Title for the unfamiliar : Haze’s Company of Heroes (Opposing Fronts & Talves of Valor) Guide. Part 1 of 5
Pulling away from the traditional RTS, CoH is can be a very fun, and frustrating game for newcomers. Theory and tactics come into play a lot more than most games. Due to the there are a lot of guides, and this my attempt at one. Some of the things I will be discussing are from experience, or read off of a site (most likely http://www.gamereplays.org/community/Company_of_Heroes_Strategies_Tactics_and_Tips-f1214.html). This is the first part of a total of five guides I will be writing. The first one has to deal with the basics of CoH. The next four will cover all of the factions.
Part 1 ; The Basics
1.1 Resources
CoH has three resources : Manpower, Munitions, and Fuel.
The amount of manpower given throughout the map is fixed, unless the player secures any captured points via British support trucks, Panzer Elite scout cars, and observation posts for Wehr and Americans. Manpower is what is spent to make buildings and units, also to use a few abilities and upgrades. This is a very important resource; so use it wisely. A good example of using your manpower wisely is using an engineer squad to kill a sniper. You lost 140 manpower, but on the other hand the enemy lost 340 manpower. If you get to know the manpower values of units, you will be able to better determine whether to sacrifice a unit for a kill or not. This does not mean to send your units blindly into combat; especially British infantry. Losing 450 manpower (the same as a firefly!) can be detrimental.
Munitions are given from certain strategic points marked with a symbol with three bullets in it. Unlike manpower and fuel, munitions are not given from your HQ. Doing exactly as the name implies, munitions are used to upgrade a unit and use special abilities (both command and unit abilities). For some factions this is can be a very important resource. Abilities such as the mortar haltrack’s incenidary round is cheap and very effective. But things such as the Stuart’s canister round should be used carefully and wisely. Again, remeber tradeoffs when it comes to resources. For example, using the stuarts 75 muntion canister round to take out maybe 3 panzer grenadiers; thats 75 munitions for 255 manpower. I’d say it is worth it.
Fuel is the last resource and the most important during the endgame. It is used for buying global unit upgrades, making buildings, and creating certain units such as tanks. Like munitions, fuel is also given by certain strategic points (in this case they are marked by an oil drum). But unlike munitions you receive them in the start of the game from your HQ. If you plan on getting armor then save up your fuel. Not much else to say about it.
1.2 Command Points
Your command points are indicated at the large circle near the minimap. When starting a game you will have 0 command points. By creating bulidings, emplacements, and destroying things you will gain experience towards a command point. Once you have a command point you can spend it on anything you like, as long as you have enough command points to buy it. This brings me to where you spend command points; in the command menu (might not be the name, oh well). In this menu you will be able to pick up to three different doctrines/commanders (doctrines for axis, commanders for allies). They are a way of specalizing in a certain field of things, such as the American’s Armor Company Commander which obviously revolves around American heavy armor. Never choose a doctrine/commander when the game starts unless you are positive of your enemy’s play style and chosen doctrine/commander. For example if you are Panzer Elite and you choose the Tank Destroyer doctrine and your enemy begins to amass infantry you are fucked. Wait until midgame to choose your doctrine once you have a good idea of the enemy’s play style.
1.3 Unit Types
These are terms I’ll be using later in my guides.
There are four units type : Infantry, Support Units, Light Vehicles, and Heavy Vehicles.
Infantry is and should be the main backbone of a player’s army. Infantry are able to fulfill numerous roles such as anti-tank with handheld AT weapons, or anti infantry. Infantry can range from inexperienced Riflemen to highly trained Knight Cross Holders which are able to tear through enemy infantry. Infantry can be surpressed, meaning it can be slowed down and given reduced accuracy through sustained weapon fire (MGs, rifleman’s special ability, mortar shells, etc). AT Infantry also isn’t very effective against endgame heavy tanks such as the Wehrmacht Tiger or the American Pershing.
Support units consists of units that usually are following regular infantry to better aid and heighten their combat. This includes such units as snipers, MG and mortar teams, engineers, munition halftracks, etc. These units are best not used as the spearhead of your force, but rather as the edges of it or the force that helps drive it. Support infantry can either directly aid other units (mortar’s smoke rounds), or help infantry be more effective (mg teams). A good player should have an army consiting of few support infantry, as they can be countered and destroyed quickly without help from infantry/vehicles.
Light vehicles can range anywhere from M8 Greyhounds to Stuart Light Tanks to Bren Carriers. Light vehicles are best used against infantry, as their armor can not stand up against heavy vehicles. Light vehicles see most of their action from early game to mid game, as your enemy’s AT capabilties will rapidly rise near endgame. Light vehicles should be used wisely, as a couple of hits from a panzerfaust can destroy it.
Heavy vehicles are your medium tanks, cruiser tanks, heavy tanks, self propelled artillery, and super heavy tanks. These units require lots of fuel to produce, and for good reasons. Most heavy vehicles are equipped to best deal damage versus other vehicles, or bulidings. Only a small handful are designed to perform well against infantry. A single super heavy tank (King Tiger, Jagdtiger) can quickly turn the tides of battle to be less favorable against the person said tank is being employed upon. Heavy vehicles’ main threat are AT emplacements and large gatherings of infantry equipped with AT weapons. For example : if you have a sherman versus a grenadier squad with two panzershrecks : do not retreat. Unless you are very bad at microing your tanks you should have no problem against such AT weapons. But when there are two or more suqads it would be smart to run. Any vehicle can always be repaired.
Remember : a key rule of CoH is not to be cheap or a big spender, but to be effective in a fight. Dumping your money into a single unit and spamming it will not win you a single battle. Conserving your money will just end up with you being overrun.
Thanks for reading all of this, I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any suggestions for future guides or to correct me in anything then talk to me about it on the IRC. Just don’t be a gigantic dick about it (Cleedy..).
..MAN.
