In this guide I lay out general information about the Wehrmacht army that is necessary when making strategic decisions. I will discuss their units, tiers, command trees, and basic strategy. My guide mostly applies to 1v1 automatch settings for Wehrmacht vs. America. Other match settings may vary some of the information presented in this guide.

As for me, I have 2000 + hours playing Company of Heroes, and have been playing for the past 8 years. I have experience with all armies, on all maps, on all types of game settings. I am a true CoH aficionado. I'm not a fan of that CoH2 game they released. I love this game and would love the community to continue being active, so here's hoping to it, and hoping that this guide helps some newer players stay interested.

Enjoy.

I stream CoH on Twitch Twitch.tv/Swolehas

This section of the guide will attempt to explain the general structure/flow of the Wehrmacht army.

The Wehrmacht army is much more versatile than their American counter-part. This means that the Wehrmacht will make use of a wide array of combined arms. This observation is made obvious by comparing the structure of Wehrmacht's T1 to America's T1. America's barracks only allows for production of jeeps and infantry... meaning rifle spam. The Wehrmacht on the other hand, may produce basic infantry (volks), MG, Sniper, and motorcycle right off the bat. Volks-spamming is a viable strategy for the Wehrmacht, but personally I think it falls short to proper use of combined arms.

It is important to note here that the allied armies hold the advantage in the early game. Rifleman are simply better than volks, and are competitive with grenadiers. Rifleman cap very fast (150% normal rate), and are highly versatile. This makes the early game the most difficult, and most victory-determining part of the game. If the American player chooses the tank doctrine, the early game may be a bit easier for the Wehrmacht, but it will greatly increase the difficulty of the late game.

In the early game, the Wehrmacht player will be fighting defensive engagements against hordes of rifleman, who inevitably upgun to bars and out-damage early Wehrmacht infantry. In the early game, the Wehrmacht will do well to defend key strategic points, such as medium-high fuel and victory points, against flanking rifleman. Make use of the combined arms by holding the front line with an MG. Cover the MG flanks with barbed wire. Scout with a motorcycle for incoming attacks, and keep volks around in case of the (inevitable) flank.

In the mid-game the match begins to even out. Grenadiers, infantry halftracks, pumas, and Stuh 42s, offer some much needed offensive firepower to beat back against rifleman. The mortar and at gun also allows the Wehrmacht player to clear out those nasty medic bunkers and MG nests the American keeps placing near key points. Command tree abilities begin making a difference, with firestorms annihilating rifle blobs, propaganda war saving your army from complete destruction, StuH 42s and stormtroopers adding versatility, and bunker reinforcement keeping your troops alive. Neither the Americans nor the Wehrmacht necessarily hold an advantage at this point in the game. That is likely dependent on how the early game went.

In the late-game the Wehrmacht begins to gain, and hold, a significant advantage over the American army. As I've said before, this is not necessarily the case if America took the Armor doctrine, as that allows them to field heavy armor, but is certainly the case in other contexts. Wehrmacht tier 4 is the most powerful tier in the entire game. However, it requires extraordinary amounts of fuel. Even knight's cross require fuel (because you don't want to build them unless they are at least vet 2). Only the American Pershing can stand up to the Panzer V Panther 1 on 1. The Ostwind obliterates American infantry, and the Panzer IV can stand up to both infantry and American tanks.

The following sections of this guide will focus on specific aspects of the Wehrmacht army.

This section of the guide will discuss the general play style of the Wehrmacht army necessary for victory.

The general Wehrmacht strategy is surviving until tier 4 units can be produced. Most Wehr players tech T1 --> T2 --T4 and skip T3 all together for the more powerful T4 units. Wehrmacht is a fuel-intensive army. It takes a lot of fuel to escalate phases, build buildings, and acquire veterancy. Without fuel, Wehrmacht is useless. If America is able to deny you fuel in the early game, then America has won.

Early in the game, your army is worse than America's. The game is an uphill battle. In order to win, you must survive the first few phases of the game. This is typically rifle spam, followed by a fast M8, fast tank, or bar rush. Either way, they have more infantry than you, better infantry, and they will have more and faster tanks as well.

By "surviving" I essentially mean that you must hold on to a good amount of fuel generation. Going below +20 fuel will cripple your chances of victory. If you are only generating 20 fuel, I recommend you OP a fuel point or capture another one. It is okay if America has map control in the early game. All that matters is that you are generating at least 23 fuel or higher. You need some munitions as well, but not as much as America. For example, it is perfectly acceptable to only hold 6 points in Angoville and still win the game. These points include your low fuel and low munitions north of you, one of the high fuel points on the map, one of the high munitions points, the connecting strategic point, and one victory point. As long as you have the high fuel you can still win the game, and if you have the high fuel OP'ed, than that means America is losing.

To achieve this in the early game, you will typically use an MG to lock down a key point in the middle of the map. Wire off flanks completely. Place mines on locations you expect them to walk on, and follow up with a damaging unit. Also lay mines to damage the engine of the first M8. Where you proceed from there is up to you. Whether you want to go T2 to T4, rush T3, or vet infantry is all dependent on your general strategy for that game. In the early game, it is very important that you don't lose full squads. America's rifleman will seem overwhelming. It will seem like they have twice as many units as you, and they will be walking around your units from 4 different angles. Losing squads at this point in the game will put you in a bad position.

During the mid-game, you should begin grabbing some veterancy and tech up to the necessary building for your strategy. At this point, you should begin deciding how you will push on the American player to claim more territory. You may need snipers, artillery, vetted infantry, or tanks. At this point you should make big pushes only if you are certain you won't be taking big losses. The American player has cheap tanks and cheap infantry. A one for one trade-off is a loss for you and a win for America at this point in the game.

During the late-game you should attempt to build a critical mass of tanks and infantry in order to completely overwhelm your enemy. They may have 8 m10s, but those tanks are made of glass. Don't let the American kill your tanks one by one. If you keep them alive, and can get 5 or 6 vet 3 tanks of your own, that's GG. In the late game, use artillery, mortars, and snipers to take out American defenses and AT guns in order to advance your tanks. Use panthers to clear alternative paths to fight the enemy, as they may have mined off more common routes.

Tier 0: Headquarters

Pioneers

• Description - Pioneers are the equivalent of American engineers. They are 2 man squads, as opposed to engineers which are 3 man.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of the engineer is to capture points in the early game, repair vehicles/buildings, and construct buildings, bunkers, wire, tank traps, sandbags, and mines. They can also be used in direct combat with the flamethrower upgrade, and detect mines with the minesweeper upgrade.
  
  
• My Thoughts - Pioneers lose to engineers in a 1 on 1 fight until they become vet 2. Other than for buildings, I primarily use my pios to build wire, mines, and bunkers. Early game I place lots of wire to funnel units into my MG42. Sandbags are useful in certain locations on certain maps. Mines are always useful at all stages of the game. All 3 types of bunkers are extremely useful as well. Early game I will build an aid station. At important points I will place MG42 bunkers, and late game spam repair bunkers. At vet 3 they receive an upgraded version of their "repair" ability, known as "battlefield repair". They are supposed to take less damage while repairing, but honestly they seem like they die just as quickly anyway. Usually by that stage in the game artillery or tank shells blow them up from full health to 0. Flamethrower pios output high damage, but easy to lose. Sometimes they are necessary, but this is situationally dependent. Also, they are basically the only unit available by T1 (along with sniper) that can damage British Tommys (infantry sections). However, it is best to grab vet 2 first for the protective armor first. Vet 2 makes a big difference in terms of their small arms survivability. Some strategies involve a "pio spam". This is usually used against Britain. Tier 1 is skipped completely, and pios are spammed to capture points and place observation posts on fuel/munitions. This allows for early attainment of the stronger tier 2 units, such as the grenadier squad and infantry halftrack.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration, vet 2 is elite armor, vet 3 is +20% health and "battlefield repair" ability

Tier 1: Wehrmacht Quarters

Motorcycle

• Description - Light recon and anti-sniper unit. This unit has a higher damage output than it's Tales of Valor (TOV) counterpart the Schwimwaggen. It does not reverse, however, and is very fragile. This unit can help with holding back jeeps, harassing capping engineers, deterring snipers, killing snipers (even while retreating due to high damage). Use it for damage when possible, but back away and rep before its engine gets damaged.
  
  
• Uses - The main use of this vehicle is a sniper counter. It's secondary use is as recon for detecting incoming flanks/attacks.
  
  
• My Thoughts - I build a motorcycle 9/10 Wehrmacht games, and I recommend you build one too. It can be built 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in your build order. It is great in early game for recon, as it can detect rifle squads attempting to flank. It is great at killing/de-cloaking snipers. In the mid to late game, keep this unit around, but keep it away from the front lines. Hide it behind hedgerows in the middle of the map for extra recon. I recommend the motorcycle over the Schwimwaggen, as the motorcycle is cheaper, deals more damage, and is faster. However, it can't reverse.
  
  
• Veterancy - does not affect this unit in any meaningful way

Volksgrenadiers

• Description - Light infantry. Wehr counter to rifleman. Volks are competitive with non-barred rifleman. Volks beat rifles at long range. They lose badly at close range. They can "upgrade" to MP40s for 50 munitions after T2
  
  
• Uses - Their primary use is as a rifleman counter in the early game. These should be replaced with grenadiers, stormtroopers, or knights cross holders later in the game
  
  
• My Thoughts - Volksgrenadiers are a solid early game infantry. They are not good in the late game, as they do not receive elite armor at vet 2. Keep them at long range when fighting rifleman and use them to protect your MG's from flanking rifle squads. Some strategies include "volks spam". I do not often use this strategy, but it is effective. It makes use of medic bunkers and bunker reinforcement from the defensive doctrine. Dead volks are converted into grenadiers via medic bunkers. I typically build 1 or 2 volks squads per match, mainly to help with offensive pushes, cap points, and protect my MG from flanks. Sometimes, I do not build any volks squads, but this build includes a second MG both with barbed wire protecting flanks and motorcycle for recon. Interestingly, these infantry receive a squad sight bonus at vet 2, allowing them to act as recon units and spot MGs before getting shot at. The MP40 upgrade is good, but is not a universally positive upgrade like bars. MP40s are a close range weapon, and are very inaccurate when moving. To maximize MP40 damage, the squad must be both in close range combat and stationary.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration. Vet 2 decreases damage taken by 5% and increases squad sight. Vet 3 increases maximum health by 20%.

MG42

• Description - The MG42 is the cornerstone of Wehrmacht strategy. A wide arc of fire with high suppression, and decent damage output.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of the MG42 is the protection of key map areas via quick suppression. It does not kill units as quickly as the American MG.
  
  
• My Thoughts - I build one or two MG42s in the early game. It is often 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in my build order. I put them at key areas near the middle of the map (usually fuel points) to create defensive lines. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND covering the flanks of your MGs with barbed wire, and keeping line of sight on dark areas with a motorcycle. And I can't emphasize enough that the MG42 is the backbone of the Wehrmacht. It is necessary to hold back the onslaught of never ending rifleman in the early stage of the game.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is 25% increased accuracy and 25% decreased reload time. That means more damage and faster suppression. Vet 2 is elite armor. Vet 3 is an increased line of sight

Sniper

• Description - Wehrmacht sniper
  
  
• Uses - The main use of the sniper is to de-crew AT guns and weapon crews, paving the way for tank and vehicle offenses. Additionally, it is the only true hard counter to American snipers (motorcycles are light counters).
  
  
• My Thoughts - I typically build a sniper or two when necessary. If I see one single American sniper, I will queue up my own. If the American player has lots of weapon crews and at guns, the sniper becomes more important as well. A full health vet 2 sniper can walk over a mine and survive. Snipers are also effective against Britain. In fact, snipers are the only T1 Wehrmacht unit that can really kill tommys (British infantry sections).
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration. Vet 2 is 20% increased health and 50% reduced suppression. Vet 3 is a 40% increased firing rate.

Tier 2: Kriegs Barracks

Grenadiers

• Description - Superior frontline infantry. More resistant to small arms fire and heavier damage output than volks. More vulnerable to snipers and greater reinforcement cost than volks.
  
  
• Uses - These infantry are much more combative than volks. They will easily beat non-bar rifleman in a 1 on 1 engagement, especially at range. They will fight nicely against bars too, given they have elite armor from vet 2. They benefit greatly from veterancy, and have 2 weapons upgrades for 75 munitions each. They can be upgraded to a panzershrek for strong anti-tank support, or a lighter version of the MG42, which deals moderate damage and has light suppression output.
  
  
• My Thoughts - Grenadiers are a very solid tier 2 infantry, especially with veterancy. They cap faster thank most units (including volks), at a rate of 125%. Though, this is still slower than the rifleman cap speed. The panzershrek provides powerful, early, mobile AT and will protect you in the case of tanks or M8s flanking your AT guns. The MG42 upgrade is nice, but I personally don't use it often. It only fires if the squad is not moving. This is difficult when the enemy makes use of mortars, tanks, and artillery (which allies often do). This can however, function as a mid/late game stationary MG42 replacement. It is best used when garrisoning troops in buildings, and can effectively prevent MG loss due to American pineapple grenades. This is because the grenadier squad does not need to set up or unpack to retreat. Personally, I think the main issue with the upgrade is the high munition cost and the requirement for escalation to assault phase. Most grenadiers will be used for panzershreks anyway, as they tend to be more important.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration. Vet 2 is elite armor. Vet 3 is a 20% maximum health increase.

Pak 38 AT gun

• Description - Wehrmacht AT gun.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of this weapon is as an anti-tank and anti-vehicle weapon. It's camouflage can also be used to "spot" for other units (typically another at gun). The front of the Pak acts similar to cover, and so the pak is more vulnerable to fire from behind and the sides.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The Wehrmacht pak is far superior to the American at gun. This is because the pak has a free, passive camouflage ability, making it much more difficult to find and kill. This camouflage ability also provides a damage and accuracy bonus to the first shot fired while camouflaged. Build these quickly, and get one on the battlefield BEFORE America gets armor. If an American rushes armor, they can realistically build an M8 as early as 7 minutes into the game. Expect this if you do not see bars or grenades. If this is the case, and you do not have a pak out yet, you can lose the game immediately. All America needs to do is rush the M8 to your base and lay mines in front of your kriegs barracks to stop paks from coming out. Because 7 minutes is very early into the game, strategically placed mines act as a soft-counter to the M8 rush and buy you time to get hard AT. A mine will always damage the M8 engine. As for the camouflage ability, DO NOT allow this ability to act as a handicap. I recommend cloaking it only after the pak has reached its destination. Do not cloak right out of the barracks as it significantly slows its movement and can cost you ground on the battlefield. Only cloak if it has reach its destination, or if allied troops are close by. Uncloak it when American infantry are rushing in on it, and cannot be stopped. Back it up until it is in a safe location. Also, remember that you can hold fire on the at gun. This is useful if it has not yet been spotted and cannot be safely removed from its current location. Finally, sometimes it can be useful to use on camouflaged AT gun to spot for another AT gun. The at gun used for spotting must be on hold fire. This is necessary for removing American and British MG emplacements, as those typically prevent Wehr from advancing in the early game.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet on AT guns is very significant, and much better than it appears. Vet 2 makes AT guns very difficult to kill, especially when combined with camo. It often allows them to survive calliope fire, given they move out of the firing arc before the calliope shots finish. Specifically, vet 1 is 15% decreased damage, vet 2 is 15% increased health, and vet 3 is 15.5% increased damage. Oddly enough pak is classified under vehicle veterancy, and not support.

Mortar

• Description - The German mortar. It hits harder and has more range than the American mortar, though it comes out later in the game.
  
  
• Uses - The Wehrmacht mortar is primarily used for destroying emplacements, countering American mortars, and protecting key capture points.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The mortar is a very powerful tool in the German arsenal, though it is not always necessary to build. It is ideally used when America has a strong weapons support presence, and if they are building those annoying MG nests all over the map. In the mid-late game it also can be focused on one specific capture point, often a victory point, putting much pressure on the American player, and forcing them to take manpower hits while they try to run the clock out with VP. It is best to keep the mortar at maximum range, as it is very easy to lose the weapon crew. If an American mortar is on the field, you can hit the American mortar outside of the American mortar's range. Meaning, it can only hit back if it moves closer to the battlefield. Keep your mortar behind hedgerows and buildings to prevent infantry and sniper fire. One last thing to note here. If the mortar team is killed during retreat, the mortar disappears from the battlefield and cannot be re-manned. Sometimes it is better to let your mortar die than it is to risk losing it on retreat. Only do this if you do not expect the allies to re-man it.
  
  
• Veterancy - Mortar veterancy is decent, but not amazing. However, it does exist, unlike with the American mortar. The American mortar almost never receives veterancy benefits due to the difficulty of maintaining a weapon crew long term. Vet 1 confers a 25% faster firing rate, and 25% reduced damage. Vet 2 provides elite armor. Vet 3 increases damage by 50%. Vet 3 is the most impactful level of veterancy for this unit. Vet 2 is in some ways a nerf, as snipers will never miss the unit, even while moving and retreating.

Halftrack

• Description - An early infantry halftrack. Fires a suppressive MG if a unit is stationed inside. Can be upgraded to spray flamethrowers or walking Stuka artillery.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of the Wehrmacht halftrack is to reinforce infantry on the battlefield. It also fire a suppresive MG in the mid-game and can be upgraded to walking stuka artillery after escalation to battle phase, making it a worthwhile investment if kept alive. It can also be used to transport troops prior to an upgrade, though this is less commonly used.
  
  
• My Thoughts - A very good unit in the Wehr arsenal, the halftrack is highly resistant to small arms fire. Though, barred rifles can wear it down over time. Rushing one of these halftracks can provide a few minutes of battlefield dominance via constant reinforcement and mobile suppressive MG fire. Flamethrower pioneers can be loaded into the halftrack and dropped off behind MG emplacements to quickly burn it. In the late game, this unit is used primarily for its walking Stuka fire. 2 or 3 of these can change the tide of the game, putting enormous pressure on allied emplacements. This makes it very difficult for the allies to hang onto the middle victory point in the late game.
  
  
• Veterancy - The main purpose of veterancy is to reduce Stuka recharge time. Vet 1 is 25% reduced damage. Vet 2 is 15% increased health. Vet 3 is 25% reduced penetration. Each level of vet confers a 10 second reduction in stuka recharge time.

Tier 3: Sturm Armory

Armored Car "Puma"

• Description - The Wehrmacht armored car, or Puma, is equipped with a strong anti-infantry cannon. It can be upgunned to an anti-tank cannon at the cost of its anti-infantry capabilities.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of the Puma is early anti-infantry support. It can also provide surprisingly good anti-tank support with the upgun.
  
  
• My Thoughts - Pumas are very good if tier 2 is skipped, as they come in very early. One upgunned Puma beats an M8. The regular Puma eats American infantry, with the exception of Rangers. In fact, killing Pumas is probably the only thing Rangers are good at. Pumas are cheap and mobile. Two of them on the field can hold off any mid-game American infantry push. They are very good against recoiless airborne as well, just be sure to keep the Puma at max range and kite appropriately. Airborne recoiless rifles are very accurate against tanks, but inaccurate against vehicles. The Puma gun is an anti-air gun, so it will shoot down reinforcing paratroopers. I recommend one puma per recoiless squad to ensure victory. Pumas can also tank a shot from an American AT gun. While AT guns are accurate, they miss more often against Pumas. If you are smart with your micro, a Puma can easily de-crew the first American AT by driving behind it. If you are able to de-crew the first American AT gun, your pumas can run wild and allow you to make strong early/mid-game pushes with little AT resistance. A Puma is a smart build choice if rushing T3, as it can be upgunned if an M8 happens to appear on the battlefield. The upgun is also useful for getting to the rear armor of American tanks, for nearly guaranteed penetration. This also blocks the American tanks from retreat. Just keep in mind that the upgun is a trade off. The upgun Puma will still hit infantry and kill them, but the firing rate is slowed drastically. One final note. Make sure the Puma is moving when an enemy is firing on it, as this will reduce their accuracy. When your Puma is firing, stop it from moving.
  
  
• Veterancy - I recommend at least vet 1 for Pumas. Vet 1 decreases damage taken by 15%. Vet 2 increases sight radius, allowing them to replace motorcycles as primary recon, and vet 3 increases damage by 30%.

Officer

• Description - A unique Wehrmacht unit that has no counterpart in any other army.
  
  
• Uses - The primary use of the officer is to speed production of units from any Wehrmacht building, and can be changed at will. It also has the ability to drop artillery for 150 munitions, and can force retreat a single squad for 50 munitions. It detects snipers at an enhanced radius, and captures at a 150% rate.
  
  
• My Thoughts - This is the closest thing to a useless unit in the game. Nobody builds it. It costs 260mp and has a nominal upkeep cost. It has a variety of abilities, but they don't synergize with eachother. Speeding up production means the officer is confined to the base, meaning it won't be capping territory quickly, retreating squads, or dropping artillery. The 150 munition artillery drop is really weak and you would really be better off using a firestorm or buying a Stuka. The force retreat is cheap at 50 munitions, but it only retreats one squad. Compare this to propaganda war, which is 100 munitions, but can reliably retreat 4 or more squads. It can tank 2 sniper shots, and can detect them at an enhanced range, but it's difficult to get this unit deep into enemy lines. I've tried using this unit in a variety of strategies, and it just seems like a waste of manpower. The speedy production is nice, but really only works with Blitzkrieg when the manpower blitz ability is used. Because then you have a massive amount of manpower all at once and you probably want to use it all on the Panzer Command. It also allows for off-map artillery and force retreat, which you won't have in the Blitzkrieg doctrine. Other than that, it sits there draining your manpower. You can use it as a mobile capping unit, and run it near snipers if they appear close by. But it's not going to kill the snipers, so you need to have your own nearby. I suppose you could force retreat a sniper, but that doesn't really solve the problem long term. The only other use I could think of is detecting snipers hidden in your base in-between production speed up.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration, vet 2 is elite armor, and vet 3 is 20% increased health. Vet 2 is a nerf, as snipers will no longer miss the unit while it moves and retreats. Vet 3 is quite a large health increase, but it probably won't be on the front lines anyway. That would be a waste of micro.

Nebelwerfer

• Description - Artillery that does high damage to infantry and buildings, light damage to vehicles and tanks, and does damage over time (D.O.T.) by burning the ground
  
  
• Uses - The main use of the nebelwerfer is to clear out weapon crews, at guns, and emplacements so that the Wehrmacht army can advance
  
  
• My Thoughts - Okay, so right off the bat I need to bring this up. The nebelwerfer is bugged. In fact, it is bugged so badly that it can cost you a victory. The main reason I don't build more of these is because the bug makes them completely unreliable. The bug causes the nebel to go into the firing position and never fire. The "fire barrage" ability will highlight (indicating it is firing), and then freeze there. This is crippling if you are using well-timed barrages to kill key units. It's also annoying because sometimes it happens two or more times in a row. I don't know why this glitch happens, but I do know how to get the nebel to fire afterward. First, you will notice this because you won't hear the distinct noise of a nebel firing. In order to fix it, halt fire and wait for the nebel to lower completely. Then, tell the nebel to move anywhere on the map. Then you can fire again, and hopefully it doesn't glitch this time. As for the actual utility of this unit, it is very good when it works. It has a very high range, so it is hard to kill. Most Americans de-crew these with strafing runs or their own artillery. Nebels easily kills weapon crews and at guns, since they do D.O.T. and those units must pack up to move. It also burns emplacements. This allows your army to advance
  
  
• Veterancy - Veterancy for the nebel is very powerful. Vet 1 increases max speed by 35%. Vet 2 increases health by 15%. Vet 3 increases damage by 15%. Each level of vet decreases recharge time by 10 seconds

Stug IV

• Description - First tank available to Wehrmacht. It has strong frontal armor, and a decent anti-tank cannon. However, it's cannon does not rotate, meaning it must be facing enemy tanks to fire.
  
  
• Uses - Early anti-tank tank used to counter a Sherman rush. Good against M10s, but requires more care against them. At Vet 2 it gets an MG gunner and is effective against infantry
  
  
• My Thoughts - This is the crème de la crème of Wehrmacht's tier 3. This is a very good tank. Most people overlook it, but it is as cheap as an American M10 and can be spammed just as much. It will beat a Sherman in a one on one situation. Its frontal armor is very strong and very difficult to penetrate. Its biggest weakness is the fact that it cannot rotate its turret. American players will use M10's speed to its advantage, and attempt to get to the sides and rear of your Stug IV. If this happens, you won't be able to shoot back. You must have good micro when using this tank. You have to constantly kite it and attempt to keep it at max range against American tanks. Support with an AT gun is recommended as well
  
  
• Veterancy - Stug vet greatly increases its survivability. Get vet quickly. Vet 1 is 15% reduced damage, vet 2 is 15% increased health and MG gunner, vet 3 is armored skirts

Geschutzwagen

• This is a TOV reward vehicle. I'm not going to say much about it. It's inferior to the Stug IV. It has a slightly better gun and paper thin armor

Tier 4: Panzer Command

Knight's Cross Holders

• Description - Top tier Wehrmacht infantry. They have the "heroic" armor type.
  
  
• Use - Good for capping late game. Good for killing allied infantry quickly. Great anti-sniper unit.
  
  
• My Thoughts - I'm going to say something controversial here. I don't think these are very good infantry. By that I mean, I don't think their cost justifies their utility. At least until they are vet 2 that is. Their heroic armor and high health makes them difficult to damage, and they output large amounts of their own damage, but the problem with them is two fold. First off, they are extremely expensive. 360mp for one squad, and 60mp to reinforce a single unit. The highest reinforcement cost in the game. Compare that to other Wehr anti-infantry options. A puma only costs 280mp. An ostwind costs 410. Both can kill at long range, and neither need to be reinforced. A sniper costs less manpower than a knights cross squad. The second problem with knight's cross is that they give American units vet. And they give them vet very, very quickly. Generally, American troops only need to kill one or two knights cross men to gain a level of vet. Because of this, I don't recommend building more than one of these squads until you have at least vet 2 infantry. And even then, I recommend using them mainly as a high health capping unit and sniper killer. They can hunt snipers because they can tank shots, and they will kill them if they get close enough. Just be careful not to vet American snipers. A vet 3 American sniper will kill a knights cross, and vet 3 rifles destroy knights cross. Don't give America vet. One last thing to note. I have read online that knights cross are more accurate while moving. I don't actually know if that's true, but anecdotally it does seem best to run straight into allied units with them (and retreating if it looks like you will lose men). This is probably because of their armor and their close-range damage output.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration, and also unlocks the panzerfaust. Knight's cross start with natural health regeneration in addition to this veterancy benefit. Vet 2 is 25% decreased suppression and 5% decreased damage. Vet 3 is 20% increased health. This is a huge increase given their already high health.

Ostwind Flakpanzer

• Description - Medium anti-infantry tank.
  
  
• Use - Used primarily for killing infantry, airborne especially. Can also be used to kill vehicles.
  
  
• My Thoughts - This is the best anti-infantry unit in the German arsenal. It kills extremely fast, and can kill dropping airborne units. The downside to this tank is that it cannot stand up to allied armor and needs support. Its armor is weak and easily penetrated. While it can deal big damage to airborne, the airborne can do the same. Two or more ostwinds is ideal for holding back the airborne. Just keep the ostwind at max range and kite it back when fighting infantry.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is 15% decreased damage. Vet 2 is 15% increased health. Vet 3 is a 40% increase in accuracy, further increasing the anti-infantry capabilities. Note that this tank does not get armored skirts at vet 3, which is partially why the tank is so easily penetrable by allied anti-tank.

Panzer IV

• Description - Medium anti-infantry and anti-tank tank.
  
  
• Use - The Panzer IV can be used effectively against infantry and tanks. It fights well against Shermans, but not so well against M10s. It fights well against rangers and rifles, but not so well against airborne.
  
  
• My Thoughts - This tank has better armor than the Ostwind, but worse armor than the Stug. Its gun is effective against all allied tanks except for the Pershing and Churchills. This tank is mediocre overall. The ostwind is better against infantry, and the panther is better against tanks. The advantage is that the Panzer IV has the capability of fighting both infantry and tanks. Personally, I build this when I lack the manpower and fuel to build a panther/ostwind combo. A single panther and ostwind together costs 1010mp and 150 fuel, whereas one Panzer IV costs 410mp and 80 fuel. The Panzer IV is also a good choice when the Americans are building many Shermans as opposed to M10s. I would rather build ostwinds against airborne spam, and panthers against M10 spam. But the Panzer IVs are more efffective against combined arms and Sherman spam.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is 15% decreased damage. Vet 2 adds an MG42 gunner. Vet 3 gives armored skirts.

Panzer V Panther

• Description - The best tier 4 unit and a staple of the Wehrmacht army. The Panther is the first heavy tank in the Wehrmacht arsenal, and is a staple of their army.
  
  
• Use - The Panther is a versatile tank. It is mainly an anti-vehicle tank, but also hits infantry accurately, although its fire rate is slow.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The Panther is one of the best German tanks. Its extremely thick armor is difficult for all allied tanks to hit, with the exception of the Pershing and firefly. While it doesn't kill infantry quickly, it does kill them over time. Two panthers on the field effectively sets up a hard wall for the allies, making it very difficult for them to push in. Combine these with repair bunkers, and you will hold territory well. The only downside is the high mp cost, fuel cost, and long production time. If you have the resources, panthers will shut down America.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 decreases damage by 15%. Vet 2 adds an MG gunner. Vet 3 gives armored skirts.

Blitzkrieg Doctrine

Stormtroopers

• Description - Infantry similar to grenadiers, but with a camouflage ability and an MP44 upgrade.
  
  
• Use - These units can be used as either anti-infantry units, anti-tank units, or for harassment behind enemy lines. They are also good at killing enemy snipers, but not sniper spam.
  
  
• My Thoughts - These are expensive, but very good infantry. They synergize well with a tier 3 rush because it allows for them to replace grenadiers as panzershrek infantry. The main appeal of these units is their camouflage ability. Most players don't see these types of attacks coming. With two panzershreks, they can be used to sneak behind enemy lines and blow up American howitzers or British emplacements. Just retreat right after. If they have elite armor they should survive. The MP44 upgrade is surprisingly good, unlike the MG42 upgrade for grenadiers. Even just one MP44 makes a big difference, but 2 maximizes dps. These units can be placed behind enemy lines, and uncloaked to kill retreating snipers or other high priority targets. They can also spot for off-map artillery strikes and stuka rockets. If the enemy is spamming snipers, be careful because cloaked snipers can unintentionally reveal your cloaked stormtroopers. If it's one sniper, you will win, but two or more and you are better off just retreating so as to not lose the squad.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is health regeneration. Vet 2 is elite armor. Vet 3 is 20% additional health.

StuH 42

• Description - A unique anti-infantry tank. Its cannon hits like an artillery shell.
  
  
• Use - Used primarily for killing infantry, particularly blobbed infantry. It deals high damage to buildings and emplacements. Can also be used to deter light vehicles.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The StuH 42 is a very good anti-infantry tank. It has strong frontal armor like the Stug IV. 500mp is a bit pricey, but it doesn't cost fuel. I often will choose Blitzkrieg if I am losing a game, because the StuH 42 allows you to conserve fuel for tech, vet, or other tanks. The StuH cannon is inaccurate, but its splash damage makes it great at killing blobs. It is a viable alternative to an ostwind for anti-infantry capabilities. Like the Stug IV, it must be facing its target to shoot.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 is 15% decreased damage. Vet 2 adds an MG42 and increases health by 15%. Vet 3 adds armored skirts.

Panzer VI Tiger

• Description - The Tiger is the best tank in the Wehrmacht arsenal.
  
  
• Use - The tiger is used for everything. It kills tanks, it kills infantry, it kills buildings, and it defends well against everything the allies can throw at you. It can even take on AT guns head to head, though you should be ready to repair it after.
  
  
• My Thoughts - This is the best tank in the entire game. It has thicker armor and more health than the panther. Its cannon will penetrate every allied tank with ease, with the exception of the Pershing and Churchills (though it still penetrates them well). It does high splash damage to infantry as well, making it great for fighting blobs. And despite its size, it's not a slow tank either, especially when the blitzkrieg ability is active. At a cost of 800mp it is cheap for what it is capable of. And there is no fuel cost to making it. Their is a limit of one tiger on the field at a time, but the Bergetiger can change that.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 decreases damage by 15%. Vet 2 increases health by 15%. Vet 3 reduces penetration by 25%.

Terror Doctrine

King Tiger

• Description - The King tiger is the heaviest tank in the Wehrmacht arsenal.
  
  
• Use - The King Tiger is primarily used as a high-health tank to deter enemy fire. Once it is on the field, all allied fire will focus on the King Tiger. Its gun is most effective against tanks, but will also kill infantry.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The King Tiger is a great unit, and you should call it in as soon as you unlock it. It costs 500mp upfront, but also cuts your mp generation in half for 5 minutes. That raises its actual cost to around 1100mp. Once this tank is called in, it can never be called in again, so all allied fire and artillery will target this when it is on the field. It is very susceptible to damaged engines and immobilization, and it is very hard to fix the engine as it requires the tank to be repaired to full health (which can take a while). It is best to keep this tank in range of repair bunkers, because the allies will fire artillery on it until it dies, preventing you from repairing it with pioneers. This tank is also very slow. It is not good on larger maps, as it takes too long to get on the battlefield. But it does work great as a defensive measure. Overall, the tiger is a better option, but that doesn't mean the King Tiger is bad either.
  
  
• Veterancy - This unit does not receive veterancy.

Defensive Doctrine

Flak 88

• Description - A stationary, but long-range and powerful anti-tank emplacement.
  
  
• Use - Used primarily to kill and deter enemy tanks near strategic locations. Great for holding down the clock with VP. It has 360 degree rotation, and an incredibly long-range. It will fire at any visibile target, given there are no obstructions (hedgerows, buildings) in the way. It is vulnerable to artillery fire, snipers, and infantry, so place it deep in your own territory, and be ready to re-man when necessary. Similar to the King Tiger, this becomes the prime target of enemy fire when it appears on the battlefield. Can only be constructed by pioneers.
  
  
• My Thoughts - The 88 is a very powerful tool in the Wehrmacht arsenal. Just be careful of snipers and artillery, and don't let them re-man it to use it against you. It is extremely powerful at killing tanks. It also destroys emplacements with ease, and even AT guns. If you go defensive, you should almost certainly build one of these. But it is only effective on open maps, and if you can keep it safe and alive. Otherwise, it has a large manpower and fuel cost.
  
  
• Veterancy - Vet 1 decreases damage by 15%. Vet 2 increases health by 15%. Vet 3 reduces penetration by 25% (I don't think this has any noticeable effect in game).

Defensive Doctrine

This doctrine provides a variety of abilities improving the defensive capabilities of the Wehrmacht army, and off-map artillery call ins. It is often combined with Infantry and support veterancy

For the Fatherland

• This ability lasts 15 seconds and costs 45 munitions. It provides defensive buffs to infantry in your territory. It is extremely powerful, especially in the early game. It can allow your troops to run straight into MG fire and kill it, as it effectively removes suppression. A variety of defensive buffs are applied to your infantry, making them very hard to kill. I have seen players who retreat from every early engagement when they see this ability activated. This ability synergizes well with infantry and support vet

Fortify the Perimeter

• Confers additional health to bunkers and observation posts, as well as allowing for reinforcement near bunkers. The additional health on bunkers and observation posts is a nice passive buff, but pretty negligible overall. The real perk of this ability is the bunker reinforcement ability. Bunkers only cost 150mp, and you will often build a few of them throughout the game. Early on, a medic bunker with reinforcement can turn all defensive engagements into strong wins, as your squads won't need to retreat, and dead units will magically transform into grenadiers

88mm Flak 36 AT/AA

• The 88 is an extremely effective stationary anti-tank gun. You can read more about this in my Wehrmacht Units: Doctrine Specific section of the guide

Advanced Warning

• This increases the visual range of capture points. For only 1 cp, this is a nice passive buff. Extra intel is always helpful. It may allow you to see that flank coming where you otherwise wouldn't. It applies to the whole team in team games

Registered Artillery

• This is a very cheap and very strong off-map artillery. At only 125 muni, it can be used quite often. The downside is it can only be called on buildings, bunkers, or capture points. However, if it is used on a squad capturing one of your points, and the player doesn't notice the flares, there is a very good shot it kills the entire squad. It is not very effective against vehicles

280mm Rocket Artillery

• This is the strongest off-map artillery Wehrmacht has. At 200 munitions, it will blow up full health allied tanks. I recommend using a camouflaged unit to find where the American is stockpiling his tanks/infantry, and drop this on them. It will do almost as much damage as a V1, but drop in 3 seconds instead of the long drop and warning sound that the V1 has. It is great for killing those 2 annoying calliopes, or paratrooper blobs that just finished retreating
  

Terror Doctrine

This doctrine provides off-map artillery, forced retreat, a King tiger call-in, and a few small infantry buffs

Zeal

• This ability applies a passive buff to infantry squads that lose men. It helps make up for the damage loss that occurs when one of them is killed, and also increases their survivability. I don't know what the significance of this ability is, since it's hard to assess the efficacy of a small passive buff such as this. It does seem likely however, that the primary benefit of this ability is the prevention of entire squad wipes, as the squad will become more resilient for each man lost. This can buy you a few seconds to retreat the squad and save them

Propaganda War

• All squads within a displayed radius will be forced to retreat. For only 100 munitions, this is an incredibly powerful ability, and arguably, the strongest part of the terror tree. This will save the lives of your tanks, and allow you to hold those victory points so that American can't squeeze you of your last few remaining points

King Tiger

• This is the strongest armored and highest health Wehr tank. Read more about it in my Wehrmacht Units: Doctrine Specific section of this guide

Inspired Assault

• This ability is useful for when your infantry are beating the enemy infantry in a fight. It increases the damage they deal, and increases the damage they take. Do not use this if it is an even fight, or if you are losing, as it will only make you die faster. If you are winning, it may allow you to wipe squads that otherwise would have been able to retreat. This also causes snipers to fire extremely fast. Overall, it's not that useful of an ability

Firestorm

• This is a very powerful off-map artillery, and is worth the cost of 160 munitions. It has a wide area of effect, and causes substantial damage to infantry, vehicles, and emplacements

V1 Rocket Artillery

• This off-map artillery costs 150 munitions, and strikes with a wide-range and huge damage. It will blow up full health tanks and buildings if it hits them. However, sometimes a tank manages to survive with a sliver of health. I suspect that may be a glitch. It takes a long time to call down, and there is an extremely loud warning noise, so American players will begin moving all there units and tanks to avoid the hit. It is best used at the enemy HQ, as soon as enemy forces are about to finish retreating. Not only will it kill the units, but blow up the buildings as well
  

Blitzkrieg Doctrine

This is a resource intensive doctrine. All of its buffs require either manpower or munitions, but the buffs are very strong and worth the cost. Be sure to OP munitions points early on if you plan on taking this doctrine. It does not allow for off-map artillery however.

Infantry Assault Team

• This ability allows Wehr to call in stormtroopers for 375mp. Read more about them in my Wehrmacht Units: Doctrine Specific section of this guide

Urban Assault Support

• This ability allows Wehr to call in StuH 42 tanks. Read more about them in my Wehrmacht Units: Doctrine Specific section of this guide

Armored Assault Force

• This ability allows Wehr to call in a Tiger heavy tank. Read more about it in my Wehrmacht Units: Doctrine Specific section of this guide

Assault grenadiers

• This ability allows infantry to throw assault grenades for 50 munitions. These grenades do little damage, but they stun the enemy and remove suppression from the infantry throwing them. They will be thrown multiple times as well. These are very good if used effectively, and can guarantee wins in infantry engagements. The American player can get around this by kiting infantry, as it will prevent the grenades from being thrown

Blitzkrieg Assault

• This ability causes all Wehr infantry and tanks to move faster for a short period of time. It also gives suppression resistance to infantry, and heavy crush to tanks. Tanks will also shoot much more quickly, and that is the real advantage of this ability. It works well when synergized with Stug spam. If America comes in with a horde of M10s, they will be surprised and saddened by the speed at which their tanks die

Manpower Blitz

• This ability costs 175 munitions, and instantly gives the player a large stockpile of manpower. I'm not sure what the exact amount of manpower it gives is (or if this is variable), but it seems to be around 1200mp. It will also cut manpower generation in half for a few minutes after use, so it's not just free manpower, but moreso receiving future manpower in the here and now. This is a very good ability if you have the munitions to use it, as the late game axis tanks are so strong that this can allow you to overwhelm the enemy. I will often call in a StuH42 immediately, and queue up 2 units in my panzer command. This puts enormous pressure on America. If you think you will be going Blitz, it is best to OP one or two med/high munitions points to really take advantage of this ability

One specific strategy Wehr players use to win involves heavy use of infantry and the defensive doctrine. Bunker reinforcement, For the Fatherland, infantry/support veterancy, and medic bunkers makes it very punishing for America to attack you near your defenses. This is because dead units will be transformed into grenadiers, and they will not be able to push you off while you are constantly reinforcing. This strategy makes the early game much easier for Wehr, which is the hardest part of the game. The biggest downside is that it doesn't provide the late-game armor that Terror and Blitzkrieg provide, however you can build an 88 instead.

To accomplish this strategy, find an important point near the middle of the map, and set up behind it, near your side. Make a few squads of volksgrenadiers, and MG42, and a bunker. As soon as you have 50 munitions, upgrade the bunker to a medic bunker, and fight close to it whenever possible. Volks units are very cheap. They reinforce for only 22mp. Losing them is not a big deal, as the medics will pick them up as grenadier infantryman.

Tech to tier 2 quickly (especially if you don't see bars) for the anti-tank support, then you can vet infantry as necessary. Once tier 4 comes out, the knights cross will be very difficult to defeat.

You can build a second medic bunker to speed up the creation of squads. Just know that America can counter this entire strategy with an early mortar, forcing you to keep distance from your medic bunkers and preventing you from reinforcing appropriately. Later in the game, artillery will all but nullify your bunkers near the middle of the map, and you may need to focus harder on building repair bunkers closer to your base and transitioning to armor primarily. Rangers with tommyguns (which generally aren't a scary unit) may appear on the battlefield if you try this strategy. They can blow up your medic bunkers with their bazookas, and tommyguns are surprisingly good against Wehr infantry prior to knights cross. Just don't let them get vet and it should be fine.

A strategy I am fond of in 1v1s and 2v2s is the Tier 3 rush. I will only do this in a 1v1 if I have very high fuel generation, which usually means an OP'ed med/high fuel point held for almost all of the early game. The risk here is with fast M8s from America, so you will need to spend your munitions strategically placing mines expecting this to appear, and use volks panzerfaust if all else fails. If America bars up, or begins building airborne units, this strategy will be very effective. In a 2v2 this is a much safer strategy, as your teammate can build grenadiers and at guns. This will give your army some versatility, with early armor support.

To do this, first prioritize a med/high fuel point and OP it. Second, escalate to phase 2 and 3 as soon as you have the fuel available. Speed is a priority with this strategy. If an M8 rolls into your base before your vehicles come out, it's GG. Third, build your sturm armory with at least 2 pioneers as soon as its available. Remember, you will not beat America to an M8 if they choose to rush it. Finally, when your sturm armory is built, build either a Stug IV or a Puma. I recommend a Puma if you don't have the fuel for a Stug, and a fast M8 has started to push you off your fuel. The Puma upgun can hold back the M8, though it won't suffice long term. You may need to back tech to T2 for AT guns depending on the situation.

One other downside to this strategy, is that you will end up spending a lot of fuel in T3. This means your T4 units will be delayed. Depending on your fuel generation, you may even be locked into T3 indefinitetly due to manpower and fuel constraints, and that is a rough situation to be in. While the early armor can be strong, Panthers are needed to beat M10 spam and pershings. Ostwinds and knight's cross provide anti-infantry capabilities that the Stug IV doesn't. The Puma will be more difficult to keep alive in the later game as well, so would ideally be replaced by the Panzer IV later on. One thing you can do to mitigate this risk is take the Blitzkrieg doctrine and tech to the Tiger. If you need to unlock the Tiger soon, build bunkers for the XP gain (you can eventually upgrade them to repair bunkers).

Personally, this is my favorite Wehr strategy and I've had great success with it in 1v1s, as it capitalizes on that early fuel generation.

The pio spam is an interesting strategy. It is quite risky as well. It requires lots of early capping and observation posts so that T2 units are unlocked earlier. It is very effective against Britain in a 1v1. This is because Britain cannot cap as effectively as Wehrmacht with 6 pioneer squads. It is also effective because tier 1 units are pretty ineffective against Britain. Grenadiers put up a much better fight against Tommys, and the panzershreks and at guns can deal with British emplacements (and stuart rush). It works against America too, but to a lesser extent because America has early game capping power that Britain lacks.

To do this strategy, build 4 or more pio squads (how many are necessary depends on game specifics and the map). Spread them out to cap effectively, and OP fuel points first and munitions points second, prioritizing high and medium over low points. Escalate to skrimish phase as soon as you have the fuel to do so. Again, this is a risky strategy so it is all about speed. If America slows down your tech to Kriegs barracks, it can be GG. Build the kriegs barracks asap. If you have the fuel, start with a halftrack and put a pio inside to operate the MG. America will be halted by the halftrack, as they won't have anything to fight it appropriately. The rifleman will do little damage to the halftrack, and your large amount of pios will be able to repair it quickly. If you don't have the fuel for a halftrack, start with a grenadier squad to bring out some infantry presence on the field. At this point, the rifleman will be weak against your grenadiers. From this point, you can back tech to T1 or tech up depending on what your strategy needs.

Overall, the Wehrmacht is an army of combined forces, not reliant on any one specific unit, but on a variety of them all. Beating the allies is an uphill battle. It is a game where your enemy has the upper hand, and you must slowly chip away at that. Your tech and vet costs resources, while their units are cheaper than yours. This means America will have more units and better units for most of the game. Only once you get to tier 4 will you truly gain the upper hand, so develop all your strategies around surviving until the high tier units come around.

And remember:

Wehr is useless without fuel. No fuel means no vet, no tech, and worst of all, no tanks (for the most part). If America denies you fuel, you will lose. All your strategies must focus around attaining good fuel generation.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the comment section and I will likely get back to you. I have another guide written about How NOT to play America, but that guide is nowhere near as intensive and comprehensive as this one. I spent about 15 minutes total on the other one, and hours on this one.

Best of luck!

-Swolehas, aka Live Free Or Die


Twitch.tv/Swolehas