**Special thanks to CaptainBlackAdder333, who helped me with those fraps**
**Another special thanks to Kodachrome, who helped me get to where I am today **
**Thanks to kRISTIAN- and The Prawn , who helped me with grammar and spell check **
**Updated: 6/5/08:
- Q&A Section. - Grenade in house tip
**Updated: 6/12/08
- Detailed US strategy Guide **Updated: 7/17/08
- Frap games
Ok, I've just finished with my college summer class and i'm taking a break untill I get a job so I have some free time on my hand, so I decided to write this guide.
This guide is all about using the Riflesquad to its maximun effect as well as the jeep to support the Rifle, this is my first guide so any feedback will be appreciated
Lets talk a bit about Rifles
What they are good for:
- Harassment. **They got the fastest cappingspeed in the game. When you're in a game, you need to remember this; use your Rifles spread out and harass the enemy's point. Harassment is very important vs any PE player**
- Flanking. **A Riflesquad costs 270 MP and it is pretty cheap to reinforce(27 manpower per member). At early stage of the game vs a Wehrmacht player, the Whermacht player usually get 1 or maybe 2 MG to support his Volksgrenadiers. You will always outnumber Wehrmacht players if you spam Rifles. Use this big number to your advantage, flank and take out MGs. Details on how to do this best is below**
- Ability to use grenade. *Lots of high rank player think grenades are useless since most of high level players can dodge grenade easily, but with some technique and training, grenades can be devastating. Detail on how to use grenades effectively also will be below*
Now that we're done with Rifles, lets talk a bit about the Jeep:
- Jeep can push the enemy out of a point that they are currently capturing, It is very effective against pioneers since Jeep's can kill them easily while avoid them from capturing the point.
- Jeep can also push the enemy out of cover and make them vulnerable to Rifles.
- Jeep is also great to get line of sight, a good way to spot enemy units and expect big flanks/attacks in advance
- I fraped how to use the Jeep to push Pioneer off a point and how to push Volksgrenadiers out of cover
- Jeep can push the Volksgrenadiers closer to the Riflesquad, so the Rifles will hit more and cause more damage to the opponent.
Now that we've covered the basic stuff about these 2 units, lets go a bit into detail
FLANKING
- Flanking is what Rifles are best at. It's important versus any Whermacht player since you need to know how to flank and take out MGs.
- To flank effectively, you need to divide your Rifles. Never go in a bunch or even in pairs. You will always have about 1 or 2 more Riflesquads than all of Whermacht squads combined.
- Ok, lets say in this situation; the enemy got 3 Volksgrenadiers and 2 MGs. You got 5 Rifles and a Jeep
Let's say a green dot is where the mg set up, the shield is Volksgrenadiers, The US flag is Rifles and the buggy is a Jeep
- According to the map, that's how you should set up a flank. They all have to go in at the same time and catch the opponent off guard. He have to move his units around like crazy to keep up with the big flank.
- Let Rifles go in first, then Jeep. If they get pinned, dont retreat, let them be. The MGs will probably change fire direction to pin down other flanking squads from other directions. This is where your Jeep comes to play, The Jeep will play the role of pushing the MG so it can't set up and buy Rifles precious time to get close to the MG and use grenade and finish it off. After you've finished off the MG, all your Rifles should be able to beat those Volksgrenadiers.
**Important thing to remember when making a big flank**
- Keep your eyes on all your squads, when the health bar is close to zero, retreat it! Don't risk to lose entire squads to win a big engagement. In some situation, it might be worth it, but in most cases, it won't.
- Grenade play a big role in flanking so I recommend getting the Grenade upgrade from the Barracks.
- If you have grenades you will have to choose your target. When you make a big flank, the opponent usually thinks your priority is to try to kill/grenade the MGs squads. But if there is an option where you can grenade a Volksgrenadier squad bunched together, go for it. In most cases the opponent doesn't pay much attention to the Volksgrenadier micro while being flanked, they're all busy trying to micro their MG so take this and use it to your advantage.
- Pay attention to the Jeep's health, when it's too low, get it out of the dangerous zone and repair it.
- In case you fail to successfully make a flank and they have you pinned down all over the place. try to cause as much damage as you can before retreating. With that being said, when the health is down to a very low level, retreat as soon as possible.
- As I mentioned above, ALWAYS separate your squads. When a MG squad fires, it should only be able to supress one of your squads. The other squad will keep on running at the mg and grenade it.
GRENADE
- I just went through the lesson about flanking, and as I said, grenades play a very BIG role in flanking. Not that just that, it is a very good tool to take out entire squads or drain the opponent's manpower. The problem with grenade is that it's easy to spot and easily dodge, but that's reason why I'm writing this guide; to show you my grenade technique. I don't mean to brag, but some of you out there saw some of my replays and my grenades always own shit up. It's not luck but it's skill.
- Ok everybody knows that to throw a grenade just simply press "N" and then click on target. Well, my technique is different than that. Here is a basic tips what my technique is about.
- vCoH basic concept is that Rifles win vs Volksgrenadiers in close range, well I will use that in my tactic. what I basicly do is that I charge my Rifles into the Volks, which seem normal. Rifles will get close and get into cover, the same cover that the Volks use. But when I'm almost at the cover I'll use grenade; one man will stop and throw a grenade, meanwhile the other 5 men will keep on running to find cover. This creates a great diversity making opponent think that Rifles are just running up to cover like Riflesquads always does. If the opponent doesn't pay close attention, the whole entire squad can be killed in a blink of an eye. This works fantastic in an intense micro game because the opponent usually dont have time to baby sit every unit on the field.
- I frapped a demonstration of how to use this technique:
- It takes some practice to make it perfect but trust me, it's worth it When you make a big flank and use this technique. 3 to 4 rifle grenades with this technique at same time is devastating. It will cause complete retreat or loss of entire squads for the enemy.
Another Grenade trick is to throw it outside the doorstep, that way when a squad exits from the house, it'll step right on the grenade and boom, whole squad is gone, I attached a picture below so you can see where to throw the grenade. It's marked with an X.
**Updated 6/5/08: Grenade in house trick
- Ok, there's been some questions about how to throw a grenade in a house and all that stuff. I am here to tell you that when you throw a grenade into a house, it wont make a difference if you click on specific windows or not. What does make a difference though is the spot where your Riflesquad is. Lets say if your Riflesquad stand at the side(the side with smaller surface area and less windows) of the house, the grenade will be thrown and will explode at the side of the house. If the Rifle stand right in front(the side with greater surface area and more windows) of the house, the grenade will explode in front of the house.
- So why do we need to know that?
- Well, we all know that the side of the house usually got 2 windows. The front of the house got 6 windows and is larger then the side of the house. If you ever flank an MG and the MG is shooting from the side of the house; throw a grenade in there, I almost guarantee you that it will take out at least 2 guys, sometimes you get lucky and kill the entire MG squad. But lets say the MG is shooting from the front(the side with many windows). If you throw a grenade it will most likely kill one or two guys if you're lucky.
- That concept also works with Grenadiers so just keep that in mind
- The picture is uploaded to demonstrate that if you throw a grenade at the side of the house with less windows, those 2 X will be the 2 men to die. BUT only 1 man will die if you throw a nade in that side because the explosion is not big enough to cause the men shooting from other window to die.
BAR
- The BAR upgrade is very good. It's great against heavy tier 2 Grenadiers/Volks with veterancy. Without veterancy, BARs will completely rape all Volks and Grens on the field. I recommend you to get BARs after grenade, it will completely dominate the enemy and with grenade support, it will be a living hell for your oppenent.
- BAR is very accurate when Riflesquads stay still so keep that in mind!
STICKY BOMB
Sticky bombs are great, but you need to learn how to flank with Rifles. You just got to think and plan a few steps ahead. Sticky bomb don't have a specific technique except for micro and flanking the vehicle.
SOME BONUS STUFF
**How to use Rifles vs Wehrmacht**
- My entire guide is a very good example of how to play against any Wehrmacht player. Get grenades, get BARs, then Triage Center, followed by Tank Depot and a Crocodile or Sherman. If you use Riflesquads the way I told you, the enemy will struggle to get map control and suffer in manpower due to grenades
- If you get a Jeep, I will recommend you to get 2 engineers. 2 engineers are necessary because you will always need engies around your Jeep for repair.
- Although Rifles are good, avoid fighting near the medic bunkers. You don't want to fight him there because he will get every squad you kill back for free in a very short period of time. With the Defensive doctrine he can also reinforce from it making it close to impossible to win a fight close to the medic bunker. It's better to mortar it or if you can, rush it with flamers and Rifles, just remember to shoot the medics FIRST.
**How to use Riflesquads against Panzer Elite**
- Against PE, I don't recommend you to get fast grenades or BARs.
-When you play against Panzer Elite you want to stall for M8. Stall technique is easy, just avoid to fight with multiple panzer grenadiers, with g43 they will own you.
- Remember when I said Rifles can cap really fast? well, when you're playing against PE, try to harass and capture PE's chokepoints and avoid to fight.
- If you do get into a fight, remember to have as many squads as your enemy, use jeep to push. If you get outnumbered, retreat them ASAP.
- PE got some units that does tons damage to you so cover is an extremely good idea against PE.
- NEVER CHARGE YOUR RIFLES INTO PANZER GRENADIERS EARY GAME! It's suicide, you want to stall for m8 and avoid fighting.
- After a couple of m8s and AT guns, get BARs and Triage Center. This is when Rifles come to play. BARed rifles rape Panzer Grenadiers
AGAIN, AGAINST PE: REMEMBER TO STALL WITH RIFLES EARLY GAME. AFTER YOU GET M8s AND BARs, IT'S TIME FOR RIFLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIGHT
- Medic Station is very good if you Riflespam. I didnt use it much before but I've used it a lot recently and I usually get 1 or 2 free Riflesquads so try to get 1 up if you can.
Q & A SECTION
QUOTE
How do I take out a bunker with MG and support without losing any of my riflesquads?
Well, to take out bunkers I will recommend you to get a mortar. However, there are other alternatives such as flanking with Flamers. To take down a bunker with MG inside, just read about the simple flanking in my guide. A few things you need to do first is to get one Riflesquad up to the MG, try to get in cover. That squad will be pinned ofcourse. Great thing about MG in a bunker is that when they're already shooting at a specific target, they won't stop shooting at that target untill it's dead or out of the MGs firing firing arc. So while one of your squads get pinned, the rest just charge up, use Flamer to kill the MG in the bunker and Rifles to take care of the rest.
**The reason i recommend you get mortar is because in high level of play, the Flamer alternative will NOT work because high skilled opponents often have multiple MGs. More than one MG makes it really hard to flush out a bunker.If you attempt and then fail to get enemy to retreat all their squads and take out the medic bunker, Grenadiers might pop out of the bunker and you don't want that to happen.**
QUOTE
What is ZeroCrack's build order?
Read Below
QUOTE
How can mass rifles compete against tanks in late game?
Well, if you rifle spam and you rifle spam the correct way, you should always have an advantage over your opponent early game. With resource advantage, you should be able to produce tanks before the opponent does.
**IMPORTANT: Always remember to tech up. Never stay in just t1 with tons of Rifles. It is always a good idea to have tanks/vehicles around**
QUOTE
How to dodge booby trap?
The picture: Lets say the long arrow is where your squad will be coming in from. After you hear the booby trap trigger(a click sound), the X cross is where your squad will be, it's also where the booby trap will explode. Most people tend to move backward from where the squad came from, but my advise is DON'T MOVE BACK. What you want to do is to get your squad to the circle on that picture and then start capturing again from the other side of the point.
QUOTE
When I throw a grenade in the house, do I have to aim for windows with Grenadiers in or just click somewhere on the house?
You can just click random on the house and it wont make much a difference. The point where grenade the will drop in the house is a result from where your riflesquad is standing. If you're standing right in front(the side with greater surface area, and more windows) of the house, the grenade will be landing in middle of the house.
I just added a trick on how to throw a grenade in a house. Scroll up and read if you haven't already
QUOTE
What if Volksgrenadiers have been upgraded with MP40s? what will I do with my Rifles?
Well, if Volks have mp40 it means that the Volks will get in close range with your Rifle to do good damage. Put your Rifle in cover and throw grenade on the ground. Just time it just so the grenade explode right in middle of the charging Volks squad
**REMEMBER: If Volks have mp40, let them charge in to your Riflesquad. Dont charge into them because in long range combat, the Riflesquad will win because they have M1 Garands vs the Volks SMG. **
Updated: 6/12/08
Detailed Guide on ZeroCrack's U.S. Strategy
A lot of people have asked about my strategy as U.S. lately, so I decided to write this guide to try and show you how it works. Now I have called it “my” strat, simply because it is the one that I use, but the majority of the advice came from Kodachrome, and I have updated it to work with the current patch. So thanks again to Kodachrome for teaching me this.
First off, let me talk a bit about The U.S.
The US faction is different to the other factions like The Wehrmacht and The British. When you play as The U.S., a very aggressive approach is required, constant pressure and never leaving enough room for your opponent to breath is essential. Riflemen are the key to play U.S. at it finest, well, at least in this strategy they are. Remember, Rifles have fast capping speed and have large numbers, so use that to your advantage. Read the section on Rifle usage to gain a more specific understanding of how to use Riflemen.
Let head into strat shall we?
- I normally use two strategies as The Americans. One for use against The Wehrmacht, and a different one for use against The P.E. Rifle-spam is incredibly effective vs Wehrmacht since it can counter MG-42s with grenades, own Volksgrenadiers in the early game and BARs are effecive versus Grenadiers later in the game. Subsequently, my strat vs Wehrmacht revolves around Rifles. However, against The Panzer Elite, Rifles get owned hard by Infantry Half-Tracks, G43s, Armored Cars etc... so with the state of the current patch, Rifle-spam just isn't viable against The P.E. My strategy versus The P.E. Is all about the M8 since it is great against Half-Tracks and can take on Panzer Grenadiers with ease.
- Having said that, this strategy is for use in the current retail patch, 2.301. I'll try more stuff when the beta patch comes to retail, as right now, it's very hard to get a game with high level players in beta.
- Please also note that I will not cover capping orders and all that stuff, and that I will always use Infantry Company. ***Important Note: This strategy is based on what I use in game. You don't have to follow this strategy exactly, step by step, to be successful. For example, I always build a jeep when I first have a barracks. However, if aren't comfortable with your jeep micro, don't build one, just ignore it. If you still have questions, just ask and I will answer it and add to the guide to help ensure that I have covered everything***
Against Wehrmacht
Phase 1
- Start with 2 Engineers
x
*** Why 2 Engineer start? Since I always start with a jeep, 2 engies help me cap faster. 2 engineers around will the map will help also help me repair my jeep faster and get back into battle quicker. The Flamer upgrade is also very good***
- First Engy builds the barracks
- 2nd goes to cap 1 side of the map. After first engy has finished the barracks, send to cap the other side of the map.
- Jeep, Rifle x3,
x x x
*** There are a lot of questions asking why I go jeep first. The Jeep has many uses but u need at least decent micro to pull it off, so read Jeep guide and try the Jeep out. If u can't manage to use Jeep effectively, get a Rifle instead***
- Grenades
After your 3rd rifle, in most cases, you should have more than 40 fuel. Get Grenades.
After you have access to grenades, throw them like crazy, using the technique I've demonstrated.
- Rifle x2, BARs
x x
Upgrade BARs when you have your 5th rifle out, you should have about 60 fuel or more
- Build a Triage center once BARs have been upgraded to ensure your Rifles are at full health.
- Upgrade both Engies with Flame-Throwers
2x
Flamer is very good anti-infantry early game so when u have enough muni. Upgraded your engy with flamer. They will be a big help in making flank against opponent's bunker
Phase 2
At this stage of the game, you are either dominating the map with grenades and BARs or you may be struggling to secure a particular area of the map where the Whermacht player has a medic bunker up and is camping.
There are four ways I would go about dealing with this:
Important Note: The 2 cases below, case 1 and 2 are for the times that you see 2 or three levels of infantry veterancy, suggesting a heavy Tier 2 strategy. The 3rd scenario is where you see no infantry vet, suggesting a rush to Tier 4. This scenario is very rare as, without veterancy, Grenadiers and Volks get owned up by Rifles with BARs, however, some higher rank player are able to hold out and get to Tier 4 out before you know it. Worry not! Read below to know how to counter it.
1. If your opponent has chosen Terror
- Get Rangers and upgrade with Thompson SMGs
+
- Prepare all your Rifles to make a big flank.
- Process for the flank: You should be able to take out the support by throwing plenty of grenades at any Volks, using your flamers to kill the MG in the bunker and using Rangers to deal with any Volks or Grenadiers around bunker at close range. Once the support has been driven off Flamers and Ranger bazookas should take the Med Bunker down in no time.
- Get the Supply Yard and upgrade to level 1 if u have sufficient fuel, if not... Don't.
There are 2 option to chosse from at this point on
- Build TD and start produce Croc/Sherman then back tech to MP to get AT gun and deal with KT.
+
***When to do this? Only get TD if u have advantage early and mid game, which mean u have lot of fuel and pretty good MP income to consider to get a croc and kill those zombie grens***
- Build MP and go straight for AT guns
+
***When to do this? When u fight hard battle at mid games. leave u little room for MP and resource***
- In any cases, at late game, u always need at least 1,2 AT guns with sticky to deal with KT
- In additional of late game, if u can afford it. i recommend u to get On-Map 105mm Howitzer. It a great help against zombie grens and great support for your AT guns
2. If your opponent has chosen Defensive
***Why is there a different procedure if the enemy has chosen defensive? For the Fatherland is very effective, and results in enemy squads taking a long time to kill***
- Enemy squads are able to reinforce around the bunker. - The Bunker has significantly more health - Each time you attempt, but fail to destroy the bunker, you feed more casualties to the bunker producing yet more Grenadiers.
- So when up against a Defensive bunker, choose RHS Infantry, select and take the off map howitzer at 3CPs
- OP your highest munitions point.
+
- Constantly harass around the map. Try to make big flanks with the support of the Off-Map Artillery on the bunker to take it down.
- Get an On-Map 105mm Howitzer up to deal with zombie Grenadiers and any more Medic Bunkers
- Build Tank Depot and start producing Sherman
+
- Upgrade Sherman with M1A1C 76mm Sherman Gun if u fighting lot of enemy's tanks
- At this stage of the game, you either winning the game or u got overwhelmed with vetted panther and PIV. If your Sherman cant stand up to enemy's tanks, back tech to Motor Pool and start produce AT guns
+
*****Optional: (Only for case 1 and 2)
- At early to mid games. Get WSC and get a Mortar or Sniper to tackle the zombie grenadiers.
+
3. If your opponent rushes to Tier 4 (it doesn't matter what doctrine your opponent chooses)
- Get Rangers and upgrade with SMGs.
+
- OP your highest munitions point if you need to take out the Defensive bunker.
+ - Focus on the Medic bunker and take it down ASAP.
- Get the Supply Yard and upgrade to level 1 if u have sufficient fuel, if not... Don't.
- After Supply Yard, get a Tank Depot Up and start producing Shermans. Then purchase the Up-Gun for your Shermans to deal with the enemy armour.
+
- Upgrade Sherman with M1A1C 76mm Sherman Gun if u fighting lot of enemy's tanks
- At late game, back tech to Motor Pool and get AT guns to deal with KT
+
4. If your Opponent goes Tier 1 to Tier 3 Blitz.
- You should have the advantage early game as Volks can't stand up to grenades and BARs.
- Get Supply Yard
- Build Tank Depot right after Supply Yard
- By the time they have pumas, you should have Tank Depot.
- IF you don't, stall pumas with Rangers and get an M10 out ASAP. However, if you have the time and resources, get Shermans and Up-gun
Some Stuff To keep In Mind
- Mines and Wire are very good. When u chosse infantry doc, all your rifle can build mines and wire so try to lay mines at choke point as much as possible
- Get Sticky upgrade when u see enemy's tanks or vehicle.
- Grenade play big role in this strategy so use them as often as u can, never worry about waste munition on grenade because if u manage to kill entire squad, the munition paid for itself
- Always play aggressively, don't play defensively
- If opponent have med bunker up very early in the game. Try not to fight around, just go around and cap around the map and stall out until u have counter for that bunker. Avoid feeding that bunker with dead grens at all cost
- Have Fun!!! It is ,after all, just a video game. No need to get angry at yourself and start smashing stuff if u lose
**Updated 7/17/08
Frap Game
i just add a frap game vs fatebomb demonstrate A games of US
it only record half cause my frap mess up at half but it still a good showcase of how to micro rifle. replays is attach if u want to see entire game for yourself
I am back with a guide on how to play the US vs Panzer Elite as promised. Remember, this is the current strategy I use vs the Panzer Elite in retail. In beta, I might make some changes or use a completely different strategy. Until then, however, I find this strategy to be very effective. Since I am taking a little break from Company of Heroes, I won't be writing a new guide for beta strategies, but the basic ideas in this guide will always apply.
The US vs Panzer Elite match is very different from the US vs Wehrmacht match. In my guide about playing the US vs Wehrmacht, I said that the US works best if they are played aggressively. It's a bit different with Panzer Elite this time around. I will go into detail with each game phase against the Panzer Elite.
Early Game
As I mentioned earlier, the US vs Panzer Elite match is a bit different from the Wehrmacht match-up. In the early game vs PE, it is best to use your Rifles to stall the enemy. By stalling, I mean you should avoid confrontation and just try to gain map control. In the early game, the Panzer Elite cap points quite slowly whereas Riflemen capture territory very quickly. Due to the strength of the PE's G43s and Infantry HT in retail, I don't use my Rifles for combat, but rather I have them go cap around the map and stall for a M8, the best counter to most Panzer Elite units. A two engineer start helps me secure the map faster, and later on it gives me another unit I can equip with a flamethrower.
A lot of people may be confused by what I mean about capping around the map, so allow me to explain. Let's take Angoville, for instance. We all know Angoville has two +16 fuel points, and our objective is to get out a quick M8; so in the early game, use your Rifles to ensure you always have at least one the +16 fuel points capped, and try to cut off the PE's strategic point if possible. If the Panzer Elite are in control of one side of the map and they try to cut off your resources, retreat your Riflemen back to your HQ and start capping the other side (as their forces are all on your side now.)
Since Panzer Elite forces always have to travel in a blob to be effective, if they are busy occupying one side of the map, the other side of the map is completely defenseless. Further, as I mentioned earlier, Riflemen cap way faster then Panzer Grenadiers. Therefore, if the Panzer Elite player takes your side of the map and tries to capture your fuel, you can out-cap them on other side of that map.
I highly recommend getting a Jeep, as it compliments your stalling tactics with your Riflemen - it can kite, safely reducing Panzer Grenadier health, and it can take down Kettenkrads quite easily. Once you spot a Panzer Grenadier with low health, your Riflemen can focus fire on that squad to kill them pretty fast. If you have good micro, you can also use the Jeep push trick I will explain later to push Panzer Grenadiers out of cover and then let your Riflemen focus fire on that Panzer Grenadier. My two engineer start also compliments using a Jeep, as it gives me an extra unit to repair it with.
Riflemen are weak against G43-equipped Panzer Grenadiers in the early game, so if the Panzer Elite player comes at you with a big blob (and if you know you can't win that fight,) retreat ASAP so you take minimal casualties - you need every bit of Manpower you can get against a Panzer Elite player. After you retreat, just go around and capture other side of the map.
In a situation where your Riflemen outnumber his Panzer Grenadiers, stay on the battlefield and fight; but if you know you can't win, you need to retreat ASAP. In a fight against Panzer Grenadiers, keep your Riflemen behind cover and focus fire on the Panzer Grenadier who has the least health and is the closest to your Riflemen. That Panzer Grenadier will die pretty quick, especially if he has no cover. A lot of low-to-average skill Panzer Elite players don't pay much attention to cover because they are used to seeing Riflemen being easily defeated by G43s, so use that to your advantage.
****Important*****
Pay close attention to the health bar on your Rifles and Jeep; if the Panzer Elite player focus his fire on a Jeep or Rifle squad, they will die fairly fast.
Stall for fuel, stay and fight if you know you can win, and retreat ASAP if you are fighting a battle you know you will lose.
Mid Game
Get a Supply Yard up as soon as you have 50 fuel. The M8 is the first thing you should get out of your Motor Pool, and use your munitions to buy both the Armored Skirts and .50-cal Machine Gun upgrades.
Tips on M8 use
Never, and I mean never charge your M8 into enemy territory without support from Riflemen and either Airborne with Recoilless Rifles or AT guns.
When you first get your M8, always travel with Riflemen. Use your M8 to kite pick off Panzer Grenadiers. Use your M8 and Riflemen to push your enemy off of the map slowly.
If you have enough spare munitions, plant M8 mines at choke points. M8 Mines can be very, very effective against the Panzer Elite and their large infantry blobs.
After your first M8 leaves the Motor Pool, you should save up Manpower and Munitions for AT guns and/or Recoilless Rifles. A lot of people have asked when is the right time to build an Observation Post on a munitions point. Generally, I build my OP after I get my first M8, or if I know I have enough troops to hold my ground and I'm sure he won't be able to blow up my OP. An OP at this stage in the game gets me the munitions I need to start equipping Airborne with Recoilless, or pays for AP rounds on my AT guns.
When you fight, keep your AT gun back so it can safely shoot at enemy halftracks. Your Riflemen should always be in the front lines taking hits, with your M8 behind them, picking off Panzer Grenadiers.
When you have enough fuel, upgrade your Riflemen with BARs and build a Triage Center after that. BAR equipped Riflemen will own Panzer Grenadiers, which will make your Riflemen even better at supporting your M8.
Remember to play conservatively against the Panzer Elite; if you flinch and send your M8 into enemy territory unsupported and lose it to an AT halftrack's Tread-breaker, that could be a game-changing mistake.
Late Game
Keep pumping out AT guns if you are dealing with Panzer IV Infantry Support Tanks and lots of halftracks. It's also important to keep your Rifle squads alive; if you lose a squad, be sure to replace it with a new one. You want to be sure you have enough Riflemen on the field to prevent your AT guns from being overrun by Panzer Grenadiers. Call in Airborne and equip them with Recoilless Rifles so they can help fight off heavy armor, and be sure to plant lots of mines to cripple Panzer Elite vehicles and kill Panzer Grenadier blobs.
Doctrine Choice against the Panzer Elite
I go with Airborne 98% of the time against the Panzer Elite for two reasons; para-dropped AT (either AT guns or Recoilless Rifles) and Strafing Run, so I highly recommend you choose Airborne Company when playing against the Panzer Elite.
In the early game, the choice of which side of the doctrine tree is very important. Most of the time, I don't choose which side to spend my CPs on until the mid-game, after I get my first M8 out. Sometimes, however, I make an exception based on the situation -
I go left side to get Recoilless Rifles and para-drop AT guns if my enemy tries an Infantry Halftrack base-raid before I have an M8 out.
I also will go left side first if I suspect they are trying to fast-tech Panzer IVs. If you watch your opponent and see he is skipping a lot of tech (such as not upgrading Panzerschrecks or building Armored Cars,) that is a good indicator he may be trying to Panzer IV rush.
I go right side Airborne if I play well in the early game and I can counter his halftracks and Armored Cars with Riflemen, and I can stall his vehicles long enough to be able to build them out of the Motor Pool (instead of having to drop them with the doctrine power.)
I also go right side Airborne if I get overwhelmed by Infantry Halftracks with Panzer Grenadiers support. If the Panzer Elite player gets three or more halftracks (meaning his teching will be severely delayed,) and I managed to get a Motor Pool up to build AT guns, I'll pick the right side of Airborne and use Strafing Run to kill off his Panzer Grenadier support.
By ArXZeroCrack
This post has been edited by jodonnell: Aug 25 2008, 06:45 AM
thanks for the post, but could you please explain how you would best deal with flanking a bunker with an MG? (without losing any rifle squads) i have been having problems dealing with it as it seems flamer engi's get suppressed by almost anything in support.
just ask some question, i will add more later and yeh that cover + nade trick is brand new of out the box, discover by me, the Almighty ZeroCrack . The Jeep push however credit to The Great Kodachrome
The grammar and spelling was absolutely killing me, but the info was great. But what do you do later on in game when armor comes? How can 12897392723897 rifleman stop that?
Hey man, thanks for this guide. Good stuff. Learned quite a bit. Was thinking of another fraps you could possibly make: showing how to cap a point that has been booby trapped. I see people asking how to do this all the time and it's really quite easy. Hit spacebar as soon as message pops up, and move rifles to other side of point and keep capping. A video may help people figure this out. Anyways, thanks again =)
i'll have someone look over my grammar and spell check, bear with me here, i am not native english speaker. I will try to add more stuff tomorrow when i am free.
Nice guide with some very practical tips. I really like the videos and diagrams, they help a lot. And yes, please, have someone proofread/spellcheck it.
@ryuspirit BAR upgrade does at least nice dmg against light armor, that means most of PE vehicles except real tanks, and stickys are very expensive in my opinion against tanks. Most of them will need 4 or maybe even more to kill them, so Ranger or Shermans should be out on the field but thats nothing new.
@ZeroCrack totally sign to that hint to avoid PE Blobs in early game and keep them busy re-caping everything with "one unit" (cos thats a blob, like one unit to cap lost strategic points)
And i have 2 questions, the first could sound strange to experienced grenade users, but i don`t know it. Do i have to aim the nade crosshair to a open window to have the greatest possible dmg, i just aim at the middle of the roof all the time.
And what means close combat with riflesquads against volks? A Wehrmacht player who knows why he has upgraded to Mp40 (and not just click the button to spend money to something) trys to stand nose to nose with his Mp40-Volks against enemy infantry. I keep my Riflesquads in mid-range, my definition of mid-range is the middle of nose-to-nose and maximum attackrange of riflesquads respectively few steps more towards enemy Infantry.
Ahh and the last question for everybody.... i almost forgot. There is no discussion about a successful grenade or suppression fire is his money worth. But then "floating" (means about 100-200 amount) Ammo is important too in my opinion at mid-/lategame or actually to have your totally new M8 upgraded with gunner and armor right after he leaves the motorpool(because sometimes you need that M8 as fast as possible and driving him to the frontlines without upgrades can end with an unexpected loss.)
So overall, do you throw nades and supress in every situation you can or do you think in consideration of the game you are playing at the moment it can be beneficial to save some ammo, due to the fact that Ranger-upgrades (thompsons, recoiless) getting expensive after a while for example.
From my point of view especially US Player should not count on ammo eating features during a whole game. To sticky every vehicle/tank which comes across won`t work a long period.
And finally i have to repeat myself YES a good nade or supression fire is the ammo spend on it worth you don`t have to mention this as a reply.
Love ya man.. PM me in game or something.. improving my game all the time with these pro tips.
. The Jeep push however credit to The Great Kodachrome
**Updated: 6/5/08:
- Q&A Section.
- Grenade in house tip
**Updated: 6/12/08
- Detailed US strategy Guide
**Updated: 7/17/08
- Frap games
Ok, I've just finished with my college summer class and i'm taking a break untill I get a job so I have some free time on my hand, so I decided to write this guide.
This guide is all about using the Riflesquad to its maximun effect as well as the jeep to support the Rifle, this is my first guide so any feedback will be appreciated
Lets talk a bit about Rifles
What they are good for:
- Harassment. **They got the fastest cappingspeed in the game. When you're in a game, you need to remember this; use your Rifles spread out and harass the enemy's point. Harassment is very important vs any PE player**
- Flanking. **A Riflesquad costs 270 MP and it is pretty cheap to reinforce(27 manpower per member). At early stage of the game vs a Wehrmacht player, the Whermacht player usually get 1 or maybe 2 MG to support his Volksgrenadiers. You will always outnumber Wehrmacht players if you spam Rifles. Use this big number to your advantage, flank and take out MGs. Details on how to do this best is below**
- Ability to use grenade. *Lots of high rank player think grenades are useless since most of high level players can dodge grenade easily, but with some technique and training, grenades can be devastating. Detail on how to use grenades effectively also will be below*
Now that we're done with Rifles, lets talk a bit about the Jeep:
- Jeep can push the enemy out of a point that they are currently capturing, It is very effective against pioneers since Jeep's can kill them easily while avoid them from capturing the point.
- Jeep can also push the enemy out of cover and make them vulnerable to Rifles.
- Jeep is also great to get line of sight, a good way to spot enemy units and expect big flanks/attacks in advance
- I fraped how to use the Jeep to push Pioneer off a point and how to push Volksgrenadiers out of cover
- Jeep can push the Volksgrenadiers closer to the Riflesquad, so the Rifles will hit more and cause more damage to the opponent.
Now that we've covered the basic stuff about these 2 units, lets go a bit into detail
FLANKING
- Flanking is what Rifles are best at. It's important versus any Whermacht player since you need to know how to flank and take out MGs.
- To flank effectively, you need to divide your Rifles. Never go in a bunch or even in pairs. You will always have about 1 or 2 more Riflesquads than all of Whermacht squads combined.
- Ok, lets say in this situation; the enemy got 3 Volksgrenadiers and 2 MGs. You got 5 Rifles and a Jeep
Let's say a green dot is where the mg set up, the shield is Volksgrenadiers, The US flag is Rifles and the buggy is a Jeep
- According to the map, that's how you should set up a flank. They all have to go in at the same time and catch the opponent off guard. He have to move his units around like crazy to keep up with the big flank.
- Let Rifles go in first, then Jeep. If they get pinned, dont retreat, let them be. The MGs will probably change fire direction to pin down other flanking squads from other directions. This is where your Jeep comes to play, The Jeep will play the role of pushing the MG so it can't set up and buy Rifles precious time to get close to the MG and use grenade and finish it off. After you've finished off the MG, all your Rifles should be able to beat those Volksgrenadiers.
**Important thing to remember when making a big flank**
- Keep your eyes on all your squads, when the health bar is close to zero, retreat it! Don't risk to lose entire squads to win a big engagement. In some situation, it might be worth it, but in most cases, it won't.
- Grenade play a big role in flanking so I recommend getting the Grenade upgrade from the Barracks.
- If you have grenades you will have to choose your target. When you make a big flank, the opponent usually thinks your priority is to try to kill/grenade the MGs squads. But if there is an option where you can grenade a Volksgrenadier squad bunched together, go for it. In most cases the opponent doesn't pay much attention to the Volksgrenadier micro while being flanked, they're all busy trying to micro their MG so take this and use it to your advantage.
- Pay attention to the Jeep's health, when it's too low, get it out of the dangerous zone and repair it.
- In case you fail to successfully make a flank and they have you pinned down all over the place. try to cause as much damage as you can before retreating. With that being said, when the health is down to a very low level, retreat as soon as possible.
- As I mentioned above, ALWAYS separate your squads. When a MG squad fires, it should only be able to supress one of your squads. The other squad will keep on running at the mg and grenade it.
- I just went through the lesson about flanking, and as I said, grenades play a very BIG role in flanking. Not that just that, it is a very good tool to take out entire squads or drain the opponent's manpower. The problem with grenade is that it's easy to spot and easily dodge, but that's reason why I'm writing this guide; to show you my grenade technique. I don't mean to brag, but some of you out there saw some of my replays and my grenades always own shit up. It's not luck but it's skill.
- Ok everybody knows that to throw a grenade just simply press "N" and then click on target. Well, my technique is different than that. Here is a basic tips what my technique is about.
- vCoH basic concept is that Rifles win vs Volksgrenadiers in close range, well I will use that in my tactic. what I basicly do is that I charge my Rifles into the Volks, which seem normal. Rifles will get close and get into cover, the same cover that the Volks use. But when I'm almost at the cover I'll use grenade; one man will stop and throw a grenade, meanwhile the other 5 men will keep on running to find cover. This creates a great diversity making opponent think that Rifles are just running up to cover like Riflesquads always does. If the opponent doesn't pay close attention, the whole entire squad can be killed in a blink of an eye. This works fantastic in an intense micro game because the opponent usually dont have time to baby sit every unit on the field.
- I frapped a demonstration of how to use this technique:
- It takes some practice to make it perfect but trust me, it's worth it
Another Grenade trick is to throw it outside the doorstep, that way when a squad exits from the house, it'll step right on the grenade and boom, whole squad is gone, I attached a picture below so you can see where to throw the grenade. It's marked with an X.
**Updated 6/5/08: Grenade in house trick
- Ok, there's been some questions about how to throw a grenade in a house and all that stuff. I am here to tell you that when you throw a grenade into a house, it wont make a difference if you click on specific windows or not. What does make a difference though is the spot where your Riflesquad is. Lets say if your Riflesquad stand at the side(the side with smaller surface area and less windows) of the house, the grenade will be thrown and will explode at the side of the house. If the Rifle stand right in front(the side with greater surface area and more windows) of the house, the grenade will explode in front of the house.
- So why do we need to know that?
- Well, we all know that the side of the house usually got 2 windows. The front of the house got 6 windows and is larger then the side of the house. If you ever flank an MG and the MG is shooting from the side of the house; throw a grenade in there, I almost guarantee you that it will take out at least 2 guys, sometimes you get lucky and kill the entire MG squad. But lets say the MG is shooting from the front(the side with many windows). If you throw a grenade it will most likely kill one or two guys if you're lucky.
- That concept also works with Grenadiers so just keep that in mind
- The picture is uploaded to demonstrate that if you throw a grenade at the side of the house with less windows, those 2 X will be the 2 men to die. BUT only 1 man will die if you throw a nade in that side because the explosion is not big enough to cause the men shooting from other window to die.
- The BAR upgrade is very good. It's great against heavy tier 2 Grenadiers/Volks with veterancy. Without veterancy, BARs will completely rape all Volks and Grens on the field. I recommend you to get BARs after grenade, it will completely dominate the enemy and with grenade support, it will be a living hell for your oppenent.
- BAR is very accurate when Riflesquads stay still so keep that in mind!
Sticky bombs are great, but you need to learn how to flank with Rifles. You just got to think and plan a few steps ahead. Sticky bomb don't have a specific technique except for micro and flanking the vehicle.
**How to use Rifles vs Wehrmacht**
- My entire guide is a very good example of how to play against any Wehrmacht player. Get grenades, get BARs, then Triage Center, followed by Tank Depot and a Crocodile or Sherman. If you use Riflesquads the way I told you, the enemy will struggle to get map control and suffer in manpower due to grenades
- If you get a Jeep, I will recommend you to get 2 engineers. 2 engineers are necessary because you will always need engies around your Jeep for repair.
- Although Rifles are good, avoid fighting near the medic bunkers. You don't want to fight him there because he will get every squad you kill back for free in a very short period of time. With the Defensive doctrine he can also reinforce from it making it close to impossible to win a fight close to the medic bunker. It's better to mortar it or if you can, rush it with flamers and Rifles, just remember to shoot the medics FIRST.
**How to use Riflesquads against Panzer Elite**
- Against PE, I don't recommend you to get fast grenades or BARs.
-When you play against Panzer Elite you want to stall for M8. Stall technique is easy, just avoid to fight with multiple panzer grenadiers, with g43 they will own you.
- Remember when I said Rifles can cap really fast? well, when you're playing against PE, try to harass and capture PE's chokepoints and avoid to fight.
- If you do get into a fight, remember to have as many squads as your enemy, use jeep to push. If you get outnumbered, retreat them ASAP.
- PE got some units that does tons damage to you so cover is an extremely good idea against PE.
- NEVER CHARGE YOUR RIFLES INTO PANZER GRENADIERS EARY GAME! It's suicide, you want to stall for m8 and avoid fighting.
- After a couple of m8s and AT guns, get BARs and Triage Center. This is when Rifles come to play. BARed rifles rape Panzer Grenadiers
AGAIN, AGAINST PE: REMEMBER TO STALL WITH RIFLES EARLY GAME. AFTER YOU GET M8s AND BARs, IT'S TIME FOR RIFLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND FIGHT
- Medic Station is very good if you Riflespam. I didnt use it much before but I've used it a lot recently and I usually get 1 or 2 free Riflesquads so try to get 1 up if you can.
Well, to take out bunkers I will recommend you to get a mortar. However, there are other alternatives such as flanking with Flamers. To take down a bunker with MG inside, just read about the simple flanking in my guide. A few things you need to do first is to get one Riflesquad up to the MG, try to get in cover. That squad will be pinned ofcourse. Great thing about MG in a bunker is that when they're already shooting at a specific target, they won't stop shooting at that target untill it's dead or out of the MGs firing firing arc. So while one of your squads get pinned, the rest just charge up, use Flamer to kill the MG in the bunker and Rifles to take care of the rest.
**The reason i recommend you get mortar is because in high level of play, the Flamer alternative will NOT work because high skilled opponents often have multiple MGs. More than one MG makes it really hard to flush out a bunker.If you attempt and then fail to get enemy to retreat all their squads and take out the medic bunker, Grenadiers might pop out of the bunker and you don't want that to happen.**
Read Below
Well, if you rifle spam and you rifle spam the correct way, you should always have an advantage over your opponent early game. With resource advantage, you should be able to produce tanks before the opponent does.
**IMPORTANT: Always remember to tech up. Never stay in just t1 with tons of Rifles. It is always a good idea to have tanks/vehicles around**
The picture: Lets say the long arrow is where your squad will be coming in from. After you hear the booby trap trigger(a click sound), the X cross is where your squad will be, it's also where the booby trap will explode. Most people tend to move backward from where the squad came from, but my advise is DON'T MOVE BACK. What you want to do is to get your squad to the circle on that picture and then start capturing again from the other side of the point.
You can just click random on the house and it wont make much a difference. The point where grenade the will drop in the house is a result from where your riflesquad is standing. If you're standing right in front(the side with greater surface area, and more windows) of the house, the grenade will be landing in middle of the house.
I just added a trick on how to throw a grenade in a house. Scroll up and read if you haven't already
Well, if Volks have mp40 it means that the Volks will get in close range with your Rifle to do good damage. Put your Rifle in cover and throw grenade on the ground. Just time it just so the grenade explode right in middle of the charging Volks squad
**REMEMBER: If Volks have mp40, let them charge in to your Riflesquad. Dont charge into them because in long range combat, the Riflesquad will win because they have M1 Garands vs the Volks SMG. **
Updated: 6/12/08
A lot of people have asked about my strategy as U.S. lately, so I decided to write this guide to try and show you how it works. Now I have called it “my” strat, simply because it is the one that I use, but the majority of the advice came from Kodachrome, and I have updated it to work with the current patch. So thanks again to Kodachrome for teaching me this.
First off, let me talk a bit about The U.S.
The US faction is different to the other factions like The Wehrmacht and The British. When you play as The U.S., a very aggressive approach is required, constant pressure and never leaving enough room for your opponent to breath is essential. Riflemen are the key to play U.S. at it finest, well, at least in this strategy they are. Remember, Rifles have fast capping speed and have large numbers, so use that to your advantage. Read the section on Rifle usage to gain a more specific understanding of how to use Riflemen.
Let head into strat shall we?
- I normally use two strategies as The Americans. One for use against The Wehrmacht, and a different one for use against The P.E. Rifle-spam is incredibly effective vs Wehrmacht since it can counter MG-42s with grenades, own Volksgrenadiers in the early game and BARs are effecive versus Grenadiers later in the game. Subsequently, my strat vs Wehrmacht revolves around Rifles. However, against The Panzer Elite, Rifles get owned hard by Infantry Half-Tracks, G43s, Armored Cars etc... so with the state of the current patch, Rifle-spam just isn't viable against The P.E. My strategy versus The P.E. Is all about the M8 since it is great against Half-Tracks and can take on Panzer Grenadiers with ease.
- Having said that, this strategy is for use in the current retail patch, 2.301. I'll try more stuff when the beta patch comes to retail, as right now, it's very hard to get a game with high level players in beta.
- Please also note that I will not cover capping orders and all that stuff, and that I will always use Infantry Company.
***Important Note: This strategy is based on what I use in game. You don't have to follow this strategy exactly, step by step, to be successful. For example, I always build a jeep when I first have a barracks. However, if aren't comfortable with your jeep micro, don't build one, just ignore it. If you still have questions, just ask and I will answer it and add to the guide to help ensure that I have covered everything***
Phase 1
- Start with 2 Engineers
*** Why 2 Engineer start? Since I always start with a jeep, 2 engies help me cap faster. 2 engineers around will the map will help also help me repair my jeep faster and get back into battle quicker. The Flamer upgrade is also very good***
- First Engy builds the barracks
- 2nd goes to cap 1 side of the map. After first engy has finished the barracks, send to cap the other side of the map.
- Jeep, Rifle x3,
*** There are a lot of questions asking why I go jeep first. The Jeep has many uses but u need at least decent micro to pull it off, so read Jeep guide and try the Jeep out. If u can't manage to use Jeep effectively, get a Rifle instead***
- Grenades
After your 3rd rifle, in most cases, you should have more than 40 fuel. Get Grenades.
After you have access to grenades, throw them like crazy, using the technique I've demonstrated.
- Rifle x2, BARs
Upgrade BARs when you have your 5th rifle out, you should have about 60 fuel or more
- Build a Triage center once BARs have been upgraded to ensure your Rifles are at full health.
- Upgrade both Engies with Flame-Throwers
2x
Flamer is very good anti-infantry early game so when u have enough muni. Upgraded your engy with flamer. They will be a big help in making flank against opponent's bunker
Phase 2
At this stage of the game, you are either dominating the map with grenades and BARs or you may be struggling to secure a particular area of the map where the Whermacht player has a medic bunker up and is camping.
There are four ways I would go about dealing with this:
Important Note: The 2 cases below, case 1 and 2 are for the times that you see 2 or three levels of infantry veterancy, suggesting a heavy Tier 2 strategy. The 3rd scenario is where you see no infantry vet, suggesting a rush to Tier 4. This scenario is very rare as, without veterancy, Grenadiers and Volks get owned up by Rifles with BARs, however, some higher rank player are able to hold out and get to Tier 4 out before you know it. Worry not! Read below to know how to counter it.
1. If your opponent has chosen Terror
- Get Rangers and upgrade with Thompson SMGs
- Prepare all your Rifles to make a big flank.
- Process for the flank: You should be able to take out the support by throwing plenty of grenades at any Volks, using your flamers to kill the MG in the bunker and using Rangers to deal with any Volks or Grenadiers around bunker at close range. Once the support has been driven off Flamers and Ranger bazookas should take the Med Bunker down in no time.
- Get the Supply Yard and upgrade to level 1 if u have sufficient fuel, if not... Don't.
There are 2 option to chosse from at this point on
- Build TD and start produce Croc/Sherman then back tech to MP to get AT gun and deal with KT.
***When to do this? Only get TD if u have advantage early and mid game, which mean u have lot of fuel and pretty good MP income to consider to get a croc and kill those zombie grens***
- Build MP and go straight for AT guns
***When to do this? When u fight hard battle at mid games. leave u little room for MP and resource***
- In any cases, at late game, u always need at least 1,2 AT guns with sticky to deal with KT
- In additional of late game, if u can afford it. i recommend u to get On-Map 105mm Howitzer. It a great help against zombie grens and great support for your AT guns
2. If your opponent has chosen Defensive
***Why is there a different procedure if the enemy has chosen defensive?
For the Fatherland is very effective, and results in enemy squads taking a long time to kill***
- Enemy squads are able to reinforce around the bunker.
- The Bunker has significantly more health
- Each time you attempt, but fail to destroy the bunker, you feed more casualties to the bunker producing yet more Grenadiers.
- So when up against a Defensive bunker, choose RHS Infantry, select and take the off map howitzer at 3CPs
- OP your highest munitions point.
- Constantly harass around the map. Try to make big flanks with the support of the Off-Map Artillery on the bunker to take it down.
- Get an On-Map 105mm Howitzer up to deal with zombie Grenadiers and any more Medic Bunkers
- Build Tank Depot and start producing Sherman
- Upgrade Sherman with M1A1C 76mm Sherman Gun if u fighting lot of enemy's tanks
- At this stage of the game, you either winning the game or u got overwhelmed with vetted panther and PIV. If your Sherman cant stand up to enemy's tanks, back tech to Motor Pool and start produce AT guns
*****Optional: (Only for case 1 and 2)
- At early to mid games. Get WSC and get a Mortar or Sniper to tackle the zombie grenadiers.
3. If your opponent rushes to Tier 4 (it doesn't matter what doctrine your opponent chooses)
- Get Rangers and upgrade with SMGs.
- OP your highest munitions point if you need to take out the Defensive bunker.
- Focus on the Medic bunker and take it down ASAP.
- Get the Supply Yard and upgrade to level 1 if u have sufficient fuel, if not... Don't.
- After Supply Yard, get a Tank Depot Up and start producing Shermans. Then purchase the Up-Gun for your Shermans to deal with the enemy armour.
- Upgrade Sherman with M1A1C 76mm Sherman Gun if u fighting lot of enemy's tanks
- At late game, back tech to Motor Pool and get AT guns to deal with KT
4. If your Opponent goes Tier 1 to Tier 3 Blitz.
- You should have the advantage early game as Volks can't stand up to grenades and BARs.
- Get Supply Yard
- Build Tank Depot right after Supply Yard
- By the time they have pumas, you should have Tank Depot.
- IF you don't, stall pumas with Rangers and get an M10 out ASAP. However, if you have the time and resources, get Shermans and Up-gun
Some Stuff To keep In Mind
- Mines and Wire are very good. When u chosse infantry doc, all your rifle can build mines and wire so try to lay mines at choke point as much as possible
- Get Sticky upgrade when u see enemy's tanks or vehicle.
- Grenade play big role in this strategy so use them as often as u can, never worry about waste munition on grenade because if u manage to kill entire squad, the munition paid for itself
- Always play aggressively, don't play defensively
- If opponent have med bunker up very early in the game. Try not to fight around, just go around and cap around the map and stall out until u have counter for that bunker. Avoid feeding that bunker with dead grens at all cost
- Have Fun!!! It is ,after all, just a video game. No need to get angry at yourself and start smashing stuff if u lose
**Updated 7/17/08
i just add a frap game vs fatebomb demonstrate A games of US
it only record half cause my frap mess up at half but it still a good showcase of how to micro rifle. replays is attach if u want to see entire game for yourself
http://files.filefront.com/FRAPwmv/;11107674;/fileinfo.html
US Vs Panzer Elite Strategy Guide
I am back with a guide on how to play the US vs Panzer Elite as promised. Remember, this is the current strategy I use vs the Panzer Elite in retail. In beta, I might make some changes or use a completely different strategy. Until then, however, I find this strategy to be very effective. Since I am taking a little break from Company of Heroes, I won't be writing a new guide for beta strategies, but the basic ideas in this guide will always apply.
The US vs Panzer Elite match is very different from the US vs Wehrmacht match. In my guide about playing the US vs Wehrmacht, I said that the US works best if they are played aggressively. It's a bit different with Panzer Elite this time around. I will go into detail with each game phase against the Panzer Elite.
Early Game
As I mentioned earlier, the US vs Panzer Elite match is a bit different from the Wehrmacht match-up. In the early game vs PE, it is best to use your Rifles to stall the enemy. By stalling, I mean you should avoid confrontation and just try to gain map control. In the early game, the Panzer Elite cap points quite slowly whereas Riflemen capture territory very quickly. Due to the strength of the PE's G43s and Infantry HT in retail, I don't use my Rifles for combat, but rather I have them go cap around the map and stall for a M8, the best counter to most Panzer Elite units. A two engineer start helps me secure the map faster, and later on it gives me another unit I can equip with a flamethrower.
A lot of people may be confused by what I mean about capping around the map, so allow me to explain. Let's take Angoville, for instance. We all know Angoville has two +16 fuel points, and our objective is to get out a quick M8; so in the early game, use your Rifles to ensure you always have at least one the +16 fuel points capped, and try to cut off the PE's strategic point if possible. If the Panzer Elite are in control of one side of the map and they try to cut off your resources, retreat your Riflemen back to your HQ and start capping the other side (as their forces are all on your side now.)
Since Panzer Elite forces always have to travel in a blob to be effective, if they are busy occupying one side of the map, the other side of the map is completely defenseless. Further, as I mentioned earlier, Riflemen cap way faster then Panzer Grenadiers. Therefore, if the Panzer Elite player takes your side of the map and tries to capture your fuel, you can out-cap them on other side of that map.
I highly recommend getting a Jeep, as it compliments your stalling tactics with your Riflemen - it can kite, safely reducing Panzer Grenadier health, and it can take down Kettenkrads quite easily. Once you spot a Panzer Grenadier with low health, your Riflemen can focus fire on that squad to kill them pretty fast. If you have good micro, you can also use the Jeep push trick I will explain later to push Panzer Grenadiers out of cover and then let your Riflemen focus fire on that Panzer Grenadier. My two engineer start also compliments using a Jeep, as it gives me an extra unit to repair it with.
Riflemen are weak against G43-equipped Panzer Grenadiers in the early game, so if the Panzer Elite player comes at you with a big blob (and if you know you can't win that fight,) retreat ASAP so you take minimal casualties - you need every bit of Manpower you can get against a Panzer Elite player. After you retreat, just go around and capture other side of the map.
In a situation where your Riflemen outnumber his Panzer Grenadiers, stay on the battlefield and fight; but if you know you can't win, you need to retreat ASAP. In a fight against Panzer Grenadiers, keep your Riflemen behind cover and focus fire on the Panzer Grenadier who has the least health and is the closest to your Riflemen. That Panzer Grenadier will die pretty quick, especially if he has no cover. A lot of low-to-average skill Panzer Elite players don't pay much attention to cover because they are used to seeing Riflemen being easily defeated by G43s, so use that to your advantage.
****Important*****
- Pay close attention to the health bar on your Rifles and Jeep; if the Panzer Elite player focus his fire on a Jeep or Rifle squad, they will die fairly fast.
- Stall for fuel, stay and fight if you know you can win, and retreat ASAP if you are fighting a battle you know you will lose.
Mid GameGet a Supply Yard up as soon as you have 50 fuel. The M8 is the first thing you should get out of your Motor Pool, and use your munitions to buy both the Armored Skirts and .50-cal Machine Gun upgrades.
Tips on M8 use
- Never, and I mean never charge your M8 into enemy territory without support from Riflemen and either Airborne with Recoilless Rifles or AT guns.
- When you first get your M8, always travel with Riflemen. Use your M8 to kite pick off Panzer Grenadiers. Use your M8 and Riflemen to push your enemy off of the map slowly.
- If you have enough spare munitions, plant M8 mines at choke points. M8 Mines can be very, very effective against the Panzer Elite and their large infantry blobs.
After your first M8 leaves the Motor Pool, you should save up Manpower and Munitions for AT guns and/or Recoilless Rifles. A lot of people have asked when is the right time to build an Observation Post on a munitions point. Generally, I build my OP after I get my first M8, or if I know I have enough troops to hold my ground and I'm sure he won't be able to blow up my OP. An OP at this stage in the game gets me the munitions I need to start equipping Airborne with Recoilless, or pays for AP rounds on my AT guns.When you fight, keep your AT gun back so it can safely shoot at enemy halftracks. Your Riflemen should always be in the front lines taking hits, with your M8 behind them, picking off Panzer Grenadiers.
When you have enough fuel, upgrade your Riflemen with BARs and build a Triage Center after that. BAR equipped Riflemen will own Panzer Grenadiers, which will make your Riflemen even better at supporting your M8.
Remember to play conservatively against the Panzer Elite; if you flinch and send your M8 into enemy territory unsupported and lose it to an AT halftrack's Tread-breaker, that could be a game-changing mistake.
Late Game
Keep pumping out AT guns if you are dealing with Panzer IV Infantry Support Tanks and lots of halftracks. It's also important to keep your Rifle squads alive; if you lose a squad, be sure to replace it with a new one. You want to be sure you have enough Riflemen on the field to prevent your AT guns from being overrun by Panzer Grenadiers. Call in Airborne and equip them with Recoilless Rifles so they can help fight off heavy armor, and be sure to plant lots of mines to cripple Panzer Elite vehicles and kill Panzer Grenadier blobs.
Doctrine Choice against the Panzer Elite
I go with Airborne 98% of the time against the Panzer Elite for two reasons; para-dropped AT (either AT guns or Recoilless Rifles) and Strafing Run, so I highly recommend you choose Airborne Company when playing against the Panzer Elite.
In the early game, the choice of which side of the doctrine tree is very important. Most of the time, I don't choose which side to spend my CPs on until the mid-game, after I get my first M8 out. Sometimes, however, I make an exception based on the situation -
- I go left side to get Recoilless Rifles and para-drop AT guns if my enemy tries an Infantry Halftrack base-raid before I have an M8 out.
- I also will go left side first if I suspect they are trying to fast-tech Panzer IVs. If you watch your opponent and see he is skipping a lot of tech (such as not upgrading Panzerschrecks or building Armored Cars,) that is a good indicator he may be trying to Panzer IV rush.
- I go right side Airborne if I play well in the early game and I can counter his halftracks and Armored Cars with Riflemen, and I can stall his vehicles long enough to be able to build them out of the Motor Pool (instead of having to drop them with the doctrine power.)
- I also go right side Airborne if I get overwhelmed by Infantry Halftracks with Panzer Grenadiers support. If the Panzer Elite player gets three or more halftracks (meaning his teching will be severely delayed,) and I managed to get a Motor Pool up to build AT guns, I'll pick the right side of Airborne and use Strafing Run to kill off his Panzer Grenadier support.
By ArXZeroCrackThis post has been edited by jodonnell: Aug 25 2008, 06:45 AM
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