History VideoGame / CompanyOfHeroes

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist/Turtle''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them Balanced in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can kill infantry and support weapons but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles. The Ostheer also has elements of Turtle, as it's the only faction with non-doctrinal zero upkeep static defense, allowing a late-game Ostheer to convert excess munition into MG bunkers to guard resource points. Ostheer as a whole also specializes more towards defense than attack, given that it only has 4-man squads without doctrines and needs cover to survive against larger Allied squads.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist/Turtle''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them Balanced in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can kill infantry and support weapons but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles. The Ostheer also has elements of Turtle, as it's the only faction with non-doctrinal zero upkeep static defense, allowing a late-game Ostheer to convert excess munition into MG bunkers to guard resource points. Ostheer as a whole also specializes more towards defense than attack, given how the Grenadier's MG upgrade requires it to be stationary to fire and performs best in cover against incoming enemy units.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them Balanced in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can kill infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Brute Spammer''. The Red Army as a whole is Brute, but should the player chooses to build the Support Weapon Kampaneya first instead of Special Rifle Command, they can be played as Technical for the early-mid game. During this time, most of their units are cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of them have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is the humble conscripts, who are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utilities, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent punisher of static defense with molotovs and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to save them from getting wiped. Another example is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In yet another example, their mortars fire slower than the Ostheer mortar, but they make up for this with their scouting flare, doubling them as a potent recon unit. On the other hand, should the player chooses to commit to the [[DifficultButAwesome Brute path from the start]], they gain access to some powerful stock units that can brute force their way through everything. The premier example of this is the dreaded Penal Battalion, which is widely considered to be the best mainline infantry in the entire game, capable of both slaughtering Axis infantry and posing a threat to even the heaviest tanks with their PTRS upgrade. Another example is the even more feared M3A1 Scout Car, or the "Clown Car" as the community put it, which can mount either flame thrower engineers to kill Axis weapon teams or the afforementioned PTRS penals to hunt Axis light vehicles. The faction's Brute playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade and reinforcement discount that turns them into unwipeable masses of death that no longer lose direct fights and cost peanuts to reinforce, thus grinding the enemy down by attrition.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Brute Spammer''. As contradictory as it may sound, the Red Army is so versatile that it can embody both end of the "Technical-Brute" spectrum. On one hand, most of their units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of them have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is the humble conscripts, who are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utilities, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent punisher of static defense with molotovs and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to save them from getting wiped. Another example is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In yet another example, their mortars fire slower than the Ostheer mortar, but they make up for this with their scouting flare, doubling them as a potent recon unit. On the other end of the spectrum, some stock Soviet units lack any glaring weaknesses and can brute force their way through everything, such as the dreaded Penal Battalion, which can outfight most Axis infantry units and pose a threat to even tanks when blobbed with their PTRS upgrade, and the T-70 light tank, which can murder both infantry and vehicles with brutal efficiency while evading AT thanks to its speed. The faction's Brute playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade and reinforcement discount that turns them into unwipeable masses of death that no longer lose direct fights and cost peanuts to reinforce, thus grinding the enemy down by attrition.

** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger/Berserker''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies, with the sole exception of the Sturmpioneer. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that lacks the cheapness of Conscripts and the late-game firepower of all other mainlines. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kübelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Their early game kit also tailors them toward a Berserker playstyle, as they can't build any form of non-doctrinal static defense nor early MG, forcing them to attack aggressively with their fragile Kübelwagen and Sturmpioneers to keep the enemy on the backfoot until better units arrive. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Unit Specialist'' with the addition of powerful but expensive, specialized and manpower-intensive tanks. The Panzer IV ausf. J has the heaviest armor out of all the mediums, but it's also the most expensive and slowest to come out, making it possible for the enemy to already have two tanks by the time one arrives. The Jadgpanzer and Panther are stronger than Pz.IV in a tank duel, but they can't fight infantry, relegating them to a purely anti-tank role. That being said, they fulfill two different niches of tank destroyer, with the former being a long-range tank sniper and the latter being a LightningBruiser that can perform quick dive behind enemy line to rapidly destroy vital targets (like Katyushas or damaged tanks). The Königstiger is a powerful all-rounder, but it's slow and has an average sight line, making it more suited for defense as it can't chase down retreating tanks to finish them off. Late-game OKW also gains access to Obersoldaten, which is a powerful long-range unit that lacks a snare, requiring it to be paired up with Volks to deter vehicles.

** British (''2''): ''Elitist Unit Specialist/Turtle'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. Their squads are small, expensive but powerful, doubly so in cover where they receive a significant buff. However, their mainline infantry unit uniquely lacks any sort of AT, forcing it to rely on Royal Engineers or the AEC armored car (neither of which are particularly good against infantry) to not get murdered by vehicles. The Brits' reliance on cover and small squad size also mean that they can't carry out assaults very well, necessitating the support of light vehicles like the Universal Carrier to spearhead the attack. Moreover, since covers are so important to the Brits, Axis players tend to barbwire off anything they can use as cover, requiring Engineers or vehicles to remove these obstacles for them. The Brits are also clearly designed as a Turtle faction, having access to powerful emplacements like the Bofors cannon as well as the ability to brace them against damage, but in practice emplacements are so easily countered among high-level play that few make use of them.

** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger/Berserker''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies, with the sole exception of the Sturmpioneer. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that lacks the cheapness of Conscripts and the scaling firepower of all other mainlines. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kübelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Their early game kit also tailors them toward a Berserker playstyle, as they can't build any form of non-doctrinal static defense nor early MG, necessitating them to attack aggressively with their fragile Kübelwagen and Sturmpioneers to secure an early advantage. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Unit Specialist'' with the addition of powerful but expensive, specialized and manpower-intensive tanks. The Panzer IV ausf. J has the heaviest armor out of all the mediums, but it's also the most expensive and slowest to come out, meaning that it may have to face two Allied tanks on its own (a battle that's not impossible to win). The Jadgpanzer and Panther are stronger than Pz.IV in a tank duel, but they can't fight infantry, regelating them to a purely anti-tank role. The Königstiger is a powerful all-rounder, but it's slow and has average sightline, making it more suited for defense than engaging in tank duels and chasing down retreating enemy vehicles. Late-game OKW also gains access to Obersoldaten, which is a powerful long-range unit that lacks a snare, requiring it to be paired up with Volks to deter vehicles.

** British (''2''): ''Elitist Unit Specialist/Turtle'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. Their squads are small, expensive but powerful, doubly so in cover where they receive a significant buff. However, their mainline infantry unit uniquely lacks any sort of AT, forcing it to rely on Royal Engineers or the AEC armored car (neither of which are good against infantry) to not get murdered by vehicles. The Brits' reliance on cover and small squad size also mean that they can't carry out assaults very well, necessitating the support of light vehicles like the Universal Carrier to spearhead the attack. Moreover, since covers are so important to the Brits, Axis players tend to barbwire off anything they can use as cover, requiring Engineers or vehicles to remove these obstacles for them. The Brits are also clearly designed as a Turtle faction, having access to powerful emplacements like the Bofors cannon as well as the ability to brace them against damage, but in practice emplacements are so easily countered among high-level play that few make use of them.
** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger/Berserker''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies, with the sole exception of the Sturmpioneer. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that lacks the cheapness of Conscripts and the scaling firepower of all other mainlines. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kübelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Their early game kit also tailors them toward a Berserker playstyle, as they can't build any form of non-doctrinal static defense nor early MG and must aggressively secure an early advantage with their powerful but fragile Kübelwagen and Sturmpioneers. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Brute'' with the addition of powerful but expensive and manpower-intensive tanks, like the venerable King Tiger, which can take on four medium tanks and [[https://www.reddit.com/r/CompanyOfHeroes/comments/ulidb2/king_tiger_too_angry_to_die/ come out on top]] as long as it doesn't get flanked.

** British (''2''): ''Elitist Unit Specialist/Turtle'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. Their squads are small, expensive but powerful, doubly so in cover where they receive a significant accuracy buff. However, their mainline infantry unit uniquely lacks any sort of AT, forcing it to rely on Royal Engineers or the AEC armored car (neither of which are good against infantry) to not get murdered by vehicles. The Brits' reliance on cover and small squad size also mean that they can't carry out assaults very well, necessitating the support of light vehicles like the Universal Carrier to spearhead the attack. Moreover, since covers are so important to the Brits, Axis players tend to barbwire off anything they can use as cover, requiring Engineers or vehicles to remove these obstacles for them. The Brits are also clearly designed as a Turtle faction, having access to powerful emplacements like the Bofors cannon as well as the ability to brace them against damage, but in practice emplacements are so easily countered among high-level play that few make use of them.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Brute Spammer''. As contradictory as it may sound, the Red Army is so versatile that it can embody both end of the "Technical-Brute" spectrum. On one hand, most of their units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of them have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is the humble conscripts, who are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utilities, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent punisher of static defense with molotovs and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to save them from getting wiped. Another example is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In yet another example, their mortars fire slower than the Ostheer mortar, but they make up for this with their scouting flare, doubling them as a potent recon unit. On the other end of the spectrum, some stock Soviet units lack any glaring weaknesses and can brute force their way through everything, such as the dreaded Penal Battalion, which can outfight most Axis infantry unis and pose a threat to even tanks when blobbed with their PTRS upgrade, and the T-70 light tank, which can murder both infantry and vehicles with brutal efficiency while evading AT thanks to its speed. The faction's Brute playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade and reinforcement discount that turns them into unwipeable masses of death that no longer lose direct fights and cost peanuts to reinforce, thus grinding the enemy down by attrition.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Brute Spammer''. As contradictory as it may sound, the Red Army is so versatile that it can embody both end of the "Technical-Brute" spectrum. On one hand, most of their units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of them have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is humble conscripts, who are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utilities, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent punisher of static defense with molotovs and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to save them from getting wiped. Another example is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In yet another example, their mortars fire slower than the Ostheer mortar, but they make up for this with their scouting flare, doubling them as a potent recon unit. On the other end of the spectrum, some stock Soviet units lack any glaring weaknesses and can brute force their way through everything, such as the dreaded Penal Battalion, which can outfight most Axis infantry unis and pose a threat to even tanks when blobbed with their PTRS upgrade, and the T-70 light tank, which can murder both infantry and vehicles with brutal efficiency while evading AT thanks to its speed. The faction's Brute playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade and reinforcement discount that turns them into unwipeable masses of death that no longer lose direct fights and cost peanuts to reinforce, thus grinding the enemy down by attrition.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can shred infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.
** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Generalist Spammer''. The Red Army's units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of their units have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In another example, conscripts are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utilities, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent punisher of static defense with molotovs and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to keep them from getting wiped. In yet another example, their mortars fire slower than the Ostheer mortar, but they make up for this with their scouting flare, doubling them as a potent recon unit. Some Soviet units also lack glaring weaknesses and push the faction more toward a Generalist playstyle, such as the penal battalion, which is arguably the strongest mainline infantry in the game and can fight infantry and vehicles in tandem, and the T-70 light tank, which can murder both infantry and light vehicles with brutal efficiency. The faction's Generalist playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade that turns them into unwipeable balls of death that no longer lose direct fights and cost peanuts to reinforce, thus grinding the enemy down by attrition.

** British (''2''): ''Elitist Unit Specialist/Turtle'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. Their squads are small, expensive but powerful, doubly so in cover where they receive a significant accuracy buff. However, their mainline infantry unit uniquely lacks any sort of AT, forcing it to rely on Royal Engineers or the AEC armored car (neither of which are good against infantry) to not get horribly murdered by vehicles. The Brits' reliance on cover and small squad size also mean that they can't carry out assaults very well, necessitating the support of light vehicles like the Universal Carrier to spearhead the attack. Moreover, since covers are so important to the Brits, Axis players tend to wire off anything they can use as cover, requiring Engineers or vehicles to pave the way for them. The Brits are also clearly designed as a Turtle faction, having access to powerful emplacements like the Bofors cannon and mortar pits as well as the ability to brace them against damage, but in practice emplacements are so easily countered among high-level play that few make use of them.
** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger/Berserker''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies, with the sole exception of the Sturmpioneer. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that lacks the cheapness of Conscripts and the scaling firepower of all other mainlines. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kübelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Their early game kit also tailors them toward a Berserker playstyle, as they can't build any form of non-doctrinal static defense nor early MG at the start and must aggressively secure an early advantage with their powerful but fragile Kübelwagen and Sturmpioneers. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Brute'' with the addition of powerful but expensive and manpower-intensive tanks, like the venerable King Tiger, which can take on four medium tanks and [[https://www.reddit.com/r/CompanyOfHeroes/comments/ulidb2/king_tiger_too_angry_to_die/ come out on top]] as long as it doesn't get flanked.

On July 13, 2021, the third main game of the series, ''Company of Heroes 3'', was announced, featuring a turn based campaign with real time battles, similar to ''VideoGame/TotalWar''. It will focus on the American, British, and German forces in the Mediterranean (North African and Italian) campaigns.

** British (''2''): ''Elitist Unit Specialist/Turtle'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. Their squads are small, expensive but powerful, doubly so in cover where they receive a significant accuracy buff. However, their mainline infantry unit uniquely lacks any sort of AT, forcing it to rely on Royal Engineers or the AEC armored car (neither of which are good against infantry) to not get horribly murdered by vehicles. The Brits' reliance on cover and small squad size also mean that they can't carry out assaults very well, necessitating the support of light vehicles like the Universal Carrier to spearhead the attack. The Brits are also clearly designed as a Turtle faction, having access to powerful emplacements like the Bofors cannon and mortar pits as well as the ability to brace them against damage, but in practice emplacements are so easily countered among high-level play that few make use of them.

Late-game Brits do transition more into an Elitist Brute faction, as their infantry's glaring weaknesses can be solved by Bolster and Gammon bomb upgrade.

** British (''2''): ''Unit Specialist'', much like in the first game, the British has a more defensive play-style. For example, infantry would get defensive bonuses if they were to take cover. But they got some new toys to play with this time around; like the AEC Armoured Car (An armoured car with an ''anti-tank gun''), and the Centaur Anti-Air tank.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical/Generalist Spammer''. The Red Army's units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of their units have special abilities that grant them additional roles. The best example of this is the Zis-3 field gun, which is weak but is both an anti-tank gun and an anti-infantry artillery piece, something no other AT gun in the game can boast. In another example, conscripts are terrible in straight-up fights, but they make up for this with a mountain of utility, being an excellent anti-tank squad that can quickly sprint toward vehicles to anchor them, being an excellent support weapon killer that can throw molotov and being a mobile reinforcement squad that can merge with other units to keep them from getting wiped. Some Soviet units also lack glaring weaknesses and push the faction more toward the Generalist style, such as the penal battalions, which is bar none the strongest mainline infantry in the game and can fight infantry and tanks in tandem thanks to its satchel charge and PTRS rifles, and the T-70 light tank, which can murder both infantry and light vehicles with brutal effiency. The faction's Generalist playstyle is further bolstered in the late game, as Conscripts gain a 7th man upgrade that turns them into unwipeable balls of death that no longer lose direct fights.

** Red Army (''2''): ''Technical Spammer Faction''. The Red Army's units tend to be cheaper and/or larger but are individually weaker than their German counterparts. They make up for this with versatility, as many of their units have a cheap special ability that grants them additional roles. Their strength lies in the fact that their special abilities synergize very well with each other. The humble conscript may not do much in a firefight, but they can easily anchor an enemy armored vehicle with an engine-destroying AT grenade for your other AT units to kill. Victory as them requires a hefty amount of micromanagement and a combined arms approach.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can shred infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Greyhound of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in an early-game fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can shred infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Wehrmacht Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in a fight, but they can defend the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can shred infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär, Ostwind, Flame Halftrack, and Panzerwerfer are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that lacks the cheapness of Conscripts and the scaling firepower of all other mainlines. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kubelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Brute'' with the addition of powerful but expensive and manpower-intensive tanks, like the venerable King Tiger, which can take on four medium tanks and [[https://www.reddit.com/r/CompanyOfHeroes/comments/ulidb2/king_tiger_too_angry_to_die/ come out on top]] as long as it doesn't get flanked.

** Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Soviet to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. Grenadiers may not do much in a fight, but they can babysit the MG-42, which is bar none the best MG in the game and can force entire blobs to retreat thanks to its excellent suppression power. Bolstering the Grenadiers' lackluster pushing power is the 222 Armored Car, which can shred infantry but is weak against other armored light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 or infantry with Panzershreck to keep it alive. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be multi-purpose, as the Brummbär and Ostwind are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Red Army to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. For example, the 222 is an excellent anti-infantry vehicle, but it's not too good against other light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 to keep it alive. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be a multi-purpose one, as the Brummbär and Ostwind are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Oberkommando West: ''Balanced Ranger''. Unlike the OST, OKW early and mid-game units generally cannot go toes to toes with the Allies. Their mainline infantry, Volksgrenadier, is widely considered to be the worst of its kind due to being a MasterOfNone that can't be spammed like Conscripts and can't kill like Infantry Sections, Riflemen or its Grenadier cousin. In return, the faction get superior mobility and ambush potential, best exemplified in the Raketenwerfer [[note]]fast and can both camouflage and retreat, but isn't armored like other AT guns and go down pretty quickly[[/note]], the Puma[[note]]anti-tank light vehicle that can literally run circles around larger tanks and has a long range, but goes down after two shots[[/note]], the Flak Half-track [[note]]powerful anti-infantry light vehicle that can rapidly kill and suppress enemy squads, though it suffers from a lengthy setup time and requires good positioning, preferably where the enemy least expects it[[/note]], the Kubelwagen[[note]]is very fragile, but is extremely fast, deadly on the flanks and can rapidly capture points[[/note]], and Sturmpioneers[[note]]short-ranged, but will absolutely shred any infantry once they manage to close the distance. They are pretty much OKW's sole trump card in the early game and are practically required to give the middling Volksgrenadiers much needed backup[[/note]]. Late-game OKW, on the other hand, transitions into ''Elitist Brute'' with the addition of powerful but expensive and manpower-intensive tanks, like the venerable King Tiger, which can take on four medium tanks and [[https://www.reddit.com/r/CompanyOfHeroes/comments/ulidb2/king_tiger_too_angry_to_die/ come out on top]] as long as it doesn't get flanked.

** Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Red Army to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. For example, the 222 is an excellent anti-infantry vehicle, but it's not too good against other light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 to keep it alive from the other light vehicles of the same tier. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be a multi-purpose one, as the Brummbär and Ostwind are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Red Army to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. For example, the 222 is an excellent anti-infantry vehicle, but it's not too good against other light vehicles, unlike the multi-purpose T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 to keep it alive against other light vehicles of the same tier. Of all the stock Ostheer vehicles, only the Panzer IV can be said to be a multi-purpose one, as the Brummbär and Ostwind are specialized against infantry while the Stug and Panther are specialized against other vehicles.

** Ostheer (''2''): ''Balanced Unit Specialist''. With the addition of the USF and UKF, the Ostheer is no longer the Elitist faction it was back when it had only the Red Army to contend with. Their mainline infantry, Grenadier, are weaker but cheaper than the mainlines of the two Western Allied factions, making them more of a Balanced faction in the current meta. Where they still shine are their excellent support weapons and vehicles, which are highly specialized and need to work in conjunction with each other. For example, the 222 is an excellent anti-infantry vehicle, but it's not too good against other light vehicles, unlike the AEC of the UK, the T-70 of the Soviet and the Stuart of the US, necessitating support from a Pak-43 to keep it alive. Of all the stock Ostheer tanks, only the Panzer IV can be said to be a multi-purpose vehicle, as Brumbar and Ostwind can only fight infantry and Stug and Panther can only fight tanks.