Animation Source Forums

Company of Heroes is a RTS game based on the most legendary war- The World War 2. Now for the first time you will find it enjoyable to play a game where Realism and Fun are quite close to each others. Battles aren't in Company of Heroes same like in Command&Conquer where soldiers will run, stand and shoot each others without any supression or any sort of pinned down system. It makes Machineguns quite useless if they can not supress or pin down now don't they? Company of Heroes has beautiful graphics when you set them to full- though this might cause little lag especially in multiplay games so always lower graph settings when playing in multiplay.

Company of Heroes is based in Normandy 1944, follow Able Company's movement from Normandy landing to the ground fights. Drop Paratroopers, call in Airstrikes, bomb enemy bases with M4 Sherman Calliopes, build bases, secure resource points, call in Reinforcements and use devestating artillery strikes. The game offers a huge vision of different tactics, both armored and infantry tactics which will be useful as a combination or as separate.

In Company of Heroes you can not play as a Germany in Campaigns, but who would want Nazis to win eh? No one I'd say even if it is a shame. Because there are no Axis Campaigns you have to learn how to play as a Wehrmacht through Skirmish and it takes some time to learn.

In-game you will have a tactical screen and at the begining few Machinegun nests to protect your base from direct infantry attacks and a HQ building, usually a barn or a urban building where you can upgrade and build Engineers/Pioneers. For Germans the HQ is used as well to upgrade their status, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3.

At the start you build a constructions and secure three different like points: Ammunition, Fuel and Strategic points. Each point will provide Population Cap and Resources. Manpower is a resource which gathers automatically at all time, Ammunition is a resource you need to secure and the secured area linked to your HQ.

Manpower: Primary resource will gather for your use all time
Ammunition:A resource what you can use for different upgrades, for example a Bulldozer for Crocodile tank, Mines, Bunker machineguns, A machine Gunner for your M4 tank and so on. Very important resource for every team.
Fuel: No tank moves without a fuel. Fuel is important and very rare resource, it is required to upgrade veterancy of German forces, to upgrade HQ, to build tanks and constructions and so on.

Each Company has 3 available Command Screens, if soldiers die and buildings get wrecked you recive Experience points what you can use for different unlocks, for example PAratroopers, Airstrikes and so on.

The two basic Factions in Company of Heroes are Wehrmacht and US Army.

Wehrmacht: The Nazi Germany's army
Commands:
Defencive Doctorin Need to defend? Pick this one
Blitzkrieg Doctorin Want to attack very fast and powerfully? Pick this one
Terror Doctorin Want to Scare people and destroy them with V1 or call in Ultimate battle tank The King Tiger? Pick this one.

US Army: Basically The Able Company
Commands:
Infantry company Like to play with Artillery and Infantry? Pick this one
Airborne company Like to say "Death from Above?" Pick this one
Armored company Like to build in tanks and bomb with Calliope? Pick this one

The main duty in this game is to destroy the enemy or secure Victory locations. Two game modes. Victory Point Control and Annhiliate
Victory Point Control: Secure and Defend 3 Tactical locations in the map. Once the enemy Points runs out you will win or then you destroy the enemy before victory points run out.
Annihilate:Seek and Destroy everything what looks like an enemy.

There are many Skirmish map even up to 4 vs 4 maps where 4 players fights against 4 players and down to 1 on 1.
1 vs 1
2 vs 2
3 vs 3
4 vs 4
Team play is the key to victory

For game play, you will control and use the units and you can take cover Note: taking cover gives protection against enemy fire. and so on. If there comes an obstacle an wall or an fence normal infantry can not pass it but a tank will directly CRUSH through any obstacle on its way- depending on tanks some tanks can crush through tank traps.

Relic Online Offers to Company of Heroes players possibilities to play online and patch your game up whenever new patch is released to fix bugs and make graphics better. One thing missing is Spectating. Automatch will take you directly to a game what even you can win. Move forward with your rank and so on.

Good
+Realism and fun
+Beautiful Graphics and Details
+Intelligent AI with Infantry
+You may use many different Strategies
+Lots of different vehicles and units
+The Command branches gives you lot to choose of

Bad
-You can only call one Tiger tank to the field at time
-Still some imbalances are found in-game
-No Spectating ability in multiplay
-The Refresh button doesn't always show how it really is in Servers you join in.
-Small glitches and bugs are found.
-Tank AI sucks

NOTE:THIS WAS Just a Review of Company of Heroes aka VANILA Company of Heroes NOT OPPOSING FRONTS!

I got Opposing Fronts though- its awsome

More:
http://original.companyofheroesgame.com/

FIRST MISSION OF CoH And Intro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w7Wv-0_cII

Added to the compilation.

Tiger tank can be called to field anytime when enough resources however you can only have one (1) tiger per time at the field (which eventually sucks).
The King Tiger is a powerful machine and can only be called once.

HOWEVER

There is a trick how one can get over 10 Tiger tanks without worrying anything. Yet this one
needs Panzer Elite's assistance The Berge Tiger. Key to this is time and massing.

Well for what you said as a tank player I know your tactics and I know how to prevent them. All you need is fuel and you need a lot of it and USA players should stop Germans for getting fuel. For your Terror tactic I know you love it, I love it too only because of the Propaganda War, Zeal and V1. The King Tiger is awsome and major massive tank but its so weak against Anti-Tank Fire along with every tank in the whole darn game. Though despite King Tiger's fame in Company of Heroes it is NOT the best tank at all. The JagdPanther takes the best tank's spot, why so? Watch Face off Jagdpanther from Youtube to see why. US Army tanks are crap yes your right but did you know that they get them so early (in less than 20 minutes) that in that time you have just few PanzerAbwehr Kanonens? I've tried that tactic it works and the PAKs does pretty good job against them. However if the player is a macro he will take down Paks with infantry then rush in, make sure to protect your PAKs all the time with at least 1 MG team and one Volks/Sniper unit. ^-^ then you grant yourself a victory. Stug4's are nice tanks, yet their weak against Rangers and easily out ran by Rangers and Paratroopers same thing with Pumas. I wish ya luck! Hopefully we will see in the battlefield!

For updates.


UPDATE


German Wehrmacht infantry is more expensive than Americans, however their more effective in some aspects. Since US Engineers comes in 3 pairs the Wehrmacht Pioneers that comes in 2 infantry will lose to Engineers unless you know how to macro and your friend doesn't. The Key to victory is macro talents and one must know each weakness of a unit. For example Riflemen are best at medium range and Volksgrenadiers are best at long range, Bring them two to close combat Riflemen will win. However if volksgrenadiers has MP40 Upgrade Riflemen will get pwned at close range without Browning Automatic Rifle.

For tanks. The US has the crappiest tank EVER in the game. Yes their cheap and easy to produce at early stage of game but their worthless against Panther/Panzer 4 spam which Germans like to do in the end of the game. The US Armored units should destroy Germans at the start, if it won't help then you are pretty much screwed.

Wehrmacht players requires a lot of time and fuel to make their infantry and units. Infantry requires Veterancy and they must be veteranced from the specific building. Yet it is expensive as well but worth the pay.

German tanks are expensive but lives with their names. Strong, mobile, devestating and total killers in the game. Panther vs. Sherman without 76mm upgrade, waste of time and resources.
The typical tactic US players use at the begining is the effective Rifleman+Flamethrower engineer spam and in the later one Ranger/Paratrooper spam or Armored spam. This tactic is a typical one. All one needs is Rapid production and some manpower to do it.

To Counter this Wehrmacht's only hope will be placed on MG42 Heavy teams. They will pin these soldiers down and will assist Wehrmacht player to prevent rifleman spams. Today I tested out/and got tested how to destroy a MG42 team in map Angovile when the MG42 is placed in a construction. The only way to do it is with Mortars and snipers however their easy to take down as well. Later on the Wehrmacht will build defences in the spot and man other places with MG42s making it impossible for infantry approaches and if an 88 or PAK 50mm is in the area, well US player, lift a white flag there is nothing you can do anymore but a desperate act of quitting the game.

However the infantry spam is tactical key to win fights. Panzer Elite's best tactic is to do such a thing since their infantry is strong and deadly at long and shortrange combats (depending of their weapons of course).

Now we will move to Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts too.

The new factions Panzer Elite and British 8th Army (I think it was 8th D:)

Both have their unique strategies and so on. British Army is for defencive war, US player with a British player (if both good) are a deadly pair against Wehrmacht and Panzer Elite Players. However counter keys are found since Panzer Elite's infantry is quite strong (those who had played in the multiplay and who plays as a British and as a Panzer Elite will surely know what I mean).

In-game experience what I've discovered in one map (The Scheldt 3vs3 map) lists up pretty unique tactics. One tactic both teams tries is to push forward and not give any time for enemy forces for prepare for defences. German forces (spots 4,5,6 usually) tries to push forward across the bridge down there and then head to the small Island. Note: The small island is the key point of whole war. If someone has it it means more Population Cap and more resource income it must be defended at all cost and every player is aware of that and will do anything to get the island to their hands.

British Tactic: Usually it is to build some defences to the island and immidiately try to get Sappers to build Artillery. Their usual tactic is to start at Spot number 1 and then they will mass their artillery at their home base and bombard everything and everyone who isn't friendly unit. This tactic is very annoying and requires Wehrmacht players since Panzer Elite has no artillery pieces (except Hummel Self-propelled Artillery unit which requires a spesific command tree). Wehrmacht players masses often Stuka Zu Fuss units because they are effective, mobile and more accurate than regular Neble unit. (as well costs less pop cap but requires more resources to build) Stuka zu Fuss is one of British army's nightmare- it can destroy everything they build in a matter of moments and will desperately try to destroy these units at all cost along with US forces. How to stop them? Do whatever it takes, their fast half-tracks and fast to deploy and shoot again.

American tactic is similar to British one, however they once a while go either Paratroopers or infantry to mass rangers and soldiers to push forward across the little island.

Panzer Elite is to rush forward and let Wehrmacht follow. Their forces are strong, hard to beat at early game and their devestating. Their assault forces mainly suck since they have none. If they be more defence they go for Luftwaffen tactics and builds AA weapons and legendary 88s to destroy their enemy advancement. (Its a cool tactic I like it ^-^)

Wehrmacht's army tactic was pretty much told already, harash with stuka zu fusses then mass panthers and other tanks and go through supported with artillery given by other Wehrmacht, or by themselves.

The Best army is the army you know how to handle and macro, without macro, let's say your dead when a good player crosses your path. Short range units to short range, long range units to long range. When close range and spam, flamethrower at close range is death. Key strategy points should be cut off to kill enemy's supply run and sabotage their units (such like Stuka Zu Fusses and nebles, Artillery positions and howizers) macro tanks with a fixed gun by circling them and shooting their rear all the time. Trying to pass and circle enemy units especially their AT guns. Use tactics, macro to save soldiers lives the way you win is the way you play.

Generally the Opposing fronts brought troubles for orginal armies...since their forces usually gets kicked by Brits and Panzer Elite, however this means 2x more macroing to win. Balance fixes might come in future patches.


Anyone who plays this game add this name. NightRain my account name and I'm glad to play with you guys ^-^

Actually I am not wrong about Pioneer and Engineer fight. Engineers won in open ground but if in light cover pioneers win.

Your tactic sounds so same like Impale...one defends while the other one masses tanks, hah that is so nowaday tactic and I've faced it many times (Though in these cases its been in 3vs3 maps where me and Rabone defend and Impale massed massive panzer army while we wasted resources in defence) xD Rabone&Impale= Pals in Company of Heroes both good players.

V2 isn't in Company of Heroes I suppose you meant V1. Effective way to take down British artillery but I'd rather pick up Stuka Zu Fusses and or Hummel to do the job. 3 Hummels are nasty piece of work. If you are Interested Starsky, I can send you some Game Reply's I've saved from my internet games. They aren't that bad you just extract them to your Playback folders then you can watch them without fog of war and see what happens around. (You can see clever tactics in it too)

For panther rush, people usually masses AT guns or just something else what is fun such like rangers. Rangers can out run Panthers to their rear and shoot over there so they must be in 24/7 protection with couple of squads of Grenadiers...