General unit summary analysis

[wordsmith]

Following summary represents all units used in CoH. It could a good guide for all of you who want to think about Ostheer concept, to first consider the actual usage of proposed units. Sometimes there are units which are from the same group - which means they could be redundant.

For every group I made small analysis explaining the usage and natural opponent - meaning units which are best to counter it. This is applied as scissor-paper-rock rule where all units could be countered with other units and this mix makes players to think in forward while deploying units. Understanding of this rule separates good tacticians from average.

I think Ostheer should have units which would fit into these groups. How you name them is not so important as its role within this analysis. Please consider this when creating your own concepts. Thank you!

Infantry units

General infantry
Means the basic infantry, backbone of every army. It could be used to various tasks, preferably early capping and gaining map dominance.

Usage
- early map dominance, capture, recrew, later as reserve, some units could be upgraded to specialists

Natural opponent
- long range infantry, assault infantry, suppress units, indirect arty units, AAA, recon vehicles, general tank, AI tank, special tank... almost everything on battlefield

Wehr: Volks, Grens
PE: PG
US: Rifles
UK: Tommys
Soviet: Conscripts, Strelky



Long range combat infantry
Scout units which are best used when detached from skirmish and kiting from behind at long distance. Could have better vision range.

Usage
- vs all infantry and support units, especially to decrew heavy weapons, recon

Natural opponent
- as General infantry, especially recon vehicles

Wehr: Sniper
PE: PG G43, Fallschirms FG42
US: Sniper
UK: Tommy Scouts
Soviet: Sniper team



Assault infantry
Close combat infantry used best at close range. Armed mostly with automatic weapons, grenades or flamethrowers. Sometimes have run possibilty to get quickly to close range or cloak possibility which renders them good for ambush or recon.

Usage
- vs all infantry and support units, decrew , assault on fortified positions, bunkers, buildings, trenches

Natural opponent
- assault inf., suppress units, indirect arty units, AAA, recon vehicles, general tank, AI tank, special tank

Wehr: Volks MP40, Grens MG42, KCH, Pio flame,  Stormtroopers MP44
PE: PG MP44, Fallschirms
US: Rifle BARs, Engis flame, Rangers Thompson, Paratroopers
UK: Tommy Bren, Tommy Grenades, Commandos
Soviet: PPSh Strelky, Guards, Partisans



Heavy infantry
Anti-tank troops able to destroy armored targets or buildings.

Usage
- almost exclusively vs vehicles, but also to destroy buildings, emplacements

Natural opponent
- long range inf., assault inf., suppress units, indirect arty units, AAA, AI tank, special tank

Wehr: Grens Schreck, Stormtroopers Schreck
PE: PG Schreck
US: Rangers, Paratroopers RR
UK: Engineers PIAT, Commandos PIAT
Soviet: Tankhunter PTRD, Guards

Support units

Suppress units
Used for perimeter defence. Able to create suppression quickly thus rendering all infantry less efficient eventually forcing them to retreat. Mostly machine guns.

Usage
- deny a particular area to infantry, defence

Natural opponent
- especially indirect arty units, long range inf., assault inf., recon vehicles, general tank, AI tank, special tank

Wehr: MG42, Bunker MG42
PE: Flak38
US: MG .50, MG bunker
UK: Vickers MG, HMG Commandos
Soviet: MG bunker



Indirect combat
All artillery and mortars able to fire indirectly.

Usage
- bombard fortified positions, destroy buildings, destroy defences, lay smoke

Natural opponent
- long range infantry, assault infantry, indirect arty units, AAA, recon vehicles, general tank, AI tank, special tank... almost everything on battlefield, needs to be protected

Wehr: 8cm mortar, Nebelwerfer, Officer, Sdkfz251 Walking stuka
PE: MHT, Hummel, Hotchkiss Walking stuka
US: 81mm mortar, M2 105mm How., Sherman Calliope
UK: Mortar Pit, 25pounder, Priest, Commandos mortar
Soviet: Mortar, Command squad, Arty firebase, Катюша



Builders
All building units.

Usage
- build buildings, defences, repairs

Natural opponent
- everything on battlefield, needs to be protected

Wehr: Pioneers
PE: PG, Luftwaffe ground forces
US: Engineers
UK: Sappers
Soviet: Ingenery, Mechanics

Vehicles & guns

Recon
Light vehicles able to move fast. Some of them unarmored so also general infantry could destroy them.

Usage
- recon, sniper hunting, vs all support units, fast raid on enemy base especially when he doesn't have AT protection

Natural opponent
- AT inf., AT guns, general tank, AI tank

Wehr: Motorcycle, Schwimmwagen, Puma
PE: Ketten, Schwimmwagen, SC, AC, IHT, Hotchkiss
US: Jeep, M8, T17
UK: Bren carrier, Stuart, Tetrarch, Staghound
Soviet: T70, T90



General tank/assault gun
Heavy armoured vehicles able to destroy other heavy armoured vehicles. Have medium or limited anti-infantry capability.

Usage
- dominate battlefield, quick raids, decisive assaults, anti vehicle

Natural opponent
- AT units, general tanks and assault guns

Wehr: Panzer IV, StugIV, Panther, Tiger, King Tiger
PE: Panther, Jagdpanther
US: Sherman, M26 Pershing
UK: Cromwell, Churchill
Soviet: T34, IS2, ISU152




Special tank
Special vehicles which are good vs soft targets and infantry but have limited or none AT capability. The exception is Bergetiger which is not good vs any targets, but it is special recover/repair unit and Cromwell command tank which is improving other Brit tanks and gathers experience.

Usage
- anti inf.role, vs buildings and emplacements, assault rugged defences

Natural opponent
- AT units, general tanks and assault guns

Wehr: Sdkfz251 Flame, StuH 42
PE: Bergetiger
US: Sherman Crocodile
UK: Cromwell command tank, Churchill AVRE, Churchill Crocodile
Soviet: KV2



AT  units
All anti-tank units which are used for long range kiting of armoured targets, usually with limited AT protection.

Usage
- deadly to armoured targets, vs buildings and emplacements

Natural opponent
- other AT units, general tanks and assault guns, indirect arty units

Wehr: Pak38, Geschutzwagen, Puma 50mm, Flak 88mm
PE: ATHT, MarderIII, Flak 88mm, Hotchkiss 50mm
US: 57mm, M10/M18
UK: 17pdr, Firefly, Tetrarch Littlejohn
Soviet: ZiS-2, Su85/Su100



AAA
Anti-air guns capable of shooting flying targets.

Usage
- deadly to all infantry

Natural opponent
- AT units, general tanks and assault guns, indirect arty units

Wehr: Ostwind
PE: Wirbelwind, Flak38
US: M3 .50-quad
UK: Bofors 40mm
Soviet: T90