Company Of Heroes

[Drethelis]

Any and all who play this oh so awesome RTS, report in. Favorite army? Favorite doctrine? Strategies? Epic stories? Post them here.

My favorite is American Airborne, but I've been trying to learn how to use the British Royal Commandos. I can't seem to figure out an effective way to repel the hordes of armored cars/Stug IVs with them.

[JockoBeans]

YESSS there is someone who actually appreciates a WWII RTS!!!!

My favorite Axis army is the Wehrmacht. Doctrine: Offensive... was that the name? i get confused with the mods. Sorry.

I tend to use the American army with the infantry doctrine. I love using 105 mm howitzers.

[Drethelis]

My favorite Axis army is the Wehrmacht. Doctrine: Offensive... was that the name? i get confused with the mods. Sorry.

The Wehrmacht have Defensive, Blitzkrieg, and Terror Doctrines. Don't know which one you were referring to, probably Blitzkrieg.

Seriously? Only one other CoH fan? ...

EDIT: Grammar...

[The Tom]

Sorry, the only RTS's I've ever enjoyed are Age of Empires, Populous and Stronghold. I always find that if you absolutely have to make a WW2 game, it's probably better off being an FPS, and even they are a bit rubbish. Saying that, I've looked this up and it seems more involved than some point+click RTS games. I enjoy building and resource-gathering as much as combat, and though this one doesn't look to have much of that, I like the idea of converting buildings into field barracks to provide extra support. And it's only a fiver off Amazon. Hmm...

[Drethelis]

Sorry, the only RTS's I've ever enjoyed are Age of Empires, Populous and Stronghold. I always find that if you absolutely have to make a WW2 game, it's probably better off being an FPS, and even they are a bit rubbish. Saying that, I've looked this up and it seems more involved than some point+click RTS games. I enjoy building and resource-gathering as much as combat, and though this one doesn't look to have much of that, I like the idea of converting buildings into field barracks to provide extra support. And it's only a fiver off Amazon. Hmm...

Tom, I completley understand what you mean about the "WWII games should only be FPSs" idea, but believe me when I say this game pulls it off well. It's seriously one of the best RTS's I ever played, and I've done me lots of Age of Empires, C&C, and Sid Meier's Civ. If it's five bucks (pounds in your case), you should definitely get it. And I promise I'll play with you

[The Tom]

When I next go on a gaming spree I think I'll add it to the list. I've got my sights on a couple of games this year (OMG DEUS EX) so another five pounds on top of that isn't going to hurt me.

I just watched a gameplay video and I'm pretty sure I saw a flamethrower tank...

[JockoBeans]

They are Crocodiles and they are from the American armory. I think the British have their own version too.

And thanks drethelis I got the vanilla doctrine confused with a mod when they were actually the same.

[Drethelis]

vanilla doctrine

LOLWUT

[JockoBeans]

Sorry I am bad at using terms. What I meant was the doctrine from the base game. Company of Heroes right out of the box.

[DorostheConqueror]

PFC Doros, reporting for duty, SIR!

CoH is GODLY; it totally caused me to rethink the RTS genre. It's the perfect balance between strategy and tactics, between encouraging aggressive playstyles while allowing for spectacularly effective turtling. It's just... ughhh, you know what I'm talking about! You've played it before! If you haven't, go get it, NOW.

My favorite doctrine? Good question. For each faction, it's probably:
America- Infantry; for Rangers and Arty (Airborn was too nerfed last patch I played; there's no excuse for Volksgrens massacring a Para squad)
German- Terror; for offmap support and because it looks cool (although I usually get more done with Defensive)
Brits- Artillery; for artillery and super-mortar outposts (Commandos are great when in a team)
Waffen SS- Luftwaffe; for Falschirmjager, flak guns, and improved offmap support
However, I'm not set on any one doctrine. I usually like to switch things up every time I play, depending on the map terrain, my team makeup, and sheer whim. The only doctrine I'm NOT too fond of is the British Engineers; I dunno, it's always seemed pointless to me, especially when you can use commandos or Priests instead.

It's been a minute since I played last, and if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that CoH patches tend to radically change the game balance. Last time I played, Armored Cars were WILDLY OP (as opposed to the useless hunks of crap they were in early patches), capable of destroying even a Ranger squad in a matter of seconds. Killing them with Commandos is all about anticipation and prep. In fact, most British games are won and lost due to anticipation and prep. They've got a reputation for being a very strong static defensive faction (the turtle's army!) but they need to have a rusher mentality and be very mobile and quick to survive, at least early on. Move fast, and move with a purpose. Secure forward bases, roll up your Sappers, and get AT emplacements up ASAP! A single AT gun can kill a company of German ACs; two AT guns well positioned with interlocking fields of fire can kill an entire army of the things. If need be, you can also use a Bofors, but I've never found them to be very useful. Any unit that can be killed with a Bofors, can be killed harder and at greater range with an AT. The only possible advanateg a Bofors might have is if your enemy is fielding ALL light armored vehicles, and in vast numbers, but usually your AT is more than enough. Also, don't forget to entrench! You probably know this already, but it bears repeating: German tanks and Armored Cars can't do crap against a British unit in a trench. Forget buildings, forget sandbags, dig a trench and stick a PIAT team in there and nothing short of a firestorm will get them out. A good idea is to get a trench up and fill it with commandos and/or MG armed infantry, then use them to cover your Sappers while you erect the AT guns. If an armored unit shows up, wait it out; while your infantry might not kill it, it won't kill your trench either. If it decides to go after your Sappers instead of trying to break your trench, throw them in the trench and dispatch the armor quickly with PIATs. If you're NEARLY done building the AT, a sacrifice may even be in order! You should end up with a series of trench/gun combos which will prove to be virtually unbreakable by any German ground force short of a King Tiger convention. If you fail or decide you can get by without AT emplacements, the Germans WILL kill you; the Brits have no real unit-based AT options until late in their tech tree, and even then, their options suck. Basically, it comes down to a defense rush. If you work smart, you should have little or no problem getting some emplaced guns up before the Krauts can start fielding heavy vehicles. Then it becomes a simple matter of raiding with your gliders and keeping the Germans from nailing you with arty, which shouldn't be too hard. British commandos will DESTROY German infantry, especially if you can get them entrenched, and Tetrarchs (once available) can handle any Armored cars while conducting offensive operations. heavy tanks should be avoided until you get PIAT commandos (I generally like to keep 2 PIAT teams per 1 vanilla team); IIRC, you can use demo charges to take out the real big suckahs in a pinch. Push 'em back, keep them on their toes, and remember: once you've got a solid lockdown as the Brits, time is on your side. For real painful results, try scouting their main base with a troop carrier. Pick a field near their base (or in it, if their defenses suck) and drop a glider. Then rush their HQ with a couple Commando squads, entrench in front of it, and watch your enemy pee himself! Your commandos will be difficult to oust without dropping heavy incendiaries on his own base, and they'll mow down any retreating units and newly built Pioneers.

I've had some pretty epic battles. One of my favorite things to do is comp stomping on river-heavy maps. I can't even remember the name of it right now; that one with the three islands? The industrial port in the middle, and the railyard on the right? Play that, 1 v 3, on a harder difficulty. It becomes a race against time to try and take out the bridges and isolate yourself. There's nothing like watching fifty German soldiers, fresh from slaughtering your forward infantry elements and anti-bridge engineer squad, streaming across the last bridge JUST as you launch a final artillery barrage to take the damn thing out. Another thing I like to do is make recorded games, then go back and "watch" the game from a single soldier's perspective. Pick a guy, say, the squad leader from the German's first Grenadier unit. Lock the camera on him and follow his units adventures until you either win, get wounded, or get smoked!

[JockoBeans]

Wow that was a an eyeful Doros. Anyway its true the Germans smush anything if there are no AT guns to counter their armour. The King Tiger is such a pain in the rear. I found that luring the steel beasts into traps is the smartest thing to do. Using infantry, preferably tough Rangers, to lure it into chasing them into a court or intersection that is covered by at least 3 AT guns works real well. To keep it from escaping I have some infantry tag the tracks with a sticky bomb. It usually works.

So what do YOU do when assaulted by the Konig Tiger II

[DorostheConqueror]

Wow that was a an eyeful Doros.

Yeah, I, uhhh, I like CoH. I was actually writing a FAQ for it while ago, but it never got finished...

So what do YOU do when assaulted by the Konig Tiger II

Good question! The best answer is: I don't. Beat the Germans BEFORE they can field a Tiger! Or, at the very least, wreck their economy so hard that it's one Tiger against the rest of your army.

Assuming they get one out, though, well... which faction/ doctrine? Allied Armor, for example, can just use a Pershing. Pershing's aren't quite as strong, but a Pershing + a Sherman, or a Pershing supported by some sticky naders, can work wonders. Infantry doctrine? Rangers lead the way! If you're playing against the AI, pausing to micro can be very effective; two or three Shermans armed with gas and upgraded cannons can play the wolf pack and encircle that damn Jerrry tank without much problem. If need be, as you suggest, pick a spot on the map to lure the Tiger to and set up some interlocking ambush points; two AT guns might not seem like a big deal, but properly placed they can severely injure, possibly even cripple, even the Terror doctrine's Tiger Ace. The Brits? AT emplacements again. Tigers can't take a line of British AT emplacements, not without arty support or a mixed rush of infantry and lighter armor.

Of course, most of the Tiger counters you can use are heavily dependent on prep. Once the tank shows up, either you're ready for it, or you're not. If you're not, spam AT guns and tank destroyers like there's no tomorrow, because for you, there may not be. Again, Tigers don't start showing up until late in the game, so by that time victory or defeat is probably inevitable.

[Drethelis]

I'll respond to all the most recent posts in depth later, Doros and Jacko, but I'm only taking a break from work right now. But from the looks of it, Doros, you and I need to have a little toe-to-toe action with them Luftwaffe guns you be braggin something fierce.

[Drethelis]

Okay, I read you section about British tactics, and proceeded to 1v1 a normal Wehrmacht AI on the Small 1v1 map "Best". I won really easily, using the Royal Commandos and the strategies you told me! I quickly took points by putting my ISs in Bren Carriers, having them take points, and digging in, and ambushing any Engineers taking the forward posts on the island. Then I got my Sappers to the front lines and had them build AT guns, while some ISs built some Vickers and a few 3"s. Since at this point, now holding 70% of the territory, I knew I had the AI's balls in a vice grip, and I wanted to do a really epic kill on his base so I sent over to his territory Bren Machine Gun/Rifle Grenade equipped IS, found a place to crash a Glider HQ and a Commando Glider, and started seizing territory. The Commandos dug in and fought back a few responding squads of Wehrmacht, the IS capped the point, and immediately I began pumping out PIAT Commandos and regular Commandos. After I felt my army was sufficient, I charged his base with all my Commandos, and barraged his HQ with Howitzer/Off-map Artillery strikes. The Commandos killed infantry and placed Demo Charges, while the PIATs took care of any armored cars or tanks. My victory soon followed.

I think we oughta play sometime. Maybe some Operation: Stonewall, or Operation: Panzerkrieg? Just hit me up on Steam, my username is [sneakking_sarge].

[DorostheConqueror]

I'll respond to all the most recent posts in depth later, Doros and Jacko, but I'm only taking a break from work right now. But from the looks of it, Doros, you and I need to have a little toe-to-toe action with them Luftwaffe guns you be braggin something fierce.

Bragging? Perish the thought. Men like Rommel, Macarthur, and Doros have no need to brag.

Okay, I read you section about British tactics, and proceeded to 1v1 a normal Wehrmacht AI on the Small 1v1 map "Best". I won really easily

Hehehe, BEHOLD, the might of Field Marshall Erwin von Doros! Unfortunately, I don't have the game anymore. It was installed on my old compy, which has since been gutted for parts, and my discs are AWOL. I'd have to get it again, through means foul or fair, before I could play online again...

Just out of curiosity, where are you placing your mobile command trucks? I usually like to set up one near each of the VPs/ key choke points, either on it or at a safe distance behind. Moving your main command truck is a pretty handy trick (since it allows you to bring your retreat point forward, giving you a HUGE advantage for both offensive and defensive operations) but you have to know when to do it since it severs your resource flow for a time. If you're playing on a team, link up your allied territory first before you move, since that'll prevent you from going out of supply. If you're doing a 1 v whatever, I usually wait until my AT guns are being built to make a dash for a central location. In REALLY crazy battles, I've actually wound up with one small island of death in the middle of the map, completely surrounded by Hitler's minions, and still won, thanks to VPs and arty. Arty isn't such a good choice for Commandos, but if you get one Commando player on a team with a Canadian or American Infantry, Germany is in serious trouble thanks to the Commando's ULTRA Decryption power. Play around with different triangulation setups, because a well-sited intelligence network can prevent sneak attacks and allow constant shelling of any German target you please.

[ace62394]

I've never played multiplayer because I suck

But I like the gliders, they're tons 'o fun!

[JockoBeans]

I've never played multiplayer because I suck

But I like the gliders, they're tons 'o fun!

Yea same here. I just like playing the pc. I just entrench and slaughter the enemy as they come. Artillery really puts the hurt on my emplacements though.

[ace62394]

I've never played multiplayer because I suck

But I like the gliders, they're tons 'o fun!

Yea same here. I just like playing the pc. I just entrench and slaughter the enemy as they come. Artillery really puts the hurt on my emplacements though.

Attack the artillery with GLIDERS!

[Drethelis]

The Tiger Ace campaign was really fun, but bloody short. Wish there was more.

[ace62394]

That the one where you primarily control tanks? I don't really like armor, if I have too many units, I end babysitting them so they don't expose their backs in combat.

[JockoBeans]

You love 'em when you are playing the Germans. A good Tiger with some supporting light armor can rip up almost any defensive position.

I learned that the hard way.

[Redguard Mage]

I've played through CoH and OF many times and it's the most immersive game I think I will ever play. I have yet to play the more recent titles in the series.

I played OF again recently and it's a good campaign but I prefer CoH as there are more varied attack and defense and combo missions. My biggest achievement was beating the Hill 112 missions on hard. You have to react quickly to enemy attacks rather than sit back, have ample time to build defences and wait for them to come at you. The Hill 112 missions also made it impossible to create extra units to tackle the biggest threat which some might call spamming but all is fair in love and war.

I went to The Tank Museum in Dorset, UK in summer 2010 and saw most of the tanks from CoH plus tanks, armour and weapons from earlier and more recent times. Well worth visiting if you want to learn about and touch a King Tiger, Sherman Firefly, Sherman Crocodile with it's gasoline trailor not shown in CoH. The size of the barrells on these badboys need to be seen to be believed. Also saw the AVRE (I love you), Stuart Light Tank and Goliath! No Sherman Calliope but the 300 other tanks made that bearable. Just.

It's a big hastle to install all the patches that should be applied first and it took me a long time to work out that the patches which are only a few hundred meg in size kept failing because I needed over 3 gig of space for them to apply. This was not mentioned in the readme files.

[Drethelis]

I've played through CoH and OF many times and it's the most immersive game I think I will ever play. I have yet to play the more recent titles in the series.

I played OF again recently and it's a good campaign but I prefer CoH as there are more varied attack and defense and combo missions. My biggest achievement was beating the Hill 112 missions on hard. You have to react quickly to enemy attacks rather than sit back, have ample time to build defences and wait for them to come at you. The Hill 112 missions also made it impossible to create extra units to tackle the biggest threat which some might call spamming but all is fair in love and war.

I went to The Tank Museum in Dorset, UK in summer 2010 and saw most of the tanks from CoH plus tanks, armour and weapons from earlier and more recent times. Well worth visiting if you want to learn about and touch a King Tiger, Sherman Firefly, Sherman Crocodile with it's gasoline trailor not shown in CoH. The size of the barrells on these badboys need to be seen to be believed. Also saw the AVRE (I love you), Stuart Light Tank and Goliath! No Sherman Calliope but the 300 other tanks made that bearable. Just.

It's a big hastle to install all the patches that should be applied first and it took me a long time to work out that the patches which are only a few hundred meg in size kept failing because I needed over 3 gig of space for them to apply. This was not mentioned in the readme files.

I recommend you pick up Tales of Valor, it adds 3 new campaigns (which are reasonably fun but rather short), as well as all these cool scenarios you can play online like Operation: Stonewall. I think it's worth it personally.