or the Allied Howizter Barrage. You can activate this power on any location on the map as long as you have the Line of Sight. Once placed, smoke beacons will drop and a series of heavy Rockets will bombard the area, putting a small dent in the Earth. Unlike Registered Artillery, this "offensively" used arty takes longer to prep and there's plenty of warning before hand. Use it only when there's a large concentration of enemy troops (prefably Armor since it does more damage). It's more expensive than Registered Artillery, but it'll sure get the job done if the enemy doesn't move.


Blitz Doctrine

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Stormtrooper Support

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Infantry Assault Team - 2 Commander Points, 350 Manpower
Call off-map Stormtrooper Reinforcements to the battlefield. Ideal for general battlefield actions.

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Urban Assault Support - 3 Commander Points, 600 Manpower
Call an off-map Stuh 42 reinforcement to the battlefield. Ideal for urban assault conditions.

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Armor Assault Support - 3 Commander Points, 900 Manpower
Call an off-map Tiger Tank reinforcement to the battlefield. Ideal for major assault operations.

Comments: The Stormtrooper Support tree is good for a series of things that involve fighting Enemy Armor. Stormtroopers by themselves are excellent at killing Armor with their Camoflauge and 2x Panzershreks. Dispite the fact that they're expensive to upgrade (with weapons) and not as combat effecient as Rangers, they still serve the Reich with many unique abilities. They can safely camo behind enemy lines and drop grenades on enemy Infantry, or they can sneak behind a tank and get in some critical rear shots with their Panzershreks. Not to mention once they get MP44 Assault Rifles at Battle Phase, they become just as effective as Knight's Cross Holders vs Infantry up-close. Another thing Stormtroopers can do, or can be upgraded to do, is use the Assault Grenades ability. They can stealth next to a garrisoned building and throw crazy grenades in once the MG/Sniper garrison is being distracted. Of course, they can do that with their normal bundled grenades (which are much more powerful than their Allied counterparts) too, but the key factor is being able to stealth by a garrison and destroy it without being seen. That's one of their many roles in the Axis War Machine. As for the StuH 42 and the Tiger Tank, there's pretty much only one thing I can say about them: Power. The StuH 42 is basically a Stug IV that underwent plastic sugery and emerged with a 105mm Howizter for a nose. That's far more firepower against infantry compared to a normal Stug, but it's armor value is still the same as it's predecessor. In other words, it packs massive damage to infantry, but takes the same amount of damage a normal Stug would take. It's 105mm Howizter can blow garrisons apart, tear down enemy armor and mow down enemy Infantry like butter. Just don't let the StuH 42 get hit by any serious AP/AT rounds, or it'll go down rather quickly. This tank can easilly make-up it's high 600 MP cost on the battlefield, but only if you use it well. Lastly, we have the Tiger Tank: Prize of the Axis Pazner Division. With it's incredibly thick frontal armor, reinforced armor skirts and 88mm Main Gun, the Tiger tank can destroy any unit-type in the game. Not only that, it can also be upgraded to higher ranks by the Kampkraft Centre to make it even more deadly. Being a Heavy Tank, the Tiger has exceptional firepower but slow turret speed and acceleration. Bottom line: The Tiger is extremely slow. This 45-ton behemoth needs to be microed like a boat on land. You always keep the turrent facing the enemy and you should NEVER expose it's rear armor. Keep it's 88mm cannon facing the enemy at all times and when in trouble, always use short clicks to move the Tiger away. As much of a monster the Tiger is, it's still vulnerable to all types of AP/AT rounds and can be destroyed. Always keep Anti-Infantry around your Tiger along with Pioneers to repair. Losing one or keeping one of these Tanks can mean either Victory or Defeat. Use her well -- and try your God damn best not to lose her.

Assault

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Assault Grenadiers - 1 Commander Point, Free Upgrade, 50 Munitions to use on select Infantry
Enables infantry squads to assault targets with grenades.

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Resource Blitz - 2 Commander Points, 200 Munitions for 900 Manpower
Receive a large manpower bonus in exchange for freezing your economy for a short period of time.

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Blitzkrieg Assault! - 3 Commander Points, 150 Munitions
Enables all vehicles and infantry to attack with overwhelming speed while this ability is active.

Comments: The Assault tree is the "upgrade" counterpart to the Stormtrooper Suppor tech. By choosing to go Assault, you choose to sacrafice unique units such as the Stormtrooper, StuH 42 and the Tiger tank for a more well-rounded alternative. The Assault Grendiers ability allows certain Infantry units; such as the Volkgrendiers, Stormtroopers, Grendiers and Knight's Cross bombard enemy units/garrisons with grenades. Now, when I say bombard, I mean bombard. Once Assault is trigged, your units continue to throw grenades onto the Enemy target untill that target is dead. In other words, they just keep lobbing greades. This works extremely well if you want to clear out a enemy garrison or against clustered Infantry that might be pinned by your MG. Once your units starting lobbing grenades, they won't stop untill whatever you're trying to kill is killed. The second commander point is a tricky one. You basically trade 200 Munitions for 900 Manpower once you activate this power. The downside is this: Once you trigger this event, all your resource points on the map produce at 50% of their normal income for 3 minutes. That means if your fuel sector is generating +10 and you activate this ability, you'll only receive +5 for the next 3 minutes. The upside to this is: You get a crapload of Manpower to spend on whatever you want. You can make Pioneers and drop Observation posts on key locations everyone on the map, you can crank out whatever counter-units you need at that time, or you can even spam tanks if you have the fuel needed for that kind of operation. Bottom line is: You can do a endless number of combinations to help you win the game. You just have to know what's important at that point in time because in the next 3 minutes, your resources will be CRAWLING. Last, but certainly not least, we have the Blitzkrieg Assault ability. For 150 munitions, your units go buck for a short amount of time. That means your Infantry and your Tanks move at extremely fast speeds and fire faster. That also means that your Panzers will shoot at twice their normal speed and completely decimate anything it sees, as will your Infantry in terms of enemy Infantry. Once this ability is activated, you can rush his army with yours and open up a gaurenteed can of whoop-ass for a short amount of time. Just make sure whatever your trying to do in that time frame gets done. 150 munitions for a short amount of time is not very cheap and certaintly not spammable. Oh and yes, you can also take your turbo-mode tanks and run over enemy Infantry if you so please. In most circumstances, charging your Panzer into Rangers would be considered suicidal, but when you're tanks are moving like they're on speed, you can get away with just about anything.


Terror Doctrine

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Hero Support

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Zeal - 1 Commander Point, Free Upgrade
Patriotism causes infantry squads to fight more fiercely as they take losses.

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Firestorm - 2 Commander Points, 200 Munitions
Call off-map artillery bombardment to target an area. All enemy troops will be caught in a firestorm.

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Tiger Ace - 5 Commander Points, 1000 Manpower
Deploys a Veteran Tiger Tank to the battlefield.

Comments: The Hero Support tree is a great all-around tech for Terror players. Zeal gives a noticible advantage when fighting enemy Infantry in the beginning of the game as well as late game. With Zeal, your units will increase in all attributes for each loss inflicted upon their battalion. This works extremely well in actual combat with enemy troopers: The more units you lose, the stronger the remaining units in their squad will become. Even a MG squad that's reduced down to one man could potentially cause more trouble than a 3-man MG team. The next ability available for Hero Support commanders is Firestorm. Firestorm behaves the same way as any LoS (Line of Sight) Heavy Artillery. Smokes will drop, a clear warning to any player for the mayhem and distruction to come, and then all hell breaks lose. Axis Artillery will fire Howizter shells onto the targeted location, creating huge craters on the battlefield, killing anything that it touches. Any units trapped within the area of effect will be killed or sustain heavy damage. Not even Allied Armor can sustain hits while trapped inside an Axis Firestorm. The last ability in this Commander tree is the Tiger Ace. Once triggered, a Tiger Ace will appear from the backlines to reinforce it's comrades on the field. Unlike the Armor Assault Force Tiger tanks obtainable through the Blitz tree, the Tiger Ace is already fully-upgraded. That means damage received is reduced, health points increased, and enemy AP/AT penetration effectivness reduced; thus making it a complete beast of a weapon. Just like all Heavy Tanks, Axis players have to be very careful not to lose them to the enemy. Not only will they obtain a huge number of experience points, but you'll lose a very costly unit. Sometimes, that can determine the outcome of the game right then and there. A 1k Manpower unit should be treated with the upmost respect and care.

Propaganda

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Inspired Assault - 1 Commander Point, 50 Munitions
Propaganda efforts inspire all troops to attack the enemy with renewed intensity with no regard for their personal safety while this ability is active.

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Propaganda - 3 Commander Points, 100 Munitions
Superior propaganda efforts demoralize enemy troops, forcing a retreat to their HQ area.

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V1 Rocket - 4 Commander Points, 350 Munitions
Call in the terrifying V1 Rocket down on the targeted area.

Comments: The Propaganda tree can seriously mess up a Allied player's game. With Inspired Assault, MG42s become the most lethal Anti-Infantry weapon humanely possible. Once triggered, any Infantry battalion gets their rate of fire and damage increased while taking more damage themselves. To a MG42 crew garrisoned in a building, this is as good as it gets. Because of the potential damage this might do to your units, I would advise Axis players to take cover before triggering the event. If you foolishly run your troops into enemy fire while this ability is active, your Infantry might die before even getting close. Volkgrendiers is a perfect unit to use if you want to force a close encounter. Simply run your Volks w/ MP40 upgrades into enemy soldiers and then activate this ability. With your increased firepower and rate of fire, Volk squads w/ MP40s (or Knight's Cross) can absolutely anniliate Infantry squads. Zeal with Inspired Assault (a mixed tree) can cause some serious problems when used correctly. The overall bonus offered by Zeal prevents too much damage being taken so your Inspired Assault can do the rest. It's probably the strongest combination of combat amplifiers in the game, and they extremely available in early game (only 2 CPs). The second ability employed by this particular Terror tree is Propaganda. Once activated, you can force retreat any Enemy Infantry caught within Propaganda's Area of Effect. That means if you have Armor rolling up the field and your enemy is trying to come in with stickies and Rangers, you can force them to retreat to their HQ, instantly giving your Armor the chance to dominate the field free of worry. In terms of Axis Armor and damage prevention, this can't get any better. Without Allied Infantry to combat your troops, you can quickly establish MG42 positions or setup bunkers, or do whatever setup you need to secure the sector. Once the enemy returns with their Infantry, you'll be prepared with battle-ready troops and fortifications. Last on the Propaganda tree is the V1 Rocket. Once triggered, all you hear is the terrifying howl of the approaching V1 before it falls on its target. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't come out nearly as fast as you would think so it's best used vs stationary targets (or clumped up Tanks). The Area of Effect isn't big either, but the damage dealt is insane. One V1 can total almost any building or fortification, not to mention any unit. If you can get a V1 to fall on a group of clustered Enemy tanks, then there's rest-assured there's going be a hell of a lot of dead Armor and a very pissed off opponent. The V1 Rocket should also be used to take down important enemy structures such as the HQ (not in 1 hit though), Tank Depots, or anything else that he's focused on producing. Once his important production structures are down, you can advance into the field with little opposition.


This post has been edited by Sepha: May 4 2007, 17:13 PM

Posts: 7,219

Clan: Insane

Game: Company of Heroes


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