A big name in real-time strategy games,Company Of Heroes 3throws you back into the chaoticbattlefields of World War 2as the commander of an elite fighting force. There are a handful of different factions fighting over North Africa and the Mediterranean, so it’s going to be a rough fight from start to finish.
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There are currently four different armies to choose from, each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and play styles. Who you prefer playing as is ultimately up to you. But, each of these armies does differently out the gate, so it’s best to know which ones take some extra skill to play, and which ones are a cakewalk.
4Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht is all about speed and blitzkrieg with the armored elements of their military, and their play style reflects it well.
The Wehrmacht armor is the shining star of this faction, and there is an armored element for every instance you can think of. The heavy Tiger and Panzer tanks are great for being a central, albeit slower, unit in your arsenal that can demolish most enemies in a short time.
While the Wibelwind and Armored Car are great at dealing with enemy infantry.
These units are boosted by infantry troops that allow for more speed and maneuverability. They are lacking in comparison to other infantry-focused factions.
Their aerial and ranged artillery support is where the Wehrmacht really loses out. The Stukas and their bombing runs and the Strobtruppen units with their MG42’s are the saving grace, but not enough to really make up for the Wehrmacht’s weakness in infantry and aerial power.
They are a fun faction to play once you understand how to effectively use the armor that they excel in, but the time it takes and the possibility to be hampered from the air or at range really limits them.
3British Forces
The British aren’t about to let the Axis military powersmarch across Africawithout a fight, and they put up a good one at that. Contrary to the Wehrmacht, the British Forces excel at long range engagements.
Using their artillery, they can weaken their enemies to the point of only having to mop them up once they get in close. Howitzers, mortars, and self-propelled artillery platforms are all ready to be rolled out and cause havoc at range.
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Their armor and infantry shouldn’t be forgotten about, but they will be quickly outmatched when put toe-to-toe against factions that specialize in close engagements. You may well want to invest in the Infantry Support or Heavy Armor Support battlegroups as they will make your units' power a little more evenly dispersed.
The key to making this faction work for you is knowing the distance in which you can optimally function. You want to keep your enemy in range of your guns, but out of their range for the most part.
It can be easy to underestimate the speed or reach of your enemy faction and get wiped out rather quickly when flanked or overrun.
2U.S. Forces
The U.S. is perhaps the best faction to pick for players jut starting out with this game, or even this series or real-time strategy games in general.
The U.S. Forces do everything fairly well, but they do excel slightly in infantry tactics, thanks to units like their Paratroopers and Commandos. This only increases when considering the Paradropped Infantry and Combat Operations battlegroups.
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Their armor and aerial forces aren’t anything to balk at, but they can get outgunned when going up against more advanced units. Using your infantry as the tip of the spear and even flanking or cutting off enemy units with your paratroopers can make for easy battles with few casualties.
Keep an eye out for any unit that gets too focused on your infantry though, as sometimes they can veer more towards glass cannons. Especially when facing off against machine-gun-toting Wehrmacht and the like.
1Deutsche Afrikakorps
The Afrikakorps often make enemy engagements so easy that it doesn’t seem fair. This faction feels a lot like Wehrmacht 2.0.
What you’ll want to do with this faction is strikingly similar to that of the Wehrmacht. Your armor is your best friend here and this faction knows it, adding even more units and skills that benefit this approach.
The Engineers and Recovery Half-Track should always be behind the front lines to repair any broken armored unit. Get diverse with your units, focusing armor but letting units like the Bersaglieri deal with infantry that is harassing you.
Where you might be interested in other factions to boost the units that don’t have much going for them, it is an excellent idea with the Afrikakorps to further reinforce your armor with battlegroups, and there are plenty of options to do so with.
While many of the armored units in this faction have a solid speed, they can be less mobile than some infantry. Knowing this, keep a solid lookout for any sign of flanking or any anti-tank units creeping up on you, as you are sure to draw their attention with this play style.
